Dear George

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – Dear George, it’s been almost a year since I wrote a post about you. You were #1 in my quest to write about all the presidents of the United States. And remember the first thing I wrote about you? It endeared you to me the most of anything – the fact that underneath that powdered gray hair, you were a redhead! A redhead with blue eyes, no less, who loved to dance. I daresay the portrait painters of the day chose to depict your somber side because you were in charge of so many things at a young age – estates, family, and dealing with incredible change. You took the oath of office as the first president of the United States of America at Federal Hall in New York City on April 30, 1789. You were 57 then. Ten thousand people came to witness the event; important dignitaries, regular folks, people eager to be part of a new beginning. There was a marching band! You made a speech. You got a 13-gun salute. And the new “experiment” began.

Well George, a lot has happened since then. There have been 46 more inaugurations, and 37 states added under the “United” title. And our 50 states now house almost 400 million people, whereas you were dealing with a mere 4 million. So much has changed in 236 years! There have been 27 amendments to that original Constitution. We’ve had way too many wars – worldwide conflicts and inhouse breakdowns and squabbles. We’ve had times of great prosperity and times of great depression.

But we keep hanging in there, though not surprisingly everybody isn’t pleased with everything. We’re like a household of siblings fighting for attention, or even indulging in sneaky tricks. My Dad used to tell of sharing a bed in the middle room with older brother, and how they were supposed to take turns by the window on hot summer evenings. Yet no matter how they settled in for the night, he’d wake up every morning on the sweaty side of the bed. One night he pretended to be asleep and caught big brother sliding him out of the way so he could take the cool spot. Imagine people in a country, or nations in the world, doing that kind of stuff. Lots of pillowfights.

Believe it or not George, we have another red-headed president in office today. He is tall, like you; and he inherited a lot of privileges and responsibilities at an early age, like you. One of the major differences between the two of you is his lack of military or political experience; he’s the first person we’ve elected who has neither. He grew up in the business world, where the goal of the day is making a deal and making money. You experienced much of the business world as you were growing up too. But you had an amazing amount of public service under your belt by the time you became president, and once in office you began to set the tone; you insisted on the title “Mr President” rather than “His Majesty” or “His Highness the President.” You introduced the idea of an inaugural address, and regular messages to Congress. Good communications. You began the two-term tradition, and the notion of “peaceful transfer of power.”

We’re still doing inauguration ceremonies – over the years some have been a bit over-the-top, sort of a “show-off” tactic; you can read about them in my posts. Some have been tense – President Lincoln’s for instance, when the country was about to split. Andrew Johnson and Chester Arthur and Teddy Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson were inaugurated in secluded haste after an assassination. Yes, four of our presidents were flat-out murdered! A few died of health issues, one was forced to resign in a terrible scandal, and more than a few were notorious women-chasers. One or two were just plain skanky and mean. Out of the 45 men who have been president, five continually rank at the top for a “job well done”– Abraham Lincoln, both Roosevelts, your old buddy Thomas Jefferson, and you, George.

You set a high standard for the presidency. I read the letter you wrote to James Madison expressing a devout wish that the precedents set early on be fixed on “true principles.” So a question. Back then, when you guys were figuring out how this dramatic new idea of democracy could work, how did you imagine the electorate who would CHOOSE a new leader every four years? The original voters were white male landowners, whereas today we expect each citizen – whatever race, sex, or social position – to shoulder the responsibility of choosing our president. Over the years we’ve chosen some who did not ascribe to those “true principles” you hoped would be the norm.

Meanwhile, the “president’s job” has become immensely more difficult and complex (a hundred times more!) since you first took that oath. It costs billions of dollars to get elected these days but the bar for an applicant is surprisingly low; then popularity is the key to a win. And although a win means you’re a sitting target for criticism, anger, and blame, you’re also in reach of thousands of strings you can pull to impact the tiniest aspects of your constituent’s lives, a tantalizing prize. So you blaze your name across every breath of air nonstop for years before election day. It’s excruciating. For everyone.

Lots of people are angry with our current redhead, and frustrated with his buffoonery. But more people chose him than the other candidate. That’s the way our system works. Whether we choose a good person or a bad one – red headed or bald headed or empty headed – by our choice we literally “make our own bed.” And sometimes it’s a bummer. Reminds me of Dad’s story, waking up on the sweaty side and wondering what happened while he was sleeping.

I wish you’d come back for a look-round at the situation, and help us refresh the vision. Just be prepared for an endless media assault.

The “F” Word

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – A friend picked up a little book in an antique shop recently and brought it to me. She thought I’d get a kick out of it, and she was right. Titled “The Verbalist,” by Alfred Ayers, and published in 1882 by D Appleton & Company of New York, it’s part of a series including proper pronunciation and penmanship as well as “word choice.” It begins with a page of quotes such as “Obscurity of expression springs from confusion of ideas.” Heck yeah! If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s just babbling, I say.

Picking out the “right” word – that is, the word that conveys what you are thinking to another person so they understand what you are thinking – can be tricky. But some words just smack you clear and strong. For instance, two years ago, when I had a knee replacement and spent some time in rehab, the trainers relentlessly threw this question to us weak-kneed folks trying to get our balance back: “What is the F word in Rehab?” they’d shout, smirking at our grimaces. It was sheer teeth-gritting time and we definitely had a word in mind.

But they’d say “It’s FALL”! And suddenly everything was clear. Darn tootin’ I did NOT want to fall. I wanted to be strong, and great. So I pedaled harder, and squatted and lifted and swung my arms and held my shoulders high.

Goals and Hopes

Make America Great Again is a “word idea” that hits us in the face daily, if you listen to any media sources. And geez, who doesn’t want America to be GREAT? Red, White, and Blue, we all pretty much love America. I’m nuts about it! I’ve traveled all over it, and talked with people in every state, in fact, LIVED in all 50 capital cities. I want everybody to have a fair chance to live the best life they can live. And there is kinda-sorta where things get confusing. What, exactly, needs to happen to assure such an outcome? And what, exactly, is “great”? There are about 340 million of us Americans, and I daresay that even within a single household people don’t agree on what they want for dinner.

So we have to think about the little things, and the big things, and the really, really big things. And if you just happen to be president of a gaggle of 340 million diverse folks, I’m thinking it takes a heap of listening and talking to keep a country running smoothly. It takes a lot of working together. It takes respect.

The 100-Day Checkup

Our 47^th President reached his 100-day mark on April 30. How’s he doing? So far he has signed 143 executive orders, the most of any president in this period, 42 proclamations, and 42 memorandums. Major topics include immigration reform, deportations, applying tariffs on other countries, cutting federal spending, reducing the federal workforce, increasing executive authority, and implementing a non-interventionist foreign policy.

By April 30 multiple polls gave him an “F.” Failure? Polling on every issue was negative, and approval ratings were in the 40-47% range. CNN, USA Today, Civiqs, Marist, Economist, RealClearPolitics, and more. In response to the negative polls, especially the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, and Fox News, Donald called them “Fake” news, and “criminals who should be investigated for Fraud.”

On Donald’s own website for spreading the news, WhiteHouse.gov, he chooses these words to describe where our country is after 100 days:

• On prices: “Prices are down at tremendous numbers for gasoline.”
• On securing the border: “It’s really secure.”
• On deporting violent criminal illegal immigrants: “We have thousands of people … some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it.”
• On Iran: “I want Iran to be really successful, really great. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon … The Iranian people are incredible, I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon because the world will be destroyed.”
• On trade: “We’re making a lot of money. We’re doing great. We’re going to be at a point soon where we’re making money every day.”
• On peace in Ukraine: “I do believe we’re closer with one party and maybe not as close with the other … We’re talking tremendous hatred between these two men.”
• On China tariffs: “At some point I’m going to lower them because otherwise you could never do business with them — and they want to do business very much. Their economy is really doing badly. Their economy is collapsing.”

Searching For The Word

So what is the “F” word we choose as we move into May? It isn’t “Facilitate” as there doesn’t seem to be much listening and talking and working together going on. It’s like that teeth-gritting time in Rehab, when we definitely had a word in mind about our painful situation. We were reminded, however, of what we were working to avoid.

We didn’t want to FALL. So we kept pedaling.

South of the Border

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – Let’s talk about the womenfolk today. Starting with Mexico’s new President, Claudia Sheinbaum (b 1962). Yes, back in June 2024 Mexican voters elected their first female president ever. It was a landslide – she received 61% of the vote, despite the fact that she is female, and Jewish. And it wasn’t just a “landslide” – she received more votes than any candidate has ever received in Mexico’s history! She took office October 1, and while this was going on, north of the border American voters were watching Kamala and Donald duking it out over who would move into the White House next. And – twice now – American voters failed to acknowledge a truth Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote about years ago for a little show called South Pacific – “There ain’t nothing like a dame!” And I quote: It’s a waste of time to worry over things that they have not. We’re thankful for the things they got!

Ignore the sexual innuendo there, and focus on the reality. Claudia, by crikey, has got a lot. She has a nice smile, don’t you think? She’s a scientist with an undergraduate degree in physics and PhD in Energy Engineering, pretty smart, I’d say. She’s written two books and over a hundred articles on energy and the environment. As to politics, she was elected Mayor of Tlalpan, Mexico City’s largest borough, running on a platform of improving public services; and then in 2018 she was inaugurated Head of Government for Mexico City (first female ever, first with a Jewish background). This put her in position to work closely with the Federal government and the President. And her influence was electric.

The Family Matters

I decided to look more closely at her family, as I’ve done with all 47 US Presidents. What was it like growing up as a Sheinbaum? Claudia was born in Mexico City June 24, 1962, the second child of chemist Carlos and biologist Annie Pardo Sheinbaum. Carlos’ grandfather emigrated to Mexico from Lithuania in 1928; Annie’s family fled the persecution of Jews in Bulgaria during WWII and settled in Mexico. The Sheinbaums were actively involved in Mexican left wing circles during the 1960s, participating in protests, workers’ movements, and student uprisings. Father Carlos is remembered today as a businessman and chemical engineer and for his contributions to the leather tanning industry in Mexico; Mother Annie received the National Prize for Arts and Sciences in 2023 for her research in biochemistry, lung diseases, and aging studies. Well then.

Claudia’s older brother Julio is a physicist and oceanography researcher; her younger sister Adriana is a teacher in the United States. Claudia has been married and divorced; daughter Marianna, who also has a PhD, works at the National Center for Mexican Studies in Boston; stepson Rodrigo is an artist and filmmaker whose new son elevates Claudia into the ranks of grandmother. And she is in her second marriage now, to Jesús Tarriba, a mathematician and financial risk analyst.

Do you detect a pattern here? Intelligence, involvement, talent, hard work, passion?

100 Days

How are things playing out for Claudia, as “Mexico’s first female president ever”? Nicely, it seems. A crowd of 350,000 gathered in the center of Mexico City January 12 to celebrate her first hundred days as Presidenta. Her historic 80% approval rating, and her “slightly sarcastic” suggestion to Donald to rename the United States “America Mexicana” were keeping her approval rating high even with opposition voters. She made an hour-long speech, outlining achievements so far and future plans. A key point: empowering women.

Claudia has been clear in her support of women, ratifying a constitutional reform entrenching their rights in the constitution. Included in this are objectives to guarantee a woman’s right to a life free of violence, get rid of the gender pay gap, ensure that public policy considers female perspectives, and increase gender parity in government departments.

Something in Common

Forbes magazine puts out a list each year naming 100 of the “World’s Most Powerful Women.” Selections are determined by four main metrics: money, media, impact, and spheres of influence. For 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was ranked 4^th on that list, with this quote from her inaugural presidential address: “Many of us were told a version of history since we were children, which wanted us to believe that the course of humanity was led only by men. But little by little this vision has been reversed. It is time for women.” And she’s not alone in her quest.

Check out the top ten women on the 2024 Forbes list. I wish I had time to tell you the full story of each of them, but you’ll get the gist.

1.  Ursula von der Leyen (b 1958). Nationality: German; married; 7 children. President of the European Commission since 2019, the first woman to hold that position. The European Union (EU) has 27 member states and a population of over 449 million.
2.  Christine Lagarde (b 1956). Nationality: French; divorced, 2 children. Since 2019, President of the European Central Bank, the main institution responsible for the management of the euro and monetary policy in the Eurozone.
3.  Giorgia Meloni (b 1977). Nationality: Italian; partnered, 1 child. Prime Minister of Italy since 2022, the first woman to hold the office.
4.  Claudia Sheinbaum (b 1962). Nationality: Mexican; married, 2 children. President of Mexico since 2024, the first woman elected to the office.
5.  Mary Barra (b 1961). Nationality: American; married, 2 children. Chair and CEO of General Motors since 2014, the first female CEO of a Big Three automaker.
6.  Abigail Johnson (b 1961). Nationality: American; married, 2 children. Billionaire businesswoman; CEO and president of Fidelity Investments since 2016.
7.  Julie Sweet (b 1966). Nationality: American; married, 2 children. Since 2019 Chair and CEO of Accenture, an information technology services multinational company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland; the first woman to hold that position.
8.  Melinda French Gates (b 1964). Nationality: American; divorced, 3 children. Billionaire and philanthropist, focusing on the needs of women and families.
9.  MacKenzie Scott (b 1970). Nationality: American; divorced, 4 children. Billionaire and philanthropist, co-founder of Amazon. Committed to giving half her wealth to charity.
10. Jane Fraser (b 1967). Nationality: British-American; married, 2 children. CEO of Citigroup Inc since 2021, the first woman to head a major US bank.

Did you notice how many times the world “first” came up? Did you notice that every one of these powerful women is a mom?

There ain’t nothing like a dame.

North of the Border

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – On March 14, 2025, Mark Carney was sworn in as the first new Canadian prime minister in nine years, vowing that Canada will “never become part of the United States.” Pretty safe bet, I’d say.

While it’s true that in 1867 during Andrew Johnson’s presidency the US paid $7 million to Russia for what is now “the state of Alaska”; it’s also true that Russian Tsar Alexander II didn’t have much use for Siberia’s Siberia. Worried that Britain might take it over anyway, he was glad to get rid of that frozen space. Same story about that 1803 “Louisiana Purchase” pulled off during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency – Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s tail was in a crack. His sugar colonies in the Caribbean weren’t bringing in the revenues he expected; his plans for a New World Empire were down the tube; and war with the UK was imminent. He needed money! Yes, give the guy $15 million and double the size of the United States with a pen stroke. There are a few more examples of a “buyer’s market” as US borders expanded and other countries ceded space on the continent.

Not quite the case with Canada today. And frankly Mark, I don’t know why you even bothered acknowledging Donald’s ramblings about making Canada the “51^st US State.” It’s just the blustering of an “I’m The King” wannabe.

Canada really and truly has a King, aka a “ruling monarch.” Canada’s monarch is King Charles III. Before Charles, his Mum, Queen Elizabeth II, reigned from 1952 till her death in 2022. In addition to being “King of England” Charles has 14 “Commonwealth Realms” – nine in North America, five in Oceania, and one in Europe. Some of them are huge, like Australia, and New Zealand. And Canada. Huge.

A Few Facts About Canada

Independence from the United Kingdom to become a Confederation: July 1, 1867

• Total Area: 3,855,100 sq mi (2^nd largest country in the world)
• Population: 2025 estimate 41,528,680 (36^th largest population in the world)
• GDP Per capita $62,766 (30^th highest in the world)
• Capital: Ottawa. Coordinates: 45°24′N 75°40′W
• Largest city: Toronto
• Official languages: English, French

10 Provinces: Alberta * British Columbia * Manitoba * New Brunswick * Newfoundland * Nova Scotia * Ontario * Prince Edward Island * Quebec * Saskatchewan

3 Territories: Northwest * Nunavut * Yukon

Government: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

• Monarch: Charles III
• Governor General: Mary Simon
• Prime Minister: Mark Carney

A Monarch, A Governor General, and a Prime Minister

None of the three above are “elected by the people.” Fancy that!

The monarchy of which King Charles is a part has been around since – well, centuries. And the way things were set forth since Canada became a “federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy” goes like this:

The monarch King Charles III (b 1948) doesn’t “rule” the day-to-day business of Canada. As Head of State, his role is to present a solid, strong, and (hopefully) respected sense of unity for all that sea-to-sea diversity. Since he lives elsewhere, his on-the-ground representative is the Governor General, who he appoints with advice from the Prime Minister. King Charles has quiet power.

The current Governor General is Mary Simon   (b 1947). Mary was appointed Governor General in 2021 by Queen Elizabeth II, and with her Inuk heritage, is the first indigenous person to hold office. Mary’s duties include representing Canada at home and abroad, fulfilling constitutional obligations, and serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. She appoints judges to federal courts, as well as other officials such as senators, often with the advice of the Prime Minister. She is responsible for summoning, suspending, and dissolving Parliament, and granting royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament. She appoints the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and Lieutenant Governors of the provinces and can dismiss them, though this is usually done on the advice of the Prime Minister. Mary Simon has far-ranging power.

The new Prime Minister, Mark Carney (b 1965), is Head of Government.  The Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor General on behalf of the Monarch; the person selected is someone who has the support and confidence of a “majority of the directly elected members of the House of Commons.” The post does not have a fixed term, and once appointed and sworn in by the Governor General, a Prime Minister will remain in office until they resign, are dismissed, or die. Mark Carney has astounding power.

The Legislature, Canada’s Parliament, consists of the Upper House, or Senate, which has 105 seats. All members are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, and can serve until age 75. The Lower House, known as the House of Commons, has 338 seats. Members are elected by a simple majority vote for a term of up to 4 years. Neither House has more power than the other, and all legislation must be approved by both Houses before becoming law.

There are approximately 27,647,165 registered voters in Canada.

Sounds like they’ve got things pretty well figured out, up there north of the border, eh?

The Joke’s On US

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – Stephen Colbert (b 1964) makes a lot of jokes. It’s his business. He looks at what’s going on in the world around us, and then, with comedic wisdom, tries to help us deal with it. Remember what he said back in 2010, when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform blew up and created one of the largest environmental disasters in world history? That platform was 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana in Gulf of Mexico waters. A massive response ensued to protect beaches, wetlands and estuaries from the relentlessly spreading oil. I remember how hard it was to watch the oil-drenched birds, the tar-streaked beaches, the fishermen’s boats sitting idle, the blaze that just wouldn’t go out. Stephen tackled the angst it caused with this comment: “I don’t think we can call it the Gulf of Mexico anymore. We broke it, we bought it. We need to create a Gulf of America fund to help pay for the cleanup.”

Stephen Holland (b 1955) is a politician who served as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1985 to 2020. In 2012 Stephen submitted a Bill to the Mississippi Legislature to change the name (on state documents) of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In an interview with NPR at the time, he explained that the Mississippi GOP appeared to want to “push anything Mexican out of the state, so renaming the body of water would help with that cause.” His fellow legislators were irked with him for using humor to make his point.

Donald Trump (b 1946) is currently serving as the 47^th president of the United States. On January 7, 2025, before he was sworn in, he told reporters of one of his plans: “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Gulf of America – what a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. We’re going to change, because we do most of the work there, and it’s ours.”  On January 20, 2025, Donald signed Executive Order 14172 directing the interior secretary to adopt the name Gulf of America, specifying an area of the US continental shelf “extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba.” He declared February 9, 2025, to be “Gulf of America Day.”

The US Interior Department confirmed that US federal agencies would use the name Gulf of America from January 24. The executive order does not compel the use of the new name by non-federal agencies, private companies, or foreign entities.

Sundar Pichai (b 1972) is an Indian-born American business executive and since 2015 serves as chief executive officer (CEO) of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. Part of his responsibilities include overseeing Google Maps. Sundar was one of the billionaires in attendance on Donald’s inauguration day.

On February 10, 2025, this announcement was made by Google: In the U.S., the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has officially updated “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our longstanding practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update. People using Maps in the U.S. will see “Gulf of America,” and people in Mexico will see “Gulf of Mexico.” Everyone else will see both names.

The names you see in the Maps app are based on your country location, which is determined by information from your phone’s operating system (e.g., iOS and Android), including your SIM, network, and locale. If you’re using Google Maps on the web, the names are based on the region you select in your Search settings or your device’s location, if you haven’t selected one. 

Life on Planet Earth Today

Things just got a whole lot more complicated, it seems. I don’t think these last two fellows are joking. I looked up the definitions of GULF. There are two.

1. Gulf as a noun (area): An area of sea surrounded on three sides by land
2. Gulf as a noun (difference): An important difference between two things or groups of people

Our #2 “gulfs” (differences) are growing like crazy! You know how someone elected to represent “the people” (like Miss America, with a sash and sweeping hand or a winner in the midst of a thousand-balloon-drop) vows to work towards “world peace” or “two chickens in every pot”? Donald and Sundar just pissed off most of the breathing world and made the US (that is “us”) look like we don’t care to be friends with folks in other countries. “High and mighty” comes to mind. Not a smidgen of humor involved.

I decided to gather some “Gulf of Mexico” facts and find out who named it in the first place.

The following details come directly from the trusty Wikipedia Gulf of Mexico site.

• Coordinates: 25°N 90°W
• River sources: Rio Grande, Mississippi River, Mobile River, Panuco River, Jamapa River, Pascagoula River, Tecolutla River, Usumacinta River, Apalachicola River
• Ocean/sea sources: Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea
• Basin countries: Cuba, Mexico, United States of America
• Width: 930 miles
• Surface area: 600,000 sq miles
• Average depth: 5,299 ft
• Deepest: 14,383 ft
• Settlements: Veracruz, Houston, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Tampa, Havana, Southwest Florida, Mobile, Gulfport, Tampico, Key West, Cancún, Ciudad del Carmen, Coatzacoalcos, Panama City

The name “Gulf of Mexico” (Spanish: golfo de México; French: golphe du Mexique, later golfe du Mexique) first appeared on a world map in 1550 and a historical account in 1552. This name has been the most common name since the mid-17th century.

Although there is no formal protocol on the general naming of international waters, Gulf of Mexico is officially recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization, which seeks to standardize the names of international maritime features for certain purposes and counts all three countries adjacent to the gulf as member states.

As to my own personal experience with the Gulf of Mexico, I got my first sunburn and caught my first fish in Gulf of Mexico waters. So did my kids, and grands.

No executive order can change memories. Or have any effect on the size and value of a beautiful body of water that’s been around since plate tectonics created it 300 million years ago. But hey, Sundar, don’t mess with the maps. Over 2 billion people per month count on you for accuracy. Check it out: Donald’s executive order “does not compel the use of the new name by non-federal agencies, private companies, or foreign entities.” No joke.

The Fabric of Democracy

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – Did your Mama read stories to you when you were a kid? I read to my kids every day when they were little, you know, those cleverly entertaining stories about how what we do affects how life goes for us. The Little Engine Who Could who learned to say “I Think I Can,” and did; The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings but discovered that maybe red wings weren’t all that useful for a rabbit – though his big strong legs were awesome and he should be proud. And Dr Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle, a story about the quest for power and getting to the top of the turtle-stack with complete disregard for every other turtle. But ha! Eventually Yertle wound up in the mud. One of our favorites was The Emperor’s New Clothes, a folktale published by Hans Christian Andersen in the early 1800s. The plot is simple, and quirky –the Emperor is a vain man, accustomed to getting his way about everything. He is particularly obsessed with fancy clothes, at the expense of any needs of his kingdom. One day some greedy men call on him at his palace, offering to supply him with new clothes that are so MAGICAL they are invisible to anyone incompetent or stupid, a double bonus for the Emperor! Not only will he have gorgeous clothes, he’ll be able to spot and obliterate the stupid dunderheads out there in the kingdom! He orders an entire new wardrobe, of course.

You have to stretch your imagination a bit to see how this all panned out. The promised “magical clothes” were non-existent, of course; the Emperor was conned. Nevertheless, Mr Andersen tells us, the Emperor paraded up and down the countryside in complete confidence that he was radiatingly magnificent and that anybody who didn’t see this was stupid. Oh, stop, hold the presses!

Did the Emperor realize he was naked? Well, yes, but he certainly couldn’t admit it since that would mean he was stupid. Did the members of the Emperor’s cabinet know he was naked? Yes. Did the citizens of the kingdom see the Emperor’s naked butt mooning them? Of course they did. Well…why didn’t they tell the Emperor to get off the streets and stop acting like a fool? He was an embarrassment to their kingdom!

Stay tuned for what happens next. The original version has a kid blurting out the truth, startling the Emperor, but not slowing him down. I’m thinking I hear a bit of rumbling about that. Maybe Mr Andersen is working on a rewrite.

#47. Trump, Donald John

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas –Donald John Trump (b 1946) is the 47th President of the United States as of January 20, 2025. His presidency is being compared to the Grover Cleveland episode back in 1893. You know, “elected AGAIN, after being shoved out once.” The media refers to this go-round as Trump 2.0. Lots to talk about – the swearing in, where he failed to put his hand on a Bible although Melania was holding two –the Bible Lincoln used in 1861 we’re told, and Donald’s personal Bible, a gift from his mother. Surprisingly Melania wasn’t holding the Bible Donald has endorsed that sells for $59.99 and includes the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the handwritten chorus from Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA, as well as all the King James stuff. Two other things happened at the inauguration that fed the buzz; The Kiss – or rather the Missed Kiss underneath Melania’s big black hat, and the Billionaire Posse in attendance, front and center. In order of wealth-worth here are the top three, beginning with the world’s richest person:

• $433.9 billion Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, Twitter, Space X
• $239.4 billion Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder
• $211.8 billion Mark Zuckerberg, Meta

A bunch of Lesser Billionaires was there too; as well as the Old Guard representing those who have followed a career in politics; our former presidents – outgoing Joe Biden, and Jill, George Bush and Laura, Bill Clinton and Hillary, and Barack Obama minus Michelle, whose absence stirred up more gossip than the sight of the pinched faces glaring back and forth across the aisle. The two women who opposed Donald in a bid for the presidency – Hillary and Kamala – had the most guts of anybody there, I’d say. And the strongest reason for showing up.

Just Look At The Numbers

It’s pretty clear that more people wanted Hillary in 2016. She got 48% of the vote to Donald’s 46%. She got 65,853,514 votes! He got 62,984,828. She should have won. But ach! The Electoral College is a sticky wicket. Even though 2,868,686 more people said “I want Her not Him,” the Electoral College, which is designed to protect specific arbitrary groups instead of individual voters, totaled up in Donald’s favor. Somehow we got through those four years, as Donald proved himself to be in the bottom three of “Worst Presidents Ever.”

And then it was 2020, at last! Donald Trump was fired, but even though Joe Biden received 7 million more Popular Votes and 74 more Electoral Votes, Donald refused to go quietly; he had a hissy fit that caused a riot and spent the next four years plotting a return.  What in the world was it that allowed him back in the door? Was it the red baseball cap he wears all the time hoping to look like one of the good old boys? Or the disdain of his critics who consider him a joke and not worth paying attention to? Or, was it the boredom of listening to the same-old same-old that turned people off politics entirely? So entirely they chose not to vote for anybody? As Sherlock would say, “the evidence is in the numbers.”

Look at this little spreadsheet showing what happened in 2024.

• 72% of our US population is eligible to vote. Under-18, non-citizens, and convicted felons can’t.
• 32% of US registered voters voted for Donald Trump.
• 31% of US registered voters voted for Kamala Harris.
• 1% of US registered voters voted for various other candidates.
• 37% of US registered voters didn’t bother to vote at all.

You can read various versions of the above on different websites, but the bottom line is clear any way you look at it – a whale of a lot of eligible voters DID NOT VOTE.

To those who love Donald Trump and uphold every decision he makes, the truth remains: his “voter count” represents a mere 23% of all people living in the United States! That is NOT a majority signifying what people in the United States want, or believe.

To those who despise Donald Trump, the same is true. It is highly probable that most people share your view.

Love him or hate him, in 2024 he was NOT an unknown factor. It was clear as crystal what he could do and would do given half a chance.

Yet We Put Him There Again

Who did it?

• the 32% of eligible voters who believed that the world would be better with Donald in office and voted for him
• the 31% of eligible voters who believed that the world would be better with Kamala in office but didn’t work hard enough to see that she got the chance
• the 1% of eligible voters who diddled a vote away for no gain

And, oh yes, the 37% of eligible voters who didn’t do anything.

Start Planning

The next presidential election is coming up in November 2028.

• If you’re a young person who is just now old enough to vote, it’s time to take your part in governing your country. Shoulder up.
• If you’re a woman, and you failed to vote in 2024, remember, it’s just over 100 years that you’ve even been allowed to vote. Honor that.
• If you’re a disadvantaged minority, and you failed to vote in 2024, study your history and step up to change things for the better. Participate.
• If you’re just old and bored, and you failed to vote in 2024, kick yourself in the fanny. Perk up.

Study. Get yourself informed. Vote. We’re all responsible for what happens.

Joe Biden Says: We All Have To Stay Engaged In the Process

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas January 16, 2025 – The word “oligarchy” is the hot potato getting tossed around today. One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for that word is “a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.” And that word was uttered, with a serious warning, by our President #46 Joe Biden in his farewell address from the Oval Office last night. Straight-from-the-hip, straight-in-the-eye, here’s what he said:

I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few ultra-wealthy people, and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked. Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.

About power:

• In his farewell address President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military-industrial complex. He warned us then about, and I quote, “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power,” end of quote. Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well.
• Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families, and our very democracy from the abuse of power.
• Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time — perhaps of all time. Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy and our security, our society, our very humanity.

The challenge:

Unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work, and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind. In the age of AI, it’s more important than ever that the people must govern. And as the land of liberty, America — not China — must lead the world on the development of AI. You know, in the years ahead, it’s going to be up to the presidency, the Congress, the courts, the free press, and the American people to confront these powerful forces.

• We must reform the tax code — not by giving the biggest tax cuts to billionaires, but by making them begin to pay their fair share.
• We need to get dark money — that’s that hidden funding behind too many campaigns’ contributions — we need to get it out of our politics.
• We need to enact an 18-year time limit — term limit — time and term — for the strongest ethics reforms for our Supreme Court.
• We need to ban members of Congress from trading stock while they’re in the Congress.
• We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president — no president — is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office. The president’s power is not absolute, and it shouldn’t be.

And in a democracy, there’s another danger to the concentration of power and wealth. It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division. Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning, and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot.

But we have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America, America. Everyone is entitled to a fair shot — not a guarantee, but just a fair shot, an even playing field — going as far as your hard work and talent can take you. We can never lose that essential truth — remain who we are.

I’ve always believed and I’ve told other world leaders America can be defined by one word: possibilities. After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure.

Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper of the flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love it too.

God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you for this great honor.

January 15, 2025

My added comment: For every person who is disheartened that 77 million Americans voted to bring Donald Trump back again but who refuses to acknowledge what is happening and listen to what is being said and pay attention to different views and try to ascertain the truth, well, that’s monkey business. I encourage you to heed Joe’s warning – no oligarchy allowed on our watch. Speak up!

Jimmy Carter: He Did It!

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas January 10, 2025 – In my post of July 23, 2024, I stated that Jimmy Carter was “the best-loved ‘after-president’ we’ve ever had.” And the proof of that continues. Everybody was pulling for Jimmy to reach his 100^th birthday on October 1. And he did it! Although Jimmy had been in home hospice care since February of last year, birthday greetings came from every direction, with a star-studded bash in Atlanta and a parade in Plains in his honor.

But Jimmy had an even bigger goal than going down in history as the only president to reach 100. He wanted to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for President in the November 5, 2024 election. And he did it! He sent his early ballot on October 16, with the guarantee that his vote would count even if he died before November 5.

Jimmy died December 29.

It was fitting, I think, that Kamala presented the eulogy at the service held in the Capitol Rotunda on January 8, 2025. Here are a few of her words:

We have heard much today and in recent days about President Carter’s impact in the four decades after he left the White House. Rightly so. Jimmy Carter established a new model for what it means to be a former president and leaves an extraordinary post-presidential legacy, from founding the Carter Center, which has helped advance global human rights and alleviate human suffering, to his public health work in Latin America and Africa, to his tireless advocacy for peace and democracy.

Throughout his life and career, Jimmy Carter retained a fundamental decency and humility. James Earl Carter Jr loved our country. He lived his faith, he served the people, and he left the world better than he found it. And in the end, Jimmy Carter’s works speak for him, louder than any tribute we can offer. May his life be a lesson for the ages and a beacon for the future.

January 9, 2025

Another packed service was held at the National Cathedral in DC at 10 AM on January 9. President Joe Biden delivered the eulogy there; former presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump were on row two; former vice presidents Al Gore and Mike Pence behind them. Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Melania Trump were there too; somber dark suits on a day to leave political differences behind for a bit.

Burial took place in Plains, Georgia in the late afternoon. Yes, he is buried beside Rosalynn, by a willow tree in the yard of the only home they ever owned.

Just as the motorcade arrived at the residence, the US Navy conducted a “Missing Man Formation” flyover, which means a single aircraft breaks away from the formation and soars skyward, symbolizing the departure of a life from the ranks.

“Today, Naval Aviators from Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic were honored to salute President Carter with a 21-plane flyover over his home in Plains, Georgia,” said Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic. “On behalf of the men and women of Naval Air Forces, we are grateful to commemorate the legacy of a leader who lived his life in service to our nation.”

And He Did It!

Wrapping it up, I chose a photo of Jimmy exiting a polling site in October 2005 in Monrovia, Liberia. Jimmy was 81 at the time, and he was out there monitoring an election. It’s just one of those things he did! He and Rosalyn founded the Carter Center in 1982; monitoring elections around the world to promote fair and free voting was just one thing on their agenda.

Read more about the Carter’s work; visit these sites. The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum was opened in 1986. The following year, buildings connected to Carter’s life were granted status as National Historic Sites and in 2021 were collectively renamed the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park.

Jimmy Carter Library https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/

Carter National Historic Site https://www.nps.gov/jica/index.htm

I picked out a few more of his “awards and honors” too:

• Carterpuri, a village in Haryana, India, was renamed in his honor after he visited in 1978.
• In 1998, the U.S. Navy named the third and final Seawolf-class submarine USS Jimmy Carter, honoring Carter and his service as a submarine officer.
• Carter received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, given in honor of human rights achievements, and the Hoover Medal, recognizing engineers who have contributed to global causes.
• Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

And look at this one:

• In November 2024, Carter received his 10th nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for audio recordings of his books. He has won three times—for Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis (2007), A Full Life: Reflections at 90 (2016), and Faith: A Journey For All (2018).

The man just never quit.

#46. Biden, Joseph Robinette Jr

Updated from Original Post of January 22, 2021 from Little Rock, Arkansas by Linda Lou Burton — Joseph Robinette Biden Jr (b 1942) is the 46^th president of the United States.

My Thoughts January 22, 2021

Besides what you’ve heard from media blasts, what do you know about the man? Probably what the latest media focus tells you, and which media you choose to listen to. To start with a basic fact, let’s take Joe’s birthdate. It is November 20, 1942, so yes, he’s the oldest elected president ever. Is that a bad thing? Maybe that depends on your age. Do you have respect for your elders? Or do you lean towards the theory that people “lose it” as they age? I was three years old when Joe was born, so in my mind, Joe hasn’t lost it, he “gets it.” He, and I, have lived through the scares and fears and patriotism of WWII and its aftermath; the conformity of the 50s when folks settled back into traditional roles, though civil rights issues began to grip our thinking. The 60s, 70s, 80s brought us Barbie, Vietnam, Moonwalks; women’s rights, gay rights, Watergate; hippies, me-first, greed, AIDS. We morphed into the 90s learning to depend on the internet, chatting with total strangers once the whine and click of “signing on” connected us to the world beyond. We got mail! We eased into a new century despite doomsday forecasts of our worldly systems shutting down. We got hooked on technology and upping our range; our phones became cameras; Bluetooth, Facebook, YouTube became our crutch; Twitter and Going Viral became the norm.

Then came 2020, “the worst year ever” is its label now; it slapped us hard. A virus? As the year wore on, our disbelief turned into shrieks of blame; or avoidance of the issue. We quarantined at home, or we did not. We masked our faces, or we did not. We were angry, disillusioned, unemployed, sad. We canceled plans, and dreams. Buried feelings festered as we sat at home, losing sight of what had been our normal life. Small irritations grew large. We missed the human touch. When you can’t be in the world yourself, you reach for promises, hoping somebody knows what to do.

That is the world as Joe Biden steps into the role of leadership in 2021. What a plate of hoo-ha we’ve handed him to deal with! Can we trust him to do it? Joe is not perfect. But he has lived through vastly changing times, as humans have behaved badly, and then regretted it; as thinking has changed with lessons learned. Joe has done some really good things in his lifetime; and apologized for a lot of things he regrets. Joe has experienced great loss; he was sworn into his first role as a Senator in 1973 in the hospital, just after his wife and infant daughter died in a tragic accident that injured his young sons. He has been a single parent, but moved on into a second marriage with Jill Jacobs, now in its 44^th year. He has fathered four children – Beau, Hunter, Naomi, Ashley – and has seven grandchildren today. He has a sister and two brothers, Valerie, Jim, and Frank. His parents – Joseph Sr and Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden – lived long, into their 80s and 90s; they died in 2002 and 2010; his oldest son Beau had too short a life; he died in 2015 at the age of 46. Various members of his family have made him proud, and at times given reason for concern, but he’s always been a family man, and a man of faith. Records show that Joe lived a basically middle-class life; his parents dealt with both good times and hard times. Joe had to overcome a speech impediment; his college years were not extraordinary. But Joe persevered. Joe gets it.

A lot of people like Joe Biden. Let’s look at his elective record, since 1970, when he was 28 years old, just starting out there in Delaware:

• 1970 County Councilor, 10,573 votes or 55% of total
• 1972 US Senator, 116,006 votes or 50% of total
• 1978 US Senator, 93,930 votes or 58% of total
• 1984 US Senator, 147,831 votes or 60% of total
• 1990 US Senator, 112,918 votes or 63% of total
• 1996 US Senator, 165,465 votes or 60% of total
• 2002 US Senator, 135,235 votes or 58% of total
• 2008 US Senator, 257,484 votes or 53% of total
• 2008 US Vice President, 69,498,516 votes or 53% of total
• 2012 US Vice President, 69,915,795 votes or 51% of total
• 2020 US President, 81,268,757 votes or 51% of total

That adds up to 217,722,528 times people “voted for Joe” in the last 50 years. And 81,268,757 people who want Joe to be our President for the next four years. If you are one of them, or if you are not, you need to read what he said in his Inaugural Address on January 20, as he accepted the job we elected him to do; all 2,514 words of it. It’s a declaration of intent, filled with purpose, and closing with a sacred oath. It’s a request to each of us to do our part; a leader is there to lead, to enable us to be the best that we can be. A great America is a cooperative effort. Wear your mask. Get your vaccination. Help your neighbor. Listen before you leap. See the possibilities.

I share with you a few lines of that Inaugural Address that were most meaningful to me.

From President Joe Biden

Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders – leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation — to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.

I understand that many Americans view the future with some fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs, about taking care of their families, about what comes next. I get it. But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don’t look like you do, or worship the way you do, or don’t get their news from the same sources you do.

We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.

We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility. If we’re willing to stand in the other person’s shoes just for a moment. Because here is the thing about life: There is no accounting for what fate will deal you.

There are some days when we need a hand. There are other days when we’re called on to lend one. That is how we must be with one another. And, if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future….in the work ahead of us, we will need each other.

My fellow Americans, I close today where I began, with a sacred oath. Before God and all of you I give you my word.

• I will always level with you.
• I will defend the Constitution.
• I will defend our democracy.
• I will defend America.
• I will give my all in your service thinking not of power, but of possibilities.

My Thoughts August 23, 2024

That’s what Joe had to say back in 2021. He considered running for a second term, but on July 21, 2024 endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for this essential leadership role as our 47th President of the United States. The Democratic Party held its convention in Chicago in August and nominated Kamala Harris;  she selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate and on August 22 gave her acceptance speech, asking that we move forward, past the divisive battles of the past, not as one party or faction, but together as Americans.

Think about what those fellows intended back in 1788 when they were trying to get a country going. We were just 4 million people back then, and we didn’t have insta-hate available at our fingertips. Today we are  337 million people (and 1 more added every 28 seconds).  What a mess we can make of things! OR NOT.  It is essential that we play nice on the playground.

My grandson understood that when he was four years old. We’d gone to the playground, where he headed straight for the slide. A little guy, maybe two years old, kept breaking in line. Matthew watched this for about three turns as the child pushed and kicked anyone in his way; he watched the reactions of the other kids; he watched the child’s mother standing at the sidelines, saying nothing. Then, to my surprise, Matthew approached the mother, and quietly said “Maam, your son’s behavior on the playground is unacceptable. May I show him how to make friends?” The mother stared at him a moment, but nodded “Go ahead.”

Matthew approached the little boy and said “Hey bud, let’s stand together.” The boy took Matthew’s outstretched hand and they approached the ladder, talking as they waited their turn. At the top the little fellow seated himself in Matthew’s lap, then squealing, happy, down the slide and back around, high fives with everyone in line.

If a four year old can make that much difference in his tiny bit of the world, surely the rest of us can.