Trump Towers

Donald Trump sounds awfully mean-spirited to me. A lot of people I know are pissed and identify with him though. They are generally hard-working people who barely make a middle-class living. They have a chip on their shoulder for those they consider responsible: educated people, immigrants and government. That makes them mean-spirited too. They identify government as the problem and believe bigger government is the solution, which hardly sounds Republican to me. However, Trump echoes these sentiments by promising higher walls and sweeping laws. He is an empire-builder with an autocratic leadership style. I’m reminded that corporations are not democracies ... they're managed more like dictatorships, which brings to mind martial law and re-education camps ... which are designed to make me behave more like a loyal employee.

The scoundrel

For the record, I’m not proud of my behavior in college. Figuring I wasn’t going to get by on looks alone ... I needed another way to mask my edginess and appear sincere. Stories of past adventures both captivated and added a vicarious boost of adrenaline in my unsuspecting prey, which diverted their attention away from my need for adventure elsewhere. Tales of crossing Baja in a dune buggy and surfing Spider Bay were good (and true). I once told an innocent young debutante about my fool-proof plan to smuggle cocaine from South America aboard a sailboat (a complete fabrication). Shocked the shit out of her …but she was intrigued. I later got her to shoplift, dine-and-dash plus switch theaters at the mall during dates … things that were totally out-of-character for her. Like I said, I am not proud. Horsepower was also good for spiking adrenaline (and providing me with a fast getaway). I had an Alfa Romeo that I kept in immaculate condition. White-knuckle rides through Laguna Canyon or Big Sur tended to suppress discussion and release inhibitions. Then lastly there was the fear of abandonment (or the loss of living vicariously) which was a good motivator. Kept ladies hooked and in-line. Back me in a corner and I’m gone.