"Feels So Good" (opens in separate window)

ghosts in the machine

friday, september 13th, 2024

How is it that our country turned into some kind of theme park spook ride, a cheesy-looking haunted house of programmed frights, howling holograms, phantoms with their hair on fire, doors slamming open on glimpses of hell, ill-winds and foul odors, climaxing in a tableau vivant of death-in-life neverending?

I’m sure that this will surprise you, but you can choose to be sane. How? You take care of your business conscientiously; you steer in the direction of what is true and away from what is false; you find purpose in your existence by discovering your talents and using them in ways that do not bring harm to other people; you seek the company of kindred spirits -- love the one you’re with -- work hard so you can rest easy -- express your gratitude for being here. That’s a start. You can only kick one ass at a time or you’ll fall down.

If you prefer being insane, there’s always the current incarnation of the Democratic Party, dedicated to gaslighting the nation into ruin. Of course, at this point — the point of extreme desperation — the Dems are just running interference for the distraught intel-Globalist blob. The blob’s agenda has been thwarted, overwhelmed by runaway debt and drinking too much of its own propaganda Kool-aid. A great deal of that has entailed the commission of crimes, which always implies the possibility of having to pay for them.

Russia is about to roll up on what’s left of Ukraine. Our State Department neocon division thought it was wicked-smart to start a little action there in 2014, to provoke Russia into a ruinous war against NATO (the game: “Let’s You and Him Fight”) in order, theoretically, to wreck Russia and depose Mr. Putin. Didn’t work. Do you know why? I will tell you (it’s really simple): Russia’s leadership is more intelligent than ours, and far less psychopathic. They perceived correctly that we were only wrecking ourselves.

Ten years later, the Ukraine caper draws to a humiliating end for our neocons, and a ruinous end for NATO and the EU. So far this year, it appears that “Joe Biden’s” party has ceased paying attention to Ukraine. The pretty yellow and blue flags have all but disappeared — except in Massachusetts, we noticed, the most highly “educated” and most deeply insane state in the union. I’ll be interested in how Kamala Harris explains our Ukraine war policy in Tuesday’s presidential debate. Defending democracy, I suppose.

The governments of the major EU nations stupidly followed the bidding of America’s psychopathic neocons and now they ‘ll have to answer for it as their people awake to the destruction of the EU nations’ economies. Early elections will be called and globalist stooges will be swept away. The turmoil will rhyme with the chaos of 1848, a year of revolution. NATO, finding itself not just purposeless but toxic to Europe’s well-being, must dissolve as members on the periphery withdraw, some seeking to join the BRICs economic bloc. Germany, France, and the UK get sucked helplessly into a new great depression and social turmoil as they contend with many millions of hostile migrants.

Here in America, you can already hear the fake anguished cry of “Russia, Russia, Russia” echoing out of Merrick Garland’s fake Justice Department. We’re to understand that the Russians are coming for our election — more gaslight -- when it’s actually the Democratic party, led surreptitiously by its lawfare cadres, Norm Eisen, Marc Elias, Andrew Weissmann, Mary McCord, Lisa Monaco, et al. Their many of their courtroom pranks have failed against Mr. Trump. Judge Chutkan was bloviating in the DC federal court this week to generate a little heat on MSNBC, but her case has a wooden stake through its heart and Xs where its eyes used to be.

Up in New York, Judge Juan Merchan pretends to wrassle with whether or not to start Civil War Two by remanding Mr. Trump to Rikers Island on September 18 (I doubt that happens). In the event, though, I believe Mr. Trump might simply say, “No thank you,” and go about his business running for president. That would be a counter-prank I’d be eager to see. Who gets in the act then? Federal marshals? The FBI (ha!)? The Supreme Court term begins the first Monday in October. They could have something to say about the steaming pile of horseshit that was Alvin Bragg’s and Mathew Colangelo’s case. (Also, Weissmann’s, Eisen’s, Monaco’s, and McCord’s.)

Gawd knows where things might stand after next Tuesday’s great debate. The rules are pretty stringent. No candidates questioning each other. No audience. No confab with staff during commercial breaks. The mute buttons will be on. Without her “I’m speaking” routine, Ms. Harris has -- zotz. All Mr. Trump really has to do is be polite for 90-minutes.

More than a few people, meanwhile, are beginning to ask who is running the country, since “Joe Biden” is mostly off-duty, beaching it, not attending cabinet meetings, and probably not being consulted on any number of matters being carried out in his name. Are you comforted to know that the US government is on auto-pilot, a colossal, menacing machine run by ghosts?

© 9.06.2024 by JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER, "ClusterFuck Nation".

A Day In The Life.

Up at 9:15a on Friday, I held-off on my finger stick to check my BSL (Blood Sugar Level) -- too shaky to do it -- made coffee and skipped breakfast, skipped the 2 50mg Tramadol but took a 300mg Gabapentin for various back Sciatica and feet neuropathy pain, fired-up the Win-7 Pentium HP desktop to let 32 million lines of code load, had a couple smokes in the cool garage and checked the leftover errands list. All that is postponed until next week. I'm a 'mess' today, just from those 4 small glasses of Chardonnay. Actually, it wasn't from the vino. Feels like severe Flu, or COVID-19.

It was cool 63°, 50% humidity outside, headed to 79°. I had some wonderful Hawaiian Kona "Opio" Coffee, then scanned the news and weather sites, and missed the entire "Chris Stigall Show LIVE" (CS Show) from 6-9a, but caught the "Chris Plante Show LIVE" (CP Show) 9-12noon.

By 1p, I had greatly elevated fever, bad aches, mega-pains and chills, even my hair hurts (!), and felt like crap. Maybe COVID-19? The expired COVID-19 test was negative, but it felt like a case of the nasty, mega-Flu. Weak, no strength, hard to even walk. After taking some aspirin, I crawled onto the LR couch, and slept all day. No food or drink. It was awful. I managed to crawl upstairs to bed at 10p.

It's here!

Awake several times before Saturday morning, I had the fever sweats, but kept rolling-over and getting back to sleep, for the next few hours. Finally up around 11, it was a darkish, cloudy, drizzly day. No food, finger stick; just coffee. The real rain started near 3p, as I was sleeping on the couch, and I heard the thunderous rain. I don't remember much of Saturday...

Awake at 8a on Sunday, a sunny 47°, very cool morning. Wobbly and feverish again, I finally made it downstairs, started coffee, skipped food, had a smoke in the cold garage, and fired-up the HP Desktop. I also fired-up the condo furnace for some heat, to offset the fever/chills. Wow, I feel like crap again, so no shave or shower today, and no usual errands trip south tomorrow. I have a feeling this Flu/COVID-19 will be with me for a while. Damn. No appetite, again. I changed into some fresh clothes, amazingly got a few things out of the basement's 'prep' shelves that I needed, and tried to order some COVID treatment meds to replace my expired inventory.

I can't remember breakfast, so I guess I didn't have any, but I do remember a Chicken Salad Sandwich for lunch. I crashed on the LR couch for 3hrs, and then the phone began ringing. Sis was coming by with a CVS Store COVID-`19 Test, and it proved my ***POSITIVE***. I called Sherry to report it, and had coffee w/ Sis, at a safe distance, outside on the back patio. Beautiful day! She left and took my expired multi-test unused kits for recycling. I again hit the couch for 2hrs. Fever was back. By 10p, I was fading, closed everything down and crawled on to the couch, slept until 2a, and crawled back upstairs for some serious sleep.

Awake at 9:15a on Monday, I felt pretty good for the first 20mins, but then the fever returned, I got wobbly but made it downstairs. Coffee started, I had a smoke in the very cool garage with 2 hungry squirrels, fed them and some bluejays, and went back inside. I'm not driving south to Red Lion and Dallastown, in this condition. Screw it; I'm staying home until the fever break and this COVID crap abates. I dialed-up the "CP Show LIVE", listened but didn't hear much. Perpetually dizzy from the fever, I kept drinking liquids, metered-out my 19 morning meds, and tried to plan the day. Maybe I can get a load of laundry done? I'll try until I lose strength and energy.

I had 2 gulps of delicious, fresh coffee, a smoke in the garage, tuned into the "CP Show LIVE", laid down on the LR Couch for a few minutes, and... woke up 7 freaking hours later, at 4p! Wowzer. Heh. I had an English Muffin and reheated coffee, and did only 2 (two!) cigarettes. Hooray for me. I emailed my Dr about getting an antibiotic, so I'll wait on that. Right now, amd since Friday, I', in the dreaded ***Isolation***.

COVID-19 vs. the Flu? Tis shit isn't the Flu!

After a few mugs of coffee, and a smoke (3), I was getting tired from the increasing fever and my weakened condition. I figured that I'd try to stay awake until after 6p[, watch the FNC News, and then hit the LR couch again, around 5. After an hour or so of fitful sleep, I closed the place down, and went upstairs to bed. Sleep needed. Still feverish and hurting.

Awake and wobbly from fever on Tuesday, I made coffee, had an English Muffin®, checked the news and weather, and hit the LR couch, to get some more sleep. Nice nap. I woke around 11:30, had coffee, watermelon, a smoke and crawled upstairs to *try* to get the damned laundry done. I took Ivermectin and aspirin for the fever, but I can't tell if it's helping. I had some BBQ, cantaloupe and made it to the LR couch, for a few hours. Later, I called Dr McKeague's Internal Medicine Office at Wellspan, and got an Rx for the Anti-Viral Paxlovid® -- has a slight metallic aftertaste -- which Sis picked-up for me at Rite Aid. N/C. I started that protocol right away, while discontinuing some other Rxs. Sis also drove over to Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Market, to get 6 1lb tubs of cut cantaloupe, watermelon and a peck of 6 fresh peaches.

Sis left around 4:30p, and I caught an hour's quick nap on the LR couch, but not much longer. I finished-up the laundry, watched the news, skipped the "debate", took the meds' protocol, and hit the sack around 9.

Awake and up at 8:30a on Wednesday -- 9-11, 23yrs on -- to a bright, sunny, cool 57° morning. Beautiful day's start. I took several regimen's of pills: Paxlovid, Entresto, Carvedilol etc, had lots of coffee and tuned into the "CP Show LIVE", and scanned the news. Fever still with me, despite the 3rd round of anti-viral COVID meds, I moved on to the LR couch, and slept thru the morning and into the afternoon. After some lunch, I went back to sleep on the LR couch. The non-fever, aches and pain, continues. And the DJIA fell 550pts, too.

After toast for breakfast, I had some homemade Vegetable Soup (from a neighbor) for a late lunch around 3, skipped dinner, as the fever was back, though I continued taking the Paxlovid Protocol 2x/ day. I have been in quarantine sine last Friday morning, and right now, don't see the end. I was fading fast so I unplugged at 9:30p.

Up at around 9 on Thursday, I made coffee, skipped breakfast -- still no appetite -- scanned the weather and news headlines, and felt the fever coming back. I had wonderful watermelon, sweet cantaloupe and delicious peaches, but ignored the 4 Turkey Subs, and gave them to Sis when she stopped by with 2 more COVID-19 Test Kits. We visited for a couple hours, she left, and I hit the LR couch for just over an hour. After a Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich -- still not much appetite -- I watched the news, History's "American Pickers" from mid-afternoon until 11p, and unplugged for the night.

Tomorrow starts a new week here in the "Journal", and the next several weeks are free and clear of nagging app'ts, if I can just get over this nasty COVID-19 crap, and get back to some modicum of health. I'm tired of being sick and feeling tired.