Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun
Showing posts with label Presidential election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presidential election. Show all posts

Saturday, July 27, 2024

You know it's different when...


 You know things have changed when: 

            Snoop Dog and Peyton Manning are team mates covering the Olympics

            A French new "new wave" cinema turns Paris into the "Opening Ceremony" featuring a menage a trois and a building with windows full of a beheaded Marie Antoinette as Olympic images

            When a Presidential campaign is waged as a battle of memes and regarded as entertainment. (And when media covers it that way)

              When MAGA has the old white man with signs of mental instability as the fuhrer. (And when he is a winy old felon)




You know it's crazy time when:

             The winy old felon drones on about doing away with elections because he will "fix things." (And when crowds who call themselves Christians are all in)

You know it's "Come to Jesus" time when: 

            Christians who are not right wing evangelical dominionists are blowing the whistle and calling a cult a cult. 

            When Christ followers remind the world it is about love and acceptance-not hate, judgement and dictatorships.



            

    You know there is hope when:

            A man puts nation above self, patriotism above ambition, and listens to the people. (Joe Biden will remembered as a great American President and honored public servant.)

            When millions of US citizens are signing on to the Presidential election in record setting ways. (And when millions more are now looking at the MAGA criminal network and laughing at how pitiful, pathetic and pathological they are!)

    It will be even better when:

            The rest of us find a way to build bridges, renew friendships, and express understanding to the poor victims of MAGA and Fox brainwashing, lies, conspiracies, manipulation, and anti American cultism. They too have hopes, dreams, and hurts. 

            When people understand that tolerance, respect and human dignity is for everyone. (And when people understand Love is an action and a choice!)



     See you down the trail.  

 

Thursday, November 12, 2020

American Petulance

 


      Historic passages are fraught with peril even when intentions are honorable. American history is presently being cast in the shadow a mad tyrant and his coterie of cowards making pact with our enemies. It is a time of subversion and carnage.  

    understatement

       President-elect Joe Biden was understated when he called Trump's behavior "embarrassing."  However you describe it, it is also dangerous. 

    Several national security and military experts have emphasized periods of transition are high alert times anyway. Trumps decapitating of our intelligence, security and defense communities is irresponsible and in some minds, traitorous.

    His behavior remains unAmerican as he continues to defy norms and intentionally seeks to undermine citizen's trust. He has no respect for the traditions that have given this diverse and rancorous nation a sense of center and cohesion.

    This is the first transition in 220 years that has not been honorable. He is the first president not to concede. That should tell everyone he is exactly what was said of him in 2015; Unfit, unqualified and lacking character. Now the loser is like a petulant punk and so, he is bent on destruction.  Sadly he has allies.                    


republican extinction
    Honor and decency have fled the Republican party and today it is nothing more than a gaggle of spineless accomplices. That is bad for the nation, destructive of the party of Lincoln and ever more a brownshirt and nazi like cult. 
    I take no pride in warning here 4 years ago we were witnessing the rise of an authoritarian regime, a slow moving coup borrowing from how the nazi's brainwashed a German nation. Others saw it as well. 
    It is important to know history and to pay close attention to the complexity of governance and to watch social norms. As a nation we have failed on this last point. Some of us were chastised for our take down of Donald Trump and the refusal of Republicans, those in office and those of rank and history, to call out the man who cares only for himself.
    Senate leader McConnell was technically correct in saying there are "options available" to the president, but there was no truth in the Trump allegations and McConnell knows that and he could see the American public soundly rejected Trump.
    McConnell is a hollow soul, there is only duplicity, greed, and a sycophant's cancerous black hole where there should be a heart. Honor and decency would be like a silver stake. He is a jackal in human form and a racist to boot.
    Bill Barr has so anguished Department of Justice professionals, past and present as to give rise to a sentiment that drawing and quartering would be an apt sentence for this delusional behemoth in horn rims. He is Trump's personal beast of burden as they lumber and hulk their way on a path of shame as they rape and bludgeon lady liberty and try to steal America.

where is courage
    How many times in the last couple of years have you heard someone ask, "what is wrong with the Republicans?"  I have wondered why some in the senate, traditionalists, have not yelled "enough is enough!"
    Trump took over and now rules the republican party. Politicians fear him. They worry he will sick his frenzied cult following on them by supporting an opponent, cutting off their life support to stand next to the till as Trump Inc. plunders public money, gives it to wealthy friends and to himself, destroys American credibility, rips apart our nation, plays the Russian stooge and dances with the devil.
    I've been reminded I should be about reconciliation and lowering the volume, but just in case no one sees what's happening here, I cannot hold my tongue. At least this leaves a record to surf algorithms for my grand kids. 
    I understand there are philosophical, political, and analytical differences. I get that people have their favorites and reasons for liking or disliking candidates. There is so much poison in the political system it is a challenge to navigate the truth, and facts. 
    Trump does not respect truth and is ignorant of many, many facts. So, regardless of your "politics," if you were one of the 70 some million who voted for him, you have ignored the truth and are ignorant of glaringly public facts. You may not like the other candidates or the other party, or their sense of things, but at least they are in touch with reality. You cannot make that claim of Donald Trump. To ignore all that he has done and all that he is doing now would have made you a good candidate to have been one of the supporters of the Nazi and fascist movement in the last century. You are how history goes so dark, and how human decency and logic is overwhelmed by madness and ignorance and grievance. 
    By the way the tax fraud who pretended to be an executive, the liar who bullied his way into leadership of the Republican party, the sexual predator who blundered this nation into ripping apart at the seams getting sick by the millions, and making the world unsafe by playing with dictators, lost the election. And you know what else, he will soon owe Russian mobsters and others some hundreds of millions in loans due, because he's the guy wrote "the art of the deal."
     Oh and there are several jurisdictions who have some legal questions to ask him. So, please for own sanity say to "the Donald," you're fired! The rest of us have. We have to live together and jointly should send Trump to the ash pile of ignominy. 

     Stay safe. Stay vigilant.

     See you down the trail.
    

    

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

PLAY TIME FOR BIG KIDS and THE HILLARY v. DONALD KNIFE FIGHT-


   We will rejoin the adventures of these lovely citizens of the Republic, but first a reflection on this business of Campaign 2016.
WHO DON'T YOU LIKE, LEAST?
    Remembering that in politics 24 hours is a long time and one should never say never, the pundits none-the-less are at work.
     IF the yacking heads are correct Donald Trump (Drumpf)
and Hillary Clinton will take saber and machetes in hand and make like human Popeil slicers and dicers. The one with the most body parts still attached November 9th will get stitched together so they can start driving the ship of state in January 2017.
    Lets assume the "experts" are correct. We then face a unique Presidential Election; two candidates with some of the highest negatives in history. What a start huh? Negatives always rise during the knife fights so there is a chance the new President will be one of the least liked people since Adolf Hitler. Charming!
     And there is a chance that one, or perhaps both could be indicted. Actions of both are being investigated; Hillary for the classified e-mails on a private server and Trump for alleged fraud at his now folded Trump University. Even more charming!
     I'll go against my own borrowed wisdom (borrowed from Eric Sevareid) and predict if Hillary Clinton and Donald Drumpf are the candidates, there will be a lot of cross over voting. The angry and more racist stripe of Democrats for the Donald and educated and moderate Republicans for Hillary. And a lot of folks may not vote which would probably help Drumpf.
    Much can and likely will happen so we stay tuned to an election that could have been an appendage to a 1976 Paddy Chayefsky script.  So, enough of that!
LETS PLAY
     The ever pleasing sounds of the Bellmores offer forth from
  a mountain top on the west side of Paso Robles.
      A red letter day-Le Cuvier pick up day. Club members are 
  treated to a gentle and sunny afternoon of wine and food pairings, great music and no politics.  
  Respected and well collected artist Ken Christensen set up shop for additional visuals on the mountain top with a view. 
AND....
SOMETHING NEW AT A CLASS ACT
back to the beginning
  Lana and Diane emerge from an inspection of the new public tasting room at the extraordinary Halter Ranch Winery.
   The following two photos are taken from approximately the same spot a couple of years apart.  The photo directly below is on the new public tasting room patio, near the entrance to the 22 thousand square feet of caves.The second photo shows the entrance previously.

  Views inside the new tasting room are also spectacular


    And in this new facility on the Halter Ranch complex, construction is stunning.
    The office, work space and members lounge is evidence of the state of the art nature of the operation.  Owned by a Swiss-German philanthropist and land conservationist he asked his staff to find best case design and standards. They did and the place is testament to excellence. It could be the most efficient and best designed winery in the world. 
  The works area was specifically designed; cement, iron, light, ventilation, work flow, access all customized.













    Friends are coming next month for a visit and we were concerned they were coming on a day when the members lounge is not open. After our inspection of the public tasting room our concerns drifted away.

    See you down the trail.