Category: Social Issues

The Trump Stench

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The Trump Stench

The Trump Stench

 

Editor: When I read Cate Rees-Hessel’s 50 Things She Trusts More than Trump I was motivated to do a bit of a take off on her piece. Forgive me, I couldn’t help myself. Here are just a few of the thoughts that came to mind as I read her piece.

By D. S. Mitchell

 

  1. We can thank our own Agent Orange for all the environmental deregulation.
  2. Left over unrefrigerated milk found in the WH pantry. Bobby’ll drink it! Bobby’ll drink it! We hope.
  3. MOLD WARNING. Not all mold forms are deadly just the smelly toxic orange variety.
  4. I heard Greg Bovino and Pam Bondi are offering at home body piercing. Och, och, och. Show me your papers!
  5. The government was forced to get supersized Porta-Potties for DHS ‘cuz Kristi Noem and Cory Lewandowski do everything together.
  6. The smell of an outhouse on a hot summer day, has nothing on the Trump White House.
  7. Got stomach acid? I’ve been told the Trump store is running a special on gold sprayed Rolaid packets.
  8. Dirty diapers found in the bushes at Mar-a-Lago’s front gate, apparently left following an Epstein memorial party.
  9. Puppy pee pads? OMG! Where’d they bury that poor puppy? I bet Kristi knows.
  10. The foul odor of used Kitty Litter lingers persistently in the air after every Cabinet Meeting.
  11. A box of sexually transmitted disease video tapes found at the Trump Tower after an Epstein memorial training.
  12. A bag of torn prophylactics found with the video tapes. What do you think? I say party favors.
  13. The stench of a dumpster on a hot summer day smells much like the image of Corporate America taking the knee for their revered Mango Mussolini.
  14. The fermenting odor of the Epstein Files permeates every space Trump enters. You don’t want to get caught in any tight spaces with DJT.
  15. Windmills are killing whales and causing cancer Donald tells us, but he’s got clean coal and Venezuelan oil for us.
  16. The ghosts of the demented Ronald Reagan and the criminal Richard Nixon have nothing on the crazy ass Mafioso king pin currently running our country.
  17. Trump has been given a second term to rape and rob the people of the United States. There’ll be no more emergency PayDay loans for Donnie Boy, now it’s direct hand-to-hand-cash in the billions from the Middle East dictators and potentates and who knows who else.
  18. Some rumors never end, especially the one about how Melania lost her virginity to an ICE agent who dummied up an Einstein visa for her ‘extraordinary intellectual abilities’. How bad does that smell; it’s been rotting in Melania’s closet since 1996.
  19. Trump is a publicly diagnosed power-mad narcissist demanding his name be placed on government buildings and that an arch be built with his name emblazed on it, all while threatening to withhold monies for already allocated major projects unless he gets his monuments. The only monument I want to see Trump’s name on is the one in the above photo.

 

 

Street Feet

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Street Feet

Street Feet

 

By John Curran

I’m told we’re gonna have another Saturday street fest. A ‘pop up’ they’re callin’ it. The next big ones not gonna be ’til March 28th, 2026 but I guess since this party thing has gotten to be so much fun; well Grants Pass just can’t wait til then. So much fun and actually, the shit has gone nationwide. Killer you could say, don’t we know.

And since I help out my presence is definitely encouraged, I push wheelchairs see, among other things, chores, alla’ that. ‘N hey, I get into it too. It’s a hoot. Maybe I’ll bring my little bongo drum, its a good excuse to do something with it besides having it just sitting there in the corner of my room. Yeah there might be a drum circle, for sure there’s good DJ action, There’s a guy workin’ it out of the back of van. People are decked out in all kinda’ crazy ways, bunny outfits,  dogs dressed as dinosaurs, clown acts, everything.

Speaking of clown acts, we got two sides o’ the street setup to really liven it up-kind of an us ‘n them sort of standoff. Its great. We yell at them and they yell back at us, man you hear all kinds of funny and amusing ranting and raving and I must say, the excitement is in the air. Usually there’s a whole lot more of us than the themmers on the other side, some people just more inclined to party I guess, but the thems are catching on, I think,  they know we be serious about some lively action and this, without  fail, will be that.

‘Course we don’t have the real edge that some city’s been having, the kind of thing that really sends the shit into overdrive, not yet, anyway. And actually, if you think about it, nothing spoils a good party more than a public execution of an innocent person right there in front of everybody, definitely a party pooper that.

So we be good, so far; so I will say, Minneapolis ain’t so far away so, serious partiers we are and will be.  I push wheelchairs see,  and whatever. Just glad to be there and glad to help, however I can. Do I love it? Damn right I do, and all the dogs and cats do too.  ‘Course the one cat will make ya wonder, sometimes. One in every crowd, I guess.

The Rigged Game

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The Rigged Game

The Rigged Game

Editor: The Jan-Feb 2026 edition of Mother Jones published a scathing indictment of the sitting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, and the actions that have directly led to the “corrupt and abusive Trump reign”. What follows are direct quotes (with large parts of the article left out because of copyright issues) from that brilliant article by Pema Levy and Ari Berman. All items within parentheses are added by this writer for clarification. Please subscribe to Mother Jones and support its 50 years of fearless journalism; it’s definitely worth the money. Call 1-800-438-6656 for subscription information. Sign up for newsletters at motherjones.com/daily-news-D.S. Mitchell, aka “Calamity”.

Excerpts from “Blame John Roberts for Everything”

By Pema Levy and Ari Berman

 

“Today, as the Robert’s court rewrites the Constitution in the image of Trumpian autocracy, it’s become clear that Robert’s promise (when he was testifying to the Senate at his confirmation hearing) to be a neutral umpire was a lie. We are watching a rigged game, and Roberts set it up.”

“Twenty years ago, John Roberts promised (the Senate, the country and the media) that as chief justice of the Supreme Court, he would be like an umpire, calling balls and strikes. The delusion was so powerful that for two decades the media defaulted to portraying him as a moderate institutionalist.”

“The Robert’s court has spent Trump’s second term not applying the law so much as clearing it out of his (Trump’s) way. In a matter of months, the court’s 6-3 GOP aligned majority has permitted a long list of lawless actions, including firing independent agency commissioners, using racial profiling in immigration sweeps, disappearing immigrants to authoritarian and war-torn nations, and defying Congress’ power of the purse.”

(This didn’t start yesterday,) “Robert’s has been embedding white-dominant authoritarianism into the country’s source code for two decades. It is impossible to imagine today’s crisis without the Robert’s court having first undermined the foundations of our democracy.”

“(Representative) Democracies are built on the right to vote and choose representatives. The United States finally recognized this right for all people with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (and 1982).”

“As chief justice (Robert’s) has helped craft a string of rulings knee-capping (the Voting Rights Act of 1965 & 1982) laws, starting with his 2013 Shelby County v Holder. The decision overruled Congress and freed states with histories of discrimination to change their voting rules, spurring the creation of 115 voter suppression laws in more than 30 states. Many were inspired by Trump’s election lies.”

“After oral arguments in a Louisiana redistricting case, observers expect Roberts and the GOP justices to declare that the districts drawn to preserve representation for voters of color are either unconstitutional or subject to insurmountable barriers. It’s a decision that would turn the 14th and 15th Amendments-passed during Reconstruction to give formerly enslaved people citizenship and equal rights-on their heads, and turbocharge Trump’s gerrymandering push.”

“Such redrawn (gerrymandered) maps could shift up to 19 eats to the GOP in 2026 and runs the threat of creating a permanent GOP control of Congress.”

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26 Methods to Disempower the MAGA Cult

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26 Methods to Disempower the MAGA Cult

(20)26 Methods to Disempower the MAGA Cult

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

  1. I will not lose hope. I will be always faithful, no matter what is happening in our nation. * “The sun will come out tomorrow, come what may. Tomorrow is only a day away.”
  2.  I will stand up for what is right, I will not flinch. I will not engage in arguments with the MAGA crowd; understanding the MAGA mentality is hard as a rock.
  3. I will not be a victim of MAGA shock and awe tactics. My work is more important than being  deterred by the “emergency” of the moment.
  4. I will not take God’s word out of context despite what the red caps say or do.
  5. I will stand up for human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, animal rights and LBGTQ rights, not allowing prejudice or bigotry to color my opinions.
  6. I will run away from racism while standing firmly against it.
  7. I will prioritize self care. I must be strong and healthy for those who need my care and support.
  8. I will remember it’s okay to not be ok.
  9. I will not waste time on stupidity.
  10. I will love my neighbor as myself.
  11. I will not cave to bullying.
  12. I will stand firm in my beliefs system.
  13. I will not compromise what I know is right.
  14. I will remain empowered in the face of adversity.
  15. I will embrace my relationships and gain strength from them.
  16. I will step back from social media when I need to.
  17. I will laugh because it is the best medicine for mental well being; and its free.
  18. I will take mental health days to rejuvenate and soothe my weary soul.
  19. I will intentionally avoid stress whenever I can.
  20. I will eat healthy and exercise.
  21. I will spend quality time with family, pets and friends.
  22. I will give myself permission to chill out and relax.
  23. I will drink hot chocolate, mocha latte, Kahlua, wine spritzers, mimosas, milkshakes, tea slushies, or even a soft drink on ice when needed to lift my spirits.
  24. I will practice my faith and trust in God in my own way and take my time without apologies.
  25. I will allow myself an occasional guilty pleasure. Brandy truffles anyone?
  26. I will take a walk on the beach and breathe deeply.

*Quote from the play, “Annie.”

Today’s Reality

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Today’s Reality 

Today’s Reality

Note: This is my first article to appear on the Calamity News and Politics website. In fact, its my first article to appear anywhere. Thanks, Calamity.

 

By Poleeta Wallace

 

Assistive Devices

I’m going to be 74 years old next month. My biggest problem is mobility. After an injury last year I need a walker, actually the device my doc provided me is called a Rollator. You’ve probably seen them. They have a seat for the user. Under the seat there is always a storage compartment, great for a book, paperwork, or a purse. The rollator is definitely a better appliance than the original aluminum walker. The aluminum walkers are commonly given out post lower extremity injury or surgery. They are nothing more than basic support, the introductory model you might say. The  two back legs frequently have been outfitted with tennis balls so they slide easier across uncarpeted surfaces.

My Younger Guy

My husband, Dan, a younger guy of 66 years of age, requires a wheelchair if there is any chance he may be required to traverse more than about 10 feet. Thank God, Dan is still able to use a rollator inside our house. If  you haven’t seen one of those electric wheelchairs, let me tell you they are ‘effing HUGE. At least his is, but he’s also a big guy. We would need to have a carpenter enlarge at least one outside doorway if he has to bring that damn thing inside the house. Then what; widen the hallways even more and the doorways. Honestly, I’m feeling the pressure, because the chance of Dan becoming permanently wheelchair bound is a fast approaching reality and the lurking prognosis of dementia has raised its ugly head.

Oh, NO, Me Too

I rarely need a wheelchair, except for functions or appointments that are long both in length of time and distance required to participate in the activity. Because of my irregular wheelchair use I have a manual wheelchair,  “the Big Mo” my friend calls it. Definitely, its a pain-in-the-ass loading Big Mo into the back of the car and then unloading the bitch. Last year, right after my back injury I had to use “Big Mo”  24/7 for nearly six weeks. There are still scrapes on the walls of the hallway where the wheelchair wheels  scratched off the paint. The manual chairs are a real challenge and are difficult to maneuver-thus the deep scars on the plaster walls.

Many Years Ago

Dan and I built our 1,930 square foot, 3 bedroom, two and a 1/2 bath, single level, ranch style, “forever” house on 12 incredible acres with its own beautifully flowing creek and a lovely pond, just north of Vancouver, WA in 1993. That was nearly thirty five years ago. We’ve done numerous updates over the years. A beautiful new guest bath in 2008. A mammoth new deck with fishing pier in 2010, a new kitchen in 2012 the year before I retired, then last year with our disabilities we went all out on a glammed up newly enlarged walk in shower for the master bath. New paint and flooring about every 10 years. Our plan, before reality intervened, was to live in this house until we died. Since my recent disability I am questioning that forever thinking.

Wonder Woman

In 1990 Dan was in management at UPS and I was an RN working at Kaiser Hospital in North Portland. I was in my mid-forties and felt as strong and fit as Wonder Woman. Dan, in his mid-thirties was strong and vigorous. At the time, we owned a fabulous 1920’s craftsman in Portland’s tree lined Ladd’s Addition neighborhood. After a lot of discussion we decided to look for a 5-10 acre piece of property and build a more modern house with a serious eye on retirement and our golden years. A friend of Dan’s who was an architect spent many hours talking with us over Chardonnay about what we wanted, and thought we’d need as we aged. As a nurse I saw the realities of aging up close and realized I needed to spend a bit of time in the Physical Therapy Department and talk to staff about what adaptations we should be making during construction instead of trying to Gerry rig changes later.

Eating Right and Exercising

With only one child it was easy to ski in the winter, hike, bike, and swim the rest of the year. We watched our weight and ate for good health.  We wanted to ‘live long and prosper’ and we were willing to put a lot of effort into staying healthy. Dan’s from strong German stock, straight from the old country with family members living well into their nineties. I was more of a mutt, having English, Irish and Dutch forefathers but at that time my Aunt Lizzie was an amazing 106 years old and I had numerous older relatives several in their late 80’s and early 90’s. These people weren’t in nursing homes or assisted living; they were on their own and enjoying it.  The point being, with a little work and preparation we hoped for the same.

2026 Reality

Planning is a good thing, I highly recommend it. However it is not always a predictor of what will really happen in your life. My point in concluding this piece is that no matter how hard you try to plan for your golden years it’s a crap shoot. You can plan for wider hallways, eliminate stairs, create extra storage for durable medical devices, you can save every extra nickle and dime for that extended retirement, but sometimes the reality of growing disabilities and how those disabilities shrink our world complicate everything. Loss of mobility and mental capacities is more than planning for wide open rooms and walk-in showers. In my case at least, all that planning has turned out to have been more a hope and a prayer than reality.

 

 

 

OPINION: For What It’s Worth

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OPINION: For What It’s Worth

OPINION: For What It’s Worth

 

D. S. Mitchell

 

I didn’t sleep well last night. I was agitated, angry, and broken hearted over what appears to be a murder in Minneapolis, MN, by a masked ICE agent. ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the woman, a white woman, a 37 year old mother of three, was an American citizen, Renee Nicole Good.  The gaslighting by DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem  and the Mango Menace himself began  immediately. Rather than wait for an investigation the woman is being labeled “a domestic terrorist”. I tried to put myself in Renee Good’s place, being menaced by a masked man attempting to drag me out of my car. Holy crap, I’ve seen a lot in my long life but I don’t know if I could have behaved any less fearful than Renee did. This bullshit has gone way too far. I don’t know how many people have to hit the streets to sway the direction of this government, but I’ve heard that about 12 million protesters on the streets at one time can overwhelm the bad politics of this MAGA mad man and force a change in policy.

This isn’t El Salvador, yet; or maybe, people like Trump and Stephen Miller think it already is. Well, I’m not willing to surrender to thugs and criminals. I’m asking a mere 12 million protesters take to the streets. No Kings and Indivisible will be planning events coming into the spring. Watch for them and participate. We need an overwhelming outpouring of dissatisfaction against this mob boss president.  Just 12 million citizens yelling and waving signs can change the direction of this country.

All I keep thinking of are the words of that iconic protest song from the 1960’s, “For What It’s Worth“, by Stephen Stills.  I included a verse to stir your memory banks. Pull it up on YouTube. Buffalo Springfield.

Verse 1

There’s something happening here

But what it is ain’t exactly clear

There’s a man with a gun over there

A-telling me I got to beware

Chorus

Hey its time we stop

Hey what’s that sound

Everybody look what’s goin down

 

Thank you, For What it’s Worth Lyrics

Opinion: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

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OPINION: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

 

OPINION: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

By Vajra Ma

**For the purposes of this discussion I am not distinguishing between religion which is based in dogma and spirituality which is largely free from specified beliefs. Both come under the umbrella of a world view, that is, who are we, what is Life about, what are we here on Earth for and what is our place in the Cosmos?

The Spiritual is Political

“The personal is political” is a well known phrase in feminism. I go further. I maintain “the spiritual is political.” The spiritual view of a people is what determines politics. It determines the structures of government, corporations, academia, society overall, including family, sexuality, and human rights. To see how the spiritual is political one need only look at the Project 2025 agenda which is rolling out in the United States today, roundly supported by the right wing Christian evangelicals and the right wing Republicans in Congress. The agenda is to dismantle the government and turn the United States into a Christian Nationalist Nation. This is not my opinion, it is a fact. The slimmest of research into the Project 2025 makes this clear. It is no secret.

Treat and Move Your Feet

A phrase used in some spiritual circles is “treat and move your feet.” Treat meaning pray, move your feet means take outward action. What does it mean for me to move my feet? It is one thing to have been apolitical in the past, quite another to be apolitical at this pivotal point in United States history when democracy is being dismantled and fascism established. (If the reader does not recognize fascism when it’s happening, please educate yourself.)  (1) Spiritual bypassing at this time enables fascism. Silence is consent. Lest one say “my prayers are not silence,” I say if we aren’t moving our feet, we’re spiritual bypassing. “Treat and move your feet.”

This and That

Can I live the loving, neutral Divine Principle of Oneness while moving my feet in response to divisive and rancorous worldly circumstances? Yes. To do so, I employ the perspective of “this and that” rather than the polarized “this or that.” To treat only would mean one does not move their feet in the relative (human, 3D) world. The equivalent in the health area would be if one were ill and treated only with prayer, firmly denying the use of medicine or medical procedures. That denial is the stance of Christian Scientists. But most of us are not Christian Scientists and are not bound by their dogma. We can encompass this and that.

SOM Philosophy

Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind was originally influenced by Christian Science. He eventually broke from that rigid doctrine as he developed the SOM philosophy which synthesizes what he called “the Golden Thread of Truth”–universal principles of love, creative power and oneness woven through all world religions, philosophies, and even science.  Holmes came to say if a pill gives relief by all means take a pill. In other words, treat and move our feet.

The Point is to Traumatize

I wonder, would an Ernest Holmes or anyone of his universal world view advise us to pray but not move our feet in response to the current violations of the U.S. Constitution?  The violations of due process, court orders, habeas corpus, rule of law? Would he counsel us to be silent about the brutality playing out visibly on our streets on both undocumented immigrants and US citizens? How ought we to respond when a pastor looks up at the armed ICE agents on top of a building and preaches the words of Jesus to them with his arms wide open, to which they shoot him in the head with a pepper ball, knocking him to the ground? What ought we do when a man drives up to day care to drop off his toddler but is grabbed by ICE agents, his child crying “Papa! Papa! Please don’t take my Papa!” and the child is put alone in a separate police car and driven away? Even if they are reunited, the terror has been done. Terrorism is the point. Multiply this by many thousands. (Russell Vought, a main architect of Project 2025 said, in a leaked video a year before Trump was re-elected, “We will traumatize the federal employees.” They did. And are.) Their aim is to detain and deport millions. Detention centers are being built across the country. Silence is consent.

Informing Ourselves

I believe to be a responsible citizen, particularly at this time, requires due diligence to at least inform ourselves about what is going on. To not be informed about violations such as those mentioned above and to not speak up in any form about them, how could that be anything but spiritual bypassing? Being informed is the first and irreplaceable step in moving our feet. Being informed is not burdensome. Written blogs can take no more than five minutes a day. My top six recommended blogs and other sources (any one of which is sufficient) are:

1) Heather Cox Richardson — Cannot recommend her too highly!  Articulate, grounded, super-informed professional U.S. historian. A daily five-minute-read email newsletter. Plus up-to-date YouTube videos if one prefers spoken word. What I love about her is she correlates what’s happening today with what has happened in past U.S. history. I find this fascinating and affirmative. Her perspective gives me scope, hope and vision without diluting the gravitas of what is going on in our country. Dare I quote the Bible? “Without vision the people perish.”

2) What the Fuck Just Happened Today (WTFJHT). This daily five-minute email read is a condensed digest of U.S. politics. Fully documented with links. Top of the digest summarizes the contents in a single paragraph and that one minute alone is enough to keep apprised.

3 Ground News. https://ground.news/  “Top Stories from around the world. Compare how different news publishers frame the same news. Read the news from multiple perspectives…See through media bias…”

4) Marianne Williamson Brilliant, clear weaving of spirituality with responsible citizenship. Available on Substack dot com or email newsletter, includes video versions.

 5) Meidas Touch Network  An independent media on YouTube with nearly six million subscribers. It won a Webby Award. The Trump administration is trying to close it down. Videos on YouTube or blog form via meidastouch@substack.com

6) The incomparable Rachel Maddow also gives us scope, hope and vision, with entertaining story telling. Monday nights on MS Now. Plus her documentaries–Ultra and Ultra Two which trace the origins of Trump’s “America First” motto. The original “America First” movement during World War II, which included several Congress members, advocated supporting Hitler. Her latest documentary, Burn Order, which came out just this month reveals the parallels between the incarceration of Japanese U.S. citizens during World War II and what’s happening to immigrants today.

Time and Means

We have the time and means to stop fascism in this country. We’ve done it before. Heather and Rachel have shown us this. We can move the feet of the fascists to the fire! We can adhere to the Constitution and evolve our democracy into “a more perfect union.” But the time and means are short. The time is NOW to treat–and move our feet.

Recommended reading: The End of America: Letters of Warning to a Young Patriot, by Naomi Wolf, (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007. Contains the ten planks of the fascist playbook. Every one is plainly visible in the U.S, today.)

 

An OMG Christmas Newsletter

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An OMG Christmas Newsletter

 

 

An OMG Christmas Newsletter

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Too Many Days

I know all years, except for Leap Year, have 365 days.  So, why does 2025 feel like it’s got 750 days? Never mind; I figured it out on my own. Donald J. Trump’s in office and it feels like every ‘friggen day has somehow been virtually stretched and twisted until it feels like two.

How Much Bullshit is Too Much?

My memories of Trump’s first term are foggy at  best, but I think Trump wanted to takeover Greenland during his first administration and he continued the rhetoric into his second term. While deflecting the fallout from suggesting that we should make Canada the 51st state, I think  that’s when Trump started  demanding Google and all the map makers change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Just meaningless distractions? I’m not so sure. The ramblings of a demented old man? I’m sure it’s some of that, but certainly not all of it.

Heritage Foundation

None of it makes sense; unless you believe in Project 2025. The deeper we move into Trump’s Alice in Wonderland world the more chaotic…the more numbing. Trump has signed more than 220 Executive Orders since retaking the White House, surpassing all previous records and raising major concerns about the abuse of presidential power. The Robert’s Supreme Court seems more than willing to grant Trump’s every wish. Is there no conscience? No justice? No honor? No fairness? Apparently, not. There seems to be no limit on the Heritage Foundation’s love affair with the Robert’s court and its willingness to drag us back to 1950, or 1850. A time when women bore children, lots of them, a time when a woman had no rights except those allowed by her father or her husband. A time when white children were sold into indentured servitude, when blacks were slaves. A time when none of us want to go back to unless you are white, male, and wealthy.

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