I was trying to think this afternoon on what I should put on my www.howiemaui.com blog, but as usual I relied on my faithful source of “howiemaui,ism”, President Donald Trump and his www.twitter,com page, it seems that nearly his first one hundred days, that “The Orange”, as one person described him misses his past civilian  life, he misses driving his own car, he misses being able to go anywhere he wants to go, see who ever he wants to see, and in simple plain english, he misses being the old Donald Trump, that can let the world know that his Donald Trump. But what I don’t understand why did he take the job of the American presidency in the first place? Was it for power,  glory, or does he really care about making “America Great Again”?

Today at a NRA meeting, he really made me feel great, he referred to his possible 2020 presidential opponent, Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas”, also telling the NRA audience that she is great as it. When is he going to stop insulting people, our country is not about hatred, at lest I thought it was? Why cannot President Trump start acknowledging the goodness and kindness of all of his fellow Americans? For example, today is the twentieth anniversary of Ellen Degeneres announcement of being gay, doesn’t the president could think how Ellen’s daring move, was responsible of perhaps saving the lives of other gay people, who would resort to suicide, then face unbarring humiliations of the tens of thousands did in the 1990’s, or about yesterday was the 90th birth of Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr Martin King Jr., a simple acknowlegement to the family, would of shown that he cares, no, Donald Trump just likes to antagonize as many people, religions, world leaders, and who ever he wants. For those who like because they are rich as him, or so hateful as him, why can they just tell him that the party is over, it’s time to get someone who not only wants to be the president of the United States, but also wants to make their permanent resident in the White House, and just wants to be a nice PERSON!

Since Donal;d Trump has taken the office of president, and putting his effort in making America great again, I have neglecting what was the American dream I once thought about when I was young. Growing up in America, was like being part of a motion picture, it seems that seeing life on a television was such a big difference than looking up things in the encyclopedia britannica, mom wanted me to be educated, and I think she paid some $35.00 a month for three years so I could learn about the world that I lived in. I can still remember it’s flimsy thin like newspapers pages, and thinking I could copy of their articles for a high school assignment. It seems every week, there wither the Viet Nam War to scare me, or wondering if President John was hurting his beagle buy pulling him by his ears, there were so much great music, Elvis, The Beatles, Stones, and Simon and Garfunkel, Life Magazine, Look Magazine and Time Magazine were priced under a dollar, and most of all I never heard the word cholesterol, as long as I drank three glasses of milk a day, eat my meat and potatoes, and shampoo my hair once a week, I was  certified healthy, and yet the American dream was starting to make sense.

I started to think that eventually I was going to get old, but that was a million years from now, I concentrated on getting good grades in high school, and hope my parents could financially help me go to college, even though I loved taking photos, I had no idea that that the university, that I would spend four years, had a photography department, sure enough, Jesus wanted me to be a photographer. My American dream was starting to take place, well not exactly, my dream only lasted for just five months as a photographer for the Champagne News Gazette, my desire to the next Jimmy Olsen, photographer for The Daily Planet was shattered, however my love of cameras, films, and the dark room was some thing I could could never abandon, I found the true profession, as a photo salesman for many of Chicago finest camera stores, I even ventured for six months as a photo assistant for a commercial photographer, all in all I had a four decade profession, I did not make a lot of money, but I was with people who love photography. Even though it ended on new years eve, 2011, I look back at it now and say now, I did what I loved to do. I met my wife of almost twenty five years through one of my photo customers, and I finally can say at seventy years old, that tMy American Dream was just to be happy and like what I was doing.

I don’t hear President Trump, or my fellow Americans admitting  if they are happy, and not so much reflecting on what they should or could of done with they lives, but just ask them selves, “Am I Happy”, and if not, what do I plan to do about it. Sure it’s admirable that President Trump wants a “Greater America”, but I would like him to ask his fellow Americans, “What is your American Dream?”

Very interesting on what I have been reading about President Trump’s new tax proposal, gosh this is refreshing, I look forward each April 15, knowing that I might have to come up with the extra thousand dollars I will have to pay my accountant and of course Our Uncle Sam, but according to our new 100 day president, I might be eligible for a double marriage exemption, nice and boy do I need it, with my wife wanting to retire, and some two years away from getting medicare, I have been losing sleep on how are we going to come up with the additional $1000.00 a month for health care and the loss of of my wife’s income, maybe and I am going to keep my fingers cross, just maybe my wife can start collecting her social security without being penalized, maybe her social security just might the amount we need to pay for our health care. getting the additional loss of income will be tough, but maybe we can start cashing out our savings and investments, maybe I can pull about fifteen years of additional income, and if I make it that long, I just pray that I die before we run out of money.

I doubt if President Trump can give us a ten dollars a month raise in our social security for good behavior?

With everyone paying less taxes, how are we going to pay for all the good and services to live and run the country? It’s simple, less programs and services, and we are going to do with less, things that we took for granted, like health care, will not be the quality that we once had, many of the goods and services that were once able to afford, are no more, the dollar store is now the three dollar store, and our cheap foreign automobiles will only be afforded for the rich.

We will pay less taxes, and certainly have less to show for. It might be the final jolt that we need, the rich love being rich, and us poor Americans are going to wonder why we ever elected_____________________________________________.

You fill in the blank.

I can remember maybe some twenty years ago, that all credit card interest was a write off on my income taxes, at the the time I was making very little money, and my bank was in the form what ever credit I had left on my available credit card, I lived for the day, and what the hell, the couple of hundred dollars I spent on credit card interest enabled me to have a couple of extra luxuries. Today, is a completely different ball game, over the years I made a lot more money, and was able to discipline myself, to save some money for my retirement, not much, but it was better than nothing. Now that I am retired, living on my social security, my wife’s income, and some investment income, I see the “Calm Before The Storm”, President Trump’s enforcing a 20% border tax, on items that are imported into the United States, and the addition of reducing the corporate tax from 35-15%, will eventually, turn our country financially upside down.

The likes of foreign automobiles, drugs, and oil will have a serious repercussion on our spending power, us americans will not be able to afford many of these imported items, even though the government  will be trying to collect more taxes on the items that are imported in this country, in the hopes that it will be an incentive for the country to build more factories in hope to create more jobs, will not work. The prime reason why many items are cheaper to manufacture outside the United States is that labor is cheaper, rediculously cheaper, and no worries about their workers having an union and receiving benefits.

Once the border tax take place, many countries will enforce  even higher taxes on our goods and services, and once that takes place, our US Dollar will be worth less. All in all, in this country we like shopping at our dollar stores, and don’t even care that we are buying so many items from China, that would three times the cost if they were made in the United States.

Another point that we better be prepared for, that many of the deductions that give us the financial incentive to buy our homes, is due that the mortgage interest is a deduction, many other deductions as our medical expense and education costs maybe the thing of the past as once was my credit card interest as a tax deduction.

Eventually we could end up with a straight percentage income tax, and I doubt it will be the same for the wealthy, it will destroy our economy, there will be no longer a middle class, you either are poor and in the case of our president, very rich, who has many more rich people helping him run his country. Pretty scary.

I hope I am wrong, but the Titanic was a warning, start thinking about selling your house, put your savings in precious metals and most of all Pray!

I can’t reveal his name, but he is young, has a lot of energy, and a dog with a spiritual name, Isaiah. People say that I am just too old to spend much of my time on social media, tough, I never thought this seventy year old could have the time of his life staring at my Mac Book laptop, but I realize my clock is ticking faster and faster each day, and suddenly I am grasping for so many answers, that I just took for granite. There are so many people, that I am grateful for assisting me on my spiritual journey, Dr Wayne Dyer, Tony Robins, Dali Lama, Bishop Tutu, Mother Theresa, and now my parish priest with the dog.

It seems that some of my fellow parishioners did not like my priest’s political comments or his Easter humor, about getting your Ash in church, where else are you going to get your ash, I came to the defense of my priest by replying on my Facebook page, by agreeing,  “Don’t Be An Ash Hole” , the point is that there is not enough genuine religious that I think what most people need, but I always wonder if Jesus was with us today, how would he preach to us? Would would he say to President Trump, Vladimir Putin, and of course Pope Francis? I would hope to think that we be kind, have compassion, and treat your fellow human being with respect and love.

Our country was built on the premise of being allowed to worship what ever religion we choose, like Jesus being a Rabbi, and sacrifice his life so we can the belief that our eternal God has a master plan for his Universe. There are probably over 10,000 CATHOLIC saints, so many of these have given their lives for Jesus. I can’t understand why my priest has to get rid of his Facebook page, and why would anyone complain to our Bishop. Isn’t this one of our religious freedoms? Should Pope Francis get off social media, should we strike off all those who dare to challenge many of the problems of the world?

My mornings are not the same without my Priest with the dog name Isaiah, I love to share the photos that I have taken at church, especially at our senior’s monthly get togethers. I know I can email my priest, but it is not the same, I want to share him and his dog with the rest of my Facebook friends, please pray for me, and get enough nerve to call the Bishop.

Let’s stop the bull shit, no we have right to ask our country what it can do for us. I am not going to discuss J. F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech, it was plagiarized, and we been given a lot of crap. The American People, have defended their country, and worked very hard to keep it’s future  going, now is the time that you President Trump that you take of your constituents, by making sure that they can get affordable health care for themselves, as well as their families. You know that most Americans are struggling financially, and the one thing they fear is to get drastically sick, and unable to care for their families. So lets do it right away. Bernie Sanders has said it, but this time it’s up to you and your Congress to step up to the plate and hit a home run. Every American, person living in the United States, every corporation,church, synagogue, and even our charities and non profit foundations, have to pitch in, and I emphasize have to pay their fare share of your new health care tax, more income you make, the more you will be taxed, and here is the solution, to attain our new affordable health care, the health care tax will be calculated on your gross income, before any DEDUCTIONS, no games, simple calculations, if you make ten million dollars and your health care calculation is six per cent, guess what?, your contribution will be $600,000.00. The health care game is OVER, living in the United States is certainly the “Land of Opportunity”, but it also means that you have to help your fellow American, for once and for all, Crime will Pay, all of our money making entities, gambling casinos, and state lottos will be taxed.

Who saids life has to be fair? With President Trump’s new health care plan, it will be more than fair, it will make us the proud and healthy Americans that we will need to be.

To night I was informed on my Facebook page, that Erin Moran, who played Richie Cunningham”s (Ron Howard) sister on “Happy Days”, Joanie Cunningham, and later was starred with Scott Baio on “Joanie Loves Chachi”, died tonight. Like many our our earlier TV stars, their careers start to falter, and like many of us, who run out of money and in Ms. Moran’s case, fame. It has been rumored that she had an addiction problem, and even was evicted from her Indiana trailer home. This really hit me hard, and even though I was a fan, it reminded me of another TV star from “Different Strokes”, I met her at an autograph show, and I can sensed that there was something wrong, like she just didn’t want to be part of the whole entertainment industry, she also sensed my concerned, and whispered softly to me, “I will be OK, she wasn’t OK, in due time she decided enough was enough, it was time to leave, she died from an overdose, I still wish I could of done something.

Well there is something I can do, I never knew after knowing a Chicago photographer named Richard Hertzberg for at least fifteen years, that he was a child TV star like Erin, and Dana, he was one of the neighbor kids on “My Three Sons”, named Sudsy, aka Richie Allen. Richard a a very good commercial photographer, a graduate of The Art Center of California, also had some issues that I am not at liberty to devote, he was a heavy smoker, had a heart implant but later on died from lung cancer, about two years ago I had an urge to call Richard, I knew he closed hid Chicago studio, and was able to reach out to his mother, Estele Hertzberg, a child talent scout in California, and we discussed many of the good stories we had with Richard.

Feeling remorse, and remembering that I did meet Barry and Stanley  Livingston at an autograph show, and never knew Sudsy was a photographer, what they remembered most that Stanley(Chip-“My Three Sons”) loved to play roller skate hockey around the TV sets, driving the TV crew nuts.

After my wonderful talk with Richard’s mom, she wanted to know if  I wanted any of her son’s photographs, I told her it would be a great idea to donate to Richard’s  Photography school Alma-Mata, Art Center, after we talked I made the call if they would like to have his photos, they said yes, and thanked me.

Feeling guilty for not reaching out sooner to Richard, I was very fortunate to make contact with Stanley Livingston, and we shared some great stories about Sudsy, I asked him if there is anything I can help you with please let me know, he said that I am very welcome to lend my expertise on his motion picture production company, First Team Productions www.firstteamproductions.com.  It then occurred to me, that perhaps there should be more emphasis on making new television shows that many of us loved to watched after school or after we did our homework. My first suggestion was perhaps, there might be someone who would like to produce a show like “My Three Son”, but instead called ” Those Four Daughters of Mine”, there are so many shows that I can remember, “Car 54 Where Are You?”, “Gunsmoke, or even a modern day version “This Is Your Life”, the point I am trying to make, perhaps if we can  get rid of our TV reality mentality, perhaps our former TV stars, especially for many of our hundreds of stricken actresses, and actors, who find it very hard to get back to their beloved professions, of acting and singing, they would be too busy working, and wouldn’t even think of abusing their bodies and minds with addictions, and for me I finally say thank you Erin, Dana, and especially Sudsy, for entertaining me on my Television, and it’s now my turn, to change the channels for those who need our help.

Stanley Livingston is very active with many of our past TV stars, and we discussed a project that could rival the success of “Tina and Tony’s Wedding”, If there anybody in TV land that needs to know what this idea is, please call me at 630-202-1979, or email me at [email protected].

I just read in a New York Times article, that there are those in New York, especially their Governor(Cuomo) thinks that Judith Clark who drove the get-away car in the 1981 Brink’s Armor car robbery that left one guard and two police officers dead. Serving thirty five years of her seventy five years sentence, did she and her lawyers ever think about the hardship that she and her accomplishes caused the stricken families of the law enforcement officers? It’s not exactly she was an Uber driver. Even though she did not pull the triggers that killed the officers, she could of prevented the whole robbery itself, very much like college students that could of reported what they say with the Boston Marathon bombers.

It’s a privilege, and an honor to live in the United States of America, but for an elected Governor to ever think that Judith Clark should of gotten parole, after only serving almost of her sentence, so she can enjoy a couple of decades of freedom, has me wondering that maybe President Trump  might have me wondering that maybe I might be too much on the left, oh God, did I just say that I said?

What the hell President Trump, don’t you check your information before you embarrassed the United States by telling the Premiere, not the President you call of China? I can just imagine how the people of South Korea feel about stating that their country were part of China, maybe you meant there are some pretty good Chinese restaurants in Seoul Korea, the point is that the American people have much reason to bow their heads in disgrace, and I am certainly one of them.

Your press secretary thinks that even Hitler was as bad compared to the gassing of Civilians in Syria, you don’t need to worry about global warming, or pollution in the United States, and why should you care about laying pipelines over sacred Native Americans burial lands. Doesn’t the truth matters to you? Sure we need more jobs, and it would be nice to own a cellular phone made by Americans with parts made in America but it cannot be economical. Why not, our labor is too expensive, and American cannot afford to pay $3000.00 for the phone. Both Apple and Samsung make billion of dollars because of this, and why are you not figuring this out? I will tell you why, if South Korea was once part of China as you told the world, China would be the world’s only maker of cell phones, and they would determine who will be able to own then, put restrictions on what kind of conversations that can be communicated on them, what color they will come in, and what technology would be put into the phones, you see, China will be able to bug every cell phone that either uses Chinese parts ad labor,

Maybe President Trump you gave the President of China as you refer to, a great reason to take your idea at heart, China will eventually take over both North and South Korea.

Sorry Apple and Samsung, I guess we have a president that not only jumped the gun, but gave the China Premiere every reason to make Donald Trump one of his top advisors.

As I get ready to end my day, wondering what to blog about, I started to to have one one these reality moments, my life is practically over, and did I waste it? Could I have done better? Did I select my hobby, photography as a wasteful profession, could I done better financially,  I wish I did do better financially so my wife could retire. Was I good enough son? Did I knew my dad and mom? Did I take care of my health? Did I Learn life’s lessons? Was I good friend? Did I hang to the past for too long? Was I a good relative? Did I reach out to more people? Can I accept who I am? Can I accept all of my circumstances for the life I was given? Can I stop being enviously of others? Can I accept that everyone wants to be my friend? Can I stop wanting to know what the definition of being Normal? Who saids that my relatives have to love me? Will my wife ever have reason to love me? Did I miss the chance to be a parent? Did I ever try to find out who I really was? Could I ever had a real profession? Did my life really have any meaning? Why am I always feeling sorry for myself, why me , why was I born with cerebral palsy? Do I really think that people will take me seriously? Am I am a joke? Is all my efforts worth pursuing? Should I act my age? Should I just accept the fact that I did the best I could do, no less or no more. I can go on and on, but I must realize that it’s nor normal to feel like that I feel that I am abnormal.

Wow, I needed that, I am who I am, and hopefully tomorrow I can ask myself , the same question, who am I?