Weird, Right?

 

"Don't think of it as dying, said Death.

 Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."

~Terry Pratchett

Weird, right? It wasn't on my bingo card, but okay. I guess more details will come to light in the next few days, but for right now, 1:51 am PST, weird, right?

If You Would Have Told Me 20 Years Ago...

 

 

 “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.

 He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. 

He can never be trusted with power again.”

 

~Dick Cheney

September 6th 2024

 

... that I would admire Dick (Darth Vader) Cheney about anything, I would have laughed in your face, and spit on your grave! But here I am today, finding myself in just that position! Cheney, despite being a staunch hardcore republican, is endorsing Kamala Harris for president, because of the extreme danger Donald Trump poses to democracy. Trump has always been danger to this country, and frankly this endorsement should have come a long time ago, like before Trump tried to steal the 2020 election, but I am glad he came to the light, there is a lot of room for those looking for their way, or to maybe just see a better day going forward. His daughter, Liz Cheney, endorsed Harris yesterday, and it is my hope more republicans will follow. All are welcome, there is plenty of room over here with us.

Come to the light.

 

Update... the nutjob speaks.

 

 

Meet Speaker Of The House Johnson, MAGA Toady

 

“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
~Edward R. Murrow 

 

The Republican party gleefully chose one of the most MAGA hardliners of the MAGA hardliners. Nice guy... too bad he's a treasonous son of a bitch, and kisser of Trump's ass and ring! Read About it here. We'll see how long this guy lasts.

 

Breaking News... Republicans Are Fucking Nuts!

 

“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong.When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new
evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is
extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it
is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize,
ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief.”

 
~Frantz Fanon,

  Black Skin, White Masks

 

Presented with no further comment from me.

 

 

"... So I Told Him To Sit Down, And He Sat Down."

 

“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule

 is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.” 

 
~Plato

  The Republic

 

I love that Matt Gaetz got his ass handed to him, and I don't even care why it happened! The point is someone put the little prick in his place, I smiled, and all was right with the world. Could it be the "freedom caucus is finally beginning to fall? Go ahead, say yes, you know you want to!

 

Republican Tempers Flare as Speaker Fight Continues,

 Paralyzing the House

 (VIA NYT)

 

 

 

 

 

Bare Bones And Grape Leaves

"Autumn is a cunning muse who steals by degrees my warmth and light. So distracted by her glorious painting of colors, I scarcely realize my losses until the last fiery leaf has fallen

 to the ground and the final pumpkin shrinks. 

Autumn departs with a cold kiss, leaving me to suffer the frigid grasp of winter in prolonged nightfall."

~Riche;;e E. Goodrich

Making Wishes

So much happened yesterday! December 1st, got off to a cold start. General Michael Flynn, pled GUILTY, to lying to the FBI and is promising to fully cooperate with Mueller's investigation. FULLY COOPERATE! That should have sent a cold chill up Trump's spine. If he had one. Jared Kushner should not get too comfortable either. Flynn has promised to testify regarding Kushner's interactions with the Russians as well. Burrr. Putin must be so proud! Apparently, like Trump, "he only picks the best people."

And so far, December 2nd is proving to be a different kind of chilling darkness, for others. Not where I live, but in the world in general. History will document the end of this autumn and events. And I think this coming winter will be remembered for it's bare bones. I am just going to try to make my way through it, with Alan and the boys, and fight on. At least I still have a heart. At least I have love. And I have photography.

 I am not sure what 2018 will bring for Alan and I,

 we will have to deal with that when it gets here. 

Hopefully there will be more warmth than cold.

Grape Leaves

Tilden Park 

Botanical Garden

Berkeley, California

#2 Leaf Of The Day

December 2nd, 2017

Berkeley, California

Mood: Quiet

~Me

The Bathtub Diva Says: "I'm Too Sexy For My Tub"

I spotted the Bathtub Diva one day, about nine years ago, when I was out looking for the odd. I loved he/she straightaway! You see, on that day, nothing seemed to be going right. A disagreement with a friend. I had just fired my therapist. I was feeling restless. George W. Bush was still in office, and I am betting he said something stupid that day! God he got on my nerves! And then along came the Bathtub Diva, sporting a laid back attitude, and a certain unique fashion style! Clearly this diva had it going on, and there was no room for negativity about it!

Yesterday, Thursday, was not a good day. You see, Joey woke me after my having enjoyed just 3 hours sleep. And he woke me not to play mind you, or because he was hungry, no he woke me because he had a slight butt problem called ringworm! As feline afflictions go, ringworm is not the most difficult thing to deal with. One injection by Dr. Barrett and within 24hrs... no more worms. Unfortunately, I couldn't get an appointment yesterday, so later today Alan and I will take Joey, and Dylan in for an injection. 

Hendrix had ringworm last week, and at the time the doctor said there was no reason to bring them all in, if we didn't see any indication of them being affected. Funny, I should have known it would happen, but I was hoping for the best. Oh well, on the bright side, it's not difficult to fix, and Alan received a bonus from work just yesterday morning that will pay for the doctor's visit, and leave a little left over for a new computer! We have been needing one for a while, and now is as good a time as any to get it done.

I will save all the details about the new computer for Sunday's post. Saturday is the next scheduled Round Robin outing. Our subject this time around is, About The Weather!

It's funny how that bad day 9 years ago, with all it's irritations and troubles led to me finding one of my favorite photo opportunities ever! And it's funny how yesterday began so badly, yet ended with everything working out okay, and a new gadget, which is now ordered and on the way, to make life a little easier! While there were other things that couldn't be solved, like the current;y irritating political process, Ted Cruz is a DICK, at least I will soon have an more efficient way to keep up with it! LOL.

Once again it is proven, negativity solves nothing.

I appreciate the Bathtub Diva for reminding me of that!

And Now... Right Said Fred



Mood: Silly

~Me :)

WAAAAaaaaa Waaaa Waaaa WAAAAAaaaaaa

"I cried because I had no wallet, until I met a man who had no money. I don't know why he had no money because that man stole my wallet."

~Jarod Kintz, So Many Chairs, And No Time To Sit

And to think, things are only going to get worse! Neat! Something to look forward to!



"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
~Dr. Seuss


"Crying is all right in it's way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do."
~C.S. Lewis


"Sometimes there are a hundred lies behind a smile, and not a single truth behind a tear."
~Saahil Prem

 
Q: Are You Crying?
 A: No I Am Impersonating A Fountain

 
"I slept really well last night, I slept like a baby. I pissed the bed four times... and woke up crying five." ~Lee Evans


"If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God Is Crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."
~Jack Handey

Speaker Boehner... DO YOU GET IT NOW? The Republican party, your party, EATS IT'S OWN! They made Michael Steele's life a living HELL, and NOW THEY ARE DOING IT TO YOU! Stand up to the Tea Party! Listen to the American people, and get ready to hand that GIANT gavel of yours over to Ted Cruz! But don't forget, you brought it all on yourself!


NOTE: As of my scheduling of this post, it was looking more and more likely that there would be a government shutdown. If that does not occur, I will comeback and update this post, and post an additional short post for today.

STAY TUNED!

Mood: Irritated!

~Me :(

Seriously, Don't Drink The Water!

"I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that the TV news personalities make sad faces for sad stories and happy faces for happy stories."

~Dave Barry

It's been a strange week for news. The IRS targeting the Tea Party. Yet another sex scandal rocks the Pentagon. The government spying on the Associate Press. And it's only Wednesday! All very interesting mind you, but I think my favorite story so far this week has to be the CIA agent caught in Russia with 2 wigs, a map of Moscow and $130,000 to be used to hire a Russian security officer to act as a spy for the U.S.!

Damn!

2 wigs, a map, and a relatively low amount of money? Hello? 1940 called, they want their spy back!

LOL. Sheesh!

I think this story needs to be made into a movie, with maybe Bradley Cooper in the lead! The whole situation reminds me of the amazingly funny, "Don't Drink The Water" by the great Woody Allen! So it just seems like a natural for him film it. Woody, if you do make the film, all I ask is a minor mention during the end credits. Just something simple like... "As suggested by the weird girl who took my picture on 20th and Lexington, while I filmed Blue Jasmine in San Francisco! I will know who you mean!



;)

Mood: Silly

~Me :)

D'OH! Another Wayward Republican Caught With His Pants Down!

From For Ellipsis

"So I am getting into spanking her, yeah, I like it, I like spanking her. She goes, "I know you like spanking me,' I said "Yeah because you are such a bad girl.""

-Mike Duvall (Former California Assemblyman)

Great-Day-In-The-Morning... here we go again! Yet another Republican caught with his pants down. Yesterday, California lawmaker, Mike Duvall, resigned his office amid yet another republican sex scandal. I will say the same thing about this sex scandal that I will say every time something like this comes to light. Cheating on your spouse should not be grounds in itself for either dismissal or for resigning from public office, however, in this case I believe his resignation was appropriate because to woman... or women in question (it turns out he had two mistresses) were lobbyists, who just happened to have business before Mr. Duvall's committees.

Sheesh.

Don't you think it's about time the republican party stop pretending that they are anymore righteous then anyone else? Mike Duvall, who is married with two children, has been known for his "family values" so tell me, what could have possibly gone wrong? I don't know... maybe no one does, or maybe it is the oldest reason in the book, perhaps he couldn't live up to the perfect life he preached. Shrug. All I know is that perhaps it's about time that political parties rethink their own perfection. I think Mr. Duvall made things much worse for himself today, as he issued a statement denying the affair, describing his conversation as "inappropriate storytelling."

Oh.. ok... just a case of boys being boys?

So instead of being an adulterer... instead of having an affair with a married lobbyist... you merely lied?

Yeah... that's much better.

:(

Thanks for clearing that up. How about you just stand up... admit what you did... and then go away!


Opinions, opinions. Tell me what you think about this latest incidence of Republicans Gone Wild!

-Carly

Round Robin Challenge: Politics

From For Ellipsis

"A liberal is a man or woman or child who looks forward to a better day, a more tranquil night, and a bright, infinite future."

-Leonard Bernstein, The New York Times, October 30th 1988

**PLEASE NOTE: I know this is supposed to be a friendly little photo shoot, but this subject has become a very personal one to me. Every once in a while I need to be as open and direct as possible. This is one of those times. So, if you want to skip what I have written because you already know just how liberal I am... fine... but if you do want to read the following be forewarned... it's exactly how I feel good and bad.

From For Ellipsis

Someone asked me the other day, "How come you don't blog as much about politics as you used to? Well, there is a pretty simple answer I suppose... I find it too depressing. By the time last year's elections came around, I was about as burned out on politics as a girl can get. George Bush and DICK Cheney very nearly drained every impulse I had to to blog away regarding how I saw things. But the Sarah Palin came along, and yes, like a breath of fresh air, she inspired me once again! LOL. But let's face it, who can possibly blog about Sarah Palin every day? Especially now that she is very little more then a blogger herself. Someday, hopefully, she will finally go away, but until then we will always have Wasilla.

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy."

-Ernest Benn

"How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?"

-Unknown

The likes of Sarah Palin is no big deal, but the lies of the more prominent right, and the made up politicians, is downright depressing. Obama's reaching out to the right, trying to treat them better then the Bush administration treated the democrats, but what does he get in return? "I WANT OBAMA TO FAIL!" Being shouted from the loudmouth Rush Limbaugh, and the sentiment being screamed by rabid TEABAGGERS (Isn't that term hilarious) who are likewise determined to see failure where reform should be. Life in the United States has been turned into a game of Trivial Pursuit.

Lies on top of lies. MANDATED SEX CHANGES. DEATH PANELS. OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST. OBAMA IS A NOT AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. A FALSE CLAIM THAT AS MANY AS 300,00 WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER COULD DIE IF HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION GOES THROUGH. I could go on, but why? What would that serve? I will say this, when I think back on the summer of 2009, I will always think of it as the SUMMER OF LIES AND INACTION. The summer we let the train go off the tracks.

Obama was not my first choice for president. Hillary Clinton was. I decided when she endorsed Obama, I would do my best to find the positive in it. I like Obama. He is a fantastic orator. He is compassionate... to a fault, and he genuinely cares more about America then he does himself. He can say when he has been wrong or made a mistake. He is a good man, and I tried to see the good he has done since he took office, such as reversing George Bush's policy on stem cell research, but my HOPE is fading fast. HE IS ON THE VERGE OF LETTING US DOWN when it comes to health care, and he is deliberately turning his back on the war crimes of the Bush administration. I voted for Obama to see an end to the tyranny, not to turn our heads and look away because it is too horrific to comprehend. Want to see horrific?

Horrific...

From For Ellipsis

The lies that caused the unnecessary deaths of over 5,000 service people in Iraq will never be answered for, nor will the subsequent torture authorized and carried out by our own government. Obama wants to forget it and move on, I want to see us actually repair the damage we have done by demonstrating to the world that at least some Americans know the difference between right and wrong and what is just. I am afraid until we face what has been done, we will never be able to repair the damage done.

From For Ellipsis

I take it back, Obama isn't on the verge of letting us down...OBAMA IS LETTING US DOWN! Those of us who voted for him because we believed him when he said that real change would happen, are beginning to feel an unbelievable sense of despair. Speaking as one of those people, I feel lied to. As things are now, I don't see myself voting for him again. I don't think he is a leader I can believe in. If something changes, then I could see myself changing my mind, but unfortunately I think we will have to endure the next 3 1/2 years of the republican party's lies and thug tactics. The one piece of good news is that apparently Nancy Pelosi has grown a pair and told him that without a public option on health care, no bill for health care will happen. It's about damn time someone stood up and said ENOUGH!

From For Ellipsis

What kind of person makes those things their priority?

:(

"If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these acceptance speeches there wouldn't be any inducement to go to heaven."

-Will Rogers

Obama needs to stop reaching out to the right, and just plain do what's right! Do me a favor, no matter how you feel about things, don't let anyone lie to you. Do your own research and find out the straight information. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and some of our elected officials have an agenda all their own, find out the truth for yourself. Factcheck.org is a good place to start.

Faces of the Fallen

Factcheck.org

Now, on to the Linking List...

1. Karen...Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

2. Carly... Ellipsis
Posted

3. Suzanne... SuzyQ421's Photo Blog
Posted!

4. Margaret... Facts From A Fact Woman
Posted!

5. Peggy... Holmespun Fun
Posted!

Be sure to visit the official Round Robin blog tomorrow to find out what our next challenge will be!

-Carly

Sen. Edward Kennedy 1932 - 2009

From For Ellipsis

-Carly

All The Mavericks In The House Put Your Hands Up

"Only dead fish go with the flow."

-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

July 3rd, 2009









Her bags are packed, and she's outta here! Or is she?







So tell me, what do you think? Will Tina Fey win the EMMY this year for her portrayal of Sarah Palin?

Say it with me now...

"All the mavericks in the house put your hands up, all the plumbers in the house pull your pants up."



-Carly

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sarah?

"Politics is the art of postponing a decisions until they are no longer relevant."

-Henri Queuille

The election is over, but Sarah Palin isn't going away. I am betting that we will be hearing more and more from her as the next four years progresses. I don't know that it would be a bad thing, especially if what we see is the real SarahPalin . See, I don't think we ever really got to know the real Sarah. How could we have, when all we saw was the odd... and I mean... odd... interview? From the very beginning of her introduction to national politics, she has been, if not the butt of the joke, the secret. As long as I live, I will wonder, what was John McCain thinking? It has been well substantiated that he meet with her only once or twice, before choosing her as his running mate, and then rarely spoke with her as the campaign progressed. And now, I can't help but wonder about the bitterness from within the McCain/Palin camps.

For a long time I have held the theory that Republicans eat their own, but now with all the mudslinging back and forth, it appears I have been right. That doesn't necessarily bring me any happiness, after all, while the Republicans implode, their constituents sit back and wonder which side to believe in. Or even whether or not to take sides. I think it would be difficult to be an average American Republican right now. With the election having just gone to Democrats by a landslide, and the Republican party in tatters, who do you look to as the clear leader of the party that represents your ideals? I really want to step into the shoes of the Republicans for a moment. If I were a Republican, would I be sitting back right now, wondering what just happened?

It's clear that in the beginning of the campaign, Sarah Palin excited things. Conservative women probably felt like for the first time they had a voice for them. And what a voice she was, when she was allowed to talk. I don't think the republican party did her any favors by keeping her hidden most of the time. As for the media, well, they simply did their job. Charles Gibson, Katie Couric , even Fox News! Honestly, you can't really blame the media in this case, they asked the questions they would have no matter who had been chosen, although it McCain had chosen someone with more foreign policy experience, some of the nonsense could have been avoided. So, if the picture seemed less then perfect, well, it's because it was. But how many of their own problems did the Republicans bring on themselves?

"Joe The Plumber" might have been one of the biggest mistakes of all time! I still don't understand that one. The only thing that keeps me from thinking that he was some kind of plant by John McCain to give him something to talk about, is the fact that he won't go away! Weird. Very Weird. Another seemingly large misstep was John McCain running back to Washington to work on the bailout... I mean rescue... I mean bailout of the American financial system. The Republicans clearly didn't want him there, and had no problem telling the media that. Weird. Very weird. And then there is the little problem with the "coast to coast looting of Neiman Marcus." You know, the spending spree that apparently took place on behalf of Sarah Palin. Wow... what a mess!

You know, I kind of felt sorry for the governor the last night. Yesterday, as she returned to her day job as the governor of Alaska, the press were asking the questions they should have been asking, and she seemed a little sad as she answered them. It has to have been hurtful. Fractions of her own party have thrown her under the bus. But yesterday, she seemed a little more believable as she tried to find the right words, or the correct words, or whatever words it took to make it all stop. Sigh. I felt sorry for her. It made me want to sit down with her, one on one, with a hot cup of Green Tea and some fat-free cookies, and talk to her woman to woman, about boys, hair and make-up. You would be surprised how many problems I have solved while discussing those three subjects. Call me a bad Democrat, but I can't kick someone when they are down. You know?

So tell me, if you could sit down with Sarah Palin, one on one, what would you ask her? Would you discuss politics, or do you have something else you would like to know about? Do you think she will make another run for the White House in four years? Do you think she will succeed Sen. Ted Stevens, if his felony convictions stand? Sing out. Tell me what you think. You know you want to!

-Carly

What Would You Have Said To The Man From Great Britain?

"The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we hold of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us."

-Quentin Crisp

The other day, while in Golden Gate Park, I had an extraordinary experience happen to me, one the solidifies my belief that once in a while, one must venture out into the world, rather then veg in front of the computer, because out in the world is where you find life, opinion, and experience. You see, the other day, I met a tourist, a world tourist really, who makes London his permanent home, but who is currently touring the world, and who just happened to be in San Francisco on the same day I was.

The British man with the brown shoes had an easy smile, and talked about how much he was enjoying America, but that he hadn't been fond of Monterey. He shared that he thought the Oregon coastline was stunning, and that he would like to see it in winter sometime. We talked about how lucky he was to be in the Bay Area, during a week when there was hardly any fog, a rarity really, and then we paused, as the conversation lulled a bit.

The British man broke the silence by asking me a question that I should have been able to answer without hesitation, but instead I answered with great embarrassment, "How do you feel about George Bush?" He asked. I was taken aback for so many reasons. First of all, I have never been asked that question by someone who lives outside the United States. In all the time I have spent in the city, and all the folks I have talked to with all the many languages, not one person has ever asked by opinion about Bush. In the moment I had to think about it, I considered apologizing for Bush's actions, I considered being offended by the smirk on the man's face, but in the end I merely muttered, "I am looking forward to him leaving office." It was as honest as I could be in that moment.

"Do you think he will leave office?" Asked the man. "Yes" I replied, "according to our Constitution he has to." The man simply widened his smirk and said, "But hasn't he pretty much made your Constitution into rubbish?" Sigh. I felt sad as I realized the man's opinion of the U. S. politics, the president, and of Americans as a whole. It made me sad, and a little defensive to think I had to somehow justify the mess we are in around the world to a total stranger in the park. "Well," I said, "he has taken some liberties I believe, but he will be leaving office soon, and then we can set about rebuilding America's reputation, hopefully." The man said nothing for a long time. "Well, what do you think about John McCain, and Sarah Palin? Asked the man after a moment. I simply smiled and said, "Actually, I am supporting Barack Obama, and Joe Biden." Again the man said nothing.

A long quiet rested between us, and after a little while I got up to leave. I wished the man a safe journey. He smiled a polite smile, and shook my hand. "Good luck with your elections," he said. I just smiled and then I turned and walked away a little shell shocked. Why hadn't I told him that I think John McCain would bring nothing but further humiliation to America? Why hadn't I mentioned how embarrassed I was by Sarah Palin's speech the other night? How can the GOP on one hand be touting change, when their speeches were filled with the same belittling rhetoric that they have been spouting for years? How can they on the one hand, call young people to think about serving something greater then themselves, and on the other hand, mock Obama for his community service and leadership? But then again, how would I explain that to a total stranger, from another country, when I don't understand it myself?

So tell me, if you had met the man from Great Britain, what would you have said?

-OndineMonet
"The Man From Great Britain With The Brown Shoes"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
September 4, 2008
Afternoon