The Dinger, Hoopleheads, and dolts

Toddlers With Keyboards

Kadizzle deals with a lot of people. Most are decent. Some are thoughtful. And then there is a special category that reliably crawls out from under the comment sections of social media: the poorly educated Tea Party typers.

You can spot them immediately—not by what they say, but by how they say it.

A reasoned response never appears. Evidence is never offered. Logic is nowhere to be found. Instead, the reply arrives like a toddler flinging mashed peas across the table: short, emotional, and proudly ignorant. These are not conversations; they are tantrums with punctuation.

The Hoopleheads never argue an idea. They bark a feeling.
They don’t explain—they react.
They don’t think—they type.

Thought is not their strong point. Emotion is their entire toolbox.

And when even emotion fails them, they do what the simple-minded always do: they lie. Easily. Casually. Reflexively. Facts are inconvenient things when your worldview is held together with duct tape and grievance. So the lie becomes the default setting—Trump taught them that much.

Which brings us to their hero.

Trump is admired by the simple-minded for exactly the reasons decent people recoil from him: his crudeness, his ignorance, his compulsive lying. They don’t overlook these traits—they identify with them. Trump gives permission to be dumb loudly, dishonest proudly, and cruel without consequence. To the Hooplehead, this isn’t corruption; it’s validation.

That’s why debate with these folks is impossible. Debate requires shared reality. Toddlers don’t debate—they scream until someone gives them a cookie or walks away.

So when a Tea Party typer replies to a thoughtful comment with a sneer, a lie, or a two-word insult, remember: you’re not witnessing disagreement. You’re watching intellectual immaturity trying to pass for conviction.

And like all toddlers, eventually they get tired.

Kadizzle recommends letting them.

Over on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity blog there is a breakdown of the Payson Tea Party you might enjoy. https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Nonsense Magnified.

 Yesterday Kadizzle attended the town council meeting. It was a lesson in disfunction. The Three Stooges are in a mess. The Stooges are now trying to implement everything they opposed. Jim Ferris is the worst Stooge of them all. Ferris want to use the money he raised from selling aluminum cans to fix the old Taylor pool. Kadizzle went to the meeting to point out the idiocy of fixing the Taylor pool. The Taylor pool would be in the ramshackle Rumsy Park.  If Payson is ever going to have a nice full recreation center Rumsy Park is too small. The Stooges are Trumpers all the way. Trump tells us we are rich, money is pouring in from Tariffs, and prosperity. However, the Stooges act like we are already in a depression. Ferris and his duct tape solutions are insane to listen to. " I know how we can do it cheaper",  Of course bogus cost figures sprouted like weeds. The Stooges pretend to represent the town when in reality they represent the twisted minds of the Tea Party. Normal people need to wake up before the Stooges Trumpitize Payson. 

Attend your own funeral.

The Donut Tontine: A Fundraiser Where Everyone Dies (But Nobody Actually Dies)

Let’s be honest—raising money is hard. Bake sales flop. Raffles annoy people. And no one wants to hear the words “fundraising committee.” So Kadizzle reached deep into the dark, dusty basement of financial history and dragged out a strange old creature called a tontine.

Don’t worry. No one is actually harmed in this version. Mostly.

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What in the Heck Is a Tontine?

A tontine was an old-school retirement plan from way back before Social Security, 401(k)s, or even common sense. Here’s how it worked:

• A group of people all put in the same amount of money.

• That money gets invested.

• Everyone splits the yearly interest.

• When one person dies, their share of the interest gets divided among whoever’s left.

• As people drop off, the survivors make more money.

• The very last person alive gets everything.

Yes—this worked great financially and terribly morally. Unfortunately, it turned out that when money increases with each death, people start dying a little faster than nature intended. Who could have predicted that? Because of the “light murder problem,” tontines were outlawed.

So naturally, Kadizzle thought: We can fix this.

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The Donuts with Democrats Tontine (No Assassins Allowed)

Here’s the safe, modern, non-murdery version.

• We recruit 26 brave donut patriots.

• Each person throws in $100.

• That creates a $2,600 Donut War Chest.

• The money sits in an interest-earning account.

• The interest helps pay for donuts, coffee, and the emotional support required after consuming that many pastries.

Instead of real death, we use something even more powerful:

Artificial Death (Also Known as “You’re Dead, But Please Pass the Sugar”)

• Every member’s name goes into a jar.

• At each meeting, one name is drawn.

• That person is now officially “Dead to the Tontine.”

• They stop receiving future interest shares.

• But they do not stop showing up, because this is not a cult. Probably.

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The Funeral (With the Corpse in the Audience)

At the next Donuts meeting:

• The previously “dead” person shows up very much alive.

• A formal funeral is held.

• Someone delivers a eulogy listing:

  • Their good deeds

  • Their bad political opinions

  • And at least one mildly embarrassing personal fact

• The “deceased” sits silently and listens to their own life summary like a ghost at their own wake.

This continues for about two years, one death per meeting.

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The Final Survivor (May God Have Mercy)

Eventually, only one symbolic survivor remains. This person:

• Becomes the Last Donut Standing

• Is crowned Keeper of the Financial Flame

• Does not get assassinated, poisoned, or shoved down a stairwell

• Does not get the money either—because this is a fundraiser, not a crime documentary

Meanwhile, Donuts with Democrats keeps the original fund and uses the interest for donuts and operations the entire time.

And here’s the beautiful part:

• Everyone gets some money back from interest during the process

• So the real cost to each person is less than $100

• Everyone gets donuts

• Everyone gets coffee

• Everyone gets publicly eulogized while still alive

This is what economists call a win-win with frosting.

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Example Numbers (Because Even a Donut Cult Needs Math)

• 26 people × $100 = $2,600 total fund

• If the account earns 5% per year:

  • $2,600 × 5% = $130 per year

• Over two years:

  • About $260 in total interest

• That interest:

  • Offsets what each person originally paid

  • Helps buy donuts and supplies

• Donuts with Democrats still keeps:

  • The full $2,600

  • Plus the interest earned along the way

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Act like nothing is wrong

The country is melting under the Trump dictatorship. Our local Tea Party and all the Republicans " Act like nothing is wrong".  How do they do it? The evidence is all there in plain site. Trump's idiots are destroying every aspect of our society. The lies pile up like snow. Yet, the lickspittles act like nothing is wrong.  Kadizzle loves the lyrics to the song below, because they perfectly frame the Republican mind set.

[Verse 1]
Ed Maguire was climbing up the corporation ladder
Access to the pension fund made Eddie's wallet that much fatter
Old Maguire was skimming off the top for twenty years
When the FBI caught Ed red-handed he broke down in tears
Eddie said, "I'm sorry I've been stealing for so long
Now get my lawyers on the phone and act like nothing's wrong"

[Chorus]
Act like nothing's wrong, everything's just fine
Hold your head up high and act like you don't really mind
If you're terrified like me of terrorists and crime
Please take my advice and simply act like nothing's wrong

[Verse 2]
Henry Ward was drinking every night until he dropped
One by one all of Henry's best and longest friendships stopped
Henry looked around and noticed that he was all alone
No one wrote him letters, no one called him on the telephone
Henry Ward was happy that his whiskey was so strong
Wall-eyed drunk it isn't hard to act like nothing's wrong

[Chorus]
Act like nothing's wrong, everything's just fine
Hold your head up high and act like you don't really mind
If you're terrified like me of terrorists and crime
Please take my advice and simply act like nothing's wrong

[Verse 3]
Now Mary Margaret Johnson was a good old-fashioned woman
Her daughter was an angel, she never saw it coming
Mary Margaret Johnson's daughter Sally was on crack
Sally took to turning tricks to keep herself well whacked
Sally disappeared into an old sad junkie's song
Mrs. Johnson knew just what to do: act like nothing's wrong

[Chorus]
Act like nothing's wrong, everything's just fine
Hold your head up high and act like you don't really mind
If you're terrified like me of terrorists and crime
Please take my advice and simply act like nothing's wrong
Come on

[Instrumental]

[Outro]
Act like nothing's wrong, act like nothing's wrong
Stick your chin out, just pretend you're really brave and strong
If you're terrified these days like most folks you will find
Ignorance is bliss, dig this: act like nothing's wrong
Hear and see no evildoers, act like nothing's wrong

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Nuremburg

If the Nuremberg Trials Played at the Payson Tea Party

Last night we watched a movie about the Nuremberg Trials—that moment in history when the world finally told the Nazi leadership: You don’t get to shrug this off. You don’t get to say “I was just following orders.” You don’t get to lie your way out of mass murder.

And all I could think was this:

What if that movie were shown at a local Tea Party meeting in Payson?

Would anyone recognize themselves in it?

Payson is full of people who, in another time and with a little brown-shirted uniform, would have thrived in the Nazi system. Not because they’re monsters in comic-book terms—but because authoritarianism feeds on the same traits we see today: blind loyalty, tribal rage, contempt for facts, and the absolute worship of a strongman who promises to crush “the enemy.”

The Tea Party movement in Payson is as close as we get to that political DNA. Wrap it in flags. Sprinkle in Jesus. Add some Facebook outrage and conspiracy theories. Then repeat the lie until it feels true.

History doesn’t repeat itself exactly—but it sure as hell rhymes.

At Nuremberg, Hermann Göring did what every authoritarian does when the bill comes due: he denied everything. He spun stories. He blamed others. He acted offended that anyone would dare hold him responsible. Sound familiar?

So does Donald Trump.

The Big Lie wasn’t invented in 2020—it was perfected in the 1930s. If you repeat a lie loudly enough and long enough, you can convince millions to distrust their own eyes. Trump didn’t invent that playbook. He just translated it into red hats and rage-filled rallies.

And here’s the part that should chill every thinking person in Payson:

The early Nazis didn’t think they were villains.
They thought they were patriots.
They thought they were saving their country.
They thought the courts were rigged.
They thought the press was the enemy.
They thought violence was justified because their side was “under attack.”

Sound familiar yet?

This is why the Nuremberg Trials still matter. They weren’t just about punishment—they were about truth in the face of propaganda. They were about documenting lies while the liars were still breathing. They were about telling future generations, “Here is what actually happened—no matter how badly you want to rewrite it.”

So let me ask the uncomfortable question out loud:

If the Nuremberg film played at a Tea Party meeting in Payson—
Would anyone see the warning sign?
Or would they just mutter, “Fake news,” and ask where the donuts are?

The scariest part of authoritarianism isn’t the dictator at the top.
It’s the ordinary people underneath who decide that truth no longer matters as long as their side wins.

Payson may think it’s far removed from the world of Nazi Germany.

It isn’t.

Not when you crush facts.
Not when you excuse cruelty.
Not when you chant lies in unison.
Not when you dismiss the rule of law as optional.
Not when you cheer for the man who promises to break the system instead of fix it.

History already showed us where that road ends.

The only real question left is this:

Do we recognize it now—or do we pretend we don’t?

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It has been cold

Sitting with coffee cups in Arizona reading the news in the morning, Kadizzle thinks of the freezing weather in our old home of North Dakota. Old people migrate to warm climates, why not? This morning Kadizzle read an account of poor people in North Dakota without propane. Freezing in their own home with children is unacceptable, but North Dakota has 14 billion in the bank. That is what money does. The Republicans in North Dakota could eliminate poverty with the stroke of a pen, but the rich need more and the hell with the poor. That is the Republican motto. Let the poor bastards freeze. Trump calls people garbage, and the " Good Christians " applaud. What have we come to when 400 families own half the wealth and the poor are left to freeze.  

Well here we sit.

How Low Can We Go? From the Three Stooges of Payson to the Trump Mafia in Washington

The lying and deceit of the Trump gang remind me all too much of the Three Stooges wrecking the place — except in this case, the place is our own town of Payson. When you watch federal corruption and local dysfunction side by side, it feels like two versions of the same tragic comedy: one national, one municipal, both fueled by arrogance, incompetence, and a total disregard for the people they claim to serve.

We used to think the Three Stooges routine — tripping over ladders, smashing scaffolding, knocking down walls — was harmless slapstick. But when our local Stooges destroyed the hope for a new community swimming pool, it wasn’t comedy. It was civic sabotage. It was the crushing of a shared vision for health, recreation, and town pride. They weren’t defending taxpayers — they were defending their own narratives, their own petty politics, their own egos.

Meanwhile, on the national stage, Trump showed America something even darker. He demonstrated how easy it is to manipulate people clinging to a sinking boat — people desperate for leadership, desperate for meaning, desperate for someone who pretends to hear them. He weaponized their loyalty while enriching himself. In ancient Rome, emperors entertained the masses while their armies slaughtered for sport. Today, Trump praises war criminals, laughs at human suffering, and encourages violence as though it were prime-time entertainment.

What kind of America does that make us?

Take a slow drive around Payson. You’ll see hardworking people living in aging, ramshackle homes, families scraping by, elders surviving on fixed incomes while inflation eats away their dignity.

Then picture the other America: the wealthy lining up to place gold-brick tributes on Trump’s desk — not out of patriotism, not out of civic duty, but to buy favors, dodge consequences, and cement their place in the new feudal order. It’s the same old story: those at the top get gilded pathways; those at the bottom get potholes and platitudes.

Have we truly sunk this low? Yes — and we’re still digging.

Now the Trump mafia wants to strip health care from millions, cut vital programs, and funnel the savings upward — yet again — into the pockets of the rich. Every proposal is the same sleight of hand: take from the vulnerable, reward the powerful, blame the powerless, and congratulate themselves for “saving America.”

What have we come to when cruelty becomes policy, corruption becomes loyalty, and public service becomes a punchline?

Payson deserves better. America deserves better. Humanity deserves better.
But nothing changes until people look up from the sinking boat and realize the captain drilling holes in the hull is not their savior.

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Payson can prosper in spite of the Three Stooges and the Tea Party, here's how

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How a Charitable Tontine Could Work in Payson

An old idea with a new purpose

Most people in Payson have never heard the word “tontine.” It sounds like something from Victorian banking or an old Western novel, but the concept is simple—and surprisingly powerful when applied to community good.

In a town like Payson, where retirees, volunteers, and civic-minded folks make up such a large part of the community, a tontine could become a creative way to fund local needs for decades.

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What Is a Tontine?

A tontine is a financial arrangement where:

1. A group contributes money into a shared pool.

2. The pool is invested and generates returns over time.

3. As members pass away, their shares stay in the pool, increasing the benefit for those who remain (or, in a charitable model, increasing the benefit to the town).

4. When the final member passes, the remaining principal goes to a designated purpose.

Historically, tontines funded everything from bridges to orphanages. Think of it as a longevity-based community endowment.

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A Modern Twist: The Payson Charitable Tontine

Instead of a “last survivor wins” structure, a charitable tontine keeps the focus on community benefit.

Members would:

• Contribute a one-time amount

• Vote annually on charitable distributions

• Leave their principal invested

• Know their contribution becomes a legacy gift for Payson

Charities benefiting might include:

• Library programs

• Payson Humane Society

• Firewise initiatives

• Youth arts and sports

• Senior assistance programs

• Trail and park development

• Rim Country educational scholarships

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Two Ways Members Could Be Rewarded While Alive

Traditionally, tontine members received all the investment payout as older members passed away. A charitable tontine takes a different approach, but there are two ways to structure member benefits while maintaining the charitable core.

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Option 1: Pure Charitable Tontine

All investment earnings go directly to Payson charities each year.
Members receive no personal income, but their contribution grows into a permanent community gift.

This is the cleanest and most charitable form.

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Option 2: Charitable Tontine With Annual Member Return

This is the alternative you asked to include—and it’s a smart bridge between personal and communal benefit.

Under this model:

✔ Each member receives the annual investment return on their own share
For example:
If a member contributed $5,000 and the fund earns 5% that year, they receive $250.

✔ The principal (“the capital”) stays in the tontine
They can enjoy the yearly earnings for the rest of their life, but they cannot withdraw the principal.

✔ When a member passes away, their principal does not leave the tontine
It stays in the pool, increasing the charitable power for future years.

✔ The charitable distributions grow over time
As members pass, their capital continues working for the community.

This version offers:

• A modest income benefit to members

• A strong long-term gift to Payson

• More incentive for people to join

• A predictable, steadily growing charitable impact

It’s a win-win structure.

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Example: How It Would Work in Payson

Let’s imagine a Payson Tontine with the dual-benefit option.

Initial Setup

• 100 members each contribute $2,500

• Initial pool: $250,000

• Invested at a conservative 5% return

Annual Payouts

• Each member receives 5% of their own contribution each year

• A $2,500 share pays $125 annually

Charitable Distributions

Members could vote to donate:

• A portion of the pooled return

• Flat amounts each year

• Growing amounts as the pool expands due to deceased members' shares staying in the fund

After Members Pass

Their $2,500 stays in the fund forever.
The annual charitable pool increases each time, creating a snowball effect that could eventually fund significant community projects.

Final Gift

When the last member passes, the full fund—possibly $500,000 to $1,000,000+—goes to the designated charity or endowment.

A long-lasting legacy for Rim Country.

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Why Payson Is Especially Suited for This

• Older population with interest in legacy

• Strong volunteer culture

• Deep civic pride

• Local charities that need stable, long-term funding

• Community frustration over inconsistent town priorities

• Many retirees wanting to “leave something behind” without giving up their assets right now

A tontine leverages all of that into something meaningful.

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Legal and Structural Notes

A Payson Tontine could be set up as:

• A 501(c)(3) foundation

• A charitable remainder trust with tontine rules

• A special fund inside the Rim Country Community Foundation

• A standalone local endowment

Members would sign an agreement clarifying:

• No withdrawal of principal

• Annual payout rules

• Voting procedures for charity distributions

• Final gift designation

Simple, transparent, and fair.

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A Legacy for the Rim Country

At a time when Payson debates every tax increase, pool project, and bond measure, a tontine offers something rare:

A way for citizens—not politicians—to directly shape the future.

Everyone puts in a little.
Everyone gets a little income.
The town gets something permanent.
And someday, a major charitable gift bears the names of the ordinary citizens who built it.

The mother of all thieves

No gangster, King, or thief in history has ever come near the stealing ability of Donald Trump. Trump's entire family is engaged in robbing the country. Trump rapes children, but also citizens. Kadizzle urges you to go to the National Association for the Advancement of humanity blog and watch the video there. https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

OK, back to ordinary things.  Days of sunshine have returned. Siting in the warm sun like a turtle on a log has become Kadizzle's new pose. Yesterday Kadizzle took a motorcycle ride into the National Forest. The fire wising is astounding.  Several thousand acres have been cleared of brush and fire prone material.  A hair cut for the forest. Areas Kadizzle rode through many times looked entirely different, just like the grandson did with his hair stripped off. 

Lately we have been enjoying our fire pit on the patio.  When the kids were here for Thanksgiving we sat around the fire several times. Wood for the fire is plentiful in the forest where the fire wising has taken place. 

Interesting article in the New York Times about how people don't mind paying property tax to up the neighborhood.  The Three stooges in Payson should read the article. 

Why not get smarter?

 Over on the other blog " The National Association for the Advancement of Humanity",  Kadizzle has posted some very good youtube videos. The one posted today is the result of laying in bed listening to the fellow giving the lecture on the blog. Just discovered the guy, but he has some striking insights. Give it a try. 

Now back to Sunday reality. The kids are back at their homes. Was very nice having the tribe here. Kadizzle noticed the big bottle of liquor that was sealed in the closet is now unsealed and half empty. The son in laws put a nice dent in it. The food was excellent. Fran loves to cook, so Fran and Megan teamed up to make the most wonderful dinner.  Erin worked on the pies. To the Amazement of Kadizzle, he managed to keep his weight down. Forgot to mention the gravy , and the stuffing, wow.  

The grandchildren were a delight. Evie is an amazing artist at 7, and her brother Quinn at five is full of pickle juice. He loves to explore the woods. He made his own ax out of a bone and a stick. He wants us to send it to him.  Sylvie, the amazing, Sylvie, did her homework. She gave us all a psychology experiment exam she developed. Her experiment proved her idea correct. Indeed the gang should be thankful we have a wonderful talented family, with no flumpers.  What is a flumper? If you have fished and throw a fish on dry land you will notice how it fops around. That is a flumper. 

Back to Normal

 Soon the Giant and her parents will head toward Denver. The Snidly's and their parents are on the plane flying to New York.  Quiet will encompass the house. Of course this morning the Democrats will meet. Looks like another sunny day. For two evenings we sat around the fire pit and enjoyed the evening. The stars were very nice last night. Poor old Kadizzle had to get up at 2 A. M. to drive the New York gang to the airport. Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the family. Evie is turning out to be an astounding artist for her age. Art seems to run strong in the family. 

Happy Turkey Day

 The noise from the squeaking grandchildren is both joyful, and nerve racking. The house is full and the rented house is full, yet still sister Patty is sleeping in the 5th wheel beside the house. It is great to have such a gathering. What will become of the country as the rich gobble up so much. Megan told of a filthy rich family in her area that is having the Hamilton cast over. Special costumes will be provided for them at a cost of over 100 thousand. So the super rich will have turkey for perhaps 500 thousand. They deserve it, they brought us poverty. Over on the National Association Blog may wish the Orange Turkey a happy Thanksgiving. 

The Giant, and the Snidlys are here

 Wonderful Thanksgiving shaping up. Both daughters are here with their families. We had fun last night plying Uno. Megan's two little ones Sylvie, and Quinn have so much fun with the Giant, Erin's daughter. Evie is an amazing artist for her age, and Quinn has so much energy he might explode. Entertaining the gang is the mission. We rented a separate house for Megan's family. Fortunately the house is within walking distance. Hope everyone has a good holiday. 

The Giant is here

 My granddaughter the "Giant" is here. Now she has grown taller than grandpa. Her dog Danny went nuts running around the house like he had to know where everything was. The Giant has her first boyfriend, and we call him "The Devil" because that was the role he played in the play where they became friends. Grandpa Kadizzle was walking the dog last night with Sylvie and asked her what was the most fun she had with her boyfriend the Devil. Her reply was hilarious. Kissing was the answer. Grandpa cannot help but brag about Sylvie. She is a grade A student at the Denver School for the Arts, she dances, sings, is an athlete, and has a great sense of humor. Tonight the magic snoochels will fly in from New York with Megan and Sam. Quinn is six and Evie is eight.  We will have a house full. 

The Snidleys are coming

From Denver, and New York the family is coming for Thanksgiving. Sister Patty will come from Cottonwood. Then top it off with grandchildren, which will include the "Giant".  The Giant has been so busy in plays, modeling, and taking to the Devil. The Devil is Sylvie's boyfriend. We call him that because it was his role in the play where Sylvie and the Devil had to embrace. That started the fire. Sylvie is the Giant. She has grown so much she is tickling six feet tall. Megan will come with Quinn, and Evie her little guys that are growing like weeds. Grandpa will be delighted to see them all . 

The Rain has poured down in the desert

The trees must be drunk on water. The parched soil has been dry for so long. Rain has moved ashore from the Pacific and drenched Arizona. The rain is welcome, but we are so used to sunshine it is very different to be living in a gloomy world, but that is the price. The elk wandered down the street oblivious to the rain. Since our backyard is the holding basin for all the water in our settlement, the basin is our rain gauge. It often fills up quickly, but the water percolates through the ground and is soon gone. The basin has been full most of the week, but this morning the water level is down. The mystery is where does all that water go. Some runs down hill to the neighbors. Someday Kadizzle we will have to follow the temporary stream and see where it goes. 

You got screwed by your employer. Find out how on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity blog: https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

How to Teach the Bible in Oklahoma’s Public Schools

Will we be rid of the Orange Rat?

Early morning with coffee. The sun creeps up over the Rim, the birds are chirping, and Kadizzle sits there wondering—what will happen to the Orange Rat today? Another indictment? Another lie unraveling? Another MAGA disciple waking up with a faint headache that science calls “contact with reality”?

Trump’s future seems to be death by a thousand cuts, and the strange part is that he’s delivering most of them to himself. Every day there’s a new revelation, a new tape, a new grifter he pardoned who is now selling gold-plated MAGA vitamins or some nonsense. If self-owning were an Olympic sport, Trump would have more gold than Fort Knox.

But of course the MAGA mind is encased in cement—Payson-grade stuff, too. The kind you pour behind the trailer to park the ATV. Smooth, thick, immovable. Trump could shoot the Constitution point-blank in the middle of Fifth Avenue and Hoopleheads would say it was asking for it.

Yet even cement cracks. The biggest boulder on the Mogollon Rim eventually chips away under wind, weather, and geological embarrassment.

And the Orange Rat is weathering, all right. Court dates multiplying like rabbits, former loyalists flipping faster than pancakes at the Kiwanis breakfast, judges losing patience, and reporters digging up his scams like gophers on steroids.

At some point—even the dumbest, most loyal, foam-at-the-mouth MAGA disciple may look up from their patriotic flag-shirt, scratch their trucker hat, and whisper to themselves:

“Hey… maybe that rat is a rat.”

It won’t happen in a flash of enlightenment. It’ll be a tiny crack. A little doubt. A suspicion that maybe… just maybe… the man with the golden toilet and the aluminum brain might not be the Second Coming.

Reality is a slow drip, but even the hardest cement eventually yields.

So for now Kadizzle sips his coffee, watches the cracks spread, and waits for the day when even Payson’s most devoted Hoopleheads finally admit the obvious:

The Orange Rat smells like a rat because he is a rat.

And the country is finally beginning to notice.  

Over on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity blog check out Trump's White House life.

https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Bragging on the cheap

Payson the town that just voted down a swimming pool published a "Town Managers Report".  Seems strange that the report has no real accomplishments. One amusing aspect is the people who were promoted to the job they already had. Make the teacher a professor. He still does exactly the same thing. A big fear of Kadizzle is if the new town manager becomes a puppet of the Tea Party. The Tea Party is the cancer of Payson, a bunch of old cheap goats that watch and believe Fox News. The Tea Party supported the Three Stooges that now are taking Payson backwards as fast as they can. Mentally Payson is crumbling thanks to the Tea Party. Think about this, the Tea Party had a guy give a talk supporting Russia. 

Firewood.

 The children are coming for Thanksgiving, and Winky wanted firewood. Kadizzle had a simple solution, just pick up the scraps from the guy who packages firewood. That would be simple and cheap, but Winky managed to make it into a complex mess. So yesterday off we went to "Jim Bo's" to get some firewood.  Jim Bo never showed up, but we got hold of him this morning. At this point we had been to Jim Bo's twice. Now at Jim Bo's we ask if we can buy the scraps in his processing place that is closer to our house. Yep, he said we could have the scraps for free. So off we go back to Payson. Jim Bo is going to give us the scraps, but now all of a sudden the mess wood he wants to get rig of is $40.  Kadizzle got him down to $20 and he helped us load the truck, so it was not so bad.  Additionally Jim Bo said we could come back any time and get a load for $10.  In reality the processing of the wood they sell makes a mess they have to clean up. So we are paying him to clean up the mess. In the end a simple task became complicated, but this is the normal routine with Winky. Good thing she doesn't read this blog. 

Over on the National Association blog a Trump Post Turtle is featured. 

Greed versus Happiness versus Gary Tackett

Elon Mush pay package will give him 12 million dollars an hour. Our local newspaper editor sees nothing wrong with this. To Kadizzle it seems extremely immoral. Gary Tackett like every good MAGA suggested Kadizzle move to a socialist country in Europe. Kadizzle asked AI to rank countries by life satisfaction. The United States did not even make the top 20, but just about every country that had happy citizens was strongly a socialist country. Gary likes the idea of a country full of peasants while the top few squander resources. Here is the ranking:

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Top 20 Happiness Rankings

Based on life-satisfaction scores from the 2025 Report (averaged over 2022-24) from the dashboard. (World Happiness Report)

Rank	Country	Happiness Score*
1	Finland	~7.736 (Happier Lives Institute)
2	Denmark	~7.521 (Happier Lives Institute)
3	Iceland	~7.515 (Happier Lives Institute)
4	Sweden	~7.345 (Happier Lives Institute)
5	Netherlands	~7.306 (Happier Lives Institute)
6	Costa Rica	~7.274 (Happier Lives Institute)
7	Norway	~7.262 (Happier Lives Institute)
8	Israel	~7.234 (Happier Lives Institute)
9	Luxembourg	~7.122 (Happier Lives Institute)
10	Mexico	~6.979 (Happier Lives Institute)
11	Australia	~6.974 (Happier Lives Institute)
12	New Zealand	~6.952 (Happier Lives Institute)
13	Switzerland	~6.935 (Happier Lives Institute)
14	Belgium	~6.910 (Happier Lives Institute)
15	Ireland	~6.889 (Happier Lives Institute)
16	Lithuania	~6.829 (Happier Lives Institute)
17	Austria	~6.810 (Happier Lives Institute)
18	Canada	~6.803 (Happier Lives Institute)
19	Slovenia	~6.792 (Happier Lives Institute)
20	Czechia (Czech Republic)	~6.775 (Happier Lives Institute)

*Scores are approximate as reported in the ranking.

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Health Care & Education Commentary

• Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway): These generally have strong public health-care systems, high life-expectancy, broad coverage, and highly regarded education systems with equity built in. The social-welfare model tends to support older adults well.

• Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium: Also strong welfare states with good health access, good education outcomes, though cost/complexity may be higher and waiting times may vary by region.

• Israel: Good healthcare infrastructure, strong in technology/innovation; education good though the system has unique features (military service interplay, regional variation).

• Costa Rica and Mexico: High happiness scores but the health-care / education systems may not be uniformly as robust as the top Nordic/W. European ones; might have more variability regionally, and you’d want to check elder-care / specialist access for your needs.

• Australia, New Zealand, Canada: Good general systems, access, quality of life is high; for someone in a retirement context these could be attractive given the environment and health-care infrastructure though immigration/visa/residency factors become important.

• Slovenia, Czechia, Lithuania: These are in Eastern-/Central Europe with improving systems; good value and improving access, but for older adult specialist care and education for grandchildren (if relevant) you might want to dig deeper.

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Some thoughts

 Look and listen to the video below. How can a poor man stand such times and live. Kadizzle has a strong feeling we are headed to a depression. Trump has danced and lied us into a worldwide mess. Soon things for poor peasants will collapse. We walked right into this mess. Destroying education was an accomplishment the Republicans will even regret. People have lost all sense of history. Trump is duplicating the Nazi playbook, and depression economics. 

Ry Cooder - How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live

A nice Sioree

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Had a good evening with friends around our fire pit. You can read about it on the National Association blog.  Meanwhile in the realm of the Kadizzles we got up another bird feeder. Our backyard is a great nature sanctuary. The elk seem to be coming on a regular basis. Winky was mad at a cow elk that was licking the sugar water from the hummingbird feeder. Winky tried to frighten the cow elk away, but Kadizzle enjoyed having her just ten feet away. Clapping her hands Winky finally got the lady elk to leave and cross our little bridge back to the elk paradise on the other side of the drainage. 

The Donut meeting in the morning went well, and then we headed to Pine. Our friends set up the food truck they have been building and in Pine they had their first big day. The food truck, or should we say trailer, because it is a camping trailer converted into a sales place for donuts, egg rolls and ice cream. They were frazzled trying to keep up with the customers. It will be interesting to see if they stick with it. 

Get ready for the depression

All the signs are here, it looks like a crash is coming. Trump is just what is needed to plunge the world economy into a disaster. Speculation has gone crazy. If AI doesn't pan out a lot of people will be toast. What should we do? Kadizzle told Winky perhaps we should become more energy independent. Put more solar panels on the roof and consider a big battery. Maybe that fifth wheel beside our house could be our new home when the crash comes. Last resort move to West Virginia hills where we can live for nothing. 

Are you still in the Fog?

Thursday in Payson: Windshields, Hoopleheads & Bernie

It’s Thursday. The windshield on the car needs replacing—again. Meanwhile, over at the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity, Bernie Sanders is delivering a magnificent speech about the real terrorist threat to America: Donald J. Trump himself.
Do yourself a favor and head over there to watch it:
👉 https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Back here in the land of Pothole Paradise, the Hoopleheads have successfully torpedoed the new pool. Congratulations, Payson — our children will continue to practice their swimming skills in mud puddles and drainage basins. We couldn’t afford a proper pool, but we sure can afford to make ourselves look like a town where hope goes to die.

Kadizzle continues to be amazed that the Payson Roundup still prints his letters referring to the Three Stooges by name — Steve Otto, Charlie Bell, and Jim Farris. (Maybe the editor has a sense of humor after all.) These clowns pretend to champion the community while feeding their Tea Party cult a steady diet of nonsense, paranoia, and whatever is left in the intellectual freezer that’s been unplugged since 2016.

The Tea Party still has the busted-flat trailer crowd tightly gripped in a fistful of lies. They shout “Make America Great Again!” but apparently greatness doesn’t include a public swimming pool… though it does include massively higher grocery bills, failing infrastructure, and limitless delusion.

So once again — go watch Bernie. He’s the one person capable of explaining, in clear daylight, the dumpster fire our country is roasting marshmallows over. Kadizzle will be in the garage calling the insurance company about that windshield and muttering about Hoopleheads.

America may be “great again,” but it sure feels like we’re going downhill in a shopping cart with one wobbly wheel.

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Another Day

The Three Stooges are the curse of Payson, AZ.  Steve Otto doesn't know the Truth from a visit to the Tea Party. Kadizzle pointed out the hypocrisy of the Stooges in a letter to the editor. The Payson Roundup published the letter. Otto has lied about Kadizzle and refuse to retract or apologize. Kadizzle put a cartoon of Otto on social media. Poor old Otto didn't like it and said so on the local right wing radio station. Otto is great about dishing out lies, but is a little sensitive when he is the victim of the truth.  

The letter to the editor pointed out how the Stooges now want to spend the money from the 1% sales tax increase the last administration passed. Whoops, Otto and the Stooges got elected opposing the tax raise, but rather than rescind it now they want to use the money to appease the Tea Party. The Stooges are the public face of the Tea Party and don't hesitate to play Fox News when it comes to deceit. 

NEW SONG - The Great Fatsby

Trump parties while snap benefits are cut for the poor

Monday rolled around

 Monday is off to a start. Over on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity blog Kadizzle has an entry about the sad guy we have as Mayor. He was pissed off about a cartoon of him, lets see if this gets to him. 

The granddaughter did a funny imitation of another worthless Republicans yesterday, Trump. The weather is turning. Yesterday Winky's bird feeders got put up and we got some customers. The pool vote comes this week to an end. If the Tea Party Hoopleheads defeat the pool initiative because of their cheap ass busted flat life style the town is doomed. 

What else is new? Erin was out canvassing for a school board member in Denver yesterday. Republican want to destroy the school system so they have plenty of stupid people to vote for them. Sadly they are succeeding. Charter schools, and voucher schools have sucked money from the real schools. 

I Discovered THIS on the Edge of a Cliff!

We have been to these ruins and hiked in this area many times. There is a waterfall here, strange he did not feature it. 

Not Quite the Desert Drive I was Expecting! "Roosevelt to Young, AZ"

Kadizzle and Winky have driven this road dozens of times, but we never got to see a lot of the things in this video done with a drone. We have hiked about every inch of this area. The guy did a good job. If you watch the video you will get a very good idea of where we do a lot of trail work. Sadly there was a big fire here this year and much of it is burnt. 

A difficult motorcyle ride for a man 76

Al came up from Tucson to take a motorcycle ride. Al is a good rider an ten years younger. We have taken rides before. Kadizzle was so proud of one ride in the past when Al crashed five times and Kadizzle only three. Some years have gone by since then. At 76 crashing is not the option it used to be. So we took off on some Forest service roads. The roads were moderately difficult, but handled, then we crossed the East Verde river. Kadizzle remembered a hard climb on the other side. Going first Kadizzle started up. The rain and four wheelers had made the hill worse. On a motorcycle you cannot stop on a hill. Commitment is critical. You have to stay on the throttle and hope it works. As Kadizzle went up he thought about the pleasures of crashing. Would he be hurt, would the motorcycle be damaged? Somehow Kadizzle made it to the top, but was grateful he was with Al.  The ride went on for a total of 35 miles. Wonderful scenery and a few more touchy places.  

Today a long motorcycle ride

 Al and Kadizzle are going to take an adventurist motorcycle ride through the hinter land of Payson. The ride will be mainly on Forest Service roads, and there are plenty of them. The trick will be to find our way home an avoid the really nasty parts. Recent rains have rutted some of the roads. Yesterday we took a short ride and Kadizzle saw a truck camper out in the wilderness. It turned out to be a guy Kadizzle had met a few days earlier. He happened to be a laid off Forest Service employee who did trails like we did. It was interesting that he could get his truck camper as far down the bad roads as he did.

If you want a little political BS try the other blog. The mayor was pissed off about a cartoon of him I posted. https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Urban Sprawl

Back from Denver what does Kadizzle remember? Like every city Denver is sprawling over the landscape. The insanity of infinite growth doesn't seem to register. Infinite shopping malls, and the repeat of all the chain food joints, and same stores everywhere. Of course there are also the title loan companies, and the street vendors. 

You wouldn't keep putting more and more chickens in a cage, why do we do it to humans? Kadizzle with the wife inspected a new apartment building nearby the home of Erin. The place was very nice and had amenities like a swimming pool, work out room, and so on, but there were 300 apartments. People stacked on people, and nobody seems to mind. We have been blessed living in small towns with plenty of space. We had a wonderful garden in North Dakota, and here in Arizona we have forest close by. Phoenix and Denver are competing for sprawl. Like ants on an ant mound the cars are endless. The choices are endless, but is it worth it? Kadizzle says no way in hell. The worst thing in any big city are the freeways. On the vast freeways the aggressive drivers do their thing. They drive like idiots and make moving from point A to point B a death game. Why do we tolerate the aggressive drivers? Modern computers, and artificial intelligence could spot the simple minded dingers and eliminate them. 

Over on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity the question is " Why can't the MAGAs spot Trump's mental illness?"

https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Are there any Elk out there? One nice thing about our new home is the huge window in the bedroom. Waking up in the morning we can look  out and see if any Elk are present in the little patch of forest behind our house. Often the Elk will bed down there or stop to browse. No luck the morning. Sometimes there will be javelina or coyotes. 

Back from Denver today

Sister Patty told Kadizzle about a psychiatrist commenting on Trump's condition. You can find it on the Daily Beast youtube. Trump's dementia has become much worse. Will post the youtube video over on the Nationtal association for  blog. 

We will take the train out to the airport. Both of us have leg problems so it will be a hike. Had a great time seeing Sylvie perform in her play and last night she did one of her dance routines after we ate. Fran cooked some wonderful meals. 

Meander around Denver

The plan for today is to take the nice new train to downtown Denver. From Erin's house it is a short walk to the rail station or rapid transit if you wish. In no time you are at Union Station, which is very nice. Might have lunch there. Denver has fixed up the 16th street mall so the main plan will be to wander that. Free buses take you up and down the street. If we have the energy and mobility we will go across the river to REI to see if we can buy something we don't need. 

Religion is one of the worst curses of mankind. A good video is over on the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity blog. https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Denver is a nice city

Kadizzle has been in just about every major city in the United States and finds Denver one of the best. However, Kadizzle has no use for large metropolitan areas. Great to visit, but don't want to live in one. The urban sprawl is insane all over the country. It is unsustainable. There will be shopping malls from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs uninterrupted. The planet and country are definitely over populated. 

When AI strains the electrical grid all hell will break lose. 

We did have a nice visit to downtown yesterday. Some Mexican holiday was being celebrated. It seemed like the day of the dead. Costumes were very good. 

To keep exploring ideas about truth, democracy, and common sense, visit the National Association for the Advancement of Humanity.

Over on the National Association blog you can check out the Three Stooges latest scheme. 

Life in Denver

Elsa Takes Denver

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know Kadizzle has a soft spot the size of the Rockies for his granddaughter, Sylvie. She’s a miracle child in every sense — bright, creative, and full of life.

Last night she was in another play, the reason we flew to Denver. But today brought something entirely new — a “princess job.”

We drove to an office building where Sylvie unlocked a small room that looked like a fairytale supply depot: racks of shimmering gowns, tiaras, wigs, and boxes labeled with names like Belle, Ariel, and Elsa. Today’s mission — bring Elsa to life for a birthday party.

Soon enough, Elsa emerged from that little office — blue gown flowing, hair braided, and eyes sparkling. We loaded up the car and headed for the gymnastics center where the party was waiting. Naturally, Elsa couldn’t just tumble out of a car at the front door. No, a princess must make an entrance. So we parked a distance away, and Elsa glided across the lot, lifting her trailing gown and carrying her basket with the portable speaker that would play her song.

Inside, Elsa read a story and sang to a crowd of spellbound children. Watching from the car, Erin and I couldn’t help but smile. The kids were enchanted, and Sylvie — our Sylvie — was in her element. She loves this work, and it shows.

For the grand finale, our newly licensed driver, Miss Sylvie herself, took the wheel and navigated Denver traffic all the way back to Stapleton. We made it home alive — three generations, one proud moment, and a touch of Disney magic to top it off.

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NEW BLUES TUNE - Man He Be Rotten

This is just too damn good. Beg you to watch and share. Man he be Rotten, listen closely to the lyrics. 

What British think of our Orange Pumpkin

Wow, they tear the rat to shreds

«Behold. The festering carcass of American rot shoved into an ill-fitting suit: the sleaze of a conman, the cowardice of a draft dodger, the gluttony of a parasite, the racism of a Klansman, the sexism of a back-alley creep, the ignorance of a bar-stool drunk, and the greed of a hedge-fund ghoul—all spray-painted orange and paraded like a prize hog at a county fair. Not a president. Not even a man. Just the diseased distillation of everything this country swears it isn’t but has always been—arrogance dressed up as exceptionalism, stupidity passed off as common sense, cruelty sold as toughness, greed exalted as ambition, and corruption worshiped like gospel. It is America’s shadow made flesh, a rotting pumpkin idol proving that when a nation kneels before money, power, and spite, it doesn’t just lose its soul—it shits out this bloated obscenity and calls it a leader.»

 

Separating Two Worlds.

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Life on the Hill

Kadizzle may not be hitting grand slams, but he’s still stepping up to the plate. The plan is simple: keep day-to-day life here on Kadizzled, and move the heavy political artillery over to The National Association for the Advancement of Humanity.

Here in the real world, it looks like another fine day in paradise. Five years ago we built this house, and the neighborhood has turned out better than we could have hoped. The lawns are tidy, the dogs are friendly, and—naturally—there’s a fresh crop of flagpoles sprouting up like dandelions after a spring rain.

Around here, a flagpole is often code for I’ve got a gun and think Trump walks on water. Still, our neighbors are decent folks, even the ones lost in the MAGA fog. We’ve also got a fair share of rational people, and somehow everyone gets along just fine.

Home prices have climbed nicely since we moved in. The house just below us is listed at $1.3 million, and another nearby is flirting with a cool million. Whether those sellers hit the jackpot or just dream out loud remains to be seen—the housing market’s been catching its breath lately.

From our perch on top of the hill, the view stretches across mountains that never seem to get old. Payson is a town wrapped in National Forest—pines to the east, dry forest to the west—and that mix of climate and wilderness is what draws people here. Down below, three small lakes sparkle beside a beautiful park where kids and retirees reel in stocked trout all year long.

For someone who once called North Dakota home, Payson feels like another planet—one with mountains, sunshine, and just enough local characters to keep a blog alive.

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If you enjoy these reflections, visit the sister site where Kadizzle takes on the bigger battles — politics, truth, and the national circus — at The National Association for the Advancement of Humanity. https://naftaoh.blogspot.com/

Will Payson have a new pool?

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The Six-Dollar Hooplehead

You’re busted flat, but somehow there’s always enough in your pocket to wander into the casino and feed the slot machines. The town wants to build a new pool, and it’ll cost you—brace yourself—six dollars a month.

You flick your five-dollar cigarette, sip your six-dollar beer, and decide that’s just too much. After all, the Three Stooges—Otto, Bell, and Ferris—said they can fix the old pool with a roll of duct tape and a little Tea Party magic. Never mind that the old pool’s been shut down for years.

The Stooges have done their job well, spreading misinformation from one busted trailer to another. Life in the mobile home park is tough, and you’ve been falling for their schemes as long as you can remember. So once again, you’ll do as they say and vote “no,” convinced you’re saving money.

It never occurs to you that voting down progress makes your trailer worth less, or that keeping the town stuck in the Stone Age helps the Tea Party keep its grip on ignorance. But hey, you love their meetings—where the coffee is free and the lies flow faster than beer at the casino.

Will the pool bond pass? Nope. There are way more Hooples than normal people.

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WATCH: Trump's New Move Just Left Mike Johnson STUNNED🚨

Trump is mentally ill how can you miss it?

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Classic Trump idiot at the protest showing his IQ

Trump’s Mental Meltdown Reaches New Altitude

Trump’s mental illness has gone airborne. In his latest deranged fantasy, he posted a fake video of himself wearing a king’s crown, flying a jet, and literally spewing shit all over protestors. You can’t make this up. The imagery says it all — Trump sees himself as a divine monarch, above the people, defiling anyone who dares to dissent.

This is not just juvenile mockery or bad taste; it’s the public display of a man descending into madness. The delusion of kingship, the obsession with humiliation, and the total loss of shame — these are classic signs of narcissistic psychosis. Yet somehow, millions of Americans look away and call it “just Trump being Trump.”

If an ordinary person posted something like this, they’d be on a psychiatric watch list. But when Trump does it, the MAGA faithful cheer. The same people who once claimed to defend morality and “family values” now kneel to a man who worships himself in gold-plated fantasy videos.

As Trump’s mind unravels, so does our democracy. He’s already promised to use the Justice Department as his personal weapon of revenge. He’s vowed to purge the civil service, fire judges, and replace the Constitution with his will. The jet in his video isn’t just a symbol — it’s a warning. Trump intends to strafe the truth, bomb the institutions of government, and smear anyone who resists.

America is watching a man with unchecked power and untreated madness destroy the foundation of our republic. The question isn’t whether Trump is insane. The question is why so many people are fine with it.

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Three smoke dogs bite the dust

The Payson police did an excellent job of catching the smoke dogs that spewed diesel fumes on the protest today. Bob and Kadizzle chased down this diesel rat. The police showed up quickly and did the rest. The Hoopleheads encouraged the worst of their crowd to do this. It did not work out so well. 

The MAGA mindset spew diesel smoke on normal people and drive around with a sign like this: