I know how it happens.  It starts innocently enough.  Someone you know, a friend or just an acquaintance at a party, suggests you give it a try.  You KNOW the right answer, “No.”  You explain that you’ve heard the stuff is dangerous.  It destroys families.  It destroys minds.  It destroys lives.
“Nah,” comes the answer.  “That’s just what the government wants you to believe.”
You stick to your guns – at first.  But it comes up again…and then again.  Eventually, you agree to a little bump, if for no other reason than to get your friend/acquaintance off  your back about it.

You’re surprised by what happens.  You feel strong.  You feel empowered.  You feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself.  The next morning, you feel a little nauseous but you can’t shake the way you felt after that first little bump.  All of the other information is still in your head: how dangerous it is and the kinds of problems that can happen – but it felt so…good…

So you bump again.  Not much.  Just a little.  Not every day but once in awhile.  The warnings about the risks begin to fade in your memory.  The empowerment, the feeling of belonging, the energy are strong attractants.  You’re still a bit wary but before you know it, you’re bumping on a regular basis convinced you’re still in control of when and how much.  YOU choose…but that feeling…

You can’t really say when it changed.  You WERE in charge.  YOU chose when you bumped and how much.  You could take it or leave it, once, but at some point, you found that you needed the next little hit.  Somewhere, inside, you had concerns but you managed to talk yourself out of them, convincing yourself, instead, that you’re still in charge.  You haven’t been driven by the need to this next bump – bigger, now, than the one before.  No, this is your choice, this one last bump.

But it isn’t the last.  Before you know it, you’re fully involved.  People around you begin to notice.  Your closest inner circle begins to express concerns, first among themselves, then to you directly.  But you just want more.  The bump may not be as satisfying as that first one but you keep on chasing.  Before too long, there’s nothing – nothing – you won’t do to protect your supply.

Over time you surrender your dignity, your honor, your principles – anything to get that next little bump.  Your conversations become difficult to follow.  You don’t notice, perhaps, but the people around you surely do as your conversational contributions become peppered with half-truths, falsehoods, and outright delusions.  The more you bump the less stable you are.  Your brain becomes addled with an inability to discern fact from fiction.  Slowly, you lose your ability to think straight.  Logic becomes replaced by assertions and unsupportable opinions…

Your inner circle, the people who had been trying to warn you off of the stuff, begin to distance themselves from you.  People NOT trapped in that world can readily see that you’ve become unstable, dangerous, and, frankly, unpleasant to be around.  Wrath seems to be a feature, not a bug of your habit.  They explain that you’re not being rational.  They try to intervene.  They want to help.

But you just dismiss them – furiously – and denounce them and their efforts.  What do THEY know?  “Fuck them,” you tell yourself, angrily.  “They don’t understand…”
The more people try to help, the more the rage grows.  Eventually, it becomes clear to the people around you that you’re NOT going to give up bumping.  You’re going to cling to that feeling for all you’re worth.  Your dedication takes it’s toll on everything – everything.  Friends, co-workers, even your own family actively try to distance themselves from you.  Your support network falls away – frustrated by your loyalty to something so destructive, saddened that you’re lost and can’t even see it.

Soon, the only people who will have you are those who are also trapped.  You find yourself in a feedback loop that reinforces the notion that the world just doesn’t understand and only those brave enough to bump in the first place “get it.”  It’s a world of paranoia, delusion, and anger – and you’re trapped…

This is your brain on Fox “News.”  Why, what did YOU think I was talking about?

I’ve got to say…I wish Hillary would just stay out of it.  She’s out, these days, suggesting that Tulsi Gabbard, the Congresswoman from Hawaii, is likely a Russian asset being groomed to run a third party candidacy.  Okay, in fairness, Hillary didn’t mention Tulsi by name.  She said the Russians have “got their eye on somebody who’s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third party candidate”.  Party Democrats seem to be enjoying a whisper campaign against Tulsi along those lines.

If this was the only time Hillary tried the Russian bot story, I would STILL have a problem with it.  But Tulsi Gabbard was the vice-chair of the DNC when said DNC pre-sold the Democratic nomination to Hillary and then had to move Heaven and Earth (and millions of votes) to deliver.  When Tulsi discovered what the DNC was doing in the back rooms, she stepped down and, later, decried the development.  This did not sit well with the Democratic power structure and Tulsi has been persona non gratis ever since.

So maybe the Democratic power structure has decided to call anyone they don’t like Russian bots.  Still, it does seem strange, to me, that one of the voices that exposed the DNC/Hillary deal back in 2016 is now a target of such “charges.”  For the record, Tulsi denies any interest whatsoever in running a third party campaign.  For MY part, I still think Tulsi is a “good Democrat” – meaning a party loyalist, even if the party isn’t loyal to her.  (Tulsi is a progressive “good Democrat.”  Officially, that’s her second strike – integrity being the first…)

And Hillary?  Well, she charged Jill Stein with the same thing.  It seems like Hillary sees Russians everywhere, these days.  In fact, Hillary has several explanations for why she couldn’t beat Donald Trump.  NONE of them have to do with her lousy campaign…

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Yesterday, two astronauts went on a spacewalk to repair something on the international space station.  That doesn’t seem like much of a story these days, does it?  So, spice it up a bit.  Both astronauts were women!  Did they both rip off their spacesuits and engage in hot girl-on-girl action?  No.  They just did their job.  I know, it’s supposed to be hailing an historic event.  The first all-female EVA.  Ooohhh!  Ahhhh!  It kind of feels like a back-handed compliment, to me.  “Wow, even a woman could do it.”

The Russians sent the first woman,Valentina Tereshkova, into space in 1963.  Apparently, women have been perfectly capable of working in space just as long as men have done.  It’s just that the men wouldn’t let them.  Perhaps the headline should read, ‘Men Finally Pull Their Heads Out Of Their Asses And Make Use Of ALL Of Their Assets.’  It seems that’s all that has really happened.  Still, congratulations to the two women, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, on their hysteric – or, rather, historic – event…

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I’m kind of counting on the UK’s version of our Donnie Dumbass, Boris Johnson, to deliver on his promise of delivering a no-deal Brexit.  The move will do serious harm to the world economy.  Donnie Dumbass is doing what he can do wreck the American economy and with Boris throwing in, a downturn is nearly inevitable.  Even trumpsters might understand…okay, no, not trumpsters but an economic downturn will almost certainly support a change in the current maladministration.  So I’m a little disappointed to see that in Great Britain, the grown-ups are still running the show.  In blocking the no-deal Brexit scheduled for later this month, my hopes of an economic downturn hurting Donnie’s chances dim, a bit…

I don’t understand my conservative brethren.  I mean, I do, really.  I know they’ve been trapped by the conservative bubble where they’ve been taught to ignore facts and reality in favor of preferred opinions.  These guys ALWAYS have the same opinions: our guy is great, your guy (or gal) sucks…

In response to the Trump crime family’s most recent crimes – enlisting foreign powers to help Donnie Dumbass return to the White House so he can betray America some more – I saw a story, this morning, talking about the times the Obama Administration refused to respond to subpoenas.  The piece claimed 9 times.  Of course, it was an opinion piece so it can claim anything it wants.  For example, it included such undeniable items as when one person was invited – not subpoenaed – to speak to Congress and chose not to.  It DID mention a couple of actual subpoenas but, for example, in one case, the Obama Administration declined because the issue was already with the Sour Cream Court…

So the part the confuses me about my conservative brethren is NOT that they’ve made a conscious decision to be spectacularly wrong about every issue.  To me, the confusing part is why they insist on making the deceivers – Heritage, Cato, American Enterprise, and the Hoover institute among so many others – keep writing new stories.  It seems…odd.

THEY don’t care about the details or facts of any situation.  WE aren’t going to accept bullshit issued by conservative “think” tanks since it never – and I mean never – matches reality.  So…if you don’t care what’s in the story and we’re not going to buy the bullshit anyway, I think you only need two stories.

One, our guy didn’t do it and two, your guy did far, far worse.  I suppose you could have a third, just to shake things up – our guy didn’t do it AND your guy was far, far worse.

So, for example, the first one, ‘Our Guy Didn’t,’ they could just write: “Oh, those crazy libtards are at it again.  They’re blaming our guy even though they haven’t got one shred of evidence and we all know, with or without evidence, that our guy would never do anything like what they’re suggesting.”  The second piece, ‘What About YOUR Guy?’ would be straightforward enough.  “Oh, those crazy libtards, who hate our country, are at it again.  They’re trying to blame our glorious and perfect (insert name of candidate or politician here) but they just ignore when they’re own guy did the same thing.  There was that one time they did that thing, remember?  Then there was that second time they did a thing, and then there was that third time, remember that?  THAT was the truly bad thing and nobody should ever look at any behavior of our guy until the DemocRAT suffers for the things we can pretend he/she did…”

Then, just to shake things up a bit, they do a mash-up.  “Oh, those crazy libtards are at it again.  They’re blaming our guy even though they haven’t got one shred of evidence and we all know, with or without evidence, that our guy would never do anything like what they’re suggesting.  But those crazy libtards, who hate our country, are at it again.  They’re trying to blame our glorious and perfect (insert name of candidate or politician here) but they just ignore when they’re own guy did the same thing.  There was that one time they did that thing, remember?  Then there was that second time they did a thing, and then there was that third time, remember that?  THAT was the truly bad thing and nobody should ever look at any behavior of our guy until the DemocRAT suffers for the things we can pretend he/she did…”

See how easy it is?  Three simple (emphasis on ‘simple’) stories to cover any situation…

I’ll tell you this: if the “think” tanks didn’t have to spend so much time ginning up fraudulent stories to keep the faithful on board, they could turn their attention to other ways of undermining this once-great nation to the benefit of the privileged elite…

Okay, so we all agree that the Don of the Trump crime family broke the law in seeking to enlist foreign aid against a political rival for the upcoming “election”, right?  No, you don’t have to say so out loud if you’re trying to protect your status as “good conservative.”  I guess I don’t have to point out that protecting a President who is committing crimes just to maintain your “good conservative” credentials is going to drop you squarely into the “Terrible American” column, as well, but I’m sure the cons know that.  It’s a price they’re willing to pay…

Most of my conservative friends have been strangely quiet on the topic.  I suspect they realize there’s no good spin, yet.  Hell, even Tucker Carlson says there’s no way to spin this as a good idea.  I believe Carlson would blow Trump on national TV if Trump told him to and Carlson has STILL come out publicly and criticized the Orange Moron.  Of course, we all know getting head IS an impeachable offense, yes?

Besides Trump, the Terrible American I’m really worried about is Mitch McConnell.  That dude hates Democrats so much he’d burn this country to the ground and dance on it’s ashes just to be able to say he showed them.  I know, that should be hyperbole.  Sadly, it isn’t.  The inquiry is only starting.  The evidence is strong against the current maladministration.  McConnell has already indicated that he doesn’t care what the evidence shows.  He will not convict Trump.

“I would have no choice but to take it up,” McConnell said. “How long you’re on it is a whole different matter, but I would have no choice but to take it up, based on a Senate rule on impeachment.”  Now he’s using his refusal to do his job in an attempt to keep his job.  He has campaign mailers going out saying he’s the only thing standing between the law and the President.  (His wording might be a bit different…)

Okay, quick question, here.  I’m no lawyer but doesn’t announcing the outcome before the trial even begins disqualify one from participating in the process?  “He’s absolutely innocent and we’ll be happy to look at any evidence you can present that supports that position” just…feels like the trial may not be fair and impartial.  I think McConnell has to recuse.  He won’t.  He loves his power and his so-called president more than he loves his country but he should step aside…

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Speaking of terrible Americans, I’m increasingly disappointed in how incredibly stupid we are – as a group, I mean.  I know a LOT of very intelligent individuals.  I don’t know HOW so many intelligent individuals become SO effing stupid when in a group but the evidence is undeniable.  Is it really SO important to fit in with a crowd, any crowd, you’d allow yourself to be portrayed as a drooling moron rather than stand up and demonstrate even standard intelligence?

I’ll tell you this: when I look at the number of people who actually believe, or simply pretend to believe, some stupid position – some position contrary to an avalanche of evidence – just to try and “win” some political argument, I’m disheartened.  We’re Americans.  We were supposed to be better than that…