The Car With Three Messages

"Crying is all right in it's own 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

The Silver Chair

While on our way to Lake Tahoe, last Monday, I spotted two very distinct vehicles, that caught my photographers eye. Both of which contained very different messages. This was the first one, so in that we had an election day on Tuesday, I thought I would share it first, and give give my regular blog visitors, a much needed break from the autumn overdose I tend to engage in this time of year.

Of course, now that I think about it, it does have a connection to autumn, just not this one. It was all about the election of autumn 2016, and the sentiments are still baring witness to the insanity of nearly one year ago to the day exactly. Decisions, decisions.Would it be Hillary or Bernie in the primaries? We already knew that Trump had locked it all up for the GOP as he set about destroying  the field of establishment Republican candidates will bombastic rhetoric and frankly, character assassination.

Alan and I debated, for about 25 miles, about what this person was actually trying to say. He and I never came to an agreement about what it was, the combination of possibilities was too great, and we began to dwell on the depression of the reality that the far right candidate actually won, but that depressive/oppressive thought gave me what seems like the most likely possibility about the message. 

Hillary. Bernie. Trump.

Was it as simple as Hillary Clinton was the actual Democrat, Bernie was an Independent, and Donald Trump was a Far Right candidate? Could it have been NO deeper than that?

Now lately, and by lately, I mean in the past couple weeks, I have gone through a bit of a political awaking of sorts. A while back, I told a pal of mine in the Twitterverse, that I believed we needed to pay attention to the Democratic side of the mess we find ourselves in, because this doesn't belong mainly to the Republicans.

 If Putin was planning on doing a thorough job of invading and disrupting out democracy, like the brilliant ex-KGB agent he was, we need to pay close attention to both sides, no matter how painful it might be. If we find ourselves as a divided nation, it's because there is one more mole burrowing in the garden of good and evil. I paraphrase myself there, but you get the idea!

I never thought I would lose so much respect, for so many of my Democratic party heroes, as I have in the last week.

Donna Brazile. Elizabeth Warren. Bernie Sanders.

Now, I gave up on Bernie Sanders a long time ago. At times, his "Bernie Bros" have seemed as bad as the far-right Trump supporters that attack anyone who doesn't walk in lockstep with the Nazi or Nationalist beliefs and propaganda nonsense that was well on it's way to destroying what America was built on. We weren't perfect in the beginning of our democracy, and we still aren't, but we have evolved in logical ways that furthered out reputation on the world stage, and in society, so selfish agendas for personal ambition, are not something I take kindly to.

Where was Bernie Sanders, when his "bros" were trying to degrade the Democratic party after his loss to Hillary Clinton? Nowhere! Accept maybe off pouting somewhere about his loss in the 2016 primary, and plotting his next move in his attempt at relevance, as a viable presidential candidate in 2020, or perhaps preparing Elizabeth Warren for her rise to the presidency. Don't know. Don't care. What we needed last year was less... ME... and more...WE. Or is that asking too much in the fast food information age?

I have NO idea what the person who owns that car is really trying to say, but I know it provoke a reasonably passionate discussion between Alan and myself, and I did a lot of thinking about my expectations politically and socially. Are there heroes anymore? Did I fail to grow up about that? When "Deflategate" happened a few years ago, it was easy to think of it as a one off. A stupid situation of blatant cheating, that Tom Brady got away with. It was sports. Who cares... right? Stupid shit happens in sports. Who could imagine that it would flow over to the most important thing in our American existence... our democracy?

And if all this going on this week hasn't shaken me enough, Anthony Weiner is officially off to prison this week for engaging in an illicit communication with an underage Trump supporter! The idiot had a brilliant future in the Democratic party. He passionately worked for his constituents, and stood up for health funding for 9/11 first responders! Then he took a road he should have been smarter to not take. He will have 21 months to think about how HE was his own worst enemy, and how he gave Breitbart news not just relevancy, but, indeed, in his case, credibility. Hey, at least he pled guilty, and owned it! Thanks hero, I'm older and wiser now! I hope you are too!

So, if you care to speculate on what the person with, the car of three messages means, feel free to leave me a respectful response. I would love to hear some ideas! As for me, I think I have finally grown up about heroes, and villains, maybe they are simply the shortest route, to the easy way out of thinking it all through, when deciding what the hell to do!

#9 Leaf Of The Day

November 9th, 2017

Carson City, Nevada

Mood: Introspective

~Me

The Beauty Of Him

"The Beauty Of Me Is That I'm Very Rich."

~Donald Trump

Yes... he is beautiful. A lot in the same way a large heap of garbage is pretty to the scavenger birds that sometimes circles it. Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee for President Of The United States! I knew that there was a possibility of that fact, and I think I might have mentioned it last summer, but I think there was still probably hope that the monster could be and indeed would be stopped in his rampaging tracks. Why did I think that? Its not like the GOP took his presidential run seriously. They shined it on as he won primary and caucuses right and left. And with nothing else to do, the GOP bowed down to them in a shocking display of cowardice. The latest of which, being Paul Ryan, who quietly endorsed Trump by way of a column he wrote for the Janesville Gazette.

 What? Was the Pennysaver already filled for publication that day? And speaking of that day, it should be noted that on the very day Ryan chose to endorse the presumptive savior of the GOP, Trump decided to lash out at the press for doing it's job! Nice timing. And I truly mean that! Highly entertaining for me, and cringe worthy for any clear thinking republicans that might still be left! 

As I write this, Trump is in California. My state. Zigzagging about, threatening the PGA, reporters who aren't employed by the National Enquirer, and flicking verbal rubber bands at Hillary Clinton. Blissfully, he has nothing to say to Bernie Sanders, since Sanders said HELL YES to a debate with Trump, and Trump slithered away like the coward he is. Which brings me to the picture for this post, taken not a year ago, or even 6 months ago, no, I took it about a week ago, in Berkeley, Ca. Okay, yes, it's true, Berkeley is heavily populated by progressives, but there are a few republicans to be found as well, and as I made my way around town, looking for political signs, this is the only one I came up with. From either side. One small sign, in a big window. I will keep watching the windows in Berkeley, perhaps enthusiasm for voting will grow over the summer.

I hope so.

The California Primary is this coming Tuesday. And it is a dead heat between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Trump is the only nominee left on the right. I already voted by mail, so I can go ahead and share who I am voting for, but I have decided to wait until Tuesday, so you will have to comeback then to find out. But I bet you can guess my choice, and feel free to if you like. I will give you a hint... my candidate isn't orange. Does that help? 

Mood: Perplexed

~Me

Yep, Still Alive, But...

"Politicians are people who,

 when they see the light at the end of the tunnel,

 they go out and buy more tunnel."

~John Quinton

Donald Trump For President? Huh? Last summer when I heard he was ready to run for president, I was kind of shocked, then I laughed, rolled my eyes and said... "Yes! Finally something is going right! This should be highly entertaining! At the time, I was in a crappy hotel room in Turlock, California, which isn't terribly surprising, because Turlock, California, is one big crap heap! If you visit there, the three sights you will see most often are, rednecks, and their tank topped significant others, cockroaches, and cows. Occasionally you might also encounter hairy spiders the size of a redneck's fist, but I am told that is somewhat of a rarity. The day I encountered one, I was told that the particular type of spider I encountered mostly live in trees. Great... a tree dwelling spider. Fun. I wondered if it could fly, and then for the next couple weeks always wore a hat when venturing out of the hotel room.LOL. Like Donald Trump's run for the presidency, after the initial shock and fear wore off, it eventually became funny. I can laugh now, but at the time it was high drama!

Fast forward to the present. I have a fun memory I can relive and share here on Ellipsis, and that makes me happy. I like having a blog. I like to share things with you. I like it when you leave your opinions on things I talk about. I really do. I must because as of next August, I will have been blogging 13 years! We are in an election year, a national election year, which is exciting to me because I am a hopeless political nerd! I love reading about politics, studying it's history, and I even enjoy reading about politicians biographies. I like finding out why things happen, not that there is always an answer, but sometimes if I can just get a little insight I feel better about things. You know what I mean?

Well, I have spent a lot of time doing just that! So much so that I have caused myself some nerve damage in my right hand from Carpal Tunnel syndrome. The doctor says I need to spend less time obsessing on Sarah Palin and more time resting my hand or the damage will a permanent condition. My right hand is numb most of the time now, and when it isn't it has pain shooting up to my shoulder, and I did it to myself. But jeeze... how am I supposed to NOT make fun of that snowbeast Sarah Palin? Since she hit the national political stage she has made me cringe, and when I take it too seriously, I have to let it out! And now, after Donald Trump promised her a position in his administration, should he win, I am less amused with her, and more frightened that it might actually happen! Yikes. She is amusing, but more than anything, she is dangerous and it really isn't funny, so I need to talk about it, even if no one agrees with me, or visits my blog.

So, I have to take some real time off from online activities, when I hand tries to heal yet again. I am taking my doctors advice and giving the blogging a rest. I am going to take my pal Jeff's idea and look into Dragon speech software. And I have decided to post to my blog twice a month, when I am online anyway to pay bills. I will check in, let you know I am okay, and update you on my hand's progress. I don't want to have long term damage, so I have to listen to the doctor. My future blogging schedule will be as follows...

February 14th

February 27th

March 15th

March 17th

March 18th

March 27th

April 15th

April 29

May 15th

May 29th

Back full time in June.

The month of June is my goal. It's also when California holds its primary. I can't miss that! And let's face it, this summer is going to be amazing! Election season, and all the amazing things to go and do and see! But really... nothing invigorates me like a good political fight! I am still a bit on the fence about my candidate. Hillary is someone I trust completely to handle women's issues, but Bernie has a proven track record also. I would like to have a woman lead, because let's face it, woman approach things completely different then men do. I think having her elected might just change the way women are treated in the workplace, and maybe, just maybe, women will finally make what men do for doing the same job! It's time for a woman! But Bernie really appeals to the progressive inside me. It's a touch decision. One thing I do know... I won't be ordering any campaign merchandise until after the primary! In the past, every time I did... my candidate imploded into a big ball of gone. Just ask John Edwards, the day after I ordered that cute little refrigerator magnet!

:)

See you February 14th!

Mood: Hopeful

 

Photograph: "Lunch At Panera On A Winter Day"

~Me :)