Chris Hamilton

Trump’s heating the water quickly; we frogs need to figure that out In a scene toward the end if Die Hard, Holly Gennaro says, “After all your posturing, all your little speeches, you’re nothing but a common thief.” Hans Gruber grasps her arm and …

The noise around Donald Trump has led us to underestimate him (again). And it's provided cover for a stunning consolidation of power. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/t...

The muddled haze of chronic existence After a while, the haze settles in. It’s a lie to say you don’t notice it. I notice it all the time. The back pain that’s normally bearable. The constant low-level static that imp…

The fibro moves forward, clouding existence, making things unsure. But I'm still here and still able to function. And that's enough to move forward with today. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/t...

It’s not necessary to agree with Pope Francis to see value in his beliefs For the record, I’ve read Dorothy Day and Barbara Ehrenreich. I read a book (but don’t remember the author) that suggested that salvation is collective, owing to the fact that Matthew 2…

Like everything else, Pope Francis seemed to drive political disagreements. But his stances had value, even if you didn't love them. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/23/i...

Doing something difficult with no guarantee of a reward is the deepest kind of faith It’s been probably three weeks since I’ve had an easy Fibro day. It could be a new reality dawning for me, with new limitations and stresses to learn. It could also be just a flare that…

The Fibro's made for a bumpy path, but we all have those. Going on when you don't know how it turns out is a deep kind of faith. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/23/d...

We’re lax on information security, but the administration is taking it to a new level For all we know, Joe Biden’s administration played fast and loose with Signal or any number of semi-secure (or non-secure) applications on official or personal devices. But Joe Biden is no lo…

We were lax with security under Biden, but under the new administration, we're doing far worse. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/22/w...

I can rail against it or do my best anyway For whatever reason, the Fibro has grabbed hold and won’t let go. And I get to live with that. It’s hard, waking up in pain every day. Thinking this might be the day it loosens its grip…

It's hard, but if you do your best, that's all you can do. Getting angry at reality never changed anything. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/22/i...

Developing wisdom sometimes means you test ideas you disagree with. That’s freedom. I first heard of Ryan Holiday’s work in a webcast where the guest was Marine Corps General James Mattis. The host asked General Mattis for a book recommendation and he responded with The Obst…

The Pentagon canceled a speech by an expert on Stoic philosophy (by a guy endorsed by Gen. Mattis) because he dared mention that they're banning books from the Naval Academy library. Freedom means doing exactly as the White House orders. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/d...

When it’s tough, focus on something positive The year 2015 was the worst ever. A lot of health problems and a project from hell at work that I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) walk away from, even though I put my long-term health at risk. N…

Today my ass is getting kicked. Again. I could focus on that--same song, different year. Or I could focus on how things are different this time. That second thing is better. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/w...

Why I protested (part 2) A figurative shadow passed over the woman’s face when I told her I used to regularly listen to G. Gordon Liddy back then. It was to be expected. We were at the 50501 protest yesterday in St. …

Protesting isn't part of my DNA. It's annoying that I feel like I need to do it. But the cost of not being able to tell my grandchildren that I did nothing right now outweighs all else. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/20/w...

A half a loaf is a damn good meal This morning, and most of the last week, I’ve done yin yoga. It’s a gentle yoga practice where you assume your position and hold it for several minutes. It’s supposed to be soothi…

I'm not excited about the workouts I can do just now. Ass-kicking isn't in the cards, though. So what I can do isn't stupid. It's not wussing out. It's taking care of myself and it's worth valuing. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/20/a...

In-between time In the Christian faith, today is Holy Saturday, the day after Jesus was crucified. By decree, nothing happened on Holy Saturday. It was the Sabbath, the day of rest, though to those around Jesus, i…

In the Christian faith, today is an in-between period. Jesus had died, but the rules said nothing could be done about it until tomorrow. It was a time of nothing--which is sometimes the time of greatest growth. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/19/i...

Why is this happening to me? It’s been hard the last few weeks. The pain’s been persistent and it’s causing fatigue and brain fog–not to mention a growing case of the world irritates me and I wish it wo…

It's been hard lately and I've started asking God why the hell I get this friggin mess. Perhaps he answered. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/18/w...

In Trump’s America, the narrative makes the facts irrelevant It seems like Kristi Noem hasn’t met a photo opportunity she doesn’t like. From the time she become Secretary of Homeland Security, her social media feed’s been a litany of action…

In Trump's White House, image isn't everything, it's the only thing. The narrative matters. Facts (and investigating to find them) clearly don't. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/18/i...

In the Trump universe, having power means you bend people to your will On their face, they seem unrelated. The President sees something he doesn’t like on 60 Minutes and says the FCC Chair (appointed by him) should take away CBS’s license. Harvard, a priva…

Both inside and outside the administration, those with power are pushing to bend or eliminate rules simply because they're inconvenient. That leaves the rest of us at a disadvantage. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/i...

When things are hard, it’s important to take stock. Realistically. On the minus side, my entire body hurts. Just doing some simple yin yoga this morning was difficult. The thought of several hours of work makes me feel like I have to climb a sheer rock face with n…

When things are hard, it's important to recognize the difficulties, but also to balance that with the assets you can still use. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/w...

It isn’t just them. Eventually, they’ll come for you. Eventually, it’ll happen to someone who looks like me. Or like you. It’ll happen to someone you know at church. Someone you work with. Eventually, the guy who mows your lawn or cuts you…

The government is coming for *them* right now. That won't always be the case. Eventually, they'll come for someone close to you. Or maybe even you. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/16/i...

The valley of chronic affliction The valley is dark and cold and sometimes you’re a day or two into it before you realize where you are. There’s a path laid out in front of you; it’s the only real way forward. Th…

It's hard walking through the valley of darkness when you're chronically afflicted. But what else can you do? chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/16/t...

When perception is a lie, it’s good to buy time Perception is a lie. It’s like looking at a giant black box from the outside and deciding you know what’s inside. The thing is, we’re pretty good at figuring out what’s insi…

Things are a little dark right now. It's a good time to remember that perception is not reality. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/w...

Trump’s El Salvador deal may take us to a place we can’t come back from Donald Trump is in office because about 22.6% of American citizens voted for him (77 million voters in total). Of all voters, 49.8% voted for Trump. Trump’s margin of victory was the fourth-s…

If we're not to the point where American citizens are being disappeared to foreign prisons, never to appear again, all the ingredients are in place. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/t...

If it's all the same to you, I'd really rather not. I have standards. They aren't high, but they're standards.

"See this crap, this right here, is why my whiskers are all gray. Why can't you be like your brother?"

Old mobile phones and keyboards. Overlaid text reads: FT Exclusive: EU issues US-bound staff with burner phones to avoid espionage

Breaking news: The European Commission is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage — a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China www.ft.com/content/20d0...

The refusal to adhere to the Supreme Court Abrego Garcia case means our rights hang by a thread Whatever happens next will shape reality in this country and worldwide for generations. The Trump administration has said it’s not required to work with the Salvadoran government to bring Kil…

With the administration's refusal to adhere to a 9-0 Supreme Court decision against it, even our rights as citizens are at imminent peril. If an immigrant is outside any jurisdiction except Trump's once they leave the country, we all are. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/t...

Accepting reality is necessary to move forward Jesus and his followers must have felt the walls closing in. And they must have been astounded at how quickly the tide turned. On Sunday, he was lauded with an unruly mob, praising him as the savio…

If I'm truthful, I'm coming at today from a bit of a dark place. That's okay. It goes with being human. Reality is what it is. Accepting it will help drive the best possible outcome. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/a...

Great description.

Trump’s uneven economic “show of strength” is making us economically weaker It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives the power of tariffs to Congress, but over the years, Congress has ceded that power to the President. That me…

Trumps economic "show of strength" violates the intent of the Constitution. One man's actions aren't making us stronger; they're making us weaker. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/13/t...

We get Jesus wrong most of the time For most Christians, today starts the beginning of Holy Week, the days leading up to the murder and resurrection of Jesus. It’s the central event that defines all Christianity. It’s the…

As Holy Week starts, we have to acknowledge that the devout of the time mostly got Jesus wrong. What if we get him wrong today, too? chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/13/w...

The Trump lapel pins make rumors of upcoming martial law more potent It was a generational argument, the type that’s probably been happening for decades. I said I’m not a fan of enforced loyalty tests and my son said “how about reciting the Pledge …

The Trump lapel pins show loyalty to the President over the country. As rumors float about the Insurrection Act being activated in a couple weeks, that's a sobering development. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/12/t...

Fibro sucks, but it introduced me to yin yoga, which isn’t a bad thing It was a few weeks ago someone recommended yin yoga to me at a work meeting. If you’re unfamiliar, yin yoga is low-impact, low-intensity (at least as I’ve been exposed to it) and involv…

Past few days have been difficult, but it's introduced me to yin yoga, which isn't a bad thing. If you have to go through garbage, be greedy about it. Find something good to take from the experience. chrishamiltonsstuff.wordpress.com/2025/04/12/f...

I've been thinking about you. Sorry it's hard.