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New Chapter

I have another chapter of "Agent Shield and Spaceman," my serialized web fiction about weird espionage during the Cold War. My goal was to finish this project in November which is not going to happen but I am on track to finish this either shortly before or after the New Year. Thank you as always for your readership and support. It is greatly appreciated.

I don't know where to start. An article today in Politico stated that Obama gave his staff a week and a half to feel down and dispirited after Nov. 8th but then he needed them to fight by Thanksgiving. I myself feel that it is time to pull myself out of the useless rage and churlish depression I sunk into after Trump became president.

I was wrong. Lots of people were wrong. In moments of honesty (whenever those happen) I'm sure Trump was surprised he won. Whatever. He's here and already doing exactly what people figured he'd do - break any promise that doesn't directly help him, his family, and fat cats like him. 

What I'm going to write now goes doubly for me, so please don't take it as criticism. We need to do better.

Yesterday, Trump suffered the first unquestionable defeat since the election - settling out of court the Trump University suit for $25 million. His lame explanation for the settlement came through a tweet saying he no longer had time to fight the case. As if. Please, understand this news for what it is; Trump saying that the institution with his name on the letterhead was a scam meant to defraud people. I only wish American voters could get the same deal when Trump leaves office.

I went to bed last night after the first tweets about Pence getting booed and then addressed by the cast of Hamilton. The speech I include below because it does reveal how to handle the appearance of a craven homophobe in the audience with admirable grace and poise. It's an inspiring statement and if it encourages you, by all means, celebrate it. But understand that Pence was not sent to last night's performance of "Hamilton," as an olive branch to Blue States. This was a provocation meant to distract from Trump's humiliating loss in the Trump U suit. I am as guilty as anyone in tweeting and retweeting righteous outrage that our President-elect would claim Pence was being insulted. Not to put too fine a point on it, who cares if Pence gets booed or not? Who cares if someone says something mean to Trump? We already know Trump can't take criticism and that he will lash back. 

I care what Trump is doing to weaken our country. I care about seeing Trump start to lose fights. Not just lose a debate on social media or get rough treatment on cable news. I mean defeated, beaten, humiliated and cast back to the gilded cage of Trump Tower to spend the rest of his life in powerless rage.

"Hamilton" is the argument that Trump wants to have. He is fully aware of how the American public view Pence. Blue staters like me think he is worse in many ways than Trump and red staters think any criticism of him is a criticism of them and their life-style. This entire debate is fourth dimensional chess. Trump did these kind of outrage-cycle judo moves throughout the primary and the general campaigns and now he's going to do them as president. 

The one constant of Trump is that he might change what he says, but he never changes how he acts.

If we are going to beat him, we must recognize how he beat us and stop falling for his games.


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