Everything Is Going Fine, Thanks For Asking

 

"Donald Trump is a practical joke that got out of hand."

~George Conway

So much has gone wrong so fast that it makes my head spin some times. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool being turned green by the algae growth Trump was told would happen, but that's the least of it, the scary as shit Iran deal is the big bad, but I can't think about it right now. Perhaps in the coming days I will come to terms with what he's done. But for right now, I am thinking in pictures, comics, and headlines.

Trump At The G7 Summit

France 2026

John F. Kennedy got the last laugh...

New York Times

Some good things are happening today. The Knicks ticker tape parade in Manhattan, and the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. So I have hope for this day, it seems to be the respite we all need.

Trump has no value, and doesn't matter today.

California, Don't Let Me Down

 

"Here's the truth: for every bill that's too high, there's special interest profiting off keeping it there. They want you to believe that's inevitable. That's just how that market works. But that's BULLSHIT!"

~Tom Steyer

San Francisco Speech

2026

Here we go, it's June 2nd, 2026, California Primary Day! 

Come on California, vote with a clear head about all we've been through with Donald Trump. My pick for California Governor is Tom Steyer and Michael Tubbs for Lt. Governor. To be honest, the top offices were pretty much all that mattered to me in my district, however, I am closely watching a race in Central California, Bakersfield, David Valadao, who will face two Democratic candidates with impressive backing by different parts of the party. Physician Jasmeet Bains, and Randy Villegas. Valadao is the last of the republican representatives who voted to impeach Trump, not once, but twice! For that reason I don't hate him, but lets face it, at the end of the day, he's a republican, and you can't trust the lot of them. As my dad used to say, why would you vote for a republican if you don't have to?

 And, of course, the race for Mayor of Los Angeles has me on edge. The current mayor, Karen Bass, has had a rocky time, especially after the devastating wildfire ravaged the southland in early 2025! Republicans were there to spread misinformation, that she was never able to get out in front of. Once again, conspiracy theories managed to rewrite history. I believe her biggest opponent tonight will be Spencer Pratt. I can't roll my eyes enough at the mere thought of it!. He's a former reality TV actor. A villain. Who is currently running a campaign right out of Trump's playbook, complete with AI generated superhero imaginations of himself, because, I don't know, everyone loves a Marvel superhero? Everyone wants to be entertained? Pratt has NO experience in governance, in balancing a budget for an entire city, for any kind of emergency response. He's a stupid choice. But L.A. you do you!

I can't make people be smart.

I just pray they act with wisdom when casting their vote.

California, please vote!

It's January 4th...

 

"Who are these masked birds? Not Robin Hood's for they live in open woods. They only deal in stolen goods. Like berry futures, cedar cones and sweet, sweet fruit, but leave the stones."

~Janet Yolen

Cedar Waxwings Unmasked

... and there is an elephant in the room. A big, bloated, shitgibbon of an elephant. But there's nothing I can do about his machinations. Just keep watch and hope for the best! Yes, I am stressed out. Sometimes it feels like having any kind of hope for the coming mid-terms seems completely irrational and ill advised. Right now is one of those times. But I am trying to focus on the things that heal me up inside, like birding. One of my favorite birds to photograph, the Cedar Waxwing, showed up in Louis Park a couple days ago. They are beautiful, and challenging, and that's just what I need to get me through... something of natural beauty, rather then all the manufactured drama that fills every single day! So enjoy this little gallery of the delightful little drunk birds, the Cedar Waxwing.

Kamala Harris, For The People

Via New York Times

 

History Writes The Script

 

Ivank Trump... I Don't Recall

Finally, Ivanka Trump testifies, and the prosecution rests, with the option of recalling certain previous witnesses. She didn't cause any moments of wow, it was either, I don't recall, I am not sure, or she admitted to whatever was asked of her. Sigh. The drama resumes tonight with Donald Trumps big fancy speech, designed to interrupt the next Republican debate, and Monday when his witnesses begin to testify. But both sides have planned motions and Trump's side may ask for a directed verdict. Sigh. The circus continues.

 

Click here, to read some of the relevant points of the day.

 

So fucking tedious.

 

 

The Mossdale Railroad Bridge

 “Although I was born in April,

 I’m quite certain I was not fully awake until October."

 
~Peggy Toney Horton

 

  Stop the World and Get Off

 

I understand that sentiment. I was born in June, but because of my deep dislike for summer, it feels like I didn't fully become a person until autumn. October in particular. I love the month of October. I love learning about new things in October, as if I were a kid going back to school. I enjoy reading all year long, but it's during this time of year I like to pick up a great biography or a book on the history of a certain place, and jump right in. See this beautiful old railroad trestle? I have driven past it upwards of 200 - 300 times in the last 40 years, and other than admiring it, and the one that sits near it, I never really thought much of it. But the other day, while visiting, River Islands, in Lathrop, I glanced over, and it just seemed so great that I just had to photograph it. I am going to do more on the railroads out here, and the rich history of the Gold Rush days, but for now I present simply a pleasant picture and a link to a brief history of something really cool near where I live. 

 

 

And Then This Happened...

 

“Reader, suppose you were an idiot.

 And suppose you were a member of Congress.

 But I repeat myself.”

 
~Mark Twain 

 

Okay, this was not unexpected, and yet when it happens I wonder why and how one party, the republicans, can be filled with such overwhelming stupidity and viciousness? Don't get me wrong, I can't stand Kevin McCarthy, he is a spineless simpleton, that has his head so far up Trump's ass he is now that thing on Trump's head. But damn, all McCarthy did was not kowtow to them. Oh wait... it all makes sense now! He stood up to them! But he didn't stop there. He also pissed off the Democrats. If he wouldn't have blamed the Democratic party for how close we got to the shut down, last Saturday, a few from across the aisle might have supported him. Especially considering it took our support to put a temporary stop gap in place on the dept ceiling last Saturday. Oh my... it's tough being an adult. It's tough being in politics. But one day, everybody has to choose who and what one wants to be and support.

:)

 

This is the first time America has kicked a Speaker Of The House out of their position.This is how they choose to make history? Clowns!

 

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE!

 

 

The After David Is Released

Andrew Harnik 

AP/Shutterstock

 "A president cannot defend a nation

 if he is not held accountable to it's laws."

~DaShanne Stokes

The title of this post is, "The After David Is Released." It refers to an SNL skit that aired just after the 2020 election. See, a young woman in Michigan claimed, through a signed affidavit, that election irregularities had taken place and that she had been a witness to it. The lady was pretty unbelievable, and because of that, she ended up in a skit about her testimony and subsequent statements to the press. I never forgot that in the skit, Cecily Strong referred to the woman's signed statement as an "after David" rather than an affidavit. It made me laugh. Those were better days. Some of the elements of Donald Trump's BIG LIE were actually laugh out loud funny, such as Rudy Guiliani indicating that he would be holding a presser at The Four Seasons, which turned out to not be the famous hotel, but rather The Four Season's Landscaping company. The owners were just as astonished as the rest of us. Huh? Anyway, this post isn't about the subject of the BIG LIE, it's about Trump having taken classified documents into his civilian life, and stored them at his resort home in Florida.

Sigh.

What the actual fuck? Just another day in the dumb Trump experience. So, for the sake of history, here is the government's redacted version of the recent warrant issued for the search of those documents at his club. Part of the justification for the warrant, was the signed affidavits of several individuals who claimed to have knowledge of the mishandling of the classified documents. I am not including the full PDF, because it somewhat lengthy, but history will bear the full story. And if I have nobody still following my blog, I have the full PDF that I can personally reference. Either way, it's all good. So, here are the first few pages, just for history sake. I, for the most part, like posting about current events. I got used to it, due to microblogging on Twitter, so it seems natural to continue to post about it here. I wish I was posting about some good news so bigly that it would take several entries on my blog to share it, but unfortunately this is where we have been since Trump announced his candidacy in 2015. Rolling around in the surreal, disgust and fear. This is not how I expected to feel when I reached the slightly over ripe old age of 60.

I've been semi-retired from bitching about Trump, and politics in general, since Joe Biden took office but this is something different. It's history. Unfortunately.

 

 

The affidavit is over 30 pages long. There was no mention of anything related to the nuclear program, but then a lot is redacted and it's common knowledge this affidavit does not contain all that was sealed in the warrant, so my nightmares continue, and I pray he never gets anywhere near the White House ever again, but I know, deep down, that free will is a double edged sword and God isn't going to send my Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, just because I pray for it, or make the Republican party grow a soul, if its not their free will to do so.

 

And thereby lies the tale.

~Me

August 26th 2022

January 20th 2021 Part Two

It's a slightly different format for this post. It was an unusual day, and it called for an unusual post on this blog.

 

First this happened

 "Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless.

 Stupidity and power together are dangerous."

~Patrick Rothfuss

The Name Of The Wind

As you might imagine, I didn't sleep very well during the overnight hours of January 20th 2021. I was sure it was over, and that he was going to leave, but there was the stomach churning feeling that he might still pull one last rabbit out of his hat. One last terrifying rabid rabbit, that would start a war, or perhaps nuclear war. Knowing him, both seemed a fairly reasonable possibility. If neither of those things happened, perhaps that recurring nightmare I told you about, could happen. But as of 8:17 AM Eastern Time, it was wheels up, and my camera was ready to take a photo, off the TV in our bedroom, as Trump was on his way to Joint Base Andrews, and ultimately Mara-Lago. Leaving behind his disgraced presidency, as the only president to be Impeached twice!

Next Came This...

Kamala Harris Took The Oath Of Office

Making History By Becoming The First Female

 Vice President Of The United States

At 11:42 AM ET

Finally...

Joseph R. Biden Became The 46th President Of The United States
 

And with that, I decided to get caught up with all the sleep I had missed the last 4 years. We (America) were safe again. Or at least for a while. Trump, and his death cult, will still be hovering like a dark cloud, especially during his second Impeachment trial, which will begin, by the way, on February 9th 2021. But in the moment I, and most of the world, sighed a deep sigh of relief because were were finally safe again. We did it! We survived it.

 

Here are the headlines from around the world...

Plenty happened later that day, but I decided to take a few days off, and let history handle it. There will be plenty to share on this blog, as I move forward with regaining my footing. I'll get there, but there is no way I am going to push it. I am retired from politics now, or at least for the time being. I love my country, so I will share my happiness, and heartache, from time to time, but right now I'd much rather talk about my photography, and the silly little mishaps I tend to get myself into. This blog schedule will be more consistent going forward. Adjusting for Alan's hours, I will be posting as stated below. And that's that! I am going to enjoy not having a pit in the bottom of my stomach. Of not living with that abusive relationship. Just life, my life, our life, lived to the fullest. At least until 2024, when the next national election takes place. With any luck at all, every single one of the Trump's, and their sycophants, will be behind bars. With the exception of Mary Trump. She can stay.

 

But One Thing At A Time. Lets Enjoy This For A While.

Everything In It's Time.

 

(Blog Schedule For 2021)

 

Tuesday Through Friday

 

~Carly