sonora2sonoma

hoomalimali
Photographer, poet, fellow traveler on the road of life.

  • If you’ve ever wondered how trump would do in a crisis, now you know!

    hoomalimali

    The rapid and fearsome spread of the coronavirus, as stunningly awful as it is to behold, is reportedly worse in the South of the country, where governors, most of them Republicans, have been the slowest to enact strict stay at home orders to slow the pandemic’s spread.  This is so, writes Margaret Renkl in today’s NYT, because  these states’ governors “have followed the lead of both the president, who spent crucial early weeks denying the severity of the crisis, and Fox News, which downplayed concerns about the pandemic as Democratic hysteria.”

    The unfortunate result of this mismanagement and concurrent misinformation campaigns is that thousands of lives will be needlessly lost.

    In addition, most Southern states have not expanded Medicaid, which has resulted in high numbers of uninsured citizens.

    While it may be argued that blame-placing is counter-productive in the midst of a crisis such as we find ourselves, it is important to acknowledge the facts on the ground so as not to lose sight, in all the confusion, of how we collectively came to be where we are presently, if for no other reason than to better understand how we got here so we can take measures after the dust has settled to insure we don’t find ourselves in similar circumstances in the future.

    Magical thinking on the part of the president and his followers, as well as his town criers on Fox and other like outlets, has played a big role in the genesis of the mass psychosis currently afflicting the inhabitants of the trumpland fantasy world; but, when the president assumed “leadership” of the Republican Party at large, most congressional Republicans also became “infected.” The inane utterances of the likes of Devon Nunes, Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy provide proof of the scope and spread of this parallel “infection,” as do the sinister and self-serving dictums of Mitch McConnell and his allies in the Senate.

    As long as the Republican Party continues to control the levers of power in government, there is absolutely no reason to believe they will handle the next crisis, whatever that turns out to be, any better than they have this one and every reason to believe they will not. To put it in more stark and immediate terms, while we are, right now, in the grips of a health crisis, the president and his allies have just recently begun, if only half-heartedly at that, to treat it as such rather than viewing it as an economic one. But, falling fast on the heels of the present health crisis looms a very real economic crisis of staggering proportions.

    What reason have we to believe these people possess the acumen, the insight or the good judgment to deal effectively with what has the potential, if not handled wisely, to become a world-wide depression reminiscent of that experienced in the 1930s? Whatever your political leanings, trump is no FDR!

     

     

  • Voice-Recognition Software Run Amok

    hoomalimali

    The jury that hurt us–

    and I wasn’t there–

    are over the slower now;

    allow you to film a ball

    into the other goal

    of a little league

    All the font,

    although the dismay of the women,

    other than 1/2 hour outlook.

    Anya!

    follow up our bowl

    that your order

    was talking about posting–

    the fisher of outlook

    at lower cost.

     

    Tim Konrad

    Courtesy of Windows Speech Recognition software

    2016.02.17

    Revised 2020.04.02

  • Spring in the Time of Coronavirus

    hoomalimali

    Beetles procreating on public pathways.

    exempt from the prohibitions

    imposed on such behavior

    by the so-called dominant species,

    who, forced by convention

    and religion-mandated prudence,

    must confine such activities to dark rooms,

    secluded hideaways

    and lovers’ lanes.

     

    Inseminating insects,

    a sure sign of spring—

    that eternally optimistic season

    of renewal, rebirth and nasal sprays—

    that now stands in sharp relief,

    an ironic counterpoint

    to the pandemic bearing down upon us

    whose fearful presence

    has come to remind us all

    that the specter of death

    observes no seasonal distinctions,

    and knows no boundaries,

    treating one and all with equal regard.

     

    A time to reflect

    On the goodness of Nature’s bounty

    While remembering

    That everything

    Has its due.

     

    And a time to rejoice

    That, despite the inconvenience

    Imposed by restrictions

    unimaginable a short time ago,

    the dance of the seasons continues

    and that this, like all things,

    will pass.

     

    Tim Konrad

    2020.04.02_

  • The Rain

    hoomalimali

    The rain began.

    The rain of yearnings long suppressed,

    of promises unkept and rainbows unappreciated.

    It rained and it rained and it rained.

    The streams washed over the land

    and the woodland creatures, huddled together,

    sought refuge in the trees, cold and hungry . . .

    Until, at long last

    the torrent ended, the sun returned

    and a new rainbow,

    appearing as if from nowhere, said

    with a voice like threads of silver

    hanging lightly

    on the morning breeze,

    I am here!

    And, just like that,

    the storm was over.

     

    Tim Konrad

    2020.04.02

     

  • The Sparkle in a Child’s Eye

    hoomalimali

    I have awakened

    from a dream

    in which I’d nearly forgotten what it felt like

    to experience awe

    to sense the joy in a sunrise

    or appreciate the tenderness in a mother’s smile

    and the sparkle in a child’s eye,

    to laugh with abandon

    over silly little things

    and marvel

    at the guilelessness

    of little children

    and how it infuses their moments

    with bliss.

     

    I have awakened

    from a dream

    Where I had forgotten how to feel

    to such an extent, and for so long

    that I had come near to losing

    the ability to weep,

    readily, and without warning,

    at any hint

    of the absolute, raw beauty

    the dignity,

    the humanity of our collective venture

    on this spinning mass of stone and blood and hope.

     

    I have awakened

    from a place

    Where I had almost lost the ability

    to feel the pain

    of those less fortunate

    whose legions rise

    even as the republic sinks,

    swept beneath waves of selfishness.

     

    A life well-lived

    is a life deeply felt.

    A life without feeling

    is an opportunity lost–

    a gift spurned

    a path disregarded

    an ode to sadness

    and a litany of what might have been.

     

    I welcome my tears!

    I rejoice in their return.

    They remind me of my humanity—

    of the connectedness

    that binds us in consequence

    of our actions

    and of the love

    that is the touchstone

    of our collective being.

     

    There is, after all,

    little difference

    between the sparkle in a child’s eye

    and the twinkling of the stars.

     

    Tim Konrad

     

  • Probing the Mysteries of What Drives Peoples’ Voting Decisions

    hoomalimali

    I had scant political awareness as a child. I remember being fascinated watching the roll call votes on the floor of the 1956 Democratic National Convention on my aunt and uncle’s television set. My parents hadn’t purchased a tv at that point, so the novelty of television had as much to do with my interest in the convention as did the convention itself.

    While Adlai Stevenson, who had been the Democratic Party candidate for president in 1952, was easily re-nominated on the first ballot, it took three separate ballots to decide on the vice-presidential nominee, Senator Estes Kefauver. This was, according to Wikipedia, “the last multi-balloted contest held at a quadrennial political convention of any major U.S. political party for the presidency or vice presidency.” In both elections, the Republican candidate, Dwight David Eisenhower, was the winner.

    That early, fascinating and, it turned out, historic exposure to the world of politics did not, however, translate into an abiding curiosity on my part about the subject until much later in my life, partly due to my limited reading skills growing up. Although testing never revealed a reading deficiency—I always scored high on such metrics—my attention span was so short my reading was mostly confined to comic books, where the information conveyed by the accompanying graphics largely obviated my need of the limited text.

    My attention-span-related reading difficulties prevented me from any in-depth exploration of political topics, as well as most books, well into adulthood. In those days, it would take me a month to read a book that friends could sweep through in a day or two. It wasn’t until the mid-90s, when I was engaged in graduate studies at CSC Stanislaus, that a speed-reading course freed me from the shackles of slow reading-ness.

    My father, although a registered Democrat, often voted for Republican candidates. A fan of President Eisenhower, he continued his practice of voting Republican when Ronald Reagan entered the political arena. In later years, my father and I would have loud and angry exchanges over his support of Reagan’s presidency, but in  the naivete that comes along with childhood, I favored the same candidates my father did, primarily because he thought well enough of them to give them his vote.

    Consequently, the first election in which I participated, once I became old enough, I cast my vote for Ronald Reagan (I can scarcely believe this now) for governor. When I later confided this piece of information to my friend, Phil, I was taken aback by his emphatic response: “You shouldn’t be allowed to vote!”

    There are times in a person’s life when something is heard, often from a trusted associate, that for whatever reason bypasses the normal filters we all unconsciously employ with which to evaluate, modify or reject incoming data. When that occurs, the message travels straight through into one’s psyche, where it takes immediate root and, once established, begins to exert its influence from that point forward. Phil’s remonstration over my electoral decision constituted, for me, just such a moment.

    As a result, I made a vow to myself that never again would I participate in elections until I felt sufficiently knowledgeable to make an informed decision about who I felt was the best candidate.

    A couple of election cycles passed before I felt it was safe for me to resume my participation in our great experiment in self-government. I’ve voted for Democratic Party candidates—or more accurately, against Republican ones—ever since. The inclusive and compassionate nature of Democratic policies in general, as compared to the fear-based and selfish approach most Republican politicians follow, has made voting the Democratic ticket, for me, a no-brainer. I’m not saying I agree with everything the Democratic Party stands for, in fact I changed my registration to Independent a few years ago. But, given the choices—and no, I don’t believe voting third party is a realistic or winning option in the current political environment—voting the Democratic ticket is the lesser of two evils.

    I can’t help but wonder, when I think about the inexplicable loyalty of trump’s supporters, how many of them continue to support him based on informed decision-making versus how many do so for reasons more akin to the one that motivated me to vote for Reagan those many years ago? Logic and reason would suggest the latter to be true; should it be the former, however, the reasons for it must lay beyond the reach of logic and most definitely fly in the face of reason.

    Tim Konrad

    2020.03.28

     

  • Who Are We to Believe?

    hoomalimali

    It is heartbreaking to watch the death toll rise across the nation as the Coronavirus continues its invasion of mankind. It is gut-wrenching to watch the president as he takes advantage of the tragedy in his daily griefings/distress rallies/campaign appearances to boast of his accomplishments while facts on the ground tell a vastly different story. And, confronted with this alarming and unsettling cognitive dissonance, who, and what, are we to believe?

    Are we to believe the president, with his daily re-writing of history and flaunting of the advice of medical experts whose knowledge on the subject far exceeds his comprehension? Are we to believe the statements of those health experts whose advice the president continually contradicts? Are we to believe the “news” anchors on Fox, who continue to spread misleading stories in defense of their leader’s performance? Or are we to believe the pundits on MSNBC, who tout a story almost the exact opposite of that being proffered on Fox?

    I continue to be troubled by a recent exchange I had with an old friend from grammar school who said, in all earnestness, when I shared my conviction that the president has failed us by not acting sooner when he first became aware of the epidemic, “I think he’s been doing a pretty good job.” This person, now a retired professional, was among the most gifted in our class, so his spoken approval of the president’s performance literally floored me when I heard it.

    Although we quickly agreed to disagree, the memory of that conversation haunts me daily as I continue to witness the many ways the president reveals how far out of his depth he is in his attempts to guide us safely through this emergency. Does he listen to Fox, I wonder?  Does he believe the president’s admonitions not to trust the news media? Does he even follow the daily onslaught of Coronavirus news? Or does he avoid it because it’s too depressing, or frightening, or both? Maybe he’s lost touch with the concept of questioning everything one reads, watches, or hears? Or perhaps, and I hate to even consider this option, he is simply too busy to be bothered with such matters.

    I suspect the latter condition may explain why much of the nation accepts the president’s utterances without question. After all, most schools don’t even teach classes in government anymore. But I find it hard to believe my friend falls into the latter category. He’s simply too smart for that!

    So, what on earth could cause otherwise intelligent people to accept the tragically flawed actions of this president, to approve of them without reservation or question and not feel, deep down, that there is something very wrong with this picture?

    What can we do to waken people like my friend from their complacency before it’s too late? What can we do to activate their internal skeptics and motivate them to view the words and actions of this president in a manner comporting more closely with reality?

    I confess I have many more questions than answers, but if we don’t find answers to some of these questions, not only will many more people die from this epidemic, but the very real possibility exists that trump may end up being president for another four years. And the thought of that possibility should be enough to make the dead run screaming from their graves in terror!

    Tim Konrad

  • Who Are the Bigger Fools?

    hoomalimali

    Who are the bigger fools, I wonder—trump, or those of us who continue to believe a breaking point will sooner or later occur at which time the country will magically wake up and realize, with thundering clarity, just what a fucked-up mess el estúpido has made of his Coronavirus response?

    The broader the naked emperor spins his web of misinformation and bullshit, the more his approval numbers rise. If “stupid is as stupid does,” there’s a Whole Lotta’ Stupid Going On right now across the land! Those followers of the trump cult who haven’t yet drunk the Kool aid would gladly do so without hesitation should the trumpster so direct them, so completely has he liberated them from the tyranny of having to think for themselves.

    It truly must be a comfort to be able to cheer at his rallies free of the onerous responsibility, thanks to one’s thought repellant MAGA hat, to question his statements & make judgments concerning his actions. For these folks, the saying “ignorance is bliss”— the new mantra of the post-factual—has become actual.

    When the English sent the Pilgrims packing to the New World, the prescient among those doing the sending had likely been plagued with visions of tiny future trump clones wearing MAGA hats and running around like locusts spreading havoc throughout the land. Ridding themselves of the ancestors of these toxic trump fanatics was the smartest thing they could have done under the circumstances, akin to blowing one’s leaves into the neighbor’s yard, but with much more dire consequences.

    Australia was populated through similar means, only in their case the ancestors thus transported were primarily criminals so their present-day society is more rational than ours, except when it comes to certain issues like climate change, illustrating beyond doubt that the English somehow manage to fuck up everything they touch.

    Tim Konrad

    2020.03.26

  • Easter Set As Date For Commerce To trump Reason

    hoomalimali

    trump’s amateurish and quixotic responses thus far to the Coronavirus disastrophe continue to contribute to the confusion in some quarters surrounding the efficacy and necessity of stay at home orders. The just-announced decision by the governor of Mississippi countermanding the stay at home orders imposed by certain jurisdictions within his state are most likely a result of the mixed messaging of our daft divider-in-chief, who just this morning called for the need for social distancing while modeling the opposite behavior once again at his latest distress conference.

    While his supporters remain inexplicably faithful, the rest of the country watching this comedy of horrors as it sickeningly unfolds sees the sad spectacle for what it is—a national disgrace of unprecedented proportions or, in the president’s words, “a disgrace bigger and more beautiful than . . . I mean people are saying it’s the most perfect, really, a perfectly beautiful disgrace . . A disgrace like no one has ever seen before. Nobody ever dreamed anything like . . This could be unprecedented . . but, we’ll see . . We’ll see what happens. People are saying . . .”

    Thanks for the encouraging words, mr. president, but don’t look to see me in church on Easter Sunday! I’ll be too busy ignoring your advice.

    Tim Konrad

     

  • We need a leader capable of leadership

    hoomalimali

    These days it’s feeling more and more like we’re all living in a 1950s B horror flick wondering if the good guys will figure out a way to save us all from the invisible menace before it’s too late. One can’t help but wonder how many people will have to die before responsible government leaders—if any indeed remain—send trump to his room and begin doing what’s necessary to best contain the growing epidemic.

    This past Sunday’s press conference by the baldness-concealing bloviator began with the usual treacle. Those surrounding him on the dais, still too close in proximity to one another for safety and continuing to send  mixed messages concerning the importance of social distancing, appeared, by the looks on their faces, to be more concerned than they looked a couple of days ago. Pence, for the first time abandoning his customary semi-comatose expression, appeared as if it took all the self-control he could muster to prevent him from throttling the verbally perambulating president and assuming control of the situation himself.

    trump is that most dangerous of fools—too Ill-equipped to realize just how ill-equipped he is to perform the duties every president before him regarded as part of their job. Harry Truman is remembered for stating this commitment succinctly when he famously said “the buck stops here.” trump’s approach, on the other hand, is to disavow responsibility for anything that happens on his watch.

    The feelings of revulsion president unicorn elicits with each succeeding self-praise-session-disguised-as-a-press-briefing are reaching epic proportions. When told at Sunday’s largely inaccurate press briefing about Senator Romney’s having chosen to go into self-quarantine, trump responded sarcastically “Romney’s in isolation? Gee, that’s too bad.” This man’s inability to feel others’ pain knows no bounds. The president’s actions a day or two later more closely resembled those of the wizard of Oz than they did the president of the United States when he pronounced, despite concerns of health officials saying it’s too premature, his inclination to end restrictions on public gatherings by Easter Sunday, based on nothing more concrete than his belief that the holiday is a “nice day.”

    If wishes were fishes, mr. president, we’d all cast nets.

    We are now well beyond the point at which the need for a capable leader—someone who can guide us through the confusing and frightening time in which we find ourselves—is urgent if we are to prevent the novel coronavirus epidemic from reaching proportions unprecedented in modern times. The current situation calls for a leader capable of setting aside his own needs to focus on those of the public, someone who knows how to lead, someone who possesses the ability to appear presidential and someone capable of inspiring the kind of confidence das Blödführer sorely lacks.

    At present, we have no such leader. What we have instead is a self-possessed narcissist preternaturally unprepared to separate his personal needs from those of the people he has pledged to protect.

    A leader who knows nothing about caring for the needs of others is like a pilot lacking the skills necessary to fly an airplane; it’s the last thing we need right now to guide us through this challenging time.

    If Senate republicans persist in their determination to support trump’s presidency through their refusal to support any meaningful measures to sideline him over his continued, tragically flawed leadership, allowing him to continue to risk peoples’ lives through his mismanagement of the coronavirus epidemic, trump will, before he is finished, bring our nation to its knees!

    Tim Konrad

    2020.03.25