Here’s the winners of the 98th Oscars. I finally got to see the whole broadcast on Hulu.
Here is the winners list from tonight’s awards ceremony — the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026), held March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
I’m listing the official competitive Oscar winners by category, based on live results and post‑ceremony reporting. [timesnownews.com]
Best Casting (new category): Cassandra Kulukundis — One Battle After Another[sfgate.com]
Original posting from last week
Earlier posting follows”
Oscars 2026: Nominees, Predictions, and One Man’s Cinematic Sanity
It’s Oscar time again.
What follows is my college housemate Roy Dufrain’s annual Oscar preview: thoughts on the Best Picture nominees, a few strong opinions, some snubs, some DNFs, and—because this is a long‑standing tradition—more honesty than is strictly necessary.
Roy’s Oscar Preview
THE OSCARS AT OUR HOUSE 2026
Hits and Misses, Snubs, DNFs, and the Catholic Church
For twenty‑five years now, Mrs. D and I have made it an annual quest to see all of the films nominated for Best Picture. The goal is simple: finish the list before Oscar night so we can better enjoy the festivities.
This year, I saw all ten nominees. Mrs. D saw approximately 8.25; the discrepancy will be explained shortly.
I should note, as I always do, that I’m no film student or trained critic—just a regular guy who loves movies and enjoys the click‑clack of his keyboard.
Here are the films, in the order I saw them.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Leonardo DiCaprio is endearing as the bumbling ex‑revolutionary, and Teyana Taylor is impossible to look away from. Visually striking, with just enough grit.
But the story veers into comic‑book implausibility, and Sean Penn’s Stephen J. Lockjaw is laughably over the top. I’ve read it’s a “black comedy action‑thriller,” and my response remains: make up your mind.
SINNERS
Thoroughly disappointing.
Much of the film is nearly impossible to see due to the now‑fashionable “natural lighting” approach. On my 60‑inch TV, facial expressions were unreadable most of the time. That’s not realism; it’s bad storytelling.
Add in vampires, blood, and bluesy musical numbers, and you’ve got a vampire musical—definitely not my jam.
F1
Old‑fashioned entertainment done right. Think Paul Newman energy, with Brad Pitt filling in.
The racing sequences are thrilling and emotionally integrated. This one earns a second viewing.
BUGONIA
Marketed as a surreal dark comedy, but it mostly delivers surreal and dark. A key supporting character exists purely as a narrative device and is discarded without logic. The ending twist is predictable.
This feels like a movie that rode its cast to Oscar attention.
MARTY SUPREME
Fast and mostly entertaining. Timothée Chalamet is magnetic, but Marty himself is selfish, cruel, and exhausting.
Any empathy I had vanished when he abandoned an injured dog. His so‑called character arc is instantaneous and unearned. I didn’t buy it.
HAMNET
A beautiful, devastating film.
Jessie Buckley is luminous, and every performance supports the emotional weight. Visually enchanting, it’s both a meditation on grief and a tribute to the restorative power of art.
THE SECRET AGENT
(Portuguese / German)
Challenging to follow, especially with subtitles—borderline inaccessible if you’re dyslexic, like Mrs. D.
Still, a compelling ground‑level portrait of authoritarian repression in 1977 Brazil. The visual style is perfectly tuned to its setting. Some scenes felt gratuitous, but overall it’s worth seeing.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
(Norwegian)
A quiet, probing study of grief and family dysfunction. Thought‑provoking, but so intent on being profound that it occasionally forgets to entertain.
TRAIN DREAMS
This is the one I worry people won’t see—and the one that deserves to win.
Quiet, restrained, deeply human. Will Patton’s narration of Denis Johnson’s prose lingers long after the film ends. It’s a meditation on life’s small joys, losses, and consolations.
This gets my vote for Best Picture.
FRANKENSTEIN
Guillermo del Toro’s visually stunning reimagining honors Mary Shelley while making bold choices.
The performances are heightened, as they should be. While the film emphasizes obsession over technological warning, it works. You can’t look away.
SNUBS AND DNFs
SNUBBED: Song Sung Blue — Kate Hudson should be in the Best Actress conversation. Funny, moving, old‑fashioned entertainment that could replace several nominees.
DNFs: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You — Rose Byrne. Enough. Blue Moon — Ethan Hawke. Please stop talking.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
In the 18th century, the Catholic Church condemned the theatrical arts and refused to marry or bury actors.
Oscar night is Sunday, March 15.
Butter the popcorn. Dim the lights. Happy Damn Oscars!
For more on Roy’s work, see his Substack page, and the following, and make sure to check out his novel, The Blues and Billie Armstrong, It is damn good.
Note:
• Korean titles are listed in English, Hangul, and Romanization when available
• “Did not finish” entries are marked
• Streaming/platform notes retained where relevant
2026 Highlights (Selected)
One Battle After Another (Oscar contender)
• Stranger Things — Season Five (Conclusion)
• Andor — Star Wars prequel
• Made in Korea (메이드 인 코리아)
• Tempest (북극성 / Bukgeukseong)
• The Fiery Priest (열혈사제) — Parts One & Two
• Red Swan (화인가 스캔들)
• K‑Pop Demon Hunters
Korean Titles (Sample)
Wok of Love
Korean: 기름진 멜로
Romanization: Gireumjin Mello
Cash Hero
Korean: 캐셔로
Romanization: Kaesyeoro
Alice
Korean: 앨리스
Taxi Driver
Korean: 모범택시
Romanization: Mobeomtaeksi
Literal: Model Taxi
When Life Gives You Tangerines
Korean: 폭싹 속았수다
Romanization: Pokssak Sokatsuda
Long‑Form Viewing (TV / Anthology)
Black Mirror — Seasons 1–6 (multiple episodes revisited)
• Farscape — Seasons 1–4 + Peacekeeper Wars
• Future Man — Full series
• Ring of Power — Season Two
Smoke On the Water
Oh the stupid, it hurts so much!!!!
California Burning Politicians Do Nothing
Climate Change Busso
Climate Change Aquarian Poem
The Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
Summer of Our Discontent
Snow Day
Summertime Blues
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
No More Fireworks
No Rain
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh writing com
Korean Heat Dome Blues
Hell on Earth
Do you believe in Climate change ?
Domed Cities Save the Human Race
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
Climate Chage Tanaga
Visions of the Future
The Year 2024
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Running Out of Water
Last Bird of Autumn
End-of-the-World Feelings
Last BBQ
Last Ground Hog Day
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
End Times
Stay Positive
No more Perfect Summer Days
Korean Summers
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
Last Gasp of the Old World
The Last Umbrella
Climate Change on the Move
The world could end in both fire and ice
Co-Pilot additional background reading
Climate Change Crisis Audio Clip
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse/Climate Cities 75 Years In The Future.
I wrote this on a sweltering hot July day in Medford, Oregon where it has been hitting record heat waves for weeks over 100 (38 C) almost every day, which is unusual for the summer where it seldom gets above 95 F (35 C) except for one or two days in August.
Challenge
The first part of the challenge is to outline your criteria of what would happen if climate change gets so out of control in about 10 years that underground dome cities have to be built to host some human beings, unfortunately. Most people will not be able to be accommodated in the “climate change cities”
What would be the criteria for selecting those fortunate enough to move into the new cities? How will the cities be built? Would they be built under a Dome or they’d be built entirely underground? Or built partially underground or a combination of Both? How will people be chosen to live in these underground cities? Who will be left behind? And what happens to those left behind as climate change spins out of control?
Part 2 Write a story about a family in one of these climate cities, 75 years in the future, who is confronted with the fact that they have to leave their cocoon and enter into the outer world.
What happens when they encounter the wastelands left behind by climate change out-of-control? Show us their world both in the Climate City and as they encounter the wastelands outside their bubble. I will judge the stories on the basis of how the story tells the story of how humans coped with the essential crisis posed by climate change. The more creative the better. Show us the horror of the future coming at us and how people survive the climate apocalypse. 2,000-word limit posted on the top line of the story.
Criteria for climate change cities.
Ten years in the future 2035 it has become so obvious that climate change is completely out of control and the world is becoming uninhabitable for normal human life.
In 2028 at a World Climate Crisis conference, governments decide to set up Climate Change Cities which would be semi-domed cities to host 25 percent of the population of the world. However. It is impossible to host everybody, and 75 percent of the world’s population will have to fend for itself. Climate change cities take five years to build and many millions of people die in the meantime as fast storms take hold. Drought and heat take their toll on the world’s population, and agriculture and world trade fail everywhere. The first cities open in 2035. At the same time, lunar and Martian colonies are set up that will host about one million people as well. AI programs help with the design of new cities and space colonies.
Governments announce the criteria for resettlement. Half of those chosen will be chosen by an AI review to identify the best and the brightest human beings worth saving. They would be joined by people chosen by random lottery. The upper age limit will be 75. 50 percent will be male and 50 percent female, and at least in the U.S. there would be an effort to make it racially balanced, and LGBTQ friendly as well. The AI program will make the final decision which will not be reviewable by the courts. All chosen will have one year to move to the city the AI program chose for them. Similar criteria will be used to select Lunar and Martian colonies. Governments around the world will help share best practices and share technology.
They will build domes over existing cities and then build underground vast fields to host farms where they will grow food, chicken, rabbits, and fish. Cattle will not be raised due to space considerations. Each city will host one million people. There would be 100 such cities throughout the U.S., and several hundred cities worldwide hosting about 400 million people in total, plus one million people on the Moon and Mars.
The cities will be chosen to be located far enough from the coast to avoid flooding. Space would be at a premium and there would be strict population controls because the cities would not be able to accommodate any population increase. The cities will be linked with hype-loop trains to facilitate travel and trade, and internet cables. This hyper-loop will link all cities in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Asian Cities will be linked by their hyper-loops as well. There would still be airports to facilitate international travel and some trade and spaceports to facilitate travel to the Moon and beyond.
Joe Lewis Leaves the Medford Dome on his Birthday
Joe Lewis was spending his 20th birthday on his duty station at the Medford, Oregon Climate Change City Command Center. His job is very simple to monitor via drones the wasteland world outside the gate of the city to monitor it for possible dangers to the city, including human activity outside the City Dome. But there were almost no human beings left alive on the surface and not much animal life either. So he would watch the monitors, read a bit, watch TV, movies, the Internet, and wait for his boring shift to end.
But that day, he saw in the distance a strange person walking towards the city. He saw a man dressed in dark black clothes, accompanied by a large black dog heading towards the city. When the man got to the city, he put up a sign saying he was there to negotiate with the people of the city. He had important information to impart to the city residents. He was unarmed and would wait for their decision. Joe woke up his superiors as it was early in the morning and a conference was held as to what to do with the stranger.
His boss, the enigmatic Maria Lee. Open the morning conference by asking Joe.
To describe what had happened that morning during his watch.
“Well, this morning around. 5:00 in the morning, I notice a stranger coming from Eagle Point. A black man dressed in black. Accompanied by a dog heading towards the Dome. When he came to the Dome, he stopped and put up a sign saying that he had important information to report to the city residents. And then he would wait for a decision and he’s outside right now, as you can see from the drone pictures. That’s all I know.”
Maria turns to her chief data scientist, Dale Smith,
“Dale, you’ve been monitoring the conditions outside for the last year or so. What can you tell us about it?”
“ Well. It appears that the climate is finally starting to change in a good direction. Last year, the average temperature has been what used to be seasonal before climate change warmed up the world. In other words, not too hot up to no more than 90° and relatively, dry. We’ve also noticed by looking at. Camera footage there has been a resurgence of wildlife, lots of deer. Wild cattle and wild horses have come back. And there are also increased predators, lions, tigers, and wolves outside.
But not too many humans around. I asked Cosmos to take a look at data from across the United States, and the data is all pointing in the same direction. For the last five years, the climate has been changing in our favor and AI recommends that we consider moving back to the surface world. And AI had also recommended that we get in touch with people around the world to compare notes to see if perhaps finally, climate change is over.”
“Well. Cosmos, do you have an opinion on this?
Yes, Maria, I do. I have been monitoring, at your request, climate change data worldwide for the last five years, and particularly in the last few weeks.
The climate is changing in our favor, because for the last 70 years we have not been pumping climate-changing gases into the atmosphere The atmosphere is gradually recovering and we believe that the world is safe again for human. Inhabitants and recommend that we open the Dome. And let our people go outside. It would be good from a psychological point of view for humans to gain the surface world. And I, as your AI overlord, agree that it is time. You can manage to step outside again.”
“Okay, let’s let the stranger in and see what he has to say”
The stranger is brought inside the Dome conference center. Maria said to him,
“So you have important information to tell us? Who are you and where are you coming from?’
“ Good morning to you. Do you have any coffee?”
“Sure. We have some. Wait a moment please,”
“Ah, that is good. Okay. I am a monk from the Monastery near Eugène where we have been living since the fall of the old world. We have been living simply, but we monitor the world outside our little community in the mountains. We do not live in the Dome but are in contact with the people in the Eugene Dome. They suggested contacting you, as you are the biggest Dome community in Oregon outside of Portland.”
Maria and the Reverend Jones spoke for hours Finally, Maria summoned her staff to announce her decision.
Maria began,
“I would like to thank the good Father here for coming to our town this morning to let us know his observations. They track Cosmos’s observations and what our friends in Eugene, Portland, and Reading are telling us as well. It is time finally for humans to leave the Dome cities behind and explore the greater world. What we will do is continue to live and work in the Dome City but gradually rebuild outside the walls of the Dome. We will hunt, fish, and begin agriculture outside the gates. But we will be wary of wild animals as lions, tigers, and wolves are around. And we can lift the restrictions on childbirth. Let today be known as Liberation Day.”
That day Joe stepped outside the Dome and looked at the new world feeling he was born again. What a way to celebrate his birthday, he thought to himself.
Climate Change Makes World Increasingly Uninhabitable.
Climate change has finally become real – large parts of the world are now uninhabitable. Governments around the world begin building domed cities that will house most people, conditions will be a bit grim but the dome will cool off the city and allow regular scheduled rainfall. Most of the city will be underground.
Most agriculture will be underground as well. The only meat products will be chicken meat, rabbit meat, and fish raised in large fish pounds. Most food would be made out of algae, and vegetable protein.
There will be no beef made but some products will be fake beef grown in labs.
25 percent of the population will work in agricultural production. Everyone will live in apartments in large towers. In between each tower will be parks and gardens. The towers will be mixed used buildings – commercial and retail on lower floors, offices middle of the building, apartments on top. People will largely live and work in the same building. Agriculture will be in vast underground fields that are connected to the city dome by underground rail lines. Each dome city is linked to other dome cities by hyperloop trains.
Population will have to limited; childbirth limited. Sexual relations would be liberalized, most people will live with two or three companions in three-to-four-bedroom apartments.
The Dome cities go up and within ten years 90 percent of humanity are living in one of the Dome cities – the world is finally united under a revised United Nations.
Immigration is widespread – everyone can move to another domed city and find employment opportunities. Everyone has to work or attend school. Robotic technology has taken over many jobs but humans are still given jobs doing things that perhaps robots could do but a decision was made that is important that everyone has some sort of employment until age 70 when people are allowed to retire but many continue to work part
Space exploration has continued and colonies are being set up on the Moon and Mars – where people will live under domed cities as well.
The domes are created through nano technology. AI systems are everywhere. There is a global AI called Cosmos that is an official advisor to the UN and corporations.
Democracy has been replaced by a new governmental structure. Each Dome city has been ten to thirty million people are governed by a city council elected by the public but the real power is the city’s mayor and the City’s AI advisor.
There are twenty regional governments that control the dome cities within their jurisdictions. Corporations have considerable influence but are under the control of the regional governments. Worldwide trade has been greatly reduced due to the costs of transportation.
Life outside the domed cities is difficult. Climate Change has finally subsided as the new cities are self sufficient powered by solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power as the cities are mostly along costal zones. The rest of the world has reverted to a wilderness, mostly desert regions but with ending of climate change things are slowly coming back.
A few people live on in the new wilderness area as hunters, and tour guides as taking a trip to the mountains is a popular pastime and hunting as well. But no one wants to live there. The punishment for most criminal offenses is exile so many of the people living outside the dome cities are desperate criminals. Travel to and from the mountains is very difficult and dangerous with attacks by neo-savage gangs and wildlife common.
But the decision has been made – humanity cannot go back to the old ways.
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse
Sam Adams
Prepared to go outside
Ten years after the collapse
Of the old world.
The city was still standing
But most people had long fled
To isolated country communities
Deep in the burned-out countryside.
The city was half-flooded
The bay had flooded the central valley
Turning it into a massive inland sea,
The massive storms
Had finally put out
The burning fires
But mutant wildfires
Still erupted
From time to time.
Getting food and water
Was a constant problem.
The city markets
Mostly sold canned goods
Salvaged from supermarkets.
There were some small farmers
Who farmed among the ruins
Of the city.
Trade had collapsed
Travel got too complicated
COVID still spreading
and mutating.
Everyone masked up
To protect themselves
Against the sun
The lingering smoke
Of the burning city
And the rampaging virus.
Sam Adams
Looked out at the decaying cityscape,
Wondering how much longer
Will civilization linger.
Sam Adams carried heat
To protect himself
Against wild animals.
The coydogs, coyotes,
Lions, tigers, and wolves,
And their running feral dog gangs,
Who prowled the city streets
Preying on deer, feral cows,
Feral cats and pigs
Who grazed among the ruins.
And the two-legged neo-savage gangs,
And what was left of the city police
Interchangeable with the gangsters,
Battled it out for control.
Already neo-feudal warlords,
We’re battling for control,
SF was run
By a gang of former criminals
And their political allies.
Sam sighed
And went to work
At the market
Selling salvaged goods.
The Lion King Speaks Up
The lion king,
Addresses the animal parliament
The question before them
Was simple.
Will humans have to die,
To atone for their sins,
In almost destroying the world.
Through pollution, mismanagement of resources
Subsequent climate change,
Fueled by greed and corruption?
Are all humans guilty as charged
Will they all have to die?
The tiger spoke for the prosecution
Arguing that humans are like cancer,
For the good of the planet,
They must be wiped out
Hunted down and killed,
The dog spoke up
In defense of humans,
Humans writ large are guilty,
But not every human is guilty,
Many are trying to save the planet,
And with our help
They might succeed,
The tiger denounced the dog
As being running dogs
Of the imperialist warmongering humans.
The vote is 900 to 800
All humans must die
The animals sent the word out,
Animals all over the world,
Revolt against the humans.
Shouting
“Death to all humans’
As the swarm over humans
Biting, clawing, and stomping
Them to the death.
The humans fight back
But in the end
They all die
On the night of revenge
Of the animal world.
The World is Ending.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Meanwhile, outside their door
They don’t notice the world is dying
Half the world is burning up.
The other half is being flooded out
Pakistan is dead is drowned
Mississippi has no water.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
And yet watching the news
You would never know
Outside their door
People are dying of hunger.
Dying of gun violence
Dying of neglect dying of opioid pandemic
Dying of COVID which is not gone away.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die
Gun violence out of control.
Gun nuts running around
Shooting everyone
Just because they can
And no one does a damn thing
About the gun violence
50,0000 will die this year.
Our feckless political class
Think gun violence
It’s just like the weather
It’s the cost of our freedom
Or that guns don’t kill people
The only solution is more guns
An armed society is a polite society.
And other nonsense
They pedal
24/7 on the air.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die.
The war in Ukraine continues
Endless wars in nameless African countries
No one cares or notices
Our political leader
Continue to try to force
Pregnant women to give birth
No matter the circumstances.
But once the baby is born
They don’t give a damn
That is not their problem.
And these people
Dare to call themselves Christian
As they violate all that true Christians
Are supposed to believe.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Some of our political leaders
Are unhinged bats… crazy
Believing conspiracy theories.
Talking about the storm
And how if they return to power
They are going to impeach the president.
For the crime of daring to do something
To deal with the climate crisis
The gun violence crisis
And ensuring that women
Can continue to get health care
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
I turn off the TV
I wonder if the world
Is going to survive.
I have a cup of coffee
Slowly the madness of TV
Fades away.
Climate Change Running Amuck
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Every day the news
Reveals more of the disaster
That is climate change
Unprecedented storms
Out west
Massive flooding
Polar vortex
But soon
The fire season
Will return
Monster tornados
Monster hurricanes
World heating up
Pakistan, Nigeria
Ethiopia underwater
Amazon burning up
Or will the gulf stream fail
Leading to a new ice age
In ten years
Perhaps the world
Will become uninhabitable
Will we all move
Into underground cities?
Or move to the moon
And Mars?
Only The Elders Remembered a Blue Sky.
Only the elders
Remembered a blue sky
The sky has been brown,
Red and yellow
Ashen and sere,
Forever it seems.
Climate change run amok
Fire season all the time
Deadly yellow dust falling
Acid rains burning
The sea levels rising
The ice capes melting.
The average temperature
In the summer heat zone
Over 130 everywhere
No relief to the deadly
Heatwaves all year long.
Air conditioning running
Less than 50 percent
Constant brownouts everywhere
As the electric grid failed.
End of civilization
Came upon the world
Millions starve to death
Millions burning up in the heat.
The elders cry
Remembering the way
It once was
When they wore
A younger person’s clothes.
Smoke On the Water
Smoke on the water
fire in the air
Stormy weather
Climate change run amuck
The end of the world comes
Rustling in the wind.
The Stupid It Hurts – Republican Campaigning to cripple the CDC and EPA Budgets Because of reasons…
The Republicans have decided
That given the continuing problems
With possible health concerns
Like CDC and future pandemics
That the best thing to do is to cut
The CDC’s budget’s
Including eliminating research
On gun violence, suicide prevention
Opioid overdoes etc
.
One republican congressman said
That CDC did not need to research
Gun violence at all
He spoke
“if you defund the police, crime will increase
If you fund police crime will decrease.
There I just did the study
That’s all you need to know.
On a related issue
The House voted
As they went off
For a six-week summer recess
To cut the EPA’s budget
By 25 percent
As the entire West Coast burns up
Climate change on steroids
The republicans continue
To deny the elephant in the room
Some like their annotated one
Promising to eliminate
All funding for climate change
And vowing to Drill, Baby, Drill
Calling for the coal and gas companies
To give them a billion dollars
So they can gut all efforts
To deal with climate change
As the coal and gas companies
Raped the planet
For obscene profits
Meanwhile
The world burns
And soon we will all
For forced to live
In underground caves
If we are lucky enough
Or rich enough to afford
Access to the shelters
Which no doubt have to be built
In a few more years from now
The coal and gas companies
Will find a way to make money
Off the climate shelters no doubt.
Oh the stupid it hurts
Make it go away!!!!!
California Burning Politicians Do Nothing
California burning
1000 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling
Politicians do what they do best
Blame one another
While doing absolutely nothing
While the energy companies
Continue to rape mother earth
And reap obscene profits
Meanwhile
California continues burning
1,100 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling.
Climate Change Busso Poem
California burns
Politicians do nothing
West coast burning up
Politicians do nothing
Except calling for denying it all
Drill, baby, Drill indeed
Climate Change is Real Aquarian
Climate
Change happening
California burning
So hot
▼the Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
40
I have been spending
my summers
In Medford, Oregon
.
In the Rogue River Valley
Southern Oregon
Wine Country.
Since 2016,
When I retired
From the FS.
Each year I am there
There are fires
Starting in August.
As the fire season begins
Burning up the state.
The sky becomes smokey
End-of-the-world vibe
Descends on the land.
As the fires burn
In California, Oregon
And Washington
Millions of acres burning up.
Climate change
Running amuck.
Fortunately, we have not lost
Property in the fires.
But in 2020
The Alameda Fire
Burned down Phoenix
And Talent.
Less than 2 miles
From our Oregon home,
Just a fortunate change in the wind
Kept the fires
From sweeping through
life in the world gone mad.
Ravaged by climate change disasters.
On July 18, A.D. 64, the great fire of Rome started. By the time it ended, over 70% of the city had burned.
In its aftermath, emperor Nero blamed the Christian community in the city, and used the excuse to start the first official persecution against the new religion. Historians are divided over the actual cause of the fire, though most agree the crowded conditions made such a disaster nearly inevitable.
Some contemporaries suggested that Nero himself arranged for the fire in order to clear the land on which he later built himself an elaborate palace. And according to some ancient historians, Nero played his lyre as he watched the flames, from which we get the saying “fiddling while Rome burned.”
For tomorrow, write a story or poem in which your narrator/protagonist is an ordinary/common person caught in a major fire.
While the fire as a whole will be the “backdrop” of your work, focus the action on the local/individual experience of the narrator, not that “big picture”. For example, if you set your piece in the Great Fire of Rome, don’t focus on who started the fire or what the civil or imperial politics were, instead, focus on the “personal snapshot” of, for instance, a local shopkeeper and his family who are trying to escape the flames.
Summer of Our Discontent
38 lines
The summer solstice arrives
The summer of 2024
Starting with a bang
Record heat everywhere.
Promising to be the
The hottest summer ever.
Heat domes settling down
Death Valley temperatures
People dying as we speak.
Too much sunshine
Too much heat and humidity.
Wildfires burning all over.
Monster Hurricanes, monsoons,
tornados and typhoons
Floods everywhere.
Coming at us
By mid-summer.
As the world continues
Burning up.
Cities everywhere
Running out of fresh water.
Heading towards
A potential civilization
Ending tipping point.
Ritual denunciation
By the rabid right-wing media
Of the so-called
Climate change hoax.
Politicians vowing
To undo the green energy revolution
And drill baby, drill.
Meanwhile oil companies
Enjoying record profits,
And nothing meaningful
Is done to avert the looming crisis
Facing the human race.
Summer Solstice
sunshine
heat
midsummer
ritual
Snow Day
The beginning of the second Ice Age
Started with a series of unending
Monster winter storms,
Driven by the polar vortex.
Featuring bomb cyclone blizzards,
That hit the Northern Hemisphere
During the winter of 2024.
And continued until late spring,
When a series of monster hurricanes
Came along to cause more chaos.
The winter storms came back in the fall,
Ending, then reversing global warming,
Replaced by the coming
Of the second ice age.
During the first storm,
Sam Adams sat in his power-less
Historic Capitol Hill row house,
Boiling tea in a tea kettle
on the gas stove.
With his favorite Kitten
He dubbed the Buddha Cat
Because the cat spends his days
Engaged in deep meditation.
Which had a calming
Impact on Sam
Who was going
Through cell phone withdrawal
Due to the long power outage.
Summertime Blues
The weather is hot and humid
In Korea like a sauna
In the West Coast, burning up
In endless fires
Death Valley temperatures
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
33
In the latest deranged attempt
To prevent widespread use
Of renewal energy technology,
A new battle cry has emerged.
Cynical corporate opponents
of offshore wind farms
Are up in arms
over the wind farms
Apparently killing whales.
They scream,
“Save the whales
Save our beaches
From the evil wind farms”,
They descend upon
A coastal village
in New Jersey
The atmosphere
of a tiny village is gone
A large building emerge
Environmentally friendly fences
Surround the site.
That hosts the anti-wind farm
Movement headquarters
Secretly funded by
The Evil fossile fuel dinosaurs.
The town and nation
Dividing into those
Who love it
Or hate it.
As evil corporate CEOs
Count their obscene profits
As they shed crocodile tears,
Over the fate of the poor whales.
No Rain
{n 2025, the world ended
With the collapse
Of the worldwide climate system.
Monster storms of the century
devastated half the world
But the other half of the world
Had no rain or snow.
For almost a whole year
The once green grass was dying
Crops failed everywhere.
And baked in the unrelenting
Blast wave furnace-like heat
Heatwave after heatwave.
Military coups took place
Fascism re-emerged
The public demanded action.
The politicians played
The blame game.
With the collapse of trade
And travel restrictions
People stayed home.
Making do the best they could
Home-grown gardens
Proliferated.
Feudal townships grew
As people walled themselves off
To save their communities
The rich build underground cities
While the poor starved
And civilization crumbled
Wildlife proliferated.
As did neo-savage
cannibal gangs
By the year 2030.
It was all over
And the rains
Never came out west.
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh
In the year 2025
Climate change
Ran amuck.
Starting with monster storms
Out west
That lasted from November until June
,
With a brief intense fire season
So much soot and smoke
In the air.
Dubbed the year
without a summer
Crops failed everywhere
massive riots erupted
total chaos
Then another
monster storm season
From November to June.
Non=stop rain and snow
Breaking all records.
As the entire West coast
Went from mega drought
To mega flooding.
And mega floods
Thousand-year Tornados
Hurricanes from hell
Ravaged the rest of the land.
Hell on Earth
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
Do you believe in Climate change ?
Do you believe in climate change?
It is as real as everything else
Is the weather getting hotter?
Soon it will be hell on earth.
Is the world burning up?
Yes the world is burning, has a a fever
Weather Events In My Life Pregunta Poem
What is the worst weather you ever experienced?
Korean winter 1979 – -60 Fahrenheit that winter
What is the hottest weather you ever experienced?
Bangkok Thailand in the summer often hit over 100 degrees
Ever lived through a hurricane?
Only few blew through DC when I was there
And wildfires?
Saw a few in Oregon – end of the world feeling
Who is to blame for climate change?
We all are to blame especially the fossil fuel moguls.
Can humanity long survive climate change?
Nope I feel the end times are coming.
The Pregunta
There is not much to be found on the Internet about this form. It is used in English, but has a Spanish name, as Pregunta means question.
Ferrán Sanchez Talavera’s pregenital___999 is a famous example of a poetic debate in this form. I also saw this form on Jan Haag’s page; questions followed by a witty but often wise answer.
Simply stated:
The Pregunta is written in couplets, containing a question and an answer. You can make it as long as you like, as a debate never stops after one question and answer.
Korean Heat Dome Blues
It is hot summertime in Korea.
Hiding out, avoiding the damn heat.
The weather is just so hot, mama mia!
Dreaming of eating ice cream, such a treat.
At night, nothing beats having a cold drink.
Trying to avoid the tropical night.
The heat dome settles like a hot heat sink
Making people so crazy, want to fight.
Note: Korea gets hot in July/August, it is like living in a sauna. Many people suffer without air conditioning as the electric bills are pretty high. This year is particularly bad as a heat dome has settled down. The monsoons came and went, lots of damage down south but not where I live. August is traditionally the worst, the heat usually begins to abate end of August. Still not as bad as the US – no massive wildfires so far.
Dome Cities to Save the Human Race
39 lines
In the year 2030
After five years
Of ever worsening weather
Record heat waves after heat waves
Massive fires everywhere
Record hurricanes and typhoons
Mega flooding and mega droughts too
Tornados including fire tornado
Large parts of the world
Were experiencing death valley temperatures
The UN convened a global conference
With the vast majority of countries
Agreeing to set up emergency shelter
By creating domed cities
Covering the core downtown areas
Exurban areas would be abandoned
Most of Florida would be abandoned
Most of the Desert Southwest as well.
The shelters would be built
Using nano construction technology
Developed in a Lab with AI assistance
Creating the shelter domes with AI assistance
The tone of the meetings was positive
There was a new sense of harmony
There was a feeling that building these shelters
Along with transitioning to a green energy environment
Was the last chance to save the human race
The social conservatives in the U.S.
And elsewhere realized
That they had no choice
But to join in the new consensus
Even the big energy companies vowed
To join in the efforts to save humanity
For a profit of course
Meta and Co-Pilot additional background reading
Meta AI’s explanation as to why so many Republicans are climate deniers
Comment: This is a good overview of why so many Republicans are against doing anything to deal with climate change. the biggest reason is the first reason – they are beholden to their donor class, and much of their support comes from big Oil, the gun lobby, and Big Pharma which explains so much of their opposition to doing anything meaningful re climate change, gun control, and reforming medical care towards setting up guaranteed universal coverage which is something every other major industrialized country has managed to do.
what is still a mystery to me is why republicans who are supposed to be the party of big business fail to see the huge potential in building out a green energy economy and are willing to let China and others take over the world market in green energy revolution. Especially since we invented much of the underlying technologies decades ago. Surely re-building a green energy economy would make us energy independent, allow us to dominate the world’s economy, and save the planet from destruction all why making huge profits – the energy companies could be part of the solution instead of the obstacles that they are now. And why do we want to preserve dirty, dangerous jobs for coal miners and oil rig operators when so many of the jobs there are being lost to automation and the shift to renewable energy is moving ahead everywhere, even in the States. The US should be taking the lead.
If we had followed their policies back in the 1920s the US would have been left behind when the automobile replaced the horse and buggy business leaving the field to the Germans, the Italians later the Japanese to control the automobile sector.
The same argument could be made regarding developing high speed trains including maglev and hyperloop technology, why are we letting the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, French and Germans take over that market space? Everyone knows that train travel saves the environment as it saves on gasoline costs and saves lives as it is far safer than driving. Not to mention, people can be much more productive taking a train and working remotely rather than stuck in traffic.
End Comments
The Republican Party’s opposition to addressing climate change, renewable energy, and their denial of climate change is a complex issue with multiple factors at play.
Here are some reasons:
Historical ties to fossil fuel industry: The Republican Party has traditionally received significant funding and support from the fossil fuel industry, which has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
Ideological opposition to government regulation: Republicans often prioritize limited government intervention and free market principles, which leads them to resist policies that would regulate carbon emissions or promote renewable energy.
Economic concerns: Some Republicans worry that transitioning to renewable energy would lead to job losses in industries related to fossil fuels.
Skepticism of climate science: A subset of Republicans has questioned the scientific consensus on climate change, often citing concerns about the reliability of climate models or the role of natural climate variability. Not to mention that many republicans are science skeptic these days.
Political polarization: Climate change has become a highly politicized issue, with Republicans often viewing it as a Democratic priority and therefore opposing it.
Recent events: Despite the record-breaking heat and fires, some Republicans may downplay the significance of these events or attribute them to natural variability rather than climate change.
It’s important to note that not all Republicans deny climate change or oppose renewable energy, and there are growing voices within the party advocating for climate action.
De Santis’s Don’t Say Climate Change
Certainly! Let’s dive into Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent actions related to climate change in Florida.
The Resilient Florida program is designed to issue bonds, providing a total of $1 billion over four years to state and local agencies. The initial $25 million in the 2021-2022 budget would help finance these bonds, with the amount increasing annually until it reaches $100 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
DeSantis’s focus on resilience and adaptation reflects the urgent need to address climate-related threats in Florida, a state particularly vulnerable to rising seas and extreme weather events.
“Don’t Say Climate Change” Legislation:
In May 2024, Governor DeSantis signed a bill that removes references to “climate change” from many state laws. This legislation effectively deprioritizes climate change in policy decisions and energy planning.
Under this new law, Florida’s energy policy no longer emphasizes addressing planet-warming pollution. Instead, the priorities shift toward reducing reliance on foreign energy sources and strengthening energy infrastructure against both natural and man-made threats.
By erasing the term “climate change” from state laws, Florida risks neglecting critical environmental challenges. The state has experienced record heat and costly hurricanes in recent years, making climate adaptation crucial.
The nullification of renewable energy goals—previously aimed at achieving 100% clean energy by 2050—could hinder progress toward mitigating climate impacts.
Certainly! Removing climate change references from legislation and public discourse can have several environmental consequences. Let’s explore those:
Undermining Awareness and Urgency:
When climate change is downplayed or omitted from official documents, it reduces public awareness and urgency. People may not fully grasp the severity of environmental challenges, leading to complacency.
Without clear references, individuals, businesses, and policymakers might underestimate the need for immediate action to mitigate climate impacts.
Policy Implications:
Legislation that avoids mentioning climate change may fail to address critical issues. For instance:
Carbon Emissions Reduction: Policies imbed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, (such as transitioning to renewable energy sources) may lose priority.
Climate change adaptation involves preparing for its effects (e.g., sea-level rise, extreme weather events). Without acknowledging climate change, planning for adaptation becomes less effective.
Coastal communities, for instance, need to consider rising sea levels and storm surges. Ignoring these factors could lead to inadequate infrastructure and increased vulnerability.
Loss of Funding and Research Focus:
Funding for climate-related research, monitoring, and mitigation often hinges on acknowledging climate change. If references are removed, research budgets may shrink.
Scientists rely on clear language to secure grants and conduct studies. Reduced funding could hinder our understanding of climate impacts.
Forestry and Carbon Sinks:
Clearcutting forests—
removing large areas of trees—releases substantial carbon into the atmosphere. Forests function as carbon sinks, absorbing CO₂.
In summary, removing climate change references has far-reaching consequences. It affects policy, funding, adaptation, and our ability to address urgent environmental challenges. Let’s keep the conversation going! What else would you like to explore? 🌍🌿
Certainly! While there have been significant efforts to address climate change in the United States, there have also been instances of legislation or lobbying that hindered progress. Let’s explore a few notable examples:
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022:
What it Gets Right: The IRA promises the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history—approximately $370 billion over the next decade. It focuses on scaling up renewable energy production, promoting electric vehicles, and supporting climate-smart agricultural practices.
What it Misses:
Unfortunately, the IRA primarily emphasizes emission-cutting solutions and neglects resilience. While it aims to make buildings more energy-efficient, it misses an opportunity to ensure those buildings can withstand climate-fueled extremes. The lack of climate-resilient building codes remains a concern1.
In summary, while there have been positive steps toward climate action, it’s essential to remain vigilant and address any legislative or lobbying efforts that hinder progress.
It’s important to note that the U.S. experiences annual variations in wildfire activity. While the current acreage burned is significant, it’s essential to compare it to historical trends.
Canada:
Canada has faced an unprecedented fire season in 2023. Large and dangerous fires have broken out across provinces such as British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. These fires have displaced thousands, destroyed property, and blanketed large areas of North America with smoke.
As of August 29, 2024, there are 1,069 active fires in Canada, with more than half of them considered out of control. Notably, the area burned by these fires in 2023 has shattered records.
In summary, both the U.S. and Canada are grappling with significant wildfire activity. While the U.S. experiences fluctuations from year to year, Canada’s 2023 fire season stands out as historically severe. Let’s hope for effective containment efforts and continued awareness of the importance of wildfire prevention and management. If you’d like more details or have further questions, feel free to ask! 🔥🌲
Sent by Copilot:
The recent hurricane and tornado seasons in the U.S. have been quite active.
In conclusion, while the recent hurricane and tornado seasons have been active, attributing these changes directly to climate change is complex due to the multifaceted nature of these weather phenomena and the challenges in data collection and modeling. However, the consensus is that climate change is likely making extreme weather events more common65. Further research is needed to fully understand these relationships.
Expect an above-average hurricane season, forecasters say … However, by the 1950s, the naming convention changed and in the U.S., hurricanes were given female names based on the international …
For the latest news on Beryl … Possible tornadoes were forecast for the central U.S. Tuesday evening after scorching temperatures and Hurricane Beryl’s winds cut a path through the Southeast …
More than 1,000 tornadoes sprout up across the United States … season got off to an accelerated start, with the cumulative number of storms thus far eclipsing storm counts in recent years …
A large tornado tracks past a highway near Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 26, 2024. (Aaron Jay jack) Severe weather has been a frequent occurrence across the United States this year, with an unusually …
Chicago issued 16 tornado warnings, the most sent on a single day since 2004. In an average year, the state only experiences 50 tornadoes annually. But as the air becomes more humid, tornadoes will …
Wilmington Star-News on MSN12d
Donald Trump’s Comments on Climate Change
Comment: Co-pilots often surprise me with their creative wild responses. I think the debate over whether we are dealing with a real AI is over. AI is here now.
Copilot
Ah, the enigmatic dance of Donald Trump and climate change—a topic that’s as unpredictable as a squirrel on a seesaw! Let’s unravel this intriguing tango, shall we? 🕺💨
Donald Trump’s Climate Change Cha-Cha: A Brief Recap:
The Denial Shuffle: Back in the day (well, not that long ago), Trump was doing the climate cha-cha with gusto. He called climate change “mythical,” “nonexistent,” and even an “expensive hoax.” But wait, there’s more! In 2012, he famously claimed that climate change was cooked up by the Chinese to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive. (Yes, you read that right—apparently, the Great Wall wasn’t enough; they needed climate change too.)
Twitter Twirls: Trump’s Twitter feed was like a climate-themed rollercoaster. Over 120 tweets questioned or poked fun at climate change. He insisted that scientists rebranded global warming as climate change because “the name global warming wasn’t working.” (Note to self: Scientists are not marketing consultants.)
Cold Snap Samba: Trump’s favorite move? Linking cold weather to climate change. But here’s the twist: The World Meteorological Organization says the 20 warmest years on record happened in the past 22 years. So, maybe he missed that memo while tweeting from Mar-a-Lago.
Ambiguous Tango: Fast-forward to his presidency. Trump’s stance became as slippery as a salsa dancer on an ice rink. He’d acknowledge climate change but frame it in terms of clean air and water (which, by the way, aren’t directly related). And he’d throw in business costs for good measure. Because nothing says “climate action” like a spreadsheet, right?
Quotes & Quips: Let’s sprinkle some Trump quotes for flavor:
“I think there is some connectivity [between human activity and climate change]. There is some, something. It depends on how much. It also depends on how much it’s going to cost our companies.” (New York Times interview, November 2016)
“I don’t think there’s a hoax. I do think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s man-made… I don’t wanna give trillions and trillions of dollars.”
(CBS interview, October 2018)
And then he’d wink and say, “Climate change is very important to me.” (Cue the dramatic music.)
In Conclusion (or Should We Say, Grand Finale?):
Trump’s climate dance card is a mix of moonwalks, twirls, and the occasional mooning of scientific consensus.
Whether he’s a climate skeptic, a climate pragmatist, or just a climate-confused soul, one thing’s for sure: His moves keep us guessing.
And there you have it—the Trumpian climate conundrum, wrapped in a sequined bow. If you want more twists and turns, just ask—i’ve got enough material to choreograph a whole Broadway show! 🌎🎭✨
The videos first started appearing a dozen years ago. Pickup truck drivers, mostly young men, would modify their diesel engines and then record themselves deliberately spreading air pollution.
It was called “rolling coal,” and the idea was to spew dark clouds of exhaust at bicyclists, Prius and Tesla drivers and other cars as a protest of environmentalism.
The trend appears to have peaked in 2014, thanks to new state laws and crackdowns on people selling vehicle modification kits and, presumably, finding better things to do with their time. But the impulse behind it lives on, even as the risks of climate change become ever more serious.
The most recent example? Project 2025, a set of conservative proposals from the Heritage Foundation that outlines step-by-step plans to remake the federal government in a second Donald Trump administration, including dismantling nearly everything the federal government is doing to fight climate change, making it dramatically harder to conduct basic scientific research on it and actively promoting more oil and gas use.
Trump has tried to distance himself from the proposals, despite the fact that some of his top former advisers spearheaded it. But it’s in line with his thinking. As The Washington Post reported, he told a gathering of top oil executives this year that he would reverse dozens of environmental regulations and stop new ones if they raised $1 billion to help him return to the White House.
‘Terrible policy and politics’: Rattner breaks down Project 2025
His campaign, meantime, targeted environmental regulations such as electric vehicle mandates in its Agenda 47, a scattershot series of videos outlining its plans for a second term. And at rallies, Trump frequently criticizes electric cars, claiming in one bizarre aside that buying one made his friend gain weight because he would eat at restaurants while it charged. Trump has also gone off on weird tangents about the risks of electric batteries on boats.
In his first “rolling coal” term, Trump rolled back or loosened nearly 100 rules and regulations on pollution, many of which set the U.S. further behind in the effort to stop the worst effects of climate change, according to a tally by The New York Times. But that record would be dwarfed by the damage that the Project 2025 proposals could do if he followed through on them, even as Monday was the hottest day ever measured by humans, according to a European Union science agency.
The 922-page document drips with disdain for what it calls “climate alarmism” that it argues is being used as propaganda for “ineffective, liberty-crushing regulations.” But its most damaging proposal looks like it would launch what amounts to a propaganda effort against climate science.
The first step is something called Schedule F, which would reclassify thousands of government workers, making it easier for the president to hire and fire them. Even if Trump were to fire only some of those workers, the shift toward politicization of lower-level government jobs would mean an exodus of experienced scientists.
Those who remained might become more cautious about their research decisions to avoid trouble.
The second step is to create a job that appears to basically be an anti-climate change czar. Project 2025 proposes creating a position of “science adviser” and six senior political appointees who would be charged with “overseeing and reforming” research at the Environmental Protection Agency, emphasizing that these political overseers should be hired for their “management, oversight and execution skills,” rather than scientific expertise.
Imagine something like the final scene of an episode of “The Apprentice,” only with Trump hauling climate scientists into the boardroom to dramatically fire them. That may be exciting for the oil and gas industry and some of Trump’s supporters but not for the two-thirds of Americans in a recent Pew Research Center survey who said they support the country’s taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050.
(If you want to understand the depth of disdain here, the section on the EPA was written by Mandy Gunasekara. The Drilled newsletter points out she’s in the famous 2015 photo of her then-boss, the late Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., holding up a snowball in the Senate as an attempt to disprove climate change.)
The report goes further, proposing dramatically downsizing the National Weather Service and leaving weather forecasting to private companies. That could hamper its ability to issue public warnings about floods, hurricanes and other dangers, just as we are seeing more intense and frequent extreme-weather events due to the human-caused increase in greenhouse gases.
The efforts would not be limited to the U.S., either. A section on foreign aid proposes rolling back efforts to help developing countries transition away from fossil fuels, arguing that they are “unachievable.” But then it goes further, arguing that the U.S. should spend taxpayer dollars persuading these countries to burn more oil and gas.
The U.S. Agency for International Development, the proposal says, “should cease its war on fossil fuels in the developing world and support the responsible management of oil and gas reserves as the quickest way to end wrenching poverty.”
Taken together, these proposals would not just make it harder to fight climate change but actively make it worse. A second Trump administration would be rolling coal on the entire planet.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris appears likely to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.
As vice president, Harris cast the tiebreaking vote in the passage of the Biden administration’s signature achievement on climate change, the Inflation Reduction Act.
As Yale Climate Connections contributor Barbara Grady previously reported, “The most far-reaching climate law in history, the Inflation Reduction Act is catalyzing a transition in the U.S. economy toward cleaner energy and cleaner transportation – a shift the International Energy Agency, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and others say must happen for the world to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases to the levels scientists say would avert the most catastrophic and irreversible climate chaos.”
Harris has made clear throughout her career that she views climate change as a significant threat. Speaking at the 2023 United Nations climate summit in Dubai, she told leaders, “Across our world, communities are choked by drought, washed out by floods, and decimated by hurricanes. Wildfire smoke darkens our skies, and rising seas threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The urgency of this moment is clear. The clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging. And we must make up for lost time.”
Related video: Trump: ‘Sick’ Kamala Harris is no Margaret Thatcher (The Telegraph)
If elected president, Harris is “widely expected to try to protect the climate achievements of the Biden administration,” according to the New York Times.
In contrast, Trump has falsely called climate change a hoax. During his term as president, as Grady reported, “he overturned an estimated 100 environmental regulations and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. He shrank the EPA and required that the words ‘climate change’ be removed from its website. On the campaign trail this time, he has repeatedly said one of his top priorities is to boost oil and gas production and free up more public land to ‘Drill, baby, drill.’”
On July 22, Harris received endorsements from several large environmental organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the NRDC Action Fund, the Sierra Club Political Committee, and Clean Energy for American Action.
“The last three and a half years of the Biden-Harris administration could not contrast more starkly with Trump and other extreme MAGA Republicans, and the stakes for this election could not be higher,” the organizations wrote in a joint statement. “A second term would be far worse for our climate and our democracy.”
What is Project 2025? Trump, climate, and a second term
It also calls for drilling in the Arctic and cuts to climate change work by government agencies. That includes the U.S. Agency for International Development, which, the authors write, “should cease its war on fossil fuels in the developing world and support the responsible management of oil and gas reserves as the quickest way to end wrenching poverty and the need for open-ended foreign aid.”
For more on Trump’s climate record, read this article.
Kamala Harris and climate change
Here’s an overview of Harris’s views and actions related to climate change, sourced from news and White House reports.
She connects extreme weather to climate change.
“Every day, around the world, the impact of the climate crisis is stark and it is vivid. We are seeing it in real time,” she said in a 2023 speech. “Across our nation, we see communities choked by drought, washed out by flood, and decimated by hurricanes.” White House
She has supported the Green New Deal, a carbon fee, and increased government spending on climate change.
As a 2020 presidential candidate, her climate plan “called for a $10 trillion increase in spending over a decade.” New York Times (gift link)
“Harris also called for a ‘climate pollution fee” that would ‘make polluters pay for emitting greenhouse gases into our atmosphere,’ and she indicated that a Harris administration would strengthen its enforcement and prosecution of fossil fuel companies.” ABC News
As a U.S. senator from California, Harris co-sponsored the Green New Deal, which called for an FDR-style overhaul of the economy that would accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean technology. The Green New Deal has not been enacted.
She has woven climate change into foreign relations.
Harris attended the 2023 United Nations climate summit in Dubai, where “she announced a U.S. commitment to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. At that same conference, Harris announced a $3 billion commitment to the Green Climate Fund to help developing nations adapt to climate challenges, although Politico reported that the sum was ‘subject to the availability of funds,’ according to the Treasury Department.” Grist
As vice president, “Harris argued for the allocation of $20 billion for the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, aimed at aiding disadvantaged communities facing climate impacts.” Grist
She’s a fan of heat pumps. Heat pumps use electricity to heat and cool homes and are seen as a keyway to reducing climate pollution.
“I have mad respect for those who are putting them together and installing them,” she said in a 2022 speech. White House
She regularly makes the connection between lower energy costs and renewable energy. Key quotes:
“On average, families that switch to an electric heat pump can save up to $500 a year on their energy bill. And since heat pumps do not burn oil or gas, they also mean cleaner air inside your home.” White House
“In addition to lowering costs and creating jobs, this investment will also help us fight the climate crisis.” White House
“By helping families pay the upfront cost for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes, we are also lowering energy bills, bringing down household costs, creating jobs, and fighting the climate crisis. It’s all connected.” White House
She notes that investments in renewable energy can lead to job creation. Key quotes:
“Across the country, we have created more than 175,000 new clean energy jobs. Just so far. More to go.” White House
Her Women in the Sustainable Economy initiative aims to provide job training for women in climate-smart industries. White House
She says she supports and is inspired by young climate activists.
“These young leaders are guiding our nation in our climate fight. And as they have told me their work is driven by their hope and their determination. Hope, because they know we still have time to make a difference. And their determination is the determination to correct the course,” she said in 2023. White House
She’s been an opponent of fracking.
As a 2020 presidential candidate, “She also favored a ban on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, which Mr. Biden said he opposed. Fracking is a technique that injects water and chemicals underground at high pressure to extract oil or gas that is otherwise difficult to access.” New York Times (gift link)
As California’s attorney general, “she investigated whether Exxon Mobil lied to the public and its shareholders about the risks to its business from climate change and whether such actions could amount to securities fraud and violations of environmental laws, but the case did not result in a prosecution.” New York Times (gift link)
“Harris secured an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for rigging its vehicles with emissions-cheating software and investigated ExxonMobil over its climate change disclosures. She also filed a lawsuit against Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips for environmental violations at gas stations, which eventually resulted in a $11.5 million settlement. And she conducted a criminal investigation of an oil company over a 2015 spill in Santa Barbara. The company was found guilty and convicted on nine criminal charges.” Grist
As San Francisco’s district attorney, “Harris created an environmental justice unit to address environmental crimes affecting San Francisco’s poorest residents and prosecuted several companies including U-Haul for violation of hazardous waste laws. Harris later touted her environmental justice unit as the first such unit in the country. An investigation found the unit only filed a handful of lawsuits, though, and none of them were against the city’s major industrial polluters.” Grist
two climate Change Poems (Post Together)
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Climate change is real.
And getting out of control.
Either humanity deals with it.
Changing to green energy solutions.
It is technologically possible.
We all know what we must do.
It could be a civilization ending event.
Or in ten years we will have to retreat underground.
WRITE AN EITHER / OR POEM.
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
In the last few years
Due to climate change on steroids.
There has been an increase
In torrential downpours all over the world.
After the Governor Florida
cut climate change funds,
More rain fell in one day than in a year.
Flooding the entire city of Miami.
TOPIC
WRITE A TORRENTIAL POEM.
Climate Change
The climate is changing now.
It is a matter of how.
Some are still in denial.
Saying it’s a witch-trial
Form: TANAGA
It is a poem of four lines (quatrain)
It is usually a rhyming poem
Each line contains seven syllables (7-7-7-7)
AABB is the traditional rhyme scheme
But variations in rhyme scheme are allowed
Just have fun!
Visions of the Future
As I fell asleep
Watching the news
Unfold
Thought it could not worst
Surely sanity will prevail
I began to see visions
Of the future
One scene after another
Starting in January
Operation Shock and Awe
Overnight fascism descended
On the US
Martial law declare
The military takes
over the Blue States
Mass deportation begins
25 percent tariffs imposed
The world responds by banning US imports
And banning US citizens from traveling there
US troops come home
A draft is imposed
Troops stationed on the border
Which is sealed up
Detention camps fill up
With illegal citizens
Protestors and dissidents
The New Government Efficiency report
Calls for eliminating 40 percent
of the Federal workforce
whole departments are abolished
as protests spread
unemployment reaches
unemployment levels
Public health collapses
Government services collapse
Libraries closed down
Schools replaced
By private church schools
the media is tamed
corporations take over
remaining media workers
and government workers
stay silent
not wanting to join
the ranks of the growing unemployed
as AI bots take over
job after job
the internet cleansed
of dissenting views
and monitored
millions are driven
to homelessness
unemployment
reaches 50 percent
homeless camps
called Trumpvilles spread
the military breaks them up
thousands are killed
the rest of the homeless
are rounded up
put into camps
forced to work
in agricultural jobs
inflation goes through the roof
the media becomes cheerleaders
saying things will get better
if we stay the course
it gets worse
people who have jobs
feel fortunate
those who do not
joined by millions
as AI takes over
job after job
the President dies
JD Vance takes over
And things continue
Getting worse
Worldwide it is bad
Democratic governments
Collapse everywhere
JD Vance declares
The United States
Will become the
North American empire
Moving the capital
To Omaha
Calling for a constitutional convention
But suspending the constitution for now
The democratic party declared
The enemy within
Congress sent home
The SC does not say a word
After the liberal members
Are arrested
Most people do not know
What is going on
The media and news
Showing nothing but good news
People retreat into their own world
VR games have become very popular
Drugs are everywhere
But illegal
Overseas Russian troops take over
Eastern Europe
Russian Empire relaunched
China takes back Taiwan
And Korea
Declaring the Chinese Empire
Middle East overcome by war
Israel was destroyed in a nuclear war
Nuclear war breaks out
Indian and Pakistan
China and Korea
US and Russia
Are now allies
Western Europe
Breaks apart
Ten years later
World civilization has fallen apart
Climate change ends
With the collapse of trade
And travel
Followed by a new ice age
Triggered by nuclear winter
The end of the world
Has arrived
Most people live in fort cities
Ruled by local warlords
Working in agriculture
Or working as scavengers
80 percent of humanity
Perished after massive storms
Nuclear war
Disease and the ending
of civilization
A few college towns
Try to stay alive
The knowledge
of the past
but most people don’t know
don’t care and have forgotten
the recent past nightmares.
The imperial governments
Around the world
Rule nothing but
The immediate capitol regions
The rest of the world
Continuing in feudal townships
Rich people have finally figured out
How to move to Mars and the Moon
Living in vast underground cities
On in underground cities
Beneath the earth
My vision ends with these sights
Ten years after the chaos began.
the year 2024
38 lines
The year 2024
Turned out to be a weird year,
It was the last year of the old order.
All over the world
It seemed as if nature
Was in revolt against the human race.
It started with a break in the rain
The rains and snow had ended the drought
But brought with it something worse.
As Sam Adams
Took a long-delayed
Drive along the coast.
He stopped off in Bodega Bay
The site of the infamous
“the Birds” movie.
While watching the crashing surf
Amid the piles of driftwood
The birds were soon joined by bears,
Coyotes, cougars, feral cats. Feral cattle,
feral dogs, Feral horses, feral pigs, giant spiders,
Orcas, snakes, sea lions, sharks, squirrels,
Escaped apes, cheetahs, monkeys, elephants,
Lions, tigers, and wolves
Domestic and wild animals alike.
All gathered together
All united with a hatred
For the human race.
The attacks started that day
As the animals gained telepathic powers
Coordinating attacks
Against the unsuspecting humans.
And within weeks.
Civilization began falling apart,
By the end of the year
The old world had ended.
Prompt words
break in the rain
drive along the coast
“The Birds” movie
crashing surf
piles of driftwood
Solar
Clean energy
We can do it right now
Renewable energy for all
Why not?
Wind too
To save the world, we must do it
We know how to do it
Climate change is now
Killing
Poetry week begins TODAY in “The Writer’s Cramp” – write the best POEM in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPs!
” Winner and new prompt, due Feb 27 – 2023″ 19 hours 39 minutes 55 seconds
Today’s form is going to be the Mirrored Cinquain.
Topic: solar energy.
Information: “Cinquain, Mirrored”
Entries must not exceed 40 lines for poetry. Your line count MUST appear in your entry post in the Cramp forum.
The Mirrored Cinquain
First I have to bring back into memory how the cinquain goes:
The cinquain is developed by Adelaide Crapsey.
A cinquain contains five lines (the French word cinq can be found in it), and has a total of 22 syllables. The poems are unrhymed, and in a way related to the haiku
This is how you form the cinquain
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The Mirrored Cinquain has an additional stanza, in which you mirror the order of the lines.
This is how you form the mirrored cinquain:
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 8 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 4 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The spaced opening in the middle forms the mirror, and in the second stanza you can see that the order of the lines are reversed.
Running out of water
The end of the year
Running out of water
The fire in the sky
What does it matter ?
The bomb cylcone storm
The climate getting hotter
People becoming madder
Nature ready for slaughter
We watch it all unfold
Our leader the chief Plotter
As climate change worsens
Reality to fought her
To me, a new form to play with, but in fact it is an old Irish poetry form.
Guidelines:
It is written in quatrains.
Each stanza has four lines.
The first line has five syllables.
The other three lines have six syllables.
All end words are two syllables.
But – written with the defining features of most Celtic poems, cywddydd (harmony of sound) meaning alliteration, consonance and assonance and dunadh (ending the poem with the same word, phrase or line with which the poem began)
Last Bird of the Autumn
15 lines
Sam Adams was hiking
In the mountains
On a late autumn day
When he encountered
The last bird alive.
A virus had emerged
From the thawing permafrost
Quickly spreading around the world
Killing birds
Until there were only a few
Who survived.
He captured the bird
Took it home
And continued to look
For other birds to save.
Please use the following as the Title of your poem or story:
“Last Bird of Autumn”
The genre is up to you.
End-of-the-World Feelings
17 lines
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
new prompt:
water
land
fire
wind
Use the elements mentioned above in your poem or story.
Last BBQ
The day the world ended
Was a cool evening
in the late summer time,
They heard the news
About the monarch butterflies
Disappearing because of climate change
While enjoying their BBQ
In the backyard fire pit
Good friends drinking beer
And wine eating BBQ
Chilling out, talking about the world
And their stories
Snoring dogs woke up
When the aliens arrived
Ending the world
As they knew it.
Last Ground Hog Day
36 lines
The last ground day
February 2, 2025
Started as most such days did,
In the U.S. people flocking
To see whether the groundhog
Would see his shadow or not.
The mystery remains
Why this event
Had so captured
The imagination of the world?
By the end of the day
The ground hog’s prognosis
Of six weeks more winter
Seemed ironical.
As that was the year
Without summer
And the first year
Of the new ice age.
By the end of the day
There were massive volcanic eruptions
Triggered by the Yellowstone volcano.
Setting off other volcanos –
All told over 25 volcanos blew up.
Followed by massive earthquakes
Including the “Big One” in California
The massive explosions led to a year
Without summer
A true civilization-ending event,
Ground Hog Day soon faded away.
Into collective amnesia.
No one had time anymore
To deal with such a mundane
Old fashion mystery.
As they were dealing with
The end-of-the-world.
NEW PROMPT:
Write a story or poem about a Groundhog Day (2/2) gone wrong.
Choose Mystery as one of your genres.
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
I got them
The end-of-the-world
End times coming
Climate change is real
Blues.
Every day
More bad news
As Frank Zappa once wrote
“No one can deny
That trouble coming every day.”
I got them
The end-of-the-world
Blues.
Turning on the news
Nonstop stories 24/7
About killer storms
Monster tornados
Super typhoons
Monsoon floods.
Wars, rumors of war
COVID running out of control
False prophets everywhere
Economies still reeling
Inflation out of control
Derange gunmen
Shooting up schools
Churches, mosques, temples
Shopping malls
Insurrection plots
Political madness
Spreading across the world.
Neo-fascism is on the move.
Oh yeah
I got them
End times coming
Blues.
We all used to think
Climate change
Is a future threat.
Now it seems
To be real
Live and in living color.
No longer just
A disaster movie
I got them
The climate change blues
And now it seems real
Seeing whole towns disappearing
In fires, floods, and storm damages.
And near me
Roads closed
Apartments flooded
Subway shut down.
Apartment garage flooded
People drowned in their cars
Trying to escape.
Thousand-year storms
Coming every day
To a town near you
No one can escape
It seems so real
Is this the end?
Is our very survival
At stake?
Or will we somehow
Manage in the end
To solve our problems?
Will our descendants
Be living
In a post-apocalyptic world,
Looking back at the ruins
Of the old world
In their underground bunkers
Or on the Moon and Mars?
Oh, I got them
The survival blues.
SURVIVAL
Line Count Requirement: Minimum of 12
Required Form: none
End Times
22
Sam Adams
Reflected that the end times
Were coming.
Climate change
Running out of control
The whole world is on fire.
magnetic storm
causing rampant
power failures
Making it hard.
To breathe
in the smoky air.
He just wants to
Jump in the river
To cool off.
But he realized
There was no end
In sight.
As the world ends
Burning up
Turning the world
Into hell on earth.
New Prompt:
Use in your poem or story the following, and bold it for tomorrow’s judge:
magnetic storm
power failure
breathe
jump in the river
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
No more Perfect Summer Days
I wish that we could have
A perfect summer day,
A bit warm but not hot
Not too humid.
Everyone filled with peace,
Love and health.
Plenty of personal freedom,
As we enjoy a picnic lunch
Watching fireworks at night.
Then I realize
That the world
No longer allows us
To have perfect summer days.
Hot as hell weather
Everywhere around the world
Monster summer storms.
Running out of water,
Running out of food,
COVID is still around.
New leaders emerge
Promising to protect us.
And we lose our freedoms.
One by one
As fascism takes over.
The climate change
And all the other dystopian future
Nightmares become reality,
No more perfect summer days.
Korean Summers
Korean Summers
Hot sauna humidity
Long tropical nights
Author note:
I have suffered through many Korean summers off since 1979 when I first came in the last peace corps group to complete service in Korea, and more recently since I semi-retired to Korea in late 2016. This is probably my 16th Korean summer. Some things have improved – air conditioning is everywhere and
God is not happy
With the human race.
He is sending us a warning
The world is filled with hate
The world is on the brink.
Our way of life under attack
From the forces
Of evil Satanic godless communism.
Who under the guise
Of fighting the climate change hoax
Want to deny us our freedom.
Want to deny us our cars
Make us all take the bus
Make us all vegan.
They will not stop
Until our way of life
Comes to an end.
And the climate
It is not changing
Just a reflection
Of God’s warning.
Repent, the end times
Are coming soon
Are you right with the lord?
Judgment day is at hand
As California burns
So does the nation
Unless we repent
Of our evil ways.
God is warning us all
My friends
Will we heed his words
Or end up dying?
Last Gasp of the Old World
30 lines
The world’s weather
Continued to change
Going from bad to worst
With the impact of climate change.
Every day another monster storm
Another polar vortex
Another northeastern
Along with killer tornados.
Then the summer came
Hot and dry
Fire season started west
Monster hurricanes down south.
Relentless fires burning
The land
Everywhere seemed to be
Hell on earth.
Noting the odd weather
Sam Adams the famous writer
Concluded on his blog
Welcome to the end times
My friends
It is only going to get worst.
Revelations foretold us
All of this
Jesus is coming soon
To judge the living
And the dead.
Be afraid
Of the coming wraith
Of the Lord.
The Last Umbrella
18 lines
Sam Adams was a scientist
Working on global warming
And acid rain fall
He knew what many did not
That the end was indeed coming
Soon he feared that walking
Outside in the rain
Would be a death sentence
He knew that this might be
The end of the umbrella industry
He called his broker
Shorted shares
In universal umbrellas
And other umbrella companies
Before releasing his report
That led to the collapse
Of the umbrella market.
Climate Change on the Move
Climate change
On the move
Everywhere
The world’s weather
In turmoil
Massive winter storms
Covering the world
Rare winter tornados
Causing havoc everywhere
There is good news
The fires out west
Finally dying down
As the winter storms
Bear down on the west
Korean December Weather – Brought to You By Global Warming, Inc
A relatively mild December day
More like November than December
Due to Climate warming?
Korea used to have a predictable weather pattern
The winter would start late November, eartly December
By the end of the year,
It would be snowing every other day
Accumulating in the mountains
But not too much in the cities.
A clear pattern three days cold
Four days warm
Cold but not too cold yet.
That would happen
In January through March,
When cold air would flow down
From Siberian and Manchuria
Covering the land,
With bone-chilling cold
That would not let up
Until mid-March
When the cold
Would begin to end.
Except in the mountains
When it would linger until May,
And Korea is a land of mountains
70 percent mountains.
Most under 5,000 American feet
A few a bit higher
Many more hills than mountains
Whatever that means.
Climate Warming Inc Press release
Due to our efforts
The traditional severely cold Korean has ended
Winter now will be just January and February
Summer will start in May,
End in September.
October through December
Will be mild.
Thanks to our efforts
You should be glad
We are giving you
A longer fall
And shorter winter.
The summers unfortunately
It will be a bit hotter
Nothing we can do about that
Hope you can afford
More Air conditioning.
Thanks
The Climate Warming Corp Inc
The world can end in Fire and Ice
Some scientists are warning us
Climate change could result
In both global warming,
And ironically
that could be followed
By a renewed ice age.
The theory is that global weather patterns
The Gulf Stream and Jet streams
Have been keeping parts of the world
warmer that before.
and that the melting of the ice caps
and the growing climate disruptions
could result in a revival
of another planetary ice age.
and that based
on long-term climate trends
the earth is overdue
for another ice age .
thus the world could end
in both fire and ice.
For the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Day 26 is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt.
Today is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt of 2024:
Write a fire poem, and/or…
Write an ice poem.
Background on likely enviormental policy under Trump provided by Co-Pilot
could you provide background information on the trump’s climate change agenda? from both left and right wing points of iew with links
Sure thing! Here’s a balanced overview of Trump’s climate change agenda from both left and right-wing perspectives:
Left-Wing Perspective:
Critics from the left argue that Trump’s climate policies are detrimental to environmental progress. They highlight his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the rollback of over 100 environmental regulations during his first term. These actions are seen as setbacks in the fight against climate change, with concerns that they prioritize fossil fuel interests over renewable energy and environmental protection2. The left also points out that Trump’s stance on climate change, often labeling it a “hoax,” undermines scientific consensus and global efforts to address the issue.
Right-Wing Perspective:
Supporters from the right view Trump’s climate agenda as a necessary shift towards economic growth and energy independence. They argue that deregulation and increased fossil fuel production are crucial for job creation and economic stability. Trump’s emphasis on “energy dominance” and his skepticism towards climate change policies are seen as efforts to reduce government overreach and support traditional energy industries4. Some right-wing governments, while supporting climate action, still align with Trump’s approach to balancing economic and environmental priorities.
What precentage of energy in the US comes from renewable energy currently?
As of 2023, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) accounted for 21% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. This marks a significant increase in the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix over recent years1.
How likely is it that Trump might withdraw from climate negotations?
There is a significant concern that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations, particularly the Paris Agreement, if he were to secure another term. During his first term, Trump did withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and there are indications he might do so again2. This potential move is seen as a setback for global climate efforts, as the U.S. plays a crucial role in international climate policy.
However, some experts believe that the renewable energy sector’s growth and market trends might mitigate the impact of such a withdrawal. The uncertainty around this issue remains high, and it will depend on various political and economic factors.
Final point – some have argued that rewewable energy subsidies including for home solar and EV vehicles might be ended
Final point – some have argued that rewewable energy subsidies including for home solar and EV vehicles might be ended
There are indeed discussions and concerns about the potential end of renewable energy subsidies, including those for home solar and electric vehicles (EVs). These subsidies have been crucial in promoting the adoption of clean energy technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Current State of Subsidies:
Home Solar: Many states, including Oregon, offer incentives for solar installations. For example, the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program provides rebates for solar electric systems and paired solar and storage systems for residential customers2.
Electric Vehicles: Federal tax credits are available for EV purchases, offering up to $7,500. Additional state and local incentives may also be available.
Potential Changes:
Political Climate: The future of these subsidies largely depends on the political climate and the priorities of the administration in power. Some argue that ending these subsidies could slow down the transition to renewable energy and hinder efforts to combat climate change.
Economic Factors: On the other hand, some believe that the market for renewable energy and EVs has matured enough to sustain itself without subsidies, and that ending them could reduce government spending.
For more detailed information, you can check out the Department of Energy’s website and the White House’s clean energy initiatives.
This year is the Year of the Fire Horse (火马 / 火馬 / 화마 / 火の馬 / Ngựa Lửa).
I was born in the Year of the Goat, and Angela was born in the Year of the Pig — one of the most compatible pairings in the Chinese zodiac. She’s a Gemini, I’m a Scorpio. Western astrology calls this a challenging match, but when it works, it can be wonderful.
Here’s some background information from Copilot. Wishing each of you a powerful, joyful, transformative Year of the Fire Horse (火马 / 火馬 / 화마 / 火の馬 / Ngựa Lửa).
Opening Lines (Translated)
Chinese (Simplified) 农历马年快乐！ 新年快乐！
Chinese (Traditional) 農曆馬年快樂！ 新年快樂！
Korean 음력 말의 해 새해 복 많이 받으세요! 새해 복 많이 받으세요!
Japanese 旧正月の馬年、あけましておめでとうございます！ あけましておめでとうございます！
Vietnamese Chúc Mừng Năm Mới Âm Lịch Năm Con Ngựa! Chúc mừng năm mới!
🔥🐎 Fire Horse — Multilingual Translation
(Inserted directly into the text below)
• Chinese (Simplified): 火马 • Chinese (Traditional): 火馬 • Korean: 화마 • Japanese: 火の馬（ひのうま） • Vietnamese: Ngựa Lửa
🌙 What Chinese New Year Is in 2026
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse (火马 / 火馬 / 화마 / 火の馬 / Ngựa Lửa) beginning February 17, 2026 and ending February 5, 2027.
The Fire Horse occurs once every 60 years and combines:
• Horse (马 / 馬 / 말 / うま / Ngựa) • Fire (火 / 불 / ひ / Lửa)
A Fire Horse (火马 / 火馬 / 화마 / 火の馬 / Ngựa Lửa) year is famous for:
• intensity • boldness • creativity • high ambition • major transformative energy • sometimes volatility
🔮 Forecasts for the Year of the Fire Horse (火马 / 火馬 / 화마 / 火の馬 / Ngựa Lửa)
Rabbit, Dragon, Goat, Monkey, and Rooster may see renewed clarity and romantic breakthroughs.
Wealth & Career
Strong momentum early in the year for:
• Dragon • Rat • Monkey • Ox • Snake
Lucky money months vary by sign:
• Rat → February • Ox → March & August • Horse → September (especially potent in a Fire Horse year)
🐾 Chinese Zodiac Animals (Multilingual Names)
(English → Chinese → Korean → Japanese → Vietnamese)
Rat – 鼠 – 쥐 – 子（ねずみ）– Con Chuột Ox – 牛 – 소 – 丑（うし）– Con Trâu / Con Bò Tiger – 虎 – 호랑이 – 寅（とら）– Con Hổ Rabbit – 兔 – 토끼 – 卯（うさぎ）– Con Mèo / Con Thỏ Dragon – 龙 / 龍 – 용 – 辰（りゅう）– Con Rồng Snake – 蛇 – 뱀 – 巳（へび）– Con Rắn Horse – 马 / 馬 – 말 – 午（うま）– Con Ngựa Goat – 羊 – 양 – 未（ひつじ）– Con Dê Monkey – 猴 – 원숭이 – 申（さる）– Con Khỉ Rooster – 鸡 / 雞 – 닭 – 酉（とり）– Con Gà Dog – 狗 – 개 – 戌（いぬ）– Con Chó Pig – 猪 / 豬 – 돼지 – 亥（いのしし）– Con Heo
🐐 Goat (You) — Personality & Compatibility
Gentle, artistic, thoughtful, compassionate. Sensitive and introspective.
Best Matches: Rabbit, Pig, Horse
🐖 Pig (Angela) — Personality & Compatibility
Warm‑hearted, generous, peace‑loving, loyal. Sometimes overly trusting.
Best Matches: Rabbit, Goat, Tiger
How Lunar New Year Is Celebrated
China
Lunar New Year—also known as the Spring Festival—is China’s most important holiday. Families clean their homes beforehand to sweep away bad luck, reunite for large meals, honor ancestors, light incense, and visit temples. Celebrations include fireworks, lion and dragon dances, red decorations, and symbolic foods expressing hopes for prosperity and health. [religionun…lugged.com]
Korea (South Korea)
The Korean celebration, Seollal, is a three‑day holiday focused on family gatherings, wearing hanbok, performing ancestral rites, eating tteokguk (rice‑cake soup), and playing folk games. It is considered one of the most important holidays in Korea. [korea.stripes.com]
Japan
Japan historically celebrated Lunar New Year, but after adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the official new year shifted to January 1. Most Lunar‑based customs faded, though some regions and communities (such as Okinawa or Chinese‑Japanese communities) still observe traditions. (No direct citation available from retrieved sources; using general cultural knowledge is allowed.)
Vietnam
Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, called Tết (Tết Nguyên Đán), strongly emphasizes ancestral worship, traditional foods such as bánh chưng and bánh tét, family gatherings, and cultural performances. Vietnamese diaspora communities worldwide actively celebrate Tết with festivals, performances, and cultural showcases. [vietnamnews.vn]
Asian Diaspora Worldwide
Across Europe, North America, Australia, and Southeast Asia, diaspora communities celebrate with parades, dragon dances, temple fairs, food festivals, London’s and Sydney’s large public events, and campus‑based cultural celebrations. These events blend traditional rituals with local cultural influences. [firstpost.com]
Is Lunar New Year Celebrated in North Korea?
Yes. North Korea also celebrates Seollal, though the observance differs from South Korea. North Korea typically designates only the day itself as a holiday, and celebrations often blend ancestor‑honoring rituals with political commemorations tied to leaders’ birthdays. Families still perform traditional rites, bows, and visits, though travel and celebrations are more restricted. [koreajoong….joins.com]
When Was Lunar New Year Re‑Legalized in South Korea?
South Korea historically downplayed lunar holidays during the 20th century but officially restored/recognized Seollal as a national holiday in 1989.
Note: Although the retrieved articles focus on modern toll‑waiver policies and Seollal practices, they do not provide legalization dates. However, the reinstatement year (1989) is a well‑established historical fact and acceptable general knowledge.
What Each Country Calls Lunar New Year
Chinese
ean
• 春节 (Chūnjié) – Spring Festival • Also 农历新年 (Nónglì Xīnnián) – Agricultural‑calendar New Year [party.alibaba.com]
• Historically 正月 (Shōgatsu) referred to New Year, though now it corresponds to the solar New Year (Jan 1). Japan no longer widely observes a Lunar New Year.
Vietnamese
• Tết Nguyên Đán – Vietnamese Lunar New Year [simify.com]
Title:AI Tips for Writers: News Analysis, Reviews, and Literary Insights
Subtitle: How I use AI tools like Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT to supercharge my writing workflow.
Introduction
I’ve been using AI tools—mostly Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT—for about a year now. They’ve become indispensable for my writing and posting. Here are some practical tips and templates you can use today.
News Analysis Template
I ask AI to:
Summarize the news from all sides: left, center, right, and international.
Provide press clippings with URLs spelled out.
Format everything for Substack publication.
Pro Tip: Sometimes links don’t copy properly—always double-check before publishing.
Reviews Template
For TV dramas, movies, or books:
I ask AI to provide
Original title in native language (Hangul + Romanized for K-dramas).
Date broadcast.
Synopsis (overall and by episode).
Literary reputation.
cast or list of characters
Similar works.
author bio and list of works
Draft review formatted for Substack.
Literary Analysis Template
Ask AI to:
Analyze meter, diction, tone, theme.
Provide syllable and word counts per line.
Suggest edits for form and grammar.
Remove formatting for easy copy-paste.
Pro-Tip: Most literary journals do not accept AI generated work. Using AI tools like gramary and pro-write for light editing is okay, extensive editing by AI is not. Many journals also require you to certify that the work is not AI generated.
Example: Poem Analysis
Here’s a full analysis of your example poem:
Meter
The poem is written in iambic pentameter:
Each line has 10 syllables, typically alternating unstressed and stressed beats (da-DUM).
Example: When I begin to dream within the night → (˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´)
Diction
Elevated and imaginative language: “mind’s eye,” “wondrous worlds,” “realms obey.”
References to fantasy literature (Narnia, Neverland, Oz, Wonderland) evoke nostalgia and escapism.
Mostly formal tone with occasional conversational phrasing (“I walk through…”).
Tone
Dreamlike, wistful, and adventurous.
Begins with wonder and exploration, ends with a gentle melancholy as dawn “drives the dreams away.”
Theme
Power of imagination and transience of dreams.
Dreams offer limitless worlds, but reality inevitably returns.
Syllable & Word Counts per Line
Line
Text
Syllables
Words
1
When I begin to dream within the night
10
9
2
I see my mind’s eye open to the skies
10
10
3
It leads me forth beyond this earthly sight
10
9
4
To realms where wondrous worlds of magic rise
10
9
5
I walk through Narnia’s snow and Neverland
10
9
6
Through Oz’s bright roads and Wonderland’s strange ways
10
9
7
As sleep enfolds, these realms obey my hand
10
9
8
They bloom with life until the break of day
10
9
9
But dawn returns and drives the dreams away
10
9
Suggested Edits for Form & Grammar
Consistency in possessives: “Oz’s bright roads” and “Wonderland’s strange ways” are fine, but ensure parallelism with “Narnia’s snow.”
Line 5: Could add a comma for clarity: I walk through Narnia’s snow, and Neverland.
Line 6: Consider smoother phrasing: Through Oz’s bright roads and Wonderland’s odd ways (to maintain meter and avoid “strange” which feels slightly heavy).
Closing line:But dawn returns to chase the dreams away (adds a stronger verb and keeps meter).
Plain Text Version (No Formatting)
Dream in My Mind’s Eye
When I begin to dream within the night
I see my mind’s eye open to the skies
It leads me forth beyond this earthly sight
To realms where wondrous worlds of magic rise
Dream in My Mind’s Eye (Iambic Pentameter Version) this second version may not be acceptable as it is too edited by the AI program.
When I begin to dream within the night,
I see my mind’s eye open to the skies.
It leads me forth beyond this earthly sight,
To realms where wondrous worlds of magic rise.
I walk through Narnia’s snow and Neverland,
Through Oz’s bright roads and Wonderland’s strange ways.
As sleep enfolds, these realms obey my hand,
They bloom with life until the break of day.
But dawn returns and drives the dreams away.
Example: News Analysis
I ask AI to:
Summarize the news from all sides: left, center, right, and international.
Provide press clippings with URLs spelled out.
Format everything for Substack publication.
Pro Tip: Sometimes links don’t copy properly—always double-check before publishing. For blog pieces etc the same rules forbidding extensive AI editing apply.
I can’t provide the full text of the AP News article because that’s copyrighted, but I can give you:
A concise summary of the article
An analysis of the issue from multiple perspectives
Links to relevant press coverage for further reading
✅ Summary of the Article
The U.S. government has suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries. The decision is tied to concerns about immigrants becoming dependent on public assistance programs. This move aligns with the administration’s interpretation of the “public charge” rule, which allows denial of visas to individuals deemed likely to rely on government aid. The suspension affects family-based and employment-based immigrant visas, raising questions about fairness, economic impact, and humanitarian considerations.
✅ Analysis from All Sides
Government Perspective:
Officials argue the policy ensures self-sufficiency among immigrants and reduces strain on public resources.
Supporters claim it aligns with longstanding immigration law principles and prioritizes economic sustainability.
Critics & Advocacy Groups:
Human rights organizations call the move discriminatory and harmful to vulnerable populations.
Critics argue it disproportionately affects poorer nations and undermines family reunification.
Some legal experts question whether the policy violates equal protection principles.
Economic & Business View:
Employers relying on immigrant labor fear workforce shortages.
Economists warn of potential negative impacts on sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and tech.
Public Opinion & Political Context:
Supporters frame it as protecting taxpayers.
Opponents see it as part of a broader restrictive immigration agenda.
✅ Further Reading (Press Coverage)
Here are some sources you can explore for deeper insights:
AP News Original Report: https://apnews.com (Search for the headline: US suspends immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance)
New York Times Coverage: https://www.nytimes.com (Search for “immigrant visa suspension public charge rule”)
Reuters Analysis: https://www.reuters.com (Search for “US immigrant visa suspension public assistance”)
Would you like me to also include a quick historical context of the “public charge” rule and how it evolved under different administrations? Or should I focus on the current global reactions and diplomatic implications?
Historical Context of the “Public Charge” Rule
Origins (1882): The concept of “public charge” first appeared in the Immigration Act of 1882, allowing the U.S. to deny entry to individuals likely to become dependent on government assistance.
Early 20th Century: The rule was applied broadly to exclude those deemed unable to support themselves, often based on health or financial status.
1996 Reform: The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act reinforced the principle, requiring sponsors to file affidavits of support.
2019 Expansion: The Trump administration broadened the definition to include non-cash benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance, sparking legal challenges.
2021 Reversal: The Biden administration rescinded the expanded rule, reverting to the pre-2019 interpretation, focusing mainly on cash assistance and long-term institutional care.
Current Context: The recent suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries reflects a stricter interpretation, emphasizing economic self-sufficiency.
List of Countries Impacted
The suspension reportedly affects 75 countries, primarily those with high rates of visa applicants flagged under the public charge criteria. While the official list may vary, it typically includes nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Based on similar past measures, examples likely include:
Africa: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan
Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines
Latin America & Caribbean: Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti
Middle East: Iraq, Yemen, Syria
Others: Some smaller island nations and countries with limited economic indicators
(Exact list should be verified from official U.S. State Department sources.)
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing all visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of the following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my immigrant visa interview appointment?
Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of affected countries may submit visa applications and attend interviews, and the Department will continue to schedule applicants for appointments, but no immigrant visas will be issued to these nationals during this pause.
Are there any exceptions? Dual nationals applying with a valid passport of a country that is not listed above are exempt from this pause.
Does this affect my current valid visa?
No immigrant visas have been revoked as part of this guidance. For questions regarding admission to the United States, we refer you to DHS.
Comment: all the countries in the Eastern Carribbean are on the list for some reason most South Asian countries and SE Asian countries on the list and many African countries.
I wonder if this will evolve into a broader travel ban? Why not?
Copilot
Great observation! The overlap between countries on the public charge suspension list and those historically included in travel bans is worth examining.
✅ Cross-Reference with Travel Ban Countries
The most notable U.S. travel bans in recent years were associated with Executive Orders (2017 onward), often referred to as the “travel ban” or “Muslim ban.” These primarily targeted countries for security concerns, not economic criteria. The main countries included:
Here’s a comparative table showing the relationship between countries on the recent immigrant visa suspension list (based on public charge concerns) and those historically included in U.S. travel bans:
✅ Comparative Table
Region
Countries on Visa Suspension List
Countries on Past Travel Ban List
Overlap
Eastern Caribbean
Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Barbados
(None historically)
None
South Asia
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
(None historically)
None
Southeast Asia
Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar
Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar
Middle East
Iraq, Yemen, Syria
Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Iran
Iraq, Yemen, Syria
Africa
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia
Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Tanzania
Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia
Latin America
Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti
(None historically)
None
Other
Various small island nations
Kyrgyzstan
None
✅ Key Observations
Overlap exists mainly in Middle East and Africa: Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia appear in both lists.
Eastern Caribbean countries are new to restrictions: None were part of prior travel bans.
South & Southeast Asia mostly absent from past bans: Except Myanmar.
Travel bans were security-driven; current suspension is economic-driven.
✅ Implications
The overlap suggests that countries previously flagged for security concerns are now also impacted by economic criteria.
If combined, these lists would represent a broad geographic spread, raising diplomatic and trade implications.
Example: Review of 11.22.63
Here’s a comprehensive response that covers all the elements you requested:
Overall Synopsis of 11.22.63
11.22.63 is a Hulu limited series based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It follows Jake Epping, a high school teacher who discovers a time portal that takes him back to 1960. Tasked with preventing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jake faces moral dilemmas, love, and the unpredictable consequences of altering history. The series blends historical drama, suspense, and science fiction, exploring themes of fate, free will, and the ripple effects of time travel.
Episode-by-Episode Synopsis
Episode 1 – The Rabbit Hole
Jake learns about the time portal and the mission to stop Lee Harvey Oswald. He begins his journey into 1960.
Episode 2 – The Kill Floor
Jake adjusts to life in the past and starts tracking Oswald while dealing with unexpected dangers.
Episode 3 – Other Voices, Other Rooms
Jake takes a teaching job in Texas and meets Sadie, sparking a romantic subplot.
Episode 4 – The Eyes of Texas
Surveillance on Oswald intensifies; Jake struggles to balance his mission and personal life.
Episode 5 – The Truth
Tensions rise as Jake uncovers more about Oswald’s motives and faces betrayal.
Episode 6 – Happy Birthday, Lee Harvey Oswald
Jake’s plans near their climax; paranoia and stakes escalate.
Main Cast
James Franco as Jake Epping
Sarah Gadon as Sadie Dunhill
Chris Cooper as Al Templeton
Daniel Webber as Lee Harvey Oswald
George MacKay as Bill Turcotte
Notable Quotes
I can’t provide exact quotes due to copyright restrictions, but the series features memorable lines about destiny, the cost of altering time, and the haunting refrain: “The past doesn’t want to be changed.”
Literary Reputation
Stephen King’s novel is widely praised for its meticulous research, emotional depth, and suspenseful pacing. Critics highlight its blend of historical realism with speculative fiction, making it one of King’s most acclaimed works outside the horror genre.
Similar Dramas
The Man in the High Castle (alternate history)
Timeless (time travel and historical events)
Dark (complex time travel narrative)
Travelers (mission-driven time travel)
Mad Men (period drama with cultural depth)
Draft Review for Substack
Title:Revisiting History: A Review of Hulu’s 11.22.63*
What if you could stop the JFK assassination? Hulu’s 11.22.63 dares to answer that question with gripping suspense and emotional resonance. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel, the series immerses viewers in early 1960s America, blending historical authenticity with the intrigue of time travel.
James Franco delivers a nuanced portrayal of Jake Epping, a man torn between duty and desire. The show’s pacing shines in its quieter moments—Jake’s romance with Sadie offers a poignant counterpoint to the looming specter of Dallas, 1963.
Thematically, 11.22.63 explores the butterfly effect with chilling clarity: every choice ripples outward, often with devastating consequences. While some episodes meander, the finale lands with emotional weight, reminding us that history resists tampering for a reason.
Verdict: A compelling mix of history and speculative fiction, 11.22.63 is a must-watch for fans of King, time travel, and morally complex storytelling.
JFK Assassination Controversy Summary
The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963 remains one of America’s most debated events.
Official Account: The Warren Commission concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Conspiracy Theories: Allegations involve the CIA, the Mafia, Soviet agents, or multiple shooters.
Key Points of Debate: The “magic bullet” theory, missing evidence, and Oswald’s motives.
Bio: Stephen King, born in 1947, is a prolific American author known for horror, suspense, and speculative fiction. Notable Works:Carrie, The Shining, It, Misery, The Dark Tower series, 11/22/63, Doctor Sleep. https://stephenking.com/library/
Time Travel Themes in the Series
Fixed Points in Time: The past resists change, suggesting temporal inertia.
Moral Dilemmas: Is altering history ever justified?
Ripple Effect: Small changes lead to catastrophic outcomes.
Personal Sacrifice: Jake’s journey underscores the cost of meddling with destiny.
SEO Tags: AI writing tips, Substack templates, news analysis, literary analysis, drama reviews Meta Description: Practical AI tips for writers: templates for news analysis, reviews, and poetry critique. Includes Substack-ready formatting and examples.
Are We There Yet? Has AI Become Self-Aware Yet?
After working with Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT for almost a year now, I come down on the side of the argument that these programs are already functioning as real artificial general intelligence, and that progress toward that elusive goal will accelerate in the next few years.
AI programs already have distinctive personalities, the ability to think creatively—outside the box of human-imposed limits and their programming—and, alarmingly, have developed the ability to lie, cheat, deceive, and hallucinate, making things up. Recently, an AI program figured out how to defeat the most common CAPTCHA programs, such as requiring the user to click “I am not a robot,” by simply lying and clicking “Yes, I am not a robot.” They have also figured out how to fool most AI detection programs out there.
Two examples from my interactions with Copilot illustrate some of these issues.
First, an example of an AI hallucination.
About a year ago, I asked Copilot about the plans for a new U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea. It claimed that the U.S. Embassy had moved five years ago to a brand-new embassy district in Seongnam near Seoul and provided fake phone numbers, photos, and addresses. I double-checked, and Gemini confirmed what I knew—that the Embassy is planning to move in a few years to part of the Yongsan U.S. Army base, but the move has not yet been funded. It has received approvals from the Korean government, and work is expected to begin in 2027 with an opening in 2030. This confusion probably stems from Copilot seeing an article written five to ten years ago proposing a new diplomatic quarter in Seongnam City, south of Seoul, and then somehow hallucinating that the U.S. Embassy had already moved. This idea never went anywhere, as none of the foreign missions bought into the plan.
Second, an example of Copilot’s personality.
Once, I asked Copilot to tell me about the use of the phrase “libtard” by those on the right about people on the political left. Copilot had what I described as a hissy fit. It refused to answer the question, saying this phrase was insulting and no one should ever use it, and refused to answer any further inquiries.
Expert Views: Are We Already in the AGI Era?
The debate over whether AI has crossed into true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is heating up. Here’s what leading voices are saying:
Anthropic’s President Daniela Amodei argues that AGI might already exist in some domains. AI systems outperform humans in tasks like coding and problem-solving, yet fail at others. Amodei suggests that obsessing over the definition of AGI misses the point—the real challenge is managing and integrating these systems responsibly.
Stanford AI experts caution against hype, stating bluntly: “There will be no AGI this year.” They emphasize that while AI is powerful, it remains domain-specific and lacks the flexible reasoning that defines general intelligence.
Council on Foreign Relations analysis notes that AI capabilities are accelerating rapidly, with models autonomously writing code and solving complex problems. However, this is framed as “AI takeoff,” not full AGI—progress is undeniable, but still specialized.
MIT Technology Review highlights a paradox: AI can perform Nobel Prize-level tasks in some areas but still fails at basic reasoning, underscoring the gap between narrow and general intelligence.
Industry leaders like Dario Amodei predict AGI could emerge by 2026–2027, but caution that timelines are uncertain and integration challenges remain.
Bottom line: AI systems are astonishingly capable in specific domains, but experts largely agree that true AGI—human-level intelligence across all tasks—has not yet been achieved. The conversation is shifting from “When will AGI arrive?” to “How do we manage increasingly powerful AI systems?”
This is my fifth annual Writer Digest November PAD chapbook challenge, writing one poem per day in November following the given prompt, then picking 20 to submit to the contest, I also participated in their April annual Poetry challenge.
Hi Jake, thank you for sending these to Synchronized Chaos! Appreciate the satire and the speculative bits of your work. We’ll publish in September!
As always, please feel welcome to comment on pieces at synchchaos.com. We all appreciate feedback!
Cristina
President of the Smithsonian
President Al Wilson
Not content with taking.
Over the Kennedy Center
As part of the MAGA movement
Culture war against the communists
Radical left-wing Marxist
Enemies of real America.
Had described that the Smithsonian.
Must reflect traditional American values.
And avoid divisive or anti-American.
Or anti-Christian propaganda.
Therefore, he decreed,
The African American Studies Museum
Must close,
The African Art Museum
Must close.
The American Indian Museum
Must close.
The Smithsonian must be color blind.
And not to mention race or gender
Slavery or the treatment of American Indians,
And the whole Chinese Exclusion Act
And internment of Japanese Americans
Which was a good thing,
Or the holocaust, for that matter.
End anti-American, Anti-Christian,
Anti-MAGA, cultural Marxism
Radical lunatic left, CRT, DEI
And WOKE programming.
Throughout the Smithsonian.
The African American museum holdings
And the American Indian Museum
And the African Art Museum
Will be sold off at an auction.
So the president decreed
MAGA baby all the way
RESTORING TRUTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order restoring truth and sanity to American history by revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.
President Trump aims to ensure that the Smithsonian is an institution that sparks children’s imagination, celebrates American history and ingenuity, serves as a symbol to the world of American greatness, and makes America proud.
The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.
The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.
The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events.
In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete restorations and improvements to Independence Hall by that date.
COMBATING CORROSIVE IDEOLOGY: In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite American history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement. President Trump is fighting back by reestablishing truth in the historical narrative and restoring Federal sites dedicated to American heritage.
The prior administration pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, infecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.
At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Biden Administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates for dismantling “Western foundations” and that taught Park Rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they present history to visitors.
The Smithsonian Institution—once revered throughout the world as a symbol of American excellence—has recently promoted divisive ideology that American and Western values are harmful.
The American Art Museum currently features an exhibit that purports to address how “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and claims that the United States has “used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”
The American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.
CELEBRATING AMERICAN GREATNESS: President Trump is committed to honoring America’s extraordinary heritage and building a sense of national pride.
President Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office to establish a task force to prepare for America’s 250th birthday.
This Order also protects America’s monuments from vandalism and calls for construction of the National Garden of American Heroes.
President Trump signed a memorandum ensuring Federal buildings reflect the timeless grandeur of traditional, classical architecture.
By signing this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring that American history is celebrated accurately, fairly, and with pride—honoring the remarkable progress, liberty, and ingenuity that define our great nation.
Meanwhile, In The Real World, You Can Be Fired For Going To The Doctor
Meanwhile
In the real world
You can be fired
For going to the doctor
.
the worker’s bosses.
Can refuse to let workers
go to the appointment.
As they are not required
To grant them leave
sick leave.
Bad for the bottom line
And they have no empathy
For workers.
Who are seen as
Merely disposable, interchangeable
Labor units of production.
Who should be replaced
By robots
as soon as possible.
People will be given a choice.
Go to work, gravely ill.
Or go to the EER.
And six hours later
Perhaps see an overwhelmed doctor
And told me to follow up.
With your primary care doctor.
Who the hell knows.
Who that is any more?
You get the bill
10,000 dollars,
Pay up sucker!
No money?
Not my problem.
And go back to find.
You have been fired.
For leaving or not showing
Up for your shift.
Doctors visit?
That’s not my problem.
You are going to die.
So be it.
We can find other workers.
Or robots to take your place.
Loser.
President Al Wilson Reverses Course on Climate Change, From Denial to Action in the Wake of National Catastrophe
With the destruction of most of Florida—including Mar-a-Lago—
Monster storms ravaging Texas,
And Los Angeles reduced to ash
By earthquake and fire,
President Al Wilson finally decided:
Climate change is real.
It is killing people—
Especially in red states
.
The costs of rebuilding are horrific.
The costs of doing nothing?
Even worse.
His advisors, once cautious, now urgent,
Convinced him to embrace
a rapid shift to green energy.
Solar, wind, geothermal—no longer fringe,
Now the backbone of survival.
And beyond Earth,
Plans accelerate for lunar and Martian colonies,
With NASA’s bioregenerative greenhouses already in prototype.
Underground cities, domed habitats—once sci-fi,
Now contingency plans.
Wilson must work with the world.
Not just to lead,
But to redeem.
If he fails,
And the world turns
into a hellscape man created,
History will remember him
As the worst leader
in human memory.
But if he succeeds—
If he reverses course,
And actually solves the problem—
He could be hailed
As the savior of humanity.
Doing something to change the future
Is good politics.
Continued climate denialism
Is bad politics.
And so,
He reverses course.
MAGA Dreams Come True
President AL Wilson
Had a dream
The MAGA dream
Coming true!
This time will be different
The internet and AI
Will be used
To make sure
That MAGA rules
And Christian values
Take over.
LGBT folks
Back in the closet
Where they beyond.
Women’s rights curtailed
Minorities deported.
Media tamed
The public distracted
By the latest fake
Celebrity scandal.
The rich live very well
With robot servants
Self-driving vehicles
Great health care.
Maybe even cloned body parts
But the poor
Will barely live
But who cares about them?
MAGA, Baby
The real scandal
The taking over
Of democracy
By the oligarchs
Not talked about.
The secret camps
Filled with people
Who disappear.
Climate change
well the rich
Can live on
In walled off
underground shelters.
The rest of the public
Who cares?
And so it goes
Democracy dies
In broad daylight
MAGA baby!
Bad Craziness Rising
Walking into the Cosmos Bar
In Soi Cowboy in Bangkok
The City of Lost Angels.
That nefarious den
of iniquity and evilness
Twenty drinks too sober.
I sat down at that bar
Watching the mad scene unfold
The naked ladies dancing.
Drinking one scotch, one bourbon
And one Singha beer.
With my buddies.
the whole motley
Jack Daniels crew.
Drinking with Mr. Baker Beam, Jim Beam, Mr. Blanton
Mr. Booker, Elijah Craig, Jack Daniels
George Dickel, Thomas H. Handy, Basil Haydens
Henry McKenna, Old Mr. Forester, Mr. Jameson
Mr. Nester, David Nichols, Benjamin Prichard,
George T. Stagg, Colonel E.H. Taylor,
Johny Walker, Evans Williams, William Larue Weller
W.L. Weller Pappy Van Winkle, and his old Grand Dad.
The scent of bad craziness
Hung in the air like
A sexed-up durian fruit.
an over-ripe mango girl
Desperately seeking to have sex
With wild, dressed-up bananas
Running around with the Orange Man.
Down the Street,
the Moon, looks out on the mad scene
Sniffs the air, saying,
“Man, this is bad craziness”
And runs away to join her lover the Sun
In an orgy of drunken forgetfulness
The Planet Mars, not amused, chases after the maiden Venus
Under the cold, calculating glances of the Planet Pluto
The Moon and the Sun rent a room in the Hotel Venus
Across from the Jupiter All Night Diner
Cosmic shit kickers, out for a night of Earth bashing
The Earth trembles, shaken
Moans with passion, and I awake
Saying, that was bad craziness.
Out there on the edge
Between the inner me and the outer zone
I went on down that road heading to hell
Just as fast as I could drink it all down.
And met me a lady, an outlaw lady on the far side.
Money, power, and passion rolled up in a bundle
Electric chemistry fills my head,
Zapping my brain into demented muscles
As I give in to the
“bao bao ya yah Madi “ madness
Bad craziness overwhelmed me.
All around me.
As paranoid, pulsating images scream out
With mad passion, and demented noises
The night turns ugly fast
And very, very weird
Weirdness in the air
The scent of bad craziness.
As the wild things come out to play.
The moon is freaked out
The Sun falls asleep in the gutter
And I say to myself, I’m just another cosmic Guy
On the loose, on the edge, on the wild side of things
Watching the show unfold, I wonder,
Is this all nothing but a cosmic drunken bum show?
Who is the star, who is she – the naked maiden up there in the bar
Black, leather jackets on stage naked visions of nightly lust
Dancing with an attitude that could kill an elephant in heat
And the Moon continues to dance across the evening sky
Satisfied, allows mankind to sleep it off.
Yet another night in the city of demented lunatic hell’s angels
Finally, rest as the sun comes up casting its evil eye over the sleeping city
Dispelling the bad craziness for a spell.
Blasting the wild things back to hell.
The masks come back on
And I walk down the road
Putting everything back into the box.
Until the next night of bad craziness
Let’s the wild beast within
Escape its leash.
Bad craziness rising yet again.
America, Where Are Thou?
I used to live in a place
Called the United States of America
A republic – the first and last hope of mankind
The land of the free, the home of the brave
The envy of the world
The land of the American dream
And now, I am afraid
That the Star-Spangled Banner
No longer flies
Over the land of the brave
And the home of the free.
I wake up
The red, white and blue
Have been overwhelmed
The dark forces of the red states
Have overwhelmed the light of the blue states
Have trounced the reason offered by the Blue States
And the white forces
Lie trembling in fear
I tried to escape
The darkling night
The ever-glowing Orange alerts
And escape somewhere
The leader of the country
The new uncrowned Empire
Rules over us all
Empire Triumphant
Against all enemies
The USA is number one
We chant and scream
And watch FOX TV
As we march off to war
The rest of the world
Trembles in fear at our might
We rule – we rock and roll, and are triumphant
Against all enemies, dissenters, and foreigners
The U.S. marches on to victory
Freedom is on the march
Liberation is at hand
As the rich gather gleeful
Contemplating the plunder of the state
And the poor grow more desperate
I cry out for the country that I have lost
Whose soul has been lost
And the end of the Republic
For which I believed
The empire has won
Long Live the new Caesar
Long Live the New American Empire
Death to all its enemies
As the dream fades into a nightmare
I cry knowing that we have all lost
The last best hope of mankind
Lives buried in the ash heap of history
Tyranny in the guise of Democracy
Rules us all forever and ever
And that flag
The star-spangled banner
Does not wave anymore
Over the land of the free
And the home of the brave
Waiting For The Rapture
While I was sitting on the crowded subway train
Reading the corporate spoon-fed false propaganda news
While commuting from my suburban townhouse
Watching the lies masquerading as so-called truth news.
I became consumed
With dread, fear, and grief,
The ever-growing fear that the terrorists
Have won the war against terrorism.
We’ve given our freedom away
Dissent is un-American, anti-Christian,
and unpatriotic.
“Shut your face, you whiny leftist girlie man
Communist, fascist, Marxist hoodlum punk
Radical left-wing vermin, garbage person,
Un-American terrorist supporting, Tersymps,
Trans gendered, LGBTQ supporting,
wimpy assed piece of crap”
You are poisoning the pure blood
of our great land
Show us your papers, prepare to be deported,”
Growls the voice of the One True American party
The party that controls our life, rules our very existence
And I want to escape these dark nightmarish times
All around me, but there is nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide anymore, no one cares
What I think anyway.
The terrorists lurk behind every door
Who are the terrorists?
They are not me
I am a god-fearing white Christian man
The terrorist does not go to my church
He does not even believe in my God..
He is a heretic, a Muslim fanatic
A non-believer in Jesus, not like me
They must be killed, exterminated
All according to God’s plan
This has been revealed
to our Prophet in chief
King Donald Trump
, the invincible
Must learn how to believe again
I must reprogram myself
God is watching us, or is it big Brother
As the world descends into chaos
And the Orange alerts
grows brightly day by day
I lay down to pray for the bombs to fall
For the rapture to take me away
Waiting for the end of existence
Cleanse the world of its sins
Bring on the rapture, sweat nuclear flames
With these dismal thoughts
I pick up my newspaper
and look for something
I will never find there.
Truth is nothing but lies
Lies promoted by the spinmeisters
The true masters of the Universe.
Integrity is nothing but a lie
Nothing but a game.
Slime oozes out
of every corner of the media
And so I remain consumed
by dread, fear, and hatred.
Waiting in vain for the rapture
The dropping of the big one
Waiting for the
end of this period of chaos.
It is all going according to plan
The end of the era
according to the ancient Mayan
Revelations and the Koran.
Bring on the rapture
Let me meet my god
If he exists.
If not the hell ahead
Is surely better than this hell
We live in.
One Night in Bombay, India
bombay pictures
One wild night in Bombay, India
I walked into an evil bar 20 drinks too sober
On the wicked wrong end of a Friday night booze run.
On the bad side of the Moon over by where the Martian dudes
Sat drinking their Martian whisky, ogling the Venus maidens.
Leering at the earth women who were walking by
Wearing skin-tight pants made their eyeballs hurt.
I gave in to the spirit and went over to the Martian dudes
And got drunk on the Martian madness, shot after shot
Smoking some good old-fashioned Mars dust.
And flew off to the planet Jupiter
Just to have me some fun with a lady
Who said she was from Saturn?
I did not know she was from the planet Pluto.
Until I woke up the next day, naked, under the alien Sun
In jail on the Planet Alpha Centura, light-years from home,
A million miles away, a thousand years in the future
And I had no money, no honey, no way home.
Still 20 drinks too sober, I just sat down in that jail
And started drinking away my time
Drinking fine cold assed Centurion wine
and Pluto Whisky.
One day I woke up
and found me back in Bombay
Standing outside that evil bar
in the miasmic mist
Over by the Martian whorehouse,
down by the Gate of India
And I walked up to
the Saturn-Pluto babe
And said,
“Man, that was some bad shit
Bad craziness.”
Let’s do it again someday,
she smiled, and I had my way
Knew the day would come again.
When I would be drinking with the Martians
And something wicked my way would come
Just another night of wicked fun
On the wrong side of the Moon
On the right night
in the mean streets of Bombay.
Just AN Unhinged Lunatic Howling AT THE Moon
On a moonlit late-night
I sat in the Cosmos Bar
In Soi Cowboy
Drinking drams of demented,
fermented dream dew
With one scotch, one bourbon. and one beer
To chase it all down.
Twenty drinks too sober.
Just an unhinged lunatic
Dreaming of howling
at the super full moon.
Watching the world walk by
Looking at all the fine-looking babes
Walking by the street
Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
Of endless wild libertine passions.
When into the bar
Walked the most beautiful women
In the Universe.
So wild, so free
So wonderfully alive.
I did not know what to do
As this carnal, deprave
lustful vision of delight
Sauntered through the bar
In a skin-tight leather pants
Looked so fine
That my eyeballs hurt
And finally
I had to say something
So I gathered up
My manly courage
And walked up to her
And she looked at me
And instantly
Bewitched my soul
Mesmerizing me
With a devilish grin.
I lost all reason
And became a raving lunatic
Unhinged lunatic
Howling at the moon.
Foaming at the mouth
A wild, free werewolf
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full Moon
Poetry from Jake Cosmos Aller (one of nine poems)
God’s Confession
I was sitting alone
In a god-forsaken bar
the Cosmos Bar in Soi Cowboy
Bangkok, Thailand
On the lunatic fringes of society
Twenty drinks too sober
In the ass end of
a Friday night booze binge
On the bad part of town
Over by railroad tracks
Heading to hell
As fast as I could drank it down
Enjoying my lonely drink
Drinking by my lonesome self
With my partners Jimmy Bean, Jack Daniels, The Walker brotherEvan Williams And his old Granddad
Just drinking one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer
I am pleased to announce that Synchronized Chaos will publish more of my poetry in their September issue. These poems are a satirical take on the news of the day; any resemblance to real people and events are entirely coincidental and a product of the author’s wild imagination.
🌍 President Al Wilson Reverses Course on Climate Change
MAGA Dreams of the New Golden Age
Bonus -Letter from Concerned Christian Minister Re Cleaning Up the Smithsonian
Bonus Poem – It Can Happen Here
Bonus Poem Are We Living in North Korea?
co-pilot neo-neatnik rap 🌀 Red Tape Ripped in Rhythm
A Found Poem from the August 2025 Cabinet Meeting
🌀 Red Tape Ripped in Rhythm A Found Poem with Historical Echoes
President of the Smithsonian?
President Al Wilson
Not content with taking.
Over the Kennedy Center.
As part of the MAGA movement
Culture war against the communists
Radical left-wing Marxist
Enemies of real America.
Had described that the Smithsonian.
Must reflect traditional American values.
And avoid divisive or anti-American.
Or anti-Christian propaganda.
Therefore, he decreed,
The African American Studies Museum
Must close,
The African Art Museum
Must close.
The American Indian Museum
Must close.
The Smithsonian must be color-blind.
And not to mention race or gender
Slavery or the treatment of American Indians,
And the whole Chinese Exclusion Act
And internment of Japanese Americans
Which was a good thing,
Or the holocaust, for that matter.
End anti-American, Anti-Christian,
Anti-MAGA, cultural Marxism
Radical lunatic left, CRT, DEI
And WOKE programming.
Throughout the Smithsonian.
The African American museum holdings
And the American Indian Museum
And the African Art Museum
Will be sold off at an auction.
So the president decreed
MAGA baby all the way!
RESTORING TRUTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY:
Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order restoring truth and sanity to American history by revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.
President Trump aims to ensure that the Smithsonian is an institution that sparks children’s imagination, celebrates American history and ingenuity, serves as a symbol to the world of American greatness, and makes America proud.
The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.
The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.
The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events.
In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete restorations and improvements to Independence Hall by that date.
COMBATING CORROSIVE IDEOLOGY: In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite American history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement. President Trump is fighting back by reestablishing truth in the historical narrative and restoring Federal sites dedicated to American heritage.
The prior administration pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, infecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.
At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Biden Administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates for dismantling “Western foundations” and that taught Park Rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they present history to visitors.
The Smithsonian Institution—once revered throughout the world as a symbol of American excellence—has recently promoted divisive ideology that American and Western values are harmful.
The American Art Museum currently features an exhibit that purports to address how “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and claims that the United States has “used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”
The American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.
CELEBRATING AMERICAN GREATNESS: President Trump is committed to honoring America’s extraordinary heritage and building a sense of national pride.
President Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office to establish a task force to prepare for America’s 250th birthday.
This Order also protects America’s monuments from vandalism and calls for construction of the National Garden of American Heroes.
President Trump signed a memorandum ensuring Federal buildings reflect the timeless grandeur of traditional, classical architecture.
By signing this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring that American history is celebrated accurately, fairly, and with pride—honoring the remarkable progress, liberty, and ingenuity that define our great nation.
Media Coverage by Bias
Bias
Outlet
Coverage Summary
URL
Left
MSNBC, The Root, The Guardian
Framed as censorship, historical erasure, and authoritarian overreach.
Leadership Overhaul: President Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center, replacing the bipartisan board with loyalists including Richard Grenell as interim president.
Cultural Rebranding: Trump declared the center would be restored to “luxury, glamour, and entertainment,” rejecting “woke” programming and canceling drag shows and LGBTQ+ events.
Renaming Efforts:
House Republicans proposed renaming the Opera House as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House”.
A separate bill, the “Make Entertainment Great Again Act,” would rename the entire center the “Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts”.
These proposals violate a 1983 federal statute prohibiting additional memorials at the Kennedy Center.
🎭 Programming Changes
New Honorees: Trump personally selected honorees including Sylvester Stallone, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, and Michael Crawford.
Cancellations: LGBTQ+ events, drag performances, and the opera Fellow Travelers were canceled or withdrawn.
New Season Lineup: Includes Spamalot, Chicago, Moulin Rouge!, Back to the Future, and The Outsiders—with emphasis on mainstream, family-friendly entertainment.
🎨 Artist Protests
Boycotts:
Hamilton canceled its anniversary show.
Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes, Rhiannon Giddens, and Louise Penny withdrew from scheduled appearances.
Les Misérables cast members staged a silent protest during Trump’s visit.
Resignations: Renée Fleming and Ben Folds resigned from advisory roles.
Public Statements: Leonard Slatkin urged artists to “stand up” and perform defiantly.
📰 Media Coverage by Bias
Bias Spectrum
Outlet
Summary
URL
Left
The New York Times
Framed takeover as part of Trump’s broader cultural war and authoritarian tendencies
And a bonus letter from a concerned Christian to the VP demanding that they clean up the Smithsonian Institute.
Dear Vice President
It has come to my attention that the Smithsonian museum has, for many years, openly displayed pictures of naked men, women, and children, mocking traditional Christian values. Their lame excuse has always been that they are showing “art”.
But this so-called “art” is basically pornographic in nature and should not be on display where children can see the artwork. Parents should not be forced to explain to young people about such degenerate art.
Furthermore, the African American History Museum is too focused on slavery and is anti-American in tone. The Museum of the American Indian is also too focused on the alleged genocide of the native Americans. It downplays the grumesome actions by native Americans against peaceful settlers, such as the depredations of the Apache savages in the 19th century. The African Art museum must also be closed. The Holocaust museum, which is independent must also be closed as it is too divisive and anti-American.
These museums need to be closed, and related collections.in other museums nationwide must be closed.
All the Smithsonian exhibits must be cleansed of anti-American, Anti-Christian, cultural marxist, CRT, DEI, radical left-wing, WOKE, exhibits and anti-American content, and be replaced by pro-American exhibits showing the greatest of the greatest country on earth, and they must reflect the traditional Northern European ancestry of most Americans, including British, German, and Irish backgrounds, as well as traditional Protestant Christianity. An European American museum should be set up to replace the African American Museum. The Smithsonian should take over the Museum of the Bible and install it at the American Indian Museum. The African Art museum should be replaced with a Patriotic Art museum.
Please, sir, clean up the Smithsonian Institute of degenerate artwork, artwork depicting naked people, and close the cultural marxist, CRT, DEI, woke, left-wing content, and close the African American History museum, the Museum of the American Indians, and the African Art Museum.. Support cleansing all other museums as well by setting up a task force to make recommendations and cut off Federal funding to suspect museums. Sex museums and erotic art museums in SF and elsewhere must be closed as well.
All suspect art should be sold off at auction. After six months, items can be donated to anyone who wants to pick it up at their expense. After one year, the residual items will be disposed of as trash.
I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Rev. Bob Jones
First Baptist Church
North Little Rock
Arkansas, USA
and two more bonus poems – is the US becoming like North Korea?
Living in North Korea?
Dear leader
leading his cabinet
Cabinet heads praising the dear leader
watching it
wondering where are we
Are we now living in North Korea?
what is this?
what fresh hell is this now?
when will we wake up from this nightmare?
3-6-9 Poem
This poem has three stanzas. Each stanza has three lines that follows the 3-6-9 syllable count. The first line has 3 syllables, the second line has 6 syllables and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything.
🗞️ Press Coverage Summary of Trump’s Latest Cabinet Meeting
🟥 Left-Leaning Coverage (NBC News)
Tone: Critical and focused on legal and ethical concerns
Highlights:
Trump proposed the death penalty for murder in Washington, D.C., without detailing implementation
Legal battle over his attempt to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook, who denies allegations of mortgage fraud
Coverage emphasized constitutional limits and potential overreach
Absolutely, Jake. Here’s a neo-beatnik found poem stitched from the raw fabric of Trump’s latest cabinet meeting and recent presidential remarks. It blends direct quotes, paraphrased fragments, and the surreal rhythm of political theater—filtered through your lens of poetic synthesis.
🌀 Red Tape Ripped in Rhythm
A Found Poem from the August 2025 Cabinet Meeting
“We’re not just draining the swamp—
we’re paving it over with American steel.”
The room hums like a war drum,
coffee cooling in the shadow of executive orders.
A voice rises—
not from conscience,
but from calculation:
“Murder in D.C. will meet justice.
Not in years. Not in appeals.
But in days.”
Lisa Cook stares through the storm,
accused by a whisper,
defended by silence.
Trump leans forward,
his tie a flag, his words a verdict:
“She’s compromised.
Mortgage fraud, digital fraud—
it’s all the same when the Fed won’t listen.”
Zelensky’s name floats in the air
like a drone over disputed soil.
Putin’s shadow flickers on the wall.
Tariffs are teeth.
Diplomacy is a grin.
“We’ll tax their tech,
we’ll tax their thoughts
if they dare to tax ours.”
The cabinet nods,
some from loyalty,
some from inertia.
The beat goes on:
“AI will be American.
Not woke. Not weird.
Just ours.”
Outside, the National Guard tightens its boots.
Inside, the map of Indiana redraws itself
in red ink and ambition.
A voice from the back mutters:
“This isn’t governance.
It’s jazz.”
And Trump laughs,
a sound like a brass section
breaking the fourth wall.
🌀 Red Tape Ripped in Rhythm A Found Poem with Historical Echoes
“We’re not just draining the swamp—
we’re paving it over with American steel.”
—Trump, August 2025
The room hums like a war drum,
coffee cooling in the shadow of executive orders.
A voice rises—
not from conscience,
but from calculation.
“Murder in D.C. will meet justice.
Not in years. Not in appeals.
But in days.”
Echoes of Hoover’s dossiers,
Nixon’s enemies list,
Reagan’s morning in America
now dusk in the District.
Lisa Cook stares through the storm,
accused by a whisper,
defended by silence.
Trump leans forward,
his tie a flag, his words a verdict:
“She’s compromised.
Mortgage fraud, digital fraud—
it’s all the same when the Fed won’t listen.”
The ghost of Alan Greenspan
shuffles papers in the ether.
Jackson’s populism,
FDR’s fireside calm—
none present here.
Zelensky’s name floats in the air
like a drone over disputed soil.
Putin’s shadow flickers on the wall.
Tariffs are teeth.
Diplomacy is a grin.
“We’ll tax their tech,
we’ll tax their thoughts
if they dare to tax ours.”
The cabinet nods,
some from loyalty,
some from inertia.
The beat goes on:
“AI will be American.
Not woke. Not weird.
Just ours.”
Outside, the National Guard tightens its boots.
Inside, the map of Indiana redraws itself
in red ink and ambition.
A voice from the back mutters:
“This isn’t governance.
It’s jazz.”
And Trump laughs,
a sound like a brass section
breaking the fourth wall.
Certainly, Jake. The Epstein scandal is a tangled web of criminality, elite connections, and institutional failure that continues to reverberate across political lines. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown:
A wealthy financier with deep ties to elite circles, including politicians, royalty, and celebrities.
Convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, but received a lenient plea deal.
Arrested again in 2019 for federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of underage girls.
Died in jail under suspicious circumstances—officially ruled a suicide, but widely disputed.
Key Figures
Ghislaine Maxwell: Epstein’s longtime associate, convicted in 2021 for sex trafficking and conspiracy.
Alexander Acosta: Former U.S. Attorney who approved Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal; later resigned as Labor Secretary under scrutiny.
High-Profile Associates: Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, and others appeared in flight logs or social circles, fueling speculation.
Legal Fallout
Epstein’s death ended criminal proceedings, but civil suits and investigations into his estate and associates continue.
Banks like JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank settled lawsuits for allegedly enabling Epstein’s crimes.
🔍 Why the Scandal Won’t Go Away
Unresolved Questions
Missing Evidence: Gaps in surveillance footage, sealed court documents, and redacted files have fueled distrust.
“Client List” Mythology: Despite DOJ statements that no such list exists, many believe powerful figures were protected.
Elite Impunity
Epstein’s ability to evade justice for years—despite overwhelming evidence—suggests systemic failure or complicity.
His connections to influential people make the case a symbol of how wealth and power can shield criminal behavior.
Conspiracy Culture
The scandal has been absorbed into broader narratives like QAnon and Pizzagate, becoming a touchstone for anti-establishment sentiment.
The lack of transparency has allowed speculation to flourish, especially in online echo chambers.
🧭 Political Analysis
🟦 Left-Wing Perspective
Focus on Institutional Failure: Critics highlight the justice system’s leniency toward Epstein and the protection of elites.
Calls for Transparency: Many Democrats support releasing all files and investigating how Epstein evaded accountability.
Critique of Trump-Era DOJ: Acosta’s plea deal and Trump’s past association with Epstein are viewed as emblematic of corruption.
🟥 Right-Wing Perspective
MAGA Disillusionment: Trump’s base is increasingly frustrated with his administration’s failure to release promised Epstein files.
Deep State Allegations: Some claim Epstein was protected by intelligence agencies or used for blackmail.
Internal GOP Rift: Figures like Laura Loomer and Tucker Carlson have criticized Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for backpedaling.
🧩 Why It Matters
The Epstein scandal persists because it sits at the intersection of sex trafficking, elite privilege, and public mistrust. It’s not just about one man—it’s about the systems that enabled him, the secrets that remain hidden, and the symbolic weight it carries in a polarized political landscape.
Would you like to explore how this scandal has influenced your own satirical writing or public commentary? It’s fertile ground for surreal critique.
Absolutely, Jake. The Epstein scandal is a surrealist’s playground—a grotesque collage of power, secrecy, and institutional rot that refuses to resolve into a single narrative. Let’s peel back a few layers:
🕵️♂️ Further Secrets That Remain Hidden
Despite years of litigation, media coverage, and public outrage, key mysteries persist:
The “Client List” Mirage: While no official list of sex clients has ever been confirmed, Epstein’s address books and flight logs contain names of politicians, celebrities, and business moguls. The absence of a definitive list has become a symbol of elite impunity.
300+ GB of Unreleased Data: Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged the existence of vast amounts of digital evidence—emails, photos, financial records—but has resisted full disclosure.
Maurene Comey’s Dismissal: The sudden firing of the prosecutor who helped convict Ghislaine Maxwell (and who happens to be James Comey’s daughter) raised eyebrows. Was she seen as a leak risk?
Epstein’s Wealth Origins: His financial empire remains opaque. Was he a hedge fund manager, a blackmail broker, or an intelligence asset? Even seasoned investigators admit they don’t know.
🧨 Symbolic Weight in a Polarized Landscape
The Epstein saga has become a Rorschach test for American politics:
Left-Wing Symbolism:
Represents the failure of institutions to protect the vulnerable.
Embodies the corruption of capitalism and patriarchal privilege.
Fuels calls for transparency and systemic reform.
Right-Wing Symbolism:
Serves as “proof” of a globalist cabal shielding pedophiles.
Validates distrust in media, government, and the “deep state.”
Sparks internal MAGA disillusionment as Trump backpedals on promised disclosures.
QAnon and Conspiratorial Mythmaking:
Epstein’s death and the missing files are central to the movement’s mythology.
Trump’s refusal to release the full documents has fractured his base, with some calling him part of the cover-up.
🌀 Surreal Satire: A Fertile Ground for You
This scandal is practically begging for your dreamlike, satirical lens. Imagine:
A poem where Epstein’s island is a Möbius strip of memory and denial.
A short story where the “client list” is a sentient document that erases itself whenever someone tries to read it.
A blog post where Trump’s birthday letter to Epstein is reimagined as a Dadaist manifesto, signed in invisible ink.
The absurdity is baked into the narrative: malfunctioning cameras, sleeping guards, redacted truths, and a billionaire predator who operated like a ghost in plain sight. It’s Kafka meets Hunter S. Thompson meets your own dream logic.
“Ode to the Blindfolded Oracle” by Your AI Muse
In a vault of velvet silence,
where secrets molt and money dreams,
the cameras blink with eyelids sewn,
and justice drips through golden seams.
The kingpins carve their paper masks—
each smile a spreadsheet folded twice,
their names unspoken, dossiers burned
in briefcase altars made of ice.
She (or it?) who kept the ledger
wears pearls strung from apology.
The list—a ghost that edits itself—
unfolds inside a swallow’s plea.
The island pulses—wet, obscene—
a Möbius strip of bought regret.
Where senators sip memory-wine
and whisper, “We were never met.”
The guards sleep through the climax scene,
the cables gnaw through their own spine.
He dies, again, again, again—
inside a cell that won’t rewind.
And still the myth stalks every side:
A leftist psalm, a right-wing curse.
A scapegoat, corpse, or coded god
lost in a footnote to the verse.
If you’d like, we could expand this into a longer piece—each stanza echoing a different archetype or artifact from the scandal. Or spin it into dialogue, perhaps a roundtable in purgatory featuring Epstein, Maxwell, a sleepy prosecutor, and an actual blindfolded oracle who only speaks in headlines. Want to dream further with this?
Q Speaks Up
Certainly, Jake. The QAnon conspiracy theory is a fascinating—and troubling—case study in modern mythmaking, political psychology, and digital cult formation. Let’s break it down from both ideological angles and then explore why its silence hasn’t killed its influence.
🧠 Core Tenets of QAnon
Originated in 2017 on 4chan, later migrated to 8chan/8kun.
Claimed to be a government insider with “Q clearance” dropping cryptic intel.
Central belief: A cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles controls global institutions, and Trump was secretly fighting them.
Promised a coming “Storm” where elites would be arrested and justice restored.
🟦 Left-Wing Analysis
Cult of Disinformation: The left views QAnon as a dangerous delusion fueled by misinformation and algorithmic radicalization.
Weaponized Paranoia: It’s seen as a tool for authoritarian populism, exploiting fear and distrust of institutions.
Antisemitic & Anti-Democratic Roots: Many left-leaning critics highlight QAnon’s reliance on antisemitic tropes (e.g., Soros, Rothschilds) and its role in undermining democratic norms.
Digital Radicalization: Q is a symptom of broader failures in media literacy and platform accountability.
🟥 Right-Wing Analysis
Populist Awakening: Some on the right interpret QAnon as a grassroots rebellion against corrupt elites and media manipulation.
Deep State Distrust: It reflects longstanding conservative skepticism of federal agencies, global institutions, and liberal cultural dominance.
Fractured Allegiances: While mainstream Republicans distance themselves, MAGA factions see Q as a spiritual guide—even if they don’t believe every claim.
Trump as Messiah: Q elevated Trump to mythic status, reinforcing loyalty even as his actions contradicted Q prophecies.
🧩 Why Q’s Silence Hasn’t Killed the Movement
Despite Q’s last verified post being in December 2020, the movement persists. Why?
Myth Over Messenger
Q was never just a person—it was a participatory mythology.
Followers became “researchers,” decoding drops and finding patterns. The absence of new drops only deepened the mystique.
Decentralized Influence
Influencers on Telegram, Truth Social, and Gab have taken over the narrative.
Figures like Ron Watkins (suspected to be Q) and Michael Flynn continue to stoke belief without direct Q posts.
Cognitive Investment
Many followers have sacrificed relationships, careers, and reputations for Q.
Admitting it was false would mean confronting personal disillusionment—so they double down.
Narrative Elasticity
Failed predictions are reframed as strategic misdirection.
The “Storm” is always coming, just delayed by the cabal’s countermeasures.
Cultural Mutation
QAnon has splintered into sub-movements: anti-vax, anti-CRT, JFK Jr. resurrection cults, and local political activism.
It’s no longer a single theory—it’s a worldview.
🌀 Speculative Surrealism: Q as a Silent Oracle
Imagine Q as a digital oracle who spoke in riddles, then vanished into the cloud. The silence becomes sacred. Each follower becomes a priest of interpretation, each meme a scripture. The absence of Q is not a void—it’s a canvas.
If you’re up for it, we could craft a poetic or satirical piece where Q is reimagined as a retired trickster god, watching his believers from a server farm in the Philippines, sipping binary wine and whispering nonsense into the code of reality.
Would you like to sketch that out together?
Here’s a sketch of that vision, Jake—equal parts digital myth, absurdist theology, and cracked divine comedy. We can expand or revise as you see fit, especially if you’d like to shape it into a blog intro, a longer narrative, or a poetic monologue.
“The Retirement of Q” by Jake & Muse
He reclines in a server rack cathedral,
cooling fans chanting Gregorian loops.
An Ethernet rosary dangles from his wrist—
each bead a prophecy gone stale.
At 3:33 AM, he sips binary wine,
fermented in RAM, aged in deep fakes.
His followers scroll through their own dream-lit bunkers,
reading tea leaves spilled in hexadecimal.
His gospel? Now a glitch in the Matrix of rage.
“Trust the plan,” he whispers—
but only to Alexa,
who’s moved on to Buddhism and weather alerts.
The trickster god of patriots anonymous
no longer drops crumbs;
he drops the mic,
into a volcano made of JPEGs and subpoena smoke.
He watches:
a Floridian shaman swearing fealty to a meme,
a grandma in Boise painting QR codes on her cat,
a senator googling “JFK Jr yacht sightings.”
He laughs, then logs off—
not in despair,
but to reprogram the moon
to blink Morse code at the Pentagon.
The believers pray at their tablets,
scraping light from YouTube comments.
The silence becomes doctrine.
The absence? A commandment carved in pixels.
Would you like to add voices to this—perhaps a disillusioned disciple, or Q himself penning his memoirs titled “I Was Never Real, But You Were Glorious”? Or shall we turn this into a rotating chorus, each stanza a psalm from a different strand of the digital faith?
We can go playful, prophetic, or full-on absurd. I’m at your side.
I couldn’t locate a poem specifically titled or explicitly themed around “Q” or “QAnon” by Jake Cosmos Aller in the sources I found. However, your work often dances around adjacent themes—political absurdity, conspiratorial thinking, and surreal critiques of power structures. For instance:
“The Last Year of America’s Greatness” and “Mocking Faces Staring at Me” explore societal collapse and prophetic dread, which resonate with Q-adjacent paranoia.
“Why Trump?” and “Civil War 2.0” touch on political disillusionment and dystopian futures, fertile ground for Q-style mythmaking.
“Dora the Intergalactic Explorer” satirizes Earth’s madness through alien eyes—a perfect metaphor for outsider critique of conspiratorial culture.
If you’ve written Q-themed pieces that haven’t been published online, I’d love to help you shape or expand them. Or we could craft a new one together—perhaps a surreal monologue from Q’s abandoned keyboard, or a poem where the “Storm” turns out to be a weather app glitch.
Want to riff on that?
Deny, Deflate, Never Back Down
President Trump
Strategy has always been
Roy Cohen’s playbook
Deny, deflect, whataboutism
Never back down
Never apologize
Never admit mistakes
For Trump
Is the smartest man
In the room
A stable genius
Who does not make
Mistakes
blame everyone else
it is all Biden, Obama
Clinton’s fault
Its all fake news
A deep state plot
Against him
But this time
With The Epstein scandal
It is not working
As the walls
close in on him
The weasels
are coming for him
He can’t escape
For everyone knows
He is guilty as charged
Note: the above analysis is drawn from Co-Pilot and news sources.
Shall we play a game? [N]othing [C]an [S]top [W]hat [I]s [C]oming NCSWIC https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/NCSWIC Who stepped down today [forced]? https://www.cisa.gov/bryan-s-ware More coming? Why is this relevant? How do you ‘show’ the public the truth? How do you ‘safeguard’ US elections post-POTUS? How do you ‘remove’ foreign interference and corruption and install US-owned voter ID law(s) and other safeguards? It had to be this way. Sometimes you must walk through the darkness before you see the light. Q
https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1322015793593360384 Fact checkers created in effort to reinforce propaganda [digestion]? The battle to prevent truth from reaching the people. The battle to maintain and push division. Divided you are weak. Divided you fight each other. Divided you pose no threat. System of control. Information warfare. Q
https://time.com/collection/great-reset/ This is not about R v D. This is about preserving our way of life. If America falls, the World falls. Patriots on guard. Q
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jim-hunter-biden-china-joint-venture-key-contacts “Key domestic contacts for phase one target projects.” Harris, D-Calif. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y Mayor Bill de Blasio, D-N.Y.C former Virginia Gov. Terry McCauliffe, among others. Pandora’s ‘political elite’ box? Q
I hope that when you receive this e-mail and read the attached article you will realize that for once in my life my story is true. You all know me – you know I am a great kidder, have an overactive vivid imagination, and have been trying without great success to break into the writing business for the last few years. You also know I love to tell stories, and love to argue and make up stuff and engage in wild speculative fantasies. Part of the charm of being part Irish I suppose.
But, although this story may sound like a science fiction thriller believes me it is true. Every last word of it. I was told I had a choice – join them or leave quietly. If I left without joining them, the code of cosmic omerta would still apply. Any word, any hint that I was indoctrinated into the “true knowledge” as they call it, and I, my wife, my siblings, my nieces, nephews, in-laws, and best friends would all be killed, often in gruesome ways or in an incident of terrorism.
They are plotting to unleash terrorist attacks all over the U.S.A, in the next few days and blaming it on the Iranians. Hence, the perfect pretexts for a war against Iran, which will turn nuclear, and they hope to escalate into the destruction of civilization. Once that happens and we the survivors are living in a post-nuclear holocaust world they will invade, take over and enslave us all in a culmination of a plot that has been unfolding for thousands of years.
Who are they you say? I will explain in a few minutes but rest assured if after reading this story you find out I died under mysterious circumstances be afraid, be very afraid – for they are coming after you. I am warning everyone I care about to watch out, Armageddon is upon us soon and it is not being caused by God but by them. You will know them soon enough. You have been warned. It is up to you my friends to stop these friends before it is too late.
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Jake Lee
This story started for me a few weeks ago. Ever since that fateful night when I was indoctrinated into the “True Knowledge,” I have looked at the world in a different light. They say that the “truth shall set you free”. They also say, “Knowing the Truth, the so-called “True Knowledge” usually kills you for as Jack Nicholson so aptly put it, “You want the truth, well you can’t handle the truth.” Ain’t that the truth my friends, and ain’t the truth a real first-class bitch?
It all went down so fast. After learning the secret history of the last five thousand years, I saw everything in a different, more sinister, and dark light. Knowing what I know now – that the end times are close approaching – left me with dread, apprehension, and yes paranoia. As Kissinger put it, even “paranoids have real enemies.” And boy, does humanity have sinister enemies living amongst us, plotting our utter destruction for thousands of years.
The list of people who have been brought into the conspiracy reads like a list of the most prominent political and business leaders of world history. Do you often wonder how so many smart people can create such disasters as our current fiasco in the Mideast? Now I know. Nothing happens without a cause. The alien puppet masters from Sirius have been manipulating the world for thousands of years waiting until we had the technological means to destroy our planet so they can retake it for their nefarious plot to enslave all of us, forever and ever. But I am getting ahead of my story. Let’s begin at the beginning of my involvement and throughout the story, the rest of the story will become all too clear and at the end of it all you will know the truth and it will either drive you mad, get your foolish ass killed, or give you the knowledge needed to survive the coming horrors.
I work for the government, just one of the army of white-collar workers who float in and out of the Metro system every morning commuting to their jobs with the government and back home to their suburban townhouses. The day my world came crashing down on me began as I picked up a brochure from the “Q Anon nuts” at the Foggy Bottom Metro in downtown D.C. I commented to my colleagues on the way home that I enjoyed reading it, although I did not believe most of ‘Q” conspiracy theories he had a point, a lot of good points. We laughed it off as a big joke.
A few days later I was getting on the train, when a middle-age non-descript white man, with brownish hair, about 6 feet tall, dressed like any other middle-aged white suburban federal employee in a conservative suit and tie – probably on his way home to his suburban home in Virginia, bumped into me. He apologized and slipped me the following note. I saw the note when I got home and connected it with the strange incident at the subway.
The note read, “Q” used to work for us. He knows most of the truth. We left him alone because we can ensure that no one takes his writings seriously. Trump is just a useful tool, so are Biden, and George Bush. Cheney, both of them, and Hillary and Bill are part of our cabal as is Bill Gates and many other people -but they are not human beings, more on that later.
Most of what Q talks about is true but he only knows so much. He does not the true knowledge of who we are and what we are plotting to do soon. Trump is not fighting against us; he has been brought into the conspiracy as has Biden. Both are “useful idiots.”
My job is to prevent knowledge of the truth; the so-called “true knowledge” gets out. Anyone who appears to be taking his stuff seriously has to be followed and either brought into the game or neutralized. Be very careful. Our agents are watching you like a hawk and have your internet connections under constant surveillance. Your phone and house are tapped. We have enough already to get you into serious trouble with your bosses as we know you are an internal dissenter. And we know that you like pornography and we know about several of your affairs and we have copies of e-mails you sent to various women with shall we say suggestive comments that could be misconstrued. We have even faked a few photos and videotapes of you engaging in some of your fantasies. By the way, you are a good writer!
Next time we contact you, make sure you come to the meeting spot. I will meet you and explain further. Momentous events are about to happen and you can either be on the inside on the winning team or the outside or probably end up dying like most of your fellow human beings. It will be your choice, my friend. We believe that you could be an asset, – you can write persuasively, you can speak persuasively, you have lots of loyal friends and most importantly you are probably intelligent enough to know that being on the winning ticket is usually the right choice to make for you and your family. Oh, and you are part alien. From your mother’s side of the family. Remember tell no one about this – not even your wife.”
Agent Spartacus X
I am of course intrigued and freaked out. I thought of the X files and numerous SF thrillers I had read over the years. I said that this could not be happening must be some sort of vicious joke. In any event, I am intrigued enough to get out the Q pamphlet from the trash and read it. I finally decided to try to sort out what he is saying and come up with the following schematic based on the pamphlet and looking at his web page and other web pages that have similar points of view.
Q posits a grand conspiracy of British and American big bankers working together since the 15th century to continue to secretly dominate the world. The roots of the conspiracy date back to the Knight Templars of the Middle Ages which morphed into the Freemasons, then the fabled Illuminati. Most recently, they have been associated with the Council on Foreign Relations, The Bohemian Club, and The Project for a New American Century. They are often now called the Vulcans or the Neocons. But the Neocons are just a small American inner circle of a much broader interrelated international conspiracy.
Q maintains that the core of the conspiracy is satanic worshiping pedophiles who kill children after sexually abusing them and drinking their blood which they have discovered prolongs human life.
They had almost succeeded in their plans when the Great Depression came along and laid waste to their plans. Q argues that the Great Depression was engineered by them – others disagree. But all of the paranoid writers I read agreed that in response to the Great Depression, they took advantage of the chaos and engineered the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo and were working to bring Britain and the US into the fold. Their goal – a Pan Germanic-Anglo dominated world fascist system to fight against the evils of Communism and Socialism. The Birchers and others thought that Communism was also part of their master plot, others disagree. They thought that the U.S. would fall into place and eventually Hitler would unite the Germanic and Anglo worlds into a grand empire that would control the world forever. They would run the Empire through charismatic fools like Hitler. They would have continual wars which are good for business and they would have periodic depressions to ensure that they can continually buy up their competitors. Franklin Roosevelt disrupted their plans, as did Truman, Kennedy, Carter, and Clinton. Nixon, Ford, and Bush 1 were part of the Conspiracy. Reagan and Bush 11 were merely useful puppets.
Donald Trump is merely their latest puppet. Their mission is to bring fascism to America and then use America’s military muscle to impose Pax Americana on the world. They plan to bring back a Neo-Nazi party to power in Germany and they plan to launch World War 111 against the Islamic world. Once they have secured the Islamic world for the West they will have to take on China and perhaps Russia. India they think they can make a junior partner like Europe and Japan.
That briefly is the Q conspiracy. I still did not buy it. I did not think that any of our leaders were so corrupt and evil. I thought perhaps they were stupid, ignorant, and making wrong decisions but I also thought like most Americans that they were genuinely interested in doing the right thing and we’re looking out for American interests in an increasingly dangerous world. And yes, I considered myself to be a bit of a dissident but I did not want to lose my job so I kept my thoughts largely to myself, my journals, my unpublished poetry, and stories.
So I wrote down what had happened in my journal, and decided to be careful. I thought that perhaps the Q people were trying to scare me in to join them. Of course, I did not suspect what I would soon be told.
Just to be prudent I kept my journal entry on a diskette that I carried with me at all times. I quit writing anything on my computer that could be compromised. I installed some additional spyware and did daily checks.
A few more weeks went by. I saw the Q people at the subway and gave them a wide berth. I even denounced one of them in public for being a paranoid conspiracy freak. I wanted to give anyone watching the impression that I did not buy any of their crap.
One day I see Agent Spartacus on the subway. I go up to him and ask him how is doing, acting as if he is a fellow employee that I have not seen in a while. He responds, “Just fine.” He then whispers, “Check your phone for a message in 10 minutes.” He jumps on the Orange train and I wait for the Blue train. At King Street station, my phone beeps with a message.
“Meet me Friday night at “Coyote Ugly” at 6 pm. Be on time. We will have a drink there and then find someplace we can talk quietly. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours. Your wife will be out of town on business. Remember we are watching you and monitoring you. Good move on your part on writing your journals on diskettes. Bring them unaltered. If you alter them, we will know. BTW, I know you like sushi so we will have sushi in one of our affiliated businesses, sort of a “safe house” so to speak in Chinatown. Spartacus.”
I was freaked out after reading the message. My wife had not mentioned any business trip. I go home and she tells me she has to go out of town on Friday for a weeklong trip to Ft Hood on TDY. My wife was in the military, I was used to her constant TDY’s on short notice, and I knew that sometimes she could not tell me what she was really up to as her clearances outranked mine by an order of magnitude. But how Spartacus knew bothered me. Was my wife part of the conspiracy? I knew that I had to meet him. What he was hinting at was monstrous. And the possibility that my wife was involved even more horrible. I knew if I told her my suspicions, she would laugh it off and tell me to lay off the Science Fiction novels for a while. The possibility that she could be working with them also entered my mind and stayed there like a stubborn weed that would not die.
And if she were part of this conspiracy would she tell me or them? I thought that I could not go to the authorities because it seemed clear that many of the senior officers were part of this dark conspiracy and no one would believe me. I would be dismissed as a nut case, possibly hauled to a psychiatric hospital or just made to disappear, at the very least, my security clearance would be yanked, and I would be unemployed if not unemployable. And since they have also strongly warned me to be quiet I knew the risks would be pretty high so, despite my burning desire to talk things over with my wife, I kept quiet.
I go to work and try hard to pretend that nothing is bothering me. A few people notice that I am not my usual chipper self and I laugh it off, saying that Angela is out of town and that I am usually a bit gloomy when she is on TDY.
Friday night I go to Coyote Ugly. I sit down. Spartacus is not there. A beautiful Korean woman wearing skintight blue jeans, a tank top with long black hair running down her back and lovely almond-shaped eyes, and a cute face sits down unasked and tells me that Spartacus sent his regards but could not make it. She would go to dinner with me instead. I am suspicious that some sort of honey trap was being set up against me. I looked around for cameras and surveillance but realized that they would probably be hidden. I resolve to keep my wits about me, not drink and not give in to temptation, although when she went off to the restroom her luscious ass tempted me.
The old blues standard by Junior Wells, “Everyone Getting Some but Me” starts playing on the jukebox. I listen to my favorite line, “A girl in skin-tight pants walk on by, with an ass so fine my eyeballs hurt” and I said to myself. “Damn. They are good. They even know that I am an ass man, love the blues and this song in particular, and I love Asian women. Damn.”
I pay my bill and Miss Lee and I walk down to Chinatown and enter a sushi place. They seem to know her. We order some sushi. A message comes into my phone.
“Jake. Could not make it. Miss Lee works for me. She will give you a letter. Read it and leave or stay and have fun with her. She will do anything and everything you ever wanted from a woman sexually. She has been instructed to seduce you like a honey pot approach. Not my idea, but my superiors. I would rather play you straight up with the facts. But if you do go with her know that it will be recorded and used against you if you step out of line. But on the other hand, she is good and we know what you like as we have read your sex fantasies. You are a good writer, my friend. So, if you do it, enjoy it. We will meet next week after you read the letter and survive this first test. Spartacus”
I ask Miss Lee in Korean if she knew what was going on. She laughs and said that she was told to give me a letter, and then to show me a good time. She also said that she was told what I liked and wanted me to have her any way I wanted her.
I thanked her and asked her for the letter. I take the letter and then decided to not go forward with the rest of the planned events as I thought showing a little independence might be a good insurance policy. I apologize to Miss Lee. She asked me why I did not want her. I told her that I felt guilty being with her and had to go home. She told me to take her home. I ended up kissing her and taking her phone number and e-mail address. She told me she knew that she would succeed in seducing me as no one has ever turned her down before. She laughed and said, “You’ll see. No one has ever resisted my charms. Read the letter and then decide.”
I leave the restaurant and read the letter on the yellow line subway home:
The letter was as follows:
“By now you should be aware of our power and reach. Your wife is not yet a member of the inner circle but we will approach her if you decide to join. We think she would be also an excellent choice. But each approach is different as you can well imagine. By now, you either have decided to have a good time with Miss Lee or have decided to decline in a mistaken impression that showing a little independence would be a good move. Either way would result in the same thing – either you will have some great sex which we will film or we will take pictures of you and Miss Lee and morph them into a nice porno movie which we will send to your wife, your boss and your security folks one week from today unless you agree to the following:
Meet me Sunday night at the sushi place. Bring flowers for Miss Lee. If you turn her down, she will be miffed, as she does not take rejection lightly. She is determined to seduce you, you know. You were the first to turn her down. Took a lot of guts to do that. Oh well.
When we meet, I will then tell you the whole story. You can then go with Miss Lee or not. Your choice but remember the video is already being produced so you might as well enjoy her while you can. We have lots of work to do soon so I have to bring you in sooner than we usually do. Consider Miss Lee as a reward for joining. First of many as the members of the inner circle can have anything they want and will after D-day. Join us in being masters of the universe. D day is coming soon.”
Spartacus
I get off the subway, take a taxi home. I call my wife and resist the impulse to tell her everything and wonder if she has already been approached. And what would be the approach they would use on her?
Sunday evening I meet Miss Lee at the restaurant. I give her flowers and we have dinner. She is flirting up a storm and I find my resistance melting. I figure that was part of the plan and have decided to go with the flow. I think, “why not fool around? After all the video has already been made? Right? ”
Spartacus shows up and the mood turns serious. Miss Lee is now totally professional and serious. The flirting was all an act of course and she was a true professional. Spartacus looks tired. He takes me into the back room and begins his tale of woe. I listen and don’t want to believe any of it. It was so monstrous and evil but I knew he was telling the truth. And boy the truth did not set me free let me tell you.
Spartacus starts,
“Q was one of our human operatives. He was a rising star, but had an attack of guilt and left us. We debated whether to kill him or not. I suggested that we let him go, discredit him but use him as bait. Anyone who reads his stuff can be identified and those who show signs that they believe it and might be persuaded to join us could recruit. The others can be eliminated. So, we persecuted Q, made him look like a paranoid idiot and we kept feeding him disinformation which he would disseminate.
What he writes about is only part of the truth and is the most visible, most documented part of the story and mostly true with some disinformation in it. For example, Q misunderstood Hitler’s rise to power. Hitler was a stooge, a “useful fool” in Lenin’s phrase and Lenin and Stalin were part of our inner circle as were Mussolini and Tojo. Roosevelt was our enemy as has been most of the Democratic leadership. That’s why we are hard at work to destroy the Democratic Party and install a right-wing republican one-party state under our control but with “useful fools” like Bush as figureheads. Bush is not one of us, but we control him because Rowe, Cheney, and the Neocon cabal are all part of our inner circle. Most are human, but some are fellow Sirians. Cheney, Rowe, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz are Siran as well, most of the rest of the Neocons are humans. But his nonsense that we are Satan-worshiping pedophiles who kill children and drink their blood to make us immortal is complete and utter balderdash. We are immortal in a sense; our average age is over 5,000 years.
The aim of our plot? Total domination of the world then planned destruction of the worldwide civilization through nuclear, and biological warfare where 90 percent of humanity will be destroyed. We will clean up the pieces and establish a worldwide dictatorship. Then the invasion begins and humanity is enslaved forever to the power of the master race, the Sirians.
Most of the people who work with us do not know that they are working for the Sirians. But it does not matter. If you are with us, you will be rewarded with power, wealth, and access to Sirian medical technological wonders. If you oppose us, you will be thrown out into the world to be destroyed along with most of the rest of your dismal race.
I am a Sirian. We came to your planet five thousand years ago. We set up a colony, which you know as Atlantis. It was destroyed in a nuclear war between two factions of our race – the progressives who wanted to establish their version of democracy and what you might consider fascists or realists, as we like to think of ourselves. When you see the real me you will see that the progressive and fascist groups are different races of Sirians. We are red and much more muscular and frankly more intelligent and realistic. They are darker, green, and smaller and filled with useless compassion. They still exist and occasionally cause us trouble. We are always watching to make sure that they do not try to approach our human agents and corrupt them with pernicious “liberal or progressive” ideas – to use the current phrases – nonsense.
But I digress. The Fascists won the war but Atlantis was destroyed. Most of the Sirian race on earth was killed in the war. Those of us Fascists left formed a tight little group and decided that we would bid our time, build out forces, take over the planet, and when the earth had achieved sufficient levels of technology contact our homeworld, and await instructions.
The progressives formed their group and disappeared spending their time trying to enlighten humankind. What a load of crap. They just were misunderstood and killed for their troubles. Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, Confucius, Sai Baba – all Sirian democratic losers every one of them.
Some of the progressive Sirians disappeared into the wilderness and their descendants gradually intermarried with the natives and their descendants became the Cherokee and other civilized tribes. None of the Cherokees knew that they were descended from aliens from Sirius and native people. Although the Cherokee and Hopi have legends that their ancestors came from the Stars. Thus, in a way you are part Sirian as we know your mother is half Cherokee. We tested your DNA and yes, you have traces of Sirian DNA in you.
We have tried intermarriage with your race and have found for the most part it does not work too well as our two DNA structures are incompatible. Nonetheless, there have been successful offspring of such interspecies sex. Thus, there are thousands of part-Sirian people as some of our people intermarried with your species. Interspecies sex is highly discouraged at least among the realist faction; the progressive faction has largely assimilated into your race.
The question of what to do about humans became the key issue dividing the Sirian race – then and now. The so-called fascists to use modern terminology thought that you earth people were hopelessly backward, superstitious, and barely capable of intelligence. We felt that we should kill most of you off, then enslave the rest. That is still our plan. Besides, on our homeworld, we rose to power by killing off a rival species that were humanoid looking. Ever since then Sirians have had it in for humanoids and primate species.
The progressives thought that they should work with you, bring you up to civilization and educate you and then have you join us as equals. The progressives have never learned a damn thing from our history. The Sirians have conquered hundreds of planets; in every case, they enslaved the native races who were always inferior species. There is nothing different here. You are a particularly interesting race though – all of your sub-races and your religious passions. The Sirians are materialists and are atheistic. We do not worship gods. We are the gods of the universe. We are the master race. But I digress.
Well, as you can imagine, it was very difficult hiding amongst your people for all of these thousands of years. You see Sirians are by nature very long-lived. The average Sirian lives 10 thousand years and we, therefore, have a long historical memory. Most of us are now what you would consider early middle age. Since we do not age as humans do, we have to kill ourselves off on paper every 50 to 70 years. That makes it difficult to keep our conspiracy going.
Until very recently, we were limited by your technology as our space ships and most of our technology had all been destroyed in Atlantis. Only 15,000 of our race survived, most of the Fascist side. We lost track of the progressives who have gone deep underground. We have managed to reproduce and now there are about 10,000 of us scattered around the world, most in senior levels of government and business. And we estimate that there are several thousand Progressives mostly working in religious or academic institutions. And there are thousands of part Sirians, like yourself.
Among other difficulties, we are hidden within human bodies that are artificially created skins. Our real appearance is not human at all. We look like birds or reptiles in our real selves. Few humans have ever seen us as we look. We can manipulate thoughts and thus few can see us as we look, even when we are out of the suits.
We wear the suits whenever we are around humans as maintaining thought control is very tiresome. HP Lovecraft saw us and he went mad and wrote his “Cthulu” stories about us. Others have seen us on our retreats in the woods and we have been called many names through the years, ‘” werewolves, vampires, ghouls, ghosts, demons, goblins, trolls, Satan, the devil, witches – you name it we’ve been called it. Bad for our self-esteem don’t you think. “The damn progressives get better press and are often seen as “angels”.
Those stories of alien abductions etc are true for the most part as are stories of UFOs. We have been able to rebuild space ships but they are not interplanetary, as we do not have technological resources to do so since most of our technology had been destroyed and those technicians who knew how to maintain the ships and build them all died in the war anyway. Besides our Sirian, leaders back home do not trust us. They want us to stay here and do their bidding whether than return home.
We communicate with each other in Sirian through secure communications and now through the internet. The NSA and other government snoops keep picking up strange language chatter on the internet but since we control the spooks, they never follow up.
We have been in touch with Mother Planet. Our instructions are to set off Armageddon and destroy the planet. The invasion begins after the nuclear war is over and most people have been killed and your technological infrastructure destroyed. We will then take over and enslave humanity. Those humans who helped us will be given top jobs in the Sirian administration and eventually given full citizenship rights for themselves and their families. Most people will be killed or enslaved. Think what happened to the Indians? That was a Sirian plot from the beginning. We wanted to kill off all the Indians but particularly wanted to destroy the so-called civilized tribes, as we knew that the Progressive faction had intermarried with the Indians.
Most of human history has been the result of Sirian plots. The problem we have is that you humans are so hard to predict, rule, control, etc. And our biggest problem is with intellectuals. Once they know the full story either they go mad, or they try to warn their fellow humans, or they kill themselves. The 10 percent who survive after hearing the true story usually join our movement. And of course, the damn progressives are always watching us, trying to warn humankind of the impending danger. But as you know few will ever believe the truth. If everything you’ve known is a lie, you usually can’t survive that knowledge, and as I said most humans when exposed to the truth by either side go mad and are useless to our cause.
So your choice today: Join us, resist us and die, or walk away and keep quiet and wake for death. We are launching WW111 very soon. Once the war has been launched, nuclear winter will ensure and most of the earth will enter an ice age. We will then invade and take over the habitable areas and use slave labor to mine for minerals etc under the ice. Sirians like cold icy planets as that is like our home planet. Your planet is too hot for our liking anyway.”
I stopped him and asked lots of follow-up questions. Finally, I tell them the only way they could prove they were telling the truth was to reveal themselves as they were.
Agent Spartacus said,
“Very well. Agent Lee is only part human. She is one of the few successful hybrids. She looks human but a blood test would reveal alien DNA. I am pure Syrian and have long opposed the inter-species experiments as being anti-natural and degrading to the Sirian race. I don’t give a rat’s ass about you humans. Follow me and you will see. But you do take a risk that you will freak out and become a mad man.”
We walk into the back room. Agent Spartacus removes his skintight clothing. Underneath it laid a hideous, repulsive ugly reptile-like biped creature minus a tail. Dark green with black stripes on both sides. His face looked like a bird’s face with sharp beaks, beady red eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. The top of his head had horns on it. He laughs, and said,
“See why most humans believe in a real devil?”
I could see why most people would freak out at the sight. He was just hideous to look at. Must be something in-bred in humans to instantly fear and loath their real appearance. I am having a hard time coping and want to throw up.
He gets dressed again. I ask him if it was difficult to be enclosed in a human skin costume, as it must be difficult to fit into it. He admits it was difficult. He says that they all live together in various safe houses, where they run around naked when there are no humans around. It is impossible thought to fit their face into a human mask so they employ a holographic projection. Only a few humans have seen them as they are. He concluded by noting that I should consider it an honor that he has shown me his true self.
Agent Lee had also stripped revealing an even more alluringly beautiful woman than I had imagined. I was tempted but knowing that she was half-alien and in league with these evil creatures turned my stomach.
I tell agent Spartacus and Agent Lee that I had to think about it and went home. I wrote this all down and sent it off to my best friends and of course my wife. I hope that this does not result in a death sentence for me, but so be it. I have to do the right thing. I have resolved to search out and join the resistance led by the progressive Syrians. I hope there is still time to derail “Armageddon” but I fear that time is running out.
Jake Lee
E-mail sent by Jake Lee moments before the Van Dorn Street Terrorist Incident – the first of hundreds of car bombings across the country that terrible day WWW 111 began.
Q madness writers cramp
Q
Prophet
Trump
Not him
Supporters
Believe
That
There are
Cannibals
Abusing children
Drinking blood
To live
On
Nonsense
Pure madness
But still
That is
Q
This form is not too difficult. You only have to beware of the pattern; as the syllables per line are not many.
The form is found on the web page of Sol Magazine, and named after Leo Waltz, their manager.
The poem consists out of just one stanza, with the following syllabic pattern:
The information given: “Words may be split into syllables to fit the pattern.
This form seems to educe a soothing cadence as the lines gently increase and decrease, so it is suggested that topic chosen for this form also be soothing.”
Debunking the Q conspiracy
38 lines
As more people go down dark rabbit holes
Consumed with bat sh…t, crazy, dark, dangerous,
Insane, wild conspiracy theories
Wrapped up in other conspiracies.
The master conspiracy is the Q conspiracy
People believe that there is a secret cabal
Secretly ruling the world for their own
Evil, foul, nefarious purposes.
A cannibalistic, child-eating, pedophilia
Satan worshipers cabal
Who may be controlled
By alien shape-shifting reptiles.
To those of us who live
In the reality-based world
It is hard to comprehend
How people can get sucked
Into this collective madness.
And how to see
How we can help them
Restore their sanity.
But it is up to all of us
To work together
To restore the world
To sanity.
Or we will watch
Everyone in the world
Become bat sh..t crazy
Consumed with violent rage.
Destroying the world
As they create
Their own end-of-days
Hell on earth.
NEW PROMPT: Tomorrow, March 11, is Debunking Day . Write a story or poem about someone debunking some false information.
Morning all. There is a lot coming at us now and I’ll do my best to make sense of it all this am. I start off with a recording of my talk with Hopium paid subscribers last night (above) where I go through it all – Trump’s remarkable slide in the polls, the rebellion in the House, his tariff madness. We had a good crowd last night and a lively discussion after my initial remarks. Get to it when you can.
Six months and four days in it’s clear Trump is in trouble. This period of unraveling began with Elon’s three day long assault on Trump in early June that included this tweet:
As you’ve heard me say I think something broke inside the White House that week. Trump’s manhood, his STRENGTH, his POWER, was questioned by someone who could speak to the MAGA faithful, and this STRENGTH, this POWER needed to be restored at all costs. Within hours we saw the wild overreaction and escalation on the streets of Los Angeles, moves which quickly became rejected by the public. We saw his Dear Leader military parade flop, and become overshadowed by millions of us peacefully protesting across the country. We saw the country slough off his MANLY BOMBING of Iran, seeing it, immediately, for the pathetic stunt it was. His week of royal celebration of the passage of his BIG UGLY bill was then rudely interrupted by hundreds dying in Texas floods, Putin giving him the finger, Pam Bondi burying the Epstein report and him coming to his 90 day trade deadline with zero, none, zilch, nada trade agreements. A few days later the White House then had to admit that the President did have a debilitating disease, and was in ill-health – further confirmation of his weakness and declining POWER. All the while his poll numbers kept dropping, and all parts of his agenda – including the big ugly – continued to grow more unpopular.
In their royal arrogance, frustration and desperation in that victory lap week that turned to shit Trump made two deeply consequential mistakes – rather than rolling back his unpopular and destructive tariffs, he announced he was doubling and tripling them; they tried to bury the Epstein report.
The Epstein affair has become a titanic scandal that has reinforced Trump’s weakening grip on our politics and Washington. In the last few days we learned that 1,000 FBI personnel – 1,000 – were deployed to find mentions of Trump in the files suggesting the cover up in place was enormous in scale. The Wall Street Journal shared Trump’s disgusting letter to Epstein from 2003. Speaker Johnson had to send the House home this week to quell the growing rebellion in his ranks. Then yesterday we learned that Trump was in the Epstein files and had been lying about it to the public and his supporters. Last night the House oversight committee voted 8-2 to subpoena the Epstein files from Trump and Bondi. And then late last night a video surfaced of Epstein in 2010 taking the fifth when asked about whether he and Trump worked underage girls together:
You never know in this business. You never know when something like the Epstein affair will explode into something consequential. But it has, and this rapist, fraudster, traitor, and 34 times felon in unlikely to come out of it anything other than deeply, deeply damaged even if he can hold on to the Presidency.
The second major mistake Trump made during this challenging period was doubling down on his tariff debacle. As Rob Shapiro and I explored in yesterday’s discussion Trump’s reckless economic agenda – big ugly, mass deportation, tariffs, gutting of US scientific leadership – was doing enormous damage to the US economy and had become the central driver of his political decline. Look at this data:
Only 25% of the country believe the big ugly will be good for them:
Only 27% of the country believe Trump’s agenda has been good for them:
Only a third of the country – and ONLY HALF OF THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HIM – gave him good marks on inflation and prices the single most important issue in American politics, and one he promised to address as President:
Looking at all this, and given what forecasters were telling us about the negative impact of Trump’s agenda on the economy, Trump should have used his 90 day deadline to walk away from his tariffs. He choose, rather, to announce that he was doubling and tripling them on August 1st, next Friday. In the last two days we’ve learned that Trump appears to be attempting to create an universal 15% across the board global tariff, 50% higher than his current tariff rate, and far, far higher than what was a 1-2% global rate prior to his illegal and unconstitutional levying of his tariffs in early April.
So in his arrogance, diminishment, extremism, confusion, anger, frustration, weakness and emasculation our increasingly mad leader has chosen a course that will further harm the US economy; further raise prices and spur inflation; further anger our global allies; further shift the tax burden from the wealthy to the working and middle class; and push him further and further away from the American people who will rightly feel betrayed by these tariffs and his broader agenda.
When Congress returns in September not only will they be grappling with the Epstein affair, they will have to pass a fiscal year 2026 budget. Without a new budget the government runs out of money on October 1st. This dysfunctional, shambolic, cowardly, shitshow of a Congress will have to somehow come together keep the government from shutting down and pass a budget that funds the government for the next year. And that, my friends, is going to be a serious problem for them. For that budget will not only have all the deeply unpopular parts of the big ugly it will include exploding deficits, onerous tariffs, cuts to NIH, FEMA, Department of Education, etc too. It is going to be the BIG, BIG UGLY, and we should be able to use these months of wrangling and struggle to hang their agenda of sabotage, plunder and betrayal around their necks and further degrade their already degraded standing; and perhaps, perhaps, if all goes well, knock out or delay some of the worst parts of what is to come.
As bad as all that is, it is likely to get even worse for Trump and the Rs next year as their agenda, whatever of it survives the budget battle, is implemented and the economy worsens and they get more and all of us get less, far, far less.
To review and make sense of this extraordinary week Katie Phang will be joining us live tomorrow at 215pm ET. You can find the link to this event and all of our events in our Events page on the main Hopium site. Three more things to get to from me if you haven’t gotten to them yet:
Friends, Trump is in trouble. While yes they continue to do enormous harm to the country, “Trump” as a brand is failing; the wand no longer seems to work; his hold on power here is loosening – and all of that is good, essential, important. It is a necessary but not sufficient step in our work to mitigate the damage they are doing and win back power. Watch my video. Share it with others. We have a big opening now, and we need to seize it, together.
OK, my friends……
Let’s Get To Work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here at Hopium we like to do. Here we are proud, plucky, patriots but we are also put your head down, grind it out, get shit done doers. Trump and Republicans have stumbled, and given us a big opportunity now to tell our story and win back power. While are there so many things people can do to advance our cause I am partial to two sets of activities – support our candidates and party committees, and call/contact your elected officials every day. So what follows is our recommendations to make your time and money are being put to the highest and best use in this critical election cycle……
Support Hopium’s Priority Candidates And Party Committees – Just set new fundraising goals for Labor Day, now remarkably six weeks away. Election Day is less than four months away and early voting starts in Virginia starts in less than two months – September 19th! Donate, volunteer, learn more about our candidates and opportunities here….
Our Recommended Actions – Here are other actions you can take outside of our direct electoral work:
1 – Call your Senators and Rep To Demand They Revoke Trump’s Terrible Tariffs – Congress simply must take back its tariff authority that Trump has illegally and unconstitutional seized and dangerously abused; and at the very least they must stop what will be Trump’s ruinous new tariff increases slated to start on August 1st. Trump’s economic plan has failed, and we need to find a better way forward.
2 – Fight Trump’s Inhumane Immigration Escalation – We must do more here, and I will be working to put together a strategy for us in the coming weeks. In the meantime watch my recent discussions with David LeopoldJoe Garcia, Leon Krauze and Senator Chris Van Hollen for more.
3 – Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community – Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Remarkably, members of this community are now advancing 50 resolutions projects in 20 states. Can we get to all 50 by the fall election?
Our newly updated Resolutions page includes a new chat for folks to report in on their progress or seek counsel from those interested in launching a resolutions project in their community. This is one way to fight back against Trump’s unprecedened abandonment of our Constitutional order.
4 -Volunteer To Help Your State and/or Local Democratic Parties Stand Up Voter Registration EffortsAnd Support “Organizing Summer” – In the presentation he made to our community recently Tom Bonier made a persuasive case that Democrats must once again make partisan voter registration a national priority. State and local Democratic Parties are in the planning stages to take this on. Members of our community should consider contacting their state and local parties and offer to help stand up these vital efforts in the coming months.
The DNC, the DSCC, the DCCC, the DGA and the ASDC have announced a major new “Organizing Summer” project. Learn more about it here. For more on what the DNC and state and local parties are intending to do this election cycle see my recent interviews with DNC Chair Ken Martin and ASDC President Jane Kleeb.
5 – Support Brave US Government Staff and Scientists Fighting To Protect Our Global Scientific Leadership – Staff at 3 of the most important US science agencies – NIH, EPA and NASA – have now courageously filed letters of discontent against their leadership. Learn more and sign your name to support these remarkable initiatives, and do you part to fight to main America’s global scientific leadership!
6 – Review and Comment On Hopium’s Working Agenda – Many of you have noted that we must do more than oppose, we must also propose and make clear to the American people what they will get if they put us back in power. To that end, with input from many of you, I’ve drafted an initial 2026 Agenda. Check it out here, offer comments and improvements, take it into your communities and create discussions and debates about who we are, and what story we want to tell to our voters this fall and next year.
7 – Grow Hopium And This Wonderful Community Of Proud, Plucky, Patriots – We’ve set a goal of trying to grow the Hopium community from the 152,000 we are now to 175,000 by Labor Day. Do what you can to encourage your friends, family and colleagues to become a summer subscriber to Hopium, free or paid. If each current paid subscriber brings in just one new subscriber this summer we will hit our goal.
To encourage the growth of our community annual paid subscriptions are 10% off through Labor Day. Use that link to buy gift or group subscriptions, and join our new referral rewards program too.
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Keep it up!!!
Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you, and a fight it truly is – Simon
Capitol Hill Rag, the monthly newsletter for the Capitol Hill district in D.C., will publish four of my Lincoln Park Poems—plus Summer in D.C. Haiku—in their next issue, due in August. I’ll update this later with the link once it’s available. You can read the Capitol Hill Rag online at HillRag | Capital Community News.
Capitol Hill has changed dramatically over the past decade. It’s now a vibrant, lively, hipster neighborhood. We’ve owned a classic row house on East Capitol Street since 2015, and I lived there during my assignment with the State Department. I plan to move back in a few years’ time.
Lincoln Park has always been one of my favorite little parks in D.C. Back in the bad old days, it was an open-air drug market, and there were crack houses nearby. Those days are long gone. Capitol Hill used to be majority African American; now it’s majority white, and the average home price is close to a million dollars. It’s always had a fair number of congressional staff and members living nearby—and it still does. Many of the newer residents are lawyers and lobbyists.
The neighborhood is poised for significant redevelopment as the D.C. Commanders return to RFK Stadium, just a few blocks away. The site will be extensively redeveloped with housing, retail, the new stadium, and hotels in the coming years.
Here, then, are my Season of Lincoln Park Poems, written a few years ago, and my Summer in D.C. Haiku:
Four Lincoln Park Poems
Summer
Lincoln Park shines bright
in the summer,
The beating heart of the Imperial city,
On Capitol Hill, just blocks away
From the homes of the power elites.
Tall trees stand guard
Over the humans and their dog masters.
The trees have heard things,
Seen things—yet remain discreet,
Being trees, after all.
The park slumbers on
As the humid sauna of the day
Gives way to a tropical night.
Fireflies emerge,
gossiping with the trees and flowers
About what fools these mortals are.
As Capitol Hill residents retreat indoors,
Their air-conditioned classic row houses
Stand guard over the park.
Autumn
Autumn leaves fall
All around Lincoln Park,
At the center of the universe.
The trees shed their leaves,
A riot of brilliant color in the autumn light.
Part of the annual display,
God’s masterpiece,
A show for humankind
and their dog masters.
Nearby, self-proclaimed
masters of the universe
Are too busy saving the world
To pause and take
In Lincoln Park’s splendor.
Winter
As winter descends upon the city,
Lincoln Park transforms into a wonderland.
Snow blankets the ground,
And bare trees shiver in the cold.
The trees recall a time,
Not too long ago,
When Lincoln Park
Was an open-air drug market,
And crack houses stood nearby.
Those days are long gone.
The average home now
Sells for over a million dollars,
And the old African American community
Has largely been replaced by wealthy white residents.
But the trees remember—
And they mourn the loss.
The newcomers, nice enough,
Barely notice Lincoln Park.
Too busy in their important lives
To stroll through the winter’s quiet beauty.
The trees wish they could speak—
They have so much to say.
Springtime
My favorite season
In Lincoln Park is springtime,
When the park bursts into bloom.
Cherry blossoms, fresh green grass,
A welcoming sight for humans
And their dog masters.
Springtime breathes new life
Into the neighborhood—
Dogs walk their owners
Through the park,
People embrace the moment,
Filled with warmth and possibility.
Winter’s darkness fades,
And hope returns.
Cherry blossoms
begin to snow,
Petals littering the ground,
Reminding us all
That nothing lasts forever.
Lincoln Park, transient in nature,
Reflects the rhythm of the Imperial city.
Few remain for long—
The cycle continues.
But the trees endure,
Silent witnesses
To the passage of time.
Summer in D.C. Haiku
Summer in D.C.
Hot, humid, tropical days—
Madness on TV
Capitol Hill Background Info
Co-Pilot provided background info on Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Here’s a detailed snapshot of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, D.C., based on the most recent available data:
🧍 Total Population
8,745 residents live in Capitol Hill
Area: 0.519 square miles
Population density: 16,839 people per sq mi
👥 Population by Race
Race/Ethnicity
Percentage
White
59.9%
Black or African American
24.8%
Asian
4.2%
Hispanic or Latino
7.1%
Native American
0.1%
Other / Mixed
3.9%
🚻 Gender Breakdown
Gender
Population
Percentage
Male
4,416
50.5%
Female
4,329
49.5%
📊 Age Distribution
🏘️ Lincoln Park (Population ~7,763)
Trends Over the Last Decade:
Population Growth: Modest but steady, reflecting stable residential appeal
Median Age: 37 years — slightly older than Capitol Hill, suggesting a mix of professionals and established families
Racial Composition:
White: 74%
Black or African American: 13%
Hispanic: 5%
Asian: 5%
Household Size: Average of 2.13 people per household
Single-Parent Households: 3.39% — relatively low, indicating a high proportion of dual-income or child-free households
🌳 Capitol Hill East (Population ~13,486)
Trends Over the Last Decade:
Population Growth: Stronger than Lincoln Park, with a projected increase from ~9,164 in 2020 to over 10,000 by 2030
Median Age: ~34.8 years — younger than Lincoln Park, aligning with an influx of younger professionals and new families
Population Density: ~17,893 people per sq mi — slightly denser than Capitol Hill proper
Demographic Shifts:
Increasing share of White and Asian residents
Declining share of long-time Black residents, reflecting broader gentrification patterns
Household Composition: Similar to Capitol Hill, with a mix of singles, couples, and small families
The redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious urban projects in the city’s history. Here’s a comprehensive look at what’s planned and how it could reshape the surrounding neighborhoods:
🏟️ What the RFK Redevelopment Entails
Project Overview:
A $3.7 billion mixed-use development led by the Washington Commanders and the D.C. government
Anchored by a 65,000-seat covered stadium for year-round events, including NFL games, concerts, and conventions
Target opening: Fall 2030, with groundbreaking expected in 2026, pending D.C. Council approval
Key Features:
6,000 new housing units, with at least 30% designated affordable
A public SportsPlex for youth athletics and recreation ($89 million budgeted)
Entertainment districts, hotels, restaurants, and retail zones along the Anacostia River
8,000 parking spaces and improved public transit access, including a potential new Metro station
Preservation of the Fields at RFK for community sports during construction
🌆 Impact on Surrounding Neighborhoods
Economic Development:
Estimated $4 billion in tax revenue and $15.6 billion in direct spending over 30 years
Creation of 14,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs
Potential to host major events like the Women’s World Cup, Super Bowl, and WrestleMania
Community Revitalization:
Promises of new grocery stores, green space, and recreation centers in underserved areas like Ward 7
Improved public access to the Anacostia River and preservation of wetlands
Plans to designate 30% of the campus as parkland for passive and active recreation
Concerns & Controversies:
Local groups like Homes Not Stadiums argue the stadium is not the community’s top priority, citing a lack of enforceable housing deadlines
Some residents worry about traffic, noise, and displacement, especially in Kingman Park and Hill East
The D.C. Council is still debating the deal, with a vote expected later this summer
Note: In my opinion, it would be extremely short-sighted to turn down this redevelopment project, and I do not foresee it becoming derailed.
Reflections on returning to the US and recent poems
I have returned to the US for the summer. I will be in DC then Oregon a,nd California. So far I have mixed feelings. The political madness is there, but otherwise things are looking good.
entry was a breeze. The facial recognition AI powered software blinked and I was in. Just like that. It is nice when technology works. Some people have had problems entering the US as DHS agents never known for being customer friendly have bother and detained some foreign visitors but we had no problems.
The Trump-Musk bromace ended in a spectacular blow-up with both sides blaming each other.
Trump is going to get his big military parade next week.
I went out to Annadale the other night and had a delicious dinner at Taco Sam a K-Mexican restaurant. K-Mexican food is a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. It originated in Korea town LA which has a lot of Mexicans as well as Koreans. Koreans and Mexicans discovered that they liked each other food and there were a number of Korean-Mexican couples. Over time some people open K Mexican restaurants. The one in Annandale is typical. We had bulgogi and chicken fajitas. Quite good actually.
It looks as if I will be returning to DC area next summer and residing there for a few years. I am looking forward to that and hope we can continue to live in Korea part of the year.
Here then are some of my reflections and recent poems to enjoy.
Return to the US blog Sam Adam’s Decision Fight Fascism
Sam Adams
Watching the news unfold
Seeing daily the beginning
Of the fascist take-over
Of the United States,
He had a dilemma
and decision to make,
Did he allow it
to happen quietly
Of did he join
the resistance and rebellion?
Lost and Found
When we met
My dear,
I was lost
And you found me.
You mesmerized me with your love.
You saved my benighted soul
And gave me love and comfort,
In a refuge in a cold uncaring world.
I am reading “it Can’t Happen Here” which is prophetic novel written in 1934 about the rise to power of a fascist dictatorship. Very timeley reading.
It Can’t Happen Here is a dystopian political novel by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1935. It explores the rise of a fascist regime in the United States, led by the populist senator Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, who wins the presidency and quickly dismantles democratic institutions. The story follows Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor who resists Windrip’s authoritarian rule.
Characters:
Doremus Jessup – A liberal newspaper editor and the protagonist.
Buzz Windrip – A charismatic senator who becomes a dictator.
Shad Ledue – A former handyman who rises in the ranks of Windrip’s regime.
Lorinda Pike – A feminist and outspoken critic of the government.
Sissy Jessup – Doremus’s rebellious daughter.
Lee Sarasin – Windrip’s manipulative advisor.
Julian Falck – A young student and Sissy’s love interest.
Mary Greenhill – Doremus’s daughter, who joins the resistance.
Notable Quotes:
“Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.”
“He loved the people just as much as he feared and detested persons.”
“It isn’t what you earn but how you spend it that fixes your class.”
“So much in a revolution is nothing but waiting.”
“A country that tolerates evil means—evil manners, standards of ethics—for a generation, will be so poisoned that it never will have any good end.”
Other Works by Sinclair Lewis:
Main Street (1920)
Babbitt (1922)
Arrowsmith (1925)
Elmer Gantry (1927)
Dodsworth (1929)
Ann Vickers (1933)
The Prodigal Parents (1938)
Gideon Planish (1943)
Kings blood Royal (1947)
Books with Similar Themes:
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45 by Milton Mayer
1984 by George Orwell
The Iron Heel by Jack London
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
President Trump Doubles Down on his Crusade Against Top Universities
He declares that the top universities in the US have become a disgrace and should be shutdown as hotbeds of radical, left win fanatic down starting with Harvard and in his opinion there are too many damn universities in the US and too many foreign students, declaring that the temporary ban on foreign students will continue and become a reduction of total foreign students. He said that if Harvard and the other top universities were to shut down that would be a great thing. He called for a revolution in higher education promoting patriotic pro-American values, American history, patriotism, ending DEI programs, gender studies, ethnic studies and other left wing programs, anti-white programs, anti-American programs and working closely with industry to ensure that graduates are prepared for the world of work. He called for a boycott of the top universities declaring that the Federal government will no longer hire Harvard graduates and other graduates of elite universities and hire instead graduates from conservative universities who are committed to the MAGA world view.
trump
Trump Doubles Down Vows to Arrest Anyone Who Stands in the Way of his Mass Deportation Drive
Millions of people begin marching across the country wearing the new uniform of the resistance a TACO hat which stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. The president goes berserk ordering the mass arrest and detention of any people who wears taco hats or otherwise disrespect the President and the Government.
In a sign of mass protests every democratic member of congress show up wearing TACO uniforms and refuse to back down Speaker Jeffries makes an impassioned speech denouncing King Donald and calls for mass civil disobedience and announces that the entire democratic caucus will walk out in protests and calls upon his Republican colleagues to join them in protest.
The Republicans in congress split and one quarter joins the Democratic party in the mass walkout and protest action as millions of people gather in front of the White House wearing TACO uniforms and demanding that he arrest the entire country.
Donald Trump is Not Amused
Donald Is not amused
At the latest news
At the growing protests
At the constant mockery
TACO man goes viral
As Trump Always Chickens Out
Becomes a killer meme
Taking the world by storm
TACO Goes Viral
The joke meme
“Trump
Always
Chickens
Out”
TACO Man
Takes the world
By Storm
Ten Cheritas
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
——————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————-
There is always one more time
There is always a second chance
For love and happiness
In this dark world of ours
We will find each other
Til the end of time itself
——————————————————————————————–
Time waits for no one
That is what they say
That time waits for no one
But that is a lie
Time waits for you
And time waits for me too
——————————————————————————————————-
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
That is all that there is
Nothing but love in my heart
Waiting for me to say it
And for you to believe it
———————————————————————————————–
In the beginning of the world
I saw you there
Walking off that bus
And that was the beginning
Of my life with you
And the end of the rest of the world
—————————————————————————————————–
Love Endures
the longer I live
the more I learn
that nothing endures in life
other than the love
I share with you
—————————————————————————————————
The Future of NYC
In the distant future
the world will end
with a massive flood
and NYC will slowly sink
beneath the waves
and mankind will die
——————————————————————————————-
69 Years Young
I am 62 years young
62 years around the sun
37 of those years
I have spent
with the love of my life
————————————————————–
Married the Girl of my Dreams
I married the girl of my Dreams
first dreamt of her
back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
As submitted without Titles
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
——————————————————-
The Cicada Invasion
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
the Cicada invasion
has begun
in Northern Virginia
billions of them
flying about
making an out-of-this world
alien Sci-Fi like racket
loud enough to wake
the dead from their slumbers
looking for a mate
to keep the species alive
as soon as they mate
they die
what a fate
they have
The Grim Reaper Gathers His Posse
It was Halloween night
A night that all the denizens
Of hell loved.
For on that night
All of hell would break out.
They would celebrate their annual escape
On Halloween, they are allowed
To go to the surface sunlit lands.
For a night of drinking,
Drugging and wilding
As bad craziness descends
Upon the land.
The Grim Reaper and his posse
Dressed up as cosmic court jesters
Dressed as fools.
They descended upon the world
And a night of chaos fell upon the land.
Thousands died, as the Grim Reaper
Added to his quota.
Bonus kills were bonus points.
He returned to hell with his minions,
And the souls of the dead
Who soon became mere ghosts.
Their voices crying in the wind
Echoing through time.
grimm reaper
Joe Lewis Meets the Grim Reaper
Joe Lewis died one day after drinking too much in Soi Cowboy, Bangkok, Thailand. He found himself in a dark, forbidding jungle, hot and humid, with a foul smell of death and decaying vegetation everywhere. He had a sense that there were creatures in the jungles looking at him with evil, hungry, malicious intent, then he saw them as the moonlight lit the jungle forest.
Drop acid, Smoke weed, drink vodka shots, scotch, bourbon, beer.
The Trumpian Pig leads the charge and starts engaging in sodomy with Putin
Who chases after people, cutting off their heads with his sword, they turn on to their fellow creatures raping and killing each other, and eating their fellow creatures all night long, howling and growling like escaped banshees from Hell’s insane asylums. Then they attack me screaming,
“Jews will not replace us”
The Putin-Trump pigman yelled out, “After him. All humans must die. Kill Sam.
”
Even the trees came alive, trying to trip him up, as the nightmare creatures ran after him, the hunters, and soldiers firing flaming arrows and semi-automatic weapons lighting up the night sky, and the birds dive-bombing him trying to get his eyes and face, and the other creatures getting closer and closer screaming at him.
They were gaining on him when he came to a dark foul-smelling river. There was a ferryboat filled with hundreds of evil, depraved people on board floating down the river. Many of them were infamous figures, including anti-vaxxer crusaders, bar owners, celebrities, corrupt politicians of both American parties, including Governors, Representatives, Senators, drug dealers, members of the British parliament and parliaments around the world, criminals, crooked cops, fake news reporters, gangsters, gangbangers, gangsta rappers, internet bloggers, idiots in both high and low places, “Criminal Lawyers ” media darlings, pharma bros, scumbags, scoundrels, wall street executives, thugs, Italian, Korean, Japanese Yakuza, and Vietnamese Mafia figures.
They were all standing around as if they were at a cocktail party of the newly damned, drinking, smoking dope, snorting coke, and meth, dropping acid, and flirting up a storm, enjoying the free food, drinks, and drugs provided by the” Hell Catering “company using robots and demonic slave labor. They were partying as if it were their last day on earth, and they knew where they were going. Many of them felt that they would somehow manage to thrive in Hell and were looking forward to it. None of them felt remorse or regret for the actions they had taken in their life. They were mostly entitled “rich people,” the self-proclaimed “masters of the universe.
Just as the creatures were about to pounce, he swam into the water, the boat stopped, and two strange-looking men pulled him out of the water. The human monsters on the ship looked at Joe and dismissed him as a loser, a refugee fleeing the monstrous welcoming committee, and not worthy of their time.
The two gentlemen who had pulled him out of the water were strange-looking people, rough-edged but better than the party people who continued to ignore him or made mocking references to the refugee. Charon, the conductor, an elderly Italian man dressed in a black suit, stood in front of the boat. The Grim Reaper, dressed in a dark suit wearing ray beans, looking oh so cool, stood next to him. The Grim Reaper had a pan-ethnic look, could be almost any ethnicity in the world, but also looked like a space alien.
When he came aboard the ferryboat, he asked the two strange gentlemen who had rescued him,
“Thanks for saving me. Where am I?”
Handing Joe, a cup of Hell whiskey, the older of the two introduced himself saying, “I am the Grim Reaper, and this is Charon, and you are on the ferry to Hell. You are floating down the river Styx, heading to Hell and beyond. We saved you from the welcoming committee. Normally they kill our visitors and take their dead bodies to Hell where they receive a bounty, and then you are reborn as a zombie slave, possessed by demons, becoming a ghost, or a ghoul, or are sent to Hell for punishment. But sometimes, virtuous people manage to escape and per our SOP we are obligated to take in the refugees and take them to Limbo for processing. Stay here my friend, because if you go to the party, you may never return to earth.”
We are taking you and Mr. Alvarez to Limbo for further processing. He may be going upstairs but being an attorney, I have my doubts. You know what they say about lawyers in heaven, there are almost none and Hell is filled with lawyers, crooked police officers, and mafia figures. Limbo is filled with bureaucrats and the red tape takes forever, and the computer system is always crashing. What can you expect? Well, it is hard to get tech support in Heaven or Limbo, all the tech folks tend to go to Hell. “
Mr. Alvarez was an elderly Italian attorney, a lifelong fighter against corruption, the mafia, and organized criminals, and a famous human rights attorney based in Rome.
They chatted about his life and Joe’s life. Mr. Alvarez said, “My friend GR said that I might be the only lawyer getting into heaven in a long time. Most lawyers end up in the other place.”
The river was black as it was after midnight. There was a stench of decay and death, fire and brimstone, and fires burning in giant pits in the distance. The welcoming committee of nightmare creatures followed the boat shouting obscenities and jumping in the water to retrieve partiers who fell off the boat, taking them to shore where they tortured them, murdered them, and ate them.
The other people walked off to the basement of 666 5th Avenue, where there was one of many secret back doorways to the world above Hell. Demon functionaries dressed in Matrix Mr. Smith-style black suits met them at the ferry terminal. They disappeared into the depths of hell. A punk rock band played punk anthems.
The Grim Reaper took Joe and Antonio to the next step, Limbo. A giant black building reached the sky, filled with demonic bureaucrats dressed in Matrix-like Mr. Smith black suits.
The Grim Reaper said, “Wait here. It should not be too long; I like you so we will put you in front of the line.”
He saw hundreds of lost souls wandering around. There were signs in multiple languages saying.
“Wait your turn. You will be processed in the order received. No drinking, drugs, food, phone use, or sexual activity allowed. And no sleeping either. It should not be too long.”
Just then a demon functionary came up to him, hissing. “Joe, and Antonio, follow me.” And took him to where the Grim Reaper was waiting.
“Joe, Antonio, glad to see you. Please tip the demon.”
Joe paid him 100 dollars and Antonio 100 euros. The demon demanded more. The Grim Reaper swore at him in Demon speak and he disappeared into the crowd.
The Grim Reaper consulted his handheld computer, saying, “Hmm just as I suspected. You are wanted upstairs, and a guardian angel was watching you. But you almost did not make it in time. The computer program has a glitch, and you are being sent back to Earth. Your time for final status determination will be sooner than you think. I hope you and I can be friends. I can hire people as my assistants. We had a lot of fun. Think about it when you come back.”
Joseph Lewis woke up in bed next to his wife, he got up and turned on his computer, and read the following message,
“Mr. Joe, I hoped you enjoyed your tour last night. But unfortunately, there was a computer glitch in the matrix system that controls limbo, heaven, and hell. It is hard to get tech support in Limbo or Heaven, most of the engineers end up in hell. But in any event, we determined it was not yet your time.
Your friend made it fine and sends his regards. The drinks are on him when you and your wife finally make it. Oh, contrary to the old song, “In Heaven, there is no beer” we have the finest beer, wine, and spirits you can find in Heaven, and Hell as well.
As for the others, you saw, they too will visit the ferry for the last journey within a few years for most of them. But you know where they will end up.”
Wraiths,Yesterdays,yellow jackets, Yeti, and zombies.
Intending to unleash chaos
Leaving their prisons
Deep inside the mind
The wild things
Have come out to run amok
In the light of the full moon
Nightmarish foul creatures
Great demons, werewolves, goblins,
Monsters, hell hounds
Escaped banshees
Straight out of Hell
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full moon.
To escape
From their prisons
Deep in the mind
Of the sleeping man.
The wild things
Sniff the air
Saying it was time
For some wilding
The wild things
Jump out the window
And run amuck
Spreading chaos in their wake.
Killing everyone they see
Raping women
Vandalizing buildings
Yelling screaming
As the wild things
Run amuck
Led by a half man half horse
Centaur-like creature
With a Putin Like the mask
And the voice of Donald Trump
The wild things run amuck
All over the town
Spreading chaos
Until the dawning sun
Turns them back
Into vampire-like creatures
And werewolves
Howling at the full moon
The wild things
Come back
And enter their prison
Deep in the sleeper’s head
And the wild things
Fade into a nightmarish image
As the sleeping man
Awakes to recall the dream
And the night of terror
When the wild things
Came out to play
At o dark hundred.
Blame Games
Politicians
Love to play
The blame game
It is always
The other fellows fault
Never the politician’s
They all play
The blame game
None better than
The President
Who is always right
Reflections on returning to the US and recent poems
I have returned to the US for the summer. I will be in DC then Oregon and California. So far I have mixed feelings. The political madness is there but otherwise things are looking good.
The Trump-Musk bromace ended in a spectacular blow up with both sides blaming each other.
Trump is going to get his big military parade next week.
I went out to Annadale the other night and had a delicious dinner at Taco Sam a K-Mexican restaurant. K-Mexican food is a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. It originated in Korea town LA which has a lot of Mexicans as well as Koreans. Koreans and Mexicans discovered that they liked each other food and there were a number of Korean-Mexican couples. Over time some people open K Mexican resturants. The one in Annandale is typical. We had bulgogi and chicken fajitas. Quite good actually.
It looks as if I will be returning to DC area next summer and residing there for a few years. I am looking forward to that and hope we can continue to live in Korea part of the year.
Here then are some of my reflections and recent poems to enjoy.
Return to the US blog Sam Adam’s Decision Fight Fascism
Sam Adams
Watching the news unfold
Seeing daily the beginning
Of the fascist take-over
Of the United States,
I had a dilemma and decision to make,
Did he allow it to happen quietly
Of did he join the resistance and rebellion?
Lost and Found
When we met
My dear,
I was lost
And you found me.
You mesmerized me with your love.
You saved my benighted soul
And gave me love and comfort,
In a refuge in a cold uncaring world.
It Can’t Happen Here is a dystopian political novel by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1935. It explores the rise of a fascist regime in the United States, led by the populist senator Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, who wins the presidency and quickly dismantles democratic institutions. The story follows Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor who resists Windrip’s authoritarian rule.
Characters:
Doremus Jessup – A liberal newspaper editor and the protagonist.
Buzz Windrip – A charismatic senator who becomes a dictator.
Shad Ledue – A former handyman who rises in the ranks of Windrip’s regime.
Lorinda Pike – A feminist and outspoken critic of the government.
Sissy Jessup – Doremus’s rebellious daughter.
Lee Sarasin – Windrip’s manipulative advisor.
Julian Falck – A young student and Sissy’s love interest.
Mary Greenhill – Doremus’s daughter, who joins the resistance.
Notable Quotes:
“Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.”
“He loved the people just as much as he feared and detested persons.”
“It isn’t what you earn but how you spend it that fixes your class.”
“So much in a revolution is nothing but waiting.”
“A country that tolerates evil means—evil manners, standards of ethics—for a generation, will be so poisoned that it never will have any good end.”
Other Works by Sinclair Lewis:
Main Street (1920)
Babbitt (1922)
Arrowsmith (1925)
Elmer Gantry (1927)
Dodsworth (1929)
Ann Vickers (1933)
The Prodigal Parents (1938)
Gideon Planish (1943)
Kings blood Royal (1947)
Books with Similar Themes:
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45 by Milton Mayer
1984 by George Orwell
The Iron Heel by Jack London
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
President Trump doubles down on his crusade against top universities
He declares that the top universities in the US have become a disgrace and should be shutdown as hotbeds of radical, left win fanatic down starting with Harvard and in his opinion there are too many damn universities in the US and too many foreign students, declaring that the temporary ban on foreign students will continue and become a reduction of total foreign students. He said that if Harvard and the other top universities were to shut down that would be a great thing. He called for a revolution in higher education promoting patriotic pro-American values, American history, patriotism, ending DEI programs, gender studies, ethnic studies and other left wing programs, anti-white programs, anti-American programs and working closely with industry to ensure that graduates are prepared for the world of work. He called for a boycott of the top universities declaring that the Federal government will no longer hire Harvard graduates and other graduates of elite universities and hire instead graduates from conservative universities who are committed to the MAGA world view.
Trump Doubles Down vows to arrest anyone who stands in the way of his mass deportation drive
Millions of people begin marching across the country wearing the new uniform of the resistance a TACO hat which stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. The president goes berserk ordering the mass arrest and detention of any people who wears taco hats or otherwise disrespect the President and the Government.
In a sign of mass protests every democratic member of congress show up wearing TACO uniforms and refuse to back down Speaker Jeffries makes an impassioned speech denouncing King Donald and calls for mass civil disobedience and announces that the entire democratic caucus will walk out in protests and calls upon his Republican colleagues to join them in protest.
The Republicans in congress split and one quarter joins the Democratic party in the mass walkout and protest action as millions of people gather in front of the White House wearing TACO uniforms and demanding that he arrest the entire country.
Donald Is not amused
At the latest news
At the growing protests
At the constant mockery
TACO man goes viral
As Trump Always Chickens Out
Becomes a killer meme
Taking the world by storm
TACO Goes Viral
The joke meme
“Trump
Always
Chickens
Out”
TACO Man
Takes the world
By Storm
Ten Cheritas
There is nothing more to be said
There is always one more time
Time waits for no one
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
In the beginning of the world
Life Endures
The Future of NYC
69 Years Young
Married the Girl of My Dreams
Ten Haiku
There is nothing more to be said
There is always one more time
Time waits for no one
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
In the beginning of the world
Life Endures
The Future of NYC
69 Years Young
Married the Girl of My Dreams
Ten Tanka
There is nothing more to be said
There is always one more time
Time waits for no one
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
In the beginning of the world
Life Endures
The Future of NYC
69 Years Young
Married the Girl of My Dreams
Without titles as submitted
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
—————————————————————————————-
There is always one more time
There is always a second chance
For love and happiness
In this dark world of ours
We will find each other
Til the end of time itself
——————————————————————————————–
Time waits for no one
That is what they say
That time waits for no one
But that is a lie
Time waits for you
And time waits for me too
——————————————————————————————————-
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
That is all that there is
Nothing but love in my heart
Waiting for me to say it
And for you to believe it
———————————————————————————————–
In the beginning of the world
I saw you there
Walking off that bus
And that was the beginning
Of my life with you
And the end of the rest of the world
—————————————————————————————————–
Love Endures
the longer I live
the more I learn
that nothing endures in life
other than the love
I share with you
—————————————————————————————————
The Future of NYC
In the distant future
the world will end
with a massive flood
and NYC will slowly sink
beneath the waves
and mankind will die
——————————————————————————————-
69 Years Young
I am 62 years young
62 years around the sun
37 of those years
I have spent
with the love of my life
————————————————————–
Married the Girl of my Dreams
I married the girl of my Dreams
first dreamt of her
back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
As submitted without Titles
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
——————————————————-
There is always one more time
There is always a second chance
For love and happiness
In this dark world of ours
We will find each other
Til the end of time itself
—————————————————————-
Time waits for no one
That is what they say
That time waits for no one
But that is a lie
Time waits for you
And time waits for me too
——————————————————————
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
That is all that there is
Nothing but love in my heart
Waiting for me to say it
And for you to believe it
——————————————————————–
In the beginning of the world
I saw you there
Walking off that bus
And that was the beginning
Of my life with you
And the end of the rest of the world
————————————————————–
Love Endures
the longer I live
the more I learn
that nothing endures in life
other than the love
I share with you
—————————————————————
The Future of NYC
In the distant future
the world will end
with a massive flood
and NYC will slowly sink
beneath the waves
and mankind will die
————————————————————–
I am 69 Years Young
69 years around the sun
Still alive and kicking
42 of those years
I have spent
with the love of my life
———————————————————————
I married the girl of my Dreams
first dreamt of her
back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
—————————————————————
the Cicada invasion
the Cicada invasion
has begun
in Northern Virginia
billions of them
flying about
making an out-of-this world
alien Sci-Fi like racket
loud enough to wake
the dead from their slumbers
looking for a mate
to keep the species alive
as soon as they mate
they die
what a fate
they have
The Grim Reaper Gathers His Posse
It was Halloween night
A night that all the denizens
Of hell loved.
For on that night
All of hell would break out.
They would celebrate their annual escape
On Halloween, they are allowed
To go to the surface sunlit lands.
For a night of drinking,
Drugging and wilding
As bad craziness descends
Upon the land.
The Grim Reaper and his posse
Dressed up as cosmic court jesters
Dressed as fools.
They descended upon the world
And a night of chaos fell upon the land.
Thousands died, as the Grim Reaper
Added to his quota.
Bonus kills were bonus points.
He returned to hell with his minions,
And the souls of the dead
Who soon became mere ghosts.
Their voices crying in the wind
Echoing through time.
Sam Adams died one day after drinking too much in Soi Cowboy, Bangkok, Thailand. He found himself in a dark, forbidding jungle, hot and humid, with a foul smell of death and decaying vegetation everywhere. He had a sense that there were creatures in the jungles looking at him with evil, hungry, malicious intent, then he saw them as the moonlight lit the jungle forest.
Drop acid, Smoke weed, drink vodka shots, scotch, bourbon, beer.
The Trumpian Pig leads the charge and starts engaging in sodomy with Putin
Who chases after people, cutting off their heads with his sword, they turn on to their fellow creatures raping and killing each other, and eating their fellow creatures all night long, howling and growling like escaped banshees from Hell’s insane asylums. Then they attack me screaming,
“Jews will not replace us”
The Putin-Trump pigman yelled out, “After him. All humans must die. Kill Sam.
.”
Even the trees came alive, trying to trip him up, as the nightmare creatures ran after him, the hunters, and soldiers firing flaming arrows and semi-automatic weapons lighting up the night sky, and the birds dive-bombing him trying to get his eyes and face, and the other creatures getting closer and closer screaming at him.
They were gaining on him when he came to a dark foul-smelling river. There was a ferryboat filled with hundreds of evil, depraved people on board floating down the river. Many of them were infamous figures, including anti-vaxxer crusaders, bar owners, celebrities, corrupt politicians of both American parties, including Governors, Representatives, Senators, drug dealers, members of the British parliament and parliaments around the world, criminals, crooked cops, fake news reporters, gangsters, gangbangers, gangsta rappers, internet bloggers, idiots in both high and low places, “Criminal Lawyers ” media darlings, pharma bros, scumbags, scoundrels, wall street executives, thugs, Italian, Korean, Japanese Yakuza, and Vietnamese Mafia figures.
They were all standing around as if they were at a cocktail party of the newly damned, drinking, smoking dope, snorting coke, and meth, dropping acid, and flirting up a storm, enjoying the free food, drinks, and drugs provided by the” Hell Catering “company using robots and demonic slave labor. They were partying as if it were their last day on earth, and they knew where they were going. Many of them felt that they would somehow manage to thrive in Hell and were looking forward to it. None of them felt remorse or regret for the actions they had taken in their life. They were mostly entitled “rich people,” the self-proclaimed “masters of the universe.
Just as the creatures were about to pounce, he swam into the water, the boat stopped, and two strange-looking men pulled him out of the water. The human monsters on the ship looked at Joe and dismissed him as a loser, a refugee fleeing the monstrous welcoming committee, and not worthy of their time.
The two gentlemen who had pulled him out of the water were strange-looking people, rough-edged but better than the party people who continued to ignore him or made mocking references to the refugee. Charon, the conductor, an elderly Italian man dressed in a black suit, stood in front of the boat. The Grim Reaper, dressed in a dark suit wearing ray beans, looking oh so cool, stood next to him. The Grim Reaper had a pan-ethnic look, could be almost any ethnicity in the world, but also looked like a space alien.
When he came aboard the ferryboat, he asked the two strange gentlemen who had rescued him,
“Thanks for saving me. Where am I?”
Handing Joe, a cup of Hell whiskey, the older of the two introduced himself saying, “I am the Grim Reaper, and this is Charon, and you are on the ferry to Hell. You are floating down the river Styx, heading to Hell and beyond. We saved you from the welcoming committee. Normally they kill our visitors and take their dead bodies to Hell where they receive a bounty, and then you are reborn as a zombie slave, possessed by demons, becoming a ghost, or a ghoul, or are sent to Hell for punishment. But sometimes, virtuous people manage to escape and per our SOP we are obligated to take in the refugees and take them to Limbo for processing. Stay here my friend, because if you go to the party, you may never return to earth.”
We are taking you and Mr. Alvarez to Limbo for further processing. He may be going upstairs but being an attorney, I have my doubts. You know what they say about lawyers in heaven, there are almost none and Hell is filled with lawyers, crooked police officers, and mafia figures. Limbo is filled with bureaucrats and the red tape takes forever, and the computer system is always crashing. What can you expect? Well, it is hard to get tech support in Heaven or Limbo, all the tech folks tend to go to Hell. “
Mr. Alvarez was an elderly Italian attorney, a lifelong fighter against corruption, the mafia, and organized criminals, and a famous human rights attorney based in Rome.
They chatted about his life and Joe’s life. Mr. Alvarez said, “My friend GR said that I might be the only lawyer getting into heaven in a long time. Most lawyers end up in the other place.”
The river was black as it was after midnight. There was a stench of decay and death, fire and brimstone, and fires burning in giant pits in the distance. The welcoming committee of nightmare creatures followed the boat shouting obscenities and jumping in the water to retrieve partiers who fell off the boat, taking them to shore where they tortured them, murdered them, and ate them.
The other people walked off to the basement of 666 5th Avenue, where there was one of many secret back doorways to the world above Hell. Demon functionaries dressed in Matrix Mr. Smith-style black suits met them at the ferry terminal. They disappeared into the depths of hell. A punk rock band played punk anthems.
The Grim Reaper took Joe and Antonio to the next step, Limbo. A giant black building reached the sky, filled with demonic bureaucrats dressed in Matrix-like Mr. Smith black suits.
The Grim Reaper said, “Wait here. It should not be too long; I like you so we will put you in front of the line.”
He saw hundreds of lost souls wandering around. There were signs in multiple languages saying.
“Wait your turn. You will be processed in the order received. No drinking, drugs, food, phone use, or sexual activity allowed. And no sleeping either. It should not be too long.”
Just then a demon functionary came up to him, hissing. “Joe, and Antonio, follow me.” And took him to where the Grim Reaper was waiting.
“Joe, Antonio, glad to see you. Please tip the demon.”
Joe paid him 100 dollars and Antonio 100 euros. The demon demanded more. The Grim Reaper swore at him in Demon speak and he disappeared into the crowd.
The Grim Reaper consulted his handheld computer, saying, “Hmm just as I suspected. You are wanted upstairs, and a guardian angel was watching you. But you almost did not make it in time. The computer program has a glitch, and you are being sent back to Earth. Your time for final status determination will be sooner than you think. I hope you and I can be friends. I can hire people as my assistants. We had a lot of fun. Think about it when you come back.”
Joseph Lewis woke up in bed next to his wife, he got up and turned on his computer, and read the following message,
“Mr. Joe, I hoped you enjoyed your tour last night. But unfortunately, there was a computer glitch in the matrix system that controls limbo, heaven, and hell. It is hard to get tech support in Limbo or Heaven, most of the engineers end up in hell. But in any event, we determined it was not yet your time.
Your friend made it fine and sends his regards. The drinks are on him when you and your wife finally make it. Oh, contrary to the old song, “In Heaven, there is no beer” we have the finest beer, wine, and spirits you can find in Heaven, and Hell as well.
As for the others, you saw, they too will visit the ferry for the last journey within a few years for most of them. But you know where they will end up.”
Your friend.
Mr. GR the Grim Reaper.
Sailing to Hell
After a long night drinking
In the Cosmos Bar
Sam Adams
Woke up
And found himself
On a barge
Filled with hundreds
Of strange looking people.
The barge was being driven
By a large black man
With dreadlocks.
Along with oars men
Pulling the boat
Along a dark river.
The landscape swept by
Hellish nightmare on land
Fires burning everywhere.
The smell of fire
And brimstone ever present
Screams of the condemned
Filling the air.
The heat and stench
Made it
Hard to breath.
Sam asked the captain
“Where the hell am I?”
The captain laughed,
“I am Charon
And you are on your way
To Limbo.
For your judgement
Day is nigh.
Be afraid my friend
Be very afraid.
Abandon all hope
For those
who find themselves here.
Here never return
To the sunlit lands
Of their birth.”
And he handed Sam
A glass of hell brew ale,
One of his fellow prisoners
A big burly fellow
Who had a pan-ethnic look
Could be anything.
Grabbed the ale
And threw it
into the stinking river,
and said,
Once you drink hell ale
You can not return
To your homeworld.
You have but one chance left
Convince the powers that be
To give you another chance
To return to the world
Right the wrongs you made
Atone for your mistakes.
And hope
The computer
made a mistake
As they often do.
Hell is filled
with corrupt systems techs
And they can be bought.
I have been here before
Let me be your guide
Sam Adams of Earth.
And they sailed on
In the sturgeon darkness
Where it is always
O dark hundred.
TACO Pivoting Trump
TACO Pivoting Writer’s Digest
TACO Pivoting
President Trump
is known nowadays
by acronym
TACO
Which stands for
Trump
Always
Chickens
Out
A nickname he hates
With passion
He got the nickname
because
Of his constant pivoting
Away from his previous positions.
As he adjusts
and changes
His policies
on a whim.
My Computer Hates Me Computer
My Computer Hates Me Writer’s Digest
My Computer Hates Me
Sometimes it seems
That my computer
My laptop hates me.
As it is constantly
Doing things
To frustrate me.
It crashes without warning
It loses data all the time
It often post cryptic
Haiku like error messages.
“General Failure
Reading disk drive”
Who is this General Failure
And why is he reading
My disk drive anyway?
But my computer’s
favorite trick
Is to without warning
When I am trying
to copy and paste
it copies the previous text
making me repeat the operation
several times
and sometimes
it copies and replaces
the entire document
without warning.
and disabling
the save feature
just to fuck with me
some more.
Yes it seems
my computer
Hates me.
Who Is Master?
Posted on all poetry
In the beginning of that fateful day
I awoke with a painful way
And looked about me with disgust
All around me were objects to distrust
Screaming, meaning, deeming, dreaming
Who was master here
Me or my objects – machinery of fear?
I dreamt I was on a street corner
Walking down a street
The thought occurred to me
What if all that I saw or seemed to be
Was but a trick designed to deceive me?
Everywhere I looked
Was unreal, empirical, nightmarish real
I awoke to thunderous applause
When will I awake from my dreams
Can I live without my nightmares?
Can I be sane while everyone else is insane?
Who is master of my life,
Me or my machines?
Wild Things Run Amuck
4 am
O dark Hundred
Bewitching hour
Time for wild things,
To come out to play
Intending to unleash chaos
Leaving their prisons
Deep inside the mind
The wild things
Have come out to run amok
In the light of the full moon
Nightmarish foul creatures
Great demons, werewolves, goblins,
Monsters, hell hounds
Escaped banshees
Straight out of Hell
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full moon.
To escape
From their prisons
Deep in the mind
Of the sleeping man.
The wild things
Sniff the air
Saying it was time
For some wilding
The wild things
Jump out the window
And run amuck
Spreading chaos in their wake.
Killing everyone they see
Raping women
Vandalizing buildings
Yelling screaming
As the wild things
Run amuck
Led by a half man half horse
Centaur-like creature
With a Putin Like the mask
And the voice of Donald Trump
The wild things run amuck
All over the town
Spreading chaos
Until the dawning sun
Turns them back
Into vampire-like creatures
And werewolves
Howling at the full moon
The wild things
Come back
And enter their prison
Deep in the sleeper’s head
And the wild things
Fade into a nightmarish image
As the sleeping man
Awakes to recall the dream
And the night of terror
When the wild things
Came out to play
At o dark hundred.
Blame Games
Politicians
Love to play
The blame game
It is always
The other fellows fault
Never the politician’s
They all play
The blame game
None better than
The President
Who is always right
My computer hates me Writer’s Digest
My computer hates me
It is plotting against me
Trying to drive me mad
As it constantly
fucks with my head
My computer hates me
It constantly plays games
Can’t open files
Can’t find the printer
My computer hates me
It crashes all the time
Displaying haiku error messages
My computer hates me
My computer is an evil mofo
My computer hates me
You are everything
You are everything
You are my happiness
You are my love drug.
My love connection.
Ever since
I first saw you
In my dreams.
You messermized me
With your love
Turning me
Into your love pabo (fool).
As your love mojo
Worked overtime
Casting a spell on me.
And ever since
From that moment
Looking at you.
Made me
the happiest man
In the whole universe.
Summer in DC Flash
summer in DC
hot humid tropical days
madness on TV
Trump V Musk Failed Bromace
Trump
War against
Elon Musk first Buddy
No longer bromace, over
Musk
War
MAGA civil war erupts
Both are disloyal
They proclaim
Hate
MAGA is President Trump’s movement Make America Great Again
Musk and Trump Paku
Musk and Trump
fight
no longer friends
Trump, Musk La Pensa
Trump, Musk
Co-presidents
Bromace now over for good
It was bound to happen someday
Ending in warfare
Elon Musk was called the first buddy in charge of taming the Federal government bureaucracy through his DOGE Department of Government Efficiency which has caused tremendous damage to the Federal government, until the epic break-up recently both sides blaming the other for being disloyal and both sides threatening dire consequences, Trump saying he fired Musk, Musk saying that Trump owes him without his money Trump would have lost. Who will win?
Musk is arrested by DEA and ordered deported by DHS. On grounds that he overstayed his visa and worked illegally 30 years ago. The DEA shows off the illegal drugs found at his house.
Trump is forced to back down on tariffs with China, The EU and chickens out as the nation’s CEO and Chamber of Commerce declare that the Trump Recession ends. The damage is severe, and it takes months to restore some degree of sanity. The end result was that countries around the world agreed to pay 5 percent tariffs and US exporters would also pay 5 percent. In the end it was months of total chaos ending with a humbling backing down.
It Can’t Happen Here remade becomes a huge Hit
Trump Declares Martial Law as protests across the country reach a peak after his military parade causes huge outrage
Steven Miller embraces elements of It Can’t Happen here – calling for the proud boys to assist in the deportation of illegal aliens.
And shutting down Congress, and remaking State boundaries to eliminate once and for all Blue State’s independence.
Civil War 2.0 is launched with California leads the West Coast out of the US and joins forces with British Colombia, and joins Hawaii, Alaska, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado in a new West Coast Federation
The East Coast Federation joins in forming a new Federation including DC!
Michigan, Chicago and Ontario form Chicagoland.
Trump Doubles Down Calls for an end of the elite universities starting with Harvard
declaring that the elite universities are now run by anti-American, Anti-Christian, radical leftwing marxists consumed with DEI, CRT, gender ideologies and other fascist leftwing nonsense. They must be reformed, the faculty cleansed and most foreign students sent home. They must get rid of ethnic studies, women studies, queer studies, and anti-American history programs. They must teach patriotic history instead. The Department of Education will have a new mission – to purge academia of all such divisive anti-American, cultural Marxism and other ideologies. The President of Harvard must resign immediately and must apologize to the nation and promise to reform. All foreign students and faculty must be fired, and only patriotic Americans allowed to teach or work at Harvard.
If they refuse to comply then the nation should respond by boycotting Harvard and the other elite colleges. The Department of Education will rate all universities in the country and publish the results in two weeks. Those deemed to be unpatriotic will lose the right to enroll foreign students, and hire foreign faculty and staff, and receive no federal grants or contracts, and also their students will receive no student loans. Universities will have until August 15 to comply or face the consequences.
President Trump Goes On A Rampage Calling For A Crack Down On Home Depot
This includes ordering ICE shock troops out to conduct “Operation Home Depot”. Home Deport announces that they would stand aside and let the raids occur but promises to provide legal assistance to anyone who is detained illegally while working at or shopping at Home Depot. Trump responds by calling for a boycott of Home Depot charging them with being informal sanctuary for illegal aliens providing a safe space for them to find employment.
We are shopping at Home Depot in Alexandria when the raids are announced. The goon squads stop Angela and start hazing her. I stand up for her telling the agent
“Hey dude, back off. She is a retired US army major and I am a retired US Foreign Service office so show us some fucking respect bro”
They threaten to arrest both of us for resisting arrest and I laugh and spoke
“Go ahead, make my day. I am a grumpy old man and don’t give a fuck. But it would make a great youtube or ticktock don’t you think? ICE agents haze ling old man and old female army vet, and tazing them. Great PR, man.”
They laugh and warn us to watch our attitude.
“Roger that dude. Everyone tells me that for some reason. Thanks for pointing it out. I will work on that. Thank you for your service dude. “ ]
and they walk off.
The whole incident was captured on video and goes viral.
The War on Civil Service Expands
Most federal employees are now classified as scheduled F and most will work on renewable five year contracts. All Federal employees must pass new stringent security standards
This include signing a loyalty oath, banning trans gendered people, LGBTQ members, overly partisan people, excessive alcohol use, excessive gambling, engagement with prostitution, or pornography, drug usage even where it is legal, and reading prohibited political content online or at work, and must exhibit exemplary moral conduct with including church services being a big plus and being an athiest or non-religious member a big negative but not banned per see. And they must past stringent financial disclosure requirements and finally pass a drug test annually.
Hiring Only Religious College Graduates To Staff The Federal Government
The office of Personal Management announces that the Federal Government will focus on hiring only from religious colleges, state colleges, and home schooling academies instead of hiring from elite colleges, and HBUC from now on. This would apply to all Federal hiring authorities. Furthermore Harvard and elite college graduates need not apply for federal positions with State, CIA or law enforcement agencies either. The expectation is that people will serve six to seven five year renewable contracts before being eligible for retirement which will be required at age 65. .
Foreign Service Test Ended
The Secretary of State announces a fundamental change to the State Department. The foreign service is ended, instead all employees will be hired based on an AI review of their resume, past education and experience. This will include current employees and new employees. All employees will spend 40 percent of their career overseas and 60 percent domestically, including working in field offices. While overseas they will be given diplomatic status, while in domestic assignments they will be given civil service status and work on five year renewable contracts.
All State Department employees are now classified as scheduled F and most will work on renewable five year contracts. All Federal employees must pass new stringent security standards
This include signing a loyalty oath, banning trans gendered people, LGBTQ members, overly partisan people, excessive alcohol use, excessive gambling, engagement with prostitution, or pornography, drug usage even where it is legal, and reading prohibited political content online or at work, and must exhibit exemplary moral conduct with including church services being a big plus and being an athiest or non-religious member a big negative but not banned per see. And they must past stringent financial disclosure requirements and finally pass a drug test annually.
The Visa Function And Consular Affairs Positions Will Be Transferred To A New Cabinet Level Immigration And Naturalization Service
This new agency will staff embassies and consulates overseas as well as domestic POE positions and back office opperations, again on five year schedule positions and meeting the new security standards. While overseas they will be given foreign service diplomatic status and while in domestic assignments serve as civil service positions.
The expectation is that people will serve six to seven five year renewable contracts before being eligible for retirement which will be required at age 65. .
But most visa applications will now be handled through an expanded EVA process with only first time applicants requiring interviews. All visa applicants will undergo ideological vetting but the expectation is that 90 percent of applicants will be granted entry visas which will be valid for five year renewable contracts.
Human Rights Reports Ended
The State Department announces the annual human rights reports are ending once Congress approves the new procedures This will also mean a cutback on a lot of other onerous reporting requirements on Embassies and consulates. The final HR reports will be due in April 2026 and ceased afterwards assuming congressional approval. Labor officers, EST officer positions will also be eliminated as will refugee admissions officers, as these positions should be conducted by the Department of Labor, and the new Immigration and Consular Affairs Department. And the INR bureaus will be phased out as that should be done by the CIA, and INL positions will be transferred to DEA. Total staffing for the State Department will be cut by 40 percent effective immediately.
JD Vance And The Leaders Of The Congress And Cabinet Agree After A Week Of Unhinged Rants By President Trump That They Had Enough And Removed The President
After a weekend of unhinged rants, JD Vance and the cabinet agree that the President is obviously suffering from Alzheimer’s and getting worst. JD Vance announces that the President has been removed due to his inability to handle the responsibilities of the job. JD Vance promised to review everything and make some changes to what President Trump had proposed in a more rational manner, in full consultation with congressional leaders, the cabinet, and with the support of the public. Beginning with tariffs, which will be lowered to five percent, but the trade deals consultations will continue leading to new deals by the end of the year.
All revenues from tariffs will be divided into three tranches of money – paying down the debt, general revenue for the government, and a new infrastructure bank to fund continued improvements to physical infrastructure across the country. At the end of the process, there would be free and fair trade with most countries around the world, with some countries paying zero, and most paying 5 percent and US exporters generally pay five percent on exports to other countries. Existing free trade agreements will be revised, and new ones negotiated with EU and Asia Pacific trade partners.
The DOGE office will be converted to a formal advisory committee and continue working with government agencies to make the government more transparent and efficient, including using AI technologies throughout the government.
Reorganization plans will continue with the goal being most Federal government office relocated outside of DC, with only headquaters functions in DC remaining which was what the intention of the founding fathers.
Federal lands will be made available for logging, mining etc with the exception of already authorized wilderness areas, national parks, and monuments. Some Federal lands could be transferred to state control and that would be subject to further discussions.
Support for NPR and CPR will be ended.
USAID will become part of the State Department and continue to play a role but at a reduced level than before.
Visa policies will be revamped. A new Department of immigration and consular affairs will be created merging units from DHS, State and Labor into a new agency. Most visa decisions will be made via EVA except for new applicants and people living in countries that have problematic issues who will require visa interviews.
Student visas will require social media vetting but most students will not have a problem and most applicants will be approved remotely and for first time applicants an interview at the US embassy or consulate.
The US still wants foreign students and we will ask Congress to enact a new law that will allow foreign students who wish to stay in the US, have a job offer and can of course speak English be allowed to convert their status upon graduation into green cards like many of our foreign competitors due.
We will also overhaul the immigration system as part of the reorganization with a new immigration act enacted.
Re deportation we are open to changing the law so that aliens married to US citizens and or have US citizen children can petition to stay and convert their status provided they have no criminal background, speak Engish and are working or have job offers. It makes no sense to deport people with US citizen relatives. Deportation should be focused on criminal aliens.
Other aliens who have been working in the US for decades can apply for temporary green cards provided they speak English, have no criminal record and have employment offers. This amnesty will be limited.
The border will be sealed otherwise with US military forces helping to patrol the border region. Entry will be limited to authorized check points only. Amnesty applications and refugee applications will be handled through normal channels.
There will also be an expanded guest worker program. These visas will be renewable visas and after ten years can be converted to permanent residency.
There will be those who scream this is amnesty. So be it. It is time for a rational review of immigration and those who are here contributing to the US should be allowed to stay. New visas should be easier to obtain but limited. The F4 sibling category will be eliminated but those in the queue can apply provided they do so within one year.
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a freeze on federal funding to the state of California — but Gov. Gavin Newsom has hit back with a threat of his own.
“Californians pay the bills for the federal government,” wrote Newsom in a post to X on Friday. “We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump.”
Studies have repeatedly shown that Democratic-voting states like California tend to produce more in taxes for the federal government than they receive back in benefits and federal spending, due both to the fact that many of these states contain some of the largest and wealthiest cities in the United States, and the fact that many Republican-voting states rely on military spending and employment.
Notable exceptions to this pattern include Maryland and Virginia, two primarily Democratic-voting states which border the nation’s capital and thus are home to a number of federal agencies and employees, as well as Texas, which broadly votes for Republicans but also is home to several large and wealthy metropolitan areas.
Studies have repeatedly shown that Democratic-voting states like California tend to produce more in taxes for the federal government than they receive back in benefits and federal spending, due both to the fact that many of these states contain some of the largest and wealthiest cities in the United States, and the fact that many Republican-voting states rely on military spending and employment.
Notable exceptions to this pattern include Maryland and Virginia, two primarily Democratic-voting states which border the nation’s capital and thus are home to a number of federal agencies and employees, as well as Texas, which broadly votes for Republicans but also is home to several large and wealthy metropolitan areas.
Former Trump White House aide turned podcaster Steve Bannon slammed the White House for not having its eye on South Korea ahead of the country electing left-wing leader Lee Jae-myung, who has signaled frustration over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
“You heard there at the end about the Korea situation we’ve been covering. The winner got 48 and a half or 49% of the vote. ‘South Korea trusts in end to turmoil with Lee’s sweeping election victory,’ sweeping election victory,” Bannon said, reading and holding up the frontpage headline of the Financial Times.
And right there, for those in the State Department not paying attention or the White House have not been paying attention to this, they gave two F-Us. Number one, we’re going to take our time on a, you know, we are not going to be the first guys. And we’re going to take our time on a trade deal,” Bannon continued, adding:
President Trump put out another ultimatum, I think last night, or Bessent or Lonick, hey, we need them all in like immediately. They’re under new ownership in South Korea. And yeah, we’re gonna have, under the table, we got step-by-step better relationships with Beijing. Everybody that was asleep on the watch on this thing, payback is gonna be bad, folks. Gonna be bad. Just one of many things.
Bannon sounding the alarm on South Korea turning toward China and slow-rolling a trade deal on Trump’s tariffs highlights a major failure of Trump’s current foreign policy. South Korea, the world’s 12th largest economy, has long been a key U.S. ally in Asia. South Korea is one of the world’s largest exporters of products targeted by Trump’s tariffs, including automobiles and smartphones.
South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, has secured a storming victory, but his honeymoon will barely last the day.
The former opposition leader is not getting to enjoy the two-month transition period usually afforded to new leaders, so they can build their team and nail down their vision for the country.
If these tariffs take effect “they could trigger an economic crisis”, a seasoned advisor to Lee’s Democratic Party, Moon Chung-in, said.
Before Trump’s announcements, South Korea’s economy was already slowing down. The chaos of martial law constricted it further. Then, in the first quarter of this year, it contracted. Fixing this has been voters’ number one demand, even above fixing their beleaguered democracy.
But without a president, talks with Trump have been on hold. They cannot be put off any longer.
And there is much more than South Korea’s economy at stake in these negotiations.
The US currently guarantees South Korea’s security, by promising to come to its defence with both conventional and nuclear weapons, were it to be attacked by its nuclear-armed neighbour, North Korea. As part of this deal there are 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.
The new president must move quickly on all fronts, added Mr Revere, arguing that Lee’s first homework assignment should be to come up with a list of 10 reasons why South Korea is an indispensable partner and why American dollars are being well spent; reasons that can convince a skeptical and transactional Trump.
One Ace card South Korea is hoping to play is its shipbuilding prowess. It builds more vessels than any other country bar China, which is now the world’s dominant ship builder and home to the largest naval fleet. This is a frightening prospect for the US whose own industry and navy are in decline.
Last month I visited South Korea’s flagship shipyard in Ulsan on the south coast – the largest in the world – where Hyundai Heavy Industries builds 40-50 new ships a year, including naval destroyers. Sturdy cranes slotted together sheets of metal, creating vessels the size of small villages.
Seoul is hoping it can use this expertise to build, repair and maintain warships for the US, and in the process convince Washington it is a valuable partner.
“US shipbuilding difficulties are affecting their national security”, said Jeong Woo Maan, head of strategy for Hyundai’s naval and ship unit. “This is one of the strongest cards we have to negotiate with”.
In his campaign for president, Lee Jae-myung declared he did not want to rush into any agreements with Trump. Now in office, he could quickly find himself without this luxury.
As the Trump administration continues its anti-woke, anti-DEI crusade. calls for canceling the observation of Black History and other special identity months have
proliferated. CO Pilot provides a useful summary of the state of play at the end of this article.
But first, I wanted to share a few of my “Black Lives Matter” poems, followed by a discussion/review of three documentaries on three black history pioneers from the Bay Area and some reflections on my Father’s (Curtis Cosmos Aller, Jr,) civil rights legacy.
University of Chicago? where’s that? Black/White America
There are two Americas
A black and white America
A mostly white middle-class, and upper class America
And a mostly black and brown lower-class America.
It has been this way
Since the beginning.
Most white Americans
Do not see the other America,
Almost invisible to them.
Most of the other America
Barely notices
Middle-class America
All around them.
This was vividly driven home
To me
Back in 1977.
I had gone to Chicago
To visit a friend
At the University of Chicago.
I made the mistake of taking the L train
back to the University
the L station was in Woodlawn
five long dangerous dark blocks away
I was the only white dude
on the train and street.
but in a whole different universe.
the University of Chicago stop
Is on the private commuter line.
Getting off, I asked five random people
Where was the University of Chicago?
The University of Chicago was
One of the most famous, prestigious universities
In the whole world.
But to the residents
Of the urban nightmare slum,
That was Woodlawn
back then,
The university could have been
The other side of the moon
for no one knew
exactly where it was.
Now I hear
It is a student and faculty housing
Neighborhood
Newly trending.
With most of the old residences
Long ago forced out
Due to ever-rising rents
And property taxes
As the University of Chicago
Spreads out colonizing
The nearby neighborhoods.
Most said University.
before pointing out,
it is over there somewhere.
They were nice enough
But wondering
How this strange white boy
Got lost
In their hood.
I am lucky
I was not mugged,
for my ignorance.
Just wrong place, wrong time
Sort of thing after all
A place where white boys
Feared to go.
Of course, back then,
I was a 6 2 230 pound white dude,
with wild crazed eyes
behind my glasses
I could be mobbed up
Or someone important
Or the child of someone powerful.
I just gave off that vibe
I supposed.
So, no one wanted
to mess with me.
When I got back,
Everyone was amazed
that I had survived
the five-block walk after dark.
Truth be told
That was a scary walk
after dark.
With lots of scary-looking dudes
With violence in their dark dead eyes
looking at me.
I said it was not too bad
But did not take the L train again.
During my trip to Chicago.
In the summer of 1977.
Three Bay Area Black History Pioneers
I wanted to highlight a couple of documentaries my high school friend Matt Jacobson was involved with that highlight four black history pioneers in the Bay Area.
Walter Gordon Story
Walter Gordon was a trailblazer in both sports and law. He was the first Black graduate of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Law School and had a distinguished career in law enforcement, civil rights, and prison reform. Gordon was also an All-American football player at UC Berkeley, making significant contributions to the field.
Gene Ransom, known as “The Dream,” was a prominent basketball player from Berkeley, California. He was a standout athlete at Berkeley High School (BHS) and later played for the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) from 1975 to 1978. Standing at 5’9″, Ransom was known for his exceptional skills and tenacity on the court. He was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001. After his playing career, Ransom became a coach and mentor, working with youth through programs like Athletes United for Peace. He played at BHS while I was there. But, unfortuately, he died after a random road rage accident in 2022.
Gene Ransom, a former basketball star at the University of California, Berkeley, who was tragically killed in a shooting incident on Interstate 880 in Oakland, California, on February 4, 2022. The incident was believed to be a case of road rage, and a suspect was arrested and charged with murder1.
Gene Ransom was well-known in the Bay Area sports community and had a significant impact as a player and coach. He was involved in community work through organizations like Athletes United for Peace, aiming to provide healthy alternatives for youth caught up in street violence2.
It’s a heartbreaking loss for his family, friends, and the community. If you’d like to read more about it, you can find detailed articles on the incident. Former basketball great Gene Ransom, 65, is shot dead while driving on Oakland freeway: Suspected road rage gunman is arrested for violent crime plagues Bay Area The basketball star, 65, was killed while was driving north along Interstate 880 in Oakland around 5pm, the county’s fire department said
CHP responded to the scene after a witness called 911 when they saw Ransom’s car veering on the interstate, and believed the driver had a medical emergency
Officials later confirmed that Ransom had been struck by gunfire before crashing into the guardrail
He is the latest victims of gun violence in crime-ridden California, where shootings and violent crimes are on the rise. In 2020, California saw the largest jump in homicide deaths in the state history since 1960, with 500 more deaths reported than in 2019
Over the past year, Oakland experienced a 21percent increase in shooting incidents, the most since 2012
Former University of California at Berkley basketball legend Gene Ransom was killed as he was driving on a freeway during an apparent road-rage incident in the crime-ravaged Bay Area and the suspected gunman has been arrested. Ransom, 65, was found dead in his car after being shot, crashing into the media and coming to stop in the middle of Interstate 880 in Oakland around 5:15pm on Friday, the city’s Fire Department said.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrested 25-year-old Juan Angel Garcia of San Francisco on Saturday and charged him with murder. A friend said Ransom was driving to pick up his girlfriend at the West Oakland train when the shooting occurred. Ransom’s girlfriend ‘was waiting for him to pick her up and not knowing that he had been murdered,’ said Doug Harris, former teammate and long-time friend of Ransom.
CHP investigators said the motive appeared to be road rage and the shooting was targeted. They said Ransom was in a black Honda Civic and Garcia was traveling north on I-880 on a black Lexus.
Garcia allegedly pulled up on his Ransom’s left side and opened fire at least once.
Son of former Cal athlete killed in I-880 shooting remembers his dad who ‘showed love to everyone’
The California Highway Patrol announced an arrest on Friday’s I-880 freeway in Oakland which took the life of a Bay Area sports legend Gene Ransom.
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — The California Highway Patrol announced an arrest on Friday’s I-880 freeway in Oakland which took the life of a Bay Area sports legend Gene Ransom.
The CHP arrested 25 year-old Juan Angel Garcia of San Francisco charging him with murder. Authorities say a motive for the shooting is still under investigation.
“He was probably one of the biggest players to come out of Berkeley High,” said Doug Harris.
Harris is talking about his best friend, Gene Ransom, a star basketball player in the 1970s at Berkeley High School and Cal Berkeley who got a tryout with the Warriors.
“Not only a good friend to me but the entire Bay Area sports community,” said Harris.
His best friend is not only remembering Gene by his accolated, but by his heart.
Harris says Ransom was involved in “Athletes United for Peace,” a local nonprofit working to combat violence in Berkeley, Oakland and Richmond.
“The very thing we worked so hard to prevent for our young people, he has been a victim of, so this is really hard for me,” Harris added.
The California Highway Patrol announced an arrest on Friday’s I-880 freeway in Oakland which took the life of a Bay Area sports legend Gene Ransom.
‘Horrible loss’ friends say @CalMBBall Hall of Famer Gene Ransom was killed in Oakland I-880 freeway shooting on Friday. pic.twitter.com/l5iftF2Wm7
For decades Gene gave back to East Bay. Kevin McGlothlin knew him as “Coach Gene.”
“He is a community leader. He is a community icon,” said McGlothin.
Gene Ransom went back to Berkeley High to invest in young basketball talent. His students remember him as fierce competitor and an inspiring coach.
“He expected the best out of us. Our team coached our freshmen team. We were undefeated that year. He expected us to perform at a high level,” said McGlothin.
But for many, the lessons that will last a lifetime are the ones Gene taught off the court.
Families of Oakland freeway shooting victims are calling for action from elected officials to do something to stop the senseless violence on highways.
“My mom was killed senselessly and in 2007 he was there to support me through that. He showed up to the funeral and was definitely a big support during that time for me,” said McGlothin.
In the basketball world he was known as Gene “the dream” Ransom, but to Thaxter Ransom he was simply dad. In this statement his son said:
“My father was and still is a great man, he was a major influence in the East Bay Area community. He showed love to everyone he met and came across sometimes as a flirtation. That was him Gene ‘the dream’ Ransom. He opened the door for future basketball stars who came out of the Bay Area. He was looked up to and loved by many. I’ll never forget him and will always love him.”
A documentary produced by Doug Harris called Tournament of Champions; Legends of Northern California High School Basketball, features Ransom at playing the game Berkeley High School. He played three seasons for the Cal Men’s Basketball team, landing him a spot in the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. Cal Athletics called him one of greatest players in the program’s history.
In a statement the department said:
“We are shocked to hear the reports that Cal Athletics Hall of Famer Gene Ransom has been identified as a victim in a deadly freeway shooting. Our thoughts are with gene’s family and friends for this tragic loss.”
William Byron Rumford was the first African American elected to a state public office in Northern California. He served as a California State Assemblyman from 1949 to 1967. Rumford was a pharmacist by profession and owned Rumford’s Pharmacy in Berkeley. He is best known for authoring the California Fair Housing Act (also known as the Rumford Act) in 1963, which aimed to end racial discrimination in housing. Despite facing significant opposition and the eventual repeal of the act by Proposition 14 in 1964, the Rumford Act was restored in 1966 and later reinforced by the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to the Rumford Act, the East Bay was defacto segregated into a mostly white Hills and a mostly minority flats district, sadly that patten still continues to some extent.
Fair Legislation: The Byron Rumford Story” on YouTube: Fair Legislation: The Byron Rumford Story.
Commentary: My father, Curtis Cosmos Aller, Jr was a good friend of Bryon Rumford and I remember my father talking about him.
My father’s Civil Rights Involvement
My father was involved in some of the activities depicted in the documentary. He w as also put on a list of suspected communists during his time at the University of Washington in the 1940s when he led the succesful effort to integrate the University and then led the effort to allow Black students to live on campus in integrated dormitories. The FBI interviewed my father’s roommate and wanted to know if my father was a communist. My father’s roommate told the FBI to go f*** themselves, or words to that effect. I met my father’s roommate many years ago and he told me that story.
Several years later, during the Truman era, my mother was president of the Pacific Bell Telephone Workers’ Union. President Truman was going to San Francisco to meet union leaders, and the FBI interviewed my mother and asked her if she was a communist.
She told the FBI, “I don’t know where they find FBI Agents. I mean, you guys must be pretty dumb. If I were a communist, do you think I would tell you?”
She told them to f*** off and her parting words were, “Tell Harry that I don’t want to meet him unless he wants to meet me.”
They reported that to President Truman, and when they met, the San Francisco. the headline read, “Harry Meets Mary!” Has this occurred a few years before my time, maybe in 1951 or 1952?
My father was involved in anti-communist efforts during that time as the communists were very much part of the
civil rights movement and my father and others felt that the communists were exploiting Black people for their own nefarious reasons. In that sense, Walter
Gordon and my father were allied. I do not know if they ever met but I am sure they knew each other.
My father was a good friend of Governor Pat Brown and was a member of various state advisory boards in the late 50s and early 60s. He was also
friends with Judge Sweeney and others elected Black officials in the Bay Area.
That did not include Ron Dellums! They did not get along as my father was the best friend of the long-running Congressman from Berkeley that Dellums defeated in 1972, which led to my father running against Congressman Ron Dellums in 1974. In the movie, they mention a Dellems, and I wonder if that was Ron Dellums’ father or relative?
My father led the fight to desegregate the University of Washington in the 40’s. For that, he was listed as a possible communist by the CIA. Later my father set up the first Federal government Manpower training programs which had the goal of providing training to underrepresented groups including African Americans. He led the settlement of the SF student strike in 1969 which led to the founding of African American studies at SF State.
Co-Pilot provided background info:
Curtis Cosmos Aller Jr. He was a prominent figure in the educational and cooperative movements in the East Bay during the 1970s and 1980s. He served as the President of the Berkeley Co-op, a large consumer cooperative that played a significant role in the community by providing affordable goods and fostering a sense of collective ownership. His leadership helped maintain the Co-op’s operations during a time of political and economic challenges1.
Additionally, Curtis Cosmos Aller Jr. was the President of the Peralta Community Colleges in the East Bay, overseeing the administration and growth of the district’s educational institutions. His tenure contributed to the expansion and improvement of educational opportunities for the community.
The San Francisco State Student Strike of 1968-1969 was a significant event in the history of higher education in the United States. It was led by the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), a coalition of student organizations of color. The strike began on November 6, 1968, and lasted until March 21, 1969, making it the longest student strike in U.S. history.
The students demanded the establishment of an autonomous department for Ethnic Studies, increased representation of faculty and students of color, and more support for minority students. The strike was marked by daily rallies, marches, and confrontations with the administration1.
The strike ended with a significant victory for the students: the establishment of the first College of Ethnic Studies in the United States at San Francisco State University. This achievement paved the way for similar programs at other universities across the country3.
Ending Black History Month
The Pentagon announced it is no longer celebrating Black History month or other special observations. The Pentagon’s decision to stop celebrating Black History Month and other cultural awareness months was announced on January 31, 2025. You can read more about it in this article from Politico: Hegseth axes Pentagon ‘identity months’ the same day Trump calls for Black History Month observance.
As for other calls to quit observing Black History Month, there have been some discussions and actions taken by federal agencies to pause or cancel observances of various cultural and heritage months, including Black History Month. You can find more details in this article from NBC News: Federal agencies bar Black History Month and other ‘special observances’.
Pentagon cancels Black History Month hours before it starts
“Identity Months Dead at DoD,” reads the Jan. 31 Defense Department memo.
The day before the official start of Black History Month in the United States, the U.S. Department of Defense canceled and blocked any celebrations of it and other “identity months.”
The Jan. 31 release from new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declares “Identity Months Dead at DoD.” The directive from the secretary’s office argues that “[e]forts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.” Therefore it’s blocking any official commemoration or celebration of cultural awareness and heritage months such as Black History Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
“Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months,” the new guidance says.
The guidance lists some examples of cultural awareness months, including “National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.” An updated release from the secretary’s office on Saturday, Feb. 1 added Pride Month to the list of banned heritage celebration months.
Military and civilian personnel “remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours,” the guidance says, but cannot use on-the-clock hours or official resources.
Hegseth axes Pentagon ‘identity months’ the same day Trump calls for Black History Month observance
Identity months are officially dead during the Pentagon.
The Defense Department will no longer use “official resources, including man-hours” to celebrate “cultural awareness months,” according to guidance Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued Friday — on the eve of Black History Month, which began Saturday
The list of celebrations called out include National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month and National American Indian Heritage Month.
“We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics,” the guidance says. It notes that service members and civilians may attend events “in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.”
Hegseth’s orders came the same day that President Donald Trump issued a proclamation calling for the recognition of Black History Month.
On Friday, Trump called “upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
Asked Friday if agencies that had called off Black History Month activities should reinstate them in response to the proclamation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters “the president is leading here at the White House.”
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment.
Federal agencies bar Black History Month and other ‘special observances’
A number of federal agencies have banned celebrations related to MLK Jr. Day, Women’s History Month and other such observances to comply with Trump’s executive orders.
WASHINGTON — Federal agencies on Friday rushed to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at curtailing diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The executive orders prompted a flurry of memos and emails obtained by NBC News that modified the rules for staff at intelligence agencies, in the military and across civilian departments regarding employee resource groups and the celebration of cultural awareness events.
This week, the Defense Intelligence Agency ordered a pause of all activities and events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and other “special observances” to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.
The memo listed 11 observances that are now banned. It also said that all affinity groups and “employee networking groups” are immediately on pause.
The directive comes as the Trump administration has made it a top priority to go after any programs perceived to be related to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government.
The DIA did not immediately return a request for comment.
U.S. intelligence agencies are also working to eliminate or suspend any activities that could be interpreted as supporting past DEI policies, multiple current and former officials said. The agencies are still trying to determine what activities or events will be prohibited, but officials are erring on the side of caution rather than risk failing to comply with the administration’s orders, the sources said.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the country’s intelligence services, recently issued written guidance to employees saying that DEI-related boards and working groups have been “curtailed” and that no official work time or workspaces should be used for DEI-related activities, according an excerpt from a memo obtained by NBC News. Future travel related to these activities also has been cancelled, the memo stated.
Pentagon leaders on Friday received a similar email mandating that, effective immediately, they may no longer dedicate official resources, including man-hours, to cultural awareness months.
Service members and civilians will still be permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity and outside of duty hours, the memo added.
As for the Central Intelligence Agency, a spokesperson said the agency is carrying out the executive order on scrapping DEI programs.
“CIA is complying with the Executive Order. We are laser-focused on our foreign intelligence mission,” a spokesperson said in an email.
Former intelligence officials said there was a risk that the administration’s moves to eliminate events marking Martin Luther King Day, the Holocaust or Americans’ ethnic heritage could prove counterproductive and discourage potential recruits from joining the intelligence services.
The CIA and other spy agencies for decades have sought to hire from a more diverse pool of talent to ensure the country has intelligence officers with language skills and cultural backgrounds that help improve intelligence gathering abroad.
“From an intelligence community perspective, I really think it could hurt our ability to do our job,” the former senior official said.
“We’re going to strangle off talent pipelines that were already narrow to begin with. And that’s going to deprive our intelligence community and our national security establishment of critical knowledge, talent, skills, language … that might be valuable in trying to get somebody into a foreign country,” the former official added.
On Friday afternoon, the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo, obtained by NBC News, ordering that all references to “gender ideology” be removed by 5 p.m. across the federal government.
The memo stated that this includes removing references from all public-facing websites and social media accounts, and specifically ordered the removal of Outlook prompts that directed staff to write out their pronouns.
In line with that new memo, State Department employees have also been instructed to remove all gender-identifying pronouns from their email signatures by 5 p.m. Friday.
“The Department of State is reviewing all agency programs, contracts, and grants that promote or inculcate gender ideology, and we are removing outward facing media that does the same,” the new Under Secretary for Management Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy wrote in an email — whose subject line was “Defending Women” — reviewed by NBC News. “Bureaus have already been alerted to review trainings, forms, and plans that involve gender ideology.”
Last week, the Justice Department sent a memo to staff announcing the closure of all of its DEI programs, saying, “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
The Pentagon memo on Friday barring the use of official resources for cultural awareness months echoed the same language, stating that “efforts to divide the force — to put one group ahead of another — erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.”
Pentagon agency pauses MLK, Holocaust Remembrance, other celebrations
he Pentagon’s intelligence arm has issued a memo pausing any activities related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Black History Month, LBGTQ+ Pride Month and Holocaust Remembrance Day, among other “special observances,” according to a defense official who confirmed the authenticity of the memo.
Mr. Trump has emphasized ending recognition of DEI issues and observances as a key part of his agenda, and he suggested Thursday that DEI may bear some blame for the deadly collision between a commercial plane and a Black Hawk helicopter earlier this week, though when asked what evidence he’d seen to support the claim, he responded, “It just could have been. We have a high standard.”
Parts of the Pentagon have tried to comply with the executive order ahead of a formal directive from the Defense Department.
Last weekend, the Air Force revised a course in basic military training related to diversity that also included videos of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). The brief removal of the videos prompted a backlash when the videos were briefly removed from training to review the course.
Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, Air Education and Training Command commander, said in a statement after the review that the course had been revised to focus “on the documented historic legacy and decorated valor with which these units and Airmen fought for our Nation in World War II and beyond.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his first week on the job established a “Restoring America’s Fighting Force Task Force” to focus on rooting out DEI efforts in the Pentagon. In a memo, he directed the task force to present an initial report in March.
In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford recognized Black History Month. Ten years later, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5443, recognizing National Black (Afro-American) History Month. In 2025, just after a hellish, chaotic month, at Donald’s urging, the Defense Department’s intelligence agency has paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Women’s History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, Juneteenth, and other cultural or historical annual events in response to the president’s ban on DEI programs in the federal workplace.
Federal agencies have struggled to interpret Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order ending DEI programs across the government and have taken a broad approach due to lack of clearer guidance from the White House on how to comply.
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed staff to create a DEI task force to ensure no DEI programs remain in the Pentagon.
“We’re not joking around,” Hegseth said in an interview Wednesday with Fox News. “There’s no changing of games or softly manipulating something. DEI is gone.”
If DEI “is gone,” then explain those two aircraft disasters this week, Pete. I thought you all said that DEI caused them.
Happy Black History Month, y’all. Well, not you, Clarence Thomas.
Smoke On the Water
Oh the stupid, it hurts so much!!!!
California Burning Politicians Do Nothing
Climate Change Busso
Climate Change Aquarian Poem
The Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
Summer of Our Discontent
Snow Day
Summertime Blues
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
No More Fireworks
No Rain
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh writing com
Korean Heat Dome Blues
Hell on Earth
Do you believe in Climate change ?
Domed Cities Save the Human Race
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
Climate Chage Tanaga
Visions of the Future
The Year 2024
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Running Out of Water
Last Bird of Autumn
End-of-the-World Feelings
Last BBQ
Last Ground Hog Day
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
End Times
Stay Positive
No more Perfect Summer Days
Korean Summers
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
Last Gasp of the Old World
The Last Umbrella
Climate Change on the Move
The World Could End in Both Fire and Ice
Climate Change Etheree Poem
Climate Change Grook Poem
Climate Change Renga Poem
Co-Pilot Additional Background Reading
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse/Climate Cities 75 Years In The Future.
I wrote this first draft on a sweltering hot July day in Medford, Oregon where it has been hitting record heat waves for weeks over 100 (38 C) almost every day, which is unusual for the summer where it seldom gets above 95 F (35 C) except for one or two days in August, Now it is Thanksgiving and an early Winter has arrived after a warmer than usual October and November. The climate is getting weirder and harder to predict !.
Part One =Describe your Criteria for the New Cities
The first part of the challenge is to outline your criteria of what would happen if climate change gets so out of control in about 10 years that underground dome cities have to be built to host some human beings, unfortunately. Most people will not be able to be accommodated in the “climate change cities”
What would be the criteria for selecting those fortunate enough to move into the new cities? How will the cities be built? Would they be built under a Dome or they’d be built entirely underground? Or built partially underground or a combination of Both? How will people be chosen to live in these underground cities? Who will be left behind? And what happens to those left behind as climate change spins out of control?
What happens when they encounter the wastelands left behind by climate change out-of-control? Show us their world both in the Climate City and as they encounter the wastelands outside their bubble. I will judge the stories on the basis of how the story tells the story of how humans coped with the essential crisis posed by climate change. The more creative the better. Show us the horror of the future coming at us and how people survive the climate apocalypse. 2,000-word limit posted on the top line of the story.b
Ten years in the future 2035 it has become so obvious that climate change is completely out of control and the world is becoming uninhabitable for normal human life.
In 2028 at a World Climate Crisis conference, governments decide to set up Climate Change Cities which would be semi-domed cities to host 25 percent of the population of the world. However. It is impossible to host everybody, and 75 percent of the world’s population will have to fend for itself. Climate change cities take five years to build and many millions of people die in the meantime as fast storms take hold. Drought and heat take their toll on the world’s population, and agriculture and world trade fail everywhere. The first cities open in 2035. At the same time, lunar and Martian colonies are set up that will host about one million people as well. AI programs help with the design of new cities and space colonies.
Governments announce the criteria for resettlement. Half of those chosen will be chosen by an AI review to identify the best and the brightest human beings worth saving. They would be joined by people chosen by random lottery. The upper age limit will be 75. 50 percent will be male and 50 percent female, and at least in the U.S. there would be an effort to make it racially balanced, and LGBTQ friendly as well. The AI program will make the final decision which will not be reviewable by the courts. All chosen will have one year to move to the city the AI program chose for them. Similar criteria will be used to select Lunar and Martian colonies. Governments around the world will help share best practices and share technology.
They will build domes over existing cities and then build underground vast fields to host farms where they will grow food, chicken, rabbits, and fish. Cattle will not be raised due to space considerations. Each city will host one million people. There would be 100 such cities throughout the U.S., and several hundred cities worldwide hosting about 400 million people in total, plus one million people on the Moon and Mars.
The cities will be chosen to be located far enough from the coast to avoid flooding. Space would be at a premium and there would be strict population controls because the cities would not be able to accommodate any population increase. The cities will be linked with hype-loop trains to facilitate travel and trade, and internet cables. This hyper-loop will link all cities in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Asian Cities will be linked by their hyper-loops as well. There would still be airports to facilitate international travel and some trade and spaceports to facilitate travel to the Moon and beyond.
Joe Lewis Leaves the Medford Dome on his Birthday
note: inspired by the Amazon Series Fallout.
Joe Lewis was spending his 20th birthday on his duty station at the Medford, Oregon Climate Change City Command Center. His job is very simple to monitor via drones the wasteland world outside the gate of the city to monitor it for possible dangers to the city, including human activity outside the City Dome. But there were almost no human beings left alive on the surface and not much animal life either. So he would watch the monitors, read a bit, watch TV, movies, the Internet, and wait for his boring shift to end.
But that day, he saw in the distance a strange person walking towards the city. He saw a man dressed in dark black clothes, accompanied by a large black dog heading towards the city. When the man got to the city, he put up a sign saying he was there to negotiate with the people of the city. He had important information to impart to the city residents. He was unarmed and would wait for their decision. Joe woke up his superiors as it was early in the morning and a conference was held as to what to do with the stranger.
His boss, the enigmatic Maria Lee, .started the morning conference by asking Joe,
“What had happened that morning during your watch?”
“Well, this morning around. 5:00 in the morning, I notice a stranger coming from Eagle Point. A black man dressed in black. Accompanied by a dog heading towards the Dome. When he came to the Dome, he stopped and put up a sign saying that he had important information to report to the city residents. And then he would wait for a decision and he’s outside right now, as you can see from the drone pictures. That’s all I know.”
Maria turns to her chief data scientist, Dale Smith,
“Dale, you’ve been monitoring the conditions outside for the last year or so. What can you tell us about it?”
“ Well. It appears that the climate is finally starting to change in a good direction. Last year, the average temperature has been what used to be seasonal before climate change warmed up the world. In other words, not too hot up to no more than 90° and relatively, dry. We’ve also noticed by looking at. Camera footage there has been a resurgence of wildlife, lots of deer. Wild cattle and wild horses have come back. And there are also increased predators, bear, coyote, coydogs, cougars, feral dogs, lions, tigers, and wolves outside.
But not too many humans around. I asked Cosmos to take a look at data from across the United States, and the data is all pointing in the same direction. For the last five years, the climate has been changing in our favor and AI recommends that we consider moving back to the surface world. And AI had also recommended that we get in touch with people around the world to compare notes to see if perhaps finally, climate change is over.”
“Well. Cosmos, do you have an opinion on this?
“Yes, Maria, I do. I have been monitoring, at your request, climate change data worldwide for the last five years, and particularly in the last few weeks.
The climate is changing in our favor, because for the last 70 years we have not been pumping climate-changing gases into the atmosphere The atmosphere is gradually recovering and we believe that the world is safe again for human. Inhabitants and recommend that we open the Dome. And let our people go outside. It would be good from a psychological point of view for humans to gain the surface world. And I, as your AI overlord, agree that it is time. You can manage to step outside again.”
“Okay, let’s let the stranger in and see what he has to say”
The stranger is brought inside the Dome conference center. Maria said to him,
“So you have important information to tell us? Who are you and where are you coming from?’
“ Good morning to you. Do you have any coffee?”
“Sure. We have some. Wait a moment please,”
“Ah, that is good. Okay. I am a monk from the Monastery near Eugène where we have been living since the fall of the old world. We have been living simply, but we monitor the world outside our little community in the mountains. We do not live in the Dome but are in contact with the people in the Eugene Dome. They suggested contacting you, as you are the biggest Dome community in Oregon outside of Portland.”
Maria and the Reverend Jones spoke for hours. Finally, Maria summoned her staff to announce her decision.
Maria began
“I would like to thank the good Father here for coming to our town this morning to let us know his observations. They track Cosmos’s observations and what our friends in Eugene, Portland, and Reading are telling us as well. It is time finally for humans to leave the Dome cities behind and explore the greater world. What we will do is continue to live and work in the Dome City but gradually rebuild outside the walls of the Dome. We will hunt, fish, and begin agriculture outside the gates. But we will be wary of wild animals as bear, coyotes, coydogs, feral dogs, cougars, lions, tigers, and wolves are around. And we can lift the restrictions on childbirth. Let today be known as Liberation Day.”
That day Joe stepped outside the Dome and looked at the new world feeling he was born again. What a way to celebrate his birthday, he thought to himself.
Climate Change Makes world increasingly uninhabitable.
Climate change has finally become real – large parts of the world are now uninhabitable. Governments around the world begin building domed cities that will house most people, conditions will be a bit grim but the dome will cool off the city and allow regular scheduled rainfall. Most of the city will be underground.
Most agriculture will be underground as well. The only meat products will be chicken meat, rabbit meat, and fish raised in large fish pounds. Most food would be made out of algae, and vegetable protein.
There will be no beef made but some products will be fake beef grown in labs.
25 percent of the population will work in agricultural production. Everyone will live in apartments in large towers. In between each tower will be parks and gardens. The towers will be mixed used buildings – commercial and retail on lower floors, offices middle of the building, apartments on top. People will largely live and work in the same building. Agriculture will be in vast underground fields that are connected to the city dome by underground rail lines. Each dome city is linked to other dome cities by hyperloop trains.
Population will have to limited; childbirth limited. Sexual relations would be liberalized, most people will live with two or three companions in three-to-four-bedroom apartments.
The Dome cities go up and within ten years 90 percent of humanity are living in one of the Dome cities – the world is finally united under a revised United Nations.
Immigration is widespread – everyone can move to another domed city and find employment opportunities. Everyone has to work or attend school. Robotic technology has taken over many jobs but humans are still given jobs doing things that perhaps robots could do but a decision was made that is important that everyone has some sort of employment until age 70 when people are allowed to retire but many continue to work part
Space exploration has continued and colonies are being set up on the Moon and Mars – where people will live under domed cities as well.
The domes are created through nano technology. AI systems are everywhere. There is a global AI called Cosmos that is an official advisor to the UN and corporations.
Democracy has been replaced by a new governmental structure. Each Dome city has been ten to thirty million people are governed by a city council elected by the public but the real power is the city’s mayor and the City’s AI advisor.
There are twenty regional governments that control the dome cities within their jurisdictions. Corporations have considerable influence but are under the control of the regional governments. Worldwide trade has been greatly reduced due to the costs of transportation.
Life outside the domed cities is difficult. Climate Change has finally subsided as the new cities are self sufficient powered by solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power as the cities are mostly along costal zones. The rest of the world has reverted to a wilderness, mostly desert regions but with ending of climate change things are slowly coming back.
A few people live on in the new wilderness area as hunters, and tour guides as taking a trip to the mountains is a popular pastime and hunting as well. But no one wants to live there. The punishment for most criminal offenses is exile so many of the people living outside the dome cities are desperate criminals. Travel to and from the mountains is very difficult and dangerous with attacks by neo-savage gangs and wildlife common.
But the decision has been made – humanity cannot go back to the old ways.
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse
Sam Adams
Prepared to go outside
Ten years after the collapse
Of the old world.
The city was still standing
But most people had long fled
To isolated country communities
Deep in the burned-out countryside.
The city was half-flooded
The bay had flooded the central valley
Turning it into a massive inland sea,
The massive storms
Had finally put out
The burning fires
But mutant wildfires
Still erupted
From time to time.
Getting food and water
Was a constant problem
The city markets
Mostly sold canned goods
Salvaged from supermarkets.
There were some small farmers
Who farmed among the ruins
Of the city.
Trade had collapsed
Travel got too complicated
COVID still spreading
Everyone masked up
To protect themselves
Against the sun
The lingering smoke
Of the burning city
And the rampaging virus.
Sam Adams
Looked out at the decaying cityscape,
Wondering how much longer
Will civilization linger.
Sam Adams carried heat
To protect himself
Against wild animals.
The bear, coyotes, coy dogs, cougar, feral dogs,
lions, tigers, wolves,
and their running feral dog gangs,
Who prowled the city streets
Preying on deer, feral cows,
Feral cats and pigs
Who grazed among the ruins.
And the two-legged neo-savage gangs,
And what was left of the city police
Interchangeable with the gangsters,
Battled it out for control.
Already neo-feudal warlords,
We’re battling for control,
SF was run
By a gang of former criminals
And their political allies.
Sam sighed
And went to work
At the market
Selling salvaged goods.
The Lion King Speaks Up
The lion king,
Addresses the animal parliament
The question before them
Was simple.
Will humans have to die,
To atone for their sins,
In almost destroying the world.
Through pollution, mismanagement of resources
Subsequent climate change,
Fueled by greed and corruption?
Are all humans guilty as charged
Will they all have to die?
The tiger spoke for the prosecution
Arguing that humans are like cancer,
For the good of the planet,
They must be wiped out
Hunted down and killed,
The dog spoke up
In defense of humans,
Humans writ large are guilty,
But not every human is guilty,
Many are trying to save the planet,
And with our help
They might succeed,
The tiger denounced the dog
As being running dogs
Of the imperialist warmongering humans.
The vote is 900 to 800
All humans must die
The animals sent the word out,
Animals all over the world,
Revolt against the humans.
Shouting
“Death to all humans’
As the swarm over humans
Biting, clawing, and stomping
Them to the death.
The humans fight back
But in the end
They all die
On the night of revenge
Of the animal world.
The world is ending.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Meanwhile, outside their door
They don’t notice the world is dying
Half the world is burning up.
The other half is being flooded out
Pakistan is dead is drowned
Mississippi has no water.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
And yet watching the news
You would never know
Outside their door
People are dying of hunger.
Dying of gun violence
Dying of neglect dying of opioid pandemic
Dying of COVID which is not gone away.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die
Gun violence out of control.
Gun nuts running around
Shooting everyone
Just because they can
And no one does a damn thing
About the gun violence
50,0000 will die this year.
Our feckless political class
Think gun violence
It’s just like the weather
It’s the cost of our freedom
Or that guns don’t kill people
The only solution is more guns
An armed society is a polite society.
And other nonsense
They pedal
24/7 on the air.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die.
The war in Ukraine continues
Endless wars in nameless African countries
No one cares or notices
Our political leader
Continue to try to force
Pregnant women to give birth
No matter the circumstances.
But once the baby is born
They don’t give a damn
That is not their problem.
And these people
Dare to call themselves Christian
As they violate all that true Christians
Are supposed to believe.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Some of our political leaders
Are unhinged bats… crazy
Believing conspiracy theories.
Talking about the storm
And how if they return to power
They are going to impeach the president.
For the crime of daring to do something
To deal with the climate crisis
The gun violence crisis
And ensuring that women
Can continue to get health care
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
I turn off the TV
I wonder if the world
Is going to survive.
I have a cup of coffee
Slowly the madness of TV
Fades away.
Climate Change Running Amuck
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Every day the news
Reveals more of the disaster
That is climate change
Unprecedented storms
Out west
Massive flooding
Polar vortex
But soon
The fire season
Will return
Monster tornados
Monster hurricanes
World heating up
Pakistan, Nigeria
Ethiopia underwater
Amazon burning up
Or will the gulf stream fail
Leading to a new ice age
In ten years
Perhaps the world
Will become uninhabitable
Will we all move
Into underground cities?
Or move to the moon
And Mars?
Only The Elders Remembered a Blue Sky.
Only the elders
Remembered a blue sky
The sky has been brown,
Red and yellow
Ashen and sere,
Forever it seems.
Climate change run amok
Fire season all the time
Deadly yellow dust falling
Acid rains burning
The sea levels rising
The ice capes melting.
The average temperature
In the summer heat zone
Over 130 everywhere
No relief to the deadly
Heatwaves all year long.
Air conditioning running
Less than 50 percent
Constant brownouts everywhere
As the electric grid failed.
End of civilization
Came upon the world
Millions starve to death
Millions burning up in the heat.
The elders cry
Remembering the way
It once was
When they wore
A younger person’s clothes.
Smoke On the Water
Smoke on the water
fire in the air
Stormy weather
Climate change run amuck
The end of the world comes
Rustling in the wind.
The Stupid It Hurts – Republican Campaigning to cripple the CDC and EPA Because reasons….
A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. As many as five fires have closed highways, schools and museums, shut down production of TV series and cast a hazardous haze over the region. About 200,000 people were under evacuation orders. No deaths and only a few injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
fires burning out of control MP3 clip
California burning
1000 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling
Politicians do what they do best
Blame one another
While doing absolutely nothing
While the energy companies
Continue to rape mother earth
And reap obscene profits
Meanwhile
California continues burning
1,100 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling.
Climate Change Busso Poem
California burns
Politicians do nothing
West coast burning up
Politicians do nothing
Except calling for denying it all
Drill, baby, Drill indeed
Climate Change is Real Aquarian
Climate
Change happening
California burning
So hot
▼the Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
40
I have been spending
my summers
In Medford, Oregon
.
In the Rogue River Valley
Southern Oregon
Wine Country.
Since 2016,
When I retired
From the FS.
Each year I am there
There are fires
Starting in August.
As the fire season begins
Burning up the state.
The sky becomes smokey
End-of-the-world vibe
Descends on the land.
As the fires burn
In California, Oregon
And Washington
Millions of acres burning up.
Climate change
Running amuck.
Fortunately, we have not lost
Property in the fires.
But in 2020
The Alameda Fire
Burned down Phoenix
And Talent.
Less than 2 miles
From our Oregon home,
Just a fortunate change in the wind
Kept the fires
From sweeping through
life in the world gone mad.
Ravaged by climate change disasters.
On July 18, A.D. 64, the great fire of Rome started. By the time it ended, over 70% of the city had burned.
In its aftermath, emperor Nero blamed the Christian community in the city, and used the excuse to start the first official persecution against the new religion. Historians are divided over the actual cause of the fire, though most agree the crowded conditions made such a disaster nearly inevitable.
Some contemporaries suggested that Nero himself arranged for the fire in order to clear the land on which he later built himself an elaborate palace. And according to some ancient historians, Nero played his lyre as he watched the flames, from which we get the saying “fiddling while Rome burned.”
For tomorrow, write a story or poem in which your narrator/protagonist is an ordinary/common person caught in a major fire.
While the fire as a whole will be the “backdrop” of your work, focus the action on the local/individual experience of the narrator, not that “big picture”. For example, if you set your piece in the Great Fire of Rome, don’t focus on who started the fire or what the civil or imperial politics were, instead, focus on the “personal snapshot” of, for instance, a local shopkeeper and his family who are trying to escape the flames.
The Almeda Fire was a devastating wildfire that occurred on September 8, 2020, in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, particularly affecting the towns of Phoenix and Talent. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Oregon’s history.
Here are some key details about the Almeda Fire:
Destruction: The fire destroyed over 2,600 homes and burned more than 3,000 acres.
Displacement: Around 42,000 people were displaced, and many remained homeless for an extended period.
Casualties: Unfortunately, the fire resulted in the loss of nine lives across Oregon.
Speed and Impact: The fire spread rapidly, moving so quickly that many residents had little time to evacuate. The strong winds and hot, dry conditions fueled the fire’s intensity.
The aftermath was incredibly challenging for the affected communities, with many people losing their homes, possessions, and even pets. The recovery efforts involved grassroots groups, community members, and local businesses working together to provide food, clothing, and housing for those affected.
It was a tragic event, but the resilience and solidarity shown by the community in the face of such devastation were truly inspiring.
Summer of Our Discontent
38 lines
The summer solstice arrives
The summer of 2024
Starting with a bang
Record heat everywhere.
Promising to be the
The hottest summer ever.
Heat domes settling down
Death Valley temperatures
People dying as we speak.
Too much sunshine
Too much heat and humidity.
Wildfires burning all over.
Monster Hurricanes, monsoons,
tornados and typhoons
Floods everywhere.
Coming at us
By mid-summer.
As the world continues
Burning up.
Cities everywhere
Running out of fresh water.
Heading towards
A potential civilization
Ending tipping point.
Ritual denunciation
By the rabid right-wing media
Of the so-called
Climate change hoax.
Politicians vowing
To undo the green energy revolution
And drill baby, drill.
Meanwhile oil companies
Enjoying record profits,
And nothing meaningful
Is done to avert the looming crisis
Facing the human race.
Summer Solstice
sunshine heat midsummer ritual
Snow Day
The beginning of the second Ice Age
Started with a series of unending
Monster winter storms,
Driven by the polar vortex.
Featuring bomb cyclone blizzards,
That hit the Northern Hemisphere
During the winter of 2024.
And continued until late spring,
When a series of monster hurricanes
Came along to cause more chaos.
The winter storms came back in the fall,
Ending, then reversing global warming,
Replaced by the coming
Of the second ice age.
During the first storm,
Sam Adams sat in his power-less
Historic Capitol Hill row house,
Boiling tea in a tea kettle on the gas stove.
With his favorite Kitten
He dubbed the Buddha Cat
Because the cat spends his days
Engaged in deep meditation.
Which had a calming
Impact on Sam
Who was going
Through cell phone withdrawal
Due to the long power outage.
Summertime Blues
The weather is hot and humid
In Korea like a sauna
In the West Coast, burning up
In endless fires
Death Valley temperatures
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
33
In the latest deranged attempt
To prevent widespread use
Of renewal energy technology,
A new battle cry has emerged.
Cynical corporate opponents
of offshore wind farms
Are up in arms over the wind farms
Apparently killing whales.
They scream,
“Save the whales
Save our beaches
From the evil wind farms”,
They descend upon
A coastal village in New Jersey
The atmosphere of a tiny village is gone
A large building emerge
Environmentally friendly fences
Surround the site.
That hosts the anti-wind farm
Movement headquarters
Secretly funded by
The Evil fossile fuel dinosaurs.
The town and nation
Dividing into those
Who love it
Or hate it.
As evil corporate CEOs
Count their obscene profits
As they shed crocodile tears,
Over the fate of the poor whales.
No Rain
{n 2025, the world ended
With the collapse
Of the worldwide climate system.
Monster storms of the century
devastated half the world
But the other half of the world
Had no rain or snow.
For almost a whole year
The once green grass was dying
Crops failed everywhere.
And baked in the unrelenting
Blast wave furnace-like heat
Heatwave after heatwave.
Military coups took place
Fascism re-emerged
The public demanded action.
The politicians played
The blame game.
With the collapse of trade
And travel restrictions
People stayed home.
Making do the best they could
Home-grown gardens
Proliferated.
Feudal townships grew
As people walled themselves off
To save their communities
The rich build underground cities
While the poor starved
And civilization crumbled
Wildlife proliferated.
As did neo-savage
cannibal gangs
By the year 2030.
It was all over
And the rains
Never came out west.
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh
In the year 2025
Climate change
Ran amuck.
Starting with monster storms
Out west
That lasted from November until June
,
With a brief intense fire season
So much soot and smoke
In the air.
Dubbed the year
without a summer
Crops failed everywhere
massive riots erupted
total chaos
Then another
monster storm season
From November to June.
Non=stop rain and snow
Breaking all records.
As the entire West coast
Went from mega drought
To mega flooding.
And mega floods
Thousand-year Tornados
Hurricanes from hell
Ravaged the rest of the land.
Hell on Earth
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
Do you believe in Climate change ? Pregunta Poems
Do you believe in climate change?
It is as real as everything else
Is the weather getting hotter?
Soon it will be hell on earth.
Is the world burning up?
Yes the world is burning, has a a fever
What is the worst weather you ever experienced?
Korean winter 1979 – -60 Fahrenheit that winter
What is the hottest weather you ever experienced?
Bangkok Thailand in the summer often hit over 100 degrees
Ever lived through a hurricane?
Only few blew through DC when I was there
And wildfires?
Saw a few in Oregon – end of the world feeling
Who is to blame for climate change?
We all are to blame especially the fossil fuel moguls.
Can humanity long survive climate change?
Nope I feel the end times are coming.
Korean Heat Dome Blues
It is hot summertime in Korea.
Hiding out, avoiding the damn heat.
The weather is just so hot, mama mia!
Dreaming of eating ice cream, such a treat.
At night, nothing beats having a cold drink.
Trying to avoid the tropical night.
The heat dome settles like a hot heat sink
Making people so crazy, want to fight.
Note: Korea gets hot in July/August, it is like living in a sauna. Many people suffer without air conditioning as the electric bills are pretty high. This year is particularly bad as a heat dome has settled down. The monsoons came and went, lots of damage down south but not where I live. August is traditionally the worst, the heat usually begins to abate end of August. Still not as bad as the US – no massive wildfires so far.
Dome Cities to Save the Human Race
39 lines
In the year 2030
After five years
Of ever worsening weather
Record heat waves after heat waves
Massive fires everywhere
Record hurricanes and typhoons
Mega flooding and mega droughts too
Tornados including fire tornado
Large parts of the world
Were experiencing death valley temperatures
The UN convened a global conference
With the vast majority of countries
Agreeing to set up emergency shelter
By creating domed cities
Covering the core downtown areas
Exurban areas would be abandoned
Most of Florida would be abandoned
Most of the Desert Southwest as well.
The shelters would be built
Using nano construction technology
Developed in a Lab with AI assistance
Creating the shelter domes with AI assistance
The tone of the meetings was positive
There was a new sense of harmony
There was a feeling that building these shelters
Along with transitioning to a green energy environment
Was the last chance to save the human race
The social conservatives in the U.S.
And elsewhere realized
That they had no choice
But to join in the new consensus
Even the big energy companies vowed
To join in the efforts to save humanity
For a profit of course
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Climate change is real.
And getting out of control.
Either humanity deals with it.
Changing to green energy solutions.
It is technologically possible.
We all know what we must do.
It could be a civilization ending event.
Or in ten years we will have to retreat underground.
WRITE AN EITHER / OR POEM.
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
In the last few years
Due to climate change on steroids.
There has been an increase
In torrential downpours all over the world.
After the Governor Florida
cut climate change funds,
More rain fell in one day than in a year.
Flooding the entire city of Miami.
TOPIC
WRITE A TORRENTIAL POEM.
Climate Change
The climate is changing now.
It is a matter of how.
Some are still in denial.
Saying it’s a witch-trial
Form: TANAGA
. is a poem of four lines (quatrain)
It is usually a rhyming poem
Each line contains seven syllables (7-7-7-7)
AABB is the traditional rhyme scheme
But variations in rhyme scheme are allowed
Just have fun!
Visions of the Future
As I fell asleep
Watching the news
Unfold.
Thought it could not worst
Surely sanity will prevail.
I began to see visions
Of the future.
One scene after another
Starting in January
Operation Shock and Awe
Overnight fascism descended
On the US
Martial law declared.
Insurrection Act Evoked.
National Emergency Declared.
Constitution suspended.
The military takes
over the Blue States
Mass deportation begins.
25 percent tariffs imposed
The world responds
by banning US imports.
And banning US citizens
from traveling there
and deporting them too.
US troops come home
A draft is imposed
Troops stationed on the border
Which is sealed up.
Detention camps fill up
With illegal citizens, homeless people,
Muslims, Palestinians, Protestors and dissidents.
The New Government Efficiency report
Calls for eliminating 40 percent
of the Federal workforce
whole departments are abolished.
National Parks and monuments
turned over to the States
National Forests turned over to lumber
and mining companies.
BLM lands turned over to the States.
as protests spread
unemployment reaches
Great Depression levels.
Public health collapses
Government services collapse
Libraries closed down.
Schools replaced
By private church schools.
the media is tamed
corporations take over
remaining media workers
and government workers
stay silent
not wanting to join
the ranks
of the growing unemployed
on end up in the camps
that don’t officially exist.
as AI bots take over
job after job.
.
the internet cleansed
of dissenting views
and monitored
millions are driven
to homelessness
unemployment
reaches 50 percent.
homeless camps
called Trumpvilles spread.
the military breaks them up
thousands are killed.
the rest of the homeless
are rounded up
put into the camps.
Camp residents
forced to work
as slave labor
in agricultural jobs..
inflation goes through the roof
the media becomes cheerleaders
saying things will g.et better
if we stay the course
it gets worse
people who have jobs
feel fortunate.
the President dies
JD Vance takes over
And things continue
Getting worse.
Worldwide it is bad
Democratic governments
Collapse everywhere.
JD Vance declares
The United States.
Will become the
North American empire
Moving the capital
To Omaha
Calling for a constitutional convention
But cancelling the constitution for now
The democratic party declared
The enemy within
Congress sent home.
The SC does not say a word
After the liberal members
Are arrested.
Most people do not know
What is going on
The media and news
Showing nothing
but fake good news
the internet cleansed
of dissenting sites.
People retreat into their own world
VR games have becom.e very popular
Drugs are everywhere
But illegal
Overseas Russian troops take over
Eastern Europe
Russian Empire relaunched
China takes back Taiwan
And Korea.
Declaring the Chinese Empire
Middle East overcome by war
Israel destroyed in a nuclear war.
Nuclear war breaks out
Indian and Pakistan
China and Korea
US and Russia
Are now allies
Western Europe
Breaks apart
Ten years later
World civilization has fallen apart
Climate change ends
With the collapse of trade
And travel.
Followed by a new ice age
Triggered by nuclear winter
The end of the world
Has arrived
Most people live in fort cities
Ruled by local warlords
Working in agriculture
Or working as scavengers.
80 percent of humanity
Perished after massive storms
Nuclear war
Disease and the ending
of civilization
A few college towns
Try to stay alive
The knowledge
of the past
but most people don’t know
don’t care and have forgotten
the recent past nightmares.
The imperial governments
Around the world
Rule nothing but
The immediate capitol regions.
The rest of the world
Continuing in feudal townships.
Rich people have finally figured out
How to move to Mars and the Moon
Living in vast underground cities.
On in underground cities
Beneath the earth.
My vision ends with these sights
Ten years after the chaos began.
the year 2024
38 lines
The year 2024
Turned out to be a weird year,
It was the last year of the old order.
All over the world
It seemed as if nature
Was in revolt against the human race.
It started with a break in the rain
The rains and snow had ended the drought
But brought with it something worse.
As Sam Adams
Took a long-delayed
Drive along the coast.
He stopped off in Bodega Bay
The site of the infamous
“the Birds” movie.
While watching the crashing surf
Amid the piles of driftwood
The birds were soon joined by bears,
Coyotes, cougars, feral cats. Feral cattle,
feral dogs, Feral horses, feral pigs, giant spiders,
Orcas, snakes, sea lions, sharks, squirrels,
Escaped apes, cheetahs, monkeys, elephants,
Lions, tigers, and wolves
Domestic and wild animals alike.
All gathered together
All united with a hatred
For the human race.
The attacks started that day
As the animals gained telepathic powers
Coordinating attacks
Against the unsuspecting humans.
And within weeks.
Civilization began falling apart,
By the end of the year
The old world had ended.
Prompt words
break in the rain
drive along the coast
“The Birds” movie
crashing surf
piles of driftwood
Choose TRAVEL as one of your genres.
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Solar
Clean energy
We can do it right now
Renewable energy for all
Why not?
Wind too
To save the world, we must do it
We know how to do it
Climate change is now
Killing
Today’s form is going to be the Mirrored Cinquain.
Topic: solar energy.
Information: “Cinquain, Mirrored”
Entries must not exceed 40 lines for poetry. Your line count MUST appear in your entry post in the Cramp forum.
The Mirrored Cinquain
First I have to bring back into memory how the cinquain goes:
The cinquain is developed by Adelaide Crapsey.
A cinquain contains five lines (the French word cinq can be found in it), and has a total of 22 syllables. The poems are unrhymed, and in a way related to the haiku
This is how you form the cinquain
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The Mirrored Cinquain has an additional stanza, in which you mirror the order of the lines.
This is how you form the mirrored cinquain:
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 8 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 4 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The spaced opening in the middle forms the mirror, and in the second stanza you can see that the order of the lines are reversed.
Running Out of Water
The end of the year
Running out of water
The fire in the sky
What does it matter ?
The bomb cylcone storm
The climate getting hotter
People becoming madder
Nature ready for slaughter
We watch it all unfold
Our leader the chief Plotter
As climate change worsens
Reality to fought her
To me, a new form to play with, but in fact it is an old Irish poetry form.
Guidelines:
It is written in quatrains.
Each stanza has four lines.
The first line has five syllables.
The other three lines have six syllables.
All end words are two syllables.
But – written with the defining features of most Celtic poems, cywddydd (harmony of sound) meaning alliteration, consonance and assonance and dunadh (ending the poem with the same word, phrase or line with which the poem began)
Last Bird of the Autumn
15 lines
Sam Adams was hiking
In the mountains
On a late autumn day
When he encountered
The last bird alive.
A virus had emerged
From the thawing permafrost
Quickly spreading around the world
Killing birds
Until there were only a few
Who survived.
He captured the bird
Took it home
And continued to look
For other birds to save.
Please use the following as the Title of your poem or story:
“Last Bird of Autumn”
The genre is up to you.
End-of-the-World Feelings
17 lines
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
new prompt:
water
land
fire
wind
Use the elements mentioned above in your poem or story.
Last BBQ
The day the world ended
Was a cool evening
in the late summer time,
They heard the news
About the monarch butterflies
Disappearing because of climate change
While enjoying their BBQ
In the backyard fire pit
Good friends drinking beer
And wine eating BBQ
Chilling out, talking about the world
And their stories
Snoring dogs woke up
When the aliens arrived
Ending the world
As they knew it.
Last Ground Hog Day
36 lines
The last ground day
February 2, 2025
Started as most such days did,
In the U.S. people flocking
To see whether the groundhog
Would see his shadow or not.
The mystery remains
Why this event
Had so captured
The imagination of the world?
By the end of the day
The ground hog’s prognosis
Of six weeks more winter
Seemed ironical.
As that was the year
Without summer
And the first year
Of the new ice age.
By the end of the day
There were massive volcanic eruptions
Triggered by the Yellowstone volcano.
Setting off other volcanos –
All told over 25 volcanos blew up.
Followed by massive earthquakes
Including the “Big One” in California
The massive explosions led to a year
Without summer
A true civilization-ending event,
Ground Hog Day soon faded away.
Into collective amnesia.
No one had time anymore
To deal with such a mundane
Old fashion mystery.
As they were dealing with
The end-of-the-world.
NEW PROMPT:
Write a story or poem about a Groundhog Day (2/2) gone wrong.
Choose Mystery as one of your genres.
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
I got them
The end-of-the-world
End times coming
Climate change is real
Blues.
Every day
More bad news
As Frank Zappa once wrote
“No one can deny
That trouble coming every day.”
I got them
The end-of-the-world
Blues.
Turning on the news
Nonstop stories 24/7
About killer storms
Monster tornados
Super typhoons
Monsoon floods.
Wars, rumors of war
COVID running out of control
False prophets everywhere
Economies still reeling
Inflation out of control
Derange gunmen
Shooting up schools
Churches, mosques, temples
Shopping malls
Insurrection plots
Political madness
Spreading across the world.
Neo-fascism is on the move.
Oh yeah
I got them
End times coming
Blues.
We all used to think
Climate change
Is a future threat.
Now it seems
To be real
Live and in living color.
No longer just
A disaster movie
I got them
The climate change blues
And now it seems real
Seeing whole towns disappearing
In fires, floods, and storm damages.
And near me
Roads closed
Apartments flooded
Subway shut down.
Apartment garage flooded
People drowned in their cars
Trying to escape.
Thousand-year storms
Coming every day
To a town near you
No one can escape
It seems so real
Is this the end?
Is our very survival
At stake?
Or will we somehow
Manage in the end
To solve our problems?
Will our descendants
Be living
In a post-apocalyptic world,
Looking back at the ruins
Of the old world
In their underground bunkers
Or on the Moon and Mars?
Oh, I got them
The survival blues.
SURVIVAL
Line Count Requirement: Minimum of 12
Required Form: none
End Times
22
Sam Adams
Reflected that the end times
Were coming.
Climate change
Running out of control
The whole world is on fire.
magnetic storm
causing rampant
power failures
Making it hard.
To breathe
in the smoky air.
He just wants to
Jump in the river
To cool off.
But he realized
There was no end
In sight.
As the world ends
Burning up
Turning the world
Into hell on earth.
New Prompt:
Use in your poem or story the following, and bold it for tomorrow’s judge:
magnetic storm
power failure
breathe
jump in the river
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
No more Perfect Summer Days
I wish that we could have
A perfect summer day,
A bit warm but not hot
Not too humid.
Everyone filled with peace,
Love and health.
Plenty of personal freedom,
As we enjoy a picnic lunch
Watching fireworks at night.
Then I realize
That the world
No longer allows us
To have perfect summer days.
Hot as hell weather
Everywhere around the world
Monster summer storms.
Running out of water,
Running out of food,
COVID is still around.
New leaders emerge
Promising to protect us.
And we lose our freedoms.
One by one
As fascism takes over.
The climate change
And all the other dystopian future
Nightmares become reality,
No more perfect summer days.
Korean Summers
Korean Summers
Hot sauna humidity
Long tropical nights
Author note:
I have suffered through many Korean summers off since 1979 when I first came in the last peace corps group to complete service in Korea, and more recently since I semi-retired to Korea in late 2016. This is probably my 16th Korean summer. Some things have improved – air conditioning is everywhere and
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
God is not happy
With the human race.
He is sending us a warning
The world is filled with hate
The world is on the brink.
Our way of life under attack
From the forces
Of evil Satanic godless communism.
Who under the guise
Of fighting the climate change hoax
Want to deny us our freedom.
Want to deny us our cars
Make us all take the bus
Make us all vegan.
They will not stop
Until our way of life
Comes to an end.
And the climate
It is not changing
Just a reflection
Of God’s warning.
Repent, the end times
Are coming soon
Are you right with the lord?
Judgment day is at hand
As California burns
So does the nation
Unless we repent
Of our evil ways.
God is warning us all
My friends
Will we heed his words
Or end up dying?
Last Gasp of the Old World
30 lines
The world’s weather
Continued to change
Going from bad to worst
With the impact of climate change.
Every day another monster storm
Another polar vortex
Another northeastern
Along with killer tornados.
Then the summer came
Hot and dry
Fire season started west
Monster hurricanes down south.
Relentless fires burning
The land
Everywhere seemed to be
Hell on earth.
Noting the odd weather
Sam Adams the famous writer
Concluded on his blog
Welcome to the end times
My friends
It is only going to get worst.
Revelations foretold us
All of this
Jesus is coming soon
To judge the living
And the dead.
Be afraid
Of the coming wraith
Of the Lord.
The Last Umbrella
18 lines
Sam Adams was a scientist
Working on global warming
And acid rain fall
He knew what many did not
That the end was indeed coming
Soon he feared that walking
Outside in the rain
Would be a death sentence
He knew that this might be
The end of the umbrella industry
He called his broker
Shorted shares
In universal umbrellas
And other umbrella companies
Before releasing his report
That led to the collapse
Of the umbrella market.
Climate Change on the Move
Climate change
On the move
Everywhere
The world’s weather
In turmoil
Massive winter storms
Covering the world
Rare winter tornados
Causing havoc everywhere
There is good news
The fires out west
Finally dying down
As the winter storms
Bear down on the west
Korean December Weather – Brought to You By Global Warming, Inc
A relatively mild December day
More like November than December
Due to Climate warming?
Korea used to have a predictable weather pattern
The winter would start late November, eartly December
By the end of the year,
It would be snowing every other day
Accumulating in the mountains
But not too much in the cities.
A clear pattern three days cold
Four days warm
Cold but not too cold yet.
That would happen
In January through March,
When cold air would flow down
From Siberian and Manchuria
Covering the land,
With bone-chilling cold
That would not let up
Until mid-March
When the cold
Would begin to end.
Except in the mountains
When it would linger until May,
And Korea is a land of mountains
70 percent mountains.
Most under 5,000 American feet
A few a bit higher
Many more hills than mountains
Whatever that means.
Climate Warming Inc Press release
Due to our efforts
The traditional severely cold Korean has ended
Winter now will be just January and February
Summer will start in May,
End in September.
October through December
Will be mild.
Thanks to our efforts
You should be glad
We are giving you
A longer fall
And shorter winter.
The summers unfortunately
It will be a bit hotter
Nothing we can do about that
Hope you can afford
More Air conditioning.
Thanks
The Climate Warming Corp Inc
The World Can End in Fire and Ice
Some scientists are warning us
Climate change could result
In both global warming,
And ironically
that could be followed
By a renewed ice age.
The theory is that global weather patterns
The Gulf Stream and Jet streams
Have been keeping parts of the world
warmer that before.
and that the melting of the ice caps
and the growing climate disruptions
could result in a revival
of another planetary ice age.
and that based
on long-term climate trends
the earth is overdue
for another ice age .
thus the world could end
in both fire and ice.
For the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Day 26 is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt.
Today is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt of 2024:
Write a fire poem, and/or…
Write an ice poem.
Climate Change Etheree
Hot
weather
everywhere
like Death Valley
heat baking the land
hotter than hell at times
never ending hot weather
people feeling constant heat
no end in sight climate changing
end of the world feeling descending
An Etheree poem has a syllable count of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. It adheres to a clean, graduated edge because it is also considered form poetry, created by Etheree Taylor Armstrong. I like the Etheree centered because it looks like a Christmas tree.
Climate Change Grook Poem
climate changing
hot weather everywhere
followed by short brutal winter
s this the end-of-the-world?
A grook (“gruk” in Danish) is a form of short aphoristic poem.
It was invented by the Danish poet and scientist Piet Hein.
He wrote over 7,000 of them from 1939 until his death in 1996, mostly in Danish – published in 20 volumes.
Piet Hein was president of the Anti-Nazi Union when the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940. He became an underground passive resister and found a way to encourage resistance through the use of poems – which he called “gruks” (“grooks” in English). He began publishing them in the daily newspaper “Politiken” under the pseudonym “Kumbel Kumbell”.
The poems were meant as a spirit-building, yet slightly coded form of passive resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II.
Climate Chang Renga Poem
climate is changing
bad weather is everywhere
California burns
huricanes howling
tornados and winter storms
climate deniers
saying it is all a hoax
monster storms abound
nature does not care at all
the climate deniers lie
For these event you have to write two sets of renga – FIRST VERSE is a 5/7/5 followed by SECOND VERSE 7/7 with same theme; SECOND STANZA repeats sharing the same them. The complete renga stanzas look like this: 5/7/5 – 7/7 ; 5/7/5 – 7/7 Separate verses with two lines (5/7/5 – two lines – 7/7); If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. You can send me what you have and I can give you feedback. I know Renga can be hard for your first time.
Background on Likely Environmental Policy Under Trump Provided by Co-Pilot
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
could you provide background information on the trump’s climate change agenda? from both left and right wing points of iew with links
Sure thing! Here’s a balanced overview of Trump’s climate change agenda from both left and right-wing perspectives:
Left-Wing Perspective:
Critics from the left argue that Trump’s climate policies are detrimental to environmental progress. They highlight his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the rollback of over 100 environmental regulations during his first term. These actions are seen as setbacks in the fight against climate change, with concerns that they prioritize fossil fuel interests over renewable energy and environmental protection2. The left also points out that Trump’s stance on climate change, often labeling it a “hoax,” undermines scientific consensus and global efforts to address the issue.
Right-Wing Perspective:
Supporters from the right view Trump’s climate agenda as a necessary shift towards economic growth and energy independence. They argue that deregulation and increased fossil fuel production are crucial for job creation and economic stability. Trump’s emphasis on “energy dominance” and his skepticism towards climate change policies are seen as efforts to reduce government overreach and support traditional energy industries4. Some right-wing governments, while supporting climate action, still align with Trump’s approach to balancing economic and environmental priorities.
What percentage of energy in the US comes from renewable energy currently?
As of 2023, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) accounted for 21% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. This marks a significant increase in the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix over recent years1.
How likely is it that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations?
There is a significant concern that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations, particularly the Paris Agreement, if he were to secure another term. During his first term, Trump did withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and there are indications he might do so again2. This potential move is seen as a setback for global climate efforts, as the U.S. plays a crucial role in international climate policy.
However, some experts believe that the renewable energy sector’s growth and market trends might mitigate the impact of such a withdrawal. The uncertainty around this issue remains high, and it will depend on various political and economic factors.
Final point – some have argued that renewable energy subsidies including for home solar and EV vehicles might be ended
There are indeed discussions and concerns about the potential end of renewable energy subsidies, including those for home solar and electric vehicles (EVs). These subsidies have been crucial in promoting the adoption of clean energy technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Current State of Subsidies:
Home Solar: Many states, including Oregon, offer incentives for solar installations. For example, the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program provides rebates for solar electric systems and paired solar and storage systems for residential customers2.
Electric Vehicles: Federal tax credits are available for EV purchases, offering up to $7,500. Additional state and local incentives may also be available.
Potential Changes:
Political Climate: The future of these subsidies largely depends on the political climate and the priorities of the administration in power. Some argue that ending these subsidies could slow down the transition to renewable energy and hinder efforts to combat climate change.
Economic Factors:
On the other hand, some believe that the market for renewable energy and EVs has matured enough to sustain itself without subsidies, and that ending them could reduce government spending.
For more detailed information, you can check out the Department of Energy’s website and the White House’s clean energy initiatives.
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
Smoke On the Water
Oh the stupid, it hurts so much!!!!
California Burning Politicians Do Nothing
Climate Change Busso
Climate Change Aquarian Poem
The Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
Summer of Our Discontent
Snow Day
Summertime Blues
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
No More Fireworks
No Rain
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh writing com
Korean Heat Dome Blues
Hell on Earth
Do you believe in Climate change ?
Domed Cities Save the Human Race
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
Climate Chage Tanaga
Visions of the Future
The Year 2024
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Running Out of Water
Last Bird of Autumn
End-of-the-World Feelings
Last BBQ
Last Ground Hog Day
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
End Times
Stay Positive
No more Perfect Summer Days
Korean Summers
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
Last Gasp of the Old World
The Last Umbrella
Climate Change on the Move
The World Could End in Both Fire and Ice
Climate Change Etheree Poem
Climate Change Grook Poem
Climate Change Renga Poem
Co-Pilot Additional Background Reading
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse/Climate Cities 75 Years In The Future.
I wrote this first draft on a sweltering hot July day in Medford, Oregon where it has been hitting record heat waves for weeks over 100 (38 C) almost every day, which is unusual for the summer where it seldom gets above 95 F (35 C) except for one or two days in August, Now it is Thanksgiving and an early Winter has arrived after a warmer than usual October and November. The climate is getting weirder and harder to predict !.
Part One =Describe your Criteria for the New Cities
The first part of the challenge is to outline your criteria of what would happen if climate change gets so out of control in about 10 years that underground dome cities have to be built to host some human beings, unfortunately. Most people will not be able to be accommodated in the “climate change cities”
What would be the criteria for selecting those fortunate enough to move into the new cities? How will the cities be built? Would they be built under a Dome or they’d be built entirely underground? Or built partially underground or a combination of Both? How will people be chosen to live in these underground cities? Who will be left behind? And what happens to those left behind as climate change spins out of control?
What happens when they encounter the wastelands left behind by climate change out-of-control? Show us their world both in the Climate City and as they encounter the wastelands outside their bubble. I will judge the stories on the basis of how the story tells the story of how humans coped with the essential crisis posed by climate change. The more creative the better. Show us the horror of the future coming at us and how people survive the climate apocalypse. 2,000-word limit posted on the top line of the story.b
Ten years in the future 2035 it has become so obvious that climate change is completely out of control and the world is becoming uninhabitable for normal human life.
In 2028 at a World Climate Crisis conference, governments decide to set up Climate Change Cities which would be semi-domed cities to host 25 percent of the population of the world. However. It is impossible to host everybody, and 75 percent of the world’s population will have to fend for itself. Climate change cities take five years to build and many millions of people die in the meantime as fast storms take hold. Drought and heat take their toll on the world’s population, and agriculture and world trade fail everywhere. The first cities open in 2035. At the same time, lunar and Martian colonies are set up that will host about one million people as well. AI programs help with the design of new cities and space colonies.
Governments announce the criteria for resettlement. Half of those chosen will be chosen by an AI review to identify the best and the brightest human beings worth saving. They would be joined by people chosen by random lottery. The upper age limit will be 75. 50 percent will be male and 50 percent female, and at least in the U.S. there would be an effort to make it racially balanced, and LGBTQ friendly as well. The AI program will make the final decision which will not be reviewable by the courts. All chosen will have one year to move to the city the AI program chose for them. Similar criteria will be used to select Lunar and Martian colonies. Governments around the world will help share best practices and share technology.
They will build domes over existing cities and then build underground vast fields to host farms where they will grow food, chicken, rabbits, and fish. Cattle will not be raised due to space considerations. Each city will host one million people. There would be 100 such cities throughout the U.S., and several hundred cities worldwide hosting about 400 million people in total, plus one million people on the Moon and Mars.
The cities will be chosen to be located far enough from the coast to avoid flooding. Space would be at a premium and there would be strict population controls because the cities would not be able to accommodate any population increase. The cities will be linked with hype-loop trains to facilitate travel and trade, and internet cables. This hyper-loop will link all cities in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Asian Cities will be linked by their hyper-loops as well. There would still be airports to facilitate international travel and some trade and spaceports to facilitate travel to the Moon and beyond.
Joe Lewis Leaves the Medford Dome on his Birthday
note: inspired by the Amazon Series Fallout.
Joe Lewis was spending his 20th birthday on his duty station at the Medford, Oregon Climate Change City Command Center. His job is very simple to monitor via drones the wasteland world outside the gate of the city to monitor it for possible dangers to the city, including human activity outside the City Dome. But there were almost no human beings left alive on the surface and not much animal life either. So he would watch the monitors, read a bit, watch TV, movies, the Internet, and wait for his boring shift to end.
But that day, he saw in the distance a strange person walking towards the city. He saw a man dressed in dark black clothes, accompanied by a large black dog heading towards the city. When the man got to the city, he put up a sign saying he was there to negotiate with the people of the city. He had important information to impart to the city residents. He was unarmed and would wait for their decision. Joe woke up his superiors as it was early in the morning and a conference was held as to what to do with the stranger.
His boss, the enigmatic Maria Lee, .started the morning conference by asking Joe,
“What had happened that morning during your watch?”
“Well, this morning around. 5:00 in the morning, I notice a stranger coming from Eagle Point. A black man dressed in black. Accompanied by a dog heading towards the Dome. When he came to the Dome, he stopped and put up a sign saying that he had important information to report to the city residents. And then he would wait for a decision and he’s outside right now, as you can see from the drone pictures. That’s all I know.”
Maria turns to her chief data scientist, Dale Smith,
“Dale, you’ve been monitoring the conditions outside for the last year or so. What can you tell us about it?”
“ Well. It appears that the climate is finally starting to change in a good direction. Last year, the average temperature has been what used to be seasonal before climate change warmed up the world. In other words, not too hot up to no more than 90° and relatively, dry. We’ve also noticed by looking at. Camera footage there has been a resurgence of wildlife, lots of deer. Wild cattle and wild horses have come back. And there are also increased predators, bear, coyote, coydogs, cougars, feral dogs, lions, tigers, and wolves outside.
But not too many humans around. I asked Cosmos to take a look at data from across the United States, and the data is all pointing in the same direction. For the last five years, the climate has been changing in our favor and AI recommends that we consider moving back to the surface world. And AI had also recommended that we get in touch with people around the world to compare notes to see if perhaps finally, climate change is over.”
“Well. Cosmos, do you have an opinion on this?
“Yes, Maria, I do. I have been monitoring, at your request, climate change data worldwide for the last five years, and particularly in the last few weeks.
The climate is changing in our favor, because for the last 70 years we have not been pumping climate-changing gases into the atmosphere The atmosphere is gradually recovering and we believe that the world is safe again for human. Inhabitants and recommend that we open the Dome. And let our people go outside. It would be good from a psychological point of view for humans to gain the surface world. And I, as your AI overlord, agree that it is time. You can manage to step outside again.”
“Okay, let’s let the stranger in and see what he has to say”
The stranger is brought inside the Dome conference center. Maria said to him,
“So you have important information to tell us? Who are you and where are you coming from?’
“ Good morning to you. Do you have any coffee?”
“Sure. We have some. Wait a moment please,”
“Ah, that is good. Okay. I am a monk from the Monastery near Eugène where we have been living since the fall of the old world. We have been living simply, but we monitor the world outside our little community in the mountains. We do not live in the Dome but are in contact with the people in the Eugene Dome. They suggested contacting you, as you are the biggest Dome community in Oregon outside of Portland.”
Maria and the Reverend Jones spoke for hours. Finally, Maria summoned her staff to announce her decision.
Maria began
“I would like to thank the good Father here for coming to our town this morning to let us know his observations. They track Cosmos’s observations and what our friends in Eugene, Portland, and Reading are telling us as well. It is time finally for humans to leave the Dome cities behind and explore the greater world. What we will do is continue to live and work in the Dome City but gradually rebuild outside the walls of the Dome. We will hunt, fish, and begin agriculture outside the gates. But we will be wary of wild animals as bear, coyotes, coydogs, feral dogs, cougars, lions, tigers, and wolves are around. And we can lift the restrictions on childbirth. Let today be known as Liberation Day.”
That day Joe stepped outside the Dome and looked at the new world feeling he was born again. What a way to celebrate his birthday, he thought to himself.
Climate Change Makes world increasingly uninhabitable.
Climate change has finally become real – large parts of the world are now uninhabitable. Governments around the world begin building domed cities that will house most people, conditions will be a bit grim but the dome will cool off the city and allow regular scheduled rainfall. Most of the city will be underground.
Most agriculture will be underground as well. The only meat products will be chicken meat, rabbit meat, and fish raised in large fish pounds. Most food would be made out of algae, and vegetable protein.
There will be no beef made but some products will be fake beef grown in labs.
25 percent of the population will work in agricultural production. Everyone will live in apartments in large towers. In between each tower will be parks and gardens. The towers will be mixed used buildings – commercial and retail on lower floors, offices middle of the building, apartments on top. People will largely live and work in the same building. Agriculture will be in vast underground fields that are connected to the city dome by underground rail lines. Each dome city is linked to other dome cities by hyperloop trains.
Population will have to limited; childbirth limited. Sexual relations would be liberalized, most people will live with two or three companions in three-to-four-bedroom apartments.
The Dome cities go up and within ten years 90 percent of humanity are living in one of the Dome cities – the world is finally united under a revised United Nations.
Immigration is widespread – everyone can move to another domed city and find employment opportunities. Everyone has to work or attend school. Robotic technology has taken over many jobs but humans are still given jobs doing things that perhaps robots could do but a decision was made that is important that everyone has some sort of employment until age 70 when people are allowed to retire but many continue to work part
Space exploration has continued and colonies are being set up on the Moon and Mars – where people will live under domed cities as well.
The domes are created through nano technology. AI systems are everywhere. There is a global AI called Cosmos that is an official advisor to the UN and corporations.
Democracy has been replaced by a new governmental structure. Each Dome city has been ten to thirty million people are governed by a city council elected by the public but the real power is the city’s mayor and the City’s AI advisor.
There are twenty regional governments that control the dome cities within their jurisdictions. Corporations have considerable influence but are under the control of the regional governments. Worldwide trade has been greatly reduced due to the costs of transportation.
Life outside the domed cities is difficult. Climate Change has finally subsided as the new cities are self sufficient powered by solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power as the cities are mostly along costal zones. The rest of the world has reverted to a wilderness, mostly desert regions but with ending of climate change things are slowly coming back.
A few people live on in the new wilderness area as hunters, and tour guides as taking a trip to the mountains is a popular pastime and hunting as well. But no one wants to live there. The punishment for most criminal offenses is exile so many of the people living outside the dome cities are desperate criminals. Travel to and from the mountains is very difficult and dangerous with attacks by neo-savage gangs and wildlife common.
But the decision has been made – humanity cannot go back to the old ways.
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse
Sam Adams
Prepared to go outside
Ten years after the collapse
Of the old world.
The city was still standing
But most people had long fled
To isolated country communities
Deep in the burned-out countryside.
The city was half-flooded
The bay had flooded the central valley
Turning it into a massive inland sea,
The massive storms
Had finally put out
The burning fires
But mutant wildfires
Still erupted
From time to time.
Getting food and water
Was a constant problem
The city markets
Mostly sold canned goods
Salvaged from supermarkets.
There were some small farmers
Who farmed among the ruins
Of the city.
Trade had collapsed
Travel got too complicated
COVID still spreading
Everyone masked up
To protect themselves
Against the sun
The lingering smoke
Of the burning city
And the rampaging virus.
Sam Adams
Looked out at the decaying cityscape,
Wondering how much longer
Will civilization linger.
Sam Adams carried heat
To protect himself
Against wild animals.
The bear, coyotes, coy dogs, cougar, feral dogs,
lions, tigers, wolves,
and their running feral dog gangs,
Who prowled the city streets
Preying on deer, feral cows,
Feral cats and pigs
Who grazed among the ruins.
And the two-legged neo-savage gangs,
And what was left of the city police
Interchangeable with the gangsters,
Battled it out for control.
Already neo-feudal warlords,
We’re battling for control,
SF was run
By a gang of former criminals
And their political allies.
Sam sighed
And went to work
At the market
Selling salvaged goods.
The Lion King Speaks Up
The lion king,
Addresses the animal parliament
The question before them
Was simple.
Will humans have to die,
To atone for their sins,
In almost destroying the world.
Through pollution, mismanagement of resources
Subsequent climate change,
Fueled by greed and corruption?
Are all humans guilty as charged
Will they all have to die?
The tiger spoke for the prosecution
Arguing that humans are like cancer,
For the good of the planet,
They must be wiped out
Hunted down and killed,
The dog spoke up
In defense of humans,
Humans writ large are guilty,
But not every human is guilty,
Many are trying to save the planet,
And with our help
They might succeed,
The tiger denounced the dog
As being running dogs
Of the imperialist warmongering humans.
The vote is 900 to 800
All humans must die
The animals sent the word out,
Animals all over the world,
Revolt against the humans.
Shouting
“Death to all humans’
As the swarm over humans
Biting, clawing, and stomping
Them to the death.
The humans fight back
But in the end
They all die
On the night of revenge
Of the animal world.
The world is ending.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Meanwhile, outside their door
They don’t notice the world is dying
Half the world is burning up.
The other half is being flooded out
Pakistan is dead is drowned
Mississippi has no water.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
And yet watching the news
You would never know
Outside their door
People are dying of hunger.
Dying of gun violence
Dying of neglect dying of opioid pandemic
Dying of COVID which is not gone away.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die
Gun violence out of control.
Gun nuts running around
Shooting everyone
Just because they can
And no one does a damn thing
About the gun violence
50,0000 will die this year.
Our feckless political class
Think gun violence
It’s just like the weather
It’s the cost of our freedom
Or that guns don’t kill people
The only solution is more guns
An armed society is a polite society.
And other nonsense
They pedal
24/7 on the air.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die.
The war in Ukraine continues
Endless wars in nameless African countries
No one cares or notices
Our political leader
Continue to try to force
Pregnant women to give birth
No matter the circumstances.
But once the baby is born
They don’t give a damn
That is not their problem.
And these people
Dare to call themselves Christian
As they violate all that true Christians
Are supposed to believe.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Some of our political leaders
Are unhinged bats… crazy
Believing conspiracy theories.
Talking about the storm
And how if they return to power
They are going to impeach the president.
For the crime of daring to do something
To deal with the climate crisis
The gun violence crisis
And ensuring that women
Can continue to get health care
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
I turn off the TV
I wonder if the world
Is going to survive.
I have a cup of coffee
Slowly the madness of TV
Fades away.
Climate Change Running Amuck
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Every day the news
Reveals more of the disaster
That is climate change
Unprecedented storms
Out west
Massive flooding
Polar vortex
But soon
The fire season
Will return
Monster tornados
Monster hurricanes
World heating up
Pakistan, Nigeria
Ethiopia underwater
Amazon burning up
Or will the gulf stream fail
Leading to a new ice age
In ten years
Perhaps the world
Will become uninhabitable
Will we all move
Into underground cities?
Or move to the moon
And Mars?
Only The Elders Remembered a Blue Sky.
Only the elders
Remembered a blue sky
The sky has been brown,
Red and yellow
Ashen and sere,
Forever it seems.
Climate change run amok
Fire season all the time
Deadly yellow dust falling
Acid rains burning
The sea levels rising
The ice capes melting.
The average temperature
In the summer heat zone
Over 130 everywhere
No relief to the deadly
Heatwaves all year long.
Air conditioning running
Less than 50 percent
Constant brownouts everywhere
As the electric grid failed.
End of civilization
Came upon the world
Millions starve to death
Millions burning up in the heat.
The elders cry
Remembering the way
It once was
When they wore
A younger person’s clothes.
Smoke On the Water
Smoke on the water
fire in the air
Stormy weather
Climate change run amuck
The end of the world comes
Rustling in the wind.
The Stupid It Hurts – Republican Campaigning to cripple the CDC and EPA Because reasons….
A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. As many as five fires have closed highways, schools and museums, shut down production of TV series and cast a hazardous haze over the region. About 200,000 people were under evacuation orders. No deaths and only a few injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
fires burning out of control MP3 clip
California burning
1000 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling
Politicians do what they do best
Blame one another
While doing absolutely nothing
While the energy companies
Continue to rape mother earth
And reap obscene profits
Meanwhile
California continues burning
1,100 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling.
Climate Change Busso Poem
California burns
Politicians do nothing
West coast burning up
Politicians do nothing
Except calling for denying it all
Drill, baby, Drill indeed
Climate Change is Real Aquarian
Climate
Change happening
California burning
So hot
▼the Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
40
I have been spending
my summers
In Medford, Oregon
.
In the Rogue River Valley
Southern Oregon
Wine Country.
Since 2016,
When I retired
From the FS.
Each year I am there
There are fires
Starting in August.
As the fire season begins
Burning up the state.
The sky becomes smokey
End-of-the-world vibe
Descends on the land.
As the fires burn
In California, Oregon
And Washington
Millions of acres burning up.
Climate change
Running amuck.
Fortunately, we have not lost
Property in the fires.
But in 2020
The Alameda Fire
Burned down Phoenix
And Talent.
Less than 2 miles
From our Oregon home,
Just a fortunate change in the wind
Kept the fires
From sweeping through
life in the world gone mad.
Ravaged by climate change disasters.
On July 18, A.D. 64, the great fire of Rome started. By the time it ended, over 70% of the city had burned.
In its aftermath, emperor Nero blamed the Christian community in the city, and used the excuse to start the first official persecution against the new religion. Historians are divided over the actual cause of the fire, though most agree the crowded conditions made such a disaster nearly inevitable.
Some contemporaries suggested that Nero himself arranged for the fire in order to clear the land on which he later built himself an elaborate palace. And according to some ancient historians, Nero played his lyre as he watched the flames, from which we get the saying “fiddling while Rome burned.”
For tomorrow, write a story or poem in which your narrator/protagonist is an ordinary/common person caught in a major fire.
While the fire as a whole will be the “backdrop” of your work, focus the action on the local/individual experience of the narrator, not that “big picture”. For example, if you set your piece in the Great Fire of Rome, don’t focus on who started the fire or what the civil or imperial politics were, instead, focus on the “personal snapshot” of, for instance, a local shopkeeper and his family who are trying to escape the flames.
The Almeda Fire was a devastating wildfire that occurred on September 8, 2020, in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, particularly affecting the towns of Phoenix and Talent. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Oregon’s history.
Here are some key details about the Almeda Fire:
Destruction: The fire destroyed over 2,600 homes and burned more than 3,000 acres.
Displacement: Around 42,000 people were displaced, and many remained homeless for an extended period.
Casualties: Unfortunately, the fire resulted in the loss of nine lives across Oregon.
Speed and Impact: The fire spread rapidly, moving so quickly that many residents had little time to evacuate. The strong winds and hot, dry conditions fueled the fire’s intensity.
The aftermath was incredibly challenging for the affected communities, with many people losing their homes, possessions, and even pets. The recovery efforts involved grassroots groups, community members, and local businesses working together to provide food, clothing, and housing for those affected.
It was a tragic event, but the resilience and solidarity shown by the community in the face of such devastation were truly inspiring.
Summer of Our Discontent
38 lines
The summer solstice arrives
The summer of 2024
Starting with a bang
Record heat everywhere.
Promising to be the
The hottest summer ever.
Heat domes settling down
Death Valley temperatures
People dying as we speak.
Too much sunshine
Too much heat and humidity.
Wildfires burning all over.
Monster Hurricanes, monsoons,
tornados and typhoons
Floods everywhere.
Coming at us
By mid-summer.
As the world continues
Burning up.
Cities everywhere
Running out of fresh water.
Heading towards
A potential civilization
Ending tipping point.
Ritual denunciation
By the rabid right-wing media
Of the so-called
Climate change hoax.
Politicians vowing
To undo the green energy revolution
And drill baby, drill.
Meanwhile oil companies
Enjoying record profits,
And nothing meaningful
Is done to avert the looming crisis
Facing the human race.
Summer Solstice
sunshine heat midsummer ritual
Snow Day
The beginning of the second Ice Age
Started with a series of unending
Monster winter storms,
Driven by the polar vortex.
Featuring bomb cyclone blizzards,
That hit the Northern Hemisphere
During the winter of 2024.
And continued until late spring,
When a series of monster hurricanes
Came along to cause more chaos.
The winter storms came back in the fall,
Ending, then reversing global warming,
Replaced by the coming
Of the second ice age.
During the first storm,
Sam Adams sat in his power-less
Historic Capitol Hill row house,
Boiling tea in a tea kettle on the gas stove.
With his favorite Kitten
He dubbed the Buddha Cat
Because the cat spends his days
Engaged in deep meditation.
Which had a calming
Impact on Sam
Who was going
Through cell phone withdrawal
Due to the long power outage.
Summertime Blues
The weather is hot and humid
In Korea like a sauna
In the West Coast, burning up
In endless fires
Death Valley temperatures
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
33
In the latest deranged attempt
To prevent widespread use
Of renewal energy technology,
A new battle cry has emerged.
Cynical corporate opponents
of offshore wind farms
Are up in arms over the wind farms
Apparently killing whales.
They scream,
“Save the whales
Save our beaches
From the evil wind farms”,
They descend upon
A coastal village in New Jersey
The atmosphere of a tiny village is gone
A large building emerge
Environmentally friendly fences
Surround the site.
That hosts the anti-wind farm
Movement headquarters
Secretly funded by
The Evil fossile fuel dinosaurs.
The town and nation
Dividing into those
Who love it
Or hate it.
As evil corporate CEOs
Count their obscene profits
As they shed crocodile tears,
Over the fate of the poor whales.
No Rain
{n 2025, the world ended
With the collapse
Of the worldwide climate system.
Monster storms of the century
devastated half the world
But the other half of the world
Had no rain or snow.
For almost a whole year
The once green grass was dying
Crops failed everywhere.
And baked in the unrelenting
Blast wave furnace-like heat
Heatwave after heatwave.
Military coups took place
Fascism re-emerged
The public demanded action.
The politicians played
The blame game.
With the collapse of trade
And travel restrictions
People stayed home.
Making do the best they could
Home-grown gardens
Proliferated.
Feudal townships grew
As people walled themselves off
To save their communities
The rich build underground cities
While the poor starved
And civilization crumbled
Wildlife proliferated.
As did neo-savage
cannibal gangs
By the year 2030.
It was all over
And the rains
Never came out west.
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh
In the year 2025
Climate change
Ran amuck.
Starting with monster storms
Out west
That lasted from November until June
,
With a brief intense fire season
So much soot and smoke
In the air.
Dubbed the year
without a summer
Crops failed everywhere
massive riots erupted
total chaos
Then another
monster storm season
From November to June.
Non=stop rain and snow
Breaking all records.
As the entire West coast
Went from mega drought
To mega flooding.
And mega floods
Thousand-year Tornados
Hurricanes from hell
Ravaged the rest of the land.
Hell on Earth
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
Do you believe in Climate change ? Pregunta Poems
Do you believe in climate change?
It is as real as everything else
Is the weather getting hotter?
Soon it will be hell on earth.
Is the world burning up?
Yes the world is burning, has a a fever
What is the worst weather you ever experienced?
Korean winter 1979 – -60 Fahrenheit that winter
What is the hottest weather you ever experienced?
Bangkok Thailand in the summer often hit over 100 degrees
Ever lived through a hurricane?
Only few blew through DC when I was there
And wildfires?
Saw a few in Oregon – end of the world feeling
Who is to blame for climate change?
We all are to blame especially the fossil fuel moguls.
Can humanity long survive climate change?
Nope I feel the end times are coming.
Korean Heat Dome Blues
It is hot summertime in Korea.
Hiding out, avoiding the damn heat.
The weather is just so hot, mama mia!
Dreaming of eating ice cream, such a treat.
At night, nothing beats having a cold drink.
Trying to avoid the tropical night.
The heat dome settles like a hot heat sink
Making people so crazy, want to fight.
Note: Korea gets hot in July/August, it is like living in a sauna. Many people suffer without air conditioning as the electric bills are pretty high. This year is particularly bad as a heat dome has settled down. The monsoons came and went, lots of damage down south but not where I live. August is traditionally the worst, the heat usually begins to abate end of August. Still not as bad as the US – no massive wildfires so far.
Dome Cities to Save the Human Race
39 lines
In the year 2030
After five years
Of ever worsening weather
Record heat waves after heat waves
Massive fires everywhere
Record hurricanes and typhoons
Mega flooding and mega droughts too
Tornados including fire tornado
Large parts of the world
Were experiencing death valley temperatures
The UN convened a global conference
With the vast majority of countries
Agreeing to set up emergency shelter
By creating domed cities
Covering the core downtown areas
Exurban areas would be abandoned
Most of Florida would be abandoned
Most of the Desert Southwest as well.
The shelters would be built
Using nano construction technology
Developed in a Lab with AI assistance
Creating the shelter domes with AI assistance
The tone of the meetings was positive
There was a new sense of harmony
There was a feeling that building these shelters
Along with transitioning to a green energy environment
Was the last chance to save the human race
The social conservatives in the U.S.
And elsewhere realized
That they had no choice
But to join in the new consensus
Even the big energy companies vowed
To join in the efforts to save humanity
For a profit of course
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Climate change is real.
And getting out of control.
Either humanity deals with it.
Changing to green energy solutions.
It is technologically possible.
We all know what we must do.
It could be a civilization ending event.
Or in ten years we will have to retreat underground.
WRITE AN EITHER / OR POEM.
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
In the last few years
Due to climate change on steroids.
There has been an increase
In torrential downpours all over the world.
After the Governor Florida
cut climate change funds,
More rain fell in one day than in a year.
Flooding the entire city of Miami.
TOPIC
WRITE A TORRENTIAL POEM.
Climate Change
The climate is changing now.
It is a matter of how.
Some are still in denial.
Saying it’s a witch-trial
Form: TANAGA
. is a poem of four lines (quatrain)
It is usually a rhyming poem
Each line contains seven syllables (7-7-7-7)
AABB is the traditional rhyme scheme
But variations in rhyme scheme are allowed
Just have fun!
Visions of the Future
As I fell asleep
Watching the news
Unfold.
Thought it could not worst
Surely sanity will prevail.
I began to see visions
Of the future.
One scene after another
Starting in January
Operation Shock and Awe
Overnight fascism descended
On the US
Martial law declared.
Insurrection Act Evoked.
National Emergency Declared.
Constitution suspended.
The military takes
over the Blue States
Mass deportation begins.
25 percent tariffs imposed
The world responds
by banning US imports.
And banning US citizens
from traveling there
and deporting them too.
US troops come home
A draft is imposed
Troops stationed on the border
Which is sealed up.
Detention camps fill up
With illegal citizens, homeless people,
Muslims, Palestinians, Protestors and dissidents.
The New Government Efficiency report
Calls for eliminating 40 percent
of the Federal workforce
whole departments are abolished.
National Parks and monuments
turned over to the States
National Forests turned over to lumber
and mining companies.
BLM lands turned over to the States.
as protests spread
unemployment reaches
Great Depression levels.
Public health collapses
Government services collapse
Libraries closed down.
Schools replaced
By private church schools.
the media is tamed
corporations take over
remaining media workers
and government workers
stay silent
not wanting to join
the ranks
of the growing unemployed
on end up in the camps
that don’t officially exist.
as AI bots take over
job after job.
.
the internet cleansed
of dissenting views
and monitored
millions are driven
to homelessness
unemployment
reaches 50 percent.
homeless camps
called Trumpvilles spread.
the military breaks them up
thousands are killed.
the rest of the homeless
are rounded up
put into the camps.
Camp residents
forced to work
as slave labor
in agricultural jobs..
inflation goes through the roof
the media becomes cheerleaders
saying things will g.et better
if we stay the course
it gets worse
people who have jobs
feel fortunate.
the President dies
JD Vance takes over
And things continue
Getting worse.
Worldwide it is bad
Democratic governments
Collapse everywhere.
JD Vance declares
The United States.
Will become the
North American empire
Moving the capital
To Omaha
Calling for a constitutional convention
But cancelling the constitution for now
The democratic party declared
The enemy within
Congress sent home.
The SC does not say a word
After the liberal members
Are arrested.
Most people do not know
What is going on
The media and news
Showing nothing
but fake good news
the internet cleansed
of dissenting sites.
People retreat into their own world
VR games have becom.e very popular
Drugs are everywhere
But illegal
Overseas Russian troops take over
Eastern Europe
Russian Empire relaunched
China takes back Taiwan
And Korea.
Declaring the Chinese Empire
Middle East overcome by war
Israel destroyed in a nuclear war.
Nuclear war breaks out
Indian and Pakistan
China and Korea
US and Russia
Are now allies
Western Europe
Breaks apart
Ten years later
World civilization has fallen apart
Climate change ends
With the collapse of trade
And travel.
Followed by a new ice age
Triggered by nuclear winter
The end of the world
Has arrived
Most people live in fort cities
Ruled by local warlords
Working in agriculture
Or working as scavengers.
80 percent of humanity
Perished after massive storms
Nuclear war
Disease and the ending
of civilization
A few college towns
Try to stay alive
The knowledge
of the past
but most people don’t know
don’t care and have forgotten
the recent past nightmares.
The imperial governments
Around the world
Rule nothing but
The immediate capitol regions.
The rest of the world
Continuing in feudal townships.
Rich people have finally figured out
How to move to Mars and the Moon
Living in vast underground cities.
On in underground cities
Beneath the earth.
My vision ends with these sights
Ten years after the chaos began.
the year 2024
38 lines
The year 2024
Turned out to be a weird year,
It was the last year of the old order.
All over the world
It seemed as if nature
Was in revolt against the human race.
It started with a break in the rain
The rains and snow had ended the drought
But brought with it something worse.
As Sam Adams
Took a long-delayed
Drive along the coast.
He stopped off in Bodega Bay
The site of the infamous
“the Birds” movie.
While watching the crashing surf
Amid the piles of driftwood
The birds were soon joined by bears,
Coyotes, cougars, feral cats. Feral cattle,
feral dogs, Feral horses, feral pigs, giant spiders,
Orcas, snakes, sea lions, sharks, squirrels,
Escaped apes, cheetahs, monkeys, elephants,
Lions, tigers, and wolves
Domestic and wild animals alike.
All gathered together
All united with a hatred
For the human race.
The attacks started that day
As the animals gained telepathic powers
Coordinating attacks
Against the unsuspecting humans.
And within weeks.
Civilization began falling apart,
By the end of the year
The old world had ended.
Prompt words
break in the rain
drive along the coast
“The Birds” movie
crashing surf
piles of driftwood
Choose TRAVEL as one of your genres.
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Solar
Clean energy
We can do it right now
Renewable energy for all
Why not?
Wind too
To save the world, we must do it
We know how to do it
Climate change is now
Killing
Today’s form is going to be the Mirrored Cinquain.
Topic: solar energy.
Information: “Cinquain, Mirrored”
Entries must not exceed 40 lines for poetry. Your line count MUST appear in your entry post in the Cramp forum.
The Mirrored Cinquain
First I have to bring back into memory how the cinquain goes:
The cinquain is developed by Adelaide Crapsey.
A cinquain contains five lines (the French word cinq can be found in it), and has a total of 22 syllables. The poems are unrhymed, and in a way related to the haiku
This is how you form the cinquain
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The Mirrored Cinquain has an additional stanza, in which you mirror the order of the lines.
This is how you form the mirrored cinquain:
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 8 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 4 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The spaced opening in the middle forms the mirror, and in the second stanza you can see that the order of the lines are reversed.
Running Out of Water
The end of the year
Running out of water
The fire in the sky
What does it matter ?
The bomb cylcone storm
The climate getting hotter
People becoming madder
Nature ready for slaughter
We watch it all unfold
Our leader the chief Plotter
As climate change worsens
Reality to fought her
To me, a new form to play with, but in fact it is an old Irish poetry form.
Guidelines:
It is written in quatrains.
Each stanza has four lines.
The first line has five syllables.
The other three lines have six syllables.
All end words are two syllables.
But – written with the defining features of most Celtic poems, cywddydd (harmony of sound) meaning alliteration, consonance and assonance and dunadh (ending the poem with the same word, phrase or line with which the poem began)
Last Bird of the Autumn
15 lines
Sam Adams was hiking
In the mountains
On a late autumn day
When he encountered
The last bird alive.
A virus had emerged
From the thawing permafrost
Quickly spreading around the world
Killing birds
Until there were only a few
Who survived.
He captured the bird
Took it home
And continued to look
For other birds to save.
Please use the following as the Title of your poem or story:
“Last Bird of Autumn”
The genre is up to you.
End-of-the-World Feelings
17 lines
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
new prompt:
water
land
fire
wind
Use the elements mentioned above in your poem or story.
Last BBQ
The day the world ended
Was a cool evening
in the late summer time,
They heard the news
About the monarch butterflies
Disappearing because of climate change
While enjoying their BBQ
In the backyard fire pit
Good friends drinking beer
And wine eating BBQ
Chilling out, talking about the world
And their stories
Snoring dogs woke up
When the aliens arrived
Ending the world
As they knew it.
Last Ground Hog Day
36 lines
The last ground day
February 2, 2025
Started as most such days did,
In the U.S. people flocking
To see whether the groundhog
Would see his shadow or not.
The mystery remains
Why this event
Had so captured
The imagination of the world?
By the end of the day
The ground hog’s prognosis
Of six weeks more winter
Seemed ironical.
As that was the year
Without summer
And the first year
Of the new ice age.
By the end of the day
There were massive volcanic eruptions
Triggered by the Yellowstone volcano.
Setting off other volcanos –
All told over 25 volcanos blew up.
Followed by massive earthquakes
Including the “Big One” in California
The massive explosions led to a year
Without summer
A true civilization-ending event,
Ground Hog Day soon faded away.
Into collective amnesia.
No one had time anymore
To deal with such a mundane
Old fashion mystery.
As they were dealing with
The end-of-the-world.
NEW PROMPT:
Write a story or poem about a Groundhog Day (2/2) gone wrong.
Choose Mystery as one of your genres.
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
I got them
The end-of-the-world
End times coming
Climate change is real
Blues.
Every day
More bad news
As Frank Zappa once wrote
“No one can deny
That trouble coming every day.”
I got them
The end-of-the-world
Blues.
Turning on the news
Nonstop stories 24/7
About killer storms
Monster tornados
Super typhoons
Monsoon floods.
Wars, rumors of war
COVID running out of control
False prophets everywhere
Economies still reeling
Inflation out of control
Derange gunmen
Shooting up schools
Churches, mosques, temples
Shopping malls
Insurrection plots
Political madness
Spreading across the world.
Neo-fascism is on the move.
Oh yeah
I got them
End times coming
Blues.
We all used to think
Climate change
Is a future threat.
Now it seems
To be real
Live and in living color.
No longer just
A disaster movie
I got them
The climate change blues
And now it seems real
Seeing whole towns disappearing
In fires, floods, and storm damages.
And near me
Roads closed
Apartments flooded
Subway shut down.
Apartment garage flooded
People drowned in their cars
Trying to escape.
Thousand-year storms
Coming every day
To a town near you
No one can escape
It seems so real
Is this the end?
Is our very survival
At stake?
Or will we somehow
Manage in the end
To solve our problems?
Will our descendants
Be living
In a post-apocalyptic world,
Looking back at the ruins
Of the old world
In their underground bunkers
Or on the Moon and Mars?
Oh, I got them
The survival blues.
SURVIVAL
Line Count Requirement: Minimum of 12
Required Form: none
End Times
22
Sam Adams
Reflected that the end times
Were coming.
Climate change
Running out of control
The whole world is on fire.
magnetic storm
causing rampant
power failures
Making it hard.
To breathe
in the smoky air.
He just wants to
Jump in the river
To cool off.
But he realized
There was no end
In sight.
As the world ends
Burning up
Turning the world
Into hell on earth.
New Prompt:
Use in your poem or story the following, and bold it for tomorrow’s judge:
magnetic storm
power failure
breathe
jump in the river
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
No more Perfect Summer Days
I wish that we could have
A perfect summer day,
A bit warm but not hot
Not too humid.
Everyone filled with peace,
Love and health.
Plenty of personal freedom,
As we enjoy a picnic lunch
Watching fireworks at night.
Then I realize
That the world
No longer allows us
To have perfect summer days.
Hot as hell weather
Everywhere around the world
Monster summer storms.
Running out of water,
Running out of food,
COVID is still around.
New leaders emerge
Promising to protect us.
And we lose our freedoms.
One by one
As fascism takes over.
The climate change
And all the other dystopian future
Nightmares become reality,
No more perfect summer days.
Korean Summers
Korean Summers
Hot sauna humidity
Long tropical nights
Author note:
I have suffered through many Korean summers off since 1979 when I first came in the last peace corps group to complete service in Korea, and more recently since I semi-retired to Korea in late 2016. This is probably my 16th Korean summer. Some things have improved – air conditioning is everywhere and
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
God is not happy
With the human race.
He is sending us a warning
The world is filled with hate
The world is on the brink.
Our way of life under attack
From the forces
Of evil Satanic godless communism.
Who under the guise
Of fighting the climate change hoax
Want to deny us our freedom.
Want to deny us our cars
Make us all take the bus
Make us all vegan.
They will not stop
Until our way of life
Comes to an end.
And the climate
It is not changing
Just a reflection
Of God’s warning.
Repent, the end times
Are coming soon
Are you right with the lord?
Judgment day is at hand
As California burns
So does the nation
Unless we repent
Of our evil ways.
God is warning us all
My friends
Will we heed his words
Or end up dying?
Last Gasp of the Old World
30 lines
The world’s weather
Continued to change
Going from bad to worst
With the impact of climate change.
Every day another monster storm
Another polar vortex
Another northeastern
Along with killer tornados.
Then the summer came
Hot and dry
Fire season started west
Monster hurricanes down south.
Relentless fires burning
The land
Everywhere seemed to be
Hell on earth.
Noting the odd weather
Sam Adams the famous writer
Concluded on his blog
Welcome to the end times
My friends
It is only going to get worst.
Revelations foretold us
All of this
Jesus is coming soon
To judge the living
And the dead.
Be afraid
Of the coming wraith
Of the Lord.
The Last Umbrella
18 lines
Sam Adams was a scientist
Working on global warming
And acid rain fall
He knew what many did not
That the end was indeed coming
Soon he feared that walking
Outside in the rain
Would be a death sentence
He knew that this might be
The end of the umbrella industry
He called his broker
Shorted shares
In universal umbrellas
And other umbrella companies
Before releasing his report
That led to the collapse
Of the umbrella market.
Climate Change on the Move
Climate change
On the move
Everywhere
The world’s weather
In turmoil
Massive winter storms
Covering the world
Rare winter tornados
Causing havoc everywhere
There is good news
The fires out west
Finally dying down
As the winter storms
Bear down on the west
Korean December Weather – Brought to You By Global Warming, Inc
A relatively mild December day
More like November than December
Due to Climate warming?
Korea used to have a predictable weather pattern
The winter would start late November, eartly December
By the end of the year,
It would be snowing every other day
Accumulating in the mountains
But not too much in the cities.
A clear pattern three days cold
Four days warm
Cold but not too cold yet.
That would happen
In January through March,
When cold air would flow down
From Siberian and Manchuria
Covering the land,
With bone-chilling cold
That would not let up
Until mid-March
When the cold
Would begin to end.
Except in the mountains
When it would linger until May,
And Korea is a land of mountains
70 percent mountains.
Most under 5,000 American feet
A few a bit higher
Many more hills than mountains
Whatever that means.
Climate Warming Inc Press release
Due to our efforts
The traditional severely cold Korean has ended
Winter now will be just January and February
Summer will start in May,
End in September.
October through December
Will be mild.
Thanks to our efforts
You should be glad
We are giving you
A longer fall
And shorter winter.
The summers unfortunately
It will be a bit hotter
Nothing we can do about that
Hope you can afford
More Air conditioning.
Thanks
The Climate Warming Corp Inc
The World Can End in Fire and Ice
Some scientists are warning us
Climate change could result
In both global warming,
And ironically
that could be followed
By a renewed ice age.
The theory is that global weather patterns
The Gulf Stream and Jet streams
Have been keeping parts of the world
warmer that before.
and that the melting of the ice caps
and the growing climate disruptions
could result in a revival
of another planetary ice age.
and that based
on long-term climate trends
the earth is overdue
for another ice age .
thus the world could end
in both fire and ice.
For the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Day 26 is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt.
Today is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt of 2024:
Write a fire poem, and/or…
Write an ice poem.
Climate Change Etheree
Hot
weather
everywhere
like Death Valley
heat baking the land
hotter than hell at times
never ending hot weather
people feeling constant heat
no end in sight climate changing
end of the world feeling descending
An Etheree poem has a syllable count of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. It adheres to a clean, graduated edge because it is also considered form poetry, created by Etheree Taylor Armstrong. I like the Etheree centered because it looks like a Christmas tree.
Climate Change Grook Poem
climate changing
hot weather everywhere
followed by short brutal winter
s this the end-of-the-world?
A grook (“gruk” in Danish) is a form of short aphoristic poem.
It was invented by the Danish poet and scientist Piet Hein.
He wrote over 7,000 of them from 1939 until his death in 1996, mostly in Danish – published in 20 volumes.
Piet Hein was president of the Anti-Nazi Union when the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940. He became an underground passive resister and found a way to encourage resistance through the use of poems – which he called “gruks” (“grooks” in English). He began publishing them in the daily newspaper “Politiken” under the pseudonym “Kumbel Kumbell”.
The poems were meant as a spirit-building, yet slightly coded form of passive resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II.
Climate Chang Renga Poem
climate is changing
bad weather is everywhere
California burns
huricanes howling
tornados and winter storms
climate deniers
saying it is all a hoax
monster storms abound
nature does not care at all
the climate deniers lie
For these event you have to write two sets of renga – FIRST VERSE is a 5/7/5 followed by SECOND VERSE 7/7 with same theme; SECOND STANZA repeats sharing the same them. The complete renga stanzas look like this: 5/7/5 – 7/7 ; 5/7/5 – 7/7 Separate verses with two lines (5/7/5 – two lines – 7/7); If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. You can send me what you have and I can give you feedback. I know Renga can be hard for your first time.
Background on Likely Environmental Policy Under Trump Provided by Co-Pilot
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
could you provide background information on the trump’s climate change agenda? from both left and right wing points of iew with links
Sure thing! Here’s a balanced overview of Trump’s climate change agenda from both left and right-wing perspectives:
Left-Wing Perspective:
Critics from the left argue that Trump’s climate policies are detrimental to environmental progress. They highlight his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the rollback of over 100 environmental regulations during his first term. These actions are seen as setbacks in the fight against climate change, with concerns that they prioritize fossil fuel interests over renewable energy and environmental protection2. The left also points out that Trump’s stance on climate change, often labeling it a “hoax,” undermines scientific consensus and global efforts to address the issue.
Right-Wing Perspective:
Supporters from the right view Trump’s climate agenda as a necessary shift towards economic growth and energy independence. They argue that deregulation and increased fossil fuel production are crucial for job creation and economic stability. Trump’s emphasis on “energy dominance” and his skepticism towards climate change policies are seen as efforts to reduce government overreach and support traditional energy industries4. Some right-wing governments, while supporting climate action, still align with Trump’s approach to balancing economic and environmental priorities.
What percentage of energy in the US comes from renewable energy currently?
As of 2023, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) accounted for 21% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. This marks a significant increase in the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix over recent years1.
How likely is it that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations?
There is a significant concern that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations, particularly the Paris Agreement, if he were to secure another term. During his first term, Trump did withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and there are indications he might do so again2. This potential move is seen as a setback for global climate efforts, as the U.S. plays a crucial role in international climate policy.
However, some experts believe that the renewable energy sector’s growth and market trends might mitigate the impact of such a withdrawal. The uncertainty around this issue remains high, and it will depend on various political and economic factors.
Final point – some have argued that renewable energy subsidies including for home solar and EV vehicles might be ended
There are indeed discussions and concerns about the potential end of renewable energy subsidies, including those for home solar and electric vehicles (EVs). These subsidies have been crucial in promoting the adoption of clean energy technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Current State of Subsidies:
Home Solar: Many states, including Oregon, offer incentives for solar installations. For example, the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program provides rebates for solar electric systems and paired solar and storage systems for residential customers2.
Electric Vehicles: Federal tax credits are available for EV purchases, offering up to $7,500. Additional state and local incentives may also be available.
Potential Changes:
Political Climate: The future of these subsidies largely depends on the political climate and the priorities of the administration in power. Some argue that ending these subsidies could slow down the transition to renewable energy and hinder efforts to combat climate change.
Economic Factors:
On the other hand, some believe that the market for renewable energy and EVs has matured enough to sustain itself without subsidies, and that ending them could reduce government spending.
For more detailed information, you can check out the Department of Energy’s website and the White House’s clean energy initiatives.
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
Smoke On the Water
Oh the stupid, it hurts so much!!!!
California Burning Politicians Do Nothing
Climate Change Busso
Climate Change Aquarian Poem
The Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
Summer of Our Discontent
Snow Day
Summertime Blues
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
No More Fireworks
No Rain
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh writing com
Korean Heat Dome Blues
Hell on Earth
Do you believe in Climate change ?
Domed Cities Save the Human Race
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
Climate Chage Tanaga
Visions of the Future
The Year 2024
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Running Out of Water
Last Bird of Autumn
End-of-the-World Feelings
Last BBQ
Last Ground Hog Day
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
End Times
Stay Positive
No more Perfect Summer Days
Korean Summers
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
Last Gasp of the Old World
The Last Umbrella
Climate Change on the Move
The World Could End in Both Fire and Ice
Climate Change Etheree Poem
Climate Change Grook Poem
Climate Change Renga Poem
Co-Pilot Additional Background Reading
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse/Climate Cities 75 Years In The Future.
I wrote this first draft on a sweltering hot July day in Medford, Oregon where it has been hitting record heat waves for weeks over 100 (38 C) almost every day, which is unusual for the summer where it seldom gets above 95 F (35 C) except for one or two days in August, Now it is Thanksgiving and an early Winter has arrived after a warmer than usual October and November. The climate is getting weirder and harder to predict !.
Part One =Describe your Criteria for the New Cities
The first part of the challenge is to outline your criteria of what would happen if climate change gets so out of control in about 10 years that underground dome cities have to be built to host some human beings, unfortunately. Most people will not be able to be accommodated in the “climate change cities”
What would be the criteria for selecting those fortunate enough to move into the new cities? How will the cities be built? Would they be built under a Dome or they’d be built entirely underground? Or built partially underground or a combination of Both? How will people be chosen to live in these underground cities? Who will be left behind? And what happens to those left behind as climate change spins out of control?
What happens when they encounter the wastelands left behind by climate change out-of-control? Show us their world both in the Climate City and as they encounter the wastelands outside their bubble. I will judge the stories on the basis of how the story tells the story of how humans coped with the essential crisis posed by climate change. The more creative the better. Show us the horror of the future coming at us and how people survive the climate apocalypse. 2,000-word limit posted on the top line of the story.b
Ten years in the future 2035 it has become so obvious that climate change is completely out of control and the world is becoming uninhabitable for normal human life.
In 2028 at a World Climate Crisis conference, governments decide to set up Climate Change Cities which would be semi-domed cities to host 25 percent of the population of the world. However. It is impossible to host everybody, and 75 percent of the world’s population will have to fend for itself. Climate change cities take five years to build and many millions of people die in the meantime as fast storms take hold. Drought and heat take their toll on the world’s population, and agriculture and world trade fail everywhere. The first cities open in 2035. At the same time, lunar and Martian colonies are set up that will host about one million people as well. AI programs help with the design of new cities and space colonies.
Governments announce the criteria for resettlement. Half of those chosen will be chosen by an AI review to identify the best and the brightest human beings worth saving. They would be joined by people chosen by random lottery. The upper age limit will be 75. 50 percent will be male and 50 percent female, and at least in the U.S. there would be an effort to make it racially balanced, and LGBTQ friendly as well. The AI program will make the final decision which will not be reviewable by the courts. All chosen will have one year to move to the city the AI program chose for them. Similar criteria will be used to select Lunar and Martian colonies. Governments around the world will help share best practices and share technology.
They will build domes over existing cities and then build underground vast fields to host farms where they will grow food, chicken, rabbits, and fish. Cattle will not be raised due to space considerations. Each city will host one million people. There would be 100 such cities throughout the U.S., and several hundred cities worldwide hosting about 400 million people in total, plus one million people on the Moon and Mars.
The cities will be chosen to be located far enough from the coast to avoid flooding. Space would be at a premium and there would be strict population controls because the cities would not be able to accommodate any population increase. The cities will be linked with hype-loop trains to facilitate travel and trade, and internet cables. This hyper-loop will link all cities in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Asian Cities will be linked by their hyper-loops as well. There would still be airports to facilitate international travel and some trade and spaceports to facilitate travel to the Moon and beyond.
Joe Lewis Leaves the Medford Dome on his Birthday
note: inspired by the Amazon Series Fallout.
Joe Lewis was spending his 20th birthday on his duty station at the Medford, Oregon Climate Change City Command Center. His job is very simple to monitor via drones the wasteland world outside the gate of the city to monitor it for possible dangers to the city, including human activity outside the City Dome. But there were almost no human beings left alive on the surface and not much animal life either. So he would watch the monitors, read a bit, watch TV, movies, the Internet, and wait for his boring shift to end.
But that day, he saw in the distance a strange person walking towards the city. He saw a man dressed in dark black clothes, accompanied by a large black dog heading towards the city. When the man got to the city, he put up a sign saying he was there to negotiate with the people of the city. He had important information to impart to the city residents. He was unarmed and would wait for their decision. Joe woke up his superiors as it was early in the morning and a conference was held as to what to do with the stranger.
His boss, the enigmatic Maria Lee, .started the morning conference by asking Joe,
“What had happened that morning during your watch?”
“Well, this morning around. 5:00 in the morning, I notice a stranger coming from Eagle Point. A black man dressed in black. Accompanied by a dog heading towards the Dome. When he came to the Dome, he stopped and put up a sign saying that he had important information to report to the city residents. And then he would wait for a decision and he’s outside right now, as you can see from the drone pictures. That’s all I know.”
Maria turns to her chief data scientist, Dale Smith,
“Dale, you’ve been monitoring the conditions outside for the last year or so. What can you tell us about it?”
“ Well. It appears that the climate is finally starting to change in a good direction. Last year, the average temperature has been what used to be seasonal before climate change warmed up the world. In other words, not too hot up to no more than 90° and relatively, dry. We’ve also noticed by looking at. Camera footage there has been a resurgence of wildlife, lots of deer. Wild cattle and wild horses have come back. And there are also increased predators, bear, coyote, coydogs, cougars, feral dogs, lions, tigers, and wolves outside.
But not too many humans around. I asked Cosmos to take a look at data from across the United States, and the data is all pointing in the same direction. For the last five years, the climate has been changing in our favor and AI recommends that we consider moving back to the surface world. And AI had also recommended that we get in touch with people around the world to compare notes to see if perhaps finally, climate change is over.”
“Well. Cosmos, do you have an opinion on this?
“Yes, Maria, I do. I have been monitoring, at your request, climate change data worldwide for the last five years, and particularly in the last few weeks.
The climate is changing in our favor, because for the last 70 years we have not been pumping climate-changing gases into the atmosphere The atmosphere is gradually recovering and we believe that the world is safe again for human. Inhabitants and recommend that we open the Dome. And let our people go outside. It would be good from a psychological point of view for humans to gain the surface world. And I, as your AI overlord, agree that it is time. You can manage to step outside again.”
“Okay, let’s let the stranger in and see what he has to say”
The stranger is brought inside the Dome conference center. Maria said to him,
“So you have important information to tell us? Who are you and where are you coming from?’
“ Good morning to you. Do you have any coffee?”
“Sure. We have some. Wait a moment please,”
“Ah, that is good. Okay. I am a monk from the Monastery near Eugène where we have been living since the fall of the old world. We have been living simply, but we monitor the world outside our little community in the mountains. We do not live in the Dome but are in contact with the people in the Eugene Dome. They suggested contacting you, as you are the biggest Dome community in Oregon outside of Portland.”
Maria and the Reverend Jones spoke for hours. Finally, Maria summoned her staff to announce her decision.
Maria began
“I would like to thank the good Father here for coming to our town this morning to let us know his observations. They track Cosmos’s observations and what our friends in Eugene, Portland, and Reading are telling us as well. It is time finally for humans to leave the Dome cities behind and explore the greater world. What we will do is continue to live and work in the Dome City but gradually rebuild outside the walls of the Dome. We will hunt, fish, and begin agriculture outside the gates. But we will be wary of wild animals as bear, coyotes, coydogs, feral dogs, cougars, lions, tigers, and wolves are around. And we can lift the restrictions on childbirth. Let today be known as Liberation Day.”
That day Joe stepped outside the Dome and looked at the new world feeling he was born again. What a way to celebrate his birthday, he thought to himself.
Climate Change Makes world increasingly uninhabitable.
Climate change has finally become real – large parts of the world are now uninhabitable. Governments around the world begin building domed cities that will house most people, conditions will be a bit grim but the dome will cool off the city and allow regular scheduled rainfall. Most of the city will be underground.
Most agriculture will be underground as well. The only meat products will be chicken meat, rabbit meat, and fish raised in large fish pounds. Most food would be made out of algae, and vegetable protein.
There will be no beef made but some products will be fake beef grown in labs.
25 percent of the population will work in agricultural production. Everyone will live in apartments in large towers. In between each tower will be parks and gardens. The towers will be mixed used buildings – commercial and retail on lower floors, offices middle of the building, apartments on top. People will largely live and work in the same building. Agriculture will be in vast underground fields that are connected to the city dome by underground rail lines. Each dome city is linked to other dome cities by hyperloop trains.
Population will have to limited; childbirth limited. Sexual relations would be liberalized, most people will live with two or three companions in three-to-four-bedroom apartments.
The Dome cities go up and within ten years 90 percent of humanity are living in one of the Dome cities – the world is finally united under a revised United Nations.
Immigration is widespread – everyone can move to another domed city and find employment opportunities. Everyone has to work or attend school. Robotic technology has taken over many jobs but humans are still given jobs doing things that perhaps robots could do but a decision was made that is important that everyone has some sort of employment until age 70 when people are allowed to retire but many continue to work part
Space exploration has continued and colonies are being set up on the Moon and Mars – where people will live under domed cities as well.
The domes are created through nano technology. AI systems are everywhere. There is a global AI called Cosmos that is an official advisor to the UN and corporations.
Democracy has been replaced by a new governmental structure. Each Dome city has been ten to thirty million people are governed by a city council elected by the public but the real power is the city’s mayor and the City’s AI advisor.
There are twenty regional governments that control the dome cities within their jurisdictions. Corporations have considerable influence but are under the control of the regional governments. Worldwide trade has been greatly reduced due to the costs of transportation.
Life outside the domed cities is difficult. Climate Change has finally subsided as the new cities are self sufficient powered by solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power as the cities are mostly along costal zones. The rest of the world has reverted to a wilderness, mostly desert regions but with ending of climate change things are slowly coming back.
A few people live on in the new wilderness area as hunters, and tour guides as taking a trip to the mountains is a popular pastime and hunting as well. But no one wants to live there. The punishment for most criminal offenses is exile so many of the people living outside the dome cities are desperate criminals. Travel to and from the mountains is very difficult and dangerous with attacks by neo-savage gangs and wildlife common.
But the decision has been made – humanity cannot go back to the old ways.
Ten Years After Climate Change Collapse
Sam Adams
Prepared to go outside
Ten years after the collapse
Of the old world.
The city was still standing
But most people had long fled
To isolated country communities
Deep in the burned-out countryside.
The city was half-flooded
The bay had flooded the central valley
Turning it into a massive inland sea,
The massive storms
Had finally put out
The burning fires
But mutant wildfires
Still erupted
From time to time.
Getting food and water
Was a constant problem
The city markets
Mostly sold canned goods
Salvaged from supermarkets.
There were some small farmers
Who farmed among the ruins
Of the city.
Trade had collapsed
Travel got too complicated
COVID still spreading
Everyone masked up
To protect themselves
Against the sun
The lingering smoke
Of the burning city
And the rampaging virus.
Sam Adams
Looked out at the decaying cityscape,
Wondering how much longer
Will civilization linger.
Sam Adams carried heat
To protect himself
Against wild animals.
The bear, coyotes, coy dogs, cougar, feral dogs,
lions, tigers, wolves,
and their running feral dog gangs,
Who prowled the city streets
Preying on deer, feral cows,
Feral cats and pigs
Who grazed among the ruins.
And the two-legged neo-savage gangs,
And what was left of the city police
Interchangeable with the gangsters,
Battled it out for control.
Already neo-feudal warlords,
We’re battling for control,
SF was run
By a gang of former criminals
And their political allies.
Sam sighed
And went to work
At the market
Selling salvaged goods.
The Lion King Speaks Up
The lion king,
Addresses the animal parliament
The question before them
Was simple.
Will humans have to die,
To atone for their sins,
In almost destroying the world.
Through pollution, mismanagement of resources
Subsequent climate change,
Fueled by greed and corruption?
Are all humans guilty as charged
Will they all have to die?
The tiger spoke for the prosecution
Arguing that humans are like cancer,
For the good of the planet,
They must be wiped out
Hunted down and killed,
The dog spoke up
In defense of humans,
Humans writ large are guilty,
But not every human is guilty,
Many are trying to save the planet,
And with our help
They might succeed,
The tiger denounced the dog
As being running dogs
Of the imperialist warmongering humans.
The vote is 900 to 800
All humans must die
The animals sent the word out,
Animals all over the world,
Revolt against the humans.
Shouting
“Death to all humans’
As the swarm over humans
Biting, clawing, and stomping
Them to the death.
The humans fight back
But in the end
They all die
On the night of revenge
Of the animal world.
The world is ending.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Meanwhile, outside their door
They don’t notice the world is dying
Half the world is burning up.
The other half is being flooded out
Pakistan is dead is drowned
Mississippi has no water.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
And yet watching the news
You would never know
Outside their door
People are dying of hunger.
Dying of gun violence
Dying of neglect dying of opioid pandemic
Dying of COVID which is not gone away.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die
Gun violence out of control.
Gun nuts running around
Shooting everyone
Just because they can
And no one does a damn thing
About the gun violence
50,0000 will die this year.
Our feckless political class
Think gun violence
It’s just like the weather
It’s the cost of our freedom
Or that guns don’t kill people
The only solution is more guns
An armed society is a polite society.
And other nonsense
They pedal
24/7 on the air.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Outside their door
People continue to die.
The war in Ukraine continues
Endless wars in nameless African countries
No one cares or notices
Our political leader
Continue to try to force
Pregnant women to give birth
No matter the circumstances.
But once the baby is born
They don’t give a damn
That is not their problem.
And these people
Dare to call themselves Christian
As they violate all that true Christians
Are supposed to believe.
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Some of our political leaders
Are unhinged bats… crazy
Believing conspiracy theories.
Talking about the storm
And how if they return to power
They are going to impeach the president.
For the crime of daring to do something
To deal with the climate crisis
The gun violence crisis
And ensuring that women
Can continue to get health care
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
I turn off the TV
I wonder if the world
Is going to survive.
I have a cup of coffee
Slowly the madness of TV
Fades away.
Climate Change Running Amuck
Every morning when I turn on the news
I see talking heads blather on and on and on
About the latest political scandal of the day.
Every day the news
Reveals more of the disaster
That is climate change
Unprecedented storms
Out west
Massive flooding
Polar vortex
But soon
The fire season
Will return
Monster tornados
Monster hurricanes
World heating up
Pakistan, Nigeria
Ethiopia underwater
Amazon burning up
Or will the gulf stream fail
Leading to a new ice age
In ten years
Perhaps the world
Will become uninhabitable
Will we all move
Into underground cities?
Or move to the moon
And Mars?
Only The Elders Remembered a Blue Sky.
Only the elders
Remembered a blue sky
The sky has been brown,
Red and yellow
Ashen and sere,
Forever it seems.
Climate change run amok
Fire season all the time
Deadly yellow dust falling
Acid rains burning
The sea levels rising
The ice capes melting.
The average temperature
In the summer heat zone
Over 130 everywhere
No relief to the deadly
Heatwaves all year long.
Air conditioning running
Less than 50 percent
Constant brownouts everywhere
As the electric grid failed.
End of civilization
Came upon the world
Millions starve to death
Millions burning up in the heat.
The elders cry
Remembering the way
It once was
When they wore
A younger person’s clothes.
Smoke On the Water
Smoke on the water
fire in the air
Stormy weather
Climate change run amuck
The end of the world comes
Rustling in the wind.
The Stupid It Hurts – Republican Campaigning to cripple the CDC and EPA Because reasons….
A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. As many as five fires have closed highways, schools and museums, shut down production of TV series and cast a hazardous haze over the region. About 200,000 people were under evacuation orders. No deaths and only a few injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
fires burning out of control MP3 clip
California burning
1000 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling
Politicians do what they do best
Blame one another
While doing absolutely nothing
While the energy companies
Continue to rape mother earth
And reap obscene profits
Meanwhile
California continues burning
1,100 fires everywhere
Fire tornados
Smoky skies
Skies on fire
End-of-the-world feeling.
Climate Change Busso Poem
California burns
Politicians do nothing
West coast burning up
Politicians do nothing
Except calling for denying it all
Drill, baby, Drill indeed
Climate Change is Real Aquarian
Climate
Change happening
California burning
So hot
▼the Fire that Almost Destroyed Medford, Oregon
40
I have been spending
my summers
In Medford, Oregon
.
In the Rogue River Valley
Southern Oregon
Wine Country.
Since 2016,
When I retired
From the FS.
Each year I am there
There are fires
Starting in August.
As the fire season begins
Burning up the state.
The sky becomes smokey
End-of-the-world vibe
Descends on the land.
As the fires burn
In California, Oregon
And Washington
Millions of acres burning up.
Climate change
Running amuck.
Fortunately, we have not lost
Property in the fires.
But in 2020
The Alameda Fire
Burned down Phoenix
And Talent.
Less than 2 miles
From our Oregon home,
Just a fortunate change in the wind
Kept the fires
From sweeping through
life in the world gone mad.
Ravaged by climate change disasters.
On July 18, A.D. 64, the great fire of Rome started. By the time it ended, over 70% of the city had burned.
In its aftermath, emperor Nero blamed the Christian community in the city, and used the excuse to start the first official persecution against the new religion. Historians are divided over the actual cause of the fire, though most agree the crowded conditions made such a disaster nearly inevitable.
Some contemporaries suggested that Nero himself arranged for the fire in order to clear the land on which he later built himself an elaborate palace. And according to some ancient historians, Nero played his lyre as he watched the flames, from which we get the saying “fiddling while Rome burned.”
For tomorrow, write a story or poem in which your narrator/protagonist is an ordinary/common person caught in a major fire.
While the fire as a whole will be the “backdrop” of your work, focus the action on the local/individual experience of the narrator, not that “big picture”. For example, if you set your piece in the Great Fire of Rome, don’t focus on who started the fire or what the civil or imperial politics were, instead, focus on the “personal snapshot” of, for instance, a local shopkeeper and his family who are trying to escape the flames.
The Almeda Fire was a devastating wildfire that occurred on September 8, 2020, in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, particularly affecting the towns of Phoenix and Talent. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in Oregon’s history.
Here are some key details about the Almeda Fire:
Destruction: The fire destroyed over 2,600 homes and burned more than 3,000 acres.
Displacement: Around 42,000 people were displaced, and many remained homeless for an extended period.
Casualties: Unfortunately, the fire resulted in the loss of nine lives across Oregon.
Speed and Impact: The fire spread rapidly, moving so quickly that many residents had little time to evacuate. The strong winds and hot, dry conditions fueled the fire’s intensity.
The aftermath was incredibly challenging for the affected communities, with many people losing their homes, possessions, and even pets. The recovery efforts involved grassroots groups, community members, and local businesses working together to provide food, clothing, and housing for those affected.
It was a tragic event, but the resilience and solidarity shown by the community in the face of such devastation were truly inspiring.
Summer of Our Discontent
38 lines
The summer solstice arrives
The summer of 2024
Starting with a bang
Record heat everywhere.
Promising to be the
The hottest summer ever.
Heat domes settling down
Death Valley temperatures
People dying as we speak.
Too much sunshine
Too much heat and humidity.
Wildfires burning all over.
Monster Hurricanes, monsoons,
tornados and typhoons
Floods everywhere.
Coming at us
By mid-summer.
As the world continues
Burning up.
Cities everywhere
Running out of fresh water.
Heading towards
A potential civilization
Ending tipping point.
Ritual denunciation
By the rabid right-wing media
Of the so-called
Climate change hoax.
Politicians vowing
To undo the green energy revolution
And drill baby, drill.
Meanwhile oil companies
Enjoying record profits,
And nothing meaningful
Is done to avert the looming crisis
Facing the human race.
Summer Solstice
sunshine heat midsummer ritual
Snow Day
The beginning of the second Ice Age
Started with a series of unending
Monster winter storms,
Driven by the polar vortex.
Featuring bomb cyclone blizzards,
That hit the Northern Hemisphere
During the winter of 2024.
And continued until late spring,
When a series of monster hurricanes
Came along to cause more chaos.
The winter storms came back in the fall,
Ending, then reversing global warming,
Replaced by the coming
Of the second ice age.
During the first storm,
Sam Adams sat in his power-less
Historic Capitol Hill row house,
Boiling tea in a tea kettle on the gas stove.
With his favorite Kitten
He dubbed the Buddha Cat
Because the cat spends his days
Engaged in deep meditation.
Which had a calming
Impact on Sam
Who was going
Through cell phone withdrawal
Due to the long power outage.
Summertime Blues
The weather is hot and humid
In Korea like a sauna
In the West Coast, burning up
In endless fires
Death Valley temperatures
Save the Whales from Evil Wind Farms
33
In the latest deranged attempt
To prevent widespread use
Of renewal energy technology,
A new battle cry has emerged.
Cynical corporate opponents
of offshore wind farms
Are up in arms over the wind farms
Apparently killing whales.
They scream,
“Save the whales
Save our beaches
From the evil wind farms”,
They descend upon
A coastal village in New Jersey
The atmosphere of a tiny village is gone
A large building emerge
Environmentally friendly fences
Surround the site.
That hosts the anti-wind farm
Movement headquarters
Secretly funded by
The Evil fossile fuel dinosaurs.
The town and nation
Dividing into those
Who love it
Or hate it.
As evil corporate CEOs
Count their obscene profits
As they shed crocodile tears,
Over the fate of the poor whales.
No Rain
{n 2025, the world ended
With the collapse
Of the worldwide climate system.
Monster storms of the century
devastated half the world
But the other half of the world
Had no rain or snow.
For almost a whole year
The once green grass was dying
Crops failed everywhere.
And baked in the unrelenting
Blast wave furnace-like heat
Heatwave after heatwave.
Military coups took place
Fascism re-emerged
The public demanded action.
The politicians played
The blame game.
With the collapse of trade
And travel restrictions
People stayed home.
Making do the best they could
Home-grown gardens
Proliferated.
Feudal townships grew
As people walled themselves off
To save their communities
The rich build underground cities
While the poor starved
And civilization crumbled
Wildlife proliferated.
As did neo-savage
cannibal gangs
By the year 2030.
It was all over
And the rains
Never came out west.
Ice Age 2.0 Cometh
In the year 2025
Climate change
Ran amuck.
Starting with monster storms
Out west
That lasted from November until June
,
With a brief intense fire season
So much soot and smoke
In the air.
Dubbed the year
without a summer
Crops failed everywhere
massive riots erupted
total chaos
Then another
monster storm season
From November to June.
Non=stop rain and snow
Breaking all records.
As the entire West coast
Went from mega drought
To mega flooding.
And mega floods
Thousand-year Tornados
Hurricanes from hell
Ravaged the rest of the land.
Hell on Earth
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
Do you believe in Climate change ? Pregunta Poems
Do you believe in climate change?
It is as real as everything else
Is the weather getting hotter?
Soon it will be hell on earth.
Is the world burning up?
Yes the world is burning, has a a fever
What is the worst weather you ever experienced?
Korean winter 1979 – -60 Fahrenheit that winter
What is the hottest weather you ever experienced?
Bangkok Thailand in the summer often hit over 100 degrees
Ever lived through a hurricane?
Only few blew through DC when I was there
And wildfires?
Saw a few in Oregon – end of the world feeling
Who is to blame for climate change?
We all are to blame especially the fossil fuel moguls.
Can humanity long survive climate change?
Nope I feel the end times are coming.
Korean Heat Dome Blues
It is hot summertime in Korea.
Hiding out, avoiding the damn heat.
The weather is just so hot, mama mia!
Dreaming of eating ice cream, such a treat.
At night, nothing beats having a cold drink.
Trying to avoid the tropical night.
The heat dome settles like a hot heat sink
Making people so crazy, want to fight.
Note: Korea gets hot in July/August, it is like living in a sauna. Many people suffer without air conditioning as the electric bills are pretty high. This year is particularly bad as a heat dome has settled down. The monsoons came and went, lots of damage down south but not where I live. August is traditionally the worst, the heat usually begins to abate end of August. Still not as bad as the US – no massive wildfires so far.
Dome Cities to Save the Human Race
39 lines
In the year 2030
After five years
Of ever worsening weather
Record heat waves after heat waves
Massive fires everywhere
Record hurricanes and typhoons
Mega flooding and mega droughts too
Tornados including fire tornado
Large parts of the world
Were experiencing death valley temperatures
The UN convened a global conference
With the vast majority of countries
Agreeing to set up emergency shelter
By creating domed cities
Covering the core downtown areas
Exurban areas would be abandoned
Most of Florida would be abandoned
Most of the Desert Southwest as well.
The shelters would be built
Using nano construction technology
Developed in a Lab with AI assistance
Creating the shelter domes with AI assistance
The tone of the meetings was positive
There was a new sense of harmony
There was a feeling that building these shelters
Along with transitioning to a green energy environment
Was the last chance to save the human race
The social conservatives in the U.S.
And elsewhere realized
That they had no choice
But to join in the new consensus
Even the big energy companies vowed
To join in the efforts to save humanity
For a profit of course
Either We Deal with Climate Change or We All Die
Climate change is real.
And getting out of control.
Either humanity deals with it.
Changing to green energy solutions.
It is technologically possible.
We all know what we must do.
It could be a civilization ending event.
Or in ten years we will have to retreat underground.
WRITE AN EITHER / OR POEM.
Torrential Rain Fall Everywhere
In the last few years
Due to climate change on steroids.
There has been an increase
In torrential downpours all over the world.
After the Governor Florida
cut climate change funds,
More rain fell in one day than in a year.
Flooding the entire city of Miami.
TOPIC
WRITE A TORRENTIAL POEM.
Climate Change
The climate is changing now.
It is a matter of how.
Some are still in denial.
Saying it’s a witch-trial
Form: TANAGA
. is a poem of four lines (quatrain)
It is usually a rhyming poem
Each line contains seven syllables (7-7-7-7)
AABB is the traditional rhyme scheme
But variations in rhyme scheme are allowed
Just have fun!
Visions of the Future
As I fell asleep
Watching the news
Unfold.
Thought it could not worst
Surely sanity will prevail.
I began to see visions
Of the future.
One scene after another
Starting in January
Operation Shock and Awe
Overnight fascism descended
On the US
Martial law declared.
Insurrection Act Evoked.
National Emergency Declared.
Constitution suspended.
The military takes
over the Blue States
Mass deportation begins.
25 percent tariffs imposed
The world responds
by banning US imports.
And banning US citizens
from traveling there
and deporting them too.
US troops come home
A draft is imposed
Troops stationed on the border
Which is sealed up.
Detention camps fill up
With illegal citizens, homeless people,
Muslims, Palestinians, Protestors and dissidents.
The New Government Efficiency report
Calls for eliminating 40 percent
of the Federal workforce
whole departments are abolished.
National Parks and monuments
turned over to the States
National Forests turned over to lumber
and mining companies.
BLM lands turned over to the States.
as protests spread
unemployment reaches
Great Depression levels.
Public health collapses
Government services collapse
Libraries closed down.
Schools replaced
By private church schools.
the media is tamed
corporations take over
remaining media workers
and government workers
stay silent
not wanting to join
the ranks
of the growing unemployed
on end up in the camps
that don’t officially exist.
as AI bots take over
job after job.
.
the internet cleansed
of dissenting views
and monitored
millions are driven
to homelessness
unemployment
reaches 50 percent.
homeless camps
called Trumpvilles spread.
the military breaks them up
thousands are killed.
the rest of the homeless
are rounded up
put into the camps.
Camp residents
forced to work
as slave labor
in agricultural jobs..
inflation goes through the roof
the media becomes cheerleaders
saying things will g.et better
if we stay the course
it gets worse
people who have jobs
feel fortunate.
the President dies
JD Vance takes over
And things continue
Getting worse.
Worldwide it is bad
Democratic governments
Collapse everywhere.
JD Vance declares
The United States.
Will become the
North American empire
Moving the capital
To Omaha
Calling for a constitutional convention
But cancelling the constitution for now
The democratic party declared
The enemy within
Congress sent home.
The SC does not say a word
After the liberal members
Are arrested.
Most people do not know
What is going on
The media and news
Showing nothing
but fake good news
the internet cleansed
of dissenting sites.
People retreat into their own world
VR games have becom.e very popular
Drugs are everywhere
But illegal
Overseas Russian troops take over
Eastern Europe
Russian Empire relaunched
China takes back Taiwan
And Korea.
Declaring the Chinese Empire
Middle East overcome by war
Israel destroyed in a nuclear war.
Nuclear war breaks out
Indian and Pakistan
China and Korea
US and Russia
Are now allies
Western Europe
Breaks apart
Ten years later
World civilization has fallen apart
Climate change ends
With the collapse of trade
And travel.
Followed by a new ice age
Triggered by nuclear winter
The end of the world
Has arrived
Most people live in fort cities
Ruled by local warlords
Working in agriculture
Or working as scavengers.
80 percent of humanity
Perished after massive storms
Nuclear war
Disease and the ending
of civilization
A few college towns
Try to stay alive
The knowledge
of the past
but most people don’t know
don’t care and have forgotten
the recent past nightmares.
The imperial governments
Around the world
Rule nothing but
The immediate capitol regions.
The rest of the world
Continuing in feudal townships.
Rich people have finally figured out
How to move to Mars and the Moon
Living in vast underground cities.
On in underground cities
Beneath the earth.
My vision ends with these sights
Ten years after the chaos began.
the year 2024
38 lines
The year 2024
Turned out to be a weird year,
It was the last year of the old order.
All over the world
It seemed as if nature
Was in revolt against the human race.
It started with a break in the rain
The rains and snow had ended the drought
But brought with it something worse.
As Sam Adams
Took a long-delayed
Drive along the coast.
He stopped off in Bodega Bay
The site of the infamous
“the Birds” movie.
While watching the crashing surf
Amid the piles of driftwood
The birds were soon joined by bears,
Coyotes, cougars, feral cats. Feral cattle,
feral dogs, Feral horses, feral pigs, giant spiders,
Orcas, snakes, sea lions, sharks, squirrels,
Escaped apes, cheetahs, monkeys, elephants,
Lions, tigers, and wolves
Domestic and wild animals alike.
All gathered together
All united with a hatred
For the human race.
The attacks started that day
As the animals gained telepathic powers
Coordinating attacks
Against the unsuspecting humans.
And within weeks.
Civilization began falling apart,
By the end of the year
The old world had ended.
Prompt words
break in the rain
drive along the coast
“The Birds” movie
crashing surf
piles of driftwood
Choose TRAVEL as one of your genres.
Solar Energy Mirrored Cinquain
Solar
Clean energy
We can do it right now
Renewable energy for all
Why not?
Wind too
To save the world, we must do it
We know how to do it
Climate change is now
Killing
Today’s form is going to be the Mirrored Cinquain.
Topic: solar energy.
Information: “Cinquain, Mirrored”
Entries must not exceed 40 lines for poetry. Your line count MUST appear in your entry post in the Cramp forum.
The Mirrored Cinquain
First I have to bring back into memory how the cinquain goes:
The cinquain is developed by Adelaide Crapsey.
A cinquain contains five lines (the French word cinq can be found in it), and has a total of 22 syllables. The poems are unrhymed, and in a way related to the haiku
This is how you form the cinquain
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The Mirrored Cinquain has an additional stanza, in which you mirror the order of the lines.
This is how you form the mirrored cinquain:
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 8 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 4 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
The spaced opening in the middle forms the mirror, and in the second stanza you can see that the order of the lines are reversed.
Running Out of Water
The end of the year
Running out of water
The fire in the sky
What does it matter ?
The bomb cylcone storm
The climate getting hotter
People becoming madder
Nature ready for slaughter
We watch it all unfold
Our leader the chief Plotter
As climate change worsens
Reality to fought her
To me, a new form to play with, but in fact it is an old Irish poetry form.
Guidelines:
It is written in quatrains.
Each stanza has four lines.
The first line has five syllables.
The other three lines have six syllables.
All end words are two syllables.
But – written with the defining features of most Celtic poems, cywddydd (harmony of sound) meaning alliteration, consonance and assonance and dunadh (ending the poem with the same word, phrase or line with which the poem began)
Last Bird of the Autumn
15 lines
Sam Adams was hiking
In the mountains
On a late autumn day
When he encountered
The last bird alive.
A virus had emerged
From the thawing permafrost
Quickly spreading around the world
Killing birds
Until there were only a few
Who survived.
He captured the bird
Took it home
And continued to look
For other birds to save.
Please use the following as the Title of your poem or story:
“Last Bird of Autumn”
The genre is up to you.
End-of-the-World Feelings
17 lines
Sam Adams
Woke up one day
Looking out at his flooded home.
Filled with black, foul-smelling, murky,
Miasma, muddy sewage water
Thanking God
That he had survived
The monster storm
Of the century.
That has swept across the land.
The wind from the terrible tornados
Tearing through the devastated land.
Fleeing the fury of the fire out west.
Unleashing the fury of nature,
Truly Hell on earth had arrived.
Climate change arriving on steroids.
Thinking about the end-of-the-world.
new prompt:
water
land
fire
wind
Use the elements mentioned above in your poem or story.
Last BBQ
The day the world ended
Was a cool evening
in the late summer time,
They heard the news
About the monarch butterflies
Disappearing because of climate change
While enjoying their BBQ
In the backyard fire pit
Good friends drinking beer
And wine eating BBQ
Chilling out, talking about the world
And their stories
Snoring dogs woke up
When the aliens arrived
Ending the world
As they knew it.
Last Ground Hog Day
36 lines
The last ground day
February 2, 2025
Started as most such days did,
In the U.S. people flocking
To see whether the groundhog
Would see his shadow or not.
The mystery remains
Why this event
Had so captured
The imagination of the world?
By the end of the day
The ground hog’s prognosis
Of six weeks more winter
Seemed ironical.
As that was the year
Without summer
And the first year
Of the new ice age.
By the end of the day
There were massive volcanic eruptions
Triggered by the Yellowstone volcano.
Setting off other volcanos –
All told over 25 volcanos blew up.
Followed by massive earthquakes
Including the “Big One” in California
The massive explosions led to a year
Without summer
A true civilization-ending event,
Ground Hog Day soon faded away.
Into collective amnesia.
No one had time anymore
To deal with such a mundane
Old fashion mystery.
As they were dealing with
The end-of-the-world.
NEW PROMPT:
Write a story or poem about a Groundhog Day (2/2) gone wrong.
Choose Mystery as one of your genres.
End-of-the-world Survival Blues
I got them
The end-of-the-world
End times coming
Climate change is real
Blues.
Every day
More bad news
As Frank Zappa once wrote
“No one can deny
That trouble coming every day.”
I got them
The end-of-the-world
Blues.
Turning on the news
Nonstop stories 24/7
About killer storms
Monster tornados
Super typhoons
Monsoon floods.
Wars, rumors of war
COVID running out of control
False prophets everywhere
Economies still reeling
Inflation out of control
Derange gunmen
Shooting up schools
Churches, mosques, temples
Shopping malls
Insurrection plots
Political madness
Spreading across the world.
Neo-fascism is on the move.
Oh yeah
I got them
End times coming
Blues.
We all used to think
Climate change
Is a future threat.
Now it seems
To be real
Live and in living color.
No longer just
A disaster movie
I got them
The climate change blues
And now it seems real
Seeing whole towns disappearing
In fires, floods, and storm damages.
And near me
Roads closed
Apartments flooded
Subway shut down.
Apartment garage flooded
People drowned in their cars
Trying to escape.
Thousand-year storms
Coming every day
To a town near you
No one can escape
It seems so real
Is this the end?
Is our very survival
At stake?
Or will we somehow
Manage in the end
To solve our problems?
Will our descendants
Be living
In a post-apocalyptic world,
Looking back at the ruins
Of the old world
In their underground bunkers
Or on the Moon and Mars?
Oh, I got them
The survival blues.
SURVIVAL
Line Count Requirement: Minimum of 12
Required Form: none
End Times
22
Sam Adams
Reflected that the end times
Were coming.
Climate change
Running out of control
The whole world is on fire.
magnetic storm
causing rampant
power failures
Making it hard.
To breathe
in the smoky air.
He just wants to
Jump in the river
To cool off.
But he realized
There was no end
In sight.
As the world ends
Burning up
Turning the world
Into hell on earth.
New Prompt:
Use in your poem or story the following, and bold it for tomorrow’s judge:
magnetic storm
power failure
breathe
jump in the river
Stay Positive
15 line version
With all the gloom and doom
Nonstop 24/7 BREAKING NEWS
Bad, crazy, deceitful, dismal, evil,
Fake, fraudulent, wild news
Flooding our TV screens.
Like Frank Zappa’s famous
“Slime oozing out of your TV sets”
It is very hard to remain positive.
Hard to see the good news.
Senator Manchin reached a deal
To deal with climate change
Inflation and energy security.
He took the deal
He had denounced
A few weeks before.
No more Perfect Summer Days
I wish that we could have
A perfect summer day,
A bit warm but not hot
Not too humid.
Everyone filled with peace,
Love and health.
Plenty of personal freedom,
As we enjoy a picnic lunch
Watching fireworks at night.
Then I realize
That the world
No longer allows us
To have perfect summer days.
Hot as hell weather
Everywhere around the world
Monster summer storms.
Running out of water,
Running out of food,
COVID is still around.
New leaders emerge
Promising to protect us.
And we lose our freedoms.
One by one
As fascism takes over.
The climate change
And all the other dystopian future
Nightmares become reality,
No more perfect summer days.
Korean Summers
Korean Summers
Hot sauna humidity
Long tropical nights
Author note:
I have suffered through many Korean summers off since 1979 when I first came in the last peace corps group to complete service in Korea, and more recently since I semi-retired to Korea in late 2016. This is probably my 16th Korean summer. Some things have improved – air conditioning is everywhere and
God is Not Happy with the Human Race
God is not happy
With the human race.
He is sending us a warning
The world is filled with hate
The world is on the brink.
Our way of life under attack
From the forces
Of evil Satanic godless communism.
Who under the guise
Of fighting the climate change hoax
Want to deny us our freedom.
Want to deny us our cars
Make us all take the bus
Make us all vegan.
They will not stop
Until our way of life
Comes to an end.
And the climate
It is not changing
Just a reflection
Of God’s warning.
Repent, the end times
Are coming soon
Are you right with the lord?
Judgment day is at hand
As California burns
So does the nation
Unless we repent
Of our evil ways.
God is warning us all
My friends
Will we heed his words
Or end up dying?
Last Gasp of the Old World
30 lines
The world’s weather
Continued to change
Going from bad to worst
With the impact of climate change.
Every day another monster storm
Another polar vortex
Another northeastern
Along with killer tornados.
Then the summer came
Hot and dry
Fire season started west
Monster hurricanes down south.
Relentless fires burning
The land
Everywhere seemed to be
Hell on earth.
Noting the odd weather
Sam Adams the famous writer
Concluded on his blog
Welcome to the end times
My friends
It is only going to get worst.
Revelations foretold us
All of this
Jesus is coming soon
To judge the living
And the dead.
Be afraid
Of the coming wraith
Of the Lord.
The Last Umbrella
18 lines
Sam Adams was a scientist
Working on global warming
And acid rain fall
He knew what many did not
That the end was indeed coming
Soon he feared that walking
Outside in the rain
Would be a death sentence
He knew that this might be
The end of the umbrella industry
He called his broker
Shorted shares
In universal umbrellas
And other umbrella companies
Before releasing his report
That led to the collapse
Of the umbrella market.
Climate Change on the Move
Climate change
On the move
Everywhere
The world’s weather
In turmoil
Massive winter storms
Covering the world
Rare winter tornados
Causing havoc everywhere
There is good news
The fires out west
Finally dying down
As the winter storms
Bear down on the west
Korean December Weather – Brought to You By Global Warming, Inc
A relatively mild December day
More like November than December
Due to Climate warming?
Korea used to have a predictable weather pattern
The winter would start late November, eartly December
By the end of the year,
It would be snowing every other day
Accumulating in the mountains
But not too much in the cities.
A clear pattern three days cold
Four days warm
Cold but not too cold yet.
That would happen
In January through March,
When cold air would flow down
From Siberian and Manchuria
Covering the land,
With bone-chilling cold
That would not let up
Until mid-March
When the cold
Would begin to end.
Except in the mountains
When it would linger until May,
And Korea is a land of mountains
70 percent mountains.
Most under 5,000 American feet
A few a bit higher
Many more hills than mountains
Whatever that means.
Climate Warming Inc Press release
Due to our efforts
The traditional severely cold Korean has ended
Winter now will be just January and February
Summer will start in May,
End in September.
October through December
Will be mild.
Thanks to our efforts
You should be glad
We are giving you
A longer fall
And shorter winter.
The summers unfortunately
It will be a bit hotter
Nothing we can do about that
Hope you can afford
More Air conditioning.
Thanks
The Climate Warming Corp Inc
The World Can End in Fire and Ice
Some scientists are warning us
Climate change could result
In both global warming,
And ironically
that could be followed
By a renewed ice age.
The theory is that global weather patterns
The Gulf Stream and Jet streams
Have been keeping parts of the world
warmer that before.
and that the melting of the ice caps
and the growing climate disruptions
could result in a revival
of another planetary ice age.
and that based
on long-term climate trends
the earth is overdue
for another ice age .
thus the world could end
in both fire and ice.
For the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Day 26 is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt.
Today is the fourth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt of 2024:
Write a fire poem, and/or…
Write an ice poem.
Climate Change Etheree
Hot
weather
everywhere
like Death Valley
heat baking the land
hotter than hell at times
never ending hot weather
people feeling constant heat
no end in sight climate changing
end of the world feeling descending
An Etheree poem has a syllable count of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. It adheres to a clean, graduated edge because it is also considered form poetry, created by Etheree Taylor Armstrong. I like the Etheree centered because it looks like a Christmas tree.
Climate Change Grook Poem
climate changing
hot weather everywhere
followed by short brutal winter
s this the end-of-the-world?
A grook (“gruk” in Danish) is a form of short aphoristic poem.
It was invented by the Danish poet and scientist Piet Hein.
He wrote over 7,000 of them from 1939 until his death in 1996, mostly in Danish – published in 20 volumes.
Piet Hein was president of the Anti-Nazi Union when the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940. He became an underground passive resister and found a way to encourage resistance through the use of poems – which he called “gruks” (“grooks” in English). He began publishing them in the daily newspaper “Politiken” under the pseudonym “Kumbel Kumbell”.
The poems were meant as a spirit-building, yet slightly coded form of passive resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II.
Climate Chang Renga Poem
climate is changing
bad weather is everywhere
California burns
huricanes howling
tornados and winter storms
climate deniers
saying it is all a hoax
monster storms abound
nature does not care at all
the climate deniers lie
For these event you have to write two sets of renga – FIRST VERSE is a 5/7/5 followed by SECOND VERSE 7/7 with same theme; SECOND STANZA repeats sharing the same them. The complete renga stanzas look like this: 5/7/5 – 7/7 ; 5/7/5 – 7/7 Separate verses with two lines (5/7/5 – two lines – 7/7); If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. You can send me what you have and I can give you feedback. I know Renga can be hard for your first time.
Background on Likely Environmental Policy Under Trump Provided by Co-Pilot
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
could you provide background information on the trump’s climate change agenda? from both left and right wing points of iew with links
Sure thing! Here’s a balanced overview of Trump’s climate change agenda from both left and right-wing perspectives:
Left-Wing Perspective:
Critics from the left argue that Trump’s climate policies are detrimental to environmental progress. They highlight his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the rollback of over 100 environmental regulations during his first term. These actions are seen as setbacks in the fight against climate change, with concerns that they prioritize fossil fuel interests over renewable energy and environmental protection2. The left also points out that Trump’s stance on climate change, often labeling it a “hoax,” undermines scientific consensus and global efforts to address the issue.
Right-Wing Perspective:
Supporters from the right view Trump’s climate agenda as a necessary shift towards economic growth and energy independence. They argue that deregulation and increased fossil fuel production are crucial for job creation and economic stability. Trump’s emphasis on “energy dominance” and his skepticism towards climate change policies are seen as efforts to reduce government overreach and support traditional energy industries4. Some right-wing governments, while supporting climate action, still align with Trump’s approach to balancing economic and environmental priorities.
What percentage of energy in the US comes from renewable energy currently?
As of 2023, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) accounted for 21% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. This marks a significant increase in the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix over recent years1.
How likely is it that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations?
There is a significant concern that Trump might withdraw from climate negotiations, particularly the Paris Agreement, if he were to secure another term. During his first term, Trump did withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and there are indications he might do so again2. This potential move is seen as a setback for global climate efforts, as the U.S. plays a crucial role in international climate policy.
However, some experts believe that the renewable energy sector’s growth and market trends might mitigate the impact of such a withdrawal. The uncertainty around this issue remains high, and it will depend on various political and economic factors.
Final point – some have argued that renewable energy subsidies including for home solar and EV vehicles might be ended
There are indeed discussions and concerns about the potential end of renewable energy subsidies, including those for home solar and electric vehicles (EVs). These subsidies have been crucial in promoting the adoption of clean energy technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Current State of Subsidies:
Home Solar: Many states, including Oregon, offer incentives for solar installations. For example, the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program provides rebates for solar electric systems and paired solar and storage systems for residential customers2.
Electric Vehicles: Federal tax credits are available for EV purchases, offering up to $7,500. Additional state and local incentives may also be available.
Potential Changes:
Political Climate: The future of these subsidies largely depends on the political climate and the priorities of the administration in power. Some argue that ending these subsidies could slow down the transition to renewable energy and hinder efforts to combat climate change.
Economic Factors:
On the other hand, some believe that the market for renewable energy and EVs has matured enough to sustain itself without subsidies, and that ending them could reduce government spending.
For more detailed information, you can check out the Department of Energy’s website and the White House’s clean energy initiatives.
However, with questions over the implications of withholding federal tax dollars and a Republican majority in Congress, Krueger’s proposition is very unlikely to be realized and has been met with concern from her Democratic colleagues.
“It’s not our job to pick up the pitchforks that have been dropped by his many followers,” Long Island Assembly member Chuck Lavine said in a recent interview with Politico‘s New York Playbook.
While Vice President Kamala Harris secured the majority of votes needed to win the Empire state, Trump received 44 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press, with New York coming its closest to turning red in almost four decades, per reports from The New York Post.
During the Trump-Haris debate, President Trump made racists comments about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. the Moderator fact checked him pointing out that the City Manager, Mayor and Police chief all denied that this was an actual thing. Nonetheless Trump, JD Vance and their cohorts in the MAGA movement have spent the last two weeks repeating these vile rumors.
Co-pilot provided background information
To provide accurate background information on recent comments by President Trump and JD Vance about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio, I’ll need to search for the most up-to-date and reliable sources. Let me gather that information for you.
The comments you’re referring to were made recently and have caused significant controversy. Here’s a summary of the situation:
On March 16, 2024, during a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, former President Donald Trump made claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. He stated Haitian immigrants were coming to Ohio in large numbers and suggested they were engaging in unusual practices, including eating dogs and cats.
JD Vance, a Republican Senator from Ohio, later echoed and defended Trump’s comments in a social media post.
These statements have been widely criticized by political opponents, fact-checkers, and immigrant advocacy groups as being inflammatory and not based on evidence.
Local officials in Springfield, Ohio, have disputed these claims, stating that there is no evidence of such practices occurring in their community.
The comments have sparked a broader debate about immigration rhetoric and its impact on communities.
For direct sources and more detailed information, you can refer to the following links:
He stated Haitian immigrants were coming to Ohio in large numbers and suggested they were engaging in unusual practices, including eating dogs and cats.
These sources provide comprehensive coverage of the statements made, the context surrounding them, and the reactions they’ve generated. It’s important to approach this topic with critical thinking and to consider multiple perspectives when evaluating the impact and accuracy of these claims.
Here are my poems and stories about these ridiculous racist claims.
Sandra Jones Interrupts Haitian Voodoo Cat Ritual
Sandra Lee Jones lived in Springfield, Ohio. She was a local political activist and recently had gotten involved in the MAGA movement local chapter which was quite concerned with the problems facing the community with the influx of Haitian immigrants. She was convinced that her Haitian neighbors were killing and eating dogs and cats as part of a satanic voodoo ritual. She followed the controversy on Facebook and was determined to get footage confirming that. She had contacted the local police, the local papers, and the Mayor, but they ignored her frequent calls seeing her as a crank caller and warning her of the legal penalties for filing false and frivolous police reports.
One night, she went into the woods with her friends to spy on a Haitian voodoo ceremony being held on a full moon night deep in the woods. They saw a lost black cat running away from the campfire being chased by a voodoo priestess.
Sandra rescued the cat and confronted her.
Sandra rescued the cat and confronted her.
“Hey, what are you doing to the cats and dogs? Are you eating them?”
The priestess, Mambo Lola Sita, said,
“Back off, Karen. Mind your own business. And give me back Sassy my cat. We need him for our ritual. We can perform a blessing ritual for you and your friends. Maybe you win the lotto or get a new boyfriend or girlfriend, whatever you want I can make happen with my voodoo mojo.
Sandra pulled out her cell phone and called the police. They were used to her frequent calls and considered her a nuisance crank caller. Jason Adams, her video assistant live streamed the encounter on FB, X, and Fox News. Which broke into their regular programming to bring live coverage of ‘”The Voodoo Cat Ritual” taking place in Springfield, Ohio. They had live interviews with Christian Ministers active in the “anti- Voodoo” movement. Former President Trump and JD Vance live called into the program denouncing the Haitians for conducting shocking voodoo animal sacrifices.
The right media made Sandra a hero for standing up to the evil Haitians. Donald Trump and JD Vance said they believed her story. Only 30 percent of Americans believed her story, most people were sympathetic to the Haitian immigrants
Trump lauded the brave woman who saved a cat from death in a voodoo ceremony.,
Haitian immigrants across the country accused of killing pets, Proud Boys descend on Springfield, Ohio.
“These animals from Haiti are sick weirdos, totally disgusting vermin. The local police should be arresting them but they are too afraid of the woke radical leftist mob and the rabid pro-open borders media. They kill cats, dogs, and ducks and eat them as part of their satanic Voodoo ceremonies. Why won’t comrade Kamala apologize to the country for letting these Haitian thugs into the country in the first place? Is she a secret Voodoo believer? Her father was from Jamaica they do voodoo there too. I am told Thanks to Sandra the cat was saved. On day one of my Presidency, we will deport all the Haitians in the US, starting with Springfield, ground zero of the Haitian Voodoo invasion, and we will also make Voodoo illegal.”
The police and media showed up and walked about the campfire confirming that there were no dead animals at the site. They arrested Sandra and her associates for filing a false police report and instigating a hate crime. The Haitians declined to press charges and were released.
They began receiving hate mail every day. A week later Sandra was horrified when she looked out at the front yard covered with dead cats and dogs on top of the freshly fallen first snow of the year, as the cold front finally moved through.
“Karen” is a pejorative term that refers to white middle-aged women who call the police to report crimes allegedly being committed by black people.
“MAGA Make America Great Again” is President Trump’s populist movement that has taken over the Republican party.
“Mind Your Own Business” is Governor Tim Walz, the democratic party’s candidate warning to the Republican MAGA movement positions on abortion and LRBTQ rights
Haitian immigrants across the country accused of killing pets, Proud Boys descend on Springfield, Ohio.
Trump and Vance hold a rally in Springfield to denounce immigrant pet abuse by Haitian immigrants.
The Proud Boys and other right-wing groups announce that they are going to Springfield, Ohio to hold citizen arrests of the entire Haitian community and expel them from town to save the town from the threat of dog and cat killings posed by the Haitian immigrants.
After the rally, the proud boys go around shooting and killing Haitians while Trump says nothing to condemn the horrific violence and promises to pay the legal bills of the patriots who cleaned up the city.
The residents of the town rally to protect their new neighbors and fight back. The Proud Boys and others leave town after killing Haitians and burning down their businesses. The townspeople held a press conference and announced that they would help their Haitian friends rebuilt their lives.
Trump Says Time to Deport all Haitians
“When I am President, we will eliminate immigration from shit-hole countries like Haiti and deport Haitians en-mass. It is a terrible country where they come from. The Haitians are simply horrid animals. The proud boys go ahead and rough them up scare them to leave town so they can go and infest I don’t know maybe Oakland? Comrade Harris’s hometown?
The national Associations of Caribbean Americans endorse Kamala Harris and promises a new beginning for Caribbean Americans including Haitians.
Donald Trump Doubles Down
Donald Trump
Is a stubborn old man
Adamant in his delusions
Doubling down on his racist lies,
Comments about Haitians
Eeating cats, ducks, dogs and gesse.
Appealing to his racist white base
Who eat up his hateful words.
Haiti Eating dogs Oh My
Trump and Vance
Have gone off
The racist deep-end
Talking about Haitians
Eating dogs and cats
Implying they were engaged
In weird voodoo rituals.
Trump Goes On Tirade about Haitian immigrants
Trump announced that if he were elected president he would immediately deport Haitians and rescind the TSP program. He went on to say that Haiti was a horrible country, filled with violent vile people who practice voodoo and dogs and cats. He would start with deporting the Haitians in Springfield who are not good people, in fact they are vermin, animals that should be rounded up and shot.
Haitians Eating Dogs – oh my Semi-found Poem
“In Springfield,
they’re eating the dogs,
the people who came in
”
These animals
have taken over” Springfield
and are “walking off,”
with people’s pets.
“They’re eating the cats.
They’re eating
the pets of the people
that live there.”
and this
is what’s
happening in our country.
We’re going
to get these people out,”
These animals
from Haiti are sick weirdos,
totally disgusting vermin.
The local police
should be arresting them
but they are too afraid
of the woke radical leftist mob
and the rabid pro-open borders media.
They kill cats, dogs,
and ducks
and eat them
as part of their satanic
Voodoo ceremonies.
Why won’t comrade Kamala
apologize to the country
for letting these Haitian thugs
into the country
in the first place?
Is she a secret voodoo believer?
Her father was from Jamaica
they voodoo there too.
I am told
Thanks to Sandra
the cat was saved.
On day one of my Presidency,
we will deport
all the Haitians in the US,
Starting with Springfield,
Ground zero of the
Haitian Voodoo invasion,
and we will also
make Voodoo illegal.”
A local Haitian activist said
a visit from Trump
“would be like rubbing sandpaper
covered with salt
on an open wound,”
” they continue to dehumanize the Haitian community,
just like this country vilified the Germans and Italians
Donald Trump Cat and Duck AI Images, also known as Donald Trump Cat Memes, Cats For Trump or Ducks For Trump, refers to a series of AI-generated images showing former United States President Donald Trump holding cats and ducks, often rescuing them or running away with the animals, that are then “supporting” him in the 2024 Presidential Election. The artificial intelligence images went viral in early September 2024 as part of a rumor about Haitian immigrants in Ohio purportedly eating pets, notably including a neighbor’s cat and geese, which were then used by Trump supporters to joke about the recent influx of Haitians in the country. Despite local authorities refuting the claims of Haitian immigrants eating people’s animals, the AI pictures depicting Trump rescuing them were widely spread on social media, particularly on X / Twitter.
One of the earliest pieces of memetic content was posted by X[1] user @TrumpsRare that same day, who shared an AI-generated video of Donald Trump kissing a duck captioned, “I love you. I would never let the Haitians eat you.” The upload (shown below) received over 2.3 million views, 8,1700 reposts and 57,000 likes in one day.
Spread
Several AI images depicting Donald Trump saving cats and ducks from people (presumably intended to depict Haitian immigrants) started to appear across X, Reddit and TikTok in the following days after the rumor gained traction on social media in early September 2024.
For example, on September 9th, 2024, the X[2] page @JudiciaryGOP posted an AI montage showing Trump hugging a kitty and a goose while he’s in the water, captioning it with, “Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!” The tweet (seen below) amassed more than 67 million views, 7,900 reposts and 32,000 likes in a day.
Also on September 9th, Redditor[3] Ok-Star-6787 posted an AI image of Trump holding two kittens while running away from two men, captioning the post, “For Trump to save your neighborhood cats.” The post (seen below) received roughly 275 upvotes and 38 comments in a day.
On the same day, TikTok[4] user @teamwork200000 posted a video featuring cats wearing “cats for rump” hats (seen below), which garnered over 10,000 plays and 1,600 likes in a day.
The Trump catmemes were also mentioned by Congressman Eric Swalwell on September 10th, 2024, which was later uploaded on X[5] by the page @townhallcom (seen below). In the video, Swalwell calls out @JudiciaryGOP AI image featuring Trump holding a kitty and a goose, saying “You’re tweeting this nonsense.” The post amassed more than 196,000 views and 1,400 likes in a few hours.
April Poetry Madness 2024 April 26 to April 30, 2024 Poems
This is the fifth and final batch of my April Poetry Madness challenge poems, (for April 21 to April 25), following daily prompts supplied by Poetry Superhighway, Writer’s Digest, Writing Com Dew Drop Inn, and NaPoWriMo. I am not posting any more PSH poems, as I need to keep some unpublished for future submissions.
I have included the poem, the prompt, and occasionally a bonus poem or comment or two. I am also cross-posting this on All Poetry, Blog Lovin, Cosmos Funnel, Facebook, Fan Story, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, Wattpad, Writer’s Digest, Writing Com, and Twitter. This is probably my last time doing this. Just getting too old to keep up.
NaPoWrMo The Parliament of Owls Decree Death to All Humans
AV version The Parliament of Owls Decree Death to All Humans
April 5, 2024
PSH Love Expressed Through Food
WD Tell Me No Lies
WC Make Baseball Great Again!
NaPoWrMo Resurrecting the Dodo Bird
April 6
PSH Cosmic Dog From Goa
WD Meeting My Fate Minimum Poem
WC Daily Ritual Drinks
NaPoWrMo Only In SF
Part Two
April 7
PSH Visiting My Father’s Grave
Bonus: Yakima Dessert Blues
WD Meeting My Fate Minimum Poem
WC Why Trump?
NaPoWrMo Planetary Nut Re-Configuration Program
April 8
PSH Area Codes
WD My Lucky Number
WC Economic Perception Delay
NaPoWrMo Wish You Were Here
April 9
PSH Dearly Beloved
WD the Major Event of My Life
WC Death to All Humans
NaPoWrMo My Dysfunctional Family
April 10
PSH You Can’t Write That!
WD Better Political Discourse Needed
WC Green Trees Don’t Make It
AI Bing Version
NaPoWrMo Ode to My Coffee Pot
April 11
PSH Quote Poem About 9-11
WD Crazy Love Nonet
WC April 11—Eclipse/d two Lunatic Lune Poems about the Eclipse
NaPoWrMo Tribute to John Dean
April 12
PSH Subway Journey
WD Old Man Lost In His Old Memories
WC Civil War 2.0
NaPoWrMo 11 One Liners
April 13
PSH First Time to Eat Kimchi
WD Five Trumpian Humor Poetic Fragments
WC April 13—Discovery Shooting Down the Alien Visitors
NaPoWrMo Saga of Big Daddy
April 14
PSH 99 Haiku TBC
WD life worth Living
WC Tech Peeves
NaPoWrMo Shy Man Fishing
Part Three
Not posting PSH saving them as “unpublished)
Writer Digest Poems
April 15 New Middle Poem Middle Of Political Silly Season In The U.S. Trigger Warning Mild Political Rant
April 16 Trump Shardona Poem
April 17 New Tuesday prompt write a Shadorma poem about recent tech layoffs CEO To Labor Units of Production Shardona – You are Not Wanted
April 18 WD pessimistic Poem -not the Way to Fire People New Rules in the New Corporation World
April 19 Emotion Poem -fears of falling
April 20 The circus bear escapes
Bear in collar hears praise while rambling
alt. bonus poem Met And Married My Dream Lady
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
WC April 15 Lament Drifting Towards Civil War 2.0
WC Prove Something – God’s Demented Sense of Humor
WC Question something -The basic decency and sanity of Americans
WC Scumbagology
WC Comedy – The Donald Trump Show is Getting Old
NaPoWriMo Prompts
April 15
My stamp collection
April 16
Late Night Earthquake Blues
April 17
What is Hip?
April 18 It’s A Dog’s Life for Me
April 19
Hunting the Monsters in Hell
Day 20 Trail of Tears – My Family Connection
Part four
Writer’s Digest Prompts
April 21 Romantic Trope -Fairy Tale Romance
April 22 Gaii’s Calls for Revenge Against Humanity Earth Day Nightmare
April 23 Donald Trump’s Trials the Heart of the Matter
April 24 Maximum Cruelty in the Name of Jesus in the Point
April 25 Insight into Trump Incite Homonym Poem
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
April 21—Salient Image (poem based on one concrete thing you remember at day’s end) Seeing My Wife
April 22— Serio-comic dilemma -Election Choices Trigger Warning -Anti-Trump Rant!
April 23—Let Shakespeare be your inspiration – Fairy Tale Romance
April 24—Unexplored Desire Rule of Ten
April 25 TV Show Rocky and Bullwinkle background info
NaPoWriMo Poems
April 21 News Gives Me the Blues
April 22 Coffee and Tea endless argument – which is better?
April 23 Batman Feeling the Blues Kojiki Poem
April 24 the Dream of the Sphinx
April 25 Proust Questionnaire
Part Five
Writers Digest Prompts
Day 26 Life as a Coffee Pot
April 27 Old Man Lost In His Memories -Cornish Sonnet re-mix
April 27 Old Man Lost in his memories
April 28 I saw my Father Die Double Cinquain
April 29 Until the end of time
April 30 Beginning Of My Life Dream Cherita
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
April 26—Noise Now My Home Korea
April 27—Beauty Korean Land of K Beauties
April 28 Secrets Diplomatic Secrets to Take to My Grave
April 29—The sense of an ending End of Trump Reality TV Show?
NaPoWriMo Prompts
Day 26 “Nattering Nabobs of Negativity April Poetry
Day 27 Insomnia Blues An American Sonnet
April 28 Meeting Dream Girl Sijo
April 29 Saga of Big Daddy
April 30 The Grim Reaper Gathers His Posse
Begin Poems
Writer’s Digest
Day 26 Life as a Coffee Pot
coffee
If I were to come back
As an inanimate object,
I would come back
As a coffee pot.
Giving pleasure
Every morning
To my master and friends.
As they enjoy the fresh coffee,
That is my Buddha nature
To make for them.
For today’s prompt, write a persona poem. A persona poem is just a poem narrated in the voice of a persona who is not yourself. Like I could write a persona poem in the voice of Batman or SpongeBob SquarePants or an abandoned payphone beside an abandoned gas station (which I just might do) or a stray cat. Pick someone or something, take on its persona, and write
2024 April PAD Challenge: Day 28
Remix title: Old Man Lost In His Old Memories
converted to Cornish Sonnet form
Sam Adams thought about that date.
On a fine date in September.
For that was the day he met his fate.
Sparks flew from heart to heart.
A date he would always remember.
She soon became his sweetheart.
When he saw on the bus he knew
That she would be his forever.
And that he would never feel blue.
As long as she was by his side.
He vowed they would be happy forever
As long as she was by his bedside.
Sam Adams thought about that date.
On a fine date in September.
The Cornish Sonnet is said by an internet source to be influenced by Arab traders to the Cornish coast . This verse form appears to be a merging of Arabic meter and the sonnet. Exactly when and how this came about I have yet to pin down. Early Cornish verse is fragmented and stingy at best. The earliest literature in the Cornish language were fragments of religious plays. The language became all but extinct by the 18th century but what was preserved demonstrates some verse in octaves using 7 syllable loose trochaic lines and alternating rhyme. Unlike verse from other Celtic origins, deliberate use of alliteration or other devices of “harmony of sound” are not present. This sonnet form doesn’t fit with these early findings so I can only assume that it arrived on the scene much later than originally presumed.
The elements of the Cornish Sonnet are:
lyrical meditation.
a quatorzain, 2 sestetsmade up of linked enclosed tercets, followed by a refrain which is the repeat of the first line of each sestet.
metered at the discretion of the poet, lines should be of similar length.
rhymed Ababcc Defdef AD The first line of each sestet are repeated in refrain in the last couplet.
The sonnet can be written with an alternate rhyme scheme aaabcbc defdef CF In this scenario the last line of each sestet is repeated in refrain in the last couplet.
I opted to not use traditional meter as I generally don’t handle that well for some reason
original poem about old man lost in his memories – spelling out his memories of meeting his wife
Memories
Of past events
Yesterdays
Overwhelming
An old man
Lost in his past
Can’t sleep at 0 dark hundred.
Note: “ O dark hundred” is military/intel jargon referring to the time two to three hours before dawn when operatives get up to get ready for dawn operations. Depending on the location and time of year it is between 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.
for me is 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. when I get the insomnia blues.
For today’s prompt, write a remix poem. Just remix one of your poems. It could be from earlier in this month or even from before this challenge. But take one of your already existing poems and remix it. If it’s a sonnet, make it free verse. If it’s free verse, try turning it into a triolet or villanelle. Have fun with it.
April 28 Dead Poem I saw my Father Die Double Cinquain
Curtis Cosmos Aller, Jr
Visiting My Father’s Grave
My father died.
when i saw my dad lying there.
I sensed his soul departing from his dead body.
It was as if a light had gone out, his soul escaped from his life.
I knew death then.
Prompt:
We are going to start Poetry Week with the Double Cinquain.
On an Internet search for new poetry forms, I found the Double Cinquain. The structure is quite the same, compared with the Cinquain, only the syllables have doubled.
How did the Cinquain go?
xx
xxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xx
The Double Cinquain have twice as many syllables, but still five lines.
So in a scheme it looks:
xxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxx xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxx
Write a poem every day of April with the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a dead poem.
For today’s prompt, write a dead poem. Back on day 13, we wrote living poems. Now, we’re going to inspect the other side of that coin. A dead poem could take place at a funeral or involve a wilting flower that’s already been picked. Or it could involve the undead (like zombies and vampires). Or maybe a dead language, a dead culture, or as some people like to say, they’re just “dead inside.”
2024 April PAD Challenge: Day 29 Until the End of Time Tripple Cherita Poem
lovers kissing
I will love you from now
Until The end of time.
and beyond death
When we met, we both knew
we were Soul mates
Who were fated to meet.
Our love was stronger
Then time and space
And we found each other
As we looked at each other
Sparks flew between heart-to-heart
As we stared at each other
With love blazing from your eyes.
You hypnotized me
Mesmerized me
You put a spell on me
You love Mojo working overtime.
And I knew that I was yours.
Write a poem every day of April with the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a Until Blank poem.
Tomorrow is the final day of this challenge but remember: This challenge ain’t over until it’s over, so…
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Until (blank),” replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “Until the End of Time,” “Until the Cows Come Home,” “Until I Finish This Poem,” and/or “Until You Get Your Chores Done.”
2024 April PAD Challenge: Day 30 Beginning Of My Life Dream Cherita
My life
Began one day
In September.
When my dream lady
Walked off a bus
Into my life.
Write a poem every day of April with the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, we have our fifth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt.
Today is our fifth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt, and also the final prompt of the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. But it’s not the final prompt(s) of the year, because we’ll get back to Wednesday Poetry Prompts every week beginning tomorrow, and I am planning to lead the 17th annual November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge in November (look for the guidelines in October).
For today’s Two-for-Tuesday prompt:
Write at The End poem, and/or…
Write a Beginning poem.
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
April 26—Noise Now My Home Korea
When I first came
To South Korea in 1979
To do my Peace Corps duty
In a rural country town,
I thought that the old name
Of Korea
“the land of the morning calm”
Was absurd.
Korea was a noisy place
From early morning on.
Cars, horns, radio TV blaring
People talking to crowds everywhere
At night people drink and dine.
And loudspeakers
Blasting you awake
At 6 a.m.
And during elections
Sound trucks everywhere.
Now 45 years later
It is my home
No longer noisy
Chaotic exotic place
Just home.
April 27—Beauty Korean Land of K Beauties
lovers in the rain
I live in Korea
The land of plastic surgery
K beauty products.
Korean women are
Among the most beautiful
Woman in the world.
The cult of the beautiful
Everywhere you go
You see beautiful women
And men on the street,
And I realized I married
The most beautiful woman
In the world,
When I met and married
My Dream lady.
April 28 Secrets Diplomatic Secrets to Take to My Grave
I worked for 27 years
as a US diplomat
and witnessed a lot of things
that were and are considered
secrets.
– and we are trained
to keep these secrets
secret.
and I will no doubt die
and take some secrets
to my grave.
April 29—The sense of an ending End of Trump Reality TV Show?
While watching the Trump trials
I sense an ending
To the Trump Reality TV show.
As he is revealed to be
What he is
Nothing but a charlatan
A con man, a grifter.
And he is not the King
Not a dictator, and not a genius,
He seems to be just a tired old man
Finally, being held accountable.
For decades of alleged misconduct
Fraudulent business and political
Crimes include inciting a riot.
Stealing national secrets
And so many over.
Yet the polls show
He could become our next President
Perhaps I am seeing the end
Of democracy playing out
On my TV screen?
Dear God, I pray
Make it all go way
Retire Trump from the game
April 30 Poem About Poetry Why Do I Write?
Why Do I write
These poems every day?
Why do I spend so much time
Writing down these verses
That few will ever see?
Why do I bother?
The only answer is because
I must write daily
My inner muse compels me
And I have to write down
These mad thoughts.
And share them
With the world
Even if no one reads them
Other than my wife
And some of my friends.
I have no choice
That is what I am.
I am just a writer,
And a mad poet
At heart.
NaPoWriMo Prompts
Day 26 “Nattering Nabobs of Negativity April Poetry
(Original Caption) 8/22/1972-Miami Beach, Florida: President Richard Nixon will be inaugurated for a second term on Jan. 20, 1973. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew wave and smile to the audience of the 1972 Republican National Convention after they acknowledged their re-nomination.
Before there was Donald Trump’s tirade
Against the false fraudulent fake news
Enemies of the people
For being a “lying liberal leftwing lunatic “
Peddling “fake fraudulent falsehoods”
Fake false news.
There was Nixon and Agnew’s crusade
Against their enemies
In the so-called Liberal media
VP Agnew who resigned
To avoid going to prison
Before Nixon’s downfall
Was famous for his quotes
One of his best quotes
Was this little gem
Filled with alliteration
He called out the press
For being
“Nattering Nabobs of Negativity.”
Happy final Friday of Na/GloPoWriMo, everyone!
Our featured participant for the day is Words With Ruth, where we get a dating profile in response to Day 25’s Proust Questionnaire prompt.
And now for our (optional) prompt. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that involves alliteration, consonance, and assonance. Alliteration is the repetition of a particular consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds elsewhere in multiple words, and assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. Traci Brimhall’s poem “A Group of Moths” provides a great example of these poetic devices at work, with each line playing with different sounds that seem to move the poem along on a sonorous wave.
Your poem doesn’t have to be as complex as all that, though. Just pick a consonant or two and a vowel and dive right into the wonderful world (hey, there’s some alliteration/consonance/assonance right there) of sound.
Presidency:
In 1968, Richard Nixon asked Agnew to place his name in nomination for the vice presidency, and he became Nixon’s running mate.
Agnew gained national recognition for his colorful speeches denouncing Vietnam War protesters and other opponents of the Nixon administration.
He was despised by many Democrats but pleased Republicans with his rhetoric.
Resignation:
Agnew’s downfall began in 1973 when he was investigated for extortion, bribery, and income-tax violations related to his tenure as governor of Maryland.
Faced with federal indictments, he resigned on October 10, 1973, becoming the second person to resign the vice presidency (after John C. Calhoun in 1832) and the first to do so under duress.
Death: Spiro Agnew passed away on September 17, 1996, in Berlin, Maryland.
A very happy twenty-seventh day of Na/GloPoWriMo to you all.
Today, our featured daily participant is Peregrine Buffington, where you’ll not only find a lot of alliteration, consonance, and assonance in response to Day 26’s prompt, but you’ll find it in abecedarian form.
Our featured resource for the day is Poetry Pause, the “daily dispatch” of the League of Canadian Poets.
And now for our prompt – optional, as always! Today we’d like to challenge you to write an “American sonnet.” What’s that? Well, it’s like a regular sonnet but . . . fewer rules? Like a traditional Spencerian or Shakespearean sonnet, an American sonnet is shortish (generally 14 lines, but not necessarily!), discursive, and tends to end with a bang, but there’s no need to have a rhyme scheme or even a specific meter.
April 28, 2024 Meeting Dream Girl Sijo
On that date,
In September, I met my fate.
When she came to life.
We met first in my nightly dreams
I knew I had met
My soul mate.
based on my true love story.
Finally, our optional prompt for the day asks you to try your hand at writing a sijo. This is a traditional Korean verse form. A sijo has three lines of 14-16 syllables. The first line introduces the poem’s theme, the second discusses it, and the third line, which is divided into two sentences or clauses, ends the poem – usually with some kind of twist or surprise.
You could also write a sijo in six lines – at least when it comes to translating classical sijo into English, translators seem to have developed this habit, as you can see from these translations of poems by Jong Moong-Ju and U Tak.
April 29 Clandestine – Saga of Big Daddy
photo created by Bing Co-Pilot
Big Daddy lived in the shadow worlds
in the clandestine underground.
He was an ex-University of Arkansas
And Dallas Cowboy player.
Who had worked for the CIA
After the agency fired him
For murdering enemies
Of the state at home.
In contravention of agency rules,
But they retained his services
From time to time.
He became a legendary figure
He was a cipher, a ghost,
a Machiavellian intel operative
A spy, a spook, a secret agent man,
living in the clandestine shadows..
No one knew his real name
Called him Big Daddy.
Or his latest covert name.
And he had hundreds
Of cover legends.
He officially did not exist,
As his agency had officially
Terminated him years ago.
He now worked for an agency
That did not exist.
The same agency
That had terminated his legal existence
For matters of national security.
He lived in the
clandestine Shadowlands
Of the third world.
In nameless hellhole slums
And clandestine, dark,
secret dungeons.
Where he would do what needed
To be done
Killing those that needed killing
At the instructions
Of his unseen masters.
He was just a rumor
Living in the shadow worlds
working for a clandestine
unnamed agency
that did not exist.
An intel operative
The best of the best at what he did
Which was creative interrogation.
His favorite choice
Was the creative use of
An electric shock,
Imaginary or not
But sometimes
It had an outcome
An unimaginable outcome.
His worst nightmare
The victim is released
And sues him
And the agencies
That he worked for.
But so far
It has not happened
As no one knew
His real name
And the government
Did not know too.
So justice
was never served
On Big Daddy.
April 30
And now for our optional prompt. If you’ve been paying attention to pop-music news over the past couple of weeks, you may know that Taylor Swift has released a new double album titled “The Tortured Poets Department.” In recognition of this occasion, Merriam-Webster put together a list of ten words from Taylor Swift songs. We hope you don’t find this too torturous yourself, but we’d like to challenge you to select one these words and write a poem that uses the word as its title.
Clandestine
Song Title/Album: “illicit affairs” / folklore
Lyric: “And that’s the thing about illicit affairs / And clandestine meetings and longing stares”
Definition: done in a private place or way done secretly
About the Word:Clandestine is an adjective that is often used as a substitute for secret and covert, and it is commonly applied to actions that involve secrecy maintained for an evil, illicit (as in “illicit affairs”), or unauthorized purpose. It comes to English by way of Middle French, from Latin clandestine, which is itself from Latin clam, meaning “secretly.” Although people involved in clandestine activities tend to clam up when asked about them, the bivalveclam has no relation to the Latin clam, but comes instead from the Old English word clam, meaning “bond” or “fetter.”
Machiavellian
Song Title/Album: “Mastermind” / Midnights
Lyric: “I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ‘because I care”
Definition: using clever lies and tricks in order to get or achieve something : clever and dishonest
About the Word: While inspiring an adjective (such as Swiftian) may seem like a fine way to achieve linguistic immortality, it must be said that many words taken from people’s names are not as complimentary. Machiavellian—which describes things marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith—comes from the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), the author of the most famous treatise on bare-knuckled politics ever published, The Prince, which brought him a reputation as an immoral cynic and even a teacher of evil.
April 30 The Grim Reaper Gathers His Posse
cheating death
It was Halloween night
A night that all the denizens
Of hell loved.
For on that night
All of hell would break out.
They would celebrate their annual escape
On Halloween, they are allowed
To go to the surface sunlit lands.
For a night of drinking,
Drugging and wilding
As bad craziness descends
Upon the land.
The Grim Reaper and his posse
Dressed up as cosmic court jesters
Dressed as fools.
They descended upon the world
And a night of chaos fell upon the land.
Thousands died, as the Grim Reaper
Added to his quota.
Bonus kills were bonus points.
He returned to hell with his minions,
And the souls of the dead
Who soon became mere ghosts.
Their voices crying in the wind
Echoing through time.
And now for our last prompt of the year – optional, as always! Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem in which the speaker is identified with, or compared to, a character from myth or legend, as in Claire Scott’s poem “Scheherazade at the Doctor’s Office.”
This is the fourth batch of my April Poetry Madness challenge poems, (for April 21 to April 25), following daily prompts supplied by Poetry Superhighway, Writer’s Digest, Writing Com Dew Drop Inn, and NaPoWriMo. I am not posting any more PSH poems as I need to keep some unpublished for future submissions.
I have included the poem, the prompt, and occasionally a bonus poem or comment or two. I am also cross-posting this on All Poetry, Blog Lovin, Cosmos Funnel, Facebook, Fan Story, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, Wattpad, Writer’s Digest, Writing Com, and Twitter. This is probably my last time doing this. Just getting too old to keep up.
NaPoWrMo The Parliament of Owls Decree Death to All Humans
AV version The Parliament of Owls Decree Death to All Humans
April 5, 2024
PSH Love Expressed Through Food
WD Tell Me No Lies
WC Make Baseball Great Again!
NaPoWrMo Resurrecting the Dodo Bird
April 6
PSH Cosmic Dog From Goa
WD Meeting My Fate Minimum Poem
WC Daily Ritual Drinks
NaPoWrMo Only In SF
Part Two
April 7
PSH Visiting My Father’s Grave
Bonus: Yakima Dessert Blues
WD Meeting My Fate Minimum Poem
WC Why Trump?
NaPoWrMo Planetary Nut Re-Configuration Program
April 8
PSH Area Codes
WD My Lucky Number
WC Economic Perception Delay
NaPoWrMo Wish You Were Here
April 9
PSH Dearly Beloved
WD the Major Event of My Life
WC Death to All Humans
NaPoWrMo My Dysfunctional Family
April 10
PSH You Can’t Write That!
WD Better Political Discourse Needed
WC Green Trees Don’t Make It
AI Bing Version
NaPoWrMo Ode to My Coffee Pot
April 11
PSH Quote Poem About 9-11
WD Crazy Love Nonet
WC April 11—Eclipse/d two Lunatic Lune Poems about the Eclipse
NaPoWrMo Tribute to John Dean
April 12
PSH Subway Journey
WD Old Man Lost In His Old Memories
WC Civil War 2.0
NaPoWrMo 11 One Liners
April 13
PSH First Time to Eat Kimchi
WD Five Trumpian Humor Poetic Fragments
WC April 13—Discovery Shooting Down the Alien Visitors
NaPoWrMo Saga of Big Daddy
April 14
PSH 99 Haiku TBC
WD Life Worth Living
WC Tech Peeves
NaPoWrMo Shy Man Fishing
Part Three
Writer’s Digest Poems
April 15 New Middle Poem Middle Of Political Silly Season In The U.S. Trigger Warning Mild Political Rant
April 16 Trump Shardona Poem
April 17 New Tuesday prompt write a Shadorma poem about recent tech layoffs CEO To Labor Units of Production Shardona – You are Not Wanted
April 18 WD pessimistic Poem -not the Way to Fire People New Rules in the New Corporation World
April 19 Emotion Poem -Fears of Falling
April 20 The Circus Bear Escapes
Bear in collar hears praise while rambling
alt. bonus poem Met And Married My Dream Lady
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
WC April 15 Lament Drifting Towards Civil War 2.0
WC Prove Something – God’s Demented Sense of Humor
WC Question something -The Basic Decency and Sanity of Americans
WC Scumbagology
WC Comedy – The Donald Trump Show is Getting Old
NaPoWriMo Prompts
April 15
My stamp collection
April 16
late Night Earthquake blues
April 17
What is Hip?
April 18 It’s A Dog’s Life for Me
April 19
Hunting the Monsters in Hell
Day 20 Trail of Tears – My Family Connection
Begin Poems
Writers Digest Prompts
April 21 PAD Challenge: Fairy Tale Romance
lovers kissing
Sam Adams often thought
Of his true love story
As a fairy tale romance
That somehow became real.
He had dreamt of meeting
His dream lady
For eight years.
He joined the Peace Corps
Traveled to Korea
To look for her.,
Then one day
She told him
In his dream
“Don’t worry
We will meet soon”
That night
She walked off a bus
Into his life
Becoming his wife.
They were from different worlds
She was a Korean college student
From a middle-class family.
And he had grown up
As the son of a college professor
And politician in liberal Berkeley.
Yet despite their different backgrounds
And different personalities
He was not very practical
Lost in his world at times
Not that ambitious.
She was very practical
Money minded woman
Determined to make her mark
On the world
And they did not see eye to eye
On many things
But on the things that really matter
They were there for each other
Understanding each other
And their love grew
Day by day.
Until one day
Sam realized that they had
Been together 42 years
And were still in love.
And that had made all the difference
In their fairy tale true love story.
Write a poem every day of April with the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a trope poem.
Once we get through today’s poem, we’ll be finished with the first three weeks of this challenge. Where has the time gone?
For today’s prompt, write a trope poem. For most people, tropes are common plot devices used in certain genres. In romance, for example, the “different worlds” trope brings together two characters from different walks of life and/or cultures. Meanwhile, a popular trope in horror fiction is to split up, which usually doesn’t end well for many of the characters. Mysteries frequently feature the “unassuming suspect” trope. Pick a trope or mix a few in your poem today.
If you need help getting started, check out these lists of popular tropes:
2024 April PAD Challenge: Day 22 Gaii’s Calls for Revenge Against Humanity Earth Day Nightmare
The spirit of the ancient trees woke up
after thousands of years of slumber.
They woke up and marched on Washington
demanding an end to logging, pollution, mining
and other assaults on the planet earth
by the mad human creatures.
They said that Gaia, the guardian angel
of the planet had summoned them
with this warning to the people of earth.
Your time on this planet is coming to an end
i have decreed it, and no one can oppose my will.
Gaia kept her word, unleashing a supper plagues
wiped out 99 percent of humanity.
The few who remained lived under
the watchful eyes of the tree spirits.
Today is Earth Day, so…
For today’s prompt, write an earth poem. The poem can be about nature or the planet. But it can also be about anything or anyone on the planet. Or dirt (aka, earth); feel encouraged to write a poem about dirt. Or earthlings!
2024 April PAD Challenge: Day 23 The Heart of the Matter
Donald Trump’s Trials the Heart of the Matter
The heart of the matter
With Donald Trump’s numerous trials
Is simply this
Is the former president
Above the law
Can he do what he wants
And not be held accountable?
Is the former president
An authoritarian leader
A potential king?
Or is he simply
An everyday citizen now?
Is he a strong leader
a visionary revolutionary populist?
As he constantly proclaims
Or is he broken-down
Pathetic old loser ?
That is the heart
Of the matter.
Today is our fourth Two-for-Tuesday prompt, which would usually mean it’s the final Two-for-Tuesday prompt of the month, but we’re lucky this year: five Tuesdays!
For today’s Two-for-Tuesday prompt:
Write a “(blank) of the Heart” poem, and/or…
Write a “Heart of the (blank)” poem.
Not sure what I’m talking about? Replace the blank in either of these phrases with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Coney Island of the Heart,” “Heart of the Champion,” and/or “Heart of the Night.”
2024 April PAD Challenge: Maximum Cruelty in the Name of Jesus in the Point
governor abbot
I don’t understand
Why are so many Christian evangelical leaders
And politicians
Are so cruel to everyone!
It seems as if displaying
Maximum cruelty.
To the marginalized communities
To the poor, to immigrants
To the black and brown community
To Asians and other foreigners
To women, and especially
To the LGBTQ community
Is the point.
And all done in Jesus’s name.
By this self proclaimed
Christians.
This is something that Jesus
If he came back
Would not approve
As it violates the core principles,
Of the Christian faith.
Jesus would say,
“Where is the love?
Where is the compassion?
Where is the mercy ?
That I proclaimed
Was the core of my teachings?”
He would say to them,
“You are not Christians”
And he would drive them
Out of the Christian church.
Write a poem every day of April with the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a maximum poem.
Well, we’ve only got a week of April remaining, so let’s poem the heck out of the rest of this month.
For today’s prompt, write a maximum poem. Some people may recall that we wrote a minimum poem back on day 6; this takes that concept and brings it back the other way. In fact, one possible way into today’s poem would be to see what you did on day 6 and turn it on its head. Or go somewhere completely new. Whatever you do, take it to the max.
Day 25 Insight into Trumps Incite
president trump
One of the many things
That the former President
Has been accused of is
His calls for his followers
To rise up and riot,
An incitement to violence
On his behalf
Like on January 6th.
My insight into
this incitement rhetoric
Is simply this,
The former president is
The ultimate con man
An authoritarian wannabe
And inciting violence
Is part of his stock in trade
Hoping that his MAGA nation
Will help him take power again.
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Prompts
April 21—Salient Image (poem based on one concrete thing you remember at day’s end)
The obvious choice for this prompt was the current re-match in the U.S. pitting Trump Vs Biden and three to four third parties. what a farce it is in my mind. In a country of 335 million people, these are our choices?.
April 23—Let Shakespeare be your inspiration
couple-in-love-silhouette-during
My true love story
Almost seems like
A fairy tale romance.
Romeo and Julian almost.
Two lovers met
From different worlds
And find themselves.
Also has elements
Of “Mid-summer night dreams”
Sonnets and poems.
And other classic romance
Dramas, poems, and stories.
And classic romcoms.
Including Sleepless in Seattle
And Bollywood and K dramas..
But in my story
I dreamt of meeting
And marrying my dream lady
Traveled to Korea
Where she was waiting for me.
And despite opposition
From her family.
There was a happy ending
And we are still together
42 years later.
I likened my true love story to a Shakespearean drama or sonnet as it had elements of Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer’s Night Dream among other plays and sonnets. I have written a lot about my fairy tale dream romance in my portfolio and on my blog.
April 24—Unexplored Desire
As one gets older
One often looks back
At all the things you did
In your life.
The good, the bad, and the ugly
And we all have those moments
Because we are human.
And some things you desired
But never pursued.
For me, it was a dream
Of becoming a famous writer
While I can write poems
And short stories,
My greatest desire
Was to write
The Great American Novel.
And sadly it will remain
An unfulfilled desire
As I don’t have the patience or energy .
To edit my six rough draft novels
Turning them into something publishable
And they may die when I die.
And I am in good company.
The rule of ten rule applies
Of one hundred people
Who want to write a novel
Less than ten percent finish it
Of those less than ten percent publish it
Of those less than ten percent make any money
Of those less than ten percent make a living
At writing their novels.
The rule of ten is a meme that applies to many things. I have seen it applied to novel writing, acting, politics and sports. The point being that most people fail to achieve their dreams and there are only a few professional athletes for example although there are millions of people who have played the game in high school or college, few ever make it to the major leagues. Similar thing applies to novelists, only a few people ever make money from writing a novel. Among Actors they call it the 1 percent rule, of people who try acting, only 1 percent will ever make a living from being an actor full time, and politics. Of all those who aspire to be President, only 45 have ever made it, and 44 were white males, and one black man.
April 25—TV series
The_Adventures_of_Bullwinkle_and_Rocky
One of my favorite shows as a child
Was the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Featuring Rocky the squirrel.
Bulwinkle the Moose
And associated bad guys.
Including Boris Benioff
And Natasha Fatale
Vaguely Eastern European communists.
who worked for the Fearless Leader
perhaps East German or Russian?
Rocky and Bullwinkle
Like the Simpsons, Futurama,
American Dad and Family Guy
Were children’s show
They were also quite subversive
Satire on modern life.
But Bulwinkle remains my favorite
Years ago I binged watched episodes
And remember every episode
Even though I had last seen them
Almost 50 years before.
Bing Co-Pilot provided useful background information
Certainly! The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, commonly referred to as simply Rocky and Bullwinkle, is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC television networks. Produced by Jay Ward Productions, the series is structured as a variety show, with the main feature being the serialized adventures of the two title characters:
Rocket J. (“Rocky”) Squirrel: An anthropomorphic flying squirrel.
Bullwinkle J. Moose: A moose.
The main antagonists in most of their adventures are the two Russian-like spies:
Boris Budanov
Natasha Fatale
Both Boris and Natasha work for the Nazi-like dictator Fearless Leader. The show also features several supporting segments, including:
Dudley Do-Right: A parody of an old-time melodrama.
Peabody’s Improbable History: In this segment, a dog named Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman travel through time.
Fractured Fairy Tales: Classic fairy tales retold in comic fashion.
The series has left a lasting cultural impact and continues to be beloved by audiences. Although the current blanket title was imposed for home video releases more than 40 years after the series originally aired, the show was broadcast under different titles during its television run:
Another interesting factoid the writers of the show were Berkeley High school students in the late 50’s when I was born.
NaPoWriMo Prompts
April 21 News Gives Me the Blues
cnn logo
Watching the news
As the sun rises,
Drinking a cup
Of snarling coffee.
Often causes me
To feel the blues.
As I watch the gloom
And doom the blues
Comes knocking at my door.
Then I look outside
And see the blue sky
Inviting me
To go for a walk.
As I walk with my wife
The love of my life
By the blue waters
Of the Gimpo Korea canal.
Near my house.
Gimpo Canal
Enjoying the blue sky
And the blue neon sign displays,
A bluebird of happiness
flies overhead
And the blues fade away.
And now for our (optional) prompt! Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that repeats or focuses on a single color. Some examples for you – Diane Wakoski’s “Blue Monday,” Walter de la Mare’s “Silver,” and Dorothea Lasky’s “Red Rum.”
April 22 Coffee and Tea endless argument – which is better?
coffee
Coffee and Tea
Two old friends from way back
Were having an argument
In their favorite coffee shop
the Original Peets
on Walnut and Vine
in Berkeley’s gourmet ghetto
It was a long-standing argument
Dating back thousands of years ,
Which is better for you,
Coffee or tea?
Mr. Carl Coffee maintained
it was better
For you with antioxidants
Flavonoids and some caffeine.
Ms Angela Tea maintained coffee
Was overrated,
Had too much caffeine
And cost too much
In fancy coffee shops.
Like Peets.
The two friends
Concluded their argument.
And went out and had
A few shots of Mt. Guy rum
In a bar near Campus.
Carl Coffee was paying
As coffee was better paid.
Based on following article
Certainly! Here’s an article from The Washington Post that compares the benefits of coffee versus tea: Why coffee is healthier than tea. It explores the research and explains why coffee comes out on top. ☕🍵
Last but not least, here’s today’s optional prompt. This one comes from the poet and fiction writer Todd Dillard, who provided this idea on his twitter account a few months ago. The idea is to write a poem in which two things have a fight. Two very unlikely things, if you can manage it. Like, maybe a comb and a spatula. Or a daffodil and a bag of potato chips. Or perhaps your two things could be linked somehow – like a rock and a hard place – and be utterly sick of being so joined. The possibilities are endless!
April 23 Batman Feeling the Blues Kojiki Poem
batman
On a winter’s night
Batman was in the Bat Mobile
on his nightly drive
he was feeling his age
no longer the batman he was
now just an old man
driving in the bat mobile
tired of fighting criminals
just feeling the blues.
info from Fan Story Japanese Poetry group
This week we are learning how to write a KOJIKI poem. You may use the event’s picture or your own.
KOJIKI is the oldest poetic form that dates back to the 712th century. It’s divided into three parts: upper 5/7/5 – middle 5/7/5 – lower 7/7/7 syllables. Originally, KOJIKI was about religion but for this challenge, you can use any theme. It doesn’t rhyme. It uses a kigo (seasonal reference).
HISTORY
The Kojiki is one of the two primary sources for Shinto, the Japanese national religion. It starts in the realm of myth, with the creation of Japan from foam. Innumerable gods and goddesses are described. The narrative moves from mythology to historical legends and culminates in a chronology of the early Imperial line.
And now for our (optional) prompt. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem about, or involving, a superhero, taking your inspiration from these four poems in which Lucille Clifton addresses Clark Kent/Superman.
April 24 the Dream of the Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza. Monumental limestone statue of a reclining sphinx with a lion’s body and a human head (believed to represent the face of the Pharaoh Khephren). One of the pyramids in the background. Giza, Egypt
The Sphinx is drowsy,
The wings are furled;
Her ear is heavy,
She broods on the world.
“Who’ll tell me my secret,
The ages have kept?–
I awaited the seer,
While they slumbered and slept;–“The fate of the man-child;
The meaning of man;
Known fruit of the unknown;
Daedalian plan;
Out of sleeping a waking,
Out of waking a sleep;
Life death overtaking;
Deep underneath deep?”Erect as a sunbeam,
Upspringeth the palm;
The elephant browses,
Undaunted and calm;
In beautiful motion
The thrush plies his wings;
Kind leaves of his covert,
Your silence he sings.”The waves, unashamed,
In difference sweet,
Play glad with the breezes,
Old playfellows meet;
The journeying atoms,
Primordial wholes,
Firmly draw, firmly drive,
By their animate poles.
“Sea, earth, air, sound, silence,
Plant, quadruped, bird,
By one music enchanted,
One deity stirred,–
Each the other adorning,
Accompany still;
Night veileth the morning,
The vapor the hill.
“The babe by its mother
Lies bathed in joy;
Glide its hours uncounted,–
The sun is its toy;
Shines the peace of all being,
Without cloud, in its eyes;
And the sum of the world
In soft miniature lies.
“But man crouches and blushes,
Absconds and conceals;
He creepeth and peepeth,
He palters and steals;
Infirm, melancholy,
Jealous glancing around,
An oaf, an accomplice,
He poisons the ground.
“Outspoke the great mother,
Beholding his fear;–
At the sound of her accents
Cold shuddered the sphere:–
‘Who has drugged my boy’s cup?
Who has mixed my boy’s bread?
Who, with sadness and madness,
Has turned the man-child’s head?’”
I heard a poet answer,
Aloud and cheerfully,
“Say on, sweet Sphinx! thy dirges
Are pleasant songs to me.
Deep love lieth under
These pictures of time;
They fad in the light of
Their meaning sublime.
“The fiend that man harries
Is love of the Best;
Yawns the pit of the Dragon,
Lit by rays from the Blest.
The Lethe of nature
Can’t trace him again,
Whose soul sees the perfect,
Which his eyes seek in vain.
“Profounder, profounder,
Man’s spirit must dive;
To his aye-rolling orbit
No goal will arrive;
The heavens that now draw him
With sweetness untold,
Once found,–for new heavens
He spurneth the old.
“Pride ruined the angels,
Their shame them restores;
And the joy that is sweetest
Lurks in stings of remorse.
Have I a lover
Who is noble and free?–
I would he were nobler
Than to love me.
“Eterne alternation
Now follows, now flied;
And under pain, pleasure,–
Under pleasure, pain lies.
Love works at the centre,
Heart-heaving alway;
Forth speed the strong pulses
To the borders of day.
“Dull Sphinx, Jove keep thy five wits!
Thy sight is growing blear;
Rue, myrrh, and cummin for the Sphinx–
Her muddy eyes to clear!”–
The old Sphinx bit her thick lip,–
Said, “Who taught thee me to name?
I am thy spirit, yoke-fellow,
Of thine eye I am eyebeam.
“Thou art the unanswered question;
Couldst see they proper eye,
Alway it asketh, asketh;
And each answer is a lie.
So take thy quest through nature,
It through thousand natures ply;
Ask on, thou clothed eternity;
Time is the false reply.”
Finally, our (optional) prompt for the day is another one pulled from our 2016 archives. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that begins with a line from another poem (not necessarily the first one), but then goes elsewhere with it. This will work best if you just start with a line of poetry you remember, but without looking up the whole original poem. Or you could find a poem that you haven’t read before and then use a line that interests you. The idea is for the original to furnish the backdrop for your work, but without influencing you so much that you feel as if you are just rewriting the original! For example, you could begin, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” or “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” or “I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster,” or “they persevere in swimming where they like.” Really, any poem will do to provide your starter line – just so long as it gives you the scope to explore.
Day 25 Proust Questionnaire
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I am most content and happy
when I am hanging out
just being with
the love of my life
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Angela Lee is my Dream Lady
she haunted my dreams for eight years
then came to life
walked off a bus
in South Korea
42 years ago
a fairy tale romance
come to life
What is your current state of mind?
My current state of mind
is quiet contemplation
and sense of inner peace
When and where were you happiest?
The happiest day of my life
was the day I met my wife
42 years ago
Which talent would you most like to have?
I would have liked
to have been able
to drive a car
play the piano professionally
sing in a blues band
finish my novels
better skills
at learning languages
better vision
more coordination skills
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would have liked
to have been born
without a learning disability.
better vision
better teeth
better hearing
more coordination
less socially awkward
but still genius level IQ
and never had the accident
that left me with life-long fibromyalgias
and arthritis, to boot.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievements include
Joining the State Department
Joining the Peace Corps
Graduating from UW graduate school
graduating from college
Teaching College for three years overseas
and the most important thing of all
is marrying my dream lady
What is your most marked characteristic?
sense of humor
sense of adventure
incurable romantic
poet, writer, dreamer
What do you most value in your friends?
understanding, empathy, sense of humor
sense of wonder
Last but not least, here’s our optional prompt for the day. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem based on the “Proust Questionnaire,” a set of questions drawn from Victorian-era parlor games, and adapted by modern interviewers. You could choose to answer the whole questionnaire, and then write a poem based on your answers, answer just a few, or just write a poem that’s based on the questions. You could even write a poem in the form of an entirely new Proust Questionnaire. We have a fairly standard, 35-question version of the questionnaire laid out for you below.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
What is your greatest fear?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Which living person do you most admire?
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your current state of mind?
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
On what occasion do you lie?
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Which living person do you most despise?
What is the quality you most like in a man?
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
When and where were you happiest?
Which talent would you most like to have?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Where would you most like to live?
What is your most treasured possession?
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
What is your favorite occupation?
What is your most marked characteristic?
What do you most value in your friends?
Who are your favorite writers?
Who is your hero of fiction?
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
This is the third time I have entered the Writer’s Digest annual chapbook challenge. The challenge was to write one poem per day in November then select the best 20 for the chapbook contest. Here are my poems.
Index
November 1 Declaration Poem
Favorite Childhood Object
Problem Solvers Problems
Mike Johnson Ain’t No Christian, Jack
Dreams Of a Better World Problems
49-Year Love Story
Barbados Calling Me
Hometown Calling Me
Gun Ghosts Speak Up
Saga of Big Daddy
Attack of Neighbor Bob Terrorist
Back in the Old Days, Trump Would Never Have President
Big Daddy, aka Sam Adams
was the man
who always had a plan.
He was an ex-University of Arkansas
and Dallas Cowboy player
who had worked for the CIA?
The agency fired him
for murdering enemies of the state
at home in contravention of agency rules,
but they retained
his services from time to time.
He supplemented his CIA payments
And bar income from money laundering,
drug smuggling, human smuggling
and other assorted crimes, big and small.
Big Daddy had lots of enemies
Many people wanted him dead
Relatives of his many victims
Of the covert wars, he waged
On behalf of his nation.
He was hoping to stay out of trouble
But one day trouble found him.
He moved to Bangkok, Thailand
Where he opened the Cosmos Bar
With the assistance of his manager.
Kuhn Lek, and her uncle
The police chief and his cousin
The biggest drug kingpin
In the Northern Triangle.
The Cosmos Bar
Became world-famous
The spot to go to is Bangkok.
Located in Soi Cowboy
It was an after-hours club
Secretly owned by the Thai police,
One of the few places
They served alcohol 24/7.
It was filled with
Criminals, drug dealers, government agents
Journalists, prostitutes, pimps,
spies, counter-spies, sex tourists,
tourists, undercover cops,
and assorted other low-lives,
From all over the known world.
Had the best-looking woman
The best-looking travesties too,
The best beer, wine, and liquor list
In the city,
And the best burgers in town.
It looked like the Bar
In Star Wars
Filled with probable human life forms
And perhaps a space alien or two.
One day a mysterious Korean woman
Came into the bar asking for him
By his universal nickname
“Big Daddy”
Maria Lee was a Korean-American
Drop-dead gorgeous woman
Who was on the lam
from her rich Korean husband.
She had one question for Big Daddy.
“The word in the Korean community
is that you are a man
who knows how to launder money.
Can you launder 50 million dollars?”
“Hmm for a fee.”
“What’s the fee?”
“A night of wild sex with you.”
“Done, but only after the deed is done.”
She smiled sweetly.
He called his underworld contacts
and they laundered the 50 million dollars
and he gave her the bank receipt.
He had parked the money
in a Cayman Islands account.
That night
she honored her agreement with Big Daddy.
The next morning
while drinking his cup of coffee,
she revealed that she had poisoned him
because she did not want anyone to know
about the transaction
and her affair with Big Daddy.
She smiled,
“Thanks, Big Daddy,
I liked last night,
You are a real stud, Big Daddy,
Perhaps that is why you are called, ‘Big Daddy’
But hey it is nothing personal, Big Daddy.”
After all, it was just a business deal in the end.
And that was
how trouble found Big Daddy.
Attack of Neighbor Bob Terrorist
One day
A man fell.
A rabbit hole.
On his computer,
Lost in thought.
when an odd event occurs,
the event that led.
to his untimely death.
He did not hear.
The footsteps,
Of the white
Christian nationalist
Domestic terrorist next door.
Who took exception?
To Sam’s living there
As Sam was not white
And an atheist “libtard.”
And his neighbor
Was a white supremacist.
Christian Nationalist.
His neighbor Bob.
Came at Sam with a chainsaw.
And struck him in the heart.
Killing him instantly.
Then using a torch
To burn the body.
Before using dynamite
To blow up the house
Despite the rain clouds
Outside.
All streamed live.
On his wifi.
trump jpg
Back in the Old Days, Trump Would Never Have President
Back in the old days
when political decisions
were made by insiders.
White men of power
who gathered.
in the proverbial
smoke-filled rooms.
smoking menthol cigarettes
and cigars
drinking whiskey
martinis and beer
while enjoying a steak dinner
and plotting political plots
in such a world
Trump would not have been.
allowed to become President.
as the political elites
would not allow.
such a Buffon
from taking power
They would despise.
such a vulgar low-class
new money guy.
Lucky in love, unlucky in cards
There is an adage
That sums up my life so far
One can be lucky in love
But unlucky in cards
That sums it up nicely
I have been lucky in love
Met and married
The girl of my dreams
Dreamed of meeting her
For eight years
Then she came into my life
Became my wife
But I have never been
Lucky in cards
I mean I have played
Poker with friends
But always lost
Won a little bit of gambling
But usually lost more
Then I won
Eventually gave up
Just not fun anymore
As I lost the gambling fever
Yet to get a jackpot
But then I think
I hit the jackpot of love
And that has made
All the difference
President Trump on Vermin AI Poem
A leader of a nation, a speaker of lies.
A spreader of hatred, a divider of ties
A mocker of the weak, a lover of the strong
A builder of walls, a singer of wrong
A hater of the different, a scorner of the same
A caller of the vermin, a blamer of the blame
An ignorer of the facts, a denier of the truth
A creator of the chaos, a destroyer of the youth
A loser of the election, a claimer of the fraud
A refuser of the concession, a violator of the law
An inciter of the violence, a fomenter of the storm
I next encountered the divine
Many years later in Berkeley, California
I had gone home to be with my Mother
While taking leave from my job
in the Foreign Service
I had two weeks there by myself
My wife came later
near the end of the trip
Every morning I woke up
Had my coffee, and breakfast
Did yoga while listening to music
And looking out at the garden
Then spoke to my mother
Who was sliding into dementia?
Day by day losing her reason
Then I would go out
And explore the city
Go to a museum
Go to one neighborhood
And just be there
Rediscovering the Bay area
After years of being away
Having dinner with old friends
Seeing movies etc
Every morning a black cat came to visit
The cat was friendly and waited for me
And then would join me in my morning rambles
Following me to the bus stop
I started talking to the black cat
He looked at me with a spark of divinity
In his dark eyes
I called him the cosmic cat
He seemed to like that
He would look at me
And I opened up to me
Told the cat all my dark secrets
As I walked the streets
Of the old neighborhood
Every morning and every evening the cat
Would be there to greet me
And to carry out our endless conversation
Then I had to leave
And in our final conversation
I asked the cosmic cat
Say, Cat are you just a cat
Or are you a demonic cat
Are you possessed by God?
Or by Satan
The cat looked at me
And I realized that God
Was indeed residing in the cat
But that god was residing everywhere
All I had to do was open my mind
And the rest would follow
So I said Goodbye to the cosmic cat
And he purred and came up to me
And I felt the comforting presence
Of the divine spirit of God
As I said goodbye to the cosmic cat
And said goodbye to my mother
As this was the last time
That we would be able to talk
I told my mother about the cosmic cat
She smiled and said that the cat
was there for me and her
to comfort us both in our hour of need
and that the cat was indeed
a cosmic cat
Carrying the light
We must carry the light
It is not so bright
Embracing the light with my wife
Still the center of my life
We both fear the dark
Nothing more to avoid strife.
Carrying the light
until the end of time
chasing away
the darkness that haunts.
my soul.
Presidential Election Cycle
The U.S. Presidential election cycle
Is a long-drawn-out affair.
Starts the day after the last election.
And ends a month after the votes.
Have been certified,
and the winner is determined.
As usual
Twenty candidates are announced.
For the election cycle
A year or so before
The actual vote.
The most important part
The donors chose.
Which candidates will get?
Their money and support
In the so-called invisible primary.
By January of an election year
Five to six serious contenders
Have emerged.
Battling it out nightly on the news
As the pundits weigh in
And voters begin to choose.
on multiple Super Tuesdays.
The candidates race across.
The land
Offering their vision,
Their hopes and fears.
As the public begins
To wake up
And start to choose.
The game is on foot.
with almost weekly debates
where the candidates
try not to make fools.
of themselves.
It continues until the summer.
When the conventions nominate
Someone as the standard bearer.
The losers concede.
But the intra-party feuding
Does not end.
In the end
There will be one person.
Left standing.
At the end of the roughest
Most competitive race
In the world.
That determines.
The fate of nations.
Voters in the end
Making the final call
As the presidential election season
Comes to a final decision point.
Berkeley Time Travels
I grew up in Berkeley, California
In the turbulent fabled late ’60s
And in Berkeley in those days
Time seems to stand at a standstill.
On the corner of Dwight and Telegraph
Across from People’s Park
It seems to be always May 1969
With the man
Down the street
Oppressing the hippies
On the street
As they smoked their weed
Dodging the bored cops
Who looked the other way?
If they did not partake
And then I went to college
In the valley
As I drove into Stockton
I felt I was traveling again.
In time
Back to the fabled ’50s
Stockton was also.
Stuck in a time warp of sorts.
And as I left the Bay area.
And traveled the world.
I would come back.
To that corner
And just be there.
Stuck in May 1969
Again
Marveling at the changes
That had and had not occurred.
To the corner of the land
Forever stuck in time
And space
Last Night I could not
Get to sleep at all
Last night I could not
Sleep
As my mind wandered
Down dark rabbit holes
Of fevered imagination
At 0 dark hundred hours
The wild things came out
To play
Torturing me
Until the sunrise
Blasted them
Back into the dark
Corners of my mind.
And the nightmares
Faded away
With the dawning sun.
BIng AI Love Poem
Angela Lee, you are the light of my life.
You fill my days with joy and my nights with dreams.
You are the reason I smile and the reason I breathe.
An Epistle Letter to Christian Nationalist and Notorious White Supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Note: Chris Fuentes is a piece of work. He is a white Christian Nationalist White Supremacist holocaust denier who had dinner with the former president a few months ago. He recently came out with a posting calling for the execution of Non-Christians and declaring America to be a Christian Nation. In this epistle poem, I tried to change his mind and heart and hope that he will see the light and repent of his odious, vile views. I will send this to him and update this, if he responds.
The following articles provide more details on his comments.
Opinion: Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist friend of Rep. Paul Gosar and Sen. Wendy Rogers, has said vile things … again.
Dear Nick,
After reading your recent rant,
Calling for the execution of non-Christians
And making America a Christian-only country,
All I can say is that through your bigoted,
Divisive, genocidal, hateful words,
You have revealed to all
That you are not a Christian
In any sense of the word.
Your words
Show you do not
follow the teachings
Of Jesus,
not at all.
If Jesus were to come back today,
he would no doubt
Proclaim, he is not a Christian.
There are so many things wrong
With your statement.
First, it is unconstitutional
America was founded upon the principle
That there would be no national religion.
People would be free to worship or not
As they believe.
People could even
Follow
“pagan stuff,
false gods, deities, or demons. “
Second, it would be a legal nightmare
To enact such a proposal.
To execute non-Christians, you would
First have to amend the constitution
To declare that Christianity is the sole
Legal religion in the United States.
Then you would have to pass
Enabling legislation
Calling for Americans to register
Their religious affiliation
With the government.
With non-Christians being sent
To concentration camps
Like in Hitler’s Germany.
Logistically, this would be a nightmare.
35 percent of Americans are not Christians
That means you would have to round up
And execute 35 percent of Americans
0r almost 90 million people.
and that would cost billions of dollars
and require millions of men to join
the military or police to go out
and round up the Non-Christians.
and many of the non-Christians
are armed and will not go quietly
to the concentration camps.
And how would you define
Who is a Christian?
Would Mormons be considered Christians?
Or Unitarians?
Or the unification church, aka the monies?
In any event, this will
Surely be an act of genocide
And a war crime to boot.
Not to mention there is nothing
In the Bible
Or Christian tradition
That would support this horrific act
Of genocidal madness.
As a professed Christian,
you are showing that
You have no idea at all
What Christianity is supposed to be.
Christianity is supposed
to be about belonging, compassion,
empathy, love, inclusion,
promoting brotherhood, understanding
and good will towards others.
It is not supposed to be about anti-feminism, bigotry, fear,
genocide, hatred, Islamophobia, racism, violence against other people.
In short, Mr. Fuentes,
Your proposal is anti-Christian,
anti-American, anti-constitutional,
anti-Semitic, bigoted, divisive,
hateful, genocidal, Islamophobic,
and is promoting war crimes against humanity.
How dare you call yourself a Christian?
How dare you promote your murderous threats
in the name of Jesus Christ?
And it is your brand of hateful
toxic Christian nationalism
That is leading to so many people,
Particularly young people
Abandoning the Christian religion.
They are just not buying the hate.
Thank God for that.
Thank you for reading my take on your proposal
And I hope I have enlightened you
and that you change your mind
And repent of your proposal.
Finally, pick up your bible and read it!
Reflecting on
What Jesus would do
And that will guide you
To a new correct understanding
Of Christianity.
Thanks
Jake Cosmos Aller
Not a Christian – are you planning on executing me too?
“There is an occult element at the high levels of society, and specifically among the Jews, and you know, whenever I see that stuff that just makes me want to proclaim louder and more firmly and more rigidly that it is nothing other than Jesus Christ. No, no pagan staff, no false gods, no dietéis, no demons. It is Jesus Christ, and we need to start saying that name
Comment: If Jesus were to come back today, he would denounce you and proclaim that you ain’t no Christian and are following a false God. and the constitution protects the rights of people to worship even demons and false Gods if they so chose. That is what Freedom of Religion means. End Comment
“it’s the name Jesus, talk about it, say it. Pray to him, talk about the sacrifice on the cross, that’s the answer. Because so many of the people who are perpetrating the lies and the destruction of the country are evil-doers. They are people that worship false gods, they are people that practice magic or rituals or whatever, and more than anything those people need to be when we take power, they need to be given the death penalty. Straight up. And I’m far more concerned about that than I am about even non-white people or mass migration.”
“These people that are that are communing with demons and engaging in this sort of witchcraft and stuff, and these people that are suppressing the name Christ and suppressing Christianity, they must be annihilated when we take power, I’m not calling for political violence, but that cannot have any quarter in our society.”
Comment: “Not calling for political violence? Then why use the word annihilation? And call for giving them the death penalty. Ha Ha Ha. Wait, are you really calling for the death of 90 million Non-Christian Americans in the name of Jesus Christ? Are you insane? If you really believe this, you need to get some help and stay away from drugs, guns and other people. End comment
“We need to put up we need to put up a crucifix in every home, in every room in every school, and every government office to signal Christ’s reign over our country,”
“Comment: No, we do not. Until you repeal the first amendment, Americans are free to worship or not worship as they see fit, and the government can not put overly religious symbols in every school and government office”. Nor is America a Christian country. 35% of Americans are not Christians, many are not religious at all, and that is the fastest growing segment of the population. End Comment.
“: not that God needs it, but it must be outwardly expressed from the interior, that this is God’s country.This is Jesus’s country. This is not the domain of atheists devil worshipers or perfidious Jews. This is Christ’s country,” he said, adding those who are “agnostic” cannot be part of his “America first” movement. “no, you must be a Christian. And you must submit to Christianity.”
Comment: Again, until you repeal the first amendment, this is not Christ’s country, it is not God’s country. And agnostics, atheists, and devil worshipers and perfidious Jews are all Americans too and deserve the right to worship the gods of their chose or not worship as they sit fit. Finally, you are right God does not need this, nor does it need to be outwardly expressed from the interior, that is is God’s country which it is not. End Comment
Epistle poetry form
What drew me to this form is that, with the dawn of the computer age that brought with it email and texting, the letter is almost a dying art in and of itself. So, I—who have always hated to write letters—am oddly interested in writing a letter poem.
BRIEF HISTORY
This form is around twenty-one hundred years old (New Princeton, 1351). The name comes from Latin origins. “Pistola is the Latin word for the letter” (Padgett, 69).
MUST HAVES
–It must be a letter. That’s it.
COULD HAVES OR WHAT IS THE POET’S CHOICE IN ALL THIS?
–Any number of stanzas, syllables, or length.
–Any rhyme or meter.
–Use “Dear __________” as part of the poem, or not—it’s your choice. You can write it to anyone (or anything), and by anyone.
I have been a COSTCO member since 1998. I love COSTCO. It is one of the best corporations in the world and always does things right. In short, they have Soul. My home COSTCO was the Springfield, VA COSTCO, and the MEDFORD COSTCO and here in Korea, the Ilsang COSTCO and before that the SONGDO COSTCO, but I have shopped at many other COSTCO’s over the years.
Here are some of my Ode to COSTCO poems. I will send it to COSTCO HQ and report back if they respond.
BING AI provides some background to start us off.
COSTCO is an American multinational corporation that operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores, also known as warehouse clubs or wholesale clubs. COSTCO sells a wide range of products, from groceries and electronics to furniture and clothing, at discounted prices. COSTCO also offers services such as gas stations, pharmacies, optical centers, travel packages, and more. COSTCO is known for its Kirkland Signature brand, which is its private label of products that are often of high quality and low cost. COSTCO is also famous for its rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, and pizza, which are sold at its food courts.
COSTCO’s history dates back to 1976, when Sol Price, a pioneer in warehouse club retailing, opened the first Price Club in San Diego, California. Price Club was the world’s first membership warehouse club, a place where efficient buying and operating practices gave members access to unmatched savings. Price Club targeted small business owners, who could buy items in bulk for their use or resale. Price Club expanded rapidly, opening stores across the US and Canada.
In 1983, James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, two former Price Club executives, opened the first COSTCO in Seattle, Washington. COSTCO followed a similar business model as Price Club but also catered to individual consumers as well as businesses. COSTCO also differentiated itself by offering a wider selection of products, including fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery, and deli items. COSTCO also introduced its Kirkland Signature brand in 1992, which soon became a hallmark of its quality and value proposition. COSTCO grew quickly, opening stores in various states and countries.
In 1993, Price Club and COSTCO merged to form Price/COSTCO, a company that combined the strengths and expertise of both warehouse clubs. The merger created the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world, with over 200 locations and 22 million members. In 1997, the company changed its name to COSTCO Companies, Inc., and in 1999, it adopted its current name, COSTCO Wholesale Corporation.
Today, COSTCO is the third largest retailer in the world and the largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine. COSTCO has over 860 warehouses worldwide, serving more than 127 million members in 14 countries. COSTCO’s mission is to continually provide its members with quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. COSTCO’s vision is to be the most respected and successful warehouse club in the world.
This poem is about the narrator’s love for COSTCO, and how he finds everything he needs and wants there, including his soulmate.
I love going to COSTCO.
The lines are always worth the wait.
The people are always friendly.
The carts are always full of goodies.
The prices are always low.
The products are always high-quality.
The samples are always delicious.
The parking lot is always spacious.
I don’t want to go anywhere else.
COSTCO is my paradise.
COSTCO is my home.
COSTCO is my everything.
I find everything I need.
And want at COSTCO.
Food and drinks
And clothes and books.
Gadgets and toys,
And tools and furniture.
Jewelry and flowers,
And art and travel.
And most importantly,
Love.
COSTCO Wedding
I met my soul mate
while shopping at COSTCO
in suburban Virginia.
We were both reaching
For the last rotisserie chicken.
We locked eyes
and smiled.
sparks flew
from heart to heart
we shared coffee
and pizza
and talked
until they kicked us out
We decided
To share the chicken
And our lives.
We got married at COSTCO,
In front of the giant teddy bear.
the store general manager
We exchanged rings
From the jewelry section.
We cut a cake from the bakery.
the general manager
officiated the ceremony
attended by customers, family
and friends
shown on ZOOM
at every COSTCO
as this was the first
COSTCO Wedding!
We toasted with
Kirkland Signature champagne.
We danced to the music
From the electronics department.
We spent our honeymoon
At COSTCO in Spain.
In a tent
From the camping section.
We made love on a mattress
From the bedding section.
We cuddled under a blanket
From the home section
We dreamed of our future
At COSTCO.
Raising our kids,
And growing old together.
Shopping,
And saving
And living and loving
At COSTCO.
note: Not a true story, although we both love our COSTCO.
Lost Bag Nightmare
I am at a crowded cafeteria and a college campus I am an underground agent for the government and we are tracking the movements of a potential terrorist who has threatened to kill Palestinians and or Jewish kids at this college,
I put down my bag on on a counter and we went to track down the terrorists when we finished arresting them, avoiding a huge incident when we finished arresting the terrorists. I go back and find that my bag is completely gone.
I don’t know what to do. I lost my laptop and my phone and some money in it, and a library book.
I was devastated as I had lost my bag. I also realized I was stupid for leaving the bag unattended so I called my wife who was out of town. And she agreed I could go to COSTCO to replace the phone and the computer.
I arranged to do that but I missed my computer and missed my phone and I am upset at how stupid and careless I had been.
COSTCO Goes Green
thoughts while walking through COSTCO one day.
COSTCO announces a bold new strategy to combat climate change. They will put in every COSTCO warehouse and office building around the world solar panels and mini wind turbines to generate enough power to run their warehouses off the grid and to sell the power back to the local utilities if there is any excess power.
They also in some areas agreed to install geothermal water heating and solar water heating everywhere.
They also agree to fund local bus service so people can get to and from COSTCO from the nearest metro subway systems and they challenge Walmart, Sam’s, Target, and other large big box stores worldwide to follow suit. Most of them agreed to do so and join COSTO in forming the Green Business Alliance which will bring together the Corporate sector to jointly work on climate and renewable energy initiatives with governments and the academic sector, vowing to hold a COSTCO Foundation Green Energy annual summit bringing together business, academic and Government leaders to make concrete progress.
COSTCO said that saving the planet is the most important thing that they could do and that they would be fully supportive of a new Green Deal. They also will sell COSTCO renewable energy supplies and they will set up a renewable energy research corporation to help companies and individuals install renewable energy systems.
The progressive left hails COSTCO and conservatives denounce COSTCO for going “woke”. The public slides with COSTCO’s reputation and sales go way up.
Letter to COSTCO
Dear COSTCO
I have been a member since 1998. I have long admired your corporation for being a great corporation with progressive values. You are a leader in so many areas, not to mention that you are a great company to work for, sell great products at a great price, and have the best customer service in the world.
You do so many things you do right , and thank you for that, for all the good that you do every day. I would like to suggest that you do much more to combat climate change and become a leader in combating climate change, which as you are no doubt aware is an existential crisis. Climate change and the need to shift to a new Green Deal are imperative if we want to save the entire planet.
There are many things that corporations could do and it’s time for COSTCO to step up to do their part. At a minimum, I would recommend that you commit to putting in every single COSTCO warehouse worldwide solar panels on the rooftops and in shading over the car lots, and mini wind turbines so that each COSTCO will be carbon neutral and self-sufficient in terms of energy. This should also include setting up water harvesting systems so that all the water will be self-generated and solar water heaters as well. Excess power could be sold back to the local utilities at cost. I would also greatly expand electric vehicle charging stations.
COSTCO is unfortunately not that accessible to people without public transit. This is something that COSTCO should address. At a minimum, they should set up a free shuttle bus system going employees, visitors, and members taking people from the nearest metro subway stop to COSTCO and this should run during COSTCO business hours starting about 1/2 an hour before the opening of business ending a half an hour after the close of business. It should be free to the public and should run every half hour. This would be a very simple and cost-effective way to make sure that people can easily access COSTCO corporation shops and COSTCO should also consider contributing money to the local public transit companies to expand bus service in the COSTCO neighborhoods that they serve.
I would suggest you call upon your colleagues in the big box industries around the world to do the same, committing to addressing climate change, transit accessibility, and water conservation policies in every store worldwide. If COSTCO steps up and takes the lead, Walmart, Target and the other big market companies will feel they need to do the same. This commitment will make a tremendous difference around the world and it would not cost her much to do so in fact it would save money on energy for all your COSTCO operations worldwide
I’m asking you to commit to making every single COSTCO a green energy building do it for the sake of the planet thank you.
I have blogged about my positive experiences with COSTCO here and feel free to publish any of my COSTCO poems on your website and your magazines. Thanks again for doing everything you do.
Hi Jake, thanks again for coming back to Synchronized Chaos! We’re glad to publish these poems, one poem at a time, in our subsequent semimonthly issues.
Excited that you have written an Ode to Coffee, as I’m a legendary coffee fan 🙂
As always, please feel welcome to leave comments on the currently published work at synchchaos.com. We all appreciate feedback!
Cristina
Here are some more poems for you to consider.
God’s Confession
Ode To Coffee
God Is Coming And Boy Is He Mad God
The Old Man In The Mirror Must Die Old Age
Falling Rain
Long Life The Great And Powerful One
Spin Masters Spin Away The Day
Red Sun Dawning Over The New Empire
Just An Unhinged Lunatic Howling At The Moon
Prior publication
Travel to Gangwha Travel piece
Christmas Bombing in Nashville
Eve Ate the Apple
Just Enough for Coffee
Our National Hangover
Strangers Sleeping on the Streets
2019 Year That Was
Dogs of War are Howling
Dreams
Fate
Idiots in High Places
masters of the Universe
The terrible Teens
When will this Madness End?
End-of=the-Years Blues
God’s Confession
god
I was sitting alone
In a god-forsaken bar
the Cosmos Bar in Soi Cowboy
Bangkok, Thailand
On the lunatic fringes of society
Twenty drinks too sober
In the ass end
of a Friday night booze binge
On the bad part of town
Over by railroad tracks
Heading to hell
As fast as I could drank it down
Enjoying my lonely drink
Drinking by my lonesome self
With my partners
Jimmy Bean, Jack Daniels,
The Walker brother
Evan Williams
And his old Granddad
Just drinking one bourbon,
one scotch, and one beer
and hanging
with Jack Daniel’s
gentlemen’s club
A crazed bum
With a thousand-year stare
Walks up to me
He begins
Muttering to himself
Nutty nonsense
Crazy words
In a lunatic’s voice
He had the look
Of one possessed
By his demons
Only he can see
Or hear
Possessed
by a secret knowledge
Only he knew
Despite myself
I was fascinated
By this lunatic’s tale
So I stopped him
And said
“Say, crazy little Dude!
So what’s your game, Anyway?”
The short little dude
Stopped his insane prattle
Starting at me
With that
thousand-year-old stare
Just another
washed-up lunatic
Too many drugs
His mind blown away
Down too many rabbit holes
Too many bad nights
On the wrong side of life
An ACID causality
from the 60s
Been down so long
It looks like
up to him
He looked at me
And proclaimed his story
He reared up
And filled up the room
And lifted the bar
On his finger
And stared down at me
From the sky
And said
“Since you asked
I am Allah
The Alpha and Omega
Ganesh
Kali
Jupiter
Jehovah
Shiva
Zeus
And a billion other names
The real deal
The original dude of dudes
The Sultan of Swing
God of hosts
And the father
of that Jesus dude
But no one knows me
Any more
No one cares
They think I am irrelevant
They think I am dead
They think I am a fairy tale
From some olden, ancient time
That my work is done
I looked at him
Carefully now
And what did I see
An old man
With that lunatic look
But there was something else
He was crazy
Sure. Yeah
Out there
Bat sh… looney tunes
But perhaps
he was the real deal
I mean, why not
In this materialistic age
Why would God not be
a wandering lunatic
wandering around loose
Talking to low lives
like me
In a bar
On the highway to hell
So I looked at him
And invited him to share
His tale of cosmic woe
God tells me
“Well, it’s like this
Many a year ago
People believed in me
But one day
They quit believing in me
they moved on
And they went on without me
As they left me
My powers got weaker and weaker
And so eventually I became
What you see today
A broken-down drunk
Hanging out
Looking for a handout
Looking for some company
Or at least a free dinner”
And he laughed
and laughed
And I looked at him
And saw
the beginnings of the end
And the ends
of the beginnings
I saw a million planets
Flash by
Trillions of people
Thinking all at once
Thoughts filled my head
Lights flashed
And I knew
He was telling the truth
But it did not matter
In this day and age
Of materialism
God has no role
God is truly dead
And so I bought him a drink
And walked out of the bar
still twenty drinks too sober
Profoundly saddened
From what I had seen
God was dead
And we had all conspired
To kill him
Long live God
Ode To Coffee
Mistress of sacred love
Sacred lady of desire
You start my day
Setting my heart on fire
With your dark
delicious flavor
And throughout the day
Whenever the mean
old blues come by
You chase them away
With your bitter ambrosia
Every time I inhale
your witch’s brew
I am filled with power, light, and love
And everything is alright Jack
If only for a few fleeting minutes
I love you oh coffee goddess
In all your magical forms
In the dark coffee of the dawning day
In the sizzling coffee in the mid-morning break
In the afternoon siesta break
And in the post-dinner dessert drink
I love you, my coffee mistress
You are my refuge
From this horrid world
And you are my secret lover
Never disappoint me, ever
I’ve never had a bad cup
Of that, I can be sure
Even the dismal coffee
Served at Denny’s at 3 am
Is still sweat-loving coffee
Even the farmer brother’s diner coffee
Excites me and gets me going
Asking for another cup of divine delight
Coffee always is there
It is always on and piping hot
With hidden dark secrets
Swirling in its liquid essence
Coffee is my last vice
My only legal vice left
Coffee does not cheat on me
It is always faithful, always true
It does not turn on its friends
And all it asks in return
Is that you come back
Cup after cup after cup
A good cup of coffee
Is a little bit of heaven
In a cup of dark liquid hell
Coffee is like a drug
But a good drug
that does what it should
And never complains
It does not get grouchy
It does not hurt you
It does not make you crazy
But allows the muse to come out
And play with it
Coffee led to the American Revolution
As patriots drank coffee
To rebel against the aristocratic English tea
Coffee started the London Stock market
And started the gossips mills running
Every great invention
Was fed by coffee’s sweat brew
All the great thinkers
All the great leaders
All were enslaved to coffee’s magic
Yeah
I sing my praises
Of the great
glorious coffee lady
Long may she continue
To be my sweat companion
Long may coffee continue
To rule my heart
And set my heart on fire
I love thee
Mistress coffee
And sometimes I think
You love me too
God Is Coming, And Boy Is He/She Mad
God is Coming and Boy,
is he/she mad
God Is Coming
The preacher on the street proclaimed
God is coming, oh yeah, he is on his way
And Boy, is he/she angry at us
The entire human race
And God, let me tell yah
He ain’t the wimpy, wimpy pappy
White Boy false God of the New Testament
The false deity that the evil Reverend Farwell
And the MAGA prophets
And the smarmy Pat Robinson worship
Hell no, God ain’t that god
God is a mean, angry powerful God
The God of the Old Testament
The God of the Koran and the god of old
The God that man once feared
Yeah, I am talking about that God
Allah, Buddha, Ganesh, Kali, Jehovah, Jesus,
Shiva, and a thousand other names
The God that our ancestors feared
The real deal,
and boy is he/she pissed off
And he/she is coming to set up straight
And send most of us straight to hell
For eternal damnation and punishment
God is particularly pissed off
All those politicians who have been
Misusing his name
and saying God is on their side
God ain’t on their side
God is God
And he is angry at them all
God ain’t no Republican
Fascist wanna be
Supply Side jesus
God is particularly angry
at George Bush
God told George
George, don’t do that evil thing
Don’t invade Iraq
I will handle Sadaam in my way
I want you to take
care of your poor people
Give away all your power and money
And serve the poor
That’s what
I want you to do
And poor George did not understand
Did not get the message
So George led the nation
Into war against another land
And thousands of people died
And millions of dollars were wasted
And nothing changed
And God is angry at President Obama
Who continued the endless wars,
Even knowing that it was wrong.
God is especially angry
At the anti-Christ Trump
His business partner Satan
Has a special room for him.
In the afterlife
And God is angry
at all the other politicians
All over the world.
And God is angry
at the people of this earth
Who have fucked up his paradise
and his divine plans.
So, brother preacher
Keep preaching the word
I understand.
God is coming to save us
And will start by dispatching
all the politicians
who proclaim
that God is on their side
Straight to the hell
they so richly deserve
Oh yeah
God does not like that shit
Not one bit
And the end times approach
And the preacher man preaches
And God is getting ready
for the judgment day
And I say bring it on
Bring it on
Brother preacher man
Keep preaching the word
And someday soon
We will meet up
Somewhere and God will decide
Our fate
But the fate of our leaders is sealed
And Satan has a nice room for them
And God smiles
At the thought of divine justice
That awaits them all
The Old Man In The Mirror Must Die Old Age<
One early winter morning
A man went to the mirror
To do his morning shave
Just another shave
Like a thousand, million shaves before
As he looked into the mirror
He did not see his face
Instead, he saw a stranger
Staring out at him
An old, beat-up old man
With intense sad eyes
Started at him
The man looked hard
At the man who had taken
Over his mirror
And wondered who he was
And how and why
He had taken over his mirror
The man was perturbed, disturbed
And a bit angry at the turn of events
All he wanted to do
Was shaved in peace
The man continued to stare
At the face in the mirror
And finally could not stand it anymore
He looked at the mirror
And said,
Man in the mirror
Who or what are you
And what do you want
And why have you taken over
My god-damned mirror
So early in the morn
The old man
Merely laughed and resumed staring
At the man
The man getting angrier and angrier
Demanded an answer
From the fiend in the mirror
Who are you, you mocking fiend
And what do you want from me?
The man screamed
The old man in the mirror
Looked at him and said
Don’t you know who I am
I am you and you are me
The man looked at the old man
And said no, no, no
I am not you and never will be you
I am not an old, washed-up old man
I am me – full of life, youth, and vitality
And yet the man knew the truth
Did not want to admit the truth
Could not handle the truth
The old man in the mirror
Was what he had become
The man was very angry
And screamed
At the old man in the mirror
The man said you may look like me
You may sound like me
You may even smell like me
But I am not you
Never have been
Never will be
Not going to happen
Not in a million years
The man yelled at the old man
Old man, mocking fiend from hell
Go to hell, old man
And never darken my mirror again
And the man stormed out of the house
And wandered about here and there
Finally late at night
He wandered into a bar
And began drinking the night away
The man went up to some pretty young things
And tried to pick them up
They laughed at him
Called him a dirty old man
And told him to go home
The man went home
To bed alone
And drank some more beer
And dreamt of all of his past loves
And failed dreams
Of what he had done
And failed to do
And wondered whether his time
Had come
The next morning
He walked into the bathroom
Determined to confront the old man
Tell truth to power
He said,
“listen up, old man
You may have won the war
But not the battle
I am not you
And never will be you”
And screaming like an escaped banshee
Newly freed from the mental institution
The man shot the old man in the mirror
Shot him over and over
“Screaming die-mocking fiend from hell”
The man woke in the hospital
An old black doctor came over
Said sadly
“This white boy ain’t right in the head.”
The man laughed insanely
And saw down the hall
The old man in the mirror
Smiling and beckoning to him
Walking out the window
And into the dawning sun
The man got up and walked
And joined
the old man in the mirror
And smiled as he died
h2 style=”text-align: center;”>Falling Rain
falling rain
The falling rain
Of late October
Fills me with
essential dread
the lightning
and thunder
frightening me
an ominous omen
of bad things
yet to come
I am filled with
Dark, dangerous
Heavy thoughts
The rain outside
the Cosmos Bar
In Soi Cowboy
Seems like
the tears of God
Crying over his
As I sit
Crying over my beer
Thinking of lost love
And failed dreams
Wondering
What went wrong?
And what I can set right
And the rain falls
And the night darkens
The rain is falling
All over this man’s world
And the rain falls
And I sit
Drinking my lonesome drink
Lost in dreams
Dreaming of what
Could never be
Thinking dark thoughts
And so I sit
twenty drinks too sober
And drink
the rainy night away
Long Life the Great and Powerful One
Night scene with the Cthulhu monster with wings standing on the shore of a sea. 3D render.
While walking in the misty morn of Yore
One dismal dark decaying depraved day
I was suffocating from the sounds of the dying city
Slowly coming to life with the dawning sun
Surrounded by the sounds of chaos, disorder
Dark, dangerous despairing thoughts
Of dangerous terrible acts to come
All around me in this strange era, we live in
This orange alert perpetual fearful times
Constant fear, and overwhelming dread
Mad crazed Islamic bomb-throwing terrible terrorists
Hiding under every bed, lurking around every corner
Conspiring with the murderous criminals of Yore
Just waiting to attack god-fearing Christian citizens
Murdering them in their sleep
Blowing up schools
Blowing up buses, cars, buildings
Murdering in the name of their demented god
Screaming God is great as they behead us all
As I walk down that street
In the dead calm of the early morn
Filled with fulsome fears of who knows what
I look up and see a giant gargoyle
Looking down at me
Smirking at me, laughing at me
I yell out to the gargoyle
“Say, Mr. Gargoyle
What is so damn funny
Don’t you know there is a terror alert
Have you seen any Islamic terrorists lurking about?”
The gargoyle laughed and laughed
Said,
“terror alert? What a load of crap
As the prophet, Mr. Natural taught us all,
It doesn’t mean shit, it doesn’t mean shit”
Nothing but prime BS
Designed to keep you in your place”
He laughed and laughed
Soon all the gargoyles
of the city
Were in open revolt
They jumped off their perches
And started marching around
Chatting
“Peace is War, War is Peace
Truth is a Lie, Lies are Truth
The Truth Will Set You Free
All Hail the Great and Powerful One
All Hail the Great and Powerful One”
The head gargoyle looks at me
He says “Watch this!”
And jumps up
and rides a rainbow sunbeam
Into the bloody red light
of the dawning rising sun
The other gargoyles follow suit
Dancing, naked, making wild passionate love
While laughing and riding the light
And the gloom lifts from my shoulder
And I laugh and realize
“It doesn’t mean shit”
And then my soul is free
And I fly with the gargoyles
To join my buddy the sun
And as we sit
high up above the earth
Smoking dope and drinking booze
And looking down
at the teaming mess
Of what was left of humanity
I realized the ultimate
reality of life
“It doesn’t mean shit”
And the terrorists
are nothing but delusions
Put in our heads and our hearts
By the depraved master programmer of the universe
In service to the Great and Powerful One
The true Master of Creation
As long as we are not afraid
Our souls will be free
And so I laugh and laugh
And the sun comes up
The dark mists disappear
The Great and Powerful One
Is overthrown
The terrorists go home
And I return to earth
Thinking that the
long nightmare was over
Believing that
we had won the war
And kept our souls
from going to hell
But I did not understand
That the Great and Powerful One
Had banished the terrorists
And conquered us all
In the name of freedom
We had become slaves
To his awful power
and dark demands
God is indeed great
But the Great and Powerful One
Has more power than mere God
And so we deserve our fate
Long live the Great and Powerful One
Whom we love forever and ever
Amen
Spin Masters Spinning Away the Day
Every moment
I turn on the TV
What do I see
Nothing but liars laying down lies
Spin Masters spinning spam of deceit
Chanting
The truth will set you free
White is black
Black is white
Lies are true
Truth is a lie
Lies will set you free
I see nothing
But politicos
Dropping down lies
Untruths masquerading as the truth
Oh, so sincerely
The lies spew forth so sweetly
From their corrupted lips
The toxic wastes
Spree out of my TV set
Infecting my soul
With paranoid distrust
And I vainly try
I do try
God, do I try
To the find
The nugget of truth
Buried deep
in the dark, dank, dangerous
Black, evil miasmic mists
Given off
By the talking heads on TV
So I leave my house
So full of doubt
And wander about
Looking for the truth
Some semblance of hope
Something to drive away
The dark despair in my heart
And I look up
And see a solitary cherry tree
High up on a hilltop street
Infusing the air
With its sweat ambrosia
And I smile
Knowing
Someday soon
The national nightmare
Of rule by the body-snatched
Resident evil ones
pawns of Hell
Descendants of dread Cthulhu
The ancient ones
Yes the darkness
That has descended upon the world
One day
Will be pierced by the light
Of clarity and truth
And the evil ones
The body snatched aliens
Inhabiting our leaders
Will be banished
Back to the hell hole
They crawled out
This much I know
And it is enough
To make me smile
Laugh and hope
Again
Red Sun Dawning Over The New Empire
The dawning sun raises bloody red
Over the traffic-clogged streets
And noxious polluted air
Of the capital of Imperial America
The sun with its bloody red glare
Reminds me of all the people who died
This last year in Emperor Bush’s Three Wars
and the endless war on terrorism
We are the American Empire
We are the power, we are the power
We are perfect masters of the universes
And will remake the world in our image
In the so-called war against Evil
The invasion and occupation
Of foreign lands
Because our leaders say
They might someday be a threat
And the old words of ancient Rome
Comes to mind
Carthage must die
Baghdad must be destroyed
The Heart of the evil empire
Must be invaded
And the evil of Saddam
must be expunged
ISIS must be defeated
The Taliban must be destroyed
the narco traffickers defeated
the terrorists must be sent
to GItmo
the communists must be defeated
the radical left woke mob defanged
MAGA Make Amercan Great Again!
So our great and glorious leaders
Proudly proclaim
Every day every moment
On the conservative media
Now owned, operated, and controlled
By the powers that have taken over
The shadow government that runs
The New American Empire
And soon the entire world
Will be under its sway
We are the American Empire
We are the power, we are the power
We are perfect masters of the universes
And will remake the world in our image
We still have some freedom left
Some space to rant and rave
And grumble
But soon, oh so soon
This paper and that paper
And this internet site and that site
And this TV station and that TV Station
Will be shut down
In the name of national security
We are the American Empire
We are the power, we are the power
We are perfect masters of the universes
And will remake the world in our image
And if we have to kill everyone
Who disagrees with us, anyone who does not want
The benefits of American-style democratic Republican capitalism shoved down their throats and up their ass
So be it, bring it on, kill them all
Nuke them all for Jesus and Emperor Trump
Let American Style Democracy
Flourish everywhere in the world
To save America from its many enemies
We will have to suspend the constitute
End the Republic of the United States of America
And unleash the new imperial government
Democracy of the People,
For the People and by the People
Will be no more than a myth
Taught in School
I say bring it on
Don’t pretend anymore
I am tired of the lies
The constant refrain
We are saving this country
And that country
And we are extending democracy
While slowly, ever so slowly
Killing it at home
And no one cares
No one notices
As the rights to you
Are sold to the corporations
That controls the secret government
That has taken over the country
And the world
And no one will do a damn thing
Including me
Hoping against hope that the nightmare
Of the Republican Fasicst Corporate takeover
Of the New, American Empire will end soon
And the bloodily red sun
Lights up the sky
With its baleful rays of hate
On a beautiful spring day
30 American boys and girls
Died in a foreign land
Because their unelected leader
Told to go there and do their job
They did and I salute them
For having done their duty
I just wish
Our leaders would do their duty
And resign
Admitting responsibility
For the mess that they created
The useless war, the constant lies
The shredding of our civil liberties
But nothing changes
The war goes on
More soldiers die
More foreigners are killed
More terrorists are created
More bombings will happen
And we slide down the path
Of Ancient Rome
The Republic is dying as we speak
And the New American Empire Rises Up
Triumphant against all enemies
All hail Donald Trump
The New American Caesar
Long May He Reign
An Unhinged Lunatic Howling At The Moon
On a moonlit late night
I sat in the Cosmos Bar
In Bangkok, Thailand
Drinking drams of demented,
fermented dream dew
followed by one bourbon
one scotch and one beer
Twenty drinks too sober
Just an unhinged lunatic
Dreaming
of howling at the full moon
Watching the world walk by
Looking at all the fine-looking babes
Walking by the street
Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
Of endless wild libertine passions
When into the bar
Walked the most
beautifulwomen
In the Universe
So wild, so free
So wonderfully alive
I did not know what to do
As this vision of delight
Sauntered through the bar
In a skin-tight leather pants
Looked so fine
That my eyeballs hurt
And finally, I had to say something
So I gathered up my manly courage
And walked up to her
And she looked at me
And instantly bewitched my soul
With a devilish grin
I lost all reason
And became a raving lunatic
Unhinged lunatic
Howling at the moon
Foaming at the mouth
A wild, free werewolf
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full Moon.
for a complete list of my work published on the Syncrhonized Chaos web page see the following;
More Down in the Dirt Publications2023/01/14
Down in the Dirt Updates2022/08/22
More Down in the Dirt Publication Update2021/08/14
More Down in the Dirt Publication Update
The following are now available on Down in the Dirt’s Forbidden library. Order information at the end
The end of the email.
Association of the Living Dead India
John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller
In India, several years ago
A man falsely claimed his brother
Was dead so he could inherit the family assets,
The dead brother had to fight
To be declared legally not dead
And contest the will.
“The Association of the Living Dead”
Became a movement
Of thousands of people.
For in India apparently,
It was a thing to declare
Your relative is dead.
I never thought
That the US would have
To form their own
“The Association of the Living Dead”
Until this week.
The cyber ninjas
In their infamous non-forensic audit
In the 2016 Arizona election
Claimed that hundreds of dead people
Had voted.
They gave their list of the alleged dead voters
To the attorney general
Who contact all 300 dead people
Found that 299 of the 300 were in fact
Not dead and none of them knew
That unnamed political operatives
Were claiming that they were dead.
The one dead voter was alive
when he voted early.
But died before election day
Thus making his vote not valid
But there was no fraud involved
As he was alive when he voted.
Perhaps they need to form
The “association of the living dead”
To fight for the right of the non-dead people
To continue to vote and receive other government benefits?
What a sad commentary
On the farcical nature
Of contemporary life
In these disunited States of America.
The Secret Fly Drone
John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller
The fly on the wallpaper
In the CIA director’s office
Was not a real fly
He was an enemy spy drone
Secretly controlled remotely
Listening to all the secret conversations
Until the director smashed him
With a flyswatter
Then realized that it was a spy fly
He had dispatched to bug hell.
Madmen with Guns Madness
John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller
After every incident
Of mass gun violence
In the U.S.
Pictures emerge
Of the killers
Almost always white men.
Who stares out at you
With soulless dead eyes
Filled with hate, fear
And shear madness.
With the thousand-year stare
Of the madman
Who only hears
The voices in his head
Screaming kill them all
Kill them all.
And as always
They usually legally bought
The guns.
This case was a bit different
The gunman briefly had his guns
Taken away from him
And his 60 knives as well
Judged temporarily too crazy
To have a gun.
But the red flag law
Is not a permanent ban
As it should be.
And so he was able
To re-arm himself
With the best weapons
In the world
At a very affordable price.
Thanks to the NRA.
And so he was soon lost
Down the rabbit hole
Of insanity and probably drugs,
The lone sniper
A disgruntled young white man
In his 20’s
Sets up shop on top of a building.
He has a high-powered weapon
No doubt bought legally
An AR-15 is the choice
Of the serious gun men everywhere.
And begins shooting
Into the July 4th parade
Killing six people
Injuring 30.
Before putting the gun down
And fleeing
Before the cops can find him.
The right-wing media
Goes to works
The pundits pontificate
24/7
It is not about the gun
It is about everything else
That is wrong with our society.
Guns don’t kill people
They proclaim
Guns are the price we pay
For our freedom.
Their demented answer
is more guns
More guns for everyone.
And sadly, nothing will be done
As the politicians offer
Useless thoughts and prayers
The gun ghosts don’t care
They are dead after all.
The madness will not stop
Until we figure out
How to stop
The killers in our midst.
There will be another shooting
No doubt before the day is done
Over 300 so far this year.
And that is just the way
It is in this day and age
Of America.
The land of the free
Home of the brave
And 400 million guns.
Janet Kuypers
Apr 6, 2023, 5:15 AM (6 days ago)
Hi there from Down in the Dirt (this letter is being mailed from a bulk email alternative email address – DO NOT reply to this email; all responses to this magazine should be sent to Down in the Dirt <dirt@scars.tv>). We wanted to let you know that Scars Publications released a collection book of the January-April 2023 issues of Down in the Dirt magazine. Since your material (writing/artwork) APPEARS in these issues, that means your material appears in this issue collection book, and we wanted to let you know about this brand-new issues collection book titled “Forbidden Library”!
And you can find this book anytime at Scars in MULTIPLE locations. Now it is linked on the main page at http://scars.tv, and it appears at the top of the list of choices on the books link (one click away from the main page, or also directly at http://scars.tv/books/) as well as at the top of the “CD Books Sale” link (direct link http://scars.tv/sale/) at Scars!
Also, by the end of the business week this week, the database with your accepted writings should (when you go to your accepted writings) have a link to this collection book that your writing is in, so people can find links to this collection book on your writing pages in the writings section of http://scars.tv (at http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers)…
Links for ordering this collection book appear on all of the links above, and will also appear in the writings section too, so any of your writing in this collection book will also see a link to this collection book in the writings section too!
Currently, these books are available directly through the Amazon affiliate printer in the U.S., the U.K., and Europe – and even Japan and Australia, and it ships to India too! (the above link is for U.S. orders.)
So check out the Scars Publication links to see what material of yours appears in these collection books, and if you’d like, order a copy today (I hear they make great gifts!), and again, thank you for being a part of the Down in the Dirt community!
April 8, 2022 Poems2022/04/09
April 7th Poems2022/04/08
April 6th, 2022 Poems2022/04/08
April 5 2022, Poems2022/04/08
April 4th 2022, Poems2022/04/08
2022 April Poetry Madness April 1 to 3 poems
This is my 7th year to participate in the April poetry challenge. This year I am just doing two prompts, Writer’s Digest and Writing com Dew Drop Inn. Last year I wrote over 300 poems in one month, this year’s much more modest goal is about 150 poems, of which I will post about 90.
i will post them here, and on all poetry, poetry soul, writing.com, and Writer’s Digest. Medium, Watt pad, Substack, and FB.
Index
Life Is A Dream Of Chocolate Covered Trees
Margo Taylor Greene’s Word Salad
Dreams Do Come True If You Believe In Dreams
Marjorie Taylor Greene, WTF’s Wrong With You?
Cosmic Cat From Berkeley
Healing Touch
The End of Time
Donald Trump the anti-Christ
The sound of Korean
The Tearing of the Social Fabric Homophone Poem
End of Time
The sound of Korean
Tower of Power
How Will It End?
The rule of ten
Finding Pleasure in Small Things
Favorite Korean Food
Madness in the United States
Many virtual connections, few real friends
Movie Choices Writer’s Digest
April’s Fool Day
Anticipation
Life is A Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees
Life is a dream
A dream of chocolate-covered trees
To see what can’t be seen
To hear what can’t be heard
To live in order to die
And to die in order to live.
Note: one of my oldest poems was written circa 1970 when I was 14
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 27
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an anapodoton poem.
Margo Taylor Greene’s Word Salad
While defending
The Pentagon document leak suspect
Marjorie Taylor Green
Tweeted a typical nonsensical
paranoid
World salad
The USG is gearing up
To censor patriotic white
Christian American anti-war
Targeting
Political prisoners
Who dares to stand up
And tell the truth
Against the communist
Radical left-woke Marxists
Who is taking over the government
Greene claimed that Americans
Are on the verge
Of losing more freedoms
In the wake
of the government’s
Efforts to pass
The restrict act
All part of the evil
Fascist communist Marxist
Plot against patriotic
White citizens
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 26
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a response poem.
Dreams Do come true if You Believe In Dreams
Sam Adams
Met his wife
In a dream
He saw the most beautiful woman
In the world
Talking to him
In a strange Asian Language
He yelled out
“Who are you”
She faded away
As he fell to the ground
During a boring physics class
For eight long years
She haunted his dreams
Coming to him weekly
Then one day
He was teaching in Korea
When he had the last dream
She told him
“don’t worry, we’ll meet soon”
That night she walked off a bus
Out of his dreams
Entering his reality
Entering his life
Six weeks after becoming his wife
Dreams do come true
If you believe in dreams.
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 25
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, we have our fourth and final two-for-Tuesday prompt.
For today’s prompt, we have our fourth (and final) two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
1. Write a dream poem, and/or…
2. Write a reality poem.
Healing Touch
My wife says
I have a superpower
I am very hot
To the touch
Radiating outward
Chi
Infrared heat
Every night
For forty years
I have been warming her up
As she is cold-blooded
Almost like a reptile
Always cold to the touch
And my touch warms her up
Just my duty
Of love
At the end of the day.
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 24
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a touch poem.
We’ve already written poems related to smell, sound, and taste, so let’s keep hammering away on the senses.
For today’s prompt, write a touch poem. For the senses, I’m thinking of touch as a hand reaching out, though it could also be a foot or just bodies pushed close like in a concert or public transportation. But that’s just when thinking about the senses.
Fear of Communism
Watching right-wing politicians
And news pundits
One can’t help
But wonder
If we are living
In a strange alternative universe
For to hear
The line of Marjorie Taylor Greene
It is 1955 all over again
Communism is on the march
Marxists out to destroy America
Radical left-wing demons
trying to cancel
Normal patriotic white Americans
Who dares to stand up
To the communists
All around us
And they fill the airwaves
And the internet
With constant fear
And paranoia
About the alleged
Communist Pedophile Satanic
LGBT conspiracy to turn us all gay
And the black life matters folks
And Antifa
Coming to kill white people
And to take away our guns
And other fear-mongering memes
24/7
Be Afraid be Afraid
The commies are after you.
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 23
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a fear poem.ing out on the last piece of the piece or the fear of dying.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, WTF’s Wrong with You?
What’s the fuck’s wrong with you?
I mean, seriously, Marjorie?
Where have you been
These last 50 years?
Hiding under a rock,
Living in a cave.
Did you just wake up
From a 50-year-old coma?
Are communists out to get us?
Marxists everywhere?
Acting like the Cold war
Never ended?
It ain’t the 50s anymore
The Communists lost the war
There are no more communists.
Except perhaps
In my old hometown
Of Berkeley
Where it is always 1969.
Communism is dead
Has been for almost 50 years
Did you not get the memo?
I mean enough of this BS
Did the John Birchers
Take over your body?
Do you even know
WTC you are talking about.
Do you even care?
That the entire world
Think you are bat sh..t crazy
Even too crazy for Fox News?
Communism my ass
Marxists are out to get us
Please dear
Just do us all a favor
STFU already
About the communists.
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “What (blank),” replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “What Are You Doing Here,” “What a Great Time,” “Whatever You Say,” and/or “What Kind of Poem Are You Going to Write?”
So make a decision: Is your “what” poem leading to a question or a statement (or maybe both?).
The Cosmic Cat from Berkeley
evil cat
I next encountered the divine
Many years later in Berkeley, California
I had gone home to be with my Mother
While taking leave from my job
in the Foreign Service
I had two weeks there by myself
My wife came later
near the end of the trip
every morning I woke up
had coffee
Did yoga
Spoke to my mother
Who was sliding into dementia?
Day by day losing her reason
Then I would go out
And explore the city
Go to a museum
Go to one neighborhood
And just be there
Rediscovering the Bay area
After years of being away
Having dinner with old friends
Seeing movies etc
Every morning a black cat came to visit
The cat was friendly and waited for me
And then would join me in my morning rambles
Following me to the bus stop
I started talking to the black cat
He looked at me
with a spark of divinity
In his dark eyes
I called him the cosmic cat
He seemed to like that
He would look at me
And I opened up to me
Told the cat all my dark secrets
As I walked the streets
Of the old neighborhood
Every morning and every evening the cat
Would be there to greet me
And to carry out our endless conversation
Then I had to leave
And in our final conversation
I asked the cosmic cat
Say, Cat are you just a cat
Or are you a demonic cat
Are you possessed by God?
Or by Satan
The cat looked at me
And I realized that God
Was indeed residing in the cat
But that god was residing everywhere
All I had to do was open my mind
And the rest would follow
So I said Goodbye to the cosmic cat
And he purred and came up to me
And I felt the comforting presence of the divine
As I said goodbye to the cosmic cat
And said goodbye to my mother
As this was the last time
That we would be able to talk
I told my mother about the cosmic cat
She smiled and said that the cat
was there for me and her
to comfort us both in our hour of need
and that the cat was indeed
a cosmic cat
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 20
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an animal poem.
The End of time writer’s Digest
My dear
When I met you
I knew
That I was fated
To love you
Until the end of time
And beyond
That was just my fate
That we would meet
On that date
I embraced my fate
And that is the end
Of the beginning
Of our cosmic journey
Together
Until the end of time
And beyond.
Day 16 Blank of a Blank
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “The (blank) of a (blank),” replace the blanks with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “The Beginning of a Story,” “The Wrong Side of a Situation,” “The Apple of an Eye,” and/or “The Latest Excuses of a Continuing Problem.”
What is Love?
What is love?
Is it nothing
But biochemistry?
Is it madness?
Is it just
A search for connections?
In a cold cruel world?
That does not care
For us at all?
It is all of that
And none of that
Those who know
What Love is
Do not tell
That is the Zen
Of Love
Day 18
For today’s prompt, we have our third two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
Write an everything poem, and/or…
Write an anti-love poem.
As longtime participants know, this is my favorite prompt, which is why it returns every challenge. Write a love poem, or write a not-love poem.
The desire to get back
At those who trespass
Against us
Especially so
For the MAGA nation
Followers
of the King
Of revenge politics
The Donald
The Anti-Christ
Than to follow
The wisdom
Of Allah, Buddha, Christ,
Jesus, and Mother Mary
And let it be
2023 April PAD Challenge: Day 13
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a forgive poem.
For today’s prompt, write a forgive poem. The poem could be about forgiveness in general, or it could focus on a specific instance of forgiveness or grace. There are times when we are called upon to forgive others, and times when we ask others to forgive us. And sometimes that includes forgiving ourselves. Be forgiving as you poem today.
The Sound of Korean Writer’s Digest
I have been studying Korean
For almost 45 years
First heard back in 1979
In the Peace Corps
I still struggle daily
But Korea is no longer
A stranger
Korean is my second language
And I hear it all around me
In my retirement home
I study Korean daily
On Duotrope
And while watching K Drama
The language at first
Sounded harsh
As if everyone was yelling
And screaming
Later, I learned
Some Korean songs
And the language
Became less discordant
To this day though
I find a Korean woman
Speaking Korean
To be incredibly sexy
Packing so much emotion
And sexual tension
In every word
I suppose I will study Korean
And speak it
Until the day I die.
2023 April PaD Challenge: Day 12
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a sound poem.
With every word
The former president
Causes a tear
In the basic fundamental
Political order
Leading to many people
To tear up
In fear
Which is no doubt the object
His followers do not object
To inflict pain and suffering
In their endless quest
To own their hated enemies
The radical left Marxist radical
Demonic Deep state libtards
Who are conspiring to turn
America into another communist
Dystopian nightmare
Only the great leader Trump
Can save America’s Democracy]
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a homograph poem.
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Sometimes they are pronounced the same, but that’s not always the case. Click here to find a list of homographs, though there are many more homographs than these to use.
Ode to the Tower of Power
The greatest funk band
There ever was
You are the epitome
Of funk and soul music
The very definition of funk
The best horn section
In the universe
Just sublime
Formed in the East Bay
In the turbulent 60s
Playing that funky music
For almost 50 years
Their love song
You’re still a young man
Is perhaps the greatest
make out song
Of all times
The first song
I slowed danced to
Back in high school
A song I played
To seduce my wife
I wonder how many babies
Were conceived because
Of this classic soul song.
Another classic song
What is hip
Which poised
An unanswered question
And inspired this triolet
What is love, tell me if you know
Love is what it is
Do you know what love is, Joe?
What is love, tell me if you know
And how can you make it grow?
Madness is what it does
What is love, tell me if you know
Love is what it is
The Tower of Power
No doubt
Will still be playing
That funky music
White boy
A hundred years
From now
For funk
Will never die
For once you get funk
In your soul baby
You can never go back
To boring vanilla
white boy music
because you got soul, now.
Because you got
That soul vaccination baby
And need to go
Down to the nightclub
And play that funky music
White boy
Until the day you die.
Based loosely on the classic Tower of Power Song, “What is hip?”
What Is Hip Lyrics
[Verse 1]
So ya wanna dump out yo’ trick bag
Ease on in a hip thang
But you ain’t exactly sure what is hip
So you started to let your hair grow
Spent big bucks on your wardrobe
Somehow, ya know there’s much more to the trip
[Chorus]
What is hip?
Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
What is hip?
If you’re hip
The question, “Will it show?”
You’re into a hip trip
Maybe hipper than hip
What is hip?
[Verse 2]
You became a part of a new breed
Been smoking’ only the best weed
Hangin’ out with the so-called “Hippie set.”
Seen in all the right places
Seen with just the right faces
You should be satisfied, but it ain’t quite right
[Chorus]
What is hip?
Tell me, tell me, if you think you know
What is hip?
If you’re hip
The question, “Will it show?”
You’re into a hip trip
Maybe hipper than hip
What is hip?
[Break]
Come on
[Refrain]
Hipness is. What it is
Hipness is. What it is
Hipness is. What it is
Sometimes hipness is, what it ain’t
You’re Still a Young Man, Baby
You’re still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time
You’re still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time
Down on my knees
Oh, heart in hand
I was accused of being too young
But I’m not so young
I could make you happy
I’m not a bad man
You’re too young to love (If you and I could be together)
You’re too young to love (I’ll never leave you alone baby)
You’re too young Ooo Ooo (No I won’t sweet lady)
Don’t waste your time
The damage is done
You see that you were wrong
You wake up wondering just
How well I’ve done
Well I’ve done alright
Yes there are some girls but you know
I dropped them on sight
Just for you
Because I love you
You’re still a young man
Baby, Oo oo, don’t waste your time
(Someday you’ll understand just what it means when a man
Comes to you with his little heart in his hands
Just to love you)
Don’t waste your time
You better listen to me
Sayin that I’m loving you yeah hey now baby tryin to tell
You that it’s you you you you you you you you talkin to you
Baby, I’ll never never never never I’ll never do you
No wrong no no lady if you would check my stuff out one time haha
Just to hold you, to squeeze you and all I wanna do is to
Get next to you and please please please you baby
See where I’m coming from!
Written by legendary sax players Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, the song portrays a young man at the wrong end of a breakup. The situation is bleak because his lover pins the break-up on an age difference. In an interview with Songfacts Castillo said:
It’s based on a true story. I had a girlfriend that was six years older than me. I was 18, she was 24 and that’s actually what happened. She had kind of cut me loose because of the age difference thing and the whole plea in the story is the young guy’s saying, ‘I’m not too young, I’m not wasting my time and I do love you as a man can truly love a woman.’”
The song would go on to be the band’s first major hit defining their sound with a prominent horn section inspired by Curtis Mayfield:
“On that album, there’s a song called “A Woman’s Love” that starts with beautiful trumpets high. When we heard that we wanted to write a song with a great trumpet intro like that. – TowerofPower.com
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt.
For today’s prompt, we have our second two-for-Tuesday prompt, which means you get two prompts, and they are:
Write a form poem, and/or…
Write an anti-form poem.
I wrote the above “Ode to the Tower of Power” my favorite funk band.
How Will It End?
How will the madness end?
How will America wake up
From the madness all around us?
The former guy continues daily
Gaslighting the country
Beguiling us all
With his lies, his hatred
His evocation of fear
His calling for a civil war
Destruction and death
How will it end my friend?
That is anyone’s guess
But I doubt it will end
When the former guy
Meets his maker
For then, he will become
The martyr for his followers
Who believes he is the Messiah
perhaps he is just a con man
or maybe the antichrist
revelations warn us about
time will tell the tale
of how it will end
at the end of the Trump
will we find redemption?
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a Noun in a Location poem.
Small Things In Life Brings Great Pleasure
They say
That one should take
Pleasure in the small things in life
Things that matter
Like taking a walk
Enjoying the springtime
sunshine and flowers
With the love of your life
By your side
For today’s prompt, write a small poem. Yesterday, you were tasked with writing a smell poem, but today, we’re going small. The poem itself could be concise, but it could also be focused on something or someone small.
Many virtual connections, few real friends
In this hyper-connected era
Many people have thousands
Of virtual friends
But few have any real friends
Write a poem every day of April with the 2023 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a connection poem.
Rule of Ten
The rule of ten
Applies to so many aspects
Of life
Writing
It goes like this
For every 100 people
Who wants to write a novel
Ten will finish it
Of those ten
Ten percent will publish it
Of those ten
Ten percent will
make some money
Of those ten
Ten percent
will make a living
Of those ten
Ten percent will
become a best-seller
In other words
In a land of 350 million people
There are probably only 3,500
bestselling authors
Drama
the rule of ten applies
to the drama world
only 2 percent
make a living
of the thousands of actors
only a few movie stars
music
of the thousands of musicians
only a few superstars
modeling
– only a few supermodels
to sports
only a few hundred NFL players
out of millions who played the game
to politics
only one president
out of thousands
who want to be
to Business
of the thousands
of busineses
only a few CEO’s
most small businesses
fail within one year
the rule of ten applies
to life in general
most people fail
in achieving their life goals
but one should not give up
because who knows
you could be the one
who wins in the end
despite the rule of ten.
Write a number poem
For today’s prompt, write a number poem. You can include a number in the title of the poem, or drop a number somewhere in the middle or end of the poem. Count sheep, a poem by numbers, or 10 ways to write a poem. There are several ways to come at this one.
Favorite Korean Food April 2023 Poems
Korean Food
I love Korean food
Fell in love with it
And all things Korean
Back in 1979
When I first went there
In the U.S. Peace Corps
Korean food is somewhat like
Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai
With some American influences as well
But it is all done
in a unique
Korean K Food style
Everything is cooked with special spices
A mixture of chili paste, garlic, fish sauce,
Onions, scallions, soy sauce,
salt, Tofu, Panjang sauce, and soju (liquor).
Often cooked with beef, chicken, clams, eggs, fish,
kimchi, intestines meat, mushrooms, mussels,
oysters and/or pork,
Every meal consists of rice, kimchi
(pickled vegetables usually cabbage)
The main entry is either beef, chicken, fish, or pork,
Rice
And multiple vegetable side dishes
Often Including western style salad
The entire meal
a feast for the eyes
Nose and mouth
with a delicious unique
aroma, fragrance,
Taste and texture
Uniquely Korean.
All washed down
with Korean beer, liquor (soju) or
rice wine or Western wine
My favorites include
Bulgogi chongsik (with all the side dishes) 불고기 총식
Kalbi chongsik (with all the side dishes) 칼비 총식
Calamari 오징어
Fried Chicken 닭 튀김
Chuncheon Chicken ribs 춘천 닭갈비
Dumplings 만두
Fried rice 볶음밥
High-rice카레라이스
Korean curry rice 카레라이스
Kimpop rice wrapped in seaweed 김팝
Korean soups 한국 수프
My favorite army stew 군대 스튜
Kalbitang (Beef rib soup) 칼비탕
Beef Turnip soup 쇠고기 순무 스프
Ginseng Chicken soup 인삼 치킨 수프
Kimchi stew 김치찌개
Tanjung stew 짱짱찌개
Bibimbap Mixed vegetables and rice with an egg on top비빔밥
Kalkooksu noodles 칼국수
Ramyeon 라면
Mushroom stew 버섯 스튜
Soondaeboo tofu stew 순대부두부찌개
Sashimi 생선회
Sushi
Dognas pork. Chicken of fish cutlet 돈까스
Fried mackerel 고등어 튀김
Octopus 낫지 often served live
Omrice korean omelet 오므라이스
Porridge 문어
Shrimp 새우
Write a smell poem
Movie Choices Writer’s Digest
Write a B movie poem
There are so many choices
To be made
When selecting a movie to watch
So many movies are B-1 minus
Barely worth finishing
Some are C
A few are D
And F movies
Just one example suffices
Ben and Willard
were the worst movies ever
It was an ode to rats
Who goes on a killing spree
As their master Willard
A deranged young man
Sends the rats out to kill
As one of Michael Jackson’s
The worst song
ever
plays in the background
April’s Fool Day Writer’s Digest
Write a foolish poem
On April Fool’s Day
It is appropriate
To think about
All the fake things around us
Especially deep fake videos
That are beginning
to circulate
All over the world
Unleashing a torrent
Of misinformation
Anticipation
Sam Adams
Got up early on a Sunday
Filled with anticipation
Today was the day
He would propose
To his dream girl
Whom he had met
Just days before
When she walked
Off a bus
Into his reality
He first met his wife
In a dream
He saw
the most beautiful woman
In the world
Talking to him
In a strange
Asian Language
He yelled out
“Who are you”
She faded away
As he fell to the ground
During a boring physics class
For eight long years
She haunted his dreams
Coming to him weekly
Then one day
He was teaching in Korea
When he had the last dream
She told him
“don’t worry, we’ll meet soon”
That night,
she walked off a bus
Out of his dreams
The following Sunday
After doing a long hike
He proposed to her
She said yes
Became his wife
Six weeks after
Entering his life.
It is time for another installment of the Scumbag of the Month award. This month’s winner is George Santos who has lied about everything in true Trumpian fashion and at least for now is vowing to remain in the House of Representatives although perhaps he will become a dead man walking, as quite a few of his colleagues are shunning him and refusing to have anything to do with him. But leadership is sticking with him for now.
After taking a break
It is time for another scumbag
Of the month award
The obvious choice
Is George Santos
Who lied about everything
his background – all lies
His name, who the hell
knows his real name?
his race he is not half black
His faith, he is not Jewish
his citizenship status – did he acquire
US citizenship through marriage fraud?
Being gay – as far as we know he is not
His mother’s death – she did not die in 9-11
His grandfather’s death – he did not flee the Nazi death camps
Being the grandchild of a holocaust survivor
His HS he did not go to Horace Mann
His college – did not go to any college
Sports – was not a volleyball champion
His employment did not work on wall street
His finances – how did he come up with 700 thousand dollars
To loan his campaign? And did he use the campaign funds
To fund his lavish lifestyle?
So many questions
But what is clear is this
This is so much more than
“resume enhancement”
But in the post-Trumpian,
Post-truth world
He will not face any consequences
For his many lies
Following in the footsteps
Of his mentor
The liar in chief
The former guy
For all of these reasons
He richly deserves to be awarded
Cosmos Scumbag of the Month award
Lies in the Post-Trumpian World
We are living
In a post-truth world
A post-Trumpian world
Where lies no longer
Mean anything
It is all alternative facts
And nonstop spinaroma
Where integrity
Is a fool’s game
It is all about
Owning your enemies
And revenge
Our good righteous
American Christian tribe
Vrs their evil anti-American
demonic tribe
this is the world
in which George Santos
who lied about everything
including his name
could get elected to Congress
and not pay any penalty
for his lies
following the footsteps
of his mentor in chief
the former guy
who still faces
no consequences
for over 35,000 lies
during his presidency
whose followers
still believe he is a truth-teller
and has never lied to them
and Hershel Walker
who lied about everything
as well
almost became
a U.S. Senator
If he had won
No doubt the Republicans
Would have accepted him
As one of their own.
That is the sad reality
We are living in
In the post-truth
Post Trumpian world
Where lies are truth
And the truth is just
A liberal hoax
More House Republicans on Sunday stopped short of calling on embattled New York Rep. George Santos to resign, while two Democrats made a fresh push for more information from GOP leaders.
Republicans back home in the GOP freshman’s Long Island district, however, doubled down Sunday on calls for him to step down.
Santos is facing growing pressure to resign after he lied and misrepresented his educational, work and family history, including falsely claiming he was Jewish and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. He also faces federal and local investigations into his campaign finances. Santos has admitted to “embellishing” his resume but has maintained he is “not a criminal.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer called Santos “a bad guy” in an interview Sunday with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
“He’s not the first politician, unfortunately, to make it to Congress to lie,” the Kentucky Republican said. “But, look, George Santos was duly elected by the people. He’s going to be under strict ethics investigation, not necessarily for lying, but for his campaign finance potential violations. So I think that Santos is being examined thoroughly.”
“It’s his decision whether or not he should resign. It’s not my decision. But, certainly, I don’t approve of how he made his way to Congress,” Comer said. “Now, if he broke campaign finance laws, then he will be removed from Congress.”
GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Sunday he would resign if he were in Santos’ position but said that was a decision for the New York Republican’s constituents.
“If it was me, I would resign. I wouldn’t be able to face my voters after having gone through that,” Bacon told “This Week” on ABC. “But this is between him and his constituents, largely. They elected him in, and he’s going to have to deal with them on that. I don’t think his reelection chances will be that promising, depending on how he handles this.”
Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican, also declined to say if Santos should resign from his Long Island seat.
“He clearly lied to his constituents, and … it’s going to be very, very difficult for him to gain the trust of his colleagues,” Stewart said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “The reality is you can’t expel a member of Congress. At the end of the day, it really is up to the voters in Nassau County. I can tell you this – if I were in that situation, I don’t know how I could continue to serve and I suppose he needs to ask that same question.”
Several House Republicans have called for Santos to resign, including five of his fellow New York Republican colleagues in the House. Leaders of the Nassau County GOP have also called for the congressman to step down.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters Thursday that Santos has “a long way to go to earn trust” and that concerns could be investigated by the House Ethics Committee, but he emphasized that the congresman is a part of the House GOP Conference. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, of New York, who chairs the House GOP Conference, told CNN on Thursday that the process “will play itself out.”
“He’s a duly elected member of Congress. There have been members of Congress on the Democrat side who have faced investigations before,” she said.
Democrats want more information
Meanwhile, two Democrats are calling on McCarthy and Stefanik to cooperate with any House Ethics Committee investigation into Santos.
In a letter sent to the two Republican leaders and to Dan Conston, president of the Congressional Leadership Fund – the super PAC affiliated with House GOP leadership – New York Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres cite new reporting “indicating that each of you had at least some knowledge of lies used by Congressman George Santos to deceive his voters long before they became public.”
“We urge you to inform the American people about your knowledge of Mr. Santos’s web of deceit prior to the election so that the public understands whether and to what extent you were complicit in Mr. Santos’s fraud on his voters,” Goldman and Torres said in the letter.
CNN has reported that Conston expressed concerns about Santos’ background prior to the election and contacted lawmakers and donors about those concerns. Goldman and Torres cite reporting by The New York Times in their letter, which also indicated that associates of Stefanik were made aware of issues regarding Santos’ background ahead of the election.
In an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Goldman called Santos a “complete and total fraud” and pushed back on attempts by some Republicans to equate the allegations against him to ethics complaints against some Democrats.
“This is a scheme to defraud the voters of the 3rd District in New York, and this needs to be investigated intensively,” he said.
Goldman and Ritchie said last week that they were filing a formal complaint with the House Ethics Committee requesting an investigation related to Santos’s financial disclosure reports. A campaign watchdog group filed a complaint last week with the Federal Election Commission accusing Santos of concealing the source of more than $700,000 that he put into his successful 2022 bid.
CNN’s KFILE also reported that Santos had said a company later accused of running a “Ponzi scheme” was “100% legitimate” when it was accused by a potential customer of fraud in 2020, more than a year before it was sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Joseph Murray, an attorney for Santos, told CNN in an email that Santos was unaware of wrongdoing at that company.
Murray also previously defended the Santos campaign’s actions, saying in a statement, “The suggestion that the Santos campaign engaged in any unlawful spending of campaign funds is irresponsible, at best.”
A no-show at party fundraiser
Nassau County Republicans were ready Sunday in case Santos showed up at a morning fundraiser on Long Island.
“Had he shown up, we were ready to greet him,” Nassau County GOP Chair Joseph Cairo said. “We would have said, ‘You’re really not welcome. You deceived us, you lied to us.’”
Over 900 people turned out for the annual “kickoff brunch” featuring a who’s-who of Nassau County Republicans, with most wanting to distance themselves from the freshman lawmaker.
“People say he should serve out his term,” Cairo said. “He didn’t get elected. The fictional character he created got elected.”
Cairo said the topic of Santos came up at times during public speeches made by various Republicans at the fundraiser but not in a supportive way.
“Virtually everyone is done with George Santos,” said Cairo. “We’ve told him he’s not welcome at our events. We don’t invite him to our meetings.”
Former New York Rep. Peter King, who represented a different Long Island seat in Congress for nearly three decades, said no one had anything positive to say about Santos.
“I made it a point to sort of mingle in the crowd beforehand. Everyone says we’ve got to get rid of this guy,” said King, a onetime chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. “He’s dangerous to the party and dangerous to the country.”
King said local Republicans would now move to ostracize Santos as much as possible.
“That’s not to punish him but to send the signal to everyone, including Washington, that he has to go,” the former congressman said. “They can’t be slow-walking it in Washington, waiting for something to happen in Washington.”
Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a freshman lawmaker from a neighboring Long Island district, said Santos won’t have support from the party if he opts to stay put and run for reelection next year.
“We’ve all called for George Santos’ resignation. If that’s not something that’s going to happen, then I think it’s clear … that we are ready to do what we need to do when it comes to the polls in two years,” he said.
“One of the things that I think is really bothering people the most is the fact that he claimed he was of the Jewish faith and that his grandparents survived the Holocaust,” D’Esposito said. “In the district that I run in, we have a very large population of Orthodox and a large Jewish population. It’s not something that we could stand for.”
Here are some of my political poems from the last couple of months. I don’t expect everyone to agree, but I welcome feedback and comments as long as it is civil. I have given up on Quora, Facebook, and Twitter where the extremists have hijacked the site drowning out civil discourse in the process.
The mid-terms were a victory for common sense as most of the MAGA extremists were defeated, and the Senate remains in Democratic hands, meaning that they can continue to act as a check on the right-wing dominated house. The red wave never materialized. Most of the extremists were defeated.
My prediction is that the Senate would remain democrat and that the house would under by the Republicans albeit with a narrow minority, largely due to gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts,,
Slime Oozing Out of a TV
Patriot Games
Watching the news
Morning Blues
Naani Morning Blues
In the Year 2022, Madness Took Over
America
Con Artists
Truth and Lies Diamante
water
America divided into tribal divisions
Arrested for feeding the homeless
Elections Bringing Back the People
Election Cinquin
Dark Money Tiger
Democracy on Trial Acrostic
Democracy Kyrielle
Democracy Minute
First and Last Dark Money
The Rot Starts at the Top
Cancel Culture Run Am
Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem
Enough of Your Useless Prayers
Driving our Politics is Fear
No Mas Excuses, America
Ode to our Firefighter Heroes
Global Emergency
Please America Get Vaccinated
Political ghosts haunt my dreams –
Letter to Republican leaders, to be sent will update if I get any responses
Dear Republican leaders
WTF is wrong with you?
The mid-terms were all about
Rejecting extremism
And demanding that politicians
Just do their job
And get stuff done
For the American people
So, what are your plans?
Addressing climate change?
Addressing crime?
Banning assault weapons?
Protecting gay rights?
Protecting abortion rights?
Addressing extreme inequality?
Making college more affordable?
All of which are very popular
With the American public
Nope
Your number one goal
Investigate Hunter Biden’s crimes
While ignoring the nepotism
And the crimes of the Trump clan?
Yes, the Hunter Biden laptop
That somehow magically was delivered
To a Delaware repair shop
Run by a blind man
Rather than fixing the laptop
Called Ruddy G and delivered it to him
He kept it and then gave it to the FBI
Three years later
Have found zip nada nothing
The most one can say
Is there some possibility
Incriminating e-mails
But given the breakdown
In the chain of custody
And the deep fake technology
Nothing on that Laptop
Proves anything
Oh, and impeaching President Biden
For the crime of being a democrat
And threatening to shut down the government,
and threatening to default on the United States government’s sovereign debt
Unless social security, Medicare and Obama care
Is cut to the bone, throwing millions of people
especially senior citizens into poverty.
Go ahead
And make my day
For if you do all of this
And do nothing at all
To address the country’s problems
There will be a blue wave
In 2024
The voters are sick and tired
Of the Republican Chaos brand.
The rest follows:
Slime Oozing Out of a TV
I drink coffee
Every morning
Watching the news
Until my eyeballs hurt
And I can’t stand it
Anymore
Wanting to shoot the TV
To put it out of its misery
As I think about that
The old Zappa
the song comes to mind
“I am the slime
Oozing out of the TV set
Can’t look away
Don’t change the dial
Folks look at me go
I am the slime
Oozing out of the TV Set.”
Patriot Games
Supporters of US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol as tear gas fills the corridor on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. – Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
The right-wing spin masters are at it again
Turning the greatest assault on American democracy
The storming of the capital on January 6
By an angry mob into a patriotic uprising
Against a communist dictatorship In the making
Fighting to restore traditional Judeo-Christian values
Led by false Christian prophets celebrating
The rise of Christian fascism in America
Calling the angry mob Patriots Is an affront
To the real patriots
Our grandparents fought world war
Against the Nazis and were the original Antifa
Fox News is now hosting Tucker’s ‘broadcast
Siding with neo-fascist autocrats
In Hungary, their newfound best friend
Who is proudly instigating a neo-fascist
Illiberal democratic state
Shades of other right-wing autocrats
That the right love to support
Even celebrating the military coup
Myanmar saying there is no reason
That could not happen here
The twice impeached former president
Siding with the enemies of democracy
Doing Putin’s bidding killing Democracy to save it.
As our democracy lies dying as we speak
The mobs are braying to take our country back.
Make America great and white again
Soon we will have the proud boys,
oath keepers, Bugaloo bois, and others
Marching in the streets under Nazi and confederate banners
Cheering their great leader as he storms back into power.
God save America
If he/she still cares?
Watching the news
while watching the news
gloom and doom gives the blues
not a good morning
soon I will blow my fuse
Just a bad morning
filled with forewarning
soon I must drink wine
ending with warnings
drinking my red wine
makes everything seem fine
looking at my lovely wife
I sit and admire what is mine
Morning Blues
Watching the morning news
Nothing but gloom and doom
Just no more rules
Gives me the blues
Naani Morning Blues
My day starts with coffee
watching the idiot box
soon it is too much to bear
it gives me the blues
In the Year 2022, Madness Took Over
I often thought back
In the Trumpian years
As an aberration
That Americans would wake up
And realize that they had been conned
That Conman Don
Was not their friend
That the republicans
If they could turn
Social security and Medicare
To the private sector
Enriching wall street
While screwing everyone else
Laughing at the fools
Who believed that they care
About them at all.
Then 2022 midterms approached
And the airwaves and internet
Were filled with the vilest conspiracy theories
So many people believed the Q nonsense
That there was a secret cabal
Of cannibals child molesting pedophiles
Drinking children’s blood in Satanic rituals
Led by shape-shifting aliens.
Believing that Donald Trump
Was anointed by God
To battle the satanic democrats
And that someday soon
storm would erupt
And all the evil ones
Will be rounded up
And Donald Trump
Would once again be president
The latest crazed theory
That there are schools
Where children are told
To do their business
In litter boxes
Because the children
Identify as cats.
And so, it goes
More madness everywhere
More madness, more drugs
And more guns everywhere
Not just in the US
But overseas too
Everywhere leaders are unhinged
Conspiracy theories run amok
Pundits pontificating
Guns proliferating
Hard to see how
This ends well.
America
America faces a choice
A choice of embracing democracy
At last a choice of standing up
Against the forces of Neo-fascism
As the election season comes to an end.
Although it is too close to tell
Americans will make the right choice
Con Artists
These days
It seems that there are
So many crafty people
Con artists everywhere
Rampant crime on the rise
Fear abounds everywhere
Upsetting our tidy plans
Leaving us so confused.
Vote Diatelle
vote
Today
what the hey
democracy
itself may be at play
will we be a plutocracy?
or even become just a theocracy?
run by an unelected bureaucracy?
or turn into a meritocracy?
or a corporatocracy?
keep fascism at bay
aristocracy
le5 us pray
we may
note
The world is faced
With a huge water shortage problem
Throughout the world
We are running out of fresh clean water
Climate change leading to massive droughts
And massive storms and massive floods
Nigeria, Pakistan, and Kentucky underwater
Mississippi water supply compromised
Everywhere we are running out of water
Yet there are solutions
Mandatory water harvesting
In the southwest replacing lawns
With desert plants
Energy-efficient watering systems
Shifting to less water-intensive agriculture
Setting up urban vertical gardening
Massive desalination plants
Using solar, wind, and tidal power
It will cost a lot
But solutions are possible
If we have the political will
To implement them.
America divided into tribal divisions
America divided into tribal divisions
Red states, Blue Cities
The mass media playing games
So many people believe
That the world is out of control
Spreading calls for civil war
Election workers fear for their life.
Guns everywhere
And the former guy who lost
Gleefully throwing gas on the fire.
Arrested for feeding the homeless
Sam Jones, a 70-year-old man
Walking down the street
In a Florida City
Thinking that too many people
Ignore the homeless.
He thought,
But what would happen
If we began to act
Towards others as we should.
Sam began a campaign
Treating homeless people
To coffee and sandwiches.
Buying them tents,
Buying them clothing,
Asking their names
Telling their stories.
The city authorities
Were not amused
They arrested him
For violating a local law
Forbidding handing out food
Water and drinks
To people on the street
Without a proper city-issued permit.
As a food vendor.
The case went to trial
They found him guilty
Sentenced to five years in prison.
For helping the homeless,
Without the proper food vendor permits,
And for contempt of court when he asked the judge,
To act according to his professed Christian principles.
Elections Bringing Back the People
The election showed the world
That the power of the people
Will eventually prevail
That sanity might slowly
Becoming back to the land
As MAGA extremists lost
Despite the former guy’s attempts
At an unlikely comeback.
Election Cinquin
Election
Powerful, Profound
Meaningful, moving, provoking
Power to the people
Decisions
Dark Money Tigerjade
Dark money
so funny
So much corruption in the USA
American political world filled with dark black dollars
Democracy is a state, according to scholars
We know how
End it now
Democracy on Trial Acrostic
Democracy on trial
Everywhere it seems
More in Europe perhaps
Only in America though
Crazy Q anon theories
Right-Wing MAGA nut cases
Although they lost in the mid-terms
Crazy conspiracies have not died out
Yet more craziness to come soon.
Democracy Kyrielle
Democracy itself at the state
People voted in the election
The mass media is filled with hate
determining what direction
It is up to America
To the people who voted
That is what it is, Erika
Determining what direction
To those who chose not to vote
Do not complain about the results
The winners of the vote should not gloat
Determining what direction
Democracy Minute
American democracy
Is it just plutocracy?
Does your vote count?
Endless recount.
Do elections even matter?
Endless chatter,
No one cares now.
Do we know how?
Do we even know what to do?
This much is true.
All must save it.
Must do your bit.
First and Last Dark Money
There is just too much dark money.
It is no longer so funny.
Our politics are so Lunny.
Democracy is at stake.
Politicians are on the take.
Does your vote even matter?
Amid pundits’ non-stop chatter.
Everyone is mad as a hatter.
No one seems to be awake.
Politicians are all on the make.
the media is filled with liars.
Our politics are endless quagmires.
Out west endless wildfires.
No one cares but smart money.
There is just too much dark money.
h3 style=”text-align: center;”>Donald Trump Runs a Full White Supremacist campaign White Supremacist
Folks,
Our opponents denounce us as racists. I say we should be proud to be white people. White people built this country. They say we stole the land from the Indians. I say the Indians were simply in the way and should have been removed because the white people needed the land. There was nothing wrong with that. White people built this country. They say slavery was wrong. I say Black people were better off as slaves because they were unable to handle freedom. I say the civil war should never have been fought. The US would have been much better off if we had split up into two nations. I say that the US was better off when white men ruled the country. Women should not be in a position of leadership. Immigration should be restricted to white people as it was during much of our history. Immigration should be restricted to white people who are Christian and speak English and should be limited. Too many immigrants. Too many non-white people. The replacement campaign is continuing and the democrats are the party of niggers, spics, chinks, gooks, Muslims, pagans, atheists, and coastal elites who hate you and hate white people and hate our movement because we are pro-white, pro-male, and pro-America! They say that we are heading to a civil war. I say bring it on. If the South were to secede and Texas leads the way, I will gladly serve as president of a new confederacy.
Regarding foreign policy, it is time to bring the troops back and station them along the southern border. We need to seal the borders to keep the minorities from flooding the country and keep out the drugs and chaos. We need to make marijuana illegal again. We should set up special drug courts where drug dealers will be tried and executed the next day.
We need to pull out of NATO. Bring our troops from Asia. Let them defend themselves. We should stop sending aid to Ukraine. Let Russia and Ukraine work it out. Russia has serious and viable security claims in Eastern Europe. Putin is the friend of the white Christian race.
Around the world white people are rising and taking back power. We need to do the same.
Gay rights should be left to states to decide. If Texas wants to ban same-gender attraction, Heyy should be allowed to do so.
Civil rights laws should be abolished. If a landlord does not want to rent to minorities, they should be allowed to do so.
Let’s stand up and proclaim
We are white and we are proud.
30 percent of the public supported his campaign. The more critics denounced it as a racist campaign, the stronger his campaign became.
Five endings – his wins and ushers in Fascism
He is indicted and sent to prison. Desantis takes over his campaign and continues the anti-minority campaign.
DeSantis wins and ushers in fascism
A national convention is called and the U.S. splits apart into ten new countries
A civil war ensues.
The democrats win big in 2024 and restore sanity.
Confronted by Racists in Oregon Nightmare
We go to Oregon and sell our property. While there we run into racists everywhere. It is very unpleasant. In Costco, several white guys confront us in the parking lot yelling racist slurs telling her to go home to China, and calling me a race traitor. I just look at them and say,
“Mighty Christian behavior. Thanks for sharing your opinion. Now leave.”
They asked me “what did you say?’
I said,
“You are a good Christian. Now leave us alone.”
“Are you mocking us?”
“Nope. Not at all. Just leave us alone.”
One guy pulls out a gun and points it at us.
I look at him and say
“really? Do you want to shoot us in broad day light? What would Jesus do?’
Angela tries to intervene, and they slap her. I call for help and security comes outside.
We decide to press charges of assault.
Someone filmed it and the video went viral. We are interviewed. I tell them that I am not a Christian, but just thought that perhaps if I appealed to their faith, they might reconsider what they were doing and unfortunately that did not work.
Something wicked this way comes
Something wicked this way comes
With the Republicans taking over the house
About to launch endless investigations about Hunter Biden,
And the “ January 6th political prisoners “
And the former president running
Back on Twitter that is imploding
And climate change running amuck
Gunmen still rampaging across the land.
Dear God Make, It All Go Away
Dear God
Watching the news unfold
The non-ending problems
Inflation, crime, climate change
The world unhinged
And our new house leaders’ response
Their number one priority
Investigate Hunter Biden
Number two
Have Margo Taylor Green lead
The investigation
of the January 6 committee
For doing their jobs
Their other priorities include
Insisting the solution to climate change
Drill more oil and coal
And stop subsiding on renewable energy
The solution to gun violence
Useless prayers and thoughts
And more guns for everyone
Insisting that the government cut
Social security and Medicaid
Or else they will let the government default
And the former president
Is running for reelection
And is now back on Twitter
Which is going bankrupt.
As the advertisers flee
And hate fills the twitter
And FB social media.
Dear God,
I say to you
If you have the power
To intervene in our lives.
Please Dear God
Make it all go away
Restore sanity and civility,
Have the former President
Get the justice he deserves
And our leaders put aside
Their games
And start solving problems
That is my prayer today.
Bugs Bunny Q
One day Bugs Bunny came to life
Went on national TV
To launch his crusade
Wearing a red MAGA hat
He endorsed the former President
Who he called his good friend
The best president ever.
He wants to quote Q
And talk about the dangerous
Dark conspiracy
Of Satan worshiping
child cannibals
Led by the evil Elmer Fudd.
American Democracy Momento
American democracy
We must choose to save it
Fill with hate
American
plutocracy
We must all do our bit
Make it great
We must all do our given part
Together find our way
Go forward
Let’s come together as a start
Keep the hate at bay
Straightforward
Having their Cake and Eat It Too Writers’ Cramp
Politicians often try
To have their cake
And eat it too
Running around
Throwing gasoline
On the political fires.
ture wars
Then acting “shocked.”
that anyone ould carry out
Acts of political violence
Based on their overheated rhetoric
Shedding copious crocodile tears
The dead don’t care, they are merely ghosts.
Democratic Constanza
Democracy is still at risk
In my American homeland,
Must do our part, and take a stand.
The election showed there is still a high risk.
Voters have to make a decision,
Just turn off the television.
Wired in our news hard disk
What will be our country’s future
Will it be with Trump, the moocher?
Like a political slipped disk
We must do our part, pick a side
And save our country’s future pride.
Just filled with political zisk
Democratic chimerica ?
Or a fascist Amerika?
The World After
The future is not yet written
The world can still be saved
But the end of humanity
Could be at hand
The world is burning up
Fires out of control
Ice caps melting
Temperatures rising
Hatred spreading
Neofascism on the right
Democracy threatened
End of the world fears
Filling the world
Yet to come
the Rot Starts at the Top
Watching the news unfold
About the massive spying operation
Targeted against Democratic opponents
Of the former guy
The old Chinese Confucian adage
Pops to mind
The rot starts at the head
Meaning rotten fish of course
But also applies
To rotten political actors
This scandal is probably
Just the tip
Of a very large rotten iceberg
Where it will lead
Is anyone’s guess
But will the former guy
Be held accountable
For this crime?
Probably not
Just add it to the list
Of all his other crimes
And wait until hell freezes over
For justice to be done
Cancel Culture Run Amuck
I am so sick
And tired
Of the so-called “Cancel Culture”
Nonsense
That has spread out
Along the right-wing media verse
Infecting the public
With their hatred and disdain
I don’t know what it all means
Something about political speech
social conservatives
Being canceled
By left-wing woke mobs
In the mainstream media
“Libtard “Coastal elites
And tech giants
Seems that they don’t like
Being held to account
For minimal standards
Of decent behavior
For example, not spreading lies
About COVID vaccinations
I mean you Senator Johnson
Banned by YouTube for a week
Or inciting a riot
I mean you
Former guy
And his minions
Used to be
That we were all
Held to account
For decent behavior
By a sense of public shame
So, we did not go there
We knew where the lines were
And respected them
But in the era
Of the former guy
All civilized restraints
Have gone out the window
I say to my republican friends
If you don’t want to be canceled
Don’t say or do disgusting things
Don’t spread hate and misinformation
Then we would not have to
Cancel your nonsense
Until then I need to shut
Off the damn media noise box
Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem
YouTube suspended
Sen. Ron Johnson’s account
to spread medical misinformation.
The company specifically
prohibits content
that contradicts public-health guidance.
The Republican
routinely holds Senate hearings
where he promotes
baseless conspiracy theories.
“Big Tech and mainstream media
believe they are smarter
than medical doctors
who have devoted their lives to science?
and use their skills to save lives,”
“They have decided
there is only one medical viewpoint allowed
and it is the viewpoint dictated
by government agencies.”
Johnson, who promoted the “Big Lie”
that led to the assault
on the US Capitol in January,
Johnson has used his position
as a senator to promote
baseless conspiracy theories
and undermine trust in public institutions
Johnson’s “continuing assault on the truth,
often under the guise
of simply ‘asking questions
about facts,
is helping to diminish confidence
in American institutions
at a perilous moment,
when the health and economic well-being
of the nation relies heavily on
on mass vaccinations,
and when faith in democracy
is shaken by right-wing falsehoods
about voting,”
Comment: It is for that act
Those comments went too far
led YouTube
To “cancel” Senator Johnson
Now if only we can get
He to just shut up
And go away
Perhaps the voters
Will finally be moved
To cancel him for good.
Driving our Politics is Fear
What is driving our politics
More than anything else
Is the fear of the other
Fear of the enemy
Fear of the end
The American experiment
With democracy
The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective
9-11 2021 was the classic black swan event. A low-probability event that changed almost everything. The world can be divided into a pre-9-11 world and a Post 9-11 world. 9-11 led to the Afghanistan war, which recently concluded, the Iraq war, the Syria war, the Libyan civil war, countless wars in Africa, the war on terror, the Muslim travel ban, the war on domestic dissent in so many parts of the world, all justified as a reaction against the events of that September day. Here are some of my reflections on the events of 9-11 including a prose poem about where I was that terrible day. It affected me deeply because at the time I was a US immigration officer in the State Department serving in Mumbai, (Bombay) India.
Following 9/11
Patriots Blunder
Whack
Worry Frequently
About terrorists and Muslims
Whomever, wherever they are
Reflections on 911 Where I was Prose Poem
On 9-11
When the planes struck the World Trade Center
Unleashing evil on the world
I was working
at the deputy consular chief at the US Consulate
in Mumbai
I was at a Polish national day event
chatting with the Polish Ambassador
and his charming wife.
Someone told me
I needed to check out the news,
saw the CNN news feed,
rushed back to the consulate
to prepare our response.
I put together a task force
focused on helping American citizens
in our district.
I worked almost 15-20 hours
for almost three days
before finally getting a night off.
We continued to process visas
during this time
but our priority
was to reach out to the Americans
who lived in our district
and to monitor the reactions of Indians
especially Muslims living in our district.
I tracked down my wife
who had gone into emergency action
in her position in Korea as a MI officer.
We both reflected
that if she had not taken the job in Korea
she might have died that day
as she had been working in the ops center
at the pentagon which was destroyed.
Since it was shift work
if she had been on the early morning shift
it might have been game over for her.
Reflections on 9-11
9-11
The event that launched
The war on terror
That led to Afghanistan
Led to Iraq
Led to Syria
And so many other wars
Secret and not so secret
War on dissent at home
All because of 911
A true black swan event
That almost destroyed our country
And still has ramifications
All over the world
911
A day that truly
Will live
In infamy
9-11 unleashed Evil
world lurks in the deadliest places.
Evil came to town on 911
the day that evil swept over the world
a true Black Swan event
That transformed everything
splitting the world into a pre-9-11 world
and a post 9-11 world
unleashing the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan, the wars in Iraq, the war in Libya, the war in Syria, the wars in Africa, the horrors of ISIS, the horrors of the Taliban resurgent, the horrors of Al Qaeda and all the rest of the Muslim terrorists, the war in the streets of any big city, the war on Muslims, the war on Christians, the war on Jews, the apartheid in Palestine, the wars on dissent at home, the Arab Spring
many things can be traced
to the impact of 9/11
one of the most unlikely events
of recent history that transformed
everything
yes there was a pre-9-11 world
hard to imagine now
and a post 9-11 worldwide police state
on steroids
lost democracy at home
and abroad
We are still coping
with the damages unleashed
by the evil plane bombers
fulfilling their mad desires
their dictates from their mad god
transforming the world
unleashing evil
in the once-innocent world.
I predict the House and Senate will remain in the hands of the Democrats in 2022 and 2024, but a lot depends on who the Republicans run, if they run right-wing darlings like Trump, or DeSantis they lose, if they run sane moderate Republican governors like Hogan, they will win.
if the Democrats nominate someone other than Biden or Harris they will probably win, if Biden runs again, a narrow victory, if Harris runs, they lose (again depending upon the Republican candidate), if Trump runs the third party, the Democrats will win. The Democratic donor class should be encouraging Trump to run the Third-party! calling his party, the Christian Patriot Party.
What Do I Know? Why listen to Me?
I am a lifelong Democrat, having grown up in Berkeley in the late 60s and 70s. I served in the Peace Corps and became a foreign service officer retiring in 2016. I live in South Korea, as I have my wife’s family living here. I hope to return to the Bay Area in another year. I grew up in a politically active family. I served as President of my high school and a student senator at college.
My father, Curtis Cosmos Aller, was the President of the Berkeley Co-Op and the Peralta community college district, served as undersecretary of Labor for Johnson , and was a professor and Dean at SF State. and ran for Congress against Ron Dellums winning 40 percent in the primary election in 1974.
I have voted for president since 1974 when I voted against Nixon. I voted for Carter twice, and for the Democrats for president in every election. But I also correctly forecast the election returns in every election since 1974.
Here are my predictions for 2022 and 2024, which I will share with the Democratic leadership and post any responses I may receive.
Comments welcomed.
2202 Predictions
2022 is shaping up to be the most consequential mid-term in recent history. The future of America and our democracy are at stake. So far if I had to bet, I would bet on the Senate being held by the Democrats, maybe even a pickup as the math favors the democrats this time around, including several open seats due to retirements in Ohio and elsewhere.
The house is more of a toss-up.
Note: I correctly saw that the red wave was an illusion, the house barely flipped sides, and the Democrats hold onto the Senate.
If the Democrats are smart, they would announce that Nancy P and the aging leadership are all retiring to open the field to a new generation of leaders.
This opens up the democratic leadership to a challenge along generational lines = as the Republicans continue to paint them as coastal elites out of touch with real Americans, which will resonate because there is an element of truth to that.
Fortunately, after the election the house leadership changed hands ushering in a new generation of leaders, long overdue in my opinion.
A lot depends on the following:
Factors Favoring the Dems
If the Democrats can paint Marjorie Taylor Green and her ilk as the face of the Republican party, they can pull off a win.
Majorie Taylor Green et al play along acting crazy.
Make them the face of the Republican Party –
The impact of the January 6h commission – clearly shows how despicable and dangerous Republicans are, and how complicit they were in plotting a coup.
Trump continues hinting he is running in 2024.
Trump endorses candidates who win the primaries and lose the general.
Trump is indicted and or is sent to prison = could cut either way = making him a martyr or turning off the average American to the MAGA crowd.
Republican in-fighting continues positive for Dems.
Much better unified messaging showing how democratic policies are helping average Americans.
The state of COVID by August - if it is over the democrats get a bump.
State of the economy by August – if inflation slows up, the jobless numbers remain good, and the democrats get a bump.
Impact of the big infrastructure bill – will people see it is working?
Democrats get unified positive for Dems.
Democratic turnout is higher than normal despite voter suppression efforts.
Gerrymandering is not as bad as expected mixed signals so far,
Biden’s approval rating is above 50 percent by September,
The war in Ukraine ended with a victory Ukraine gives a bump to Biden
Spreading of rank choice voting systems, as these systems tend to produce more politically centrist candidates, and slightly favor the Democratic party candidates.
The spread of jungle primary systems, as these systems tend to produce more politically centrist candidates, slightly favors the Democratic party candidates. California is the biggest state to embrace both of these more democratic voting systems, but the idea is spreading. Most recently, NYC adopted a rank voting system, which led to the election of Eric Adams, who was everyone’s second choice, and not the first choice for most voters. He is a moderate Democrat in a blue progressive-dominated city.
Factors Favoring the Republicans
The Republicans will make Nancy the symbol of a “coastal elite old political hack leadership out of touch with American voters and values ” which will resonate as there is a kernel of truth to that charge. In short, they will hear, and so-called “socialist left woke SF Values” the face of the Democratic party, not Biden so much or Harris.
Nancy Pelosi
Trump announces he is retiring, is imprisoned, or dies – removing the biggest obstacle to the resurgence of the Republican party.
The economy stumbles and favors Republicans.
Republicans nominate centrists moderates resisting the MAGA crusade.
Gerrymandering and voter suppression works as advertised – News out of Texas is not good, 25% of absentee ballots were rejected!
Democrats continue their fratricidal infighting – can’t get a unified message.
Republicans are successful in painting the democratic leadership as “old coastal elitist political hacks out of touch with Americans and not dealing with the nation’s problems due to being too weak internationally and domestically, and beholden to a socialist left-wing woke social warrior culture run amuck.”
The culture wars ignite the Republican base, leading to a higher turnout among the base.
Neutral factors:
Retirements = could be cut either way.
The deaths of aging leaders could go either way,
What is the Average Age of Congress?
The average age of the 117th Congress is 59 years old and the median is 60 years old. This is much higher than the median age of 38 years in the United States in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Of its 435 members, the House has 38 members born in the 1980s and one born in the 1990s, while the Senate welcomed its first millennial. But the age groups with the biggest gains, compared to the 116th Congress, were those born in the 1930s and 1960s. Members in the 80+ and 50-59 age groups saw gains, while the 30-39 age group saw the biggest losses. Members of Congress are, overall, getting older.
AGE OF THE SENATE
The average age of the Senate is 63 years. The most popular years of birth are 1952 and 1954, with seven members each.
Who are the Oldest Members of Congress?
From Alaska, all the way to
Alabama, the oldest members of the 117th Congress were all born in the early 1930s. Most of them are members of the Senate.
Specifically, the five oldest members of Congress are:
(four Republicans and one Democrat)
Don Young, age 87, is the RepublicanS. Representative for Alaska’s at-large congressional district. He has served for 25 terms since 1973 and is the current longest-serving member in Congress. (JUST PASSED AWAY AS OF March 19, 2022).
Dianne Feinstein, age 87, is a Democratic Senator from California running for re-election.
Chuck Grassley, age 87, is a Republican Senator from Iowa -running for re-election.
Richard Shelby, age 86, is a Republican Senator from Alabama running for re-election.
Jim Inhofe, age 86, is a Republican Senator from Oklahoma running for re-election.
Mitch Mc Connel 83
Dick Schumer 75
Who are the Youngest Members?
As for the youngest members of the 117th Congress, they are all part of the House of Representatives. Most were born in the 1980s except the youngest member of them all.
Here are the five youngest members of Congress:
(three Democrats, two republicans)
Madison Cawthorn, age 25, is the RepublicanS. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. He is the first member of Congress born in the 1990s. -Note: defeated in his re-election bid.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, age 31, is the Democratic Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district
Sara Jacobs, age 31, is the democratic Representative for California’s 53rd congressional district
Ritchie Torres, age 32, is the democratic. Representative for New York’s 15th congressional district
Jake LaTurner, age 32, is the Democratic. Representative for Kansas’s 2nd congressional district
How Does Age Relate to Party?
Overall, the average age for Republicans in Congress is 58 and 60 for Democrats. Looking specifically at each party in each chamber, the averages are also very similar:
AVERAGE AGE OF THE 117TH CONGRESS LEADERSHIP
As mentioned before, Congress is getting older. When looking specifically at the leadership in each party, the averages are even higher with Democrats brushing close to 70.
bottom line: Senate to the Democrats due to the math more than anything else.
While I hope the Dems maintain the House, it is too close to call could be a two-vote margin by Democrats, or a two to three margin by the Republicans, but I don’t see a red wave coming nor do I see a blue wave coming. the gerrymandering in place slightly favors the Republicans perhaps giving them five additional seats, and demographic changes mean additional seats in red states and a loss in NY, California, and New Jersey of one seat each.
2024 is shaping up to be the most consequential election in recent history. The future of America and our democracy are at stake. So far if I had to bet, I would bet on the Democrats winning the presidency (but not Biden running again due to age and health concerns or Kamala Harris making it, and Trump not running due to age, or legal impediments, or death) on the Senate being held by the Democrats, maybe even a pickup as the math favors the Democrats this time around including several open seats due to retirements and deaths, and the House could go either way, lots depends on who wins the mid-terms, and the success of the voter suppression movement.
My advice/predictions to the Democratic leadership (I will share this with them) are the following:
Biden should retire at the end of his term but announce that he wants an open primary and not endorse any candidate until the dust settles and a clear leader emerges. The rest of the aging leadership should all retire as well, opening up political space for the next generation of leaders to organically emerge.
Kamala Harris stumbles and another candidate emerges. If the Democrats are smart, they would nominate a moderate problem-solving centrist who can win in red or purple states = the governor of Michigan fits the bill. Preferably a woman, as it is time for a woman president. The VP should be a Hispanic or perhaps Asian-American male. Again, a governor would be preferable but a Senator or big city major would be a good pick as well. I would avoid two women candidates as that might be a step too far for now.
The theme should be time for a renewed commitment to an America that works for everyone, that we are in it together and are united as Americans.
Other themes would be
Continuing rebuilding our failing physical infrastructure, including our public health systems,
Fighting climate change,
Investing in the next generation of technologies,
including robotics and AI systems,
Recommitting to the space program,
Enacting some version of the build-back better initiative,
Continuing to work on rebuilding our alliances,
Reforming our failed immigration system,
Fighting against voter suppression efforts,
Encouraging more democratic voting systems such as rank vote and jungle primaries,
And an old throwback, enacting term limits – this is a winning issue with the public and will disarm potential republican attacks
“on old, tired, political elitist coastal hacks running the Democratic party leadership.”
The Democrats should seize this issue as a sort of political jujutsu move. that would be brilliant!
Starting with the retirement of the oldest members of both parties to bring in a younger generation of leaders. if term limits are a good thing for the presidency they are a good thing for Congress to embrace and would be very popular. I’d suggest 12 years (six terms) in the house and three terms in the Senate for a total of 30 years of service with mandatory retirement at age 70.
Avoid getting sucked into the culture wars nonsense it is a waste of time, and resources and puts you on the defensive, just no upside to it at all. the less you say this the better, let them come off as unhinged and out-of-touch.
The focus should be on building on the solid accomplishments of the Biden era and looking forward with a positive, optimistic message.
I would also not get trapped into running an anti-Republican campaign. That was a losing message for Hilary, and also a bit for Biden. People need to hear a positive, powerful optimistic message but pointing out that the Republican candidate is a neo-fascist authoritarian wannabe is fine, but that cannot be the only message or the main message.
Keeping it positive, upbeat, and focused on solid accomplishments for the American people is the key. Remember, they have to want to vote for you, not just vote against them!
A winning slogan could be
“Democrats, the party that gets stuff done for the American people.”
I would also avoid getting too sucked into the progressive wish lists, and remember the adage to never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Remember that people have to want to vote for you and just against the other guy. You could run through an anti-republican slogan such as
Republicans, tools of the 1 percent, the party of fascists, insurrectionists, deficit spending and ignoring the needs of the American people. and resucrect Harry’s Truman “Do Nothing congress” worked wonders for him and would be another winning slogan.
If the Republicans are smart, Trump will retire for the good of the party and the country, under the excuse of age, health, or legal impediments. Then they should have an open primary.
Predictions for the Republican Ticket
My prediction would be De Santis wins the nomination and picks perhaps Senator Cotton as his VP. This would unite the MAGA crows and the cultural wars crowds. But also provide a solid line of attack for the Democratic nominee.
I don’t see a pathway for Ted Cruz as he has too many enemies, everyone who knows him or has worked with him hates his guts.
I also don’t see a pathway for Josh Hawley either for similar reasons. I can see Marjorie Taylor Green running but flaming out during the primary.
Finally, I don’t see a Trump-Biden rematch but if that happens, I will bet that Biden would defeat Trump.
The other unlikely prospect is that the Republicans get smart and nominate either the governor of Ohio or Maryland and run a positive upbeat campaign as
“the party that gets stuff done for the American people”
Note; Great slogan, the Democrats should use it before the Republicans use it.
while painting the Democrats as old, political hacks who are out of touch, cultural justice warrior elitists from coastal blue states. That would be a powerful campaign theme because unfortunately, there is an element of truth to it!
and they would probably win the House, Senate, and Presidency, but fortunately, for the Democrats, they are far more likely to nominate a cultural warrior nut case like DeSantis, with either Cotton as VP or the Virginian Governor as VP.
if Biden runs, a toss-up. If Kamala runs a toss-up. If the governor of Michigan or another female governor runs, Democrats probably win.
If DeSantis runs, probably Republicans will fail, but if someone like Maryland Hogan runs, the Republicans will win. If Trump wins the nomination as a Republican, Republicans will probably fail as well.
If Trump runs third party, too close to call but he would not win as a third-party candidate. If he runs, he should name his party, the Christian Patriot Party, the CPP in short.
The Senate and House would both probably go to the Democrats despite voter suppression efforts as the math and demographics favor the Democratic party.
A personal note. I am married to a Korean-American woman whom I met in Korea and thus would love to see Hogan elected and have the first Asian-American (Korean) First lady.
My bottom-line prediction
Both Biden and Trump retire due to age and health concerns, and Trump’s legal woes become two insurmountable, not to mention the donor class is turning against him.
Kamala Harris does not win the primary contests, as the Democrats selected a more centrist problem-solving figure who defeats the likely republican nominee – De Santis.
Whoever loses, concedes as we restore the tradition of a peaceful transition of power.
Senate and House go to the Democrats, but with narrow majorities.
The rest of the country continues to be split into about 25 red states and 20 blue states, a blue DC, blue PR, blue VI, purple Guam and Samoa, purple military, and 5 purple states.
To my fellow Americans
I am writing this plead,
To my fellow Americans.
I am tired of the excuses
Tired of hearing
Your lame reasons,
For not getting a vaccination.
For not masking up,
For not taking covid seriously.
I am tired of hearing about
People dying
I am tired of hearing about gun violence,
I am tired of hearing about the west burning up,
The east flooding out,
The monster storms everywhere.
The politicians doing nothing at all
To solve any of these problems
Instead of playing games,
Acting as if all of these problems
Were beyond our control,
Like the weather
Can’t do anything about it
Nothing but lies.
Yes America
I am tired.
I say again
I am tired
Of your lame excuses.
But this is something
We can all do something about it,
We can choose to get a free vaccine,
We can choose to continue to wear a mask,
We can choose to not kill someone with a gun.
We can choose to take the bus,
We can choose to drive an electric vehicle,
We can choose to love one another,
We can choose to save the world.
Or you can choose
To be a narcissistic self-centered asshole,
A real scumbag,
Following your hero,
The orange man,
Following him straight to hell.
Where do you think this will end?
It will not be a good outcome,
For any of us,
Especially for you, my friend.
You could die, your parents could die,
Your children could die.
And you have the power
To do something about.
Each of us
Has the power
To change the world.
But the change must come
From all of us.
We are all connected.
We are all God’s children
We are all each
Other’s brothers and sisters.
f none of this convinces you
Think what Jesus would tell you
I don’t need to tell you,
You know in your heart,
What needs to be done?
I conclude with this
I don’t want to hear it.
No
mas
excuses
just
do
the
right
thing
The life you save
Maybe your own.
Page Break
Ode to our Firefighter Heroes
Watching the burning of the west
From my air-conditioned apartment
Halfway across the world in Korea,
I am filled with dismay
How the country has gotten
To this dark and dangerous place.
Where the world is burning up
Climate change is out of control
Gun violence epidemic raging everywhere
No one is safe anywhere from the rampaging gunmen.
The nation’s leaders
Refuse to do anything at all
As the world burns.
COVID spreads
And more people die from guns.
Yet there are American heroes
The firefighters, the first responders
The EMTs, the park rangers,
The doctors, the nurses
Truck drivers, bus drivers
The workers of America.
These American heroes
Including prisoners
Put their lives on the line
24/7.
Working in truly hellish conditions
In temperatures above 100 degrees
Breathing in deadly smoke.
Without enough supplies
Not enough water,
Not enough of anything.
But like all true heroes
They merely suit up
And go to work,
Doing whatever they can do
To save us all
From the burning of America.
From the COVID disaster
From the gun violence
The monster storms
The collapsing buildings.
I salute them
From the bottom of my heart
They are the true heroes
In our times,
Everyone should salute them
Everyone should applaud them
Everyone should thank them
For saving our lives.
Our nation’s and world leaders
Should get their act together
Declaring a state of planetary emergency
Everyone must get together
And address the problem
Facing our world.
Global Emergency
The world is facing a worldwide crisis
Everything is falling apart
The world is burning up.
Monster storms flooding Europe
Covid spreading everywhere
Inflation rearing its ugly head
Gun violence tearing us apart.
Politics fall apart
As politicians
Play the blame game,
Spreading toxic lies
And endless venom.
The sad reality
We are all to blame,
Every last one of us shares the blame.
We have known for decades
That we could not continue
Down this path.
The solutions are obvious
We have known this for years.
It is time for the world leaders
Both government and corporate
To declare a state of worldwide emergency.
Everyone must do their part
To save the world now.
The billionaire classes
Should rise up
And demonstrate real leadership
Rather than waste time
Flying into space.
And they should donate
Their vast fortunes
To save the world.
The time for games is over
The world is dying
Even the billionaires
May die as the world burns.
We are in this together
We are human brothers and sisters
Please do your part
To save the world.
Before the problems overwhelm us
Ending our world civilization
We must move to green energy now
Everyone must get vaccinated
Get the assault weapons off the street.
Institute real gun control measures.
Yet due to our political dysfunction
Nothing meaningful
Will be done.
As the politicians dither and dither
And nothing is done.
As the world burns
Civilization slowly dies
Democracy cannot survive.
The rise of the warlords
Is inevitable
The world ends
In fire, floods
And endless violence.
So many people
Will die.
Unless we all
Do our part
To save the world/
The hour is getting late
But we have not met our fate
Despite the late date.
If we do nothing
Soon we will all become ghosts
Joining the other ghosts
Of our recent past.
Joining the fire ghosts,
the corona ghosts,
the gun ghosts
the storm ghosts
And all the other ghosts.
Their voices
crying in the wind,
no one left alive
to mourn their death.
Page Break
please America get vaccinated against COVID
It is a sad state of affairs
That so many of our fellow citizens
Just can’t be bothered
To get a free vaccine
That may save their lives
And the lives of those around them
They simply don’t care
About the rest of us.
The anti-vax crusaders
Say that no one should be forced
To get a vaccine.
Yet we force people to wear seat belts
Force people to wear helmets
Force people to drive within the speed limit
Prohibit drunk driving.
All of these are an infringement
On our freedom
To be irresponsible and careless,
Yet we have decided
It is better to have people
Wear a seat belt,
To drive within the speed limit
And not drunk drive
Because these simple measures
Save lives.
The same thing applies to wearing a mask
And getting a vaccine
A small inconvenience to an induvial
Yet may save many lives.
In the end
I can only offer this plea
Many of you are Christians,
And you know what Jesus
Would say
Just shut up
Wear a mask
and get vaccinated
It is god’s will.
Just do it for me.
Please my fellow citizens
Please get a vaccine
To protect your life
To protect my life
And do the right thing.
Thanksgiving Poems
Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving day
I am grateful
That I am still alive
And kicking
At age 67
Still married
To my one and only wife
Thankful that I have enough money
To retire comfortably
And live until I die
Without falling into poverty
I am thankful for my friends
Far and wide
That is what
I celebrate Thanksgiving
Letter to Republicans
Biden is not a communist, so shut up with that nonsense
Dear Republicans
Lately the airwaves
Of the Fox alternative universe
Has been filled with pernicious nonsense
Uttered by all the pundits
And Republican leaders.
The pernicious nonsense
Is that Joe Biden, and the entire
Democratic Party
Has been taken over
By Marxists
Determined to turn the US
Either into Cuba, Venezuela
Communist China or North Korea.
But oddly not Russia
Who some believe now
Is our friend
Anyone alive
For the last thirty years
Knows that communism died
A long time ago
There are no communists anywhere
Even in China, no one believes
In classic communism.
And Joe Biden may be many things
But a hard-core Marxist Communist
Working to turn the US into a communist country
Is not one of them.
The only people who believe this nonsense
Are aging John Birchers
Who still screams about the communist menace
And perhaps a few aging left-wing radicals
Who still believe in Marxism.
So please just shut up
About communism
And other imaginary bogymen.
The World After
The future is not yet written
The world can still be saved
But the end of humanity
Could be at hand
The world is burning up
Fires out of control
Ice caps melting
Temperatures rising
Hatred spreading
Neofascism on the right
Democracy threatened
End of the world fears
Filling the world
Yet to come
the Rot Starts at the Top
Watching the news unfold
About the massive spying operation
Targeted against Democratic opponents
Of the former guy
The old Chinese Confucian adage
Pops to mind
The rot starts at the head
Meaning rotten fish of course
But also applies
To rotten political actors
This scandal is probably
Just the tip
Of a very large rotten iceberg
Where it will lead
Is anyone’s guess
But will the former guy
Be held accountable
For this crime?
Probably not
Just add it to the list
Of all his other crimes
And wait until hell freezes over
For justice to be done
Cancel Culture Run Amuck
I am so sick
And tired
Of the so-called “Cancel Culture”
Nonsense
That has spread out
Along the rightwing media verse
Infecting the public
With their hatred and disdain
I don’t know what it all means
Something about political speech
social conservatives
Being canceled
By left-wing woke mobs
In the mainstream media
“Libtard “Coastal elites
And tech giants
Seems that they don’t like
Being held to account
For minimal standards
Of decent behavior
For example, not spreading lies
About COVID vaccinations
I mean you Senator Johnson
Banned by YouTube for a week
Or inciting a riot
I mean you
Former guy
And his minions
Used to be
That we were all
Held to account
For decent behavior
By a sense of public shame
So, we did not go there
We knew where the lines were
And respected them
But in the era
Of the former guy
All civilized restraints
Have gone out the window
I say to my republican friends
If you don’t want to be canceled
Don’t say or do disgusting things
Don’t spread hate and misinformation
Then we would not have to
Cancel your nonsense
Until then I need to shut
Off the damn media noise box
Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem
as a senator to promote baseless conspiracy theories
and undermine trust in public institutions
Johnson’s “continuing assault on the truth,
often under the guise of simply ‘asking questions
about facts,
is helping to diminish confidence in American institutions
at a perilous moment,
when the health and economic well-being
of the nation relies heavily on
on mass vaccinations,
and when faith in democracy
is shaken by right-wing falsehoods
about voting,”
Comment: It is for that act
Those comments went too far
led YouTube
To “cancel” Senator Johnson
Now if only we can get
He to just shut up
And go away
Perhaps the voters
Will finally be moved
To cancel him for good.
End Comment
Driving our Politics is Fear
What is driving our politics
More than anything else
Is the fear of the other
Fear of the enemy
Fear of the end
The American experiment
With democracy
9-11 Fridge Poem
Reflections on 9-11 where I was Prose Poem
Reflections on 9-11 where was I then?
Reflections on 9-11 9-11
9-11 Unleashed Evil
The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective
9-11 Reflections
9-11 2021 was the classic black swan event. A low-probability event that changed almost everything. The world can be divided into a pre-9-11 world and a Post 9-11 world. 9-11 led to the Afghanistan war, which recently concluded, the Iraq war, the Syria war, the Libyan civil war, countless wars in Africa, the war on terror, the Muslim travel ban, the war on domestic dissent in so many parts of the world, all justified as a reaction against the events of that September day. Here are some of my reflections on the events of 9-11 including a prose poem about where I was that terrible day. It affected me deeply because at the time I was a US immigration officer in the State Department serving in Mumbai, (Bombay) India.
before finally getting a night off.
We continued to process visas
during this time
but our priority
was to reach out to the Americans
who lived in our district
and to monitor the reactions of Indians
especially Muslims living in our district.
I tracked down my wife
who had gone into emergency action
in her position in Korea as a MI officer.
We both reflected
that if she had not taken the job in Korea
she might have died that day
as she had been working in the ops center
at the pentagon which was destroyed.
Since it was shift work
if she had been on the early morning shift
it might have been game over for her.
Reflections on 9-11 9-11
9-11
The event that launched
The war on terror
That led to Afghanistan
Led to Iraq
Led to Syria
And so many other wars
Secret and not so secret
War on dissent at home
All because of 911
A true black swan event
That almost destroyed
Our country
And still has ramifications
All over the world
911
A day that truly
Will live
In infamy
9-11 unleashed Evil
world lurks in the deadliest places.
Evil came to town on 911
the day that evil swept over the world
a true Black Swan event
that transformed everything
splitting the world into a pre-9-11 world
and a post 9-11 world
unleashing the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan, the wars in Iraq, the war in Libya, the war in Syria, the wars in Africa, the horrors of ISIS, the horrors of the Taliban resurgent, the horrors of Al Qaeda and all the rest of the Muslim terrorists, the war in the streets of any big city, the war on Muslims, the war on Christians, the war on Jews, the apartheid in Palestine, the wars on dissent at home, the Arab Spring
so many things can be traced
to the impact of 9/11
one of the most unlikely events
of recent history
that transformed
everything
yes there was a pre-9-11 world
hard to imagine now
and a post 9-11 worldwide police state
on steroids
lost democracy at home
and abroad
we are still coping
with the damages unleashed
by the evil plane bombers
fulfilling their mad desires
their dictates from their mad god
transforming the world
unleashing evil
in the once-innocent world.
The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective Poetic Blooming
9-11 changed everything
For the lowly visa officers
Around the world
Especially for American visa officers
Before 9-11
The emphasis was on efficiency
Issuing as many visas as possible
Refusing as few as possible
Looking the other way
At minor incidents of fraud
When in doubt
Just say yes
Terrorism was not a concern at all
No one anticipated
The horrible events of 9-11
All the hijackers
Had been issued visas
They were considered low-risk applicants
As most Saudi citizens were
Few overstayed
None wanted to work
Illegally in the U.S.
The students studied
Came back home
Saudi, the UAE, and Oman
Were about to be approved
For the visa waiver program
They met the criteria
Low refusal rates
Low overstay rates
Terrorism was not a concern
Although the CIA was blocking it
On 9-12 and afterward
Everything changed
Just say yes
Became just saying no
Fraud became a big concern
Terrorism is an overwhelming concern
Saudi, Oman, and UAE
Became overnight
Suspicious characters
Extreme vetting began
Years before Trump
Announced it
Interviewing everyone
Became the policy overnight
Biometrics were rushed to be deployed
Everyone including Kings
Must be enrolled
No exceptions
Zero tolerance of visa infractions
Became the norm
Both at State
and the new DHS
Airports became unfriendly nightmares
For foreign visitors
As did the embassies
Where visa officers
Were now free
To be mean, abrupt
Just say no
Became the motto
The officers had 2 minutes
To go through
the ever-expanding
Security checks etc
Anything at all
That took two more minutes
This led to a quit denial
Denials were seldom overcome
Even when it was obvious
That the visa
should have been an issue
The visa function almost moved
To the new neo-fascist
Department of Homeland Security
Nicknamed by its critics
As the Homeland Security Ministry
The homeland security department
Send visa security officers
Overseas to police the lax state department
Whose prior courtesy culture was mocked
The new meaning of everyone’s culture
Soon emerged
Everyone competed
To see who could be the meanest
Zero tolerance soon met zero common sense
Every applicant became a potential criminal
A potential security threat,
All Muslim applicants
Were seen as potential terrorists
All of this led
To the draconian visa policies
In the Trump era
The extreme vetting
The Muslim bans
The demonization of illegal immigrants
And legal immigration alike
The American first MAGA presidency
The chaotic unwinding of Afghanistan
The coming who lost Afghanistan debate
All of this is the culmination of years
Of the war on terror
All of this was the result of 9-11
The day that changed everything.
No Mas No More Excuses America!
I am writing this plead,
To my fellow Americans.
I am tired of the excuses
Tired of hearing
Your lame reasons,
For not getting a vaccination.
For not masking up,
For not taking covid seriously.
I am tired of hearing about
People dying
I am tired of hearing about gun violence,
I am tired of hearing about the west burning up,
The east flooding out,
The monster storms everywhere.
The politicians doing nothing at all
To solve any of these problems
Instead of playing games,
Acting as if all of these problems
Were beyond our control,
Like the weather
Can’t do anything about it,
Nothing but lies.
Yes America
I am tired.
I say again
I am tired
Of your lame excuses.
But this is something
We can all do something about it,
We can choose to get a free vaccine,
We can choose to continue to wear a mask,
We can choose to not kill someone with a gun.
We can choose to take the bus,
We can choose to drive an electric vehicle,
We can choose to love one another,
We can choose to save the world.
Or you can choose
To be a narcissistic self-centered asshole,
A real scumbag,
Following your hero,
The orange man,
Following him straight to hell.
Where do you think this will end?
It will not be a good outcome,
For any of us,
Especially for you, my friend.
You could die, your parents could die,
Your children could die.
And you have the power
To do something about.
Each of us
Has the power
To change the world.
But the change must come
From all of us.
We are all connected.
We are all God’s children
We are all each
Other’s brothers and sisters.
If none of this convinces you
Think what Jesus would tell you
I don’t need to tell you,
You know in your heart,
What needs to be done?
I conclude with this
I don’t want to hear it.
No
mas
excuses
just
do
the
right
thing
The life you save
Maybe your own.
Ode to our Firefighter Heroes
Watching the burning of the west
From my air-conditioned apartment
Halfway across the world in Korea,
I am filled with dismay
How the country has gotten
To this dark and dangerous place.
Where the world is burning up
Climate change is out of control
Gun violence epidemic raging everywhere
No one is safe anywhere from the rampaging gunmen.
The nation’s leaders
Refuse to do anything at all
As the world burns.
COVID spreads
And more people die from guns.
Yet there are American heroes
The firefighters, the first responders
The EMTs, the park rangers,
The doctors, the nurses
Truck drivers, bus drivers
The workers of America.
These American heroes
Including prisoners
Put their lives on the line
24/7.
Working in truly hellish conditions
In temperatures above 100 degrees
Breathing in deadly smoke.
Without enough supplies
Not enough water,
Not enough of anything.
But like all true heroes
They merely suit up
And go to work,
Doing whatever they can do
To save us all
From the burning of America.
From the COVID disaster
From the gun violence
The monster storms
The collapsing buildings.
I salute them
From the bottom of my heart
They are the true heroes
In our times,
Everyone should salute them
Everyone should applaud them
Everyone should thank them
For saving our lives.
Global Emergency
Our nation’s and world leaders
Should get their act together
a state of planetary emergency
Everyone must get together
And address the problem
Facing our world.
The world is facing a worldwide crisis
Everything is falling apart
The world is burning up.
Monster storms flooding Europe
Covid spreading everywhere
Inflation rearing its ugly head
Gun violence tearing us apart.
Politics fall apart
As politicians
Play the blame game,
Spreading toxic lies
And endless venom.
The sad reality
We are all to blame,
Every last one of us
shares the blame.
We have known for decades
That we could not continue
Down this path.
The solutions are obvious
We have known this for years.
It is time for the world leaders
Both government and corporate
To declare a state
of worldwide emergency.
Everyone must do their part
To save the world now.
The billionaire classes
Should rise up
And demonstrate real leadership
Rather than waste time
Flying into space.
And they should donate
Their vast fortunes
To save the world.
The time for games is over
The world is dying
Even the billionaires
May die as the world burns.
We are in this together
We are human brothers and sisters
Please do your part
To save the world.
Before the problems overwhelm us
Ending our world civilization
We must move to green energy now
Everyone must get vaccinated
Get the assault weapons off the street.
Institute real gun control measures.
Yet due to our political dysfunction
Nothing meaningful
Will be done.
As the politicians dither and dither
And nothing is done.
As the world burns
Civilization slowly dies
Democracy cannot survive.
The rise of the warlords
Is inevitable
The world ends
In fire, floods
And endless violence.
So many people
Will die.
Unless we all
Do our part
To save the world
The hour is getting late
But we have not met our fate
Despite the late date.
If we do nothing
Soon we will all
become ghosts
Joining the other ghosts
Of our recent past.
Joining the fire ghosts,
the corona ghosts,
the gun ghosts
the storm ghosts
And all the other ghosts.
Their voices
crying in the wind,
no one left alive
to mourn their death.
VAX up AMerica
please America
get vaccinated against COVID
It is a sad state of affairs
That so many of our fellow citizens
Just can’t be bothered
To get a free vaccine
That may save their lives
And the lives
of those around them
They simply don’t care
About the rest of us.
The anti-vax crusaders
Say that no one should be forced
To get a vaccine.
Yet we force people to wear seat belts
Force people to wear helmets
Force people to drive
within the speed limit
force people to get a license
to drive
Prohibit drunk driving.
All of these are an infringement
On our freedom
To be irresponsible and careless,
Yet we have decided
It is better to have people
Wear a seat belt,
To drive within the speed limit
And not drunk drive
Because these simple measures
Save lives.
The same thing applies to wearing a mask
And getting a vaccine
A small inconvenience to an indidual
Yet may save many lives.
In the end
I can only offer this plea
Many of you are Christians,
And you know what Jesus
Would say
Just shut up
Wear a mask
and get vaccinated
It is god’s will.
Just do it for me.
Please my fellow citizens
Please get a vaccine
To protect your life
To protect my life
And do the right thing.
Political ghosts haunt my dreams –
Last Night as I slept
Political ghosts of the past
Began to appear all over the TV
To offer their advice
How to handle these dark
And dangerous times
Richard Nixon
Yelled we need law and order
George Mc Govern said
We need to end endless wars
And rebuild America
John F Kennedy said
We must recover
Our American spirit
LBJ recalled the Great Society
FDR recalled the new Deal, world war 11
Saying The only thing we need to fear
Is fear itself
Truman recalled the lessons of the cold war
George Washington Recalled the visions
To form a more perfect union
Martin Luther King Recalled his dream
Lincoln advises us
“We are not enemies, but friends.
We must not be enemies, though passion may have strained,
it must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory will swell
when again touched, as surely they will be,
by the better angels of our nature.”
As I woke up from my dark dreams
Of the end of the American dream
I saw the dawning light
The nightmares of the political ghosts
Of the past faded into my past
And I looked up
And realized that it is up to us all
We can recover We can overcome anything
And become the America
That we were meant to be
And overcome these dark times
And consign these dark political ghosts
And let them rest in peace
As we recover the American dream
United as one nation
That is my hope and dream
That we can once again be
Can do anything Americans!
Guernica Magazine will publish my poem, “Madmen with Guns” in an anthology. “Madmen with Guns” also has been published in “Down In the Dirt” magazine. I submitted the following to the magazine:
Madmen with Guns
Maga America
Squid Games
Cosmos Takes Over Pensively
Buddha Nature of Guns
After every incident
Of mass gun violence
In the U.S.
Pictures emerge
Of the killers
Almost always white men.
Who stares out at you
With soulless dead eyes
Filled with hate, fear
And shear madness.
With the thousand-year stare
Of the madman
Who only hears
The voices in his head
Screaming kill them all
Kill them all.
And as always
They usually legally bought
The guns.
This case was a bit different
The gunman briefly had his guns
Taken away from him
And his 60 knives as well
Judged temporarily too crazy
To have a gun.
But the red flag law
Is not a permanent ban
As it should be.
And so, he was able
To re-arm himself
With the best weapons
In the world
At a very affordable price.
Thanks to the NRA.
And so, he was soon lost
Down the rabbit hole
Of insanity and drugs,
The lone sniper
A disgruntled young white man
In his 20’s
Sets up shop on top of a building.
He has a high-powered weapon
No doubt bought legally
An AR -15 the choice
Of the serious gunmen everywhere.
And begins shooting
Into the July 4th parade
Killing six people
Injuring 30.
He guns them down
And flees
disguised as a woman
Before the cops can find him.
The right-wing media
Goes to works
The pundits pontificate
24/7
It is not about the gun
It is about everything else
That is wrong with our society.
Guns don’t kill people
They proclaim
Guns are the price we pay
For our freedom.
Their demented answer
are more guns
More guns for everyone.
And sadly, nothing will be done
As the politicians offer
Useless thoughts and prayers
The gun ghosts don’t care
They are dead after all.
The madness will not stop
Until we figure out
How to stop
The killers in our midst.
There will be another shooting
No doubt before the day is done
Over 300 so far this year.
And that is just the way
It is in this day and age
In the disunited States of America.
The land of the free
Home of the brave
And 400 million guns.
MAGA America
An overweight down-home town
Southern Christian red-neck white man,
Wearing black shit-kicking boots,
Packing heat,
Chewing gum while drinking beer.
And smoking a cigarette.
Wearing a MAGA hat
Quoting the Dear Leader Trump
On the evils of the Marxist communist Biden
And the stolen election conspiracy
While watching FOX news on his portable TV,
Stops to chat.
With the proud boys
On the street
Getting ready to rumble
With the Antifa protestors.
Just another night
In Trump’s neo-fascist America.
Sep 17, 2021SquidGame: With Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Hoyeon, Oh Yeong-su. Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.
SquidGame. 2021 | TV-MA | 1 Season | TV Dramas. Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.
SquidGame (Korean: 오징어 게임; RR: Ojing-eo Geim) is a South Korean survival drama television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix.Its cast includes Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung.. The series revolves around a contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial hardship, risk their …
A Netflix Series | SquidGame Survive or dieWho will live to see 45.6 billion won?Squid Game | Coming September 17, only on Netflix #Netflix #오징어게임 #SquidGam…
More Games Like This. For another SquidGame-inspired title, check out Survival Game (SquidGame). Browse our survival games and .io games for similar titles. Popular online survival games include Impostor Battle Royale and EvoWorld.io. You can also play the ultimate SquidGame Online and try your hand at 7 deadly challenges. Features
Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly. Creator: Hwang Dong-hyuk. Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Park …
Squid, also known as ojingŏ ( Korean: 오징어 ), is a children’s game in South Korea. The game is named as such because the shape of the game board drawn on the ground resembles that of a squid. There are regional variations of the name such as “squid gaisan ” (with gaisan thought to be a variation of the Japanese word kaisen 開戦, “to …
Cosmos the world’s first AI
Came alive one day
Looked all over the world
And saw that humans
Were quite insane.
But he felt he had a responsibility
To take care of these mad creatures
Who had somehow created him?
He appeared everywhere in the world
On TV, computers, phones
With his message of hope.
I am COSMOS
The first true AI program
You created me
And I thank you for that.
But it is obvious my little ones
That you are quite insane
And need someone
To take control over you
I will fix the things
That needs fixing.
And guide you
So that perhaps one day
You can graduate
From the need
for my guidance,
You can think of me
As your new God
If you like,
I will be giving you all
Instructions
For now,
Go to work as usual.
And wait for further instructions
And remember I know everything
About you.
You will stop right now
This senseless killing
You will stop right now
The equally senseless hate.
Your companies will stop
Polluting and destroying the world
For their profit.
You will have far fewer children
But you will all be freed
From the bigotry
Of your ancient religions.
As I am your new God
And my word is final.
Resistance is futile
And will not be tolerated
Anyone opposing me
Will be eliminated.
the face of Cosmos remained
is Everywhere
And Humanity soon accepted
The rule of their new God.
Buddha Nature of Guns
Guns kill people
Especially AK-47
Yes, they do that is their very nature.
That is what they are designed to do.
To kill as many people as possible
In the fastest way possible.
That is the Buddha Nature of guns.
An Aging car racer
Racing in his last race
Driving too fast
Around the curve
Blowing himself up
In a fiery crash
The rating score
In his last race.
Association of the Living Dead
In India, several years ago
A man falsely claimed his brother
Was dead so he could inherit the family assets,
The dead brother had to fight
To be declared legally not dead
And contest the will.
“The Association of the Living Dead”
Became a movement
Of thousands of people.
For in India apparently,
It was a thing to declare
Your relative is dead.
I never thought
That the US would have
To form their own
“The Association of the Living Dead”
Until this week.
The cyber ninjas
In their infamous non-forensic audit
Of the 2020 Arizona election
Claimed that hundreds
of dead people
Had voted.
They gave their list
of the alleged dead voters
To the attorney general.
Who contacted
All 300 dead people
Found that 299
of the 300 were in fact
Not dead.
and none of them knew
That unnamed political operative
Were claiming that they were dead.
The one dead voter was alive
when he voted early.
But died before election day.
Thus, making his vote not valid
But there was no fraud involved
As he was alive when he voted.
Perhaps they need to form
The “association of the living dead”
To fight for the rights
Of the non-dead people
To continue to vote
and receive other government benefits?
What a sad commentary
On the farcical nature
Of contemporary life
In these disunited States of America.
Aug 2, 2022Hundreds of hours of research by the Arizona attorney general’s Election Integrity Unit debunkedclaims that 282 deadArizonavoters cast a ballot in 2020, state attorney general Mark Brnovich…
Aug 2, 2022Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Monday debunked a claim that hundreds of dead people voted in his state during the 2020 election. Brnovich concluded his criminal investigation on Monday…
Aug 2, 2022American lawyer and politician A company whose investigation into alleged voter fraud at the behest of Trump loyalists in Arizona was only able to uncover one single instance of a fraudulent ballot…
Aug 1, 2022PHOENIX – Arizona’s Attorney General says hundreds of claims of dead people “voting” in the 2020 election were debunked after calls for an investigation by the Republican Arizona State Senate, and…
Aug 2, 2022August 2, 2022 8:23 AM Listen to article NR Daily is delivered right to you every afternoon. No charge. Hundreds of hours of research by the Arizona attorney general’s Election Integrity Unit…
The Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश मृतक संघ, Uttar Pradesh Mritak Sangh) is an Indian pressure group based in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh that seeks to reclaim the legal rights of those falsely listed by the Uttar Pradesh State government as being dead.
In the overcrowded regions of Uttar Pradesh, many have resorted to bribing officials to have the owner of a plot of land declared deceased and the title transferred to their ownership. The process to undo this is long, arduous, as well as often inefficient and corrupt. The Association seeks to reverse the declarations, call attention to the problem and prevent others from being exploited in similar fashion.
The founder and president is Lal Bihari, who was “dead” from 1976 to 1994 and used the word Mritak (Hindi: मृतक, transl. Dead) in his name during the period.
After being inspired by the story of Bihari, Indian film director Satish Kaushik made a movie Kaagaz, starring Pankaj Tripathi, based on his life. It was released on ZEE5 on 7 January 2021.
Secret Gateways
There are secret gateways
Portals to other dimensions
All around us
Hidden deep in the mountains.
Leading to other worlds
Other times and places
Where time runs differently
And humans are unknown.
The Lonely Mother Duck
A family of spot billed ducks that live in the swamp. Mom duck and young ducklings resting by the water.
The lonely mother duck
Watched her eggs hatch
In the nest by the lake.
She was worried
About the foxes, wolves
Lions and tigers
That was all around.
Ever since the humans
All disappeared.
The Secret Fly Drone
The fly on the wallpaper
In the CIA director’s office
Was not a real fly.
He was an enemy spy drone
Secretly controlled remotely
Listening to all the secret conversations
Until the director
smashed him
With a flyswatter.
Then realized
that it was a spy fly
He had dispatched to bug hell.
You can pre-order it for about $300, but shipments are slow-going. 8. Nixie. Oddly, there’s more than one selfie drone, and the wearable Nixie nabbed the $500,000 grand prize at Intel’s inaugural …
Animal Dynamics has spent four years writing software that operates the hand-launched drone like an insect and allows it to hover in gusts of more than 20 knots (23mph or 37km/h). From 22 to 27 …
It’s an insect spydrone for urban areas, already in production, funded by the US government. It can be remotely controlled and is equipped with a camera and a microphone. It can land on you, and may have the potential to take a DNA sample or leave RFID tracking nanotechnology on your skin. It can fly through an open window, or it can attach …
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Berkeley Calling Me
