Autumn Leaf Of The Day #28/The Energy Eater

 

“When you fall in love with a work of art, you’d die to meet the artist. I am a student of the galleries of Pacific sunsets, full moon rises on the ocean, the clouds from an airplane,

 autumn forests in Raleigh,

 first fallen snows.
And I’m dying to meet the artist.” 

 
~Yasmin Mogahed 

 

Just for fun and chills, I give you, Kolchak: "The Energy Eater. It was a favorite of mine when I was a child. In fact, I never missed an episode. How about you? When you were a kid, did you wait all week for Friday nights, so you could watch Karl Kolchak defeat the ghosts, witches, demons and ghouls that came his way? I did, and then promptly had nightmares for the next week, until Friday night came around again! So much fun! This episode is really a metaphor for how I am feeling right now. I am getting my energy drained daily by this election. 17 more days to go, and I am terrified. We should all keep the eyes on the prize and don't look down, I get that, but damn I need some good news. I go to bed every night with such fear for this county, and unlike the fear of the next episode of Kolchak:The Night Stalker, I don't look forward to the next episode of, Oh My God, What Did He Just Say/Do? I don't know, I think I just need more of the things that scare me in a good way, like a show with monsters, where it is all resolved by a good guy, in under an hour! How about you, are you doing okay? Share in the comments if you feel like it.

And now...

Kolchak: The Night Stalker...

  "The Energy Eater"

Enjoy!

#5 It May Look Like A Walnut

 

"Why are scary movies always in creepy places like jails and hospitals? I want a scary movie in Walmart.

 'Clean up on aisle 13' "But sir... there is no aisle 13."

 

 **Cue Dramatic Music** 

~Unknown

 

The Dick Van Dyke Show

 

 Season 2

 Episode 20

 

It May Look Like A Walnut 

 

Does it get any better than this? Its the perfect sitcom Halloween episode. It's fun to scare yourself sometimes, and who doesn't love Walnuts and Danny Thomas?

ENJOY!

 

 

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 :)

Bumble Bee Tongues

"For many 19th century artists, the usual reaction to photography was no reaction at all. They simply ignored it. But not Degas. He was deeply interested in the new medium, not just as a tool that could help with his drawings and paintings, but as an art form in its own right."

-Edward Saywell

Can you believe it? It was cloudy and kind of cold yesterday, at least I was cold. Elvis was by my side most of the day, I think he knows when I am not 100%. Sigh. I have been having nightmares again. Nightmares are the most inconvenient things. It's so strange how we can be sound asleep, and yet transported forward or backward in time, to places we have long since forgotten about, visiting with people we know we will never see again. The surreal can seem so vivid. Like I said, nightmares are inconvenient.

That's why I take pictures. Photography allows me to step into the surreal with a certain amount of control. I love taking photos of gardens, because there is so much going on, and everything changes in a blink. It takes a great deal of concentration to photograph butterflies and bumble bees, especially on a warm, sunny day. It's a good thing, but it is definitely a challenging thing. I don't know... my mind gets completely filled with whatever scene is in front of me. The flowers, the things with wings, the sky... whatever. Everything else gets blocked out. At least it seems that way. Maybe that is why I have nightmares when I haven't been particularly active with the camera.

Of course, it might also mean it wasn't a good idea to eat 8 Jalapeno Poppers at 3:00 in the morning. LOL. Jeepers, that is why I dreamed the hills that surround the house I live in were on fire! Could be. Or it could have just been my mind reminding me of my lifelong fear of fire. I have conquered a good many fears and phobias. I took charge of my life, and eliminated panic attacks from ruining my life, but I have never been able to cure my fear of fire. I try to photograph fire when I can. When Alan barbecues, I am right there with the camera, snapping away. Still... the fear continues. Maybe my dream was saying, "Get over it girl."

I used to be absolutely scared to death of bumble bees. Now I seek them out, so much so that recently I was on my stomach in Golden Gate Park, photographing some bumbles that were enjoying some dandelions. LOL. I had to laugh at myself, because it was just a few years ago that I would have left the park, for fear of bees. Silly of me, because look how beautiful they are. They have such interesting lines, and who knew they have tongues? :) It never occurred to me they would, until I was licked by a butterfly last year at the Conservatory of Flowers. LOL. It seems I had a little bit of maple syrup on my hand, left over from a pancake breakfast I had eaten earlier that day. Talk about surreal... being licked by a butterfly, is surreal! Almost as surreal as watching an opossum use it's thumbs. But that is a whole other entry. LOL. It's not supposed to be cold in July... is it?

-OndineMonet
"The Bumble Bee's Tongue"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Late June, 2007