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I grow old… I grow old…

I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled

~ T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Hmmm, will the seminal moments in my life ultimately be the ones that flew under the radar?

When I grow older (I am already old) and wear the bottom of my trousers rolled, I wonder if I will look back and find that the seminal moments – the ones that shine the brightest – were not the headline events but rather the unrecognized epiphanies.

There are many headline-grabbing events that have occurred over the course of my life to date. In no particular order and not an exhaustive list: 911, the COVID pandemic, the Trump years, the great northeast electrical blackout, the FLQ crisis, the death of Princess Diana, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, the birth of the internet and so on.

Each of these events was a landmark in and of itself. An event that forced us to stop, reflect, recalibrate and sometimes alter the course of our lives. Their impact and influence was undeniable and remains so.

But I wonder if, in the clarity of hindsight and old age, I will find myself unearthing a few seemingly forgettable moments that memory chose to retain. And find that, in the final analysis, they were chock full of meaning and lessons to be learned. Moments such as:

A breathtaking sunrise when the sun crested over the still water, infusing the clouds with hues of sandstone and honey orange, painting a glittering highway of light on the water. A vision of beauty, glory and hope everlasting for a heartbeat in time.

A moment when I stopped, reached into my pocket for loose change and dropped a toonie into the outstretched hands of a homeless person… and then received a sincere God bless you and a look of gratitude from weary eyes that mirrored pain and loss.

The occasion when someone offered me an unsolicited piece of advice, not fully appreciated in the moment, that would later arise to the light in a moment of uncertainty. A kernel of wisdom patiently awaiting its moment in time to unfold in full.

A gift of synchronicity when a Swallowtail butterfly perched upon a Knapweed and all the elements of lighting, timing and chance aligned for a perfect photograph. Celebrated in the moment and then filed away in the deeper recesses of my mind as a minor miracle.

I believe that these seminal moments, stored in the vault of memory for later retrieval, may ultimately be the gemstones that I most treasure and learn the most from experiencing.

Epiphanies that stayed under the radar but survived the test of time to return to me in the twilight of a life most ordinary but quietly remarkable in its own peculiar way.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · seminal moments · T.S. Eliot · The Love Song of J. Alfred PrufrockNo Comments.

Hmmm, do you have a quiet port in the storm where you can sequester?

We have been buffeted by strong winds here the last few days before the snow arrived. The kind of wind gusts that rattle windowpanes, strip the last of the leaves off the trees and snatch the hat off your head sending it spinning away out of reach.

It started on Wednesday which was garbage pickup day in our area. Thankfully the yard waste pickup truck went through our area early. Otherwise, the 7 yard waste bags stuffed with leaves that I put at the curb would have ended up all other the street. I did have to go searching for our garbage can which ended up several houses down against a neighbour’s car.

Our neighbours across the street picked Wednesday to rake and bag all the fall leaves in their yard. I wondered if I should give them the bad news. It was the final day for yard waste pickup so they will have to hold onto all the bags of leaves until next spring.

As I was pondering this question, a car stopped in front of their house. A woman got out and chastised the people for raking their leaves on a windy day. Presumably she was upset that some of the leaves would blow down the street into her yard.

The offending neighbours were very apologetic – more so than I would have been in their shoes. I would have responded with: Do you have nothing better to do than complain about my choice of days to rake the leaves? Get a life! Get back in your car and stop bitching at me.

Observing this encounter made me contemplate the fierce winds of change that have knocked us about in the last five years and how that has affected our psyches. The COVID pandemic was akin to a fierce windstorm that lasted several years. It swept us off our feet and deposited us in a very different world. Many of us are still dealing with the lingering effects of that trauma.

The pandemic was fuel to the fire of the technology juggernaut. Online mediums flourished. Much of daily life was reconfigured in ways that are here to stay. On the heels of that development, artificial intelligence technology exploded. Now we have to worry if our job will disappear and wonder whether that video on social media is real or a deep fake.

And finally, there is the Trump factor. A narcissistic, megalomaniac at helm of the most powerful country in the world has proven to be the equivalent of a societal hurricane with repercussions worldwide. This too shall eventually pass but the damaging legacy of it will persist.

Recurring winds of change are not a new phenomenon. It has ever been so. But the fierce force these winds have summoned in the last five years has tested our powers of endurance. I do not foresee any calming of the storm in the near future.

Welcome to the new reality. My advice? Hang on to your hat – literally and metaphorically. Anchor yourself to the deeper values that matter most. Carve out a quiet port in the storm where you can sequester yourself from time to time to recover and recharge.

And take solace in the fact that we are all in this together.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   AI · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · pandemic · port in a storm · wind stormNo Comments.

Hmmm, they get a bad rap for their feeding habits but they have their own role to play in nature.

Stink Bugs are quite common although they often escape notice because many are camouflaged to blend into their surroundings. They are estimated to be 5,000 species world-wide and around 260 species in North America. I have only come across 13 species so there are many waiting for me in the days ahead.

People consider them to be a nuisance, particularly the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, because they are an invasive species. They sometimes feed on crops and find their way into homes in the colder months. But these little stinkers have their place in nature like any other insect.

What is so special about Stink Bugs?

Why are they called Stink Bugs? The name arises from the fact that they release an unpleasant odour from scent glands on their abdomen when they feel threatened or are crushed. Think of them as the skunks of the insect world.

What do Stink Bugs look like?

Stink Bugs are comparatively large for insects measuring a ½ to ¾ of an inch long and are as wide as they are long. They are triangular or shield-shaped with 6 legs and antennae. Most are mottled grayish-brown although some species can be quite colourfful. I personally find them to be quite unique and striking in appearance.

How long do they live and where?

Stink Bugs can be found on tree bark or the leaves of plants and weeds as well on agricultural crops. In cooler weather, you can find them on the sides of buildings. They hatch out as nymphs in early summer, go through five molts before becoming adults and live for an average of eight months.

Where do they fit in the quilt of nature?

Many Stink Bugs are plant eaters feeding on fruits, vegetables, plants and trees – hence their reputation as agricultural pests. However, some act as a form of biological control feeding on agricultural pests like caterpillars and bollworms. In addition, they contribute to the decomposition of organic matter which helps in cycling of nutrients.

Recent research has found that sap from plants damaged by Stink Bugs provides a food source for other insects, such as wasps and ants, which in turn can help control pests and pollinate plants.

Stink Bugs – much maligned little stinkers that nonetheless are one more, fascinating patch in the quilt of nature stitched together by threads of interdependence and natural balance.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Brown Marmorated Stink Bug · Dusky Stink Bug · Four-humped Stink Bug · Green Stink Bug · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Nature · One-spotted Stink Bug · stink bugsNo Comments.

Hmmm, do we need to seek out a different voice in these perplexing times?

Warmish weather persists later in the season in these parts extending well into November in recent years. The trees hang onto their leaves much longer. The final yard cleanup happens in mid or late November.

But this year the weather threw us a curve with several inches of snow on November 9^th. We scrambled to get winter tires put on our cars, pull out shovels and switch to winter clothing. Looking out the window revealed an incongruent picture: a white blanket of snow with a dusting of colour from the multi-hued leaves atop it. It turned our expectations upside down.

Science tells us that when the brain encounters an unexpected event, it triggers a surprise sequence that involves a burst of norepinephrine which heightens alertness and attention. This neurochemical response signals that the event is important and needs to be learned from – theoretically leading to better memory encoding and a re-evaluation of the environment.

However, science also tell us that when confusing things happens, it disrupts normal brain function causing disruptions in neural pathways, misfires in memory or cognitive overload. This results in a temporary inability to think clearly or focus information efficiently.

It is probably a sign of aging that my brain jumps to the confusion response more readily than the surprise response. In effect, in situations like this early snowstorm, it revolts and says: I don’t like this. Make it stop!

Where exactly am I going with this line of thought? Well, it seems to me that, in the current state of affairs in the world, both confusing and unexpected things are happening with alarming regularity. Our brains are struggling to process what is happening and grappling with questions they cannot answer. For example:

How is that narcissistic, power-hungry individuals, whose personal agendas are all too transparent, are being elected to positions of power with increasing regularity?

How is that technology keeps moving forward at a breakneck pace but all too often loses touch with the best interests of the people it is supposed to benefit?

Why do the rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer and the middle class keep shrinking as it claws it way into one category or leaks into the other?

Society feels more and more like a puzzle with missing pieces. Intelligence cannot fill in the gaps. Our brains are not able to keep pace and increasingly default to the confusion response.

So what is the solution to the problem? You may not agree with me but I will say it anyway. We need to let the voice of the soul take precedence over the voice of our overtaxed brains. The soul is a guiding light that can break through the confusion if we seek it out. It operates on different principles that are better suited to these perplexing times.

The voice of the soul is quieter and runs deeper. We have to concentrate harder to hear it amidst the clutter. But it is more important than ever to seek it out and heed it.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   confusion response · guiding light · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · surprise response · the soulNo Comments.

Hmmm, is Buyer Beware enough to defend ourselves against unethical uses of AI?

Lately I have been receiving a steady stream of e-mails from book marketing providers pitching their services for marketing my short story collection Hunting Muskie: Rites of Passage. For the record, that book was published back in 2017.

An example of these e-mails:

Congratulations on Hunting Muskie: Rites of Passage, published on September 27, 2017. What a deeply reflective and beautifully written collection. Each story feels like a quiet meditation on the storms that steer us off course and the fragile, necessary hope that pushes us to find our way home again.

I truly admired how Slipstream threads those journeys together, showing how loss, guilt, and redemption often meet in the same current. The characters you’ve shaped carry an authenticity that makes every story feel lived-in and profoundly human. It’s the kind of writing that lingers, honest, unhurried, and deeply aware of the cost of conscience.

When you reflect on these stories, which character’s search for peace stayed with you the longest or perhaps revealed something unexpected about your own sense of redemption?

I’d be happy to share a few creative visibility ideas that align with your brand and audience, hope you’re open to that. A genuine effort to help your message reach even more readers who need it most.

It is apparent to me that these e-mails are chatbot generated. Each of them implies that the sender has read the book, enjoyed it and can do wonders for me in terms of publicity. But I know that AI software has been used to analyze the back cover copy of the book and feed the details into a chatbot to generate an e-mail.

The ethics of this practice are questionable to say the least. There is a clear attempt to con me into the belief that the individual bought my book and took the time to read it. I am supposed to be flattered by this effort leading me to shell out money for their service.

These e-mails expose the many questionable uses to which AI can be put in the interests of making a buck. Regrettably, there is no way to regulate this usage of AI as it operates within the law although outside the bounds of ethical behaviour.

What I have described above is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of AI’s potential for business purposes. I would argue that it is a new manifestation of a deep fake but with that concept turned upside down – a communication that appears as though someone has done something good which in reality they have not.

The principle of Buyer Beware applies. But it is in increasingly difficult to exercise that caveat when the deception is so calculated and insidious. I foresee many more cases of people conned into parting with their hard-earned money on the basis of AI enabled deceptions of authenticity.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

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Hmmm, can a quiet and unassuming, street prophet be the first ripple in the pond?

It is not unusual to see groups of people at busy intersections or at strategic locations protesting something or advocating for a cause. Union members protesting cutbacks at Canada Post or closing of automotive manufacturing plants. Small groups of people on highway overpasses protesting the war in Palestine. Environmentalists protesting loss of natural spaces.

However, earlier this week as I was in my car, I passed a solitary man standing on the sidewalk with a handmade sign. I do not remember the exact messaging on the sign. But it was something along the lines of: Be nice. Love one another. Make a difference.

My first thought: He is a panhandler and the sign is his gimmick to attraction attention. A possibility, yes. But he was not at the typical locations panhandlers’ favour – a busy intersection or a high traffic flow area where cars have to stop. He did not have the down-on-his luck look that panhandlers usually present.

It seemed to me that he was there carrying out a one-man campaign. A part of me thought: Good for you. Doing your part to make the world a better place. Living out the quotation attributed to John F Kennedy: One person can make a difference and everyone should try.

But another part of me felt rather sorry for the man. Did he ask family or friends to stand with him and they declined? Does he not have anyone else in his life to stand with him and support him?

What might have happened in his life to motivate him to make this plea on his own? Has life knocked him around? Is this his means of finding a purpose in a life that has lost its anchor? Or is he a street prophet on a mission to make the world a better place for himself and others?

It was a drive-by situation so I only had a few moments to observe and draw conclusions. In retrospect, I wish I had at least slowed down and given him a thumbs-up gesture to show that I noticed him and supported his one-man campaign. Perhaps that would have been the highlight of his day.

I chose to believe that this man took it upon himself to be the ripple in a pond. Taking a small action that could start the ripple effect initiating a major movement to make the world a better place.

Kudos to this solitary man for believing he can make a difference in his own small way. For having the courage to be the voice of hope in a time when hope is being bruised and battered at every turn. For being the first ripple in the pond that all movements must have to be born and given life.

For being the quiet and unassuming street prophet, who may be lost in the onrush of life, but without which no movement for a better world can take hold.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · prophet · ripple in a pondComments Off on Street Prophet: Ripple in a Pond

Hmmm, how did autumn conspire to get away from me?

Autumn 2025 is all too quickly winding down. The season officially started on September 22 and ends on December 21. But in my mind, autumn arrives on September 1 and the curtain falls at the end of October which sadly is only a few days away.

I did not get to enjoy autumn 2025 as much as I would have liked. My temperamental back sidelined me for the first couple of weeks and is still slowing me down. A busy calendar of appointments and obligations mid-month chewed up more time. And to make matters worse, cool and rainy weather stole quite a few days I would have liked to have spent outdoors.

Time skittered away from me as it has a tendency to do. I kept thinking: Just get past these few busy days and then you’ll have some time to enjoy the season. But a few busy days turned into more busy days, and a few rainy days turned into more rainy days. And before I knew it the end of the month was approaching.

I am reluctant to let go of autumn but there is not much left to grasp at. I feel a bit like the autumn-tinted leaf propped up in the grass at the head of this post – finding myself out of time but stubbornly trying to hold onto the bright hues of hope and deny the reality.

An autumn-tinted leaf propped up in the grass – a random act of metaphor to remind me that time can be an unforgiving thief and that I need to make the most of each day as it unfurls.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   autumn leaf · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · thief of time · timeComments Off on The Thief of Time

Hmmm, when was the last time you had a pleasant telephone or online customer service experience?

You hear it every time you call a company or an organization regardless of the day of the week or the time of day. The default customer service message that goes something like this:

All our agents are busy at the moment. Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line and an agent will be with you as soon as possible. The estimated wait time is 19 minutes.

Translating that into reality, what it actually communicates is:

All our agents are busy at the moment. Your call is important to us – just not important enough to answer it in a timely fashion. Please stay on the line and an agent will be with you whenever.

The estimated wait time would be 19 minutes if we had a full slate of agents working. But the crappy wage we pay our agents means that there are always a couple who call in sick. The real estimated wait time is anybody’s guess but probably closer to an hour assuming you do not get randomly disconnected. The odds of your call being disconnected are 50-50 and increase the longer you are on hold.

There are always a couple of additional options including:

If you prefer, leave a message and an agent will return your call as soon as possible.

Translating that into reality:

If you prefer, leave a message and an agent will return your call at some inconvenient time when you will probably be away from your telephone for 30 seconds. Sorry if you miss our callback – your fault, not ours. Sorry, we cannot call you back a second time. You must start the process over again.

There is often an add-on to the message that directs you to an online option:

Many questions can be answered by visiting our website. Go to the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Translating that into reality:

We would actually prefer not to talk with you at all. You would save us time and money if you would find an answer to your question on your own. The Frequently Asked Questions section is buried deep within our website and difficult to find. We’ve been meaning to fix that but haven’t got around to it.

And in recent years, there is an online chat option:

For quicker response, use the convenient chat option on our website.

Translating that into reality:

You would save us time and money if you would use our online chat option. It will connect you to A.I. Joe – or artificial intelligence personality that makes real-life customer service agents obsolete. A.I. Joe is new and in a test phase. The odds are 50-50 that you will get an answer to your question. But the more activity A.I. Joe gets, the faster he learns. This does not help you but does help us on our journey to impersonal, no-cost customer service.

Modern customer service is akin to a desert wasteland – dry, barren and unhelpful and designed to discourage us from making contact with the vendor. In essence, please buy our product and then just go away.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   customer service · desert · metaphor · Michae Robert DyetComments Off on Customer Service: A Desert Wasteland

Hmmm, what parallel can we draw from the battle of size and tensile strength in the grass?

On a nature hike a few weeks ago, I observed the characteristic whitish flutter-flight of a Mantis. I made my way to the spot where the European Mantis landed and discovered that it was caught in the web of a Banded Garden Spider. For reference, a European Mantis can reach 3.5 inches in size while a Banded Garden Spider maxes out at one inch.  

The spider scurried across its web to attack the trapped prey. But it stopped and backed away when it saw the size of the insect caught in its web. I observed the encounter play out for a minute or two as the Mantis struggled to free itself and the Spider observed from a safe distance. I imagined a verbal exchange between them something like the following.

Mantis: Damn! Caught in a spider web. Should have scoped out this spot before I landed.

Spider: Lunch!… Crap, that’s a Mantis. It could easily eat me. Better back off and think about my plan of attack.

Mantis: I see you, spider. Don’t get any ideas. I am the apex insect predator in this area. I’ll take you out in a heartbeat!

Spider: But you’re caught in my web. You’re completely helpless.

Mantis: Helpless? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m three times your size.

Spider: I have venom that will paralyze you. All I need is one bite.

Mantis: Come at me and see what happens. I’ll bite your head off with one chomp.

Spider: I’m patient. I’ll just wait here until you wear yourself out struggling to get free. Then I’ll take you down.

Mantis: You think your puny web can hold me?

Spider: My web is incredibly tough and elastic. It has a higher strength-to-wait ratio than steel.

Mantis: Oh yeah? Well I can lift 1.5 times my body weight. Think about that, tough guy.

I moved on to continue my hike while the stand-off played out. As I look back on it now, I wonder whether size or tensile strength ultimately prevailed – and how we can take a lesson from that for own lives. I’ll leave that to you to decide.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Banded Garden Spider · Donald Trump · European Mantis · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetComments Off on Trench Warfare in the Grass

Hmmm, will the Republican party finally grow a pair before the Epstein time bomb implodes?

The U.S. government is shut down once again as the Democrats block Trump’s funding bill demanding health care subsidies. The move is a strategic tactic by the Democrats to fight back against the unhinged, authoritarian Trump administration.

750,000 workers are expected to be furloughed, some fired and many forced to work without pay. The world watches wondering who will blink first, and how long the standoff will drag on, in this battle of the titans. The last time this happened, during Trump’s first terms as President, the shutdown last 35 days.

Meanwhile, Trump, backed by the mummified Robert F. Kennedy Jr, blamed Tylenol for Autism. He ordered the Food and Drug Administration to update labelling to discourage the use of Acetaminophen – which he was struggled to pronounce at his press conference – by pregnant women. Scientists around the world indicate his claim is completely without merit.

Meanwhile, the United Nations continues to fume at Trump’s rambling, embarrassing speech at the U.N General Assembly where is dismissed the U.N. as “just a club for countries”. Trump has scaled back U.S. funding to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Trump pulled out the 51^st state idea again in reference to Canada while speaking to a gathering of U.S. military generals. He aired familiar grievances about his political opponents and indicated he would continue to send troops to U.S. cities to impose his will.

Meanwhile, Trump announced a new 10% tariff applied to Canadian lumber. He has threatened a 100% tariff on movies made outside of the U.S.

Meanwhile, Trumped asked nine major U.S. universities to commit to his political priorities in exchange for more favourable access to federal money. The universities were asked to sign a Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.

Meanwhile, Trump presented a 20 Point Gaza Peace Plan in his latest, futile attempt to end the Israel – Palestine war. Hamas, not consulted in the development of the plan, will almost certainly reject it categorically.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to fight tooth and nail to keep the Epstein files from being released.

I could go on and on but you get the picture. Suffice to say that the Trump shit show continues unabated sinking the Trump administration ever deeper into chaos and ridicule. Only one question remains.

Will the Republican Party finally grow a pair and agree to help bring Trump down? Or will they wait for the Epstein files ticking time bomb to finally implode and do the job for them?

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Donald Trump · Epstein files · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetComments Off on Meanwhile, the Epstein Files