The Pence/Harris Debate October 7th 2020

 

"Skill at debate is not the same as maturity."

~ Ted Chiang

Exhalation:Stories

 Well, right off I can say last night's Pence/Harris debate wasn't the shitshow that the first Trump/Biden debate was, but then no one was expecting it to be. What it was, however, was an actual, mostly by the book, debate! Strange, I know, because the political dialog in America has gone so far off the rails in recent years, that it's almost unrecognizable. So how is it possible that those two managed to hold a fairly reasonable debate? I don't really know! I have heard reality tv described as human cockfighting, and if that's true, it's pretty fair to say our "reality tv president" made sure American politics was too. But Pence, while pretty much as big a liar as Trump, does seem to balance the ticket out by being Trump's clean-up man, so he is a bit more crafty with his lying style. And what a good job he does at that. Condescending. Smug. Trumpian ass kisser extraordinaire. All virtues that turns "Mother" (Karen Pence) on, I'm sure, but at the end of the day, I am pretty confident that while, Pence did his very best, most folks watching know exactly what was what. Kamala Harris won the debate, easily, by not lying, and making their platform clear.

The Moderator, Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for, USA Today, lost her patience more than once with V.P. Pence who was, lking over Harris, using more time then was allotted to him, and cutting Harris before she was finished answering questions, she also at times allowed both to engage in that behavior, at times, but to be honest, that behavior has pretty much occurred in most political debates I have viewed in my life. She wasn't the complete pushover Fox New's Chris Wallace was, but she actually didn't do a really good job of moderating either. There are two more scheduled debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and I would like to see the moderator... I don't know... moderate. History will write this chapter too. It's not even a done deal that the next debate will take place, in that Donald Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19, just last weekend. 

So there's that.

 Joe Biden is refusing to attend the next debate, if Trump is still testing positive, and rightly so. Trump has been conducting himself like a miracle has already happened, and he has beaten the disease, despite unhinged tweeting and weird videos to prove there is nothing wrong. Trump is currently at 20,000 lies for his presidency, so believing he is well, is pretty difficult at best. Politicians lie, as do tv reality stars, but he is truly special in his star power as a liar. He has never seemed particularly stable, but since being prescribed the steroids to fight the Covid-19 infec thetion, he seems more unstable than usual, which is saying something. As we move closer to the election I am afraid his mental health will only continue to deteriorate. But his lashing out at all of us, at some point, has been my fear since he took office in January of 2017. But like everything else, it's out of all of our control. And that's a horrible feeling.

So, I guess my take away from the debate is this. I have even more respect for Senator Kamala Harris then I did before. I am very sure of my choice of she and Joe Biden to lead our county, but, in truth, I would have voted for a whoever made it to the top of the ticket. Elizabeth Warren was my first choice. I voted for her in the primary. She didn't win the nomination. Joe Biden did and I am more than okay with that. I know he is ready to lead. I know he won't get us killed. I know he wouldn't have chosen Kamala Harris, if he wasn't sure she was ready to lead as vice president, she is ready, should he ever need to hand powers over to her because he cannot serve. We (America) have maturity, stabiliy, and intelligence ready to lead us out of the darkest time I remember as an American. I wish I could list all the times and reasons why Ive gone to bed, in the last four years, crying or scared to death, despondent, depressed, or suffering from a stress induced headache, because I was afraid to look away.

I don't expect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to solve my problems, they can't, and anyone who believes it's their job too, has NO idea what politics is, or how it works. I don't expect things to change overnight and suddenly there will only be only sunny days, and autumn for the next 12 months. Nothing is perfect, and there is a lot of cleaning up to do, after all the damage of the last four years. I don't even expect to not be wearing a mask a year from now. The Covid-19 pandemic is now going to be around a while, but I do expect to experience a lot less political stress overall. In fact, while my support for Biden and Harris will remain steadfast after they take office, I plan to back away from obsessing on politics. I was always into politics, it was a subject dad and I could talk about it at length, but it's now just one more thing Donald Trump managed to ruin for me. And the ironic thing... he has no idea what it is, or how it is done. He just treats everyone, and every issue, the way he has is whole life, like it only matters if it profits him. 

Forgive the picture I chose, of Mike Pence, for this post. It was such a strange moment when that fly landed on his head during the debate. It's the off beat moments in life that I sometimes remember the clearest. That's admittedly, my immaturity at work. It's just the type of thing that Alan and I, and some on Twitter, would have put on their, Apocalyptic Bingo cards. Unfortunately, I didn't see that coming! Why would a fly be in the debate hall, when the powers that be, were going to such lengths to make sure it was safe and sanitary? They put up not one, but two sheets of plexiglass between Pence and Harris! So how and why was there a fly? And it landed on Pence? It was just one more joke on all of us, by 2020. And to think, it's not done with us yet!

 

Pence Pic is by the funniest Tom Cruise impersonator around. Visit "Not Tom Cruise" on Twitter! @Not_TomCruise

~Carly

October 8th 2020

Stockton, California

Halloween Facts And Trivia

 "Did you know that at one time trick-or-treating was stopped? It's true. During World War II children were not allowed to trick-or-treat because there was a sugar shortage."

~Linda Bozzo

Kooky Halloween Jokes To Tickle Your Funny Bone

Just to be fun I thought I might try something different and do a post about trivia surrounding Halloween. See if you knew these facts.

1. Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years.

It was originally the pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain, which means 'summer's end."

2. Americans spend about 86.27 on Halloween every year.

3.  Illinois produces up to five time more pumpkins than any other state.

4. Fear of Halloween is called, "Samhainophobia".

5. Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy.

6. The movie, Halloween, was made in only 21 days.

7. The first Jack O' Lanterns were actually made from turnips.

8. "Souling" is a medieval Christian precursor to modern day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (Nov 1st) the poor would go door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. 

9. Harry Houdini died October 31st 1926.

10. A child born on Halloween is said to have the ability to take to spirits.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #16

~Carly

October 7th 2020

Stockton, California

 

To All The Skeletons I Have Loved Before

"First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys. Not that all months aren't rare. But one strange year, Halloween came early... don't you ditch me, Jim Nightshade... don't talk of death. Someone might hear... ." 

~Ray Bradbury

Something Wicked This Way Comes

And A Sound Of Thunder

They may not be exercising social distancing, but they do have masks on... at least some of them do. Anyway, they made me smile because it looks like Halloween is pretty much cancelled this year, especially in Berkeley, where I took this photo, and I don't want to miss everything about my favorite holiday. Alameda County was hit really hard by Covid-19, so it doesn't make it practical or healthy to celebrate.

I will miss opening the door to little monsters, and decorating, but it got me thinking about some awesome Halloween decorations I have photographed over the years, and so beginning this week, I want to feature a different symbol of spooky Halloween macabre I seen here and there, and concluding the night before Halloween!

 

First Up... Skeletons!

North Beach, San Francisco, California

 

 

 

 

Carson City, Nevada

Auburn, California

 Stockton, California

 

San Francisco, California

 

 Camino California, Apple Hill, Rainbow Orchards

 Today's Autumn Leaf Of The Day #15

Carly

October 6th 2020

Stockton, California

 

The Pretty Red Hen Of Knight's Ferry

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into winter wools."

~Henry Beston 

My thoughts are scattered. Scattered like a million leaves at the base of a tree in autumn. I'm in October. My favorite beautiful, luscious, tasty month of autumn, and I am feeling uninspired. Some of it is stress. The ballots are being sent out to voters today. I want it to arrive tomorrow, but I know that probably isn't going to happen. It will be at least Wednesday before I see it, which in any other year, would be just fine, but this year it feels like forever.

 Trump pulled one hell of a stunt yesterday, with that little joyride he took around Walter Reed hospital, just so he could hear applause from his cultists. Again, history won't fail to document it, but it's so hard to take. It was dangerous for the agents who had to accompany him. It's embarrassing. It's frightening. It's unnecessary. And who is going to tell him NO? That's the frustrating part.

 Political analysts, pundits, and even folks like myself will complain, but ultimately there is very little going to happen over it. Was he sick or not? How could he have Covid-19 and find the will and energy to do something so incredibly stupid? I guess I will have to leave that up to history too. Vacation begins in four days, will history be able to answer that question by then, who knows? All I know is, nothing at all. But isn't that a pretty little hen? I took that photo in 2017, and never posted it. Whats up with that? The photos of the leaves are also from my archives. I guess some autumns just make more sense than others.

 

Today's Autumn Leaf Of The Day

~Carly

October 5th 2020

Stockton, California

 

A Month Of Sundays Or 30 Days

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

~Albert Camus

 Well, the election is under a month from now. Or exactly 30 days, depending on how you choose to measure it. November 3rd in any case. A month of Sundays. Three weeks into our vacation. A date on the calendar. It feels like time is standing still, and yet here we are on our 13th leaf for this autumn. We got here so quickly. It feels like the next 30 days will be the scariest of my life. History will save it for beach reading one day, if there is a one day. Lord I am tired, and maybe a little tender, but getting lost in the leaves makes me so happy and takes my mind off all the scary stuff. Just think... that pretty little leaf is one of a kind, I will never see another one exactly like it. That has always felt downright magical to me. No autumn day should ever be wasted indoors, lost in despair.

 

~Carly

October 4th 2020

Stockton, California 

Friends With Leaves

 

"Fallen leaves on the ground are the

 golden song of immortal creativity."

~Amit Ray

Bliss Beauty and Truth: Living with Positivity 

Of all the trees I count on to provide me with autumn leaves, that one above just happens to be my favorite. Giving up my almost daily visits to my tree, was one of the most difficult aspects about leaving the Bay Area. I have been visiting that tree, in autumn, for over a decade. Its beautiful, and it was, at one time, my go to for the first day of autumn. I still get down to the Bay Area several times during the autumn season, but it's not like being able to see it's progress daily. Oh well, I have made friends with a beautiful tree on Ben Holt here is Stockton, and I am happy with that tree as well. I am sure if I ever leave Stockton, I will come back to visit my Ben Holt tree and miss it as much as I miss my tree friend in Cull Canyon.

 

~Carly

October 3rd 2020

Stockton, California

The Sun, The Moon, And October Surprises

 

"October had tremendous possibility. The summer's oppressive heat was a distant memory, and the golden leaves promised a world full of beautiful adventures. They made me believe in miracles."

 ~Sarah Guillory

Reclaimed

 

 Last night the October, Full Harvest Moon, was shining in all it's glory, but like last month, the smoke from all the wildfires was painting everything with an orange tint because of all the wildfires. The sun and the moon, both look like pumpkins in the sky. Perfect to user in October. Hopefully, by the time we get to the second full moon for October, which will happen on October 31st, all the smoke will be gone and the wildfires will be a sad distant memory. For a few days last month, we had a few days of blue skies, and reasonable temperatures. By reasonable I mean it was under 100 degrees. In fact, it was a little chilly the other day, and I thought for a fleeting moment that perhaps we had turned to corner of autumn, but I should have known better. It will be at least a month before we get to that delicious point of the season, when I get to take out my comfy sweaters, and put my favorite blanket back on the bed. Its a great feeling to have the kitties curl into me to keep warm and feel safe.

So, besides the moon and the sun being turned into pumpkins, and that there is another full moon to look forward to this month, October arrived with an exclamation mark behind it for other reasons. The phrase "October surprise" was once applied to the Stock Market, something would occur that caused a large move downward in stocks. But it has also been used in the world of politics. This year's political October surprise, shook the world.President Donald Trump, and his wife, Melania, have both tested positive for Covid-19. White House aide, Hope Hicks is also positive, and is unfortunately suffering with symptoms. History will document what comes next. The Stock Market is falling, I dread the thought of what it will look like by tomorrow morning. Trump not taking this seriously, is what got us here. It's on him. Who knows how many folks will ultimately be infected by their careless actions. 

 

I don't have anything more to say, except I hope folks who attend his rallies, will finally understand, Covid-19, is NOT A GAME. Hopefully they will all be able to get tests. I don't wish anyone harm, I just wish MAGA cultists would start taking care of themselves. I encountered a Covid-19 denier in the wild the other day. I was coming out of Kaiser, after having some routine tests done, when I passed a woman and her mother, coming into the hospital. I overheard the mom requesting a mask, and her daughter turned to her and said, "Mom, you don't need one, trust me I am very well informed." I felt so sorry for that little lady. The elderly get hit especially hard by this virus. I wanted to help her, but her daughter gave me a dirty look, and then started to laugh. It seemed like she was laughing at me, for wearing a mask. There was a lot I could have said, but you can't tell folks anything they don't want to hear. It left me angry, sad and very frustrated. I am always going to wonder if that little lady was okay, if she caught it. It hurts my heart to think of it.

So, my post tonight was going to just be about the sun and the moon, and how they look like pumpkins, but instead, we, America, are now in the middle of a serious national security issue, 32 days out from a national election. And everything just got turned upside down. The words "October Surprise" have never been more pointed.

Stay Tuned

 Harvest Moon By Neil Young

~Carly

October 2nd 2020

Stockton, California

 

The Orinda Theater Needs You

 

"No season appeals to the eyes as much as autumn; no season touches the souls as powerfully as autumn and no season invites us to the world of mournful thoughts as intensely as autumn!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

The Orinda theater, in Orinda, has been an October tradition in our house for several years now. I first learned about this lovely theater through, Johnny Funcheap. That's the website where you can find free, or at very low cost, things to purchase, or events you can attend. Festivals, free days at parks and museums, and sometimes theaters, like this one. Every second Thursday's are Free Movie day. The first time we went, we saw Rosemary's Baby. We had an amazing time, seeing this horror classic on the big screen! It was great for people watching too. It seems on this visit, that most of the millennial's in the audience, not only came with their parents, but these kids had never seen the film before, a fact that still puzzles me to this day. How can anyone not know about Rosemary's Baby?

Anyway, before each film the management give a few details about the move, and then they hold a trivia contest, with gourmet cupcakes as the prize. That night there we 12 cupcakes arranged in a box which formed a baby buggy, something like the one on the official movie poster. From that very first night we were hooked. We have seen some really great films there. North By Northwest. Halloween. When Harry Met Sally. Eventually it became the official first outing of our vacations. Last year we suffered quite a disappointment when  PG&E cut their power because of worry over high winds and fire dangers. The film was Back To The Future, another film that I have never seen on a big screen. It was a bummer, but we thought there would always be 2020 to get things back on track.

And we all know how well that turned out, right? Covid-19 came along, and with it, a lot of heartache for everyone. Not all families have lost a loved one to the virus, thank goodness, but a lot of folks have lost their livelihoods. This little theater has suffered greatly. It's been closed since March, and is getting by on donations to their GoFundMe page. What's worse is, Trump is going around acting like he has single handedly saved all of us, while the pandemic rages on.

 The election is a little over 30 days from now, and I am genuinely hoping that he will be thrown out of office, at the very least, but to see him prosecuted for his many crimes would be even better. But its a harsh fact that even if both things happen, neither will safe the theater. I don't know how much longer folks, like the owners of this theater will be able to hang on. Every day that goes it becomes more likely that they won't be there anymore. It's really sad. I really love this place, there just isn't many theaters like this anymore.

If you can help save the Orinda Theater, please consider giving whatever possible to this amazing place. I know they would appreciate it, and so would the community! Just click the link below

Orinda Theater GoFundMe

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #10

~Carly

Stockton, California

October 1st 2020

Art About Town: Castro Valley... Sunburst

"The day was blossoming into a truly lovely example of autumn... the air was crisp, but the sun was warm."

~Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade

Okay, so last night the first debate took place between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. I spoke a little about it in my last post, sigh, as I sit here writing this all I can say is that it could be described with just one word... SHITSHOW. It wasn't just me saying that, in fact Dana Bash of CNN also came to that conclusion and said so on national television. God I miss real politics. Real debate. Real moderators running the show, not the candidates. Passion is one thing, but what Donald Trump does is not passion, it's dirty, filthy bullying. But I am not going to deal with that right now. This post is about art.

 Electrical Box art to be exact.

 These boxes are scattered all through the Bay Area and starting to make their way out here to the Central Valley.This particular box is titled, Sunburst, by artist Bhavna Misra. It's located in Castro Valley, at the corner of Center st and Heyer ave, in front of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church. I love the colors of it, and how upbeat it makes me feel. This type of public art has been a practical and necessary for the communities they are in. Making something so beautiful from the common, if perhaps a little mundane is magic. But that's what art does. It makes you feel. This kind of art has been around for over a decade, and each new one I spot ends up being a delightful surprise! I wish they had been around when I was a kid. I think I would have competed for a chance to paint a box for the community. What an honor it would be to make someone smile, as the are on their way to or from. I am very pleased that this exists in the world. 

 

 Today's Autumn Leaf Of The Day

~Carly

September 30th 2020

Stockton, California

33 Days...

"A moral character is attached to autumnal scenes; the leaves falling like our years, the flowers fading like our hours, the clouds fleeting like our illusions, the light diminishing like our intelligence, the sun growing colder like our affections, the rivers becoming frozen like our lives... all bear secret relations to our destinies."

 

~Francois-Rend de Chateaubriand

Memories d'Outre-Tombe 

Tonight is the first of three debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and I wish I could say I am looking forward to it, but truth is, I am dreading it. I am, or perhaps was, a politics nerd, but unfortunately, I am just too damn tired to put in any real effort into talking about it, with the exception of sudden bursts of venom I manage on Twitter. Take the graphic above as an example. I just made it earlier this evening, and it wasn't easy. I had to make myself do it. Now, I know what you're thinking, "No one made you do it" and of course, that's absolutely true, well mostly anyway. You see, I made me do it. I used to enjoy making my own graphics, especially for political posts, but my nerves, at least what's left of them, are completely frayed. So bad in fact that my patience is practically non-existent. Even with folks I genuinely like and admire. Sigh. 

Maybe it's just that I don't know what to expect. Trump is an asshole. Joe Biden can be an asshole, but usually it takes a fair amount of provoking, to cause him to lose his shit. Tonight has all the potential to be nasty beyond compare. My body hurts just thinking about it, but I guess it's a necessary evil at this point. Most pundits are expecting Trump to pull out a dossier filled with nothing but baseless innuendo regarding Hunter Biden, which would be funny if it wasn't so fucking pathetic. Dirty tricks of the 1950's. Paging Roger Stone! And just think... there will be two more debates after this one, and one with just Pence and Harris! The prospect of that one doesn't bother me quite as much, in that Pence mostly behaves like an adult, if one doesn't mind listening to him perform verbal fellatio on Trump. 

The next 33 days are going to be HELL ON EARTH! I am so grateful that I have my leaves to help me get through it. 

~Carly

September 29th 2020

Stockton, California

 

When Leaves Have To Let Go...

 

 

"When leaves have to let go of the tree,

 they wear their best colors

 and they dance all the way to the ground."

~Karen Kingsbury

Finding Home

Here are my first cemetery photographs for 2020. I have enjoyed visiting the graveyards close to where we live in the Central Valley, but this year, with the situation with the pandemic far from solved, I think it might be time to visit graveyards in Colma, California, and maybe even Golden Gate National Cemetery. I wanted to practice out here first, and kind of find my inspiration in the monuments, like this angel. I find the quiet and history of these places comforting, and I am needing plenty of comforting this year. Life has never felt more fragile. 

I guess in some ways I am beginning to identify with the character of Maude, from the amazing film, Harold and Maude. The older I get, the more I want to not just exist, but to live, especially now that things in the world have become so frightening. Deep down I know everything is going to work itself out, but sometimes in the middle of the night, I swear I can hear the missiles flying over. I wonder what Maude would say about that? I suppose, now that I think about it, she would simply burst into song, or steal a car. LOL. Two actions I am not nearly brave enough to try, but who knows, perhaps I will do just that one day, if I don't give up.

 Anyway, there are two historical persons, buried in the Bay Area that I have been meaning to pay my respects to. Wyatt Earp, in Colma, and the Black Dahlia, who rests in the Oakland hills. It's also time that I revisit the crosses on the hill in Lafayette. They were placed on the hillside as a tribute to the fallen American service members of the Afghanistan Iraq wars. It's been such a long time since I dropped by to pay my respects and do some updated photography. When that tribute was erected it was so controversial. The owners of the property wanted to share with the commuters along the HWY 24 corridor, what the human toll of those wars looked like in symbol. 

 Pretty soon a false narrative was established by Republican "patriots" who felt that the monument was somehow disrespectful. It wasn't disrespectful in my opinion, because like with most art, it was installed to provoke and make the viewer consider the full emotion of losing a loved one, or sometimes a full community, to war. All these years later, it's rarely, if ever mentioned. Isn't that always the way? Controversies stop being controversies when folks stop caring. It takes a lot of energy to be outraged. I am so grateful to our military, for the sacrifices they make for us every day, and they deserve so much more than to be forgotten. Hopefully, me and my camera can help that effort in some small way.

And Now Today's Leaf Of The Day

~Carly

Stockton, California

September 28th 2020

 

 

The First Autumn Leaf Collection Of 2020

"Autumn.

A season. A girl. A memory.

Autumn,

Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Her smile was infectious.

Her laugh was a cure.

Autumn.

She broke me." 

~Akiah Watts

~Carly

September 27th 2020

Stockton, California