The Unfettered Curmudgeon

MORNING THOUGHTS OVER COFFEE      It’s been a hell of a month here at “The Hermitage on ‘Walden,’” as well as for America and the world in general…all thanks to Donald Trump, who cannot seem to follow protocol or control himself either verbally or in his “tweets.” First of all, who in their right mind, what President and supposed “leader of the free world” conducts foreign and domestic policy on “Twitter?” I would suppose it is the “Twit-in-Chief” and as he referred to himself a few days ago in a tweet, “your favorite President.” Not mine!      At the beginning of the month EPA Administer Scott Pruitt resigned as directed by Trump amid some fifteen federal investigations for various ethics violations and scandals. The next day Trump appointed Andrew Wheeler, Pruitt’s right-hand henchman to Pruitt’s vacant post. Then there were the various attacks on NATO and numerous of its members, followed by denials, followed by various “asides” by Trump of t...

AND THE MARIE ANTOINETTE AWARD FOR 2018 GOES TO...      In his 1980 book entitled You Are What You Wear, author William Thourlby redefined both casual and  business wear; for example, how to maintain respect and authority when one "dresses down." In her 2012 book, similarly titled You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You, author Jennifer Baumgartner focuses on the link between one's internal and one's external self as expressed on the clothes one wears. What one wears tells people a lot about themself before they even open their mouth to speak. Research shows that more than 80% of what someone remembers about an encounter is related to non-verbal communication, a large part of that being one's overall appearance (their clothes) and their demeanor.     Behold First Lady Melania Trump on her "surprise" trip to Texas to see for herself the plight of undocumented immigrant children. The jacket she chose to wear was a $38...