Thursday Diary

Who is that man in the garbage truck?

So it’s come down to this. When I turned on the TV, it was to see Donald Trump sitting in the passenger seat of a garbage truck. He was answering reporters’ questions as if that was how it’s always done, but then the wind came up and he said he had better get on his way — because a storm might be coming.

For a moment I thought it was a remake of the “Wizard of Oz.” Or maybe a video for a Bob Dylan song. In any event, the previous time I’d seen Trump on TV, he was trying to learn how to flip French fries at a McDonald’s. Maybe next time he’ll be working at a car wash.

I’m guessing this all means something to somebody, that there is a sort of uber-message here, but whatever that is has eluded me.

***

One of the disconcerting aspects of aging is the growing sensation that you are ever so gradually losing control of your body. You may begin to shake and simple tasks become noticeably less simple.

So what is to be done about this? Observing the basics by eating a nutritious diet, exercising daily, trying to get enough sleep, hydrating, working on your balance and your gait all can be helpful, but still there is that little voice deep inside that insists, “Buddy, this here is a losing battle.”

Of course, it doesn’t help when your doctors confirm that prognosis, but then again, that’s the way it goes.

All of this on an individual basis is one thing. But most of us at any age and in any condition presumably wish for our country oh ‘tis of thee, our homeland, our fruited plain to remain healthy and strong.

Well, these days, the warning signs are all flashing red for our good old republic. Let me first do the math: I’m 31 percent as old as America, which means that it is just a little over three times older than I am, so it is sort of like my great, great, great grandfather.

And these days the old guy is showing his age every bit as much as I am. What should be an easy task for him — looking forward rather than back — is up for grabs. So is whether he will embrace a healthy attitude of hope and joy or turn to a self-destructive urge toward fear, hate and revenge.

We know mental health is a core part of physical health, but our nation seems poised on the verge of a mental breakdown, uncertain whether to choose imbalance over balance, extremism over moderation, profanity over civility, loathing over love.

I, for one, am having none of it. I may be not yet as old as G-G-G Grandpa but I know right from wrong, good from evil, love from hate. I’m choosing the brighter path, and hoping that that makes a difference, for me and my country.

Meanwhile, if you go out for a morning walk, better keep an eye out for a white garbage truck with a large flag waving out back and a fat guy wearing a bright red-and-yellow-striped vest up front in the passenger seat. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know where he is going.

HEADLINES:

• Trump Pays the Price for Insulting Puerto Rico (Atlantic)

• Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico (AP)

• Who Will Win the Election? AI Predicts Electoral College Map (Newsweek)

• Standing Up to Trump (New Yorker)

• Inside 'the weave': How Donald Trump's rhetoric has grown darker (AP)

• An Ethical Minefield Awaits a Possible Second Trump Presidency (NYT)

• Musk’s plan to cut $2 trillion in U.S. spending could bring economic turmoil (WP)

• In US swing states, officials brace for conspiracy theories and violence (Reuters)

• Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads By 2 Points In New Survey—As Polls Tighten Before Election (Forbes)

• The Conservative Strategy to Ban Abortion Nationwide (New Yorker)

• We may not know the next president on Election Day. This Arizona swing county could be why (AP)

• Majority of swing-state voters say they fear violence if Trump loses (WP)

• How X users can earn thousands from US election misinformation and AI images (BBC)

• US economy grew at a solid 2.8% pace last quarter on strength of consumer spending (AP)

• As Russia gains ground, can Ukraine survive? (Economist)

• The AI boom could unleash a surge in electronic waste. Tech companies are building and upgrading data centers needed to power artificial intelligence — and discarding older computer chips and equipment. (WP)

• Afghan women cannot pray loudly or recite in front of other women, says Taliban minister (AP)

• At least 95 dead, more missing in Spain’s severe floods (WP)

• Scientists Just Discovered a Super Easy Way to Increase the Health Benefits of Your Daily Walk (Inc.)

• Study finds black-colored plastic kitchen utensils, takeout containers may contain cancerous chemicals due to recycling practices (NoC)

• The Big Squeeze: Why Everyone in Hollywood Feels Stuck (Hollywood Reporter)

• U.S. Deploys Socially Awkward Men Along Border To Deter Migrants (The Onion)

Lyrics: “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan & The Band

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he's been framed

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released