Chapter Eight: Hitchhiking Trips, Part One

                                         Rachel's Dad

                       Chapter Eight: Hitchhiking Trips 

Rachel had heard stories of her dad's hitchhiking trips. Occasionally he related one, usually in connection with a topic already being discussed. For instance, sometimes when the topic of travel and cost might be broached, he would remind whoever was in attendance that the use of one's thumb to travel long distances was reasonably efficient, and remarkably inexpensive. 

Still, here she was, knee deep in his journals which he kept during those years of his youth, and as the trips unfolded. Additionally, there were his writings about those trips which he began compiling as part of his attempt to document his life, an endeavor that progressed but was never finished.

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I made three inter state hitchhiking trips, one in 1980 and two in 1981. The first occurred the summer after I moved from my parents home to live with a very nice woman named Mary Ellen, in Willow Grove, PA. The second one was to specifically visit a young lady who was part of our core group of friends after she moved to the Rochester, New York area. And the last was to Houston, TX to visit my good friends Mike who procured a job there after college graduation and Audrey, who had been dating Mike for a few years during his college days.

Upon reflection, it is difficult to imagine what was in my head at the time. A desire to continue the wanderlust I had started with the previous year's bus trips? The need to be different, and/or to get attention? A bit of cruel payback to my parents who, as their first child, over protected me as new parents often do? Perhaps even a search for myself, or for a meaning to life, although cliche as that sounds, was certainly in my head consistently during those years.

I kept many journals during my young adulthood, but, at this time, cannot find the one I kept for the first, and longest, hitchhiking trip which means that I am compiling the following summary while relying only on memory, perhaps useful for a based-on-a-true story novel but which most likely will product some fuzziness and convergence of events as opposed to just the facts, ma'am. 

Before leaving, I learned to juggle thinking it might provide a useful prop to obtain rides, although I could never get past 3 balls at once and rarely actually juggled on the highways I traversed. 

The longest trip, that summer of 1980, was also inspired by a man I met at my cousin's wedding earlier that year. Alan lived in Vail, Colorado, and when hearing of my desire to travel, told me I was welcome at his place if I ever got there. Again, this was before everyone owned a cell phone, and frankly, I don't recall contacting him before I left, but after a modicum of planning, off I went, west, with very few personal items, very little money, an Instamatic camera, a not very specific plan other than to go to Vail first, and a pocket 3" x 5" roadmap which depicted all the states and Canadian provinces. In my mind I guess I expected to get rides from truckers who might even utilize their CB radios to hand me off to another driver, heading west. That was to be the first of many assumptions that I would be wrong about. 

I was able to reach West Virginia that first day, Wheeling, to be exact. As darkness settled, I realized that I would be sleeping outside that night, under the stars. As it turned out, the romance of such a thought was tempered by the reality, which was that I found an business store complex that was unoccupied at night, as they tend to be, and hunkered down at the doorstep of a veterinarian's office. I debated the wisdom of being close to an overhead light or finding a dark spot as if hiding, eventually choosing the former, for no logical reason.

During the 2nd day, I was able to reach western Ohio. At this point, I was picked up by a young man in a yellow VW beetle who was going to Las Vegas. I was able to convince him to alter his planned route a bit to take me to Vail, which he agreed to, I assume, to have the company. We were together all that day, then overnight, then most of the next day. At some point he asked me my last name; we were both shocked to discover that our 8 letter last names were exactly the same except for one letter, the second, mine a U, his an A. There were a few times during my days on the road that I imagined that there was some kind of fate or universal energy at work for me, and this was the first of those times.

He dropped me at Alan's door in Vail. 

To my surprise, I wasn't the only young person using Alan's place as a way station. I spent a night or two there, sleeping on the living room floor among the other temporary visitors. 

Having realized that it might be a good idea to have a tent on my travels, what one might call a V-8 moment, I borrowed one from Alan before heading off to the Grand Teton/Yellowstone National Parks. 

I recall that I thought I might reach the parks in one day, but as it turned out I was forced to pitch my tent at a community park somewhere in Wyoming. Well, at least that is what the sign said, although it looked more like someone's extended yard that was designated a park just to reduce the taxes and upkeep. I slept spottily, but did learn how to put up my new tent. 

The next morning, I set out again, and was picked up rather quickly by a man going to work. He asked me if I had eaten breakfast, which I hadn't, and then proceeded to stop at a local diner. Not only was he generous enough to pay for my morning meal, he told me to grab as much change as I could reach from his back seat after we dined and were on the road again. It was more than a few dollars, as most of the coins were quarters, and would not be the first time that a stranger bought me a meal, or gave me a bit of money.

Quick note here. If you have never been to Wyoming, at least at that time, the one stereotype that was absolutely true was that there are oil derricks all over the place. Nothing huge, just 10, 12 foot derricks bobbing their heads up and down as they removed oil from the ground. Additionally, outside of the few cities such as Cheyenne, Laramie, and of course Jackson Hole, there is a whole lotta space. Wide open space, but also still dotted with derricks.

Anyway, I arrived at the parks the afternoon after leaving Vail, snapping pictures of the Tetons with my Instamatic through the window of the car. And again, that night, the tent was of great use.

I stayed a few days, hitching around Yellowstone, which was quite easy, seeing the sights, meeting people, many my age. It was at Yellowstone that I met the Swansons, (see Chapter Eleven.) It was also at Yellowstone that I got a sunburn on my face, fairly serious, as I made the typical tourist mistake of lounging in a hot spring for a considerable length of time, without sunscreen. To be honest, I didn't pack sunscreen so it wasn't like I forgot to use it, but again, times were different then and sunscreen wasn't used as regularly as today.

The ride back "home" was uneventful, although like the rides I accepted throughout my travels, I didn't always take the most direct route, instead sometimes choosing to just be inside a car going in the general direction, as opposed to stranded on the side of the road.  

I relaxed for a couple of days in Vail, then decided to go all the way west, to California. I can't say that I hadn't planned that all along, but it is also true that never having hitchhiked before, I did not necessarily believe that I might actually be able to go that far, east coast to west coast. But, the quick trip to Yellowstone, in addition to the bevy of nice people I had met already, convinced me to try.

I left Vail, again, naive, if not determined.

For those of you who haven't driven across America, as opposed to flying overhead, the lands between western Colorado and western Nevada are desolate, could even be called dangerous, if you get stranded, or lost. Of course, I was clueless, so off I went.

Fortunately, just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado, I was picked up by a young man going to the Lake Tahoe area in Nevada, which meant that I would need just one ride to cross Utah and Nevada. Unlike my ride from Ohio to Vail, this driver was not adverse to drinking as we talked and traveled. 

And did we drink. 

While I was not acquainted with 3.2 beer before the trip, I soon became very familiar with it. Good news was that you can consume more than would be typical of a 5% beer. Bad news is that from the afternoon, through the next day until we arrived in Provo, Utah, we drank the good part of a case.

While that night wasn't the first that I would spend sleeping in a car with my head against the passenger side window, it was the only night I spent sleeping in a car perched on 2nd base in a baseball field in a community park. When we awoke with the sunrise the next day, we hurriedly sped off the field and back on the road, laughing, quietly, due to our hangover, but still laughing.

As I have mentioned more than once, I never considered before embarking on this trip, about such mundane issues like where I would sleep, where and when I would eat, what I would do if I got stranded, how and where I would shower, not to mention where I might find a bathroom. To be honest, I guess I thought like Forest who, when asked about his running jag, said, "when I got tired I slept, when I got hungry I ate, and when I had to go, you know, I went". But, in retrospect, I'll be damned if I remember actually going.

From the Reno, Nevada area I was fortunate enough to get a ride to San Francisco where I did some sight seeing with the driver who brought me there. The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and just walking around the city. At this point, I parted from my newest transportation buddy, and decided to head to Los Angeles. 

I had been to the LA area once before, as part of my two week bus ride the year before where I stayed with people that were somewhat related to me. I am fuzzy on the details but I do remember being picked up and eventually dropped off at the bus station and that the gentleman who did so was a big Dodger fan. 

The other time I was there, a few years later, was when I was fortunate enough to attend the 1984 Olympics, during which I went to Dodger Stadium to see a few baseball games associated with the Olympics. (More on that trip and my 1976 Olympic adventure later.)

As sometimes occurs when hitchhiking, I didn't make it to LA. Somewhere near Salinas, California, I was picked up by a man driving a rather old, somewhat worse for wear, Cadillac. I climbed into the back seat and was immediately struck with the knowledge that there were already two other hitchhikers in the car. The driver could have been the actor in the Marlboro cigarette commercials of the day; cowboy hat, sun weathered face, cigarette dangling from his mouth.

After a bit, we arrived in Coalinga, California. Collectively, we were told by Marlboro Man that he had business in town, and we could hang out and wait for him or be on our way. The other two guys, who it turned out were hitching together, departed while I decided to wait for further options.

When he emerged, he had good news and bad news. The bad news was that he could not conclude his business yet, but we could go to a local bar and have a few drinks while we waited. The good news was....I guess there really wasn't good news from my perspective, as I wouldn't be getting any closer to my destination, but as Coalinga was no longer on the way to LA, I needed a new direction anyway.

We walked to a near by bar, and must have looked a pair, Marlboro Man and long-haired hippy guy. But soon we were laughing and chatting as if our relationship wasn't just a few hours old. As time went by, two things became clear. First, that he would not be able to finish the business he was hoping to wrap up, which, as it turned out, was to be paid for some electrical work he had done. Second, that we were getting drunk. As the empty bottles piled up, we ate some food to help absorb the alcohol, but after all those 3.2 beers I had consumed earlier in the trip, I was not ready for that many full strength beers.

When he got up to make a phone call, I started wondering what I was going to do for shelter as darkness was well on its way. Of course, being drunk, the urgency of the matter wasn't quite as compelling as it probably should have been.

About fifteen minutes after he returned to the table, a woman strode into the bar, walking straight towards us, shouting rather loudly, and in a manner which bespoke anger.

"What are you doing?", she began. "You're not bringing another stray home!" she exclaimed. "Remember what happened last time?"

I was stunned, while Marlboro Man did not respond. She sat down at the table, in as aggressive a manner as I had ever witnessed, and began the questions and accusations again, although with less volume. It took a while, but a few beers for her later, the tension had lifted. To this day, I can't remember Marlboro Man's name, but I will never forget his wife, Wanda.

Anyway, they invited me to stay with them, on a hunting ranch that they managed outside of Coalinga, California. Of course, first we had to get there. I was chosen to drive the Cadillac while following Wanda in her car, as Marlboro Man was wasted. Fortunately, I was able to keep her in view as we maneuvered out of town and into the nearby hills. I say hills because it was dark and all I knew was that we were in a constant upwards direction along switchbacks that seemed no wider than one car width, the rocks and trees of the hill to my left, darkness to my right. It was only when I was eventually taken back into town to continue my travels, that I realized just how dangerous the road had been, and how lucky I was to have navigated it successfully.

I stayed with them about a week sleeping in the bunk house that was used for the hunters who came to shoot the wild animals that roamed within the boundaries of the ranch. There were no booked hunts while I was there, so I was the only occupant for that week. It was very hot every day. I lounged on the property, reading, writing, sleeping. After a few days I got the impression that I could stay at long as I wanted, having ingratiated myself with Wanda, which I guess meant that I hadn't stolen anything and run off, as had, apparently, a previous stray. I also gathered that they had a son but were estranged, which explained Marlboro Man's penchant for providing transportation to strange young men.

Despite the ease at which they allowed me to live, no demands on my time other than conversation, I thought it best to leave when Marlboro Man told me he had to go into town and stay for a few days as he had been hired for his electrician's skills. He gave me the choice to accompany him to start on my way, or stay with Wanda until he returned. Wanda did not encourage me one way or the other. I decided to be on my way and received an extended hug and a bag with some food for the road from Wanda, then a hearty handshake and good wishes from Marlboro Man when we separated in town. 

For a few years I wrote letters to them and sent Christmas cards but never received anything back. I often wondered if they found that replacement son at some point. 

Three years later there was a pretty serious earthquake that struck the town, causing $10 million in damage, injuring 94 people but with no fatalities. The downtown area where I had drank multiple beers with my two new friends was severely damaged. Total destruction, 309 single family homes and 33 apartment buildings, major damage, 558 single family homes, 94 mobile homes and 39 apartment buildings and minor damage, 811 single family homes, 22 mobile homes, and 70 apartment buildings. I knew that their ranch was quite a ways from the center of town but still sent silent good wishes their way for a few weeks after reading of the earthquake.

During my stay, I had decided to head towards Yosemite National Park at some point although, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be returning to Coalinga or going to some other not yet determined destination. It was to be the first of a few decisions that I made, to keep on keeping on in this case, that would change the course of my life, even though I wasn't necessarily cognizant of it at the time.

 

 

 

 

The Smithsonian Magazine

I have many posts from this blog about articles I have read in the Smithsonian Magazine. I also have mentioned a time or two that my wife and I visited DC with our children a number of times when they were young, with stops at the zoo as well as the various Smithsonian Museums. And, as a young adult, I hitchhiked to DC a time or two to visit my cousin who worked at the Pentagon, and to tour the sites of the city. The idea that a family can visit our nation's capital and tour so many interesting and educational buildings, for free, has always filled me with a sense of pride that we, the people, continue to support this endeavor with our tax money. And, in addition to providing such enjoyable opportunities for our own population to learn about America, we do the same for people not fortunate enough to have been born here. As far as I know, there is no other city on Earth where visitors can stroll through multiple buildings and learn about the home country's history, accomplishments, and yes, even failures without a fee. 

It is for all this, that it pains me to read about the attacks on the Smithsonian that the current administration has unleashed. Just a few days ago, I saw a (Fox) news article detailing how horrible one of the lead administrators of the Smithsonian is, and how she should resign. More than once, the author used the word "bile" to describe what they considered some of the exhibits in one of the Smithsonian buildings, in addition to the scathing report released by the White House which calls the institute, and its take on American history, as overly focused on our nation's shortcomings, which causes a reduction in love for our country and divisiveness among the citizens.

I just finished reading the summer edition of the Smithsonian, a larger than usual production that celebrated America's 250th birthday. After reading it cover to cover, as I do all the editions of this fine magazine, I was struck by the thought that those people attacking the Smithsonian must not actually read the magazine, or visit the various museums. That they either here from someone who saw or read one thing they didn't like, and so they prefer to focus on just one article or exhibit out of thousands, even ten of thousands,  to deride and condemn the entire organization, a path made so much easier with the "anti-woke" mentality that has infected so many state legislative bodies as well as the White House itself.

As I have said multiple times in the past, it is possible to hold two thoughts in one's head at the same time, or should be, at least. So, yes, one can be proud of the plethora of accomplishments that America and its citizens have achieved in the last 250 years, while also acknowledging that sometimes we have fallen short, exceedingly short of the ideals of our founding documents. 

Should we spend all of our energies discussing the mistakes? No, but neither should we pretend that egregious mistakes didn't occur, and that people didn't suffer and die due to them. In the end, it is really a matter of percentages, and whether you prefer a 50-50 approach or 90-10, the vast majority of people agree that a 100% focus, in either direction, is wrong.

So, highlights, for me, from the June-July-August issue of the Smithsonian.

As is so often the case, the Smithsonian provides insight into people and achievements both little known and mainstream. This particular issue broke its articles into three types; Life, Liberty and Happiness. But before those sections, was a wonderful introduction to the issue as a whole from the Smithsonian Secretary, Lonnie Bunch III as well as an in-depth article about Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense.

Bunch's intro, called "A Common Thread" discussed the nation's innovative spirit that was woven into our cultural, social and constitutional ideas, a truly unifying approach, while the discussion about Thomas Paine emphasized his sometimes overlooked importance to the early push for independence, as well as the formative documents which we now cherish. Of course, the article goes beyond the infantile belief that America and the ideals it represents was somehow divinely inspired by providing a direct connection from Paine's words to the scientific discoveries of Newton, specifically the idea of a balance and equality that existed in the heavens.  

When I hear people proclaim that our rights are God-given, it amuses me, knowing that the very idea that kings were born, by divine direction, to lead nations was widely believed throughout the history of humanity, used by Pharaohs as well as the patriarchs of all the European dynasties, it is painfully obvious that they would scoff at the idea that everyday people have any rights other than those they granted them. The concept of regular men, (although not women or minorities, at this point) might have rights not historically granted by the divine leaders, was revolutionary. And Paine's Common Sense, distributed widely in England as well as the colonies, was a major catalyst for the ideals of forming a nation which reflected such an idea, as well as the rejection of divinely dictated leadership through birth. Again, in our current age where acolytes of DJT express support for a third term or immunity from prosecution of crimes, I can't help but wonder how men like Paine would react.

The Life section featured short articles about Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine, Margaret Fuller and her writings in support of women decades before women gained the right to vote, Aldo Leopold who championed environmental conservation, the research into improving our method of detecting planets with Earth-like environments, and the early attempts at creating computers that could think.

After these pieces was a very illuminating article about the birth of the use of anesthesia, and the controversy surrounding those who tried to take credit for it, followed by an extended story about a man trying to retrace the steps of what he described as the first tourist trail in America which was detailed in the first travel guide (of America), published in 1822. Fascinating.

From there, the Liberty section, with articles about Ben Franklin's alter egos (used when he wrote opinion letters and articles), an early 18th century woman inventor (whose early patents had to be issued in her husband's name since women weren't allowed to hold patents), a quick blurb about Washington's decision not to be president for life as was considered at the time, as well as a nod to the few presidents who hold patents for their discoveries. 

Additional articles discussed the importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as Frederick Douglass's speeches which also defined the evil of slavery and the point of the Civil War, the beginning of journalism that established the idea of reporting as fact finding as opposed to biased reports meant to alter opinions, a look back at the mothers who inspired suffrage for women even though they never voted themselves, as well as a review of child labor laws that put children in schools rather than working dangerous jobs which their size made for a good fit, safety be damned.

The Liberty section also has articles about Woodrow Wilson and his attempts to provide labor rights for the everyday worker who lacked sick and holiday time off, not to mention safe working conditions, an article about Ella Baker, an early proponent of civil rights for Blacks, a very interesting item about Sequoyah's invention of the Cherokee syllabary which led to a literate rate among his people that rivaled European countries, and finally the story about how the Dewey decimal system was invented, yes by a man named Melvil Dewey, an underrated invention which enabled the proliferation of information that marked the late 19th century to be organized in libraries making it easier to store, and then find, the books that a library holds.

From there are a few more extended articles, one on the beginnings of storm chasing and understanding thunderstorms which led to today's (mostly) accurate weather reports about upcoming storms, and then an incredibly compelling story about Alan Lomax, a man who recorded tens of thousands of songs, the authentic songs of America, as he put it.

Finally, the Happiness section with articles about the first cooking manual published in America "The Virginia House-Wife", published in 1824 by Mary Randolph, the origin of frozen food as developed by Clarence Birdseye, an article about innovations in sports that changed each, the influence of adolescents (a mid 20th century invention of America) on pop culture ever since, an interesting story about the # sign (hashtag) and it's power to drive conversation, a quick hitter about the cellphone, an origin story about hip-hop, another origin story, this one about comics, a history of Irna Phillips and the "soap" opera, and an article about the early history of the console (video) game industry and a few of the unheralded inventors who moved it along.

Finally, a multi-page article about Georgia O'Keefe, one of America's signature artists, a woman who rejected the style of painting that existed around the world, instead focusing of painting "what she saw", and what she saw was American landscapes.

Sometimes we, as Americans, forget that our nation is only 250 years old. That when compared to the Old Countries, let alone the history of China and Asia, we are at the very end of the timeline of humanity's existence. Yet the accomplishments that have emanated during our brief history seem outsized, almost as if nothing happened before us, at least not when considering how we live our lives today.  

Perhaps that is a bit of false pride, but it doesn't negate the powerful influence on the world that America has generated since 1776. I am fine with those who say we have been a force for good, as long as we acknowledge that some of the greatest achievements made by Americans throughout history were accomplished by people, or the children of people who were born outside our borders. We were once proud to be called the melting pot of the world, yet now seem to think we don't need anyone else. That, being successful, we can now determine who is more American than others, or who deserves to have a shot at the advantages that our country can still provide. 

They say pride goes before the fall, and so I worry that our pride in boasting about our accomplishments without acknowledging our failures, puts us on that very path. For me, having a magazine and an institution like the Smithsonian to remind us of both, is the vaccine we just might need to avoid the destiny that so many other great nations have experienced throughout human history. 

  

 

Project Hail Mary (The Movie)

Since my wife and I missed seeing the movie "Project Hail Mary" on the big screen when it was first released, we were glad to see that it had come to a streaming service that we subscribed to.

First, for those of you unfamiliar with the movie, it is based on a book written by Andy Weir. And for those unfamiliar with Andy Weir, he is also the author of The Martian, which was made into a movie starring Matt Damon, and was released the year following the publication of the book, in 2015. 

In the case of "Project Hail Mary", a little more time passed from the book release to the movie; book published 2021, movie released this year. Just to complete the thought, after researching Weir, I decided to search for other books he wrote and found "Artemis". Both myself and my wife have now read it and we recommend it although, while like The Martian and Project Hail Mary it is a futuristic novel, and all the action takes place in space, in the case of Artemis, on the moon, the main character is not a man, and is not a story that exalts American space exploration and/or the ingenuity and dominance that has been the history of space travel; just in case that matters to you.

So, back to "Project Hail Mary".

The basic premise of the movie is that scientists have discovered that the sun, our sun, is dying, which means that human life on Earth is at risk. An obscure high school teacher who had postulated a theory about the science behind the sun's dying is recruited to embark on a mission to a place many light years away where there appears to be a solar system with the existence of the same deadly material but that is not, apparently, in danger. 

The mission, of course, is called Project Hail Mary as even those who believe in the possibility that their assumptions are correct and that there may be a way to figure out and replicate whatever is unique that is protecting this planet, they also realize that the chances of actually accomplishing this feat are low. For those of you who don't know why the term Hail Mary means long shot, the most obvious example is in American football when the quarterback flings the ball as far as he can on the last play of the game in hopes of a miracle catch and touchdown. The fact that such a play has actually worked a few times, even though the other team knows it is coming, makes it even more of a miracle. 

Now, to be honest, when I used the word recruited, that was an misnomer as the main character, Ryland Grace, as played by Ryan Gosling, is actually drugged and kidnapped, then sent on the mission, a fact that becomes clear to him not right away, so also not right away to the audience. The fact that the two other astronauts sent with him have died during the long hibernation, also doesn't help.  

When an alien spacecraft docks with Grace's, he realizes that it is made of a material that is totally foreign to life on Earth, and that, in fact, the alien itself is made of what appears to be rock, so naturally, Grace calls him Rocky. As it turns out, Rocky is also the last being alive on his space ship, which was also on a mission to save his own planet from the same fate as Earth.

Grace and Rocky figure out a way to communicate, then actually solve the question as to why the planet they have traveled to seems immune to the catastrophe that is effecting every other planet. 

To be honest, it is a cute story, the tried and true man meets rock, man and rock bond tale. Considering that so many Earthlings are caught up in the hate and kill cycle, even though we share virtually all of the same DNA (especially when compared to a man and a rock), one could connclude that the author (and movie producer) wish to teach by example. Of course, there are those that might consider such a story "woke", which even makes the lesson more relevant. I mean, can you imagine, a man forming a relationship with a rock without discussing religion, and an alien to boot, most likely with no papers.

To further hammer home the analogy, during the attempt to capture the element that appears to be the reason why this star is immune to the galaxy wide dilemma, Grace becomes unconscious and it appears that he will perish. Rocky, having joined Grace on his ship, is encased in a bubble that allows him to maneuver around without suffering from the damaging effects of oxygen. 

In true Hollywood fashion, Rocky breaks out of his bubble and saves Grace but appears to die in the process. But only temporarily, as Rocky just needed some time to recuperate. The friends then part ways, each on their way to their home planet with the cure in hand. But then Grace realizes that the cure has breached the breeding tanks and is consuming his fuel, but worse, that the same thing will happen to Rocky except that he and his ship are made of the material that is being destroyed, and that Rocky will not have a way to alter the tragedy that awaits him. 

Grace sends the miraculous info back to earth along with the samples, then reverses course to overtake Rocky's ship, even though he knows that he won't have enough fuel to return to Earth. Self sacrifice for an entity as unlike himself as one could imagine. Talk about a lesson from the Mount!

In the end, Earth is saved from the prospect of the dying sun, and Grace is built an earth-like biodome on Rocky's home planet where he teaches Science to Eridian children. A teacher again.

Now, I haven't read the book, so I have no way of knowing how true to the movie it is. But, assuming it is relatively close to the book's intent, it is certainly a feel-good movie of the highest order. And, like The Martian, has a happy ending.

Speaking of which, Artemis also has a happy ending.  

I am glad that Weir prefers happy endings to his space books, considering all the crap happening all around us on our home planet. And, at least for "Project Hail Mary", the alien is kind, not like those in Independence Day. 

I watched the end of "Earth Girls Are Easy" starring Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum yesterday. To be honest, I never saw it all the way through, and after watching it, I hadn't really missed much. Except, again, the aliens were nice guys. 

I hope that as the broadcast signals of movies like "Project..." make their way through the vastness of space, that they bring a message of peace to any civilization that receives them. That they represent Earth to them as a place with people that would be good spacemates, good neighbors, a civilized people. Kind of like the aliens in "Galaxy Quest" who, even though they thought that Gilligan's Island was real, looked upon us as people to meet, perhaps even be friends. 

Wouldn't that be a kick, that we end up with a better reputation outside our solar system than we seem to have among ourselves here on Earth. 

 

What May Come 2

In March of 2025, I posted my thoughts on what may come during the second DJT term.

Here is a link to that post. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-may-come.html 

The good news is that some of the things I thought might occur have not. For instance, despite my correct prediction that American citizens would be killed in our streets, and that large protests against the Trump administration would occur, martial law has not been declared anywhere. Now, it is true that as punishment for those American citizens who reside in states which did not vote GOP, there have been various "investigations", national guard deployments, and increased ICE activities, the ultimate weapon of martial law has not been used. While I am grateful for being wrong on that account, I still stand behind the prediction that it may still be utilized.

Related to the killing of American citizens, Bruce Springsteen provided an answer to my question as to who would follow in Neil Young's footprints and create a song about death in our streets.  

I was also wrong about a national abortion ban. While there may still be some action towards that direction, still may be calls to revive the Comstock Act as a way to outlaw the mailing of mifepristone (especially when Todd Blanche is confirmed as Attorney General), I am hopeful that there is not enough time before the midterms to get that done. Doesn't mean Trump may not try an executive action along those lines, or that RFK Jr might not sway the FDA to change its rulings about drugs used for abortion, but for now, I am, again, grateful to be wrong.

I did expect that childhood diseases might increase due to the vaccine hesitancy that has been driven by RFK Jr's worm addled brain, and am not surprised that we are having record food borne illnesses considering the attacks against science and the government workers who have worked under the radar to inspect and regulate those businesses who produce our food. Let's not forget to praise Musk and DOGE for some of this as well.

I also touched on the possibility of a resurgence of American imperialism, which was right on the mark considering the forced removal of Venezuela's leader, not to mention the Iran War. While I admit that I didn't see the actual war in Iran coming, knowing that the concept of potentially interrupting the flow of oil was the main reason why previous administrations did not attempt what we now see is a disastrous plan, at least the oil companies are raking in huge profits. Certainly their perspective has always been the prime driver of our Middle East foreign policy, even before Trump. Now, at least it is out in the open! 

And yes, gay marriage is still the law of the land, having not been returned to the states. Again, glad to be wrong, but I have little faith that the Supreme Court may use the same logic (or lack thereof) the decide that since the founders didn't mention gay marriage in any of their documents or writings, there is no historical justification for using the Bill of Rights or the Constitution to guarantee such a right. Perhaps it might be another one of the rulings of the Roberts Court, along with Citizens United, Dobbs and the recent Humphreys Executor, not to mention the patently ridiculous and offensive ruling that presidents are immune to prosecution while in office, that will change the landscape of American politics, economics, and society. Pretty good for an institution that claims not to buck precedent or make laws! 

I ended that post with the sincere hope that I would be wrong in some of most dire predictions, and I am glad to have been right (or wrong) in a few areas. 

But, as I witness a man who can never admit any mistakes, has surrounded himself with sycophants who knowingly hide the truth from him, or, are just using him to get what they want, such as Stephen Miller, the ultimate racist, a man who can't help but brag about himself while belittling every other leader, past US presidents included, who prefers to ruin the lives of American citizens (see David Hearn) and those seeking to become Americans (see all those he has rounded up, even at actual asylum hearings, even some with sons, spouses, children serving in our military), someone who continues to talk about $2 gas being a thing, inflation being over, affordability being a Democrat scam, a leader (supposed) who now bandies about the "communist" description for anyone who disagrees with him (having zoomed right past the S word, S for socialist), I still expect some kind of federal intervention in the November elections. 

That is already a fact in his executive order concerning mail in ballots and his attempt to compel the United State Post Office to screen mail in ballots in states that do not change their election rules to suit him.

Whether DJT decides to run for a third term to further challenge and poop upon our Constitution, or merely becomes content with enriching himself and his family in the next two years, it is hard to fathom anything not to outrageous for him to attempt, and for the GOP controlled Congress to allow. While it seems that the Dems might control the House after November, again, most likely after Trump declares some of the results invalid, and/or pushes Mike Johnson not to seat those Dems who helped flip the House (Johnson being one of the worst House leaders in my lifetime, considering that he doesn't lead as much as take orders), I don't expect the Senate to flip so there will be another two years of Congressional impotency.

And executive orders like no one has even seen, to quote the man who exaggerates and lies like no president in our history.

Finally, the stock market is currently on a record run. I struggle mightily with this trend. On one hand, my selfish instincts are happy that my nest egg is growing and that I should continue to be able to live comfortably, despite the outrageous prices at the pump (drill baby drill not withstanding), and the inflationary pressures that are preventing the Fed from lowering interest rates.

Yet my personal outlook is completely overpowered by the knowledge that should the market continue to rise, some people will continue to vote for Republicans for that one reason only. They will ignore the fact that millions of their fellow citizens have lost their health insurance, that student loan debt continues to manacle those under 30, that we our government is actively rounding up hard working people (and let's not pretend they are mostly brown people) who believed in the message of the Statue of Liberty, but now face the reality that it is a lie, not to mention the tens of thousands of federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs for being loyal to the country over the president.

Do I wish for a 15% market drop? Sometimes.

If that's what it takes to wake up America from their fever, then I am willing to suffer a bit. I just hope that all the bad stuff to come, the Social Security shortfall (or bogus fix if it doesn't address the cap on when income is taxed), the future increase in childhood disease and death, the ongoing climate crisis featuring record breaking heat, storms, damage, along with the growing growth of AI and its drain on resources, water and power especially, is so overwhelming that our next president, regardless of party, will spend all his/her efforts on remediations rather than progress.