Truth is...

from Shamel Park, Cambria, Ca

zings

    Those zings that whiz by are the buckle bolts of a decent and civil process. Those flying pillars hurtling into the sky are the girders and braces of historic balance of power supports. That vibration you feel, that disequilibrium in your mind is part of a welling force. Time for that in moment. 

the faces of hemingway

     Mr Hemingway, our beloved polydactyl (6 on each of the 4 paws) entertained a recent photo shoot with his "range" of looks.

   His response to our current state of affairs is either a nap in the sun, or a nap in the shade interrupted by a few stretches. 

for the love of spring

 The Cambria shoreline is electric

the dark side of the amateur hour

     As one reads of Alabama's abortion law, and John Bolton's dangerous, ill advised and foolish faux macho saber rattling on Iran, and the administration's lack of respect for American principle, one cannot escape the fact that mouth breathers and nincompoops have entirely too much power. This should and will likely change, but not soon enough.

    We can be sure that investigative talons will clutch the ringmaster. Either as a former president or perhaps an impeached or disgraced fool, justice will come for him.

    If you doubt that, tally the number of federal investigations now open and not restricted as Mueller was. Or ponder the numerous congressional probes. He will be disgraced and perhaps even broken, but the damage he does now is itself a crime of another sort.

   Like many of you, I have quit trying to reason or use logic, or cite historical precedence with those who refuse to acknowledge the rogue president is a sick and evil man motivated only by what's in it for him. 

    It's been unbelievable though that even given the specifics of the Mueller report, and Trump's traitorous, treasonous behavior in full view, his obvious incompetence, his being made a public bitch by Kim and Putin, his ruinous impact on American farmers, his thousands of documented lies, that congressional and Senate Republicans refuse to be Americans first. We can only hope they feel the vengeful sting of betrayed citizens at the ballot box. 

    Those who refused to call out this degenerate administration will be handled by history and they will be seen as the cowards and quislings they are. Their children and grandchildren will be embarrassed. If anything might bring these dead Republicans to life it is the sheer incompetence of Trump as commander in chief with a sneering and once marginalized Bolton at his side.

     There are many congressional and legal challenges ahead. What may be the most pathetic is that a draft dodging, military school flunky, a non reader, a man who knows almost no history, a bloated punk of a daddy boy liar is in a position to commit American troops to warfare. That is such a cosmic injustice the universe itself would be correct to smite the fool.

     Until the Russians rigged the election-and I don't mean merely influenced, this nation had a pact wherein Iran was on a leash, closely monitored, their weapons program was on ice and we were building favor with a growing percentage of Iranians who were growing discontent with the old fundamentalist zealots who controlled them. 

     Now America's biggest money looser and tax fraud, con man and reality TV show star and his failed and rejected advisor are talking war talk. If this doesn't motivate Senate Republicans to admit they are in bed with the devil, then perhaps the universe should smite them as well.

     That, or a few Sons of Liberty legacy patriots could do so.

     See you down the trail. 

     

Left Coast View

Ragged Point overlook

Big Sur

     A visiting 3 year old got her first look at Big Sur from what she called the "roof deck." She was mesmerized, as I was all those years ago.

     As written here previously, the theater of mountains meeting ocean fired neurons that gave polarity to the navigational tides of my life.

     Years ago one of the smartest people I know, a Harvard Law graduate corrected something I said about people and provincialism. He reminded me a provincial mindset can be authored by wider parameters than I cited. 

a left coastist

      This left coast has pulsed my gyroscopic tendencies. 

Yes, there is the cultural affinity that is comfortable. Creativity seems most compatible with open mindedness. Artistic pursuits seem to breed enthusiasm, joy, and a delighting of the senses. 

      But there is also a primordial resonance and power of pure nature. It massages the soul.

      And here, on this left coast, there is light that provides clarity for the eyes and for the mind. It infuses life with color and dimension. It has shaped me, kneaded me. I've become a provincial, a left coastist!

 A "Bottle Brush" tree dressed in spring finery

 A flirtation with the setting sun

An exquisite composition, this spring lily.

      There is something to observe about being a left coastist, this assumed and self proclaimed provincialism, especially at this time in the struggles of our Republic. Imagine a new program-that follows below, but first.....

    The biennial Petals and Palettes art show has been judged and is hanging at the Cambria Center for the Arts (CCAT) Gallery.

     It is a cooperative venture of the CCAT, supported by the working artists in this historic colony and the Cambria Garden Club. 

      Art and floral arrangements in symphony...

      This Blue Ribbon of floral arrangement with art is the work of Lana, both the artist and floral designer. 

          The painting, Bonnie's Garden is the work of one of Cambria's best, Pat Wilmott. 

        Lana was painter and arranger.

             She also created this floral arrangement for the stunning photography of an extraordinarily talented Judith Skartvedt.

         

             Tom Gould's masterful photo realistic rendering is matched by the floral work of Donna Hoppe

           Another award winner is the painting by one of Cambria's great, Jeanette Wolff. 

           Kathi Rippe, another popular artist and award winner.

       This award winner, both painting and arrangement by Holly McCain.

          An honorable mention here for Lana and master water colorist Steve Kellogg, also a tennis master. 

                 A mixed media offering by Sheri Parisian.

 

        A lily painted and paired by mother nature.

        If you have an opportunity to be anywhere near Cambria in the next couple of weeks, the show will be up in the CCAT Gallery, but the floral arrangements are on a shorter time schedule.

        that coastal view

         Our little coastal enclave is half way between LA and San Francisco. We are about an equal distance from the cultural and political landscape of Bakersfield and the central valley. We are about as far from Washington as one can get, our backs are at the Pacific. 

         We are in the waves of energy and thought that come from the Bay area of San Francisco, San Jose and the Silicon Valley and those from the vibes of entertainment, rocket science and diversity of LA and southern California. Over the mountains, past cattle ranches and through wine country and over the high desert is the world of agriculture and culture of the Valley. 

         We see diversity of all sorts. We take our measured view, with the bias that this is not like anywhere else and attitudes here are sometimes the butt of jokes back east. Well, we can joke back. Just pretend that after this season of Game of Thrones brings the series to an end, a programmer begins a new series-

if this were a just world...

(a creative overview)

        The occupant of the White House is bound and gagged and marched to the US Capitol by way of visiting the memorials of WWII, the Korean War and the Viet Nam wall.

        Before he ends up in the well of congress, he is forced to take a full briefing by the CIA including about the intentions of Vladimir Putin's Russia and Kim's North Korea. 

        Before he is tried as a traitor, he must endure the forced reading by Mitch McConnell of the full Mueller Report. 

      Then Speaker Pelosi reads to him, the Constitution of the US. 

      Said McConnell is  then named as a co-conspirator and bound back to back with the president.

      And then children will present causes of indictment--reports-

       --about the national security consequence of denying climate change and of pulling out of the Paris accords, 

       --recitations of each of the thousands of lies he has told,        

       --analysis of the consequence of his undermining of the national security apparatus 

       --replay of his Helsinki appearance with Putin, 

       --the reading of transcripts of his private conversations with Putin, 

       --reports on the nature of his business relationships with Russian mobsters, 

      --replay his grandiose statements about Kim, 

      --video of the most recent missile launches.

    After the children complete their presentations, all US citizens will vote; thumbs up or thumbs down. 

       Talk about must see TV!  And maybe it could be serialized on Twitter. 

        See you down the trail. 

       

The Slovik Path for Trump

      Eddie Slovik, a hard luck kid from Detroit was in trouble with the law from the time he was 12. He died 12 years later.
       In those years he was arrested for car theft, breaking and entering, robbery and other offenses. He was in and out prison a few times.
      Because of his criminal record he was morally unfit for the military. But after he married he was reclassified and drafted into the Army.
      It was WWII and he was sent to fight in France with Company G of  the 109th Infantry Regiment of the US 28th Infantry Division. During an artillery attack Slovik said he determined he "wasn't cut out for combat." He went missing and was found 6 weeks later. He then told his commanding officer  he was "too scared" to be in a rifle unit. He then deserted. He was caught and the Army gave him a couple of chances to change his mind and relent. He said he'd take his court marital.
      Slovik was convicted of desertion. He wrote to Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower pleading for clemency. Desertion was a big problem in France as the Germans were advancing through the Ardennes and casualties were high while morale was low. Ike confirmed the execution order.
     During WWII the US military executed 102 soldiers for rape or unprovoked murder of civilians. Only Slovik was executed for desertion.
     12 Soldiers were chosen and detailed to be the firing squad. They were each given an M1 rifle with one bullet apiece, one of them was a blank. The command of "Fire" was given and Slovik was hit by 11 bullets, four of the shots were fatal.

         Donald Trump never served in the military, but was sent to a military school for disciplinary reasons. He too was a punk, but a rich boy. He's stayed out of jail because he's had lawyers and was able to buy politicians and threatened those who he cheated. 

      On July 16th, 2018 Donald Trump committed treason in front of the world. He deserted America. I'm one of those who believe he had already been a traitor, but his appearance with Putin and what he said gave aid and comfort to an enemy.

      People far above my pay grade, people with expertise, diplomats, intelligence officers, his own Director of National Intelligence, Republicans, even those who had been timid or had been advocates of Trump have said his performance was over the line, wrong, an offense to this nation and our officers, the act of a traitor, treason.

      The US has never seen such behavior from a President. 

Still there are some who defend the traitor and attack all of those who assail him. But anyone who will defend what he said, or his "private" meeting with Putin should simply be laughed at and pitied for the brain, conscience and soul sucking vortex in which they find themselves. There is no defense for what happened in Helsinki. It was anti American, dead wrong, pandering to his Russian overlords and financial backers, and simply being Putin's punk.

      The facts are known. Russia interfered with the 2016 election. Only a fool or a blind zealot will deny that. We don't know how deeply they impacted the results, that investigation continues. 

      Putin's Russia is an adversary and they are still attacking our electoral process. Donald Trump met with Russian spies in the White House, and already his top campaign advisers have been indicted or pled guilty. 

      On July 16 he stood before the world and even offered to allow Putin and his intelligence service to meddle in our investigation. Treason! Anti American behavior, aiding and giving comfort to an enemy. It happened on live television.

      It is the inevitable behavior of someone so unfit, unqualified, unprincipled and who thinks he can bluff and bully his way through life.

      It is clear to this writer that life should come to the same path as Eddie Slovik. 

      Trump is the Commander in Chief-a military court martial is an appropriate venue for the process of justice. If convicted, then 12 Riflemen, 11 bullets, 1 blank, and a command of Fire!

        This may earn me enmity. Though my readership is limited and in no way influential, this could create problems but it has to be said. In 42 years of journalism I learned always is a good time to speak the truth. Donald Trump is a poison. It is time for him to go where traitors go. This nation should purge itself of Trump. For now and for our future.

 See you down the trail.