LABOR DAY, SEPT 7th 2026
This is a better Labor Day for me than last year. Chaos had enveloped the career I had worked for and I spent a year running in place just to not fall back. It was successful - but it was unnecessary waster of time and resources that accomplished nothing good and little more than Russel Vought inflicting "Trauma" on many hardworking people that he takes delight in making suffer. He should live forever in history as one of the true irredeemable villains of this world.
After the climb out of the hole and some minor adjustments, I'm back working again and happy to be doing it. Starting to be noticed as good at what I do and I am starting to feel like I am taking pride in my work again. Part of an institution with a noble mission that is bigger than myself again. The hours are long and don't allow for the level of community involvement that I like but it's honest work with a good union, good mix of I.T., Electrical and Mechanical know how required to keep me on my toes.
I earned my CompTIA CISA, CIOS, Network+, OSHA Electrical Safety and Forklift License all this year so, an idea of what my work is now.
With the panic at a lower level, I'm enjoying having a kid back in band and Scouting America, really seeing my younger son come into his own identity, trying to enjoy my time with my wife more, help my older son where I can.
Fittingly, on Labor Day, he has gone back to work for the first time in months - the kid was struggling in a way that just tore a parent up. He has a big road ahead of him - being a young father and restarting in the workplace again - but I will pull for him every way that I can. He's proud, wants to get on his own feet WITH his own two feet - but as a parent I hate to see him suffer more than is necessary. You cannot put in the work for your kid in most things.
A few things are giving me hope in the world close and far. My mother's health remains excellent for her age, I haven't been this physically fit in years, and I'm enjoying hobbies like Cyberdecks and Homelabs. Maybe I will write more about this at some point. But it's great to be exited about things. Since - let's be honest - coming home from the war it's been easy to slump into being numb and disconnected from day to day events and the things that bring me joy. It took time with children to remember what wonder and carefree felt like in the right moments.
But far away there is this:
This is the only way forward that means something. Take back the power AND take back the ill gotten gains from those who abused it.
And taking back the power SHOULD happen:
This is all happening WHILE he still has: Only compliant media in the White House and Pentagon Press, while ALL the billionaires are pulling every lever on searches and social media to bend in his favor - even to a humiliating and debasing degree. That is how aware people are that the new never ending war without a clear purpose and record high fuel prices and persistent higher costs for everything from food to housing ISN'T relieved by freezing your food inspector's salary or deporting your neighbor. Even another publicized assassination-appearing event would not raise his polls at this point.
I wondered how long the infinite bullshit machine could override the everyday lived reality of people in this nation and the answer was "Less than 18 months". Trump is down 2 to 1 in approval. Wile E Coyote has looked down and seen there is no ground for him to stand on.
Americans need to be ready to every single dirty trick imaginable in these next 2 months. Fake reports, fake polls, and every possible move to mess with the voting process imaginable. These people OPENLY do not respect the will of the people they represent and have no moral compass or human sense of duty. Over and over again they surprise us - not by being better tacticians - but by crossing moral lines previously thought unbreachable.
AfD and Musk mutually thanked and congratulated each other - much like Henry Ford was congratulated by a German party when he was the world's richest man.
There is no ambiguity as to what is happening here - this is the willful ascendancy of Fascism by the Oligarch Class. This has to not only be defeated BUT the backers have to feel exactly what they have inflicted upon others. An unpunished coup is just a trial run.
I'm hopeful because there are more good people than bad out there and eventually we will learn to give the powerful worst people NO expectation of good faith or decency. Good people have prevailed and will prevail again.
