Hi folks. I’m not feeling particularly deep today… I guess the events of the past week have shaken me up a little bit. It occurs to me that just a few months ago, I’d be itching to go out and do something fun today. Saturday used to be my day for outings. Now, I don’t have much of a desire. I don’t feel like mingling among the mask wearing folks… nor do I necessarily want to see demonstrations or riots. We have no riots in Germany that I’m aware of at the moment, but there are demonstrations. I suppose I could get dressed and venture out to downtown Wiesbaden to see what’s going on… but I just don’t feel like it. Coronavirus has really done a number on my desire to go out anymore. I’m sure I’m not the only one. The weather is kind of overcast and yucky, anyway.

I started off this morning playing Sims 4, which I haven’t done in ages. Then I practiced guitar. Now I’m sitting here thinking about Washington, DC’s mayor Muriel Bowser, who responded to Donald Trump’s overweening power grab by having the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted in bright yellow paint at what was once known as Lafayette Square. Mayor Bowser also had the square renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.

This was done partly in response to Trump’s decision to have federal police and National Guard units sent to Washington, DC against Mayor Bowser’s wishes. Trump wants to quash protests regarding the murder of George Floyd by cop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and he thinks he has the ultimate authority to send Guard units, even if governors or mayors don’t want them. Trump is acting like he’s king. Bowser is reminding him that he’s not. I think that’s pretty awesome.

I looked up Mayor Bowser last night. She and I were born weeks and a couple hundred miles apart. She was born in Washington, DC and lived her whole life there. I was born a couple hundred miles south. I am very impressed by her. She earned a scholarship to Chatham College, then went on to earn a master’s degree in public policy from American University, which happens to be Bill’s (and one of my sister’s) alma mater. I read that she never saw herself as a politician, but I must say she’s doing an incredible job of setting Trump straight. I think she’s going to go places.

The mural was paid for with funds for DC’s mural project. I’m sure Trump will do what he can to have it removed. Still, the fact that Mayor Bowser had the moxie to do that is just great. Fuck Donald Trump. Fuck him for everything he’s doing to destroy the country and divide people. Fuck him for emboldening the racists, the misogynists, the ignorant, and the general assholes of the country. It makes me sick to see how much the country has declined since Trump took up residence in the White House.

I’m just really glad Bill is retired from the military. He could have easily ended up in this mess up to his eyeballs. Bill was a member of the National Guard before he retired. He was what is known as a Title X Guardsman, serving at the pleasure of the governor of Arkansas. However, because he was Title X, he was “federalized” and basically was paid and functioned as if he was a regular Army soldier. He was simply paid from a different pot of money and dealt with different promotion procedures.

Here in Germany, people are taking notice of our stupid president’s antics. Check out this funny news spoof. It’s in German, but you can follow if you try. There’s some English in it, too.

And finally, I had a good chuckle at what one person’s response was to Melania Trump’s plea for everyone to be peaceful…

It really feels like the universe is violently doing its best to put things in balance this year. What’s next? Massive floods a la Noah’s Ark?