Happy Independence Day?

 

“Independence day is a reminder for all of us to stop taking our Independence for-granted”

 

~  Anamika Mishra 

 

This might the last Independence Day we see for a while... or ever! 

Organize, Pray,Vote!

 

With Fear For Our Democracy, I Dissent...

  

"With fear for our democracy, I dissent."

 

~Justice Sotomayor 

This final paragraph of Judge Sotomayor's decision, pretty much seals it. On this day, July 1st, 2024, we have, in affect, a King, not a President. Today, we lost America. I will never forgive the justices who allowed Trump to ruin us. He couldn't have done it without them! Today Jack Smith has not only been knee capped, his legs are broken and his gut punched.

In The Words Of Justice Sotomayor...

"The majority’s single-minded fixation on the President’s need for boldness and dispatch ignores the countervailing need for accountability and restraint. The Framers were not so single-minded. In the Federalist Papers, after “endeavor[ing] to show” that the Executive designed by the Constitution “combines . . . all the requisites to energy,” Alexander Hamilton asked a separate, equally important question: “Does it also combine the requisites to safety, in a republican sense, a due dependence on the people, a due responsibility?” The Federalist No. 77, p. 507 (J. Harvard Library ed. 2009). The answer then was yes, based in part upon the President’s vulnerability to “prosecution in the common course of law.” Ibid. The answer after today is no. Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law. Moving forward, however, all former Presidents will be cloaked in such immunity. If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop. With fear for our democracy, I dissent."

 

From Judge Sotomayor's Dissent

( Page 30)

 

Pray

 

 

To The Bat Bridge, Robin

 

 

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."

 

~Batman 

1960's TV Show

 

So, the Mexican Free-tailed bat is finally back! I think of them as a summertime adventure, but technically they are definitely a springtime visitor as well. We came across them, for the first time, late last summer. It was all quite by accident, which is the best way to experience any adventure for the first time, and it was delightful but unfortunately they were only a few weeks from returning on their migratory path. I only got to see them a handful of times. It was disappointing, but I resolved to be ready for their return. So, I spent my free time this past year, learning about them and prepping for their return. Things like what to look for, listen for, and oh, hey, what's that smell? If don't hear anything in particular, but you know for sure that bats are located in a certain area, the smell of ammonia is a big clue that they are nearby. Most folks probably wouldn't like the smell, but to be honest, I love it! It's certainly distinctive. It's a little like bat pee mixed with bat sweat. That sounds terrible, I know, but to me all it means is, Honey, I'm home.

 

98% of my experience with the bats is amazing. I get to learn about lighting with my camera. I get to learn facts about bats that I never knew before, for instance did you know they are amazing pollinators? They are as beneficial as the honeybees are. The sunsets I get to see are truly awesome, and the people you meet who share that passion with you have always been really fun to talk to. No politics. No suspicious heaviness in the air, just a couple people enjoying a part of nature that is, by erroneous popular belief, misunderstood. All in all it's very rewarding, except for the fact that I am ultra allergic to one of my bat friends favorite meals, mosquitos. I am sitting here right now with my feet swollen twice their normal size, large welts, and deep painful red "burn" rash from the bites. I left home without spraying my clothes with deet, or putting my boots on. What a mistake. Had I learned nothing from the summer of 2023?

 

I am going to let my feet heal, then I am going back to the bridge, probably sometime later this week, or early next week. I love my bats, and no one is going to keep me from studying them. They clean up the mosquitos and other pests, and pollinate beautiful night flowering plants, HELL, I wish I could own a bat of my very own! Or a colony of bats, yes, I would definitely own a whole colony of them if I could!

 

 

 

Just Watch, Nothing Else Needs To Be Said

 

"If you think gas prices are high now, 

just wait until you are forced to drive an electric vehicle."

 

~Marjorie Taylor Greene

June 9th 2024

At A Trump Rally

 

 

A Week And A Day Later...

 

Honesty, I have been including a quote with my posts since my first day of Ellipsis, beginning when it was on AOL Journals, but anymore I am finding that including a quote is really unnecessary, because, well, life has just been quoting itself. A week and a day after the verdict in his hush money trial, a conviction on on all 34 counts, this is here we are.

 

 Bwahahahahahahahahaha!

 

This never needed a quote either.

 

And was seriously unfunny.

 

Count One... County Two... Count Three...GUILTY

 

New York Minutes

 

 May 28th 2024

Outside the courthouse in Manhattan

(Trump trial)

 

 

"He doesn't belong to my city."

~Robert De Niro

I'm tired. But it's almost over. Tomorrow it will handed over to the jury, following the instructions. Did I mention I am tired? Well, I am, so I am pretty much going to make this post all about the pictures from today, beginning with the surprise appearance of Robert De Niro, along with former capitol police officer Harry Dunn, and former police officer Michael Fanone. Honestly, I couldn't love De Niro more for showing up! Unfortunatley it did devolve into Trump surrogates bashing him. De Niro can take it, and he spoke the truth, and that felt good to watch! Truth made an appearance.

 

Anyway... here is what today was like... in pictures.

 

 "Donald Trump doesn’t belong in my city. We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot. A two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids. He’s a clown. But this person can’t run the country. That does not work, and we all know that."

 

~Robert DeNiro

May 28th 2024

 

 

His lunch.

 

 

Bread Machines And The End Of The World

 

 

 

And then...

 

 

Hey, truth be told, some days with Cheeto Jesus can be a not stop laugh fest! But that's the ultimate cruelty, isn't it? When he was president, one minute you, and by you I mean me, would be laughing my ass off at something incredibly stupid he would say or do, the next I would find myself under my desk hoping the nuclear bomb wouldn't hit me directly. Good lord the week ahead is going to be stressful, but I have a plan to combat that. I have brought out the big guns, my bread machine! That appliance saw me threw some deep stress, and I know it will again this week. I am making Butter rolls tonight, and I have some great ideas for tomorrow and the rest of the week. Treats to make me feel safe and a little more in touch with reality. Because I can't see where we will all be in a week. Will we be safe in our homes, or will we be fighting WWIII?

 

These are such sad and frightening times.

What About Next Time?

 

"The vast majority of Americans the risk is very, very low."

 ~Donald Trump

 

Oval office to the nation,

 restricting travel to most of Europe,

 while creating confusion about trade.

March 20th 2020

 

If elected, Donald Trump wants to again close the office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. We know what happened the last time this occurred. Covid-19 devastated us, in very short order, and it seems he learned nothing, even after contracting it. At the time, October of 2020, when didn't have the vaccine yet, but we did at least have some general guidelines for keeping ourselves safer. Social distancing, having a single household member doing the shopping for the family, the use of masks, and working from home, and washing your hands more often.You know, common sense stuff! Everyone was at risk when he made that speech, and he knew it! So what will he do with the Avian Flu?

 

While its rare for that particular flu to spread to humans, it has the ability to do just that, and in fact it has. What will happen next? We don't know! Covid statistics show that we have gotten it under control but do we really? Does it have the potential to spin into another rampage version of itself... one we aren't prepared for because of negligence? Will the next pandemic come at us from out of the blue? How will we know? It's not like he tells the truth! And it's not like the world is seeing any great urgency, because why offend folks who are scared of wearing masks.

"Bottom line, it's going to get worse."

~Dr. Anthony Fauci

 March 20th 2020

 

 

(Via New York Times)

Countries Fail To Agree On Treaty

 To Prepare The World For The Next Pandemic

(Yahoo Finance)

It's not a matter of "if" but "when" a pandemic will begin.

Please do your reading. Do you know what birds are affected by the Avian flu? Most folks are forgetting about what happened with Trump's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. I haven't. I have Long-Covid. I can't forget, even if I wanted to. Please read the links in this post, and think a little deeper about your vote in November! Please read these quotes in their entirety. They are from just the first few months of the pandemic. Long before he suggested drinking bleach and inserting light as cures for the disease.

Update:

This link is an important read also. Just like a with the Coronavirus, misinformation is dangerous, and Trump did nothing to stop it. Watch, and asses who Trump surround himself with. Pay attention.

Grifters Gonna...

 

"For the love of money

People will steal from their mother

For the love of money

People will rob their own brother"

 

~The O'Jays

For The Love Of Money

 

 

A meal card. With Trump's mugshot puss on it. For $100 dollars. And the only thing that makes this stupid shit different than the black card he issued in 2016 is the fact that it is now made in metal, and it it costs a lot more than the 2016 price of $35 dollars! It's still pretty much useless to the purchaser, but in that Trump now has about a bijillion dollars in legal fees, all proceeds will more than likely go to his legal defense. 

 

Read the article... do you know anyone who ordered the Trump card back in 2016 and had it actually arrive? 

 

My exclusive Trump "black card" never arrived 

By Rick Newman

Monday, November 7th, 2016

Yahoo News

 

 

No Quote Necessary

 

 

 READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE SIGNING THE CONTRACT!

 

 His cosplay Blue Suits showed up again on Monday. There is no more time to laugh, or pretend it's just Trump being Trump. He isn't wacky or eccentric, he's insane and he has told everyone his truth, he wants to be a dictator on day one! He wants to rule the world in the style of Hitler. He hasn't been hiding it!

 

 Please, for God's sake, listen to me, not him. 

 

HE. IS. DANGEROUS!

Once he takes office... he will never, ever leave!

 

 

The Week In Stupid...

 

He was served by U.S. Marshals at his 80th birthday party in Florida.

 

From the Indictment...

 

"This scheme would have deprived Arizona voters

 of their right to vote and have their votes counted." 

 

 If you're going to be arrested. If you are being told that you are going to be prosecuted for trying to steal an election by not one state, but two, arrogance is not a good idea! The defendants in the Arizona case, including Giuliani, will be arraigned on May 21st. Will he show up?

 

Time will tell! But really, it would be stupid to not show up!

 

 Shamalot...

 

And then there's this. Trump's posse showing up dressed like Trump! It was some sad, stupid, cosplay. Or was it a nod to Hitler's Brown Shirts? Personally I think it was closer to his sycophants wanting attention from their dear leader. It was another case of the far-right kissing his ass, in a sick contest for being picked as Trump's vice president. How embarrassing for them!

 

 We live in stupid times. 

 

Diddly Squat

 

 

 

  “Alcoholism, as a disease that ravages the mind and body, often

 becomes intertwined with domestic violence,

 heightening its destructive impact.” 

~Rove Monteux

  What is Wrong with Society Today

 

I grew up in a house with physical and psychological abuse. Both parents did as much as possible to hurt the other. Throwing things, slamming doors, and scream fights so loud that often times neighbors called the police. Mom threatened suicide, and carried out mock attempts, and dad had affairs. But it wasn't all bad, he also provided for us. We had what we needed, and he rarely complained about working, at times overtime. Mom gave me warmest hugs ever, and taught me about animals. It was just all complicated. I am not sure when thins feel apart for my parents, but it existed throughout their marriage. It was sad.

 

Here, it is pretty apparent. P. Diddy is an abuser. He admits to his alcoholism. He responded to this video with a mea culpa of sorts that mostly blames his problems. I am not sure if he has quite arrived at a place of healing from his demons, and if he hasn't, he will remain a dangerous person to be around. Any woman that is in his life right now, should double think her choices. Especially in that he is also accused of other horrific crimes. He had every chance my family didn't both financially as well as access to mental health professionals. I am not sure why all this is upsetting me the way it does, I was never a fan, but I guess I just wonder why having a life of talent, of having the world in the palm of your hand, rarely leads to happiness. 

 

It's a mystery to me. 

 

 

"...bleach blonde, bad built, butch body...".

 

 

 

Chick Fight!

 

No matter what your politics are, body shaming, in any way, is just wrong! But defending oneself from the attack is not only acceptable, but so is lodging an ethics complaint, and its a thing forever. MTG started the fight with a remark about Jasmine Crocket's physical appearance, and that should be recognized as an ethics violation! 

 

End of discussion.

 

 Sigh.

 

 

 

American Goldfinch

 

 “In winter, you fed the birds; and in summer, do the same thing! In winter, you gave them bread; and in summer, give them water!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

(Female American Goldfinch)

I saw some happy little American Goldfinch playing in a puddle the other day, and to tell you the truth, it's all I wanted to do for the remainder of that particular day. They were lovely. The male never left the female's side. He never strayed more then a foot or so away from her. And she spent most of her time, bathing in the cool water, and fluffing herself up. She was gorgeous, and clearly she was about to go out on the town with her love... Mr. Goldfinch. Imagine that, love is all around.

 

Aurora Borealis Whatnow?

 

Daylily from my garden.

 

“Then that's what the Northern Lights are.

 All the lives that we're not living.” 

~Adi Alsaid

  Let's Get Lost

 

 

Not The Aurora Borealis, But What A Gorgeous Moon!

 

Okay, so, the Aurora Borealis decided to take a vacation by visiting the whole world, but somehow it decided to avoid Stockton. It was also missing in Galt and Lodi. I looked for it, and didn't see it at all, well, maybe a little but it certainly wasn't the awesome vibrant event I hoped to see and I am just guessing and hoping that that is what I saw. The place to be, to truly be treated to a show, was the Bay Area, San Francisco in particular. You can see the beautiful gallery by clicking the link below.

 

So, I felt a little sad about it, but not for very long. The Aurora Borealis could come back for a visit. Sigh. I think it's probably more likely we will have an attention getting earthquake or possibly a sighting of a rare bird, before this opportunity comes back around. POUT! The thing about being my age that truly sucks is that feeling of do it now, because they days are going by fast. Ride the scary roller-coaster, take the helicopter tour, go out and search for rare celestial events! Take the whale tour, because...

 

TICK-TOCK!

 

 ABC 7 Bay Area Aurora Borealis 

 

 

The People Call Stormy Daniels... Day 2

 

 

"He made me sit and watch an entire documentary

 about shark attacks."

 

 ~Stormy Daniels

 — 60 Minutes

 

( On what she and Trump did after sex with her. )

Judge Merchan
May 9th 2024

Gross, but still a necessary part of the story. I am relieved her testimony is over, and I am sure she is too! The media's talking heads seemed to think she did much better today, then she did a couple days ago. It was obvious that he was nervous to be in the same room with the man, for the first time since the news of their sexual encounter broke, and under these circumstances to add to the fun. She was treated badly by the defense attorneys. There was a strong implication that Stormy brought everything on herself. That because she was a porn actress, she should have known Trump would try to make a move.It was sick. I think she did her best on both days. She showed up. She told the truth under oath, and she made a clear point when she told one of Trump's lawyers, basically, if I were lying, I would have told a better story. That was paraphrased by me, of course.

 

Via MSNBC 

 

 Anyway, I don't consider Stormy a hero, nor a villain. I think she is a lady who got caught up in Trump's notoriously icky behavior. Trump cheated on his first two wives, so it's not a stretch to believe he would cheat on Melania as well. And if he cheated, and didn't want it to come out before the 2016 election, well, again it's not a stretch to believe he paid her, and Karen McDougal off! He has led a life of, throw money at it, and move on. The NDA has been his friend. So, now that the her testimony is over, it's time to move onto other witnesses, big and small. Soon Michael Cohen will be on the stand, and that might just be a bigger storm that Stormy Daniels was.

"I won't give up because I am telling the truth

And I kind of don't even know if it matters anymore."

 

~Stormy Daniels

When asked if she had a message for Donald Trump.

 

The United States Of America Owes Hillary Clinton An Election!

 

On to tomorrow...

 

An Asshole And His Money And The Met Gala

 

 

“For many years I’ve said that if someone screws you, screw them back,” she read from a book by Mr. Trump. It continued: “When somebody hurts you, just go after them as viciously and as violently as you can. Like it says in the Bible, an eye for an eye.”

 

~ Donald Trump

 

New York Times Continuing Coverage

 

His books don't teach you how to make money. They teach you how to screw people. Name one person who has became a millionaire, or billionaire, based on the advice he gives in any of his books! In fact, some folks, in multiple states lost a great deal of money, after they attend the courses offered in Trump's fake, Trump University. A "university" that was deemed a fraud in federal court. He was ordered to pay his victims $25 million dollar settlement. 

Stormy Daniels took the stand today. I can't bring myself to speak in words other than... FUCK YOU, DONALD TRUMP! His is a liar,  a hypocrite, and many other things, just ask E. Jean Carroll. He slept with Stormy, and paid her off just before the election to Hillary Clinton. He slept with Karen McDougal, and paid her off. I will never forgive him for his cruelty during that election season. He couldn't run on policy, or the vision he had for making America it's best self, he ran on cruelty, a condition his magats adopted as their guide to getting what they want, with NO regard for anyone else's right, or vision. So far all they got for their support of Trump, was a jail cell after January 6th. But all this time later he is right back up in the polls, and he has a really good chance at being elected and, of course, the cruelty continues.

You know what? Fuck it! 

Lets talk about the Met Gala.

 

Demi Moore in Balenciaga.

Perfection. 

That's right I did it, I went to my happy place.

 

Today? Today?

 

“When in doubt, steer clear.”

 

~Judge Juan Merchan 

Referencing Trump's activity on social media.

Will today be the day he blows it, and finds himself at Rikers?

Today? Today? Did he break it thoroughly enough this time?

 

 He was a bit in a snit over the testimony of Hope Hicks.

Today?