Trump has been President for just over a week and his approval ratings have dropped into the dumpster. Major protests and marches have occurred. The media are in an uproar (something they love). Chaos abounds. The question is: Why is all this happening?

When you look at this phenomenon, isn’t everyone so upset because Trump is simply doing exactly what he promised to do? So, why is there such surprise; such dismay?

The answer is: We didn’t really believe his words. U.S. citizens are not used to elected officials doing what they promise to do. And, why not? Because so few do. It is a sad state of affairs for which we are to blame.

Protests of all sorts, from social media to marches are everywhere since Trump’s election and even more since his inauguration. This is an interesting phenomenon. The size and scope of these occurrences is probably, in part, due to social media. The women’s march was organized in hours.

I wonder: If some folks discovered a poison ivy bush had been planted right in the center of their local park, and they were legally thwarted from simply ripping the damned thing out, what should they do? How should they approach the dilemma?

Question #1: Why is it there? Answer #1 : There was a vote. You lost. Your neighbors agreed to plant it there.

Question #2: Is it damaging anything? Answer #2: No. Not yet. It has dangerous potential, but no harm has been done so far.

Question #3: Will yelling and breaking windows or setting fires get rid of it? Answer #3: You’re kidding. Right?

Question #4: Shouldn’t all this wrath against the poison ivy really be focused on why the bush was planted in the first place? Answer #4: How dare I confront angry people with reason and logic?!  THEY HAVE RIGHTS!

A multitude of women marched into Washington D.C. today to protest Trump’s inauguration. This appeared to be a show of not only solidarity, but of power. Many of them carried signs or wore clothing proclaiming them to be “Nasty ” women.

The feminists’ desire to display power is nothing new. The Austrailian-American artist Helen Reddy released her song, “I Am Woman”, back in 1971. The lyrics include, “I am woman, hear me roar”. This never Impressed me.

Had Ms. Reddy written the song as, “I Am Woman, Hear Me Belch And Fart”, that would have been impressive. I don’t know if it would have displayed any power, but it certainly would have been nasty.

President Barack Obama “surprised” an emotional and teary eyed Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony yesterday.

Why? For doing his job?

(I will give Obama credit for not exposing children watching the ceremony to the words “This is a big f**king deal!” as Biden did when Obamacare was forced through Congress.)

Maybe Obama thought Biden (a government official) should be awarded our nation’s highest “civilian” award for similar (yet confusing) reasons Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Al Gore was awarded the same Nobel prize for producing a film. I’m still at a loss to the reasoning. Maybe when Gerald Ford was president he should have been awarded a Nobel Prize for every day he didn’t fall down or hit somebody in the head with a golf ball.

I do understand why people like Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin were awarded. Both  put themselves way out on a limb, jeopardizing themselves politically and personally and, in Sadat’s case, ultimately being assassinated, in order to promote peace and save a multitude of lives. To put these other guys on the same level as Sadat and Begin is a joke.

Apparently these awards no longer rise above cheap politics.

Having the name, Dick, is cool. It’s short for Richard. That’s no problem unless you find yourself in situations where you might be singled out by name amongst a group. For example, someone might say “My  friends include two really smart Williams, one athletic Joseph, three short Henrys, and a big Dick.” I think that might have been one of the reasons the singer, “Little Richard” (Richard Wayne Penniman), chose to stick with the full pronunciation of his first name.

None of my siblings ever tried to embarrass me, as immature kids often do,  by referring to me by that moniker in public because I am an only child and my name is Ragina.

Personal interactions are much more pleasant and constructive when we take the time to view things from the other person’s perspective. But, this does not necessarily require our adoption of their personal opinions or tastes.

I simply don’t care for some things others espouse. For example: I’ve never liked vanilla ice cream smothered in calf’s liver gravy and salmon caviar. No getting around it.  I hate vanilla ice cream.