It's been a fucked up week.

My Father lost his ten year battle with Alzheimer's on Tuesday. He was 82. Pops grew up as a Democrat Catholic… as did most Irish boys from Philadelphia… but he was one of few who were smart enough to get out.

He served his country in the U.S. Naval Reserves and had to endure his long weekends of training in Bermuda. Not the worst gig for a part time sailor… but it got real quickly when his unit went on alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

He was a brilliant man… aside from being an electronics specialist in the Navy, he BUILT our family's first color television. Since he was the only one who could work on it, he was the TV repairman, and the auto mechanic, the carpenter, and electrician. In fact… I never once saw a repairman in our house or under our vehicles.

He solved the NY Times crossword puzzles in pen and never missed a chance for a funny practical joke… often at my expense… evidenced by the MILES of 8 mm film of me falling down steps, running into trees, and losing my pants. I'm thankful for the collection of clips as that will be MY life's story when it is told… in random :13 clips culminating in me losing my trousers.

In the 70's my folks got "Amway woke," became Republicans and moved to Texas. I know Pop would've had the time of his life digging into Q and exposing the cabal if he had the chance. I'm sure his life's travels put him cross with the evil ones more times than we will ever know… and in retrospect, it is not difficult to identify some of those occasions. He hated the Clintons with a passion as did I… and our hatred brought us closer together… despite the fact that we didn't vote in unison. I voted for Ross Perot twice… and Pops was all in for the establishment guy.

He spent his entire career as a computer programmer for the Bell Systems (AT&T) despite the fact that he didn't have a degree in computer science… or any other subject for that matter. He took night classes in mathematics and became a pioneer in telecommunications… but lacking the bona fides of a formal education prevented him from advancement beyond certain levels.

By the time he retired, the internet was an emerging and brand new thing and here Pop sat with 30 years of experience programming the very machines that made up it's backbone. Finally, he could name his price… and he wasn't interested. He'd had enough of the politics that put the onus on him to continually produce and develop… for the credit of others.

When he got out in 1993… he was done.

I always suspected that he was aware of his decreasing mental faculties and was unable to handle it… so he worked on his golf game… a lot. Until the day he couldn't find his way to the golf course and had to be helped home by a kind stranger. After that is just a blur… an evil and pre-meditated, murderous blur. A fate few souls deserve.

I am angry because this disease made pops care more than my mother could handle at home and she was forced into trading their life savings and home for a medicaid paid bed in a nursing home.

My mother was a dutiful wife of over 58 years who spent every day she could at the nursing home… until this fake pandemic shut down all contact Pops had with the outside world and he was sent adrift… while she watched.

Anons… if you have loved ones who are sick [who doesn't?] PLEASE look into the Right to Try Act!

Nothing short of big pharma justice will satisfy me.