After joining and working with a new organization called Staten Island Action Coalition I have been involved in street protests, highway visibility events and working with like-minded women and men [not many men if I am honest about this] to change the course of events in this country. It is daunting to say the least. You basically understand you are working with a small group compared to our population to make greatly needed changes in our country. We live in a Trump era where disenchanted people either have to do something or need to step back. I am one who feels it is necessary to do something–march, scream, organize, encourage and basically let it be known that I will not accept the status quo.
After working for a few months I felt it necessary to step away for a bit. I flew away and went to Italy for about two weeks. I am writing this on a flight home after about 15 days in Italy.
I usually travel alone or with a group of women friends but I convinced my husband that he should return with me to Italy. There was a Caravaggio exhibit in Rome and I knew he could not say no to that. There is an entirely different story in me about traveling with your husband after you have been traveling alone, but that is for another time.
We spent 6 days in Rome visiting every museum we could and just eating good food and drinking martinis or good wine. This works for getting your mind away from heavy thoughts. Being political at this time is bearing the responsibility of heavy thoughts. It is impossible to forget those thoughts, but being away makes it possible to analyze them in a fashion that helps understand the awesome responsibility you hold and the consequence of no action.
After a week we left Rome and went to a spa in Tuscany. Adler Thermal spa is in a town called Bagno Vignoni where there are volcanic thermal pools that are advertised to heal both body and spirit. There are a few saunas built into the mountainside that are infused with eucalyptus or a variety of other herbs that burn over the coals. You sit naked [bathing suits or wrap around towels not allowed] and look over the hills of Tuscany. It is a magnificent feeling. The volcanic pools are dress events and you wear your bathing suit–it is not a nudity camp. There is also a spa which includes all sorts of massages, facials and bodily treatments meant to heal and revive.
One day while sitting on a lounge chair in the Tuscan sun, I thought about never coming back and doing this [define “this” as nothing] for the rest of my time–after all, I am 77 years old and every once in a while you think about not being here at all.
As I watched the clouds move slowly across the sky and sat perfectly still in the lounge chair, I realized this could be everything. Sitting and watching everything around you with a passionate love of all that is nature is something you can embrace–possibly forever. I thought about this for quite a while and the idea of never returning to the US became enticing [more so when you are in a spa in Tuscany].
But really I could think clearly in this place. I thought about the history of Europe, what made it what it is today, what were the effects of two World Wars that engulfed every part of the continent where death and destruction reigned. And I thought of America’s part in those wars–why did we participate, why did we think it was OK to sacrifice lives of young men and women for a far away place. As I did a mental dive into the reasons we joined those wars, I came to the conclusion that I would have to go back to the US if even to assure that we would risk young lives again possibly.
A lot of my friends care deeply about what is going on in the US; but a lot of my friends don’t march. I use the word “march” in the activist sense; it means many things. It means doing the work: some of it simple, contacting your representatives, signing a petition, making a phone call or writing postcards. Some of it harder: organizing people to march, creating events that catch the attention of a few or many, trying to get the media to cover your event, making signs, writing content, being loud, being truthful, being consistent to your beliefs, doing fact checking and being able to convince disbelievers that what you do is righteous. My husband sometimes says to me “don’t be so self-righteous.” I try not to be but I do mean to be righteous. For fighting for democracy is a righteous cause.
I will arrive back in Staten Island after this short but informative respite knowing that I must do this. I must spend time in the streets with women who are as righteous as me and smart and conscious that someone must do this. If there is anything I know, it is that we must do this now and I am also confident we will succeed. America will not lose its democracy to a narcissist bully–at least, not on my watch.
After Trump’s victory in the 2024 election I tuned out. It was too much, way too much. But this morning I realized that you miss a lot by tuning out. First, who knew of Trump’s plan to make Canada the United States’ 51st state. Obviously not Justin Trudeau who said it will be “a snowball’s chance in hell” before Canada becomes part of the US. I certainly hope the Prime Minister is correct, but if you have been paying attention you have seen many elite institutions and rich powerful men bow down to this grifter. This is out of fear of economic reprisal for their company or just being on the wrong side of Trump. Disney paid Trump $16 million for a statement made by George Stephanopoulos on his news program. It was not Stephanopoulos’ idea; he was repeating a quote from the judge in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case. The federal judge on the defamation case went to great lengths to explain why Trump was convicted of the rape of E. Jean Carroll. Disney would not have lost the case in court, but bowed down to the grifter and paid a very large sum.
Trump finally realized that being President of the US makes you the most powerful person in the world. [That should scare the bejesus out of you.] He didn’t understand that when he was 45 but as 47 he definitely understands. He believes he can do anything if he sees a benefit to him, and secondary to the United States. No matter the cost to others. I am sure the largest oil resources on the planet in Canada are attractive to him; probably as well as screwing all the people that moved to Canada because he won.
I still have a hard time believing that 77+ million people voted for this man. Most of those people will not be helped by his presidency. His campaign promises, even if met, do not help his voters.
Then to my surprise, Trump was talking about taking back the Panama Canal. It was gifted to the Panamanians by President Carter and they took over possession and operations in 1999. Trump believes that the US is owed the Panama Canal. He has stated unequivocally his territorial and expansionist aspirations. Greenland is the other country Trump thinks should be part of the US. The problem with these aspirations is Trump’s belief that he can use military force to make these expansions happen. This is why Trump has no problem with Russia invading Ukraine: his belief is if you are bigger and more powerful, you can do these things. It is the same way he feels about touching women’s genitalia evident in his statement: “And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab ’em by the pussy.”
All these actions and acquisitions might have an upside to our defense or economy but those countries are self-governing and independent and it is their existential right to stay that way.
So in a day or so I caught up on the news. It is still too much but is probably necessary to understand what might go on in the next 4 years. These particular statements by Trump struck me as his new agenda. He has mentioned all of the above before, but now he means it.
Maybe I’ll watch again next week. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get into Greenland without a passport.
After years of searching for an apartment which met our requirements, we just moved to the neighborhood of St. George, on the north shore of Staten Island. That is the side of the Island where a lot of Democrats live and our representatives at the state and city level are all Democrats, with the exception of our congressional representative since that person is elected by the entire Island which is not a very blue community. I only mention this because since Trump was elected the first time, I have felt uncomfortable with the area I lived. The first sign came when I had to leave my parish after 44 years because the new pastor starting speaking like Trump. Also while soliciting donations from the surrounding neighborhoods to help the newly-arrived migrants I was harassed by some who got my flyer in their mailbox.
My neighbors were fine and good people and I in no way include them in this description of harassers but every time I met someone new and ran into someone in church, I thought to myself, this person might have voted for Trump. Voting for him, a second time, is inconceivable to me. The man has proven himself to be a liar, a fraudster, an abuser of women and a felon.
But this story is about moving and the challenges encountered in this adventure.
Our apartment is in this building at 5 Stuyvesant Place on the 7th Floor. It has floor to ceiling windows in every room and we overlook Manhattan. This picture was taken with my back toward the water. I can view the whole of Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and New Jersey. I can see the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges as well as the Statue of Liberty.
We are a 5-minute walk to the NYC Fast Ferry and 7 minute walk to the Staten Island Ferry. We searched Manhattan for years: the upper West Side, the upper East Side, Battery Park City, the Financial District, Tribeca and the East and West Village. Well it turns out that in all that time, we didn’t find a place that checked all the boxes, and yes, we did have a lot of boxes.
We lived in our house since 1980 so about 44 years. I never thought I was a hoarder and I still don’t believe I am, but in 44 years you can collect a lot of stuff. If you’re my husband you have shopped daily for a number of years and catch sales of meats, canned goods and, lest I forget, toilet paper. We have a lot of toilet paper and no place to store it.
We moved into our new place before we sold our house so we didn’t have to move everything all at once. So now after one month living in our apartment we still have some things at the house. We are still traveling back to the house to pick up a roast or some chicken cutlets: all the items that still remain in my very large freezer. For those who read my stories, you know that my freezer could fit about 6 men standing up. It is very large and luckily we didn’t have to take it with us. We only need to empty it which is turning out to be a challenge. We will probably close on our house at the end of January so we will have to move everything by that time.
The advantage to this scenario is you can unpack boxes and bags a bit at a time. We sold most of our furniture so other than some bookcases my grandfather built and two comfortable chairs, we supported our economy by purchasing new furniture. I warn you it is not so easy to buy furniture anymore. If you choose to buy online, you will need to put it together when it comes. I have learned that there are apps where you can hire someone to do just about everything: even put things together. And who knew that pedestal tables are not good for people with big feet: I did not.
New modern apartments have few closets from the ones that I have viewed in the 10 years searching. I have learned they usually have a huge walk-in closet in the bedroom and maybe one or another depending how big your apartment is. We are in a two bedroom/two bathroom apartment with one large living space that accommodates living/dining and kitchen. I was always turned off by boxy rooms–and as you can see from the photos, I have few straight walls.
At this point most of everything is stored away and most of our furniture has been delivered, and yes, assembled. So I believe we are making progress. Big progress was made when I ran back to the house to get some Christmas decorations and lights. You know I had to hang lights in those big windows.
When we found the apartment and signed the lease for November 1st, we knew we couldn’t move on that date. I was leaving on a transatlantic cruise to Barcelona and wasn’t planning on coming home until mid November. As everything in life, plans changed and I arrived back home on Election Day, something I was trying to avoid at all costs. It was one of the reason I had planned the travel. I left on October 21 and returned on November 5th.
We put the house on the market in mid November and hoped it would sell quickly. As all real estate professionals, ours wanted us to keep the house neat and organized for viewing. They also like you to be out of the house when an appointment to view is made. This process occurs while you are packing boxes and trashing half your life in photos. I would pack some boxes on Monday and drive them over to the Salvation Army on Tuesday to eliminate any boxes in the house for viewings. This went on for one week. I finally decided that moving quickly is easier than slowly. Mike and I set a date–we would move on November 21. We hired the movers, and then for the next 10 days, packed and made decisions about what would fit in the apartment. It was like pulling off a bandaid quickly or so I thought. Pieces of the bandaid still remain at my old house. We still pick up items a few times a week.
To be honest, at this date there are only a few pieces of art, some rare books and some Ball jars left–and of course, some more packages of toilet paper. The books will be gone on January 5; the art is still up in the air, but I will take those Ball jars to the new place.
I was careful to make sure that some spaces in our new home would be similar to our old home. After all we are pretty set in our ways after 44 years in the house. We purchased a 94″ desk for Mike and I to share. In our old place we had a very large desk on our porch with a smaller desk next to it. Mike and I worked there in front of the windows and I knew we needed a similar arrangement. Our two small recliner chairs was the other constant between places. This decision was a good one, it gave us both some stability. I have learned that when you age, you need stability. It keeps you balanced and comfortable.
Another item I found important is you need a “junk” draw because no matter what, you will move junk. Junk you might never use, but most have. But other junk is used consistently but it is hard to sort out comfortable junk from junk you actually use. I have always been comforted by having a seam ripper in a close-by draw–I probably used it 44 times in 44 years, so I probably really didn’t need to move it. Alright this is a minor item but there are larger items that fit the same scenario: you have to have it, but you probably won’t use it. I am a quick learner so I will never make that mistake again.
Another lesson: you must know your limits. You should not pack boxes that you cannot move. Even if you have moving people, you will need to move those boxes at one point. And by the way, boxes are expensive. Staples was charging $12.00 for one box called the bankers box. I learned soon that it was probably worth the $12. It has handles and a cover–no tape required. I bought a variety of boxes and learned quickly that I did not want to deal with large boxes.
I did find that large soft bags were perfect for moving items that your mover was not moving because you hadn’t packed it yet. Imagine a slow cooker fits perfectly in one of these bags. These sturdy bags are worth their weight in gold, easy to pack, easy to carry. One was a reject RR Donnelley bag, if you notice the supplier left off the “y” and the other was a gift from a Morgan Stanley event I attended. I will never throw these away.
Meredith and Nelson moved from Seattle in July. They packed everything in a pod and shipped it across the country and then they drove here. At that time we did not know we were moving. For some reason Nelson saved bubble wrap and tissue paper from their move. I am unsure why, but will be forever grateful. You need a lot of bubble wrap and the rolls they sell would never be enough. I carry it in these bags back and forth, back and forth. They also lent me a dolly–also a God-sent item.
Since we officially moved with the movers on November 21, we drive to the old house, pack these soft bags and a box or two and bring them to the apartment. I unpack and find a spot for everything we move on the same day. It was a promise I made to myself: unpack daily. We have a spot in a garage under the building and an elevator from there to our place. I am sure my neighbors who have seen our routine of moving everything from the car to the elevator and then taking it up and moving out of the elevator and then to our front door think we are crazy. I do not believe that there are many people in this building who have spent 44 years in once place.
Christmas has come and gone, as well as New Year’s Day, but I continue to have a few items at the old place. Fortunately my closing will take place shortly and I will be forced to have everything out.
We have cooked and had company for dinner. It was difficult for me to find my place in the kitchen but Mike found his place sooner. We did eat frozen Smart Weight Watcher meals for a while. I had a Wolf stove that I loved but this is an all electric apartment [as it should be]. I burned pancakes the first time I made them and became shy about cooking. Mike quickly adjusted to the in house washer/dryer [thank goodness for little things or big ones I guess]. We both had challenges with the refrigerator, or really the freezer. It makes ice–lots of ice–and continues to make more ice. We could not figure out how to stop the ice making. We like ice, we drink, but we had more ice than we could possibly use. After a week, we succeeded on the ice making front. This is a new building and no one has ever lived in this apartment. [It was one of my check boxes: new not old.] So no one living here actually knows anything about the appliances. I have now downloaded manuals for washer/dryer, refrigerator and stove and saved for reference and I will gladly give advice to others if needed.
I found that a canned goods and clothing could be co-inhabitors of the same space and that walk in closets are actually enormous. I have never lived in a new house, let alone had a closet you could walk into.
I am sure you noticed the toilet paper on the top shelf. That is only a portion of it.
We had 20 pounds of pasta and at least 10 cans of tomatoes. This is what you do in a house–not so in an apartment. I am OK with this co-existence of clothes meeting canned goods
The one bit of advice I would give about moving: you need to take things you love. Never leave them. You will always find a spot for some knick knack that you have loved for many years. My elephants are to that point. Having so many windows that are floor to ceiling, I didn’t know where I could put plants, knick knacks, the dried bullrushes I have so loved from my garden, the ball jars that have solar lights and reflect the sea glass that a good friend collected and passed on to me–and many others. But I found the large sills on the bottom of the window do fine for these items.
During this move I have needed a chiropractor and an acupuncturist. I am still going to the chiropractor and will always go to my acupuncturist. She is a gem.
Besides physical care because moving is hard and we made the boxes too heavy, you need a good mental outlook. Everyone said I might really miss my house. After all it took me 10 years to find a place. I was a gardener of flowers and veggies, I had an in-ground pool which I loved and an old house that sheltered us in good times and bad. Meredith was 3 when we moved there and I remember thinking I would need a staircase gate. We were coming from a house with no stairs to a house with many stairs and her bedroom was top of the stairs.
We entertained so many people and have wonderful memories from there and we will have wonderful memories here–I am sure of that.
I don’t miss my house. Change, for me, has always been a good thing. This is a big change so it is with big love that I will entertain in this place I now call home.
I am in the air flying home from Barcelona on Tuesday, November 5, Election Day. I was supposed to be in Europe for two additional weeks but a friend was not well and I flew home with her. Friendship is more important than anything else. And so I write this.
As I think about friendship, I realize how important my friends have been in my life. Always and steadfast. I have friends from grammar school and before that actually. My friend Regina and I have been friends since we were both one year olds. Sure we lost touch for a while but have reached out and grabbed the moment to refresh our friendship. And then of course my sister who was excited sitting in the hospital waiting room where I was born. She was slightly under 3 years old. She was really waiting for me to come to life. I am grateful.
But today is different. I might lose a friend or two. I clearly understand differences and that people have them. I have no problem with that—I believe it makes for a better world to live in.
But today is different—today might be a truly terrible day.
It is Election Day in the United States. There are two candidates: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. We know what havoc Trump can cause and we have also learned a lot about Kamala in the last few weeks. She seems decent and has policies. There is nothing comparable between these two choices. One is an evil man who has lied to Americans since he came on the scene in 2016. And the other is a woman who has served the last 4 years as Vice President. She held many elected offices and seems reasonable. Trump, on the other hand when he was President appointed 3 judges to the SCOTUS bench: justices that were confirmed by the Federalist Society to be pro-life. That action caused the overturn of Roe vs Wade and is known as the Dobbs decision—it grants states the right to make their own restrictions on health care for women. This one change has caused women to lose their lives. Literally lose their lives. Many states have restricted health care for women. They die while they wait for care in so many hospitals in Texas, Georgia, Idaho just to name a few.. These women have to actually bleed out before the doctors care for them. Doctors who do care for women in distress from pregnancy can go to jail or lose their license in some states. If a woman has an ectopic pregnancy which are never viable, must carry this tubal baby, who cannot survive to term or die before of a complication. They die in waiting rooms, in hospital rooms, in cars in the parking lot of the emergency rooms or at home. One man who was president for four years has caused the loss of our healthcare. He believes the states should decide what rights women have. That’s right, if you are a woman living in a conservative state, you might actually die if you become pregnant. I am unsure why in the United States of America, some women have more rights than others, for now. There are so many complications in health care of pregnancies and now some states refuse to treat women at all until they are nearly dead. The doctors literally have to wait until the last breath of the woman to help her. Sometimes she will lose the ability to have children or suffer irreparable harm to her organs or a million other situations that can go awry.
I am writing this because when I boarded the plane today I said something to a woman about Kamala winning. She turned on me and said she should not win. I said, oh no, she has to win. The woman nicely informed me that she liked Trump’s policies. I immediately retorted that Trump was an evil man and that I know that for a fact. I know it because he has been convicted of many felonies in addition to sexually assaulting a few women. This is one of the reasons I left the country: I could not deal with anyone telling me they liked his policies. HE HAS NO FUCKING POLICIES.
Was it a policy to lie to the America people during the worst pandemic many of us have experienced. How many people would be alive if Trump did the right thing from the beginning. Trump denied the pandemic was happening until the morgue trucks were double parked in New York City because of the overflow of dead people. Yes that is correct, morgues could not fit the dead. As the richest country in the world, we lost a tremendous amount of people: millions. It was not necessary. THIS IS NOT POLICY BUT INSANITY.
Do you believe that separating children from their parents at the border, without documenting their names and family names is policy. NO IT IS NOT POLICY. It is a violation of human rights. More than 1,400 children will probably never know who or where their parents are.
There are so many other non policies that have hurt Americans that I can document, but I can’t right now. I just know today I will lose some friends. I cannot understand their ignorance, for I can call it nothing else, to vote for someone who has been tried and convicted of so many things. The man has provoked violence in the streets on January 6th and has bred hate in others for so many people. Remember the temple in Pennsylvania where many Jews praying died from a mad shooter who quoted Trump in his manifesto. And what about El Paso shooting when some crazy man followed Trump’s “policy” about rapists and murderers crossing the border. Unfortunately he just randomly went into a Department Store and shot anyone who might look like a migrant. For the community in Buffalo who lost many in a supermarket shooting—a supermarket where the majority of the shoppers were black. For all the transpeople who suffer the hate and bullying of those who think that women’s sports is the FUCKING ISSUE. These are people who think that Trump is a Conservative Republican or that they have to vote for him because of his policy. Let me state clearly: HE HAS NO FUCKING POLICIES.. He has abandoned effectively those true Conservative Republicans who do have policies. I might not agree with those policies but I know they won’t kill me.
So many true conservatives and Republicans have come out against Trump. People who worked in his administration, Pence, his Vice President [since Trump’s insurrectionists failed to hang him], former and current justices, district attorneys, former Secretaries of State, Defense, Education and Attorney Generals. Reliable news sources of all persuasions have diligently documented the Trump abuses. NY Times actually documented his lies and that number is astronomical.
Not sure how many of my friends are voting for Trump [I don’t believe I have many that would]. but I know if they are celebrating his win, I cannot continue my friendship. There is too much information out there that they should know. I believe they have had enough time to evaluate a simple situation and move away from one-sided media stations but instead they consciously crossed a line. A line so injurious to others that I cannot conceive of speaking with them again.
I just must pray that Kamala wins—there really is no other choice. I am terrified of the alternative.
Media talks about “we” and “they” frequently now that Trump has been around for a decade. Yes, it has been a decade since he first came on the national/international scene. Before that he was just a celebrity host, a developer in New York and man who went bankrupt many times. What we are experiencing now is history developing and history revised in real time. I can hardly breathe as this is happening–everyday. It used to be a year or two before you could effectively change history…but now, give it a 24-hour news cycle.
In a recent interview Trump spoke about the January 6th insurrectionists and referred to them as “we” confirming that although he was not at the Capitol in person, he was definitely at the Capitol in spirit and in agreement with their plan. He said “we.”
Trump categorizes a lot. If you are not loyal to a fault, you are “they” if you consistently praise Trump you are a “we.” Let’s take the case of John Kelly. He was appointed by Trump as Secretary of Homeland Security. Trump liked the job he was doing with immigration and the border. He promoted him to Chief of Staff. He liked John Kelly. He thought John Kelly did a good job. John Kelly was a “we.” But, this week, John Kelly became a “they.” He was interviewed and spoke freely about Trump behavior and how it mirrored fascism. John Kelly is definitely a “they” in Trump world.
If you think that you could never have a status to be a “they” you should rethink that premise. Trump categorizes entire groups of people as “they.” Democrats are definitely “they”; Never Trumpers are “they”; LGBTQA+ people “they”; immigrants “they”; journalists a “they”; groups fighting for the freedom to have safe healthcare: “they”; someone who criticizes Trump, “they”; political opponents “they” as well and Capitol police are “they” I can go on and on. But I think the point is made. You are “for him or agin him” and that changes from day to day.
Then there is the language Trump employs when speaking of the “they’s”. He subcategorizes as well: if “they” are migrants they are “rapists, murderers or were in a mental institution”. If “they” are journalists they are “enemies of the people.” For politicians who are from a different party or from the Republican party but do not support Trump are “enemies from within.” Slight change of wording but always in a fear-evoking sense. Trump evokes hate for the press and in his administration journalists, broadcast networks and newspapers might lose their licenses. He also believes in prosecution for those brave journalists who have consistently brought the truth to the public. And, sometimes “they” are “vermin” using language that the Nazis used during World War II when referring to Jews. As I said–just a sampling.
Trump is not subtle in his choice of words. They are deliberate and have an underlying context to them. If speaking of migrants, “they” are invaders and need to be stopped, so let’s round them up into camps and deport them back to place of origin. That is possibly your neighbor’s dad who has been in this country for more than 50 years, but has no documentation. Or that might be the mom with two small children who came for asylum. Children will once again be separated from their parents. A Bush appointed judge ruled against the separation policy stating that it “represents one of the most shameful chapters in the history of our country.” There are still 1,400 children who have not been reunited to their parents after more than 5-6 years. These small children will not remember their parents. Trump’s policy was inhumane and does shed light on what will happen in the future. DACA children who were brought to the US as children continue to be considered non documented. There are no policies that allow them to become citizens. They have lived here for 40-50 years and some have never lived in their native country. They could be deported.
We are experiencing this “we”-“they” labeling game but the game becomes stark reality if Trump becomes President. If you are “we” today, you might be “they” tomorrow.
Put aside the hate and think politically about what a Trump presidency suggests. If he wins we stand to lose our health care [oh wait half of us have lost that already.] We will live under an economic system that includes oligarchs [yes we have them now but they will have overall power over us] When do we say enough is enough? If I had to point a finger at anyone or anything, top of the list would be Mitch McConnell and second would be FOX news.
Maybe if you get to see your representative this week [mine is Nicole Malliotakis], look them in the eye and ask them when they decided to lie to us and bring us to the brink of an authoritarian government. For Malliotakis it was on the 4th day of her being seated. She denied certification of electoral votes for President Biden in 2 states after 66 courts ruled that there was no evidence of voter fraud or the people bringing the case had no standing. Be honest and assured when you ask them. Don’t allow the liars who are looking to stay in power revise your history. You lived the history and are entitled to clearly see it as reality. What you saw on January 6th was not a peaceful gathering at the Capitol–it was a violent insurrection that took lives–that is our history unrevised.
Be the “they” for we truly are the “we” as in “we the people.” Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
When I booked this transatlantic cruise to Barcelona I was aware that I would be away for the election of 2024. Actually part of the reason I booked was to be away at this time and my desire to see Barcelona.
I knew if I went away I would come back and face either of two situations: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump would be President. I felt that it didn’t matter what I did, one of these two situations would be true on my return. Could I make a difference if I stayed home? I didn’t think so. Canvassing was out of the question, phone calls would be possible, but I thought what would help me the most and possible others is writing about this moment in time when our disbelief in what is happening is the reality. If you can use any of this information to convince a person on the fence about who to vote for, please do. The information is factual.
Please please help me understand
So you are watching this ad and thinking, look at what a regular guy this is, working the window of a MacDonald’s…..he’s just like me. I heard a few jokes he made at a rally—he was poking fun at the incident of Paul Pelosi being assaulted. I just realized I used the word “joke”—that kinda confirms my believe that Trump’s behavior has been normalized. Who would poke fun at someone else’s harm? I know it is definitely not 70 million people. No one would want their children to behave with that meanness and disregard of others welfare–that’s a given.
If you ask a Trump voter about this behavior they might say “that is just the way he talks—he will be a tough leader and I am in favor of his policies” [a bit more about policies later in the week].
Then you might add: does that include the content of the “talk”. Can you accept the content of the “way he talks”. Can you accept that the joke was about someone who was assaulted. Someone please tell me who the fuck thinks that is funny. Well in this moment there are more than 70 million people who will vote for Trump and probably have laughed at that “joke.” I step back for a moment to think maybe not all 70 million Trump voters thought the “joke” was funny—maybe some laughed because of their nervousness, or others because the person next to them did, or others who were surprised by the comment and, sadly, others who thought it was a “joke” and a “joke” that they thought was funny. So possibly about 22 million of our neighbors think poking fun at someone’s else harm is okay and funny. Trump thinks it is funny—that is who he is and I guess about 22 million of my countryfolk are as well.
Oh BTW, do some of those people go to church as well. What hypocrisy! Damn, I didn’t think I would get to this state of ranting but it is beyond all of my intellect to accept the polar opposites of Churchgoers and Trump on this particular issue of hateful jokes.
So what about the other 44 million citizens who don’t think Trump is funny—why would they vote for him.
Well there is Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House. He does not think that Trump is funny. When he was on CNN SOTU this past Sunday he avoided every question that was asked of him. Jake Tapper was following up on the Trump rally speech that focused a bit of time on Arnold Palmer’s “junk”. Tapper decided he would use the word “penis” so there be no misunderstanding. Johnson shied away from any talk of penises and put that sardonic smile on his face. His smile informs us that Mike is under the impression that his policies and ideas will carry over to a new Trump administration. It matters not that Trump’s behavior would never be normalized in his coterie. This is a man who tracks his son’s activity on the internet to keep him honest about how many times he visits a porn site—he is not now, nor never will be, a man who uses bad language or makes hateful jokes in public places. He is a confirmed card- carrying Christian Nationalist who makes no excuses for his ideology. After all Mike believes that as long as he smiles while mildly scolding his candidate about language and never admits that Trump did not win in 2020—his loyalty to Trump will not be questioned.
The Speaker believes his loyalty will be rewarded and abortion will be outlawed everywhere, and possibly that might happen. But, he will be surprised when Trump decides to abandon the abortion issue because it does not serve his pursuit of power. Trump cares nothing about whether women have self determination about their bodies, he cares about being on the right side of the issue. The “right side” is the side that brings the power to him. It is the “Mike Johnsons” who will put aside their distaste of Trump in pursuit of their ideology.
So let us assume that there are about 22 million “Mike Johnsons” out there.
And now to the last 22 million Trump voters. Who are they? I think they can be broken down into 3 or possibly 4 groups. There are the Elon Musks of the world—those who actually understand Trump and know he is their path to acquiring power and influence in his administration. A Trump administration would definitely reward those wealthy few with generous tax breaks. Possibly a second group are those who cannot under any circumstance vote against a Republican. This group has fallen into the “label” hole. Their attachment to the label “Republican” blinds them to the label change. Beware of those labelled Republicans–they are no longer Republicans.
A third group might be the misinformed, uninformed and I don’t really care enough about elections.
Oh indeed, talking about Arnold Palmer’s “junk” is such a fresh approach to attracting voters. Now for sure, this is the guy I want for President. This is the guy I want to represent American interests to the rest of the world.
The media has helped us transition to the normalization of Trump. When once there would be an uproar so loud, so forceful, so impactful to Trump’s behavior—we now talk “penises” on CNN SOTU.
I assure you that Trump and the action of 70 million+ voters is not normal and should never be considered normal for then it becomes true.
BUT BEING CONSERVATIVE DOESN’T MEAN VOTING FOR TRUMP
We have known each other a very long time, since high school and we are in our 70s now. We weren’t always connected at the hip but we have seen each other and loved each other without close contact.
A few years back we went to a high school reunion and went for a drink afterwards. You mentioned at that time that you couldn’t see me on Facebook anymore and whether I was still on. I said yes and added, honestly, that I had blocked you. You were surprised. I certainly didn’t block you because I didn’t like you–I blocked you because I loved you. I didn’t want to read your favorable posts about Trump. It hurt me to think you were not the person I thought you were, but I thought if I didn’t see your posts, I could still manage to love you. Afterall, I know you are a really good person–a strong person, a hardworking person, a good mother and a good grandmother.
This is why I am writing this letter to you. It is a love letter to a friend. Friends made in high school can be forever and are made at a time in our lives where we are just seeing who we are. A lot of our friendships have been that way. Over the years, the two of us searched for others to attend reunions and felt terrible when we couldn’t get in touch–or worse yet, when we were rebuked. And felt terrible that some friends did not want to know us anymore. This is probably the way you felt when I blocked you–but know this, it was my action to keep you as a friend.
So, here is my pitch to a woman who says she is a conservative.
Real conservatives: Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, the Bushes, Mike Pence and so many others who have given up their offices because they could not support Trump are true conservatives. The never-Trumpers who were Republican and Conservatives walked away in 2016 because they understood clearly that Trump had no ideology at all. And many followed their lead after experiencing his administration. His military men were horrified by his disrespect for those who serve. Trump cannot understand public service; he cannot understand how someone might do something without getting something in return. He believes democracy is disposable since he doesn’t believe in public service.
Trump actions against the justice department and the judges who have angered him would affect you deeply. Those judges, no matter what their political beliefs are, rule justly. You know that. You know that judges do their very best to be fair and impartial. I know you do not want to see their integrity questioned and demeaned.
People always say that it depends on what media you watch to determine who you support. I don’t believe that for a minute. If you are hearing and listening to Trump, you know exactly what he thinks and believes-and it is nothing good or consistent. His only ideology is to get ahead, make money and reduce the tax laws to benefit the rich. That is not conservatism–it is narcissism. I know you know this stuff.
I am unsure why anyone who respects law enforcement would support Trump. At the debate he sided with the invaders of the Capitol and touted that the only person that died was Ashely Babbit–that is a lie. Yes, she was shot by a police officer as she was barging through the doors of the Capitol threatening the lives of the representatives we elected as well as crushing the head of a police officer in a door. Police officers died that day and after that day, defending the Capitol and the politicians, some who now have trashed their reputation.
I love you my friend and would love to debate policy with you. Policy is a “thing” it does not insult, kill or pit people against each other. Policy debates are acceptable and are part of a democracy. One side wins and one side loses, but we are still a people who can love each other. You can want to close the borders and I will tell you all the reasons why people should be let in. You can be against abortion and I will tell you all the reasons why God gave us decision making power in our lives.
Debating policy is not about calling people names, degrading those who may not agree with you, endangering the lives of transgenders and others who are different than you. Debating policy is not lying to people but convincing them through facts and conversation. Discussing policy is not about hate, it is about love.
I urge you to vote your conservatism by not voting for Trump. He is an evil man who has manipulated millions into a cult with no regrets about losing friends. I care deeply about losing friends–I love you my friend.
Trump is alive and well, how do we feel about that?
I was in the car driving home from pizza Saturday when I heard that Trump was shot. I was immediately told he was not dead. I sighed–I was immediately sorry that was my first emotion, but this is a truthful post.
I think a lot of people felt the same emotion–one that was mixed. I write when I need to sort through emotions. I feel it is the best way to be truthful with myself. I would not put anything in writing that was not accurate in my eye.
My immediate thought was “the shooter missed.” I immediately thought: “oh wow that was not the emotion I wanted to feel.” But really, that was the emotion I felt. Emotions are defined as a “naturally instinctive state of mind.” And that thought was my state of mind at the time.
Can you combat emotions? I am unsure at this point. I thought I was able to combat those emotions as not the ones I wanted to have, but alas, they still cross my mind today.
I went to mass on Sunday and wondered if they would mention this shooting. They did but it was in the Prayer of the Faithful or General Intercessions which is a collection of short prayers of petition. After each petition is spoken the congregation responds by saying, “Lord, hear our prayer” or something similar. It was the last petition and I immediately thought would I say the response. I did because it included the people who took the bullets that were meant for Trump and I am indeed sorry that those people died or were injured.
I decided I am allowed to have mixed emotions–emotions that help me find a path for me to move forward. I think the initial emotions help me move to the emotions that will stay with me.
Former President Trump is alive and well. Today two days after this shooting, I am OK with that. I never want to wish people harm, not even those who wish harm on many.
What I worry about is that people don’t always sort their emotions and think they feel so sorry for former President Trump that they now need to support him. Hell no, I can never support a man who talks shit about people in every single rally. Trump had the wherewithall to push the Secret Service people so he could push up his fist in triumph and yell “fight, fight, fight.” That was his first response….before the unity statement. What was first in his mind, was “fight” not “unity.”
His first statement was about unity in the country. We are smart people; we all know Trump is not looking for unity in the country, but this is a good opportunity for him to look like a martyr shot by a young man who we do not know enough about. I did hear the shooter was bullied in high school. We will need to wait to know, or maybe never know why this young man decided to take a AK-15 and attempt to shoot Trump.
I was slightly pissed off that MSNBC changed their Monday morning coverage and put on NBC correspondents and not Morning Joe. Why was that? What is the media thinking? I could understand on Sunday that coverage was picked up from NBC, but why Monday. It scared me that the media is looking at this as an attempt on a former President’s life. Well sort of and sort of not. The man refused to graciously transfer power to Joe Biden as president. He has intimidated all of his followers to conform to his alternate reality that he won the election. He did not. Most of us understand that. Believe me, Jamie Dimon knows that and Elon Musk know that, but they will benefit from a Trump presidency so they are OK with him in a second term.
Trump is alive and well and I am OK with that–I wish no one harm. What I am not OK with is with Trump in a second term as president. Project 2025 is his manifesto. He has tried to move away from that document but most of us understand that the people who wrote that document are Trump people who worked in his administration and people he admires. The authors of Project 2025 understand that Trump might need to move away from them in the short term to win the election, but they also understand that Trump will move to endorse and legislate that manifesto. After all Trump has no ideology other than power and money. If the Democratic party had policies that tempted his base, he would do that. He is publicly moving away from a strict abortion ban because he knows that might be the GOP’s folly. Though he really doesn’t care about women’s health or care, he cares about winning an election.
I just heard he selected JD Vance to be his vice president. I was actually surprised….I thought it would be Doug Burgum. Of course the first statement from JD Vance after the shooting was “Today is not just some isolated incident, . . . The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Of course, there was no mention of Trump’s calls for violence at every rally for anyone that opposes him. There was no mention that there were at least 3 manifestos from mass shooters who mentioned Trump as their reason for violence. Unfortunately Vance’s statement will be relied upon by the GOP to win the election.
I disagree. I believe we need to continue to call out Trump’s authoritarian’s tendencies. We need too assure that this man does not become President again. There are too many people at risk in the scenario that he is president.
So former President Trump is not dead and we, who believe in democracy and freedom, need to keep vigilant and work hard to assure he does not win in November. We do that by going to vote against him. I think we can beat him. I think there are enough people who understand that Trump would be a disaster for this country….and the world.
I usually wait until I have some fresh tomatoes to make this dish but I decided that it was going to be a while before the tomatoes turned red so I would need to make up another method to assure I use my home-grown produce.I use a nonstick wok for this dish.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 large Asian eggplant cut into small cubes
1 large zucchini cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sumac
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine
Few leaves of fresh basil or sage or tarragon [or all three]
1 egg beaten
handful shredded mozzarella
1 lb pasta [larger pasta would be better for this dish]
DIRECTIONS:
Plan to cook the pasta while you are preparing the eggplant and zucchini.
Preheat the oil and butter in the wok
Add the eggplant and zucchini and coat well in oil and butter
Add garlic and onion powder, sumac, salt and pepper; mix well
Cook until cubes soften a bit–do not overcook
Raise the gas and add the wine; stir quickly
Add the fresh basil, sage and tarragon
Add the beaten egg and mix quickly
Add the mozzarella and mix well; remove from heat
Cook your pasta so that your wok ingredients are completed at about the same time
Drain pasta and save a cup of the cooking water
Mix pasta in the wok and, if dry add some of the pasta cooking water [you may use the water when you have seconds to keep it moist]
VARIATIONS
I can easily imagine adding some sausage to this dish, out of the casing and cooked beforehand.
Fun and Other Serious Matters 