No Kings Day October 18, 2025

 

No King's Day October 18

Virtue and Terror

 

Virtue and Terror

Maximilien Robespierre by Tosh Berman

 

Maximilien Robespierre by Tosh Berman

My Life on the Rocks

 

My Life on the Rocks

Strangers in our Treasury

 

Strangers in our Treasury

We Started a Joke

 

We Started A Joke by Tosh Berman

Angry about Anger

 

 Angry About Anger by Tosh Berman

Soothing Music, The Spider Man, and Ubu Roi

 

Soothing Music, The Spider Man, and Ubu Roi

The Disconnected & Frayed America

 

The Disconnected & Frayed America by Tosh Berman

January 10, 2021 by Tosh Berman

 

January 10, 2021

It must be challenging to be Jared Kushner, to have money, but have nothing else. Today is his birthday, and he turned 40-years old. When I researched a subject matter, I like to look at their images when they were young, especially if they're photos from their childhood. Oddly enough, it's impossible for me to find a picture of him as a ten-year-old or younger. And nothing of him as a teenager. His father, a felon and recently pardoned by Trump is the same age as me. Which I found shocking. In that sense, if I had a son, he could be the same age as Jared. Selfishly, I chose not to have any children, in case I produced a monster like Jared Kushner.

On January 10, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and Jared did the same when he got married into the Trump family. His father, Charles, was a strong figure in the Kushner family. He often had temper tandems and cruelty against his enemies, including a family member, married to Charles's sister.  He set him up by hiring a prostitute and then secretly recorded their sex sessions and sent them to his own sister. He was sent to prison for two years and released on my birthday, August 25, 2006. 

Jared and his wife Ivanka have a sizable art collection, including Alex Israel, Dan Colen, Nate Lowman, Alex Da Corte, and David Outrowski.  Richard Prince was alarmed that they own a work by him and told the media it was 'fake art.' Ivanka did a photoshoot for her Instagram page, showing Christopher Wool's painting behind an Ivanka Trump brand Mara Bag. That image was deleted from her account. Already, the embarrassment of being associated with the Kushners was starting when Trump became President in 2016. Still, it's almost impossible to read Jared's face. He is known to be extremely polite and never seems to lose his temper. He was taught to dance around his father's anger, which made him perfect in Donald James Trump's world. 

Jared shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra, Jr.  Frank Jr. was kidnapped when he was 19-years old. Dad paid the ransom, and all the negotiation was done through pay telephones. Frank Jr was concerned that he wouldn't have enough dimes for the phone calls, so to the very day of his death, he always carried 10 dimes in his pocket and was buried with 10 dimes in his pocket.  Being named and the son of Frank Sinatra opened doors for him. Still, he was quoted as saying, ""a famous father means that in order to prove yourself, you have to work three times harder than the guy off the street." Jared, as far as I know, never talked about his father in such a manner. 

On his birthday today, it must be a gloomy day for him. To turn 40, and knowing that your reputation is trashed, as well as your wife's career thrown in the trash can as well. The one thing I'm sure he's aware of is that his father's career was destroyed, but he came from the shit landscape into the air of New York Property.  Power rarely loses power, but one can be isolated into the vacant world of a building or home that serves no purpose but a reflection of an empty soul drowning in infinite images of failure. In all sincerity, I acknowledge Jared's birthday today as one of a celebration of a person who never had a soul. Nor, as far as I can see, a picture from his childhood. 

-Tosh Berman.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

I have a problem.  A writer’s problem to be exact.  I have an urge to document and write on the Trump administration or White House.  It’s my nature to write satirical pieces.  I like to observe the world and somehow make it more absurd, to bring out the reality or the substance of that reality out to the open.  When I try to write about President Trump, I fail.

Also, I don’t think I’m the only one with this problem. I have seen excellent reporting on Trump’s world, but the observations or making humor seems to fail on a regular basis.   I read all the commentary in various publications, both from the Left and Right, and all fail.  I can’t speak for them, but since I have the same problem, I feel it’s the foundation is not settled under my feet.  It shifts like sand on a windy day on the beach.  Whatever ridiculous thing I write about Trump, the ‘great’ man himself seems to top it.   The truth is Trump is hysterical.  No one can touch him with respect to humor.   He’s the type of guy who has a knife on someone’s throat, and everyone says “please drop that knife, Don.”  Then he cuts the guys throat just because he wants to do it, or show that no one has any control over him.  He doesn’t care about the guy whose throat got cut, but cares deeply about how people see him, and even more important, that they don’t control him in any fashion or manner.

Trump is not like Conrad Hilton, who started off working in his Dad’s general store in New Mexico, which eventually he turned that general store into a ten room hotel, and of course, ultimately, the Hilton Hotels around the world.  Trump was very much born into his situation of wealth and followed his daddy’s footsteps into the world of property.   I would like to say that Trump is brilliant at branding, but in no way or fashion have I ever wanted to wear a Trump tie or eat a Trump steak.  I have always considered him a low-life bottom feeder of a tycoon and one with no original creative vision.   Howard Hughes was born rich, but at the very least he had an impressive vision of aviation and owning a movie studio.  Trump never did anything creative in his life. Everything he touches turns into mediocrity.  Including his family and now, the White House.

There are great characters around Trump, for instance, Steve Bannon.  But even writing something satirical about him is hard, due that like his soul brother of sorts, Trump, he’s impossible to make fun of due that he makes himself into a fictional figure.  For one, no one likes Donald Trump.  Bannon, I’m sure, thinks of him as a fool, and of course, every Republican secretly and (sometimes) publicly hates him as well.   I seriously doubt that Jared Kushner likes Trump.  I’m going to presume he wants his wife, but his father-in-law.  No.  He can be made fun of, due to the corruption of his very soul.  Trump and Bannon have no soul.  Kushner does, and he knows what he’s doing is bad.  Therefore a chance for a writer to comment on someone like Jared.

For example with Trump.  Him pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  Apparently, a man who is in the wrong job, but loves the position of power, in the same sense as a boy who likes to be chosen hall monitor at their high school.   Does Trump like or care for Arpaio?  My guess is no. He's just a prop for him to use, and he will throw him under the bus if the mood hits him in the right place.  Arpaio is a man with a vision, a plan even.  Therefore a perfect subject matter for a writer to comment on humorously.  Again, if I was going t focus on Trump, I will come off as a failure.  At this moment and time, it's imperative for writers to comment on their time and era.   The thing is, it's a tough job when you're dealing with a psychopath.  I don't have the skills of a true crime writer, but perhaps one is needed when writing about the Trump administration.

On the other hand, I'll still work on it.   All of us should do so.  I just wished that there was someone like Preston Sturges around.  Where is he when one needs him?

- Tosh Berman

January 16, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 16, 2017

My friend promised me that he could connect me to Stephen Bannon.  If I can get Bannon to agree to become part of my board of directors, perhaps even the chair position, that would be fantastic.   He clearly knows how to raise money, or find money for a non-profit like mine, and also who knows, maybe even get funding for my (our) Trump Statue for the Silver Lake Meadow Park.    According to my friend, the hardcore Trump supporter, Bannon is the guy-to-go-to, for getting things done.  

The reason why I wanted to build the Trump statue was in the hopes of bringing people together.   Right now, the landscape in America is pretty insane.   We have the Anti-Democratic Party people who once belonged to the party but feel gypped, along with the Sanders people who felt cheated, and therefore are lost in the woods, and then on top of that, we have individuals who don't support any political party and are totally confused by Trump's victory.   And then there are the Democrats who are rapidly moving towards McCarthy era Republicans stance, while Republicans are siding with the Russians. Then there are the Republicans who are waiting behind the curtain to stab you-know-who in the back eventually.   Also, we have Republicans who are against Obamacare but haven't the foggiest idea how to replace it or even why - and then there are those who are racist, but also at the same time like world music.  On top of that, we have a current President, who is much admired and missed (even though he's still in office for another five days) and apparently a good man, but after eight years brought us all to this.  To be honest, I'm very confused what's happening to Planet United States of America.  That is why it's important to build a Trump Statue in the park, where neighbors, their children, dogs, and wildlife can meditate on the Trump world.  

Of course, there has to be the foundation to support my writing.  One of the people I admire is Ron L. Hubbard.  Not long ago, actually around a similar time now (the cold-war) he started a non-profit group to support his writing/thoughts.   I think it's clearly the time for me to fill the void that's there now and bring the folks back together.   But first, I have to return a library book, due that today is the due date. 

January 15, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 15, 2017

Last night I had a dream that gave me a great idea.   Before I went to sleep last night, I was listening to a recording by the Jack Quartet, who focuses on contemporary music.   When I went to their website, I read that they are actually a non-profit organization.   As I dreamed last night, I came to the conclusion that I started my own non-profit to back my work as a writer.   When I woke up to pee at around 3:42 in the morning (I have a digital clock in the bedroom) I thought this was a fantastic idea. 

The Trump statue project is depressing me because I can’t seem to get it started.  But to start up a company that’s the main purpose is for people to invest, or a better word, donate money to my career as a writer is a brilliant one.  The beauty of the donation is that since I’m non-profit, it can be a tax write-off for the donator.  Therefore easier to get funds and budget together.   One thing I have noticed throughout my life is the big difference between me and the other guy/gal down the street is that I have ideas.   It doesn’t make me better than them, but just a tad smarter. 

The key thing regarding my career is that I don’t work for another person.  One thing I’m an expert on is me, and how “me” looks at the world.  Clearly, there is a need for someone like me to give the ‘me’ perspective to readers and fans alike.   The first order of business for the day is to put together a board of directors together.   Every non-profit organization has a board, where the members are financially responsible for that organization.  In theory, they are accountable to make sure the organization is funded adequately and that they keep notes to all official meetings.  Which by law, I think the Board of Directors has to meet, at the very least, once a year.  My first thought is to get my wife on the board, my mom, a few publishers I know who are devoted to my work, and maybe a lawyer or two.  People are impressed if you have a lawyer on your board.  It shows that you’re not messing around.  And maybe one celebrity.  Since the Trump Statue is not doing so hot (but it will be !). I’m thinking of getting a key member of the Donald Trump world into my organization on the board.  My first thought is getting Stephen Bannon on my board.  Logic thinks that he at least reads.   He does own a website.  This could be a plus for me.  

I have one friend who is an outright Trump supporter, and he told me that he knows Bannon.  I wonder if I can reach Bannon through my friend.  If I get him to commit to the board and at the very least, go to one meeting per year, I think this is a win-win for me.  We will see….

January 14, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 14, 2017

I haven’t written in my journal for this past week, due to a sense of depression.   When this cloud enters my brain, my body turns itself off.   I think what’s causing the mood is the failure of raising money to build the Trump statue at the Silver Lake Meadow.   Not only have I failed in getting funding (so far), but also it seems that the city has, at this time, ignored my desire to place such a statue on their premise, which is the park.  

I even attempted to approach foundations from Russia to seek out funding.  Oddly enough, I couldn’t find any specific charities that are Trump supporters.   I have read in the newspapers and online that there seems to be a bent towards the view that Trump would be good for Russia, but finding a particular organization is tough.  And on top of that, I think I’m coming down with the common cold.

To fight the cold, I have been drinking honey with lemon and ginger none stop.  It cuts through the mucus in my throat quite well, but I don’t think it’s going to help my singing career.   Which is a non-starter because I don’t even have a career.  In anything.  It’s chilly outside, but I’ll go to the library on Fifth and Flower to investigate non-profit foundations that give money to the arts.    The library is five miles away from my house.  On a good day, I walk to the library, but since I'm not feeling so hot, I'll either take an LYFT ($8.75) or a bus ($1.75).   Logic says the bus, but I don't think I can deal with people today.   I tend to be the fellow that likes to sit by the aisle and spread my legs out.  I never feel comfortable when someone comes on the bus and wants to sit by me.  Even when the bus is full and the only seat available is the one next to mine.  I rather he or she stand.   First come first dibs on the seat! 

January 4, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 4, 2017

I haven’t been sleeping that well, I think due to the tension of trying to raise funds for the Trump statue.  My purpose is to bring people together, but it seems that the road is way too large to bring both sides to the middle of the road.  I will not give up.  But the latest news on my front is that I can’t find the 8mm footage of “Greed” in my storage shack.  I’m now worried that someone may have taken it, or perhaps I just misplaced the damn film.  I have to imagine that it will show up.  I have lost things before, thinking that history has it in its closet in some different time zone or dimension, but then one day I would walk into a room, and there it is all of sudden.  Sort of the Borrowers system of little demons that lives in one’s house that takes away the other sock from the washer. It is often a frustrating experience, but once found, happiness comes back to Toshville.

Last night, feeling restless, I went to Counterpoint Books on Franklin just to window shop and look for ideas.  I came upon a book behind the counter that caught my eye.  It’s what they all a “Better Little Book.”   From 1935 to 1939, the Better Little Book published narrations from comic strips of the time, with illustrations.  It was very much a Depression era of book publishing at the time that attracted young readers.  A lot of the Walt Disney characters, for instance, Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck were part of this phenomena.   What I found at the store was a beat-up copy of “Mandrake the Magician and the Midnight Monster” by Lee Falk and Phil Davis.  Falk did the daily comic strip of Mandrake as well The Phantom.   Davis, I have to presume, wrote the narration to this book, and Falk supplied the story line as well as its illustrations.   It’s a beautiful adventure of a professional magician who travels around with a Black African by the name of Lothar.   How these two became friends or worked together is a total mystery to me.  What they do is solve crime by fighting various criminals throughout the world.   Mandrake had the ability to make others see visions of his choosing.   Quite a talent!

I then went home to work on my memoir called “Everything I Know,” which so far is about 150 long.  At the moment I’m writing this memoir by hand.  I use a ballpoint pen as well as a notebook from Muji, which specializes in designed objects of all sorts.  I tend to work late at night.  It is just usually an owl that sits on my window pane and me.  Hoot Hoot.

January 3, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 3, 2017

My favorite actress is  ZaSu Pitts.   I was fortunate enough to see the original version of “Greed,” made by Erich Von Stroheim.  Or I should mention that I saw the entire 85 hours of footage.  Of course, it took longer to watch the damn film, due to bathroom breaks, meals, sleep, and the need to get out and see the natural life.   ZaSu’s (pronounced as “Say Zoo”) intensity in that film was a marvel, and I often think of her when I think of money.  Somewhere in my house, I have the 8mm copy of “Greed.”  It’s in one of the boxes that I have stored in our storage shack in our yard.  "Greed" has been on my mind lately because I should share the footage with others.   I have been told that this film footage is very rare, and only a few has seen the complete version of “Greed.”  

An idea came to mind.  Why don’t I have a public screening of the 85 hours of “Greed,” as a fundraiser for the Trump statue?   I called all the non-profit spaces in Los Angeles to see if they would sponsor my fundraiser, but oddly enough, they all turned me down.   This is not a hinderance.  I will arrange a showing of the film at my house.  I will rent a big screen, and perhaps with the help of Sammy’s Camera, I can find an 8mm projector.  I just hope that I can find all the original 8mm films because there must be a lot of them.

My understanding is that ZaSu was a life long Republican.  Perhaps I can tie that in with the benefit.  Since the theme of ‘Greed” is about wealth, and my understanding is that many Republicans are concerned with that subject matter.   In today’s world, one has to take an idea and explore the entire area around it.  A film is not just a film.  It represents a culture.  Therefore I need to give this showing a whole spectacle, for audiences to come.  No spectacle, then no culture, which means no statue for Trump.

January 2, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 2, 2017 (Tosh’s Diary)

Today feels like I have already spent this day yesterday.   For reasons that are not totally clear to me, whenever New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, then the next day, which is Monday is New Year’s Day (observed).  This makes perfect sense when it comes to offices or banks being closed on the following Sunday holiday, but must we have the Pasadena Rose Parade on the second of January?   Millions of Americans wake up on January 1 to watch the rose parade on their TV sets.  Yet, once they turn on the right station or website, they find nothing.  One can’t imagine the severe disappointment of having their parade yanked out due that it’s on a Sunday.   I have to imagine that it is some silly Christian religion thing that this happened.  The thing is, by the time it’s the second of January I have very little interest in watching the parade.  One watches the parade on the first of January!  There are procedures, or rules in one’s life or culture, and they are followed with great passion.  I feel the same way when people open their Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.   There is a thing called Christmas morning, and that is the time when one comes to the Christmas tree to open presents - with the family all there and looking happy.  I should write to President-elect Trump about all this.   I gather that he may agree with me.  

Speaking of the devil (or angel, now that I’m going to support him), the committee to raise funds for building his statue and placing it at the Silver Lake Meadows is starting, but with very slow or none results at this time of writing.   I pretty much spent the entire New Year’s Day (on my own time of course) trying to convince people the importance of such a mission.  And yesterday would have been perfect, because it’s the first day of the new year, and doing something positive would sure bring a long cool shadow over the year.  Yet, oddly enough, people are still bitter over the stupid election.   The Clinton fan - base is pretty much drunk since the election.  So it’s hopeless to raise funds from that side of the fence.  Meanwhile, my one and only friend who is a die-hard Trump supporter refuse to give me any funds to build a statue in Trump’s honor.   I don’t want to generalize a whole movement out there, but I find Trump supporters are basically cheap.   The mean part doesn’t bother me as much as their cheapness.  They (will he, my only friend who is a Trump supporter) told me that since he’s a billionaire there is no need for us to raise funds for him.   That to me is a silly argument.  For instance, the people I know who are rich, does that mean I don’t buy them a present on their birthday or for Christmas - due that they can easily afford their own presents?   Do you see where this is leading?  

Yesterday I wrote to Peter Thiel, who is a billionaire and co-founder of Paypal.  Which by the way is a brilliant name for such a company.  A poet must have thought of that.  Pay + Pal = happiness.   Now that is a relationship I can support!  Anyway, I sent him an email yesterday, asking if he was willing to support our committee (which to be honest is basically me at this point) to have a statue built for the honor of Trump.  For sure, a man who is spending money on a man-made island to be placed in the French Polynesian lagoon would clearly be for this statue.  Sadly, I waited for twelve hours, and at this time, I have not heard a word from him.  Perhaps he’s on a holiday with his various boyfriends, but surely of all people, he must know that time is money.  Or perhaps he supports the second of January as an observed holiday?

Good grief!  Fear not, I will not give up on this dream.  Today is only the second day of the new year, and I will be working on this project, at least until the middle-aged year of say June.    After that, who knows.  

Our Trump by Tosh Berman

The beauty (and I'm using that word 'very' loosely) of Trump is that one can't really comment on him.   You can expose him, you can look at his tax returns, break into his e-mail account, interview every woman he may or may not harmed, go through his business records, and re-visit his older quotes, and you will get zilch.  Because we already know all the answer to all above.   Trump doesn't have the higher moral ground, so therefore, he does not have to follow any moral code, except his over-the-top egoism.   There are no rules in his world, because such nouns have no meaning in his life.   He's a combination of a good James Bond Sean Connery era villain and a character out of an Alfred Jarry work of fiction.  In other words, he's a mess, and he does not give a damn.   He does whatever he does, because he can.

In a way, he is like a reflection off a mirror.  You want to read these things in and on him, but that is virtually impossible.    At times, I think he clearly wants to lose the election.  He has the ability to say the most ridiculous things at the right time (for him of course).   His recent comment on Russia should search and locate more of Clinton's e-mails is almost DADA like, in that he is only reflecting on the fear of the Democratic Party world and throwing it back like Nero as he lights his interiors to start the big fire.

To be honest, he himself is not that interesting.  What's interesting is how such a figure can single handily destroy the Republican Party.  It's not an issue of money, but more of a talent he is, to surf on the surface, and somehow makes it profound to his audience and enemies. And Trump, not only desires love, but also hatred.   To him, it's equal, and a win-win situation.  He is for sure, thin-skinned, when it comes to criticizing him, but he looks at the bigger picture, which is, people are talking about him.   The thing is, and this is a true oddity, you can't really make fun of him.  Because no matter how outrageous the parody is, he's way beyond the parody.   Or, when one makes a speech against him, it comes off just plain, compared to a Trump performance.  And make no mistake, he's a performer like any politician, but he is actually more of a genius type than say Clinton, who is just normal.

Normal is OK.  If we are honest with ourselves, we actually crave normalcy.   To get up in the morning, and make it to the evening, that is what we all crave and want to happen.   Trump hates that.  If he can throw in a wrench at a machinery part, so it will break down - that makes him happy.   The fact that the Democratic Party likes to dig a deep hole in the ground, and put their heads inside that hole - with respect to the ills of the world, Trump doesn't care to do that route.  He adores destruction.  Trump sensually embraces chaos.  Call him names, make fun of him, it's all a sense of beauty and entitlement for Trump.  The highest of the high is to get a piece of property, build something on it, and then stamp it with your name on the top floor.  So everyone can marvel that building, as it is. Which is a self-portrait of Donald Trump.  And of course, there is nothing but interior rot and decay within that structure, but who will notice that?

He doesn't have an ounce of deepness and or a sense of irony (or perhaps he does, we will never know).  But like Shakespeare's work, we can look into the world that these characters' make, and see perhaps a vision of who we are.   So in a nutty way, I'm grateful for Trump destroying one-by-one the other contestants in the Republican race, because one, he exposed their hypocrisy.   These others, think exactly like him, but Trump's genius was to expose his thoughts without any filtering.   So, what we have is a monster of sorts, but one that is clearly visible.   The danger is, not him specifically, but the fact that there are other monsters lurking in the shadows.

  I have gone on and on about the drone issue.  But think about it.  We have a presidency that uses the drone on a regular basis.  He himself has shown fears of future presidents misusing the drone system.  And he, himself has killed many.  One can argue he killed the bad guys, or even perhaps people who deserve to die - but that is a form of judge, jury, and executioner.   If you like Obama's approach, and if that is fine with you, then great.  But if the drone system under the eyes and heart of someone like Clinton or Trump - will you be OK with that as well?  And not to be a buzz-kill, if we can operate drones, then we have to presume others can as well.  I walk around my neighborhood, and I often see amateur drones in the air.  Annoying things, to hear and see when you walk among a beautiful landscape.   Then one starts to think what can be attached to these machines.  Cameras, and the unthinkable.

It seems that we are quite pleased with a well-intended speech.  The beauty of a velvet voice embracing our battered emotions, is not a bad thing at all.    It's a seductive device, because that is basically what a speech is supposed to do - especially in the public space - which is not really a pubic space, but we are allowed to enter, mingle, and listen, and then leave and wander into the evening.  If it's a really good speech, we can forget all the bad things, except fear.   Because we do need the fear to motivate ourselves.   It is a sexual instinct of sorts.  We desire things that we can't have, but we can fantasize and almost taste its fruit.  To taste fear, is like eating Trump alive.  If we can munch on him quickly, we hope that will feed the fear, or at least, contain it for awhile.  On the other hand, Trump still doesn't care.   Win or lose, it's the ride that is important to him.

  The Democratic Party, and I have to imagine the Republican Party, it's the win that is the goal and the great importance.   For the first time in my existence, we are facing a gentleman (ha) who cares not at all what we think of him, just as long as we have Trump coming out of our collective mouths.  If the political parties lose, they will consistently find blame somewhere else, beyond their mistakes or lack of vision.  The rotten thing, is that now the pandora's box is opened, there will be more Trumps on the horizon.

- Tosh Berman