WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?

     Following years of drought and opportunistic blight, trees on the California coast struggle for life. The battle is set against historically warming trends and other climatic and environmental changes.

      There is symmetry in that and this post election America. A winner has emerged, a loser has conceded and the sitting President offers assistance in transition. The American system proceeds, as it has. This time the campaign ends with a nation wherein more than half of voting Americans lost. That statistic also reveals more people voted for Hillary Clinton than voted for Donald Trump. Add the other candidate's totals and Trump is indeed a minority President. But Trump won the electoral college and so will take the oath of office in January.

       He confronts a divided nation. He promises to govern for all. We will see. 

      Many of those who voted for him did so because they believe, "Washington is broken...Congress does not work...there is a double standard where in elected representatives are part of an elite with special privileges..." I submit the record shows they are correct.

       In exit polls and interviews many of his voters voiced concern about changes in America; immigration changing our complexion and demographic, loss of jobs, trade deals with fall out for working Americans while bankers and investors grow more wealthy, and many believe government did not hear or care about them.

       They found their champion, improbable and unlikely as the Republican party thought and for that matter the majority of voting Americans and they elected him. In this divided and tumultuous time there are truths and questions that will be explored.

questions for history

     Which Trump will emerge? The liberal Democrat power broker or the man who switched to the Republican party in 2012?

       The wild carnival barker style campaigner or the candidate who read a teleprompter and stayed on focus?

       What influence will daughter Ivanka have on his policy formulation and court nominees, especially on justices' attitude about Roe v Wade and other women's health and privacy issues?

       What role will Stephen Bannon the alt-right godfather and Brietbart mogul have? This is important to all America because an ugly truth about the Trump movement is that it was also a place where the worst of America found a home.

The KKK, racists, anti Semites, openly misogynistic and crude men and domestic terrorists are part of his minority base of voters. People of color especially, but all Americans have reason to wonder how this part of the Trump movement will influence the administration.

      How vigorously will the fraud lawsuits and sexual assault cases, allegations and charges be pursued? Will these be his Lewinsky or e-mail server millstones? 

      Will the Democratic leadership serve notice on Trump as Republicans McConnell and Boehner did on Obama, at the start, promising to prevent his re-election and blocking legislation or court nominees?

      What role will the Sanders/Warren wing of the Democratic party play in legislative advances and battle?

      Will we see a major role for Chris Christy and Rudolph Giuliani and what will that do for the idea of "governing for all?"

      How will he "bring jobs" back to America? Let me be flip for a moment and ask, will he start with his own businesses-suits, ties, shirts, etc, now manufactured abroad?

     How will he resolve his considerable debt to Chinese and Russian interests? What role will the Senate or other federal agencies have in monitoring his considerable international business interests. America has never faced this quandary before.

      Will the Fox network pick at the Trump business matters and sexual allegations as they went after Hillary Clinton?

     How will traditional Republicans, including major figures who refused to endorse or vote for him, respond to his ideas?

     Is Donald Trump the new Republican Party?

     How much influence will Mike Pence have? Pence says he is a Christian first and then a conservative and Republican. That attitude had him on the outs in his conservative Indiana. He was on his way to being defeated before Trump plucked him. This is the man who disregarded the advice of college presidents, religious leaders, international corporate ceo's, professional sports franchises and retail executives because his faith came first, though he later back peddled. Will Trump favor reason over Pence's faith?

     Several months ago a conservative Republican friend who emigrated here years ago and established a successful life in America called Donald Trump a "Trojan Horse," not a true conservative, not a real republican. Is he? Who is the real Donald Trump?

     Questions do indeed abound?

   

    I don't often quote Newt Gingrich, but he told someone that to understand Donald Trump you need to look at Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt and PT Barnum.

    Jackson was a founder of the Democratic party, a populist, a controversial figure, he had a notorious temper, he said men needed to "control" their wives, he provoked the "petticoat" affair that dominated much of his early administration, he developed the Indian removal practice, forcing native citizens off their land.

    TR was of course the wealthy Republican and strong individualist who angered his own party when he went after big business and engaged in trust busting that led to business regulations. Roosevelt was a leader in the Progressive movement.

    PT Barnum was of course the politician, showman and hustler who coined the phrase "There is a sucker born every minute."

    Gentle reader please recall this comparison by Gingrich was meant to explain who Donald Trump is.

     Who indeed?

    See you down the trail.

     

         

Going Coastal

Fall on the Cambria coast

the coastal ice plant is wearing its fall colors

the fat lady may not sing

     From the blogosphere to the mainstream media there have been collective sighs that our electoral night mare is about over. Don't pop the champaign corks yet.

     As someone who has loved politics since I crashed state conventions in high school and as someone who was paid to pay attention to the whole business, I will share an 11th hour thought. Buckle up and hold on.

     This Presidential election is evidence of how broken and fallen is our body politic. I love public policy and our democratic republic. I am a realist and a pragmatist, but when our American Idealism is as trashed as it is, we are off course and in deep water.

     Wouldn't it be nice to think that after Tuesday night both sides will bury the hatchet and begin focusing on making these states United again. 

      Should Trump win do you think Democrats in the Senate and House will stand by and watch him begin a mass deportation, nominate judges committed to rolling back Roe vs. Wade, flip off NATO partners, build a wall or let the many law suits and allegations against him from fraud to sexual assault just go away. Or do you think if Clinton wins the knuckleheads of the Liberty caucus will suddenly believe in the federal government, or will let her e-mail server go away. 

     Trump is riding a wave of anger and frustration, just as Bernie Sanders was. But aside from those angry and frustrated citizens, Trump has the support of overt racists, white supremacists, anti Semitic and anti Muslim extremists, misogynists and anti government terrorists. Perhaps the angry and frustrated will accept the election results, but that portion of the Trump voters who are the anti social, dangerous, criminals they are will not likely slither back to the rocks from whence they emerged when Trump unleashed the vulgar and hate filled political demons. He has energized them and even given them legitimacy. His top advisor is an alt-right godfather. His pandering took this nation into a dangerous place and created a shroud of hate that will hang over this nation until the haters, the real haters, are dealt with.

     The 2016 election is a low point in American history. We are broken and morally bankrupt. We need heavy doses of vision, idealism, compassion and healing. Who is up for that?

      

      See you down the trail.

Around the Rock

textures and feel

     A fall afternoon around the iconic Morro Rock on the California central Coast.

      This shot from December 2014 shows the rock in context of Morro Bay, Cayucos and a few of the other "sisters-" those volcano plug peaks that spine the central coast.

coming soon

getting it done

      A shout out to the Cubs, finally!  Reared in Indiana one infuses a certain Cubness even if your favorite team is something else. Non fans suffer with friends who are loyal, so their win in game 7 was sweet.  It was an exciting, perhaps one of the most exciting World Series ever. And so we'll dispose of all that mumbo jumbo about a curse and a goat and all of that.  And since we are, may I suggest a new goat as a curse on all of the self righteous in the world. Please welcome the new goat, James Comey.

    See you down the trail.

Roughhouse Coast

boys being boys

  Young male elephant seals are back and have taken over the colony beach.

    It's the season when the sub adults and young males come in from feeding and practice sparring. Soon the females will be back and many of them will be pregnant. Birthing season follows in early winter. The peak of mating season is valentines day

    Now the young males practice the battles they'll do with the bulls, the 5000 pound Kings of the beach. When they arrive the big old boys divide the beach among their harems.

    Never too young or small to start learning the skills that are required to carve out a harem.

   "I'm tougher than you" they seem to taunt each other.

  In the surf as well as on the beach they size up the competition.

   Most could save their energy. It is rare for a young male, like those currently in residence, to successfully challenge the old boys.

   Their glottal deep well barks echo along the beach South of the Piedra Blancas Light Station on the Pacific Coast highway. Compared to the basso profoundo rumble of the adult males, these fellows sound like tenors.

The night returns

  

     The sound of something wakes her. It is 6:00 AM and the 45 people in the church fellowship hall are stirring. She stretches and her cot creaks. She sits up rubbing the sleep from her eyes and feels that her back pack is still there. She is nine and her every possession in the world is in that back pack.

     Her mother has already brushed her hair and gotten her coffee and tells her to get an orange juice before it is gone. Soon they'll line up for a bus ride to the day shelter where volunteers will offer smiles and cereal. If she is lucky she may get a muffin before another bus takes her to school as her mother meets with a case worker trying to help her find a job and housing.

     She will spend the day at school, maybe wishing she had a phone or a better change of clothing, or that her mother had a car. Unable to afford after school activities she will take a bus back to the day shelter where she will get a chance to take a shower and wile away time until dinner, served by volunteers. Then she and her mother and other women and children will be bussed to a church to spend the night. Lights out at nine.

      This is a representation of a day for a homeless child in San Luis Obispo. She could live in any city or town. Grace Macintosh of Community Action Partnership provided the details and narrative of this girl. Social workers in every city and town in America can provide their own cases.

      As a case in point, some 1,515 homeless have been counted in San Luis Obispo County. 35% are women, 15% are under 18 and 87% are unsheltered.  There are fewer than 150 emergency shelter beds through out the county.  The specific numbers are significant, but more important is to understand that similar statistics  are replicated across the nation. 

       As Grace said, "Just imagine what that is like for that 9 year old?"

       The increasing number of homeless is a problem. These are not refugees of war or disaster. These are people who cannot afford housing, victims of an economic system that leaves them short either of money or employment. There are working homeless as well.
        We've all read of fights to prevent the building of shelters or housing options-"not in our neighborhood." That too is common in most communities. 

       Social workers are seeing more seniors as "newly homeless" because a death, loss of income, support, medical bills, or other changes of fortune upend their world. Imagine being in your 70's or 80's, a product of a stable life but suddenly without a home. 
       In addition to those made homeless by economics are those who are on the street because of mental illness, addiction, transients who work a circuit and who may panhandle or do crime. That too is a growing population of Americans, especially young men and women.
       What are the solutions? What options do we have? What can be done?  The more cynical among us opine "there have always been the poor and there will always be." But what kind of answer is that? 
      No matter where you read this, these scenarios play out, not too far from where you are.

    See you down the trail.

Taking for Granted?

California Persimmons-Mill Street, San Luis Obispo

for granted?

    Blogging brother Mike, keeper of the Genial Misanthrope found in the Rich Blogs list on the right of this page, launched  a rumination with his Just A Late Fall Day post.
     His thoughts on our peaceful and bountiful lives, vis a vis most of the earth's population, punched my guilt button. Assignments put me in some of the most desperate and fearful places in the world. Upon returning home my gratitude for how good we have it pushed that button too. I regret that too many of us take too much for granted. So, motivated by Mike's reflections we will today celebrate some thoughtful, creative and simple but wonderful things.

the great experiment

      This is the pin I received 62 years ago as a Polio Pioneer.

I'm grateful my parents agreed to let me take part in America's largest public health experiment. 
       Polio ravaged communities in the 1950's. In 1954 600 thousand school kids became the first to take the Salk vaccine as human guineau pigs. 443 thousand of us got shots of the experimental vaccine while 210 thousand got a placebo. It worked and soon inoculations were offered to all.

       Today is World Polio Day. The disease has almost been eradicated though there is more work to do, and remembering is a part of that. I don't recall being terribly frightened about taking the experimental medicine. I was more frightened about the disease which had crippled or killed in our hometown. 
      We also realize the Polio Pioneer public experiment was one of the first society changing events involving boomers.

it takes a village  

        There are places where this election year has been a joy. A couple of weeks ago candidates for our village government, the Community Services District, gathered for an open forum. By the way that really is Ed Asner at the far left. He began the evening by saying he "had a big mouth." He was there to help moderate and to offer his own brand of humor. 
         The forum was civil, intelligent, helpful and was evidence that when approached properly, representative government is as good as it can get, a real conversation among neighbors about a common future.

party in the garage

    Friends who are nearing completion of a major construction project invited friends to a "bless this building" dinner in the new garage.

     Shame on me if I ever take hospitality and friendship for granted.

    Regardless of what it is, seeing a plan come together brings satisfaction.

   Celebrations are for remembering.

    No one can see around the bend. No one lives in constant bliss. Complex problems, changes, the hurt of dear ones, health and so many other matters are real. But there are moments, memories and situations where the best response is to simply be happy and grateful. 

     Mike, thanks for getting this train rolling.

    See you down the trail.

      

Give them guns & It was this big....

let's just end this stuff

     I've been listening.  I'm a good listener. As a reporter I'm a professional listener. 

     So, you listen long enough and some place in your cranium rationality gets strangled, choked by exhaust fumes we call politics. Used to be one could take it in and, like the energizer bunny, keep on clicking. That went south sometime in the last year. We are talking survival now.

     Give them guns. Give all of them guns. The candidates, the handlers, the pollsters, the traveling media, the anchor set media, the studio audience, the protesters, the t-shirt billboard wearing partisans-who may already have guns, the House of Representatives, the Senate, except Mitch McConnell, K. street firms, every PAC, the Koch brothers, George Soros, Ken Bone and find old Joe the Plumber and give him a plunger and mop.

       Give the rest of us a bunker. And then give us an all clear when the last round has been fired. Then fire up the band with some John Phillips Sousa. Then cue up Moby's latest -Moby and Void Pacific Choir's These Systems are Failing. Then we'll just listen to the quiet and concentrate on our breathing and then try something entirely new-thinking.
      (Will this qualify me for the NRA Golden Gun award?)

it was this big

     My friend Ray fishes in the Sierras. He's partial to float tubing on alpine lakes on the eastern slope.  Three times this year the weather has conspired against his gentle floats under blue skies. Wind, chop, rain and snow have conspired against him, but Ray is a fisherman and he persists. Thank you Ray.

      This baby was 18 inches and some four pounds as he encountered Ray's lure as a gale was bout to beach him, again. Instead it "got landed" before Ray. Rays says he'd left the net behind and so this guy was in the tube and out of the tube and back in the tube where it stayed, before it was iced.
    A day later it was in my fridge and the next day it had been celebrated as such. Lemon infused olive oil, dill, lemon wedges and thyme bathed and pampered it in a "spa moment." It then got to the sauna, 400 degrees.  Normally it would have been saluted on a grill, but the muse said, "bake this big boy." 

    Soon it was further decorated, celebrated and added to another ring in the circle of life.

     Thanks Ray.  God bless the high Sierras and those who dwell there in, in all of their incarnations.

      See you down the trail.