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Reason for Starting a Blog¹

I Am the “Enemy Within”

I started my blog because I realized that maintaining my opinion that Donald Trump Is a Fucking Idiot was going to be unwieldy to update and maintain. You may have a different opinion from mine. But the only person that can convince me that Trump is not a fucking idiot is Donald Trump himself. I probably won't change your opinion or vote. Likewise, you won't be able to change my assessment of Trump.

Prior to the November 5, 2024 presidential election, I had concerns for Democracy. Now, I have fears for Democracy. Fears that America won't survive a second Trump term.

Both political parties fucked up in 2016.

• The Democrats chose Hillary because it was "her turn."
• The Republicans chose the candidate, Donald Trump, that was, and still is, unfit and unqualified to be president.²

Both candidates were polarizing! Trump still is.

No, I do not have TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome)^3,4, or RTD⁵ nor do I belong to the Cult of Trump. My opinion of Trump hasn't wavered from when he first announced his candidacy. He's still a fucking idiot.

Trump's actions following the 2020 election should have disqualified him from ever serving again. However, the Trumpers⁶ in the House and Senate chose "Party Over Country"

Discussions and comments can be placed here: RalphHightower/blog · Discussions · GitHub.

During Trump's presidential campaigns in 2015 (primary), 2016 campaign and his presidency from January 20, 2017 through January 6, 2020's provoked Insurrection, I assessed these critical character flaws of Donald Trump:

1. Pathological lying
2. Tyrant
3. Hypocrisy⁷
4. Immaturity⁸
5. Temper⁹
6. Narcissism¹⁰
7. Pigheadedness¹¹
8. Grifter
9. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality¹²
10. Strong-Arm Dictator Wannabe¹³
11. Cheat¹⁴
12. Thief¹⁵

Donald Trump – The Reasons Against Him

Donald Trump's Serious Character Flaws

Trump's character flaws preclude him from running anything other than his family-owned business. His character flaws precluded me from even considering him.

Apparently, stewing in his own venom and demons after losing the 2020 election has taken its toll on Trump's mental facility. He has become more unhinged, losing focus, experiencing cognitive decline and dementia.

Trump Needs to Change His Behavior and Demeanor

How?

• Tame your temper! Quit throwing Trumper Tantrums!
• Quit your pathological lying and tell the God-damned truth!
• Quit your God-damned gaslighting¹⁶!
• Start treating people with respect! I.e., quit that childish behavior of calling people names and acting like a school-yard bully.
• Be a true leader! A true leader recognizes team members, and subordinates for their accomplishment, and accepts the blame when things fail. A true leader does not use intimidation and fear.
• Quit your whining, "It's not fair" Grow up and be an adult!
• Accept the fact that the president lives under a microscope. You will be praised by some and condemned others for your actions or inactions.

Trump keeps boasting that he is a highly intelligent person. As Brad Pitt said in the movie, Moneyball, "Show me the money!". In Trump’s case, I say "Show me your Mensa test score!". If you're short on cash, I'll even pay the $99 for you to take the Mensa Admission Test.

But you more than likely won't own up to my challenge to you. It'll probably be for the same reason that you won't reveal your Internal Revenue Service tax returns as presidents have done as past precedent. You're afraid that revealing that information will prove that you are a fraud.

Constitutional Court Cases

There are two court cases that have not yet convened and must be decided because Trump's behavior and actions following the 2020 presidential melection threaten the very fabric of our nation.

1. Federal – Attempt to Overthrow the 2020 Election and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection.¹⁷
2. State – Georgia. Strong-Arm Attempt to Falsify Their Election Result.

Damn! How the hell did Trump win?! Although the federal case will be winding down since the DOJ has some regulation that sitting presidents cannot be tried:

Donald Trump Is Guilty For Attempting To Overturn An Election And Instigating The January 6, 2021 Insurrection

Third Rate Game Show Host

I thought that it was a publicity when Trump announced that he was running for president. Trump has neither the qualifications nor the temperament to be president. My assessment has not wavered from 2016. America must not renew "The Apprentice: White House" for a second season.

"The Apprentice: White House" ended a tumultuous four year season ingloriously in January 2020, in an extraordinary low point in American history when thousands of far-right undesirables, Pride Boys, Zero Percenters and Oath Losers, lay siege on the US Capitol in a vain attempt of insurrection to overthrow a fair election.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

I also think that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should be impeached because he is ethically financial challenged.

Briefly About Me

I freeze time; I photograph. I have 50++ years of computer programming and software development; most recently using C# and .Net. Athough I am retired from software development as a vocation, I am still active for personal projects. I have witnessed two final space flights: the US half of the Apollo/Soyuz Test Project, and Space Shuttle STS-135 Atlantis with the Final Four [CDR Chris Ferguson, PLT Doug Hurley, MS1 Sandra Magnus, MS2 Rex Walheim], as well as the final landing next to the control tower of the Shuttle Landing Facility (200 yards from the runway).

Photography is another creative endeavor that I have enjoyed since 1980. My first camera was the Canon A-1 which was an innovative camera for the 80's, which I still use. I added one of my bucket list cameras in July 2013, a Canon New F-1 with the AE Finder FN and the AE Motor Drive FN. December 2013, I added a DSLR, the Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 24-105mm f4L. I enjoy photography period. It doesn't matter if I am shooting film or digital.

I have more information on my website: [ Ralph Hightower — Website ], as well as information that I want to use and that I am interested in.

Personality Tests

Test/Website	Result
Top Gun Call Sign	Lt. Ralph 'Tahoe' Hightower18
Myers-Briggs Personality Test®	INTP19
CliftonStrength 34™	Ideation | Deliberative | Learner | Input | Strategic Leaders with great Strategic Thinking strengths are the ones who keep us all focused on what could be. They are constantly absorbing and analyzing information and helping the team make better decisions. People with strength in this domain continually stretch our thinking for the future.
Game of Thrones Personality Test20	Primary Character: Mance Rayder21 Secondary Character: Ser Jaime Lannister22 Tertiary Character: Ygritte23

Where I Can Be Found

Content	Website
CodeProject	RalphHightower
Facebook	RalphHightower (I spend more time on LinkedIn than I do on Facebook.)
GitHub	RalphHightower (Ralph Hightower)
GitLab	RalphHightower
GitLab	Permanent Vacations
Gravatar	RalphHightower
Hackster.io	ralph-hightower
IEEE Collabratec	RalphHightower
LinkedIn Profile	RalphHightower (LinkedIn is where I spend the majority of my time.)
Photography Portfolio (Flickr)	RalphHightower
Stack Overflow	ralph-hightower
Twitter	RalphHightower24
YouTube	RalphHightower

Authored Websites

RalphHightower	Description
RalphHightower GitHub Repositories	Primary Website
Azure-Resources	Useful Documents for Azure
GM-Canada-OnStar-2G-Sunset	Canada sunsetted cellular CDMA 2G technology in 2015. GM Canada figured out how to retain OnStar functionality in affected vehicles without using a dongle like GM USA. Documents from NHTSA (US) nhtsa.gov.
Sushi	A place for sushi recipes and checklists for checking off menu items.
SpaceShuttleMissionSchedule25	NASA Space Shuttle Mission Schedule Transfer to Outlook Calendar
RalphHightower/minimaUSCGamecockSandstorm	USC Gamecock Sandstorm theme derived from jekyll / minimaa, a one-size-fits-all Jekyll theme for USC Gamecock writers. [Production Ready]

USC Gamecocks

USC — University of South Carolina
USC — College of Engineering and Computing
USC Alumni Association
USC Gamecock Sports
WUSC-FM 90.5 FM26
Carolina Band
University Band
Jazz Bands

Footnotes

1. I am the “enemy within”. ↩

2. Trump meets the constitutional age requirement, but that's saying little. Plus Trump is dementia-ning! Talking about Arnold Palmer's balls, no it's not Titlist; it's that part of the anatomy that LPGA pros don't have. ↩

3. Wikipedia — Trump derangement syndrome ↩

4. Trump's sycophants, acolytes, and cul members, are just as infantile as Trump with his name calling and labeling. ↩

5. Rabid Trump Disease. ↩

6. The Republican Party died July 2016 when it chose Trump as its candidate for president. ↩

7. Trump whines, "It's not fair! Biden has weaponized the Justice system against me!" Yet, when he gets into office the second time, he's going to direct the Department of Justice to target his political enemies, and the enemies within. ↩

8. That childish behavior of calling people names. ↩

9. Two words. Trumper Tantrums ↩

10. Flattering Trump allows one to manipulate Trump. Vladimir Putin is former KGB. He knows how to control Trump. ↩

11. Absolute, total, fucking, lacking, devoid of ability or willingness to compromise.
    There is no ability to work towards a win-win situation; which could become a lose-lose scenario.
    With Trump, it is "I win. You lose." ↩

12. People with OCPD may have a preoccupation with order, perfectionism, and control. They may also have the following traits:
    • Perfectionism: They may demand perfection in all tasks, which can lead to missed deadlines.
    • Preoccupation with details: They may be preoccupied with lists, rules, and order.
    • Lack of flexibility: They may be unwilling to compromise or allow others to do things.
    • Difficulty working with others: They may have difficulty delegating tasks or working with others unless they can do things exactly as they want.
    People with OCPD may have a preoccupation with order, perfectionism, and control. They may also have the following traits:
    • Perfectionism: They may demand perfection in all tasks, which can lead to missed deadlines.
    • Preoccupation with details: They may be preoccupied with lists, rules, and order.
    • Lack of flexibility: They may be unwilling to compromise or allow others to do things.
    • Difficulty working with others: They may have difficulty delegating tasks or working with others unless they can do things exactly as they want.
    • Difficulty coping with criticism: They may have difficulty coping with criticism and may over-focus on flaws in others. ↩

13. Trump admires strong-arm dictators, Hungary's Viktor Orbàn, Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jun-Un. ↩

14. Trump cheats on:
    • wives
    • taxes – personal income
    • personal property tax
    • real estate property tax
    • corporate income
    • financial loans
    • insurance
    • golf
    • elections (tries to) ↩

15. I'd call it thievery when one pays less than the agreed upon contracted price for goods or services. It was in Wikipedia or a news story on the web that Trump paid something like 30% for several grand pianos for his casinos.
    It’s like I buy a Ford truck priced at $100,000 and I tell the dealer, "It’s a good truck, but it’s not worth $100,000. I'll pay you $30,000 for the truck." ↩

16. gaslighting – Merriam-Webster: noun<br /gas·​light·​ing | \ ˈgas-ˌlī-tiŋ , -ˈlī- <br />Definition (Entry 1 of 2)
    1: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
    //Gaslighting can be a very effective tool for the abuser to control an individual. It's done slowly so the victim writes off the event as a one off or oddity and doesn't realize they are being controlled and manipulated.
    — Melissa Spino
    //Gaslighting can happen in any relationship circumstance, including between friends and family members—not just in couple relationships.
    — Deena Bouknight
    //This is a classic gaslighting technique—telling victims that others are crazy and lying, and that the gaslighter is the only source for "true" information. It makes victims question their reality …
    — Stephanie Sarkis
    2: the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage
    //Election season can create emotions spanning from immense anxiety all the way to extreme apathy. The public arguing, divisiveness, and competition for votes, including political gaslighting, can be overwhelming and exhausting.
    — Vernita Perkins and Leonard A. Jason
    //As the midterm elections approach, Americans have gotten an earful both about crime itself and how the other side is distorting the news about it for political gain. “Cherry-picking!” “Fearmongering!” “Gaslighting!”
    — Chris Herrmann and Fritz Umbach
    //Intense gaslighting techniques are making it difficult for Montana's commoners to discern what's truth and what's propaganda.
    — Steve Kelly
    //This corporate gaslighting effectively blames children for being addicted to social media and conveniently ignores how companies have intentionally designed their products to have addictive features …
    — Nancy Kim ↩

17. Federal prosecutor, Jack Smith, layed out compelling, iron-clad indictments revised for Trump, the citizen running for reelection, and not then President Trump, where he would, and did claim presidential immunity; the Supreme Court directed Smith to not include presidential duties. I cannot bring myself to strike through his federal case. ↩

18. I'm a Chevy guy and Tahoe is a model name. I love it! ↩

19. People with INTP preferences are quiet, thoughtful, and analytical. They tend to put a great deal of consideration into everything they do. INTPs are generally easygoing and genuine. They might seem to “zone out” from time to time while they consider new concepts or explore how something works. They are often happiest laying low and working hard behind the scenes. While they may seem impersonal with people they don’t know well, they like to have a close group of people they open up to. They are naturally adept at building structural models or coming up with new concepts for solving problems. They tend to see the world as a system that can be analyzed, and this is how they approach just about everything in life.
    • 4.8% of the population • 5.8% of men • 4.0% of women •
    × analytical × conceptual × logical ×
    × quiet × independent × easygoing ×
    × complex × driven × curious ×
    × questioning × methodical × values competence ×
    × self-critical × thoughtful × innovative ×
    × problem solver × reflective × autonomous × ↩

20. I had to Google the GOT Personality Test. Oh, I don't subscribe to HBO, so all I know of Game of Thrones is that's it's sorta like King Arthur set in medieval times.
    I took the GOT Personality Test. I saw that reference in a LinkedIn news article about using personality tests to get the right balance of different personalities. I think using a personality test to determine employment is a form of discrimination and I use that rather strictly because there's race discrimination and gender discrimination. ↩

21. Primary Character: Mance Rayder
    Nickname: King Beyond the Wall
    Traits: Inspiring, Formidable, Pioneer
    Your primary character is Mance Rayder. You are a charismatic, calm, and determined man with strong leadership qualities. You tend to rise quickly through the ranks of any organization you enter. You have good social and diplomatic skills, allowing you to collaborate with many different types of people. You have an honest yet stern persona which earns you respect and admiration of those around you. You are very trusting which can be your greatest weakness. You value freedom above all else. ↩

22. Secondary Character: Ser Jaime Lannister
    Nickname: The Kingslayer
    Traits: Arrogant, Sarcastic, Apathetic
    Your secondary character is Ser Jaime Lannister. You are charming and capable of impeccable politeness in the right circumstances. In the wrong circumstances, others perceive you to be disdainful, sarcastic and arrogant. However your arrogance may just be confidence, as you excel in a number of areas, including intelligence. You don't mock others over minor failings but you are usually very blunt. You typically just say what you are thinking without regard to the feelings of those that you perceive as incompetent. You regard ruthlessness as a virtue and behave in an unapologetically amoral way. You're not politically ambitious and sly maneuvering is not your way. ↩

23. Tertiary Character: Ygritte
    Nickname: Ygritte
    Traits: Wild, Uncoventional, Determined
    Your tertiary character is Ygritte. You are brave and unconventional. You have a mind of your own and prefer not to conform with the demands of societu're cunning and value freedom above all else. You're loyal, but also very passionate and you follow to your heart much more than your head. You live a very fulfilled life, chasing your dreams but this sometimes causes others to mistrust you although you have little enmity in your heart. ↩

24. As of April 27, 2023, I deactivated my Twitter account based on this Elon Musk tweet:
    @ElonMusk: Anyone making materially false statements on this platform will get Community Noted, including you, me, Tucker, advertisers, head of state, etc. No exceptions.
    Convince the people and let the chips fall where they may.
    @RalphHightower: Seriously? Yet you welcomed back a pathological liar, Donald Trump, who incited and welcomed violence in an attempted coup d'état on January 6 in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Twitter has gone to HELL! ↩

25. Support ended with wheelstop of Space Shuttle Atlantis on July 21, 2011 with the end of the Space Shuttle fleet. ↩

26. WUSC-FM was an AM Radio 📻 broadcast station when I was a student. ↩