It Happened Again, This Time In Autumn

 

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, more violent, it takes a touch of genius... and a lot of courage... to move in the opposite direction."

~E. F. Shumacher

Yes, it did indeed happen again. But its not really all about me, it's about the young ones who were viciously murdered on Saturday night in Stockton, near the Dairy Queen on Thornton. It was a child's birthday party, a celebration on Thanksgiving weekend. 4 people lost their lives, aged, 8, 9, 14, and one adult just 21 years old. 11 others suffered non fatal injuries. Considering the spray of bullets, it's amazing that more didn't lose their lives. The children and adults who survive, will know doubt be psychologically scarred for the rest of their lives. My heart breaks for everyone in this, including the shooter or shooters, because it's apparent they were let down in all kinds of ways. It's the neglect of society, religious community, our government, that contribute every single act of violence in one way or another. I will say it again, address the needs of your community, and there is no need for violence. The big societal question right now is, how do we talk to young men right now? Start with young men in prison and jail, talk to them about how they lost their way, then start talking the young men from different demographics across the board. Young me in the military would be good too. And then don't forget to listen. Really listen.

So what does all this have to do with me?

This.

A few hours after the shooting in north Stockton, the sirens came down the street. The Fire department, Stockton police, San Joaquin county Sherriff, hell, I have no idea how many agencies were responding on Pixie, and I don't really know if what caused the drama was even connected to what happened in north Stockton or not, but it's a probably good bet that it was. And some of it was happening again, pretty much right under my bedroom window... again! This is a good example of why I want to get the HELL out of Stockton as soon as we can! We hear shootings all the time, and I just know that one of these days, a stray bullet is going to land in our house. I can almost feel it. For now, I am counting my blessings, that a few more guns and gang members are off the street, and that they are contained while the authorities have a chance to find out if they were the ones that killed those children. I hope we have some answers soon. I will post an new post when any new information is released. My goodness, I never thought I would see another scene like this, so soon after the event's back in September occurred.

KCRA 

A Winter's Day In Monterey

 

The Lone Cypress

17 Mile Drive

Monterey, California

January 8th 2024

“Monterey is a place, a grating noise, a quality of light,

 a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.”

 

~John Steinbeck,

  Cannery Row

 

 

Yesterday, in Monterey, it was as about as beautiful a day as it gets. It was clear, and the water blue and beautiful, as opposed to times when the it is almost gray and full of kelp and frankly... stinky. Don't get me wrong, I love Monterey any time of the year, and any time of day, and no matter how the water looks, but yesterday it was particularly beautiful, and dreamlike. It was hours not moments of Zen. It was cool outside, but not really cold, at least not until much later in the day. We spent the day bopping from spot to spot through Pacific Grove, and then along the 17 Mile Drive, which paid off, because we came home with 13 birds for the 2024 file. It was a very good day by the numbers, but we only saw one new species, the Black Turnstone. We smiled a lot too, especially while watching the Sanderling running toward the water to catch their lunch in the surf, and then darting back to the dry sand as the waves came in. It was a silly little dance, and I wouldn't have miss it for the world. This was dear hubby's birthday trip, and I am so glad he got to spend his day, in the sunshine, in one of the most amazing places in California!

 

Photographed By Hubby

Blue Ties

 

"Happiness is to get lost in an autumn forest,

 and not to be found is an even greater one."

 

~Mehmet Murat ildan

 

Two days to go, more or less.

 

I have been having a recurring dream for three years. It has never varied in all that time. Trump is standing at the window of the Oval Office, just staring outside. Emotionless. I can see the reflection of the day in his eyes. Its a clear day. Sunny. Blue sky. He turns and walks across the room, where he locks the door to his office. As Melania starts to walk in through a door to Trump's left, he shoves her back out and locks that door too. He walks back to his desk and pulls a plastic can of gas from underneath, and proceeds to empty its contents in a circle around the room. He walks back to his desk, takes a long sip of Diet Coke, throws the can at a painting on the wall behind him of a man on a horse, and then strikes a match, and sets fire to the Oval Office.

 

 The dream is pretty vivid, but no detail is more vivid than the fact that he is wearing a blue tie. For some reason, that part of the dream feels like the most frightening part. It's fairly easy to figure out. He has been setting fire to the presidency since day one, but that blue tie must have some other meaning, because even right now, as I sit in my office, feeling comfortable and unafraid, I feel uneasy sharing that specific detail. I have had the dream many times since 2017, so you would think I'd be used to it by now. It's the minds way of processing things, that can't be dealt with in the clear light of day.

 But I am sure you can imagine how I felt that day last summer, when Trump did his melodramatic photo op with the Bible at, St. John's Church, in Washington, D.C., to prove how big and brave he was. He was wearing a blue tie that day, that was uncomfortably similar to the one in my dream. 

Well that stunt, using God, pushing the church's pastor around, not only using the Bible as a prop, but holding it upside down, did nothing for him, or his approval ratings, and no one that I know of, found it to be particularly manly. It failed miserably, as it should have! But that stupid stunt worked in one aspect, it scared the shit out of me because of that fucking tie! He wanted to scare someone,  anyone, and he succeeded, even if it was just me. He's irrational. How do you stop being afraid of an irrational person with nuclear codes and no sense of humor? Okay, I know, I'm the one being irrational right now, fretting over a blue tie, but GOD I pray he isn't wearing it on election night. Or any other day until after Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, on January 21st, 2021.

 

Vanity Fair

Surprise: No One Is Impressed By Trump's Tough-Guy Church Photo Op!

 

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

November 1st 2020

Political Wishes, Hopes, And Dreams In The Age Of Trump

"If your're going to kick authority in the teeth,

 you might as we use two feet."

~Keith Richards

Keith Richards In His Own Words 

Okay, so, as I type this I am sitting in Twitter jail. Or is it, sent to my room? No jail. Definitely Jail. Or as my friend Izzy calls it. Twitmo. At first I was pretty angry that some sniveling fucking pearl clutcher decided that of all the left leaning accounts telling off California Congressman Kevin McCarthy, mine was the most offensive one, but truth is, who knows how many the melting little snowflake reported? It's not like Republicans have any backbone what so ever. But the one thing I will never be able to understand about that lot it, why don't they understand just how much of a moral victory they hand folks like me, when they get us put in Twitter jail?

 Personally, I hope it was McCarthy himself that reported me, because that would mean I got to him! Right now! While he is defending the abusive and dangerous rhetoric of a man clearly on the last legs of any sanity he might have possessed! Wouldn't that be delightfully rich? In actuality, it really doesn't matter because here I sit, all because I made a metaphorical joke about how he is punching himself in the face with his support of Trump. A man who will never show him the same loyalty, that he is showing Trump. As for Twitter, I knew that they could limit free speech on their playground, it's their private property after all, I recognize that, but who knew they could limit hopes and wishes? 

The only possible harm, in my little joke would occur, if McCarthy decided to ACTUALLY punch himself in the face! If he's stupid enough to do that, is that really my fault? But okay, I will go forward on Twitter knowing the only hopes and wishes I am allowed on Twitter, is to see a handsome prince carry off a princess on a unicorn. While the President Of The United States continues to post this...

Lies. Profanity. A blatant disregard for how anything in the world works, including the political systems of other countries, as well as our own. A thinly coded call for civil war, and more. But I can't hope Kevin McCarthy doesn't stop supporting Trump, because, I admit it, it is amusing watching, asshole after asshole, think they will be the one to, experience and enjoy, Trump's gratitude and loyalty. 

Yeah, ask Vice President Mike Pence about that right now.

There is no Autumn Leaf Of The Day in this post, but there will be one in my next post, which will be about a much nicer subject, the #PhotoByRequest project! This week, it's all about the Public Art! 

Look for that post in about an hour!

Seeing Tomorrow Again

"A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you."

~Brigitte Bardot

My friend the pheasant was back in the yard today. Earlier than yesterday, and I was able to capture a beautiful shot or two. It was very therapeutic. I sure hope he sticks around for a while. He is kind, and quiet... eats bugs and spiders, and so far has been kind about where he poops. In short, he is the perfect guest! I am glad I dreamed about him! He is good for me right now.

Just look at that face...

Hello Gorgeous!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Seeing Tomorrow

"The excitement of dreams coming true

 is beyond the description of words."

~Lailah Gifty Akita 

Friday night, into Saturday morning, I dreamed about pheasants. They were just walking all around me. Mostly female, but there was one or two males as well. It was so odd, because it was so specific! I hadn't seen pheasants since moving to Stockton, and I was a bit perplexed about why I would dream something like that. I looked up the meaning of the dream, in an online dream dictionary, and as it turns out it's a pleasant enough omen. It means that I am moving into a more centered existence in both my creative and personal life. I like that! It's been a hell of a couple years, I need this time. I need some contentment.

With the renovations going so well, and the financial situation coming to a clearer place, I think I can finely stop and breathe. And maybe get back out with the camera! I miss that passion. I wish the photo I took last night had come out better, but the pain from my fibromyalgia was hindering my ability to get a really stunning shot of that beautiful bird. Hopefully he will be in the yard again tomorrow, and I will be able to have a really nice session with the camera! Sometimes I dream. And sometimes they come true. Shrug. I guess it happens to everyone once in a while.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Today An Arm, Tomorrow The Leg

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."

~George W. Bush

Well... it's all his fault...it's all George W. Bush's fault... right? The latest political bullshit, also known as the Sequester. It's his fault. Again I ask... right? Well, no. No it's not. As much as I would love to make a case for how it's his fault, I can't. No, the blame belongs firmly and exclusively with Obama, and the Republican party. While admire the president's show of political balls in his offer of a 2 for one compromise, he didn't try to give them everything! He is learning that terrorists can't be negotiated with, even when you give them what the want! But it distresses me that he still seems to be oblivious to the fact that the REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL NOT WORK WITH HIM... EVER!

The effects on each individual state will vary, but it will be devastating regardless of which state you live in. Here are just a few examples of how my state, California, will be affected this year alone...

California

1. California will face a loss of about $87.6 million in funding for primary and secondary education, which will put about 1,200 teachers and aides jobs at risk.

2. The Head Start Program
 Services for about 8,200 children in California will be eliminated.

3. Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water
- $12.4 million in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality.

4. Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution
 $1.6 million in Justice Assistance Grants that supports law enforcement, prosecution, crime prevention and education, correction and community corrections, crime victim and witness initiatives.

5. Job Search Assistance to help those in California find Employment and Training.
- $3.3 million in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, which results in about 129, 770 fewer people will get the help and skills needed to secure employment.

6. Child Care.
About 2,000 fewer disadvantaged children will have child care that allows their parents to work.

7. Vaccines for Children.
Around 15,810 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, Hepatitis B.

8. Public Health.
- $2.6 million in funds to help upgrade it's ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological events.
Also
-$12.4 million in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 9,400 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs.
-$2 million loss to California State Department Of Health Services, resulting in about 49,000 fewer HIV tests.

9. Stop Violence Against Women Program.
 -$795,000 possible loss in funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 3,000 fewer victims being helped.

10. Nutrition Assistance for Seniors.
-$5.4 million loss for programs that provide meals for seniors.

And, of course, the nationwide cuts to federal programs affects everyone. The CDC. The FBI. FEMA and the F.A.A. are just some of the programs that will see significant cuts.

I don't know my country anymore! The levels of greed and selfishness are epic and embarrassing. When will the republicans end their incessant need to bend to the will of the top 1%? When will the republican party do the right thing, be it work in good faith with the president to balance the budget, or decide to be a part of the change for the better for future generations by voting for true gun reforms such as reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban? Now that can be blamed on George W. Bush! He has a lot of blood on his hands, as does any politician who puts a false idol above the life of even 1 American.

And as for President Obama... he should have stood up to the Republican party from day one, and he didn't! When he tried to deal with Republicans and they turned away, that is when he should have stood up to them, not turn the other cheek. I feel like the president has changed his tactics since the election last November, and that is a good thing, but I am afraid it is too late now. The sequester was a bad idea, and I said so when it was introduced, but what can I do? There was NO incentive for the special group of senators to reach a deal. I am only one small peep on the Internet, but I am pretty sure I wasn't alone in my belief that President Obama needs to move beyond his fantasy of some sort of a grand bargain. It's like America has become some sort of a cheesy reality show, and all of this drama and nonsense is scripted for ratings mindless entertainment consumption.

But to answer the question you are probably wanting to ask...

The answer is YES. YES I am glad I voted for President Obama a second time. Why? Because I would rather have someone in the White House who DREAMS of hope, and fairness and change, than someone who you only hear from during your NIGHTMARES.

Washington Post
White House Releases State By State Breakdown Of The Sequesters Effects

Mood: Frustrated

~Me :)

Faces In The Crowd

"He had the look of one who had drunk the cup of life and found a dead beetle at the bottom."

~P.G. Woodhouse

I see faces. Unusual faces. Always have. But I have seen more unusual faces in 2012 than any other year that I can remember. Faces on buckets. Faces on trees. Faces in a big jug of sun tea with lemon. And then I saw this one last October. Do you see it? It's right there in the lower left corner of the garage door. And while some of those faces were created by someone on purpose, cases like the sun tea, and this one here, seem to be a happy coincidence. I love that. I think next year I am going to keep them in a file, and perhaps do a special series. Of course, you know how it goes, when you start looking for sudden spontaneous faces, that's when they seem to disappear.

Life is funny that way.

 If I could put an emotion to the face in the lower left corner of this garage door, I would say it is... perplexed.

But I am perplexed as to why?

"Evil was coming, I wondered whose face it would be wearing?"

~Dean Koontz, Old Thomas

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 100~ 20th And Lexington: The Sequel

"What if nothing exists, and we are all in somebody's dream?"

I had a great time yesterday, and today, watching the process of what it takes to make a film. Well, at least as much as I could see from across the street! LOL. Actually, I got to see a lot about how things are done, and I knew before I went that for at least a part of the time I would be there, it would be like watching paint dry. :) I have been an extra in two movies, Angel's In The Outfield, and Moneyball, and both experiences were somewhat mind numbing. I say somewhat because as 11 hour days go, it could have been worse, but it was 11 hours. 11 hours of pretending to do a fictitious wave as if actually at a baseball game. 11 hours of alternating between booing and cheering. 11 hours of waiting for the sun to move around the ball park. But in the end, as the extras liaison put it, now I could call myself an ACTOR. Yes, well no, not really. LOL.

Both of my days as an actor working on the baseball movies were long, and the pay consisted of some free snacks and sodas, but where else did I have to be? I could sit at home, or I could go out and have an adventure. If given a choice, I will almost always choose the adventure over same old... same old. And besides, I learned about how hard folks work both in front, and behind the scenes to bring us movie magic. Just like with Danny Glover, in Angels In The Outfield, and Brad Pitt in Moneyball, I have a whole new respect for Woody Allen! I have always appreciated his work, but now I have a clearer idea about what it takes to achieve it! When the movie he is currently working on comes out, and I am in the theater watching it, I will remember the last couple days, and smile because I was there.

Awesome!

 

 

"In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better ever day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!"

~Woody Allen


~Me :)

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 196: Plans For 2008

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

First the important news: This is the last Weekend Assignment I'll be doing here at By The Way. Next week is the last full week of me doing By The Way, and also we'll be in the thick of the holiday madness, so I think it's best to wrap up this very long-running feature here and now. It's been lots of fun, though, and I hope you've all enjoyed playing along as much as I have.

But I don't want to spend too much time with the past here, because the future is so much more interesting to me at the moment. With that in mind, here is the topic for this week's Weekend Assignment;

Weekend Assignment #196: What are your hopes or plans for 2008? Any big projects for the year? Anything you hope to accomplish or change? Or will you just relax? Because, you know, that's okay, too.

Extra Credit: How was your 2007?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Well, I will get to John's question in a moment, but first I want to once again tell John how much I will miss him and the Weekend Assignments, in 2008! Somehow, I wish there were just a few more weeks in 2007, so we could make it to an even 200 Weekend Assignments. LOL. Can you believe I just said that? The lady who began praying for New Year's Eve, just a couple weeks into 2007? LOL. Oh goodness, this was a bumpy year for me personally. I don't want to look back right now, because that is not the focus of this assignment. The point of this assignment is to look into the future. And when I do that, I get excited at the possibilities. :) So when I look into my future, through my crystal ball, here is what I see...

**I am going to take some additional classes on meditation and yoga, in an effort to improve my overall well-being. I need to cut some stress, as that is my number one trigger to my diabetes. Stress is even more dangerous to me then sugar. Don't get me wrong. My numbers are fantastic, my doctor is thrilled with what I have accomplished since July, and on this course, I will be officially diabetes free as of July, but I need more than one good A1C test before I get the full ALL CLEAR.

**I am planning to take a ceramics class. I want to learn something new, and hopefully make some new pals. It's time to climb out of my shell a little. I like people, and I like life, and hopefully they wont hate me on sight. Right? I remember our Blogfather once said, Internet friendships are wonderful, but nothing beats the relationships we have in real life.I am paraphrasing of course, but you get the idea. It sounded like sound advice to me. I have spent too much time in my own little world. I am so done with the past! I am over it!

**I want to volunteer for a political campaign. I have always wanted to do that, and I think it would be a great experience. It's something new, that I have never tried, and I can kind of choose how much time I want to devote to it. This is an important election coming up. Something has to not just change, it has to change for the better! If I am going to put myself out in the world, I want to help make a positive change, even if all I do is stuff envelopes. You know? It's time to do my part for the future.

**In terms of creativity, there is nothing more important to me then my photography. I need to really work on it, not just stick with the same old comfortable subjects, but rather really push myself to go to the edge with it. There are some photography classes available at the community colleges in my area, so why not expand my horizons a bit? :) I took a class online, in Portrait Photography, earlier this year, and I found it very enjoyable. :)

**Overall, I want to just experience life. That's all. My priorities have changed, since I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am so lucky that I wasn't told it was cancer, or heart disease or any one of the other things that tend to punch us down for no apparent reason. Since I began blogging in 2003, I have lost 2 good blogging/journaling buddies, Frank and Pam, to those things. I still miss them terribly, and they remind me of how short life is. It's too short to be afraid of the future. So, here I am, thrilled about 2008, and all it has waiting for me, good or bad! Maybe I will do all the things I have listed, maybe I will do none of them, maybe I will do other things that I can't even conceive of. Who knows? Isn't it exciting? Stay tuned, because you just never know with me!

Extra Credit: How was your 2008? ROFLMAO! Well, at first I thought it sucked! Then things kind of tapered off, and now, well, I can look back and see, life has a way of working itself out. All in all... it wasn't the worst year I have ever had. :)

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest, that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."

-Jan Glidewell

-OndineMonet
"Believe"
Merry-Go-Round
Christmas Fantasy In The Woods
Tilden Park
Berkeley, California
November 29, 2007
Evening

Sunday Quizapalooza

"Most great me and women are not perfectly rounded in their personalities, but are instead people whose one driving enthusiasm is so great it makes their faults seem insignificant."

-Charles A. Cerami

I love doing puzzles and quizzes. I have been enjoying the new FOX game show, "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" I can, with a good deal of certainty, admit that I am about a third as smart as a fifth grader. LOL. Well, actually, it depends on the questions, but I do know that if I were to appear on a game show, it would probably be, "Deal or No Deal." At least the odds would be more in my favor, either the million dollars would be in my case, or they wouldn't. Alan's favorite model on the show, Anya, holds case #10, so I would choose that case. Then I would ask if Anya could sit with Alan in the cheering section near the stage. Am I a cool wife or what? I figure he has had to put up with my undying love of David Duchovny all these years, so I owe him one. :) Do you play the odds in life, or do you believe everything is really 50/50? Either it will or it won't.

How about having some fun, take the following quizzes and then share your results in the comment thread for this entry. Just click the links below. Here is how I scored...

*What Famous Work Of Art Are You?

***You Are Best Described By***
Claude Monet's "Impression Sunrise"

*What Do Your Dreams Mean?


"Dream" By Pablo Picasso

Your dreams seem to show that you're very well adjusted and happy person.
Overall, you are very content in your life.
You tend to be a productive thinker.
Your dreams tend to reflect your insecurities.
You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind.

*What's The Part Of You No One Sees?

"Hidden Eye" By Vicky Brago-Mitchell

You are unique, witty, and even a little snobby.
You're quite proud of who you are, and nothing is going to change that.
You've paved your own way in life, and you've ended up where you want to be.

Underneath it all, you feel very isolated from the rest of the world.
It's hard to find people to relate to you on every level.
The mundane interests of your friends and family often bore or depress you.

Hmmmm.... maybe.

"If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every living creature."

-Bruce Barton

-OndineMonet
"Lunch With Andy"
Berkeley, California
September 9th, 2006
Afternoon

Dream Figures

"Photography, as you know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world."

-Arnold Newman

I really liked how these two mannequins looked. I spotted them in the window of a boutique, just off Union Square, last December. As you can see, basic black still rules! :) It wasn't an easy shot to take, because I was in the car at the time, and while I was the passenger, traffic was still making me a little bit nervous. Traffic around Union Square is always crazy around the holidays, but knowing it beforehand didn't make it much easier to take. Still, my camera sees things I seem to miss, when I am just viewing the world with my eyes. As I was looking at this photo earlier today, it struck me about all the faceless people I seem to encounter in my dreams. Sometimes I dream about friends from my past, but the weird thing is that while I know it's them, I almost never see their faces. I see their clothing, or sometimes an arm, a stomach, but almost never their faces. Hmmm... I think I will ask Sarah about that! Anyone care to hazard a guess?

So tell me, do you see the faces of the people you dream about? Do you dream in color? What's your favorite type of dream? Have you ever had a dream come true?

-OndineMonet
"Dream Figures"
San Francisco, California
December 10th, 2006
Early Evening