Politics – Page 2 – The Many Shades of Green

Burning Down the House with George Polisner, Founder of Civ.Works

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and the two houses that I grew up in, which were down the block from each other, were taken down by a wrecking ball and bulldozed. I had a great childhood, and it was terrific growing up on that block with a diverse group of friends from other nations and those born in Brooklyn. I witnessed the razing of my first house, which had a cherry tree in the back yard and an apple tree hanging over our property from a neighboring house. My mom had a garden and it was fun to play outside. It was a small house but it had history. My musical brothers, Phil and Mitch, who founded the singing group The Tokens, famous from the iconic tune, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, rocked the house into the wee hours and it was constantly filled with music. In my 8 year old mind, my house was a landmark, but a developer entered the picture and dangled some cash in front of my dad and the owners of the other six homes nearby. Plans for a large apartment building were put into place, as money usually talks. I was too young to be part of any decision, but my soul was crushed at the thought of moving somewhere else. My dad eventually capitulated to the sale, but to his credit he was the last holdout. I cried when I saw the wrecking ball knock it down, as I knew I would never enjoy that home again, but I did have the memories. A similar fate came to my second home, but that was after I had already moved out and was in college. I didn’t know the house was gone until I was about to drive by, with my mom in tow, as we had planned to visit the old Ocean Parkway neighborhood. Upon passing by for a look, the house, as well as four others, were gone, and a new four story apartment building stood in their place. My mom cried as we drove by, and I understood her pain. Nothing lasts forever! With my second childhood home razed, I thought about the time spent with my family in that house. I remembered the music, my mom cooking dinner in the middle of the night for my brothers who came home late from their gigs, the sleepovers, the smell of my dad’s cherry pipe tobacco, my brother Mitch’s man cave in the basement, the parties, the holidays, and so much more. Both homes were not grandiose, but they were very special me. I cannot obviously compare them to the White House, but seeing what is happening now, with the demolition of the entire East Wing to put up a ballroom, or perhaps build a new golden bunker, makes me want to cry. The White House is the peoples’ house, and it makes me sad to see it wounded. Its dismantling is akin to the citizenry losing their home, America’s home. There is so much being thrown at the citizens of the United States now, but we are standing strong, as evidenced by the high turnout at the recent rallies on No Kings Day. Over 7 million people attended the rallies in the US and many countries worldwide came out in support, yet mainstream media didn’t think it was high enough on the newsworthy scale and under reported the event. Those of us with morality, humanity and common sense are feeling mental anguish by the daily chaos and corruption. What is the end game and what do we need to do to get our country back? Will we make it home again?

On this week’s podcast we have our resident political analyst, environmentalist and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, to give us some insight into the free fall of America into authoritarianism, the demise of the East Wing, and the daily dismantling of democracy. The powers that be are truly Burning Down the House and torching America. For more information go to https://civ.works/ To help defend democracy, please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/

Also please support https://www.democracydocket.com/ and if you want to take more effective civic action visit https://civ.works If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness. To register for a rally go to: https://nokingsday.org/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Dancing Frogs and Musical Mushrooms with Charlotte Ghiorse

“I’ve lived 82 years on this earth, and this is the first time ever I’ve witnessed people delighting in the suffering of others so openly, so proudly, and even recording it for the world to see.” Mick Jagger

You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Jagger and Richards 1969)

And I went down to the demonstration

To get my fair share of abuse

Singing, “We’re gonna vent our frustration

If we don’t we’re gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse”

Sing it to me, honey

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find

You get what you need

The Rolling Stones got it right, and the words and music of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger written back in 1969 reflect how I have been feeling of late. The state of things are, to say the least, quite depressing, but there are cracks in the wall that might eventually turn things around. I think people are energized and are fighting back. There are hundreds of No Kings rallies set for this coming Saturday 10.18.25 (go to nokings.org for more info), not only in the US, but worldwide, as people in foreign countries are supporting those in America who are peacefully protesting. We are at an inflection point, and it seems clear that things have to change, and a new scenario has to be put into place, because what we have now is not working. Yes, the Rolling Stones put it best, “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you just might find, you get what you need.” We need to take action and I am asking our listeners to be proactive, and to dump the tea into the harbor, as we are not a nation of Kings! On this week’s episode we delve into politics a bit and we talk about topics that affect us. Micro plastics are in our bodies and we have to reduce single use plastic. Behavioral + small interventions (boiling water, avoiding plastic packaging / utensils, using natural fiber clothing) are helpful, especially while larger systems scale up. We also touch on nuclear waste being dumped into the Hudson River, plus musical mushrooms, October Astrology and more. We delve into these subjects with our resident eco activist, artist, astrologer, comic, marvelous mom and founder of House of Chochlet, Charlotte Ghiorse. For more info about Charlotte go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/

To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ https://www.democracydocket.com/ and if you want to take more effective civic action visit https://civ.works/ If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Raindrops, Redford and Resistance with George Polisner, Founder of Civ.works and special guests Yolanda Nava and Tina Flores

We open this episode of TMSOG with the song Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head sung by B.T. Thomas which was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.

Redford and Newman both epitomized the human spirit and stressed the importance of giving back by taking action to make things better. We recently lost Robert Redford. He was an amazing actor, director, conservationist and family man. He starred in such films as All The Presidents Men, The Candidate, The Way We Were, and he won an Oscar for directing Ordinary People. Robert Redford was an environmentalist, and he worked in concert with the NRDC to fight for the land. He also started the Sundance Film Festival which helped keep Independent film alive. He was greatly loved and admired and he will be missed.
We are losing our freedoms on a daily basis. So where do we go and what do we do? Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head uses the metaphor of raindrops to represent life’s challenges and struggles, but it also emphasizes that one needs to remain positive and believe that happiness is on its way. The lyrics go on to suggest a realization that complaining won’t stop the rain, and instead, one must “take action” or “take the initiative” to move life in the desired direction. The song can also be interpreted as promoting freedom and the idea that as long as one is free, everything is okay. In today’s world we are facing very difficult times and the rain drops seem more like Oobleck, as in the children’s book Bartholomew and the Oobleck written by Dr. Theodor Geisel, a/k/a Dr. Seuss. In that book the king is bored with normal weather, (is there such a thing as normal weather today?) and orders his magicians to create a new kind of precipitation. They conjure up Oobleck, a sticky, green goo (similar to Nickelodeon’s Green Slime) that falls and quickly wreaks havoc, causing the entire kingdom to become covered and immobilized. Young Bartholomew is the king’s page, and he is the only one not stuck in the green muck. He has to get the king to apologize to break the magicians spell. Bartholomew eventually convinces the king to apologize for his greedy desire for a new type of precipitation, and the king’s apology causes the Oobleck to melt away, and he learns to appreciate the simple, natural weather. Right now we are dealing with a wannabe king who has no capacity for apologies or being a leader for ALL the people of the USA. He believes climate change is a hoax and has reduced staff at the NOAA, FEMA, the EPA and other agencies that do research and follow weather patterns, hurricanes and other extreme weather. In these challenging times we need to resist, take action and work to save the Republic for which we stand! We are joined on this episode by our resident political analyst, environmentalist and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, to give us some insight into the free fall of democracy in the US and the globe. We also welcome Yolanda Nava and Tina Flores, as they will be doing a new TMSOG monthly program with a focus on activism, community organizing and climate, and the historic importance of diversity. So let’s walk between the raindrops, stay away from the Oobleck and activate our eco and social consciousness. Go to Civ.works for more info.

To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ and

https://www.democracydocket.com/ If you want to take more effective civic action visit https://civ.works/ If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org and https://www.nrdc.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com as well as https://themanyshadesofgreen.com/ Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Liberty and Justice for Some and The Shadow Docket

Liberty and Justice for Some song by Mitch Margo (2000)

Spin a little spin, stay the truth to win

Suddenly it’s become liberty and justice for some

Forget Election Day, it’s equal protection day

We don’t have to vote at all

The Supreme Court will handle the call

Those wise old owls in their treehouse

changed the course of history

Though there’s a song for every bird

Some of them will not be heard

The Liberty Bell has lost its ring

my voice don’t mean a thing

It only takes a 5-4 swing

Liberty and Justice for some

How can I trust a man

who doesn’t seem understand

that there is something inherently dumb

about liberty and justice for some

Mitch wrote that song after the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the Florida vote recount in 2000. Remember the hanging chads! The song was Mitch’s commentary on the election system, and he must have had a vision into the future, as our election process continues to be a sh*t show 25 years later. The landmark Bush v. Gore case centered on a dispute over the vote count in Florida, which was critical to determining the winner of the Electoral College and, ultimately, the presidency. It was a highly controversial decision, sparking accusations of political partisanship and raising debates about the role of the judiciary in political processes. It brought to light flaws in the U.S. election system, particularly concerning the inconsistent application of voting standards and the potential for narrow margins to create electoral uncertainty. The decision underscored the complexities of federalism and the interplay between state and federal courts in matters of election law. So here we are again, but in a different circumstance, as the head of the current regime has demanded that the electoral maps in Texas be redrawn in order to give the GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. The Texas legislature was successful in their gerrymandering efforts, and as of now, the GOP has a 5 seat advantage in Congress. I am fairly certain that the Supreme Court will be getting another election case in the not too distant future, and it will politicize voter rights.

There is clearly executive overreach and checks and balances have been diminished, as both the US Congress and the Supreme Court are rubber stamping the Executive orders of the President. We are already in a Constitutional crisis and these actions will affect our democracy for generations to come. The Supreme Court is especially aiding executive overreach as it is making decisions with virtually no case law backing those orders. In an article about the SCOTUS Shadow Docket by The Brennan Center dated July 2022, Harry Black and Alicia Bannon explained that the conservative justices are increasingly using a secretive process to issue consequential decisions.

Controversial uses of the Supreme Court’s shadow docket makes it quite clear that the justices are willing to use this previously obscure procedural mechanism in ways that their predecessors did not. For better or for worse, the shadow docket is now a significant part of Supreme Court jurisprudence. The Brennan Center explainer notes that shadow docket cases “typically do not receive extensive briefing or a hearing. The decisions are accompanied by little to no explanation and often lack clarity on which justices are in the majority or minority. They are sometimes released in the middle of the night, creating a sense of palace intrigue.” This is why SCOTUS has now gone rogue, as it no longer seems to be one of the checks on the Executive branch as was intended by the framers of the Constitution. Malcolm and I delve into the Shadow Docket, and its destructive path towards the environment and the dismantling of democracy, as both Congress and SCOTUS walk in lock step with the Executive Branch. To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/

To find out how to take actions to heighten your civic duty go to https://civ.works/ Please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ and World Wildlife Fund: WWF

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Benjamin Franklin once said that “It’s A Republic, If You Can Keep It!” George Polisner of Civ.Works gives us insight into the current state of the Republic and what it stands for now…

This week’s podcast opened with the song Joy by Lucinda Williams from her Grammy award winning album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. The lyrics of the chorus reflect how millions of people are feeling right now:

I don’t want you anymore ’cause you took my joy

I don’t want you anymore, you took my joy

You took my joy, I want it back

You took my joy, I want it back…

While we need to look for pockets of joy in these chaotic and difficult times, we have to take a step back and look how we got here. Our resident political analyst, environmentalist and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, gives us some insight into Premature Democratization, which is his recent article on Substack. He states in the article that any meaningful form of democracy requires an educated, informed and engaged society. George always sends me notes and topic ideas for our monthly discussions, and this week the first note on the list was titled, Democracy and Government: why can’t we have nice things. According to AI, the phrase “This is why we can’t have nice things” is often used to express frustration when something desirable is broken or ruined, either due to accidents, carelessness, or deliberate actions. It highlights a sense of disappointment and resignation that the enjoyment or benefit of something nice is short-lived. George expands on this in more detail on the podcast, but I want to add my two cents in. I think we don’t have nice things because we lost civility, empathy, compassion and being nice to one another. There are many nice people doing wonderful things, but here in the US of A, trumpery has taken hold and is running rampant within a third of the populace in America. The term trumpery originates from the old French word “tromperie,” meaning deceit or trickery. It also refers to something that is meaningless or absurd and describes something that appears impressive but is actually of little or no value. The Rose garden was renovated by Jackie Kennedy in 1962 and was nice. It had lovely flowers and greenery and added beauty to the White House. It was a garden that made people smile. So now we no longer have a nice thing there, as the flora was dug up in what was the Rose Garden and it has been replaced by a white concrete floor poured over the garden grounds. The project was initiated by the current occupier of the White House, in a moment of “trumpery”. The primary reason for the change was to make standing in the garden comfortable for women in high heels, especially to prevent their stilettos from getting caught in the mud. I guess women cannot wear comfortable shoes within the outdoor confines of the White House. Birkenstock Buyers Beware! In addition, he has transformed the Oval Office to include gold plating on the ceiling, the walls, the fireplace and the floor. Our feckless Leader wants to compete with King Louis the XIV’s Versailles, but try as he might, there are NO KINGS in America!

For more info go to https://civ.works/ and find out how to take actions to heighten your civic duty .

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ and World Wildlife Fund: WWF

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Consider the Octopus-Engaging Youth with Gae Polisner and George Polisner

Walk on the ocean, Step on the stones, Flesh becomes water, Wood becomes bone (Chorus of the song Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket)

So let’s talk about the ocean which covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface. We really can’t walk on it, unless there is some divine intervention. We can revel in it, and walk beside it. I grew up near the ocean and I enjoyed a wonderful childhood on the beach. But I am vexed these days, as the actions of humans are polluting the ocean and large garbage patches called gyres are swirling around harming sea life. If you mention the gyre to the average person, no one knows what you are talking about. The fact that we are literally turning into plastic beings, as nano and microplastics are in our blood, doesn’t seem to connect with a majority of humans on Mother Earth. We need to educate the populace, as time is running out. So let’s have a quick lesson on gyres. A gyre is a massive system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and the Earth’s rotation. There are five major oceanic gyres: the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean gyre. These currents move slowly, continuously—shaping climate, distributing nutrients, and unfortunately, collecting our plastic waste. As plastics break down, they enter the food web. In essence, the plastic pollution concentrated in the gyres creates a toxic and dangerous environment for many marine species, while simultaneously enabling the establishment of unexpected ecosystems of species far from their usual habitats. Many species, such as Octopuses eat crustaceans and small fish that may have already ingested these pollutants. Over time, toxins can build up in their bodies, threatening their health—and ours, if we eat them. Many animals mistake plastic debris for food, filling their stomachs with indigestible material, leading to starvation or internal injuries. Loggerhead sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their preferred prey. Albatrosses mistake plastic pellets for fish eggs and feed them to their chicks, resulting in starvation or organ rupture. The Houdinis of the sea, Octopuses are highly adaptable, and can slip through tiny crevices, change color, mimic other animals, and use tools. But bad things happen when their watery homes are impacted by gyres as they become garbage traps. Octopuses as well as thousands of other sea creatures need to be protected, and us humans need to work harder to preserve the oceans for all sea life.

On this weeks podcast, in addition to George Polisner our resident political analyst, eco-activist, curmudgeon and founder of Civ.works we have Gae Polisner, author of young adult and adult adult novels. She is also a practicing family law attorney and mediator. She has co-authored a book with Nora Raleigh Baskin titled Consider the Octopus, which is a heartfelt story about friendship and an empowering call to environmental protection, especially to young people who are already stepping up to help save our oceans and our Earth. For more info go to https://www.gaepolisner.com/copy-of-seven-clues-to-home and @gaepol on instagram. Also go to https://civ.works/ and find out how to take actions to heighten your civic duty .

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Octopus’s Plastic Garden with masterful creator of art, eco activist, and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse

I want to give a shout out to Ringo Starr and wish him a Happy 85th Birthday. He still bops around the stage and plays the drums with gusto and is an example of how to live life to the fullest, and defeat ageism. Ringo wrote the the song Octopus’s Garden in 1969 with playful lyrics “We would sing and dance around, because we know, we can’t be found. I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden in the shade.” I opened the podcast with this tune, as a roundabout way to continue discussions on plastic pollution and its affect on sea life and oceans, specifically the Octopus. Ocean plastic is a growing threat to octopuses, impacting their habitats, food sources, and even their ability to survive. There is a theory that Octopuses are aliens, as they are so biologically unusual that they may have originated from another planet. They have a genetic uniqueness with many genes that are not found in other animals. They exhibit intelligent behavior, such as problem solving, communication and camouflage, and they have an alien like appearance with their large eyes, long tentacles and bulbous bodies. Their highly skilled abilities can put them in harms way as they use human-made trash as shelters, which can expose them to harmful chemicals and potentially disrupt their natural behaviors. Plastic pollution can affect the availability of prey for octopuses, such as crustaceans and small fish, by degrading their habitats or altering water quality. Larger plastic items can entangle octopuses, causing injury or death. Plastic debris can also block their digestive tracts when ingested. Octopuses can ingest plastic directly or indirectly through their prey, leading to potential health issues. Chemicals leached from plastics, like cadmium, can accumulate in octopus tissues and disrupt their endocrine and immune systems. There is a pervasive and harmful impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit them. Organizations like the Octopus Foundation support scientific exploration and public awareness about the marine world.

Plastic is present in everything, as we ingest microplastics daily through consumer products such as toothpaste, shampoos, plastic water bottles and more. Our masterful creator of art, eco activist, and astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse gives us some of her thoughts and insight on plastic pollution and scientific innovations that are being developed to solve the plastic problem. We also touch on other environmental issues, as well as astrology, and Charlotte’s upcoming art show in NYC Relentless Women. So think about adopting an Octopus and as per Ringo, show some peace and love. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube. Check out Charlotte’s upcoming show RELENTLESS Women from July 16-August 16 at the Theatre For The New City: TNC Gallery 155 First Avenue, NYC. Join an Octopus fan club via OctoNation – The Largest Octopus Fan Club! which raises awareness and funds for octopus conservation through educational resources and community engagement. World Wildlife Fund: WWF offers symbolic adoptions of octopuses, which support their global conservation efforts.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ and https://civ.works/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Takin’ It To the Streets with George Polisner of Civ.Works

We are taking it to the streets, as millions of people protested in every state in the US on “NoKings Day”. Citizens are fed up with the current regime in Washington DC. We are witnessing the dismantling of democracy, as the rule of law is slip sliding away. We have the Marines and National Guard stationed, yes, stationed in Los Angeles, and it seems that many positive court rulings get overturned by the higher courts, thus diminishing the gains. SCOTUS which is supposed to protect the rule of law, is instead bending to a would be king of their making. The “NoKings” protests have given me a slight bit of hope, but this administration is bent on taking rights away, and using henchmen to disappear people off the streets. What are we going to do? What is the end game? We have to continue to push back, sue, and take to the streets. When they go low, we go high, but unless you are living in an alternate universe, there is not much lower we can go, and the only high we have left is the premier kush at the local cannabis dispensary. We must protect the environment, protect due process, and we truly have to defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. George Polisner, founder of Civ.works and our resident political analyst, eco-activist and curmudgeon gives us some important info on the UN Ocean Conference, the targeting by ICE of immigrants, judges, politicians, and the sane washing of the news by the mainstream media. For more info go to https://civ.works/

Please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate. Check out https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ and the Brennan Center for Justice https://www.brennancenter.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com and https://themanyshadesofgreen.com/ Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Astrology of LA, Biodegradable Plastic, and an Homage to Brian Wilson and Sly Stone w/Charlotte Ghiorse

We lost a great one this week Brian Wilson, actually two great ones, as Sly Stone also passed away this week. Brian Wilson was a musical genius! His work is unparalleled and his song God Only Knows is one of the most beautifully crafted love songs ever written. I could have played Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, and so many others, but Surfin USA is light, it’s fun, it’s a feel good song, and we need to feel good in these uncertain times, as quite frankly, it’s hard to feel good in today’s America. I actually chose Surfin’ USA because of the chorus, which is “inside, outside, USA” It is hard to be inside America at this moment, as we are witnessing a breakdown of democracy. Those in other nations, are looking at us from the outside, and are wondering WTF is going on. Many of the Beach Boys songs of the early 60s were about surfing and getting the girls. You can say that the California boys loved their California Girls and lived to catch the waves and the get the gals. California has always been a place where folks could see the stars, drive on Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean, and put the top down to enjoy the beautiful weather, but California, especially Los Angeles, City of Angels, has been dealing with some very difficult problems. In early January of this year fires destroyed the Pacific Palisades and Altadina, and lit up parts of Hollywood, the Valley and other areas. LA is still reeling from those fires, and its aftermath. But now things have gone completely mad, as peaceful protests have risen in response to the tactics of ICE being used to arrest and make immigrants disappear. LA is not a DMZ, and there is no insurrection taking place. The majority of protests are peaceful! Yes, agitators infiltrated the protests, and criminal activities have taken place in South LA, but many were caught and arrested. It is our right under the First Amendment as citizens of the US to protest, but it is not a right for masked individuals without proper IDs and warrants to take people away from their place of work, their homes, schools, or places of worship without DUE PROCESS! ICE is going into courthouses where hearings are taking place on the status of many immigrants, and they are arresting them when they leave the courtroom while trying to exit the building. Marines are on their way to LA in direct violation to the Posse Comitatus Act enacted in 1878, which prohibits the use of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, for domestic law purposes. This is not about quelling a conflict, it’s about control!

We have crossed the red line where the rule of law and checks and balances are failing, and we are losing our rights and freedoms! In this moment, I feel that I am floating though the vortex of the “upside down world”, a world where things are not as they should be, and where the established order is disrupted. We are living in a reality show, and the Mad Hatter is directing his minions to paint the roses red. Those in charge of the US are taking us backwards, which is dangerous path to go down. Citizens are taking a stand and are protesting authoritarian rule. We are living in a world where chaos reigns!

We have to take care of ourselves and take time in this scary moment to enjoy nature, look up at the blue skies, oooh ahhh at the ocean sunsets, hike on the majestic mountain ranges and listen to the birdies sing. I just don’t know what to make of the human species right now, and where we land is up to us. Are we inside or outside of the USA? Will we get through these difficult times? Can we overcome the quagmire that we are in? In the words of the Beach Boys, Wouldn’t It be Nice and God Only Knows. Surfs up, but we don’t know where the tide will take us. Our roving artist, eco activist, astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse gives us some of her thoughts on the current state of the union, environmental issues, some LA astrology and more. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ and the Brennan Center for Justice https://www.brennancenter.org/ and https://civ.works/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Who’s The Boss with George Polisner Founder of Civ.Works

The “Boss” Bruce Springsteen has been in the news of late, as he bravely tells his audiences what’s going on in America right now. He is not adverse to speaking his mind, as he sees his country and democracy slipping away in plain sight. He tells it like it is, with no holes barred. During a White House press briefing on May 15, 2025, Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, responded to Bruce Springsteen’s criticisms of DJT by saying, “Bruce Springsteen, you mean he calls himself the boss? How about the employee, because the boss is the President .” Leavitt’s statement came after Springsteen publicly criticized the current administration during a concert in Manchester, England, calling them “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous”. DJT responded by calling Springsteen “highly overrated” and a “pushy, obnoxious jerk”. One of the Boss’ tunes “Born in the USA” has become an American Anthem, but it is actually a commentary on war and the desperation of returning veterans. The 1984 hit describes a Vietnam War veteran who returns home to desperate circumstances and few options. Listen only to its surging refrain, though, and you could mistake it for an uncomplicated celebration of patriotism. You wouldn’t be the only one. Bruce told radio host Terry Gross in 2005 “The pride was in the chorus, in my songs, the spiritual part, the hope part, is in the choruses. The blues and your daily realities are in the details of the verses.” Bruce started many shows with a really rousing, anthemic-type version of ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ With a bandanna on and a cutoff shirt and the fist-pumping, it felt like a celebration of being born in the USA — when really, it is a defiant song about ‘I was born in the USA, and I deserve better than what I’m getting.’ I think plenty of people didn’t get what it was about and it behooves us to pay attention to the lyrics of the verses of Bruce’s tunes. In current times, it is not hard to realize that we are in dystopian downward spiral and on the verge of authoritarian rule. People want to hide and wake up in 2028. So, there is much to talk about, and on this episode of TMSOG we are joined by our resident political analyst, environmentalist and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, who gives us some insight and helps us break down what is happening in the US of A, and why we must get up and stand up for our rights and find ways to counter what is going on inside the current regime in the White House. We discuss the Big Beautiful Bill a/k/a the Reverse Robinhood Bill as they are robbing from the poor to give too the rich. Plus the Middle East Crypto and 747 grift tour, Judges on the front line, the need to be proactive, the need to take care of ourselves and much more. Go to https://civ.works/and Civ.works/defend for more info. Listen to and buy music from Bruce Springsteen.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org and https://www.brennancenter.org/ The Brennan Center helps protect voting rights.

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Rising Revolution: The Extremes are Too Extreme: Plastic Eating Enzymes and More with Eco Activist, Artist and Sexy Astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse

The song Revolution had 3 versions and was written by John Lennon as a reflection of his feelings about the Vietnam War and other civil unrest taking place around the world. The lyrics expressed sympathy for social change but expressed doubt about the violence espoused by the New Left. He wanted change without the violence. Now enter Bruce Springsteen, the “Boss” who has thrown down the gauntlet and is outspoken about the dismantling of democracy in the U.S. He is using his music and status to make some noise. He said at a recent concert in Manchester England that “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times!” So a question that keeps arising is are we on the cusp of a Revolution? The United States is currently facing intense political polarization, and there are legitimate concerns about the erosion of democratic norms, trust in institutions, and the rule of law. However, a full-scale revolution in the traditional sense remains highly unlikely in the near term due to various factors including resilience, protest, and institutions like the judiciary, the press (which to me is questionable) and civil society which are still in place to maintain checks and balances. While mistrust in government is high, most Americans still seek change through elections, protest, and civic engagement rather than violent uprising. Political scientists and democracy experts have been identifying warning signs that suggest democratic backsliding and potential systemic instability in the United States. These signs don’t mean a revolution is inevitable, but they indicate that the foundations of democratic governance are being strained. Political scientists like Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (How Democracies Die) argue that democracies don’t usually collapse through coups anymore—they decay slowly when norms are eroded and institutions are co-opted from within. The United States is not “doomed,” but these warning signs show that vigilance and civic action are essential to preserving democratic stability. On this episode of TMSOG we talk to our resident artist, eco-activist and astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse about the problem of dealing with the narrow politics of the far left and the extreme right. We also touch on innovations that are breaking down plastics. Scientists are discovering enzymes that literally eat plastic. Dr. Antoine Roy, Lead Scientist at Carbios said:“Our enzyme breaks PET down into its original molecules, allowing true recycling. It’s like giving plastic a second life—again and again.” We also touch on what role mushrooms could play in the plastic fight, as companies like Ecovative are growing packaging from mycelium, the root structure of fungi. Charlotte also gives us her latest astrology reading. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ and the Brennan Center for Justice https://www.brennancenter.org/ and https://civ.works/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Tarri-fied of the Constitutional Crisis in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave (or is it?) With George Polisner Founder of Civ.works

In the words of Billie Joe Armstrong of the music group Green Day, “The American Dream is Killing Me”

It’s truly impossible to keep up with my daily newsfeed which highlights the dereliction of duty coming out of the executive branch of the US Government. Each day brings new misery, new bombshells, bringing down the American way of life which is hanging by a thumbnail. At this moment in time, the American dream seems DOA. The concept of the American Dream is rooted in the idea that anyone—regardless of where they come from or what social class they were born into—can achieve success and upward mobility through hard work, determination, and initiative.

Everyone should have the chance to pursue their goals and improve their life which includes personal and economic freedom (like free speech, owning property, starting a business), success through merit: Not based on background or privilege, but on talent and effort. Everyone wants stability and prosperity which is often symbolized by owning a home, having a stable job, and supporting a family. It also about financial independence, creative freedom, or just a fair shot in a system that often feels stacked. I now question whether the American Dream is still accessible as there is rising inequality, student debt, excessive healthcare costs, and systemic barriers which are in place to reduce access to programs that help Americans. The current administration via DOGE has taken out the chainsaw to slash government workers, scientists, educators, immigration, climate policy and more. The Executive branch is defying Supreme Court and Federal Court orders. The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the Trump administration must try to release a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to a mega-jail in El Salvador. The government has conceded Mr Ábrego García was deported due to an “administrative error”. No one is safe, as the red shirts and ICE, are using the tactics of the brown shirts, and they are scooping up citizens regardless of their legal status, which means not even US citizens are safe from being stopped, questioned and even taken away for looking different or disagreeing with the current administration. The American Dream is hanging by a thread, for the sake of future generations, this cannot stand!

On this episode of TMSOG we are joined by resident political analyst, environmentalist and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, who gives us some insight into tariffs, taxes, and the free fall of America into fascism. We examine the current constitutional crisis as the SCOTUS 9-0 ruling regarding the illegal deportation of Kilmar Garcia to El Salvador is being ignored by the current administration. We touch on Harvard taking a stand against authoritarian rule, as Trump and his Broligarch advisors, Miller, Musk and others continue to dismantle democracy, key federal agencies and much more. We are in the many shades of authoritarian rule and chaos is ensuing! For more info go to http://civ.works/defend/ Also go to the following organizations to get info and donate https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists help scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ https://www.beyondplastics.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ and the Brennan Center for Justice https://www.brennancenter.org/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.