Recession Nails, Cowardcore, Good Night, and Good Luck
Yesterday, President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, in response to peaceful protests of ICE, where citizens practiced their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly. What makes this particularly newsworthy and concerning, is normally (and yes, these are not normal times), the Governor of the State would make that decision for public safety and to keep the peace.
Instead, Trump superseded that protocol and federalized the deployment. This was a political act, a threat Trump has made to use the National Guard and U.S. Military to quell perceived violence and the threat of an insurrection. How ironic. UPDATE: This morning downtown L.A. is declared an unlawful assembly area, while L.A. Police now urge Trump to “bring in the troops,” the Marines.
I introduce this seventh installment of Random Topics with this news story to illustrate that we’re living in a time when every day the news is alarming, and that it requires a degree of healthy detachment and self-care so we’re not overwhelmed to the point of inaction and hopelessness, that we find ways, to quote the Serenity Prayer, “…to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to change the things I can.”
One way I accomplish self-care and detachment, I literally change the channel. Instead of the news of the day, I may watch or read a random story that piques my curiosity. I’m grateful at the age of 75, I still have the curiosity I possessed as a child. Every day I continue to learn about the world I live in. I ask questions, I read and research, and talk to others.
The Random Topics series grew out of this practice.
From the introduction of the first in the series of Random Topics:
“As a blogger, I mine my daily life for topics to write about. I set out to find something timely and meaningful, something that my readers can relate to, a universal message or lesson to discover in my lived experience. Another option is to choose a subject from the news of the day to comment on, however sometimes current events are tragically overwhelming.”
“I’m often left to choose from the mundane or subjects that pique my curiosity. When this happens, the only common theme is the randomness of my choices. Today, I offer three random topics with absolutely no connection or relation to each other at least that I’m aware of at the outset of this essay. Perhaps as I write, I may discover the subtle relationships that bind them together. Life is like that.”
A friend posted an article on Facebook which featured the following word and definition which reinforces the possible relationships in random topics. Apophenia is: “the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things (such as objects or ideas)”
The Random Topics Series
I’ve been blogging for 10 years and began seeing myself as a writer and journalist at the age of 17, when I was the first editor of our J. I. Case High School newspaper in Racine, Wisconsin. I also named the paper, Just In Case, when my journalism class selected my suggestion. I’ve enjoyed word play all my life and have been mixing metaphors for as long as I can remember.
During the summer of 1967, I attended a summer journalism workshop at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. My life changed. Not only did I discover what later in life I would consider my ‘calling,’ I realized in that ‘knowing place’ that Madison would be my chosen home. It did in 1974.
“Sometimes we become what we do. I became a writer by writing.”— From Celebrating a Decade of Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!
As a writer and a blogger, when I look back, I also became a self-publisher. When I drafted Celebrating a Year of Mixed Metaphors, Oh My! I discovered that there were topics I often revisited and contributed new installments which became series or collections. Some I may self-publish. From Celebrating a Year of Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!
The Topics & Series
Over time, I revisit certain subjects, which soon became series, some organized as a collection, others with links furnished in related-reading sections at the end of a post. They represented the topics that were on my mind, subjects for me to understand, lessons I needed to learn, or the course of action I needed to take. Sometimes, I paid attention to things I resisted, to venture out of my comfort zone, face my shadow, and chart a new course. Often it was simply the news of the day or where my curiosity took me.
- Reminiscences (Vignettes that became my memoir in progress, Perfectly Flawed)
- Conversations with My Next Girlfriend
- The Toilet Zone (The Trump Presidency)
- Random Topics (Unrelated subjects that piqued my curiosity)
- Dispatches from the Hideout (The Wisconsin Historical Society COVID-19 Journal Project)
- The Rejected Monologues (Forward Theater Company Monologue Submissions)
- Death, Dying, Life & Legacy (Grief & gratitude)
- The Changing of the Seasons & Holidays
- Films
- Poetry
- Recovery from Alcohol, Substances, & Behaviors
- LGBTQ+ & Marginalized Communities
- Cooking & Food
- The Writing Process
Following are the installments of the Random Topic series:
Random Topics I: Historical Smoking, Coffee Naps, and Blog Writing & Babysitting
Random Topics II: Mansplaining, Man Buns, and Manspreading
Random Topics III: Sober Bars, Emotional Labor, and Salad Frosting
Random Topics IV: Niksen, Situationship, and Neuralink
Random Topics V: Sealioning, Chukars, Pandemic Fatigue
Random Topics VI: Doomscrolling, Flight Diapers, & Zoom Face
Note: There are links to each installment of the series at the end of this essay. Now, today’s Random Topics:
Recession Nails
While I was at work one day at the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center, I was searching the news online for a presentation I was drafting. I stumbled on an article, Recession Nails. The two words didn’t seem to have a natural connection. I read further…
From The Guardian:
“Is there going to be a recession this year? Economists have been umm-ing and ahh-ing and crunching the numbers, but the answer could be at the tip of your fingers. According to various expert sources (influencers on TikTok), a wobbly economy means people are ditching elaborate and expensive manicures for more understated styles. Cue numerous headlines about “recession nails”.
Recession Nails
Some of colleagues at work, who represent a spectrum of diverse identities, often treat themselves to elaborate and decorative nails and manicures. Some have reverted to DIY nails, especially during Pride Month and special occasions. I, on the other hand, have what’s sometimes referred to as lesbian nails. I’ll let you explore what that means on your own if you’re curious and sex positive! Full Disclosure: The real reason today is I’m also lazy, frugal, and have failed in the past at the decorative nail arts.
Instead of a manicure, I see a podiatrist instead, not for a pedicure, but in keeping with the self-care practices of a person of a certain age, I need someone to trim my toenails since it’s become more difficult for me. Oh, My!
Additional Reading on Recession Nails
Are we heading for a recession? Show me your nails.
Recession Nails Are Here – Here’s How to Save Money Without Giving up Your Manicures
Cowardcore
Besides watching too much news on CNN and MSNBC, I read a lot online. I subscribe to The Atlantic, I formerly subscribed to the New York Times and had to choose between the two for my budget. In the morning when I have my Cup a Joe, CNN is broadcasting in the background, and I often read HuffPost, Salon, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the list goes on. I stream, read a lot of content, and periodically my curiosity is piqued by a random phrase or subject.
Cowardcore was just such a word. Following is the AI definition:
Based on recent reports, Cowardcore is a term used to describe a marketing or corporate approach that attempts to appeal to a specific demographic or cause (like LGBTQ+ Pride Month) without fully committing or being overtly supportive, seemingly to avoid backlash or criticism.
Specifically, the term has been used in relation to Target’s Pride Month merchandise in 2025. Critics suggest that the company’s offerings appeared to be trying to appeal to LGBTQ+ customers without alienating or angering those with opposing viewpoints.
The term “cowardcore” implies a cautious or timid approach, where a company might take minimal action to show support for a cause while avoiding any strong or potentially controversial stance.
For me, and many others who identify as LGBTQ+, or are left-leaning and progressive, this is disturbing. Target has been one of my shopping destinations, both online and in person. I was loyal to the brand, their product lines, the design of their stores, ease of shopping, and the appeal of their marketing and advertising campaigns.
I chose not to shop at Wal-Mart due to their employment practices and their impact on independent local businesses. I avoided Amazon as much as I could, for similar reasons, though their prices and inventory were always competitive and enticing, and their delivery services became ubiquitous. I didn’t purchase a Costco membership; I don’t buy in bulk, and the size of the store, the range of products, and shopping experience seemed overwhelming on most days, when I wanted to be fleet, in and out.
“Target has recently scaled back its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, leading to a backlash from some customers and a boycott. The company announced it would end programs like its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) program and its “Supplier Diversity” team, which would become the “Supplier Engagement” team. This decision has prompted boycotts and criticism, with some accusing Target of abandoning its values.”
The result, I haven’t shopped at Target since this announcement. I’ve joined the boycott as I have with another brand whose food I enjoy, Chick-fil-A, for their contributions to anti-LGBTQ+ and hate groups. I’ve been boycotting products throughout my life for various political reasons.
A couple of historical examples, first Florida orange juice: From Wikipedia:
“From 1977 to 1980, Bryant was an outspoken opponent of gay rights in the United States. In 1977, she ran the Save Our Children campaign to repeal a local ordinance in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Throughout the country, supporters of gay rights condemned Bryant for her campaign. Assisted by prominent figures in music, film, and television, they retaliated by boycotting the orange juice that she promoted.”
Decades ago, I boycotted grapes because of Ceasar Chavez, his protests on behalf of migrant workers. “Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) spearheaded a successful grape boycott, a key part of the Delano Grape Strike (1965-1970), to demand better wages, working conditions, and union recognition for farmworkers. The boycott, which began in 1968, saw millions of Americans refuse to buy table grapes, exerting economic pressure on grape growers and ultimately leading to the first union contracts for farmworkers in the Delano area.”
There are consumer companies, law firms, and legacy media who have regretted their decision to scale back or eliminate DEI language in their business and hiring practices.
Additional Reading on Cowardcore
Corporations Are Pulling Financial Support from Pride – Beyond Trump’s Reach
Good Night, and Good Luck
On Saturday night I watched the CNN live broadcast of the Broadway play, Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow. It was a timely reminder that if we’re not vigilant and paying close attention, history can repeat itself.
Synopsis from the Winter Garten Playbill:
“Tune in to the golden age of broadcast journalism and Edward R. Murrow’s legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his team at CBS choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them.”
The play is an adaptation for the stage from a screenplay and film, co-written and directed by George Clooney. I also watched the b/w film when it was first released in 2005. It was a clarion call that free speech and an independent media were a necessary check and balance to preserve a democracy.
From Wikipedia:
“Good Night, and Good Luck is a 2005 historical drama film directed by George Clooney from a 
screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov. It stars David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr. and Frank Langella, and portrays the conflict between veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, especially relating to the anti-communist Senator’s actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.”
What made the historical drama so powerful was its intersection with the current political climate under Trump, the White House, and Congress. Legacy media is under fire and being sued by Trump’s White House to censor criticism and hold the government accountable to the rule of law. We are at a tipping point. If we lose free speech, and an independent media, we are on the verge of a dictatorship. We must protect the right of citizens and media to assemble and speak truth to power!
If you missed the Broadway play live performance, you can stream it on Max. The 2005 film is also available on streaming services.
Additional Content on Good Night, and Good Luck
What Does It All Mean? How Do these Random Topics Intersect?
As I stated in the introduction of my Random Topics series:
“I’m often left to choose from the mundane or subjects that pique my curiosity. When this happens, the only common theme is the randomness of my choices. Today, I offer three random topics with absolutely no connection or relation to each other at least that I’m aware of at the outset of this essay. Perhaps as I write, I may discover the subtle relationships that bind them together. Life is like that.”
Full Disclosure: It very quickly became apparent how these three random topics intersected. Though my choice to learn more about each story seemed unrelated at the time, under the backdrop of the news of the day, it was clear how they were related. We are living in a time when government leaders become autocrats, enabled by elected officials, special interest groups, and billionaires, who seek power and profit. Their regressive and oppressive policies and actions impact our daily lives, the culture, and threaten our democracy and personal freedoms.
What began as a more lighthearted exploration of random topics became a warning for our future. We must fight the good fight as citizen activists to protect our rights and our democracy.
The Random Topic Series from Mixed Metaphors, Oh, My!
Related Reading on the Topic