The Fire is Getting Hotter….

“There is no merit in ideological rigidity.” Angela Davis

“If your voice held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence you.” unknown

The election season is just about on top of us. As if we haven’t got ENOUGH stuff going on, now we’re going to be inundated with campaign slogans, hateful commercials, boring debates (although those could be good) and we’ll see the faces of every quack running for any office in the nation repeatedly. For someone like ME it’s a fun, free-for-all of political pundits running all over each other trying to come up with the most memorable words to describe what is sure to be a massive Democrat rout in DC. Trump and his mouth have insured that the old Republican party – now the new Trumpist party – will lose their elections in a landslide victory to the Democrats. And progressives will inhabit Washington DC, much to the dismay of rednecks and evangelicals who are just as educated as ole Trumpy himself. Yes, Donald, it’s an elephant. Bwhahaha!

Anyone who knows me understands that I am very interested in politics and follow closely what is going on politically and legislatively in the USA. I also try to keep myself informed about what is happening on the global stage – both visibly and perhaps covertly. To me this stuff is important. It’s the world we LIVE in, how can it not be important? The American Revolution in 1776 wouldn’t have happened if people decided it was too stressful and hid away from it, totally oblivious to the goings on of the British. No, it happened because people watched, educated themselves, made plans, worked on supporting those fighting in the streets, and kept a vigilant eye on everything going on – even though they only got newspapers occasionally. Their internet was men on horses, riding from town to town to make sure the colonists knew what the Brits were up to, sneaky red-coats! haha (I jest)

Anyway, point is that I’m one of the millions watching and waiting in the wings for the time that is coming that we will ALL be called to take on our responsibility to our country, to peace, love and equality and to remove the hateful, corrupt, vile and idiotic people enabling Trump and his band of theives to operate so openly and freely, without any questions, to completely destroy our county, trample our constitution and disregard our traditions and laws. Never have we had a president that was so vain, so completely in love with himself that he’s willing to destroy a whole country and betray all of her inhabitants just because it’s fun for him and his dictator “daddy” figures give him an “..ataboy” – which he cums in his trousers over every damned time.

I believe that it will become very hot and dangerous for all of us in the near future. Watching and just thinking about some of the things that this administration and all those dirty little hands in it right now, are doing around the globe in the name of America on a daily basis SCARES me. We got Pompeo waltzing around Europe trying to change what is considered a “human right” and what is not. Next he will be compling a list, with the help of TeleTracker – which Trump got him in the CDC take over move – and other covert means of who will actually GET these new “human rights”. Now, does anyone else feel weird having a known evangelical, a known racist and a blatant homophobe/anti-trans old white dude deciding what the “new” human “rights” will BE and who gets them…I don’t have a good feeling about whatever he is cooking up with Putin over there. He, Trump and Putin have got SOMETHING going on and I am sure we will be introduced to it before Nov. 3….oh wait…maybe the surprise IS Nov. 3rd…fuck with Putin involved…*facepalm*….we’re in for a very wild ride.

So, we also have Trump somehow producing these bands of 175 or so unmarked, masked storm troopers invading Portland, Oregon and basically kidnapping people off the street, interrgating them and releasing them, no papers, no explanation, no insignia, and don’t tell who they are or who they are working for. #1. WHERE did Trump GET these military-trained dudes?? #2. WHEN and WHO is paying them??? #3 WHO ARE THEY? Our president is NOT supposed to have his own private secret brigade of warriors at his personal direction and disposal. And where are the Republicans??? Yeah, those guys who got this idiot elected and have been bowing to him like he’s an Ayatollah since 2017. WTF Mitch McConnell, have you no shame??? Your party USED to be the party of law and order, now it’s chaos and mayhem by your own boss!

Where is our REAL military leadership while all of this insanity is happening? Why are they not protesting these “military” style attacks on our cities by some unknown band of camoflaged men? Just because it’s a large group of camoflaged people does NOT necessarily mean that they are legally operating and that what they are doing is not illegal – it IS illegal! They are preventing people from their 1st Amendment rights as well as breaking several local, state and federal laws. The mayor and governor have TOLD them to leave, but they obviously ONLY obey Trump, their Maffioso.

In the meantime, while ALL of this is happening AND we are dealing with the worst pandemic of our lifetimes, we have Kushner, Miller (him and her), Barr and a few other choice names behind the scenes doing GOD KNOWS WHAT! I am SURE everyone of them has a particular assignment given by the great orange buffoon, dealing with which part of our society they are supposed to sabotage, blow up or destroy in some fashion with flare and bravado, trying to stay just 1 step ahead of charges being brought on them…and THIS close to the next presidential election – which they KNOW he’s going to lose already, they are going FULL BORE to gang rape the economy of this country for every flat dime they can steal. They’re ALL CROOKS. Trump has made millions – perhaps over a Billion – by defrauding the American people continuously while he’s been in office. He uses his own facilities to go play goft at thus we pay for everything he does while he’s there – like he doesn’t really own the place – and even inflated prices at that! I hope every idiot out there that REALLY thought this guy would be less of a criminal than meek Hillary is happy with this blooming moron they put in our White House! He will most likely BURN it down on his way out as a final “fuck you” to all of us, Americans and immigrants alike! He has truly left a trail of bloody American bodies in his wake…from soldiers he sold to Putin via Taliban fighters in Iran, to his telling police not to “go easy” on people, but to give them what they “deserve” And how many have died not being able to afford medications to live while Trump gives the top 1% of Americans a $2Trillion tax break? Money that should have been paying for much needed help with things from decaying infrastructure to the lack of community services across the country. No, he wanted his buddies to “love” him and praise him for giving them money…what an imbecile.

While all of the above craziness is taking place within our government – federal, state, county and city/town – we have this nasty Covid-19 ravaging our country and half the world too. We’re in the WORST position we could possibly have made for ourselves all due to a severe lack of direction and leadership at the highest levels. It’s becoming an “every man for himself” scenario I am afraid. Doctors and nurses are exhausted – everywhere – and some places are so full that there are patients in ambulances parked outside the hospital waiting for a bed to become available inside.

SSSSCCCCRRRRREEEEEAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! It’s just so ludicrous, the world is on fire! And we’re so stunned that we are still in the “deer in the headlghts” mode….

Lighter Fare…I gotta stop on the serious stuff, it’s over for today – I hope.

Been doing great. My mouth is healing weird, thankfully I am seeing my dentist, who did the work 10 days ago, so he’ll deal with it I am sure. He’s supposed to pop another broken one out, just the root left in there, but it’s an incisor…ouch. I give this guy a gold star though, he’s done good by me as a client. I really like and appreciate this guy tremendously. We need more like him in this world.

Nola and Lu are doing great as well. They’re big couch potatoes in this heat. They want to stay inside under the air conditioner until after 6 at night. Usually it’s cooler by then and we can open the windows and shut down the AC units. Friggin Maine. Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute, it’ll change!

I have been taking some college courses online thru the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State. The courses are super good! I’m really enjoying them and learning so much. A friend of mine told me I should try taking some online courses, said she could tell that I am hungry to learn…which I agree with, I am – always have been a curious one. The courses I am taking are on social justice and racism in history and culture. I’m looking forward to doing something I believe will bring a lot of satisfaction to my life. And I am going to soak it up and have fun getting there!

Corvid-Caving has given me plenty of time for the courses, of course…haha…sorry, pun….bad…

I just picked up another driving job. Long haul this time. Maine to Florida or California, or anywhere in between. I can’t wait for my first transport!!! I do need to run to Kennebunk and get my licence updated – the town changed the name of my street, so it LOOKS like I have moved, but I have NOT moved ! Anyway, gotta get that updated. Slowly I have been updating various places, gas company, Xfinty, CMP and doctors. Oh! I also just changed my phone number!!! IF you’re someone who had the old one drop me a note to my email and I will send off the new number to you.

You all got to watch this Insane squirrel video! It’s worth the time, believe me! It’s great!

That’s all I got for now, my hands are tired from typing and I’m starting to get distracted because I am tired as F*ck. Hope you all had a great laugh and learned some cool stuff from that squirrel video!!!

Go watch it!!! 🙂

Til Later ~ MB

Catching Up…Mueller’s Week!

Whew…the world feels like it’s moving so very fast lately. It’s like “stop the merry-go-round, I wanna get off!” It’s post-mid-term elections, holiday season, and the tension of waiting for Mueller’s report is palpable. 

This year, 2018, is definitely one of huge proportion. The year of collusion, corruption, and murder. Never in my 56 (almost 57) years have I witnessed such incredible debauchery in my own country. We have been reduced to the laughing stock of the world; a country no longer trusted or revered, with an authoritarian leader who is hell-bent on destroying every good institution in our federal system. Sad. 

Families have become divided over things that Trump is doing or had done. Gatherings are often strained or even combative. The GOP (Republican’s Grand Ole Party) has become silent in their collusion with Trump and his destruction of our political systems and our judicial system.

Extreme weather has devastated the gulf coast of Florida and the surrounding region. Wildfires ravaged Paradise California and Malibu Beach leaving thousands homeless after they lost everything in those fires. It’s been a very tough year on America as a country. I can only hope that 2019 will bring some righteousness and healing because we all need it pretty badly. 

Personally, 2018 has been a pretty good year for me. It brought my woman into my life and lots of great times spent with her. My recovery is going great, and my health has never been better!   I have a wonderful home, a wonderful girlfriend, 2 very healthy little dogs, and a supportive, loving family behind me. So, I have all of that to be grateful for and happy about. 

I put my Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. A little holiday cheer in the house is a good thing. I even got Lulu and Nola new Christmas jammies that are so damned cute on them.

Wow!  It’s Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018…and I do believe that Cohen just confirmed Russian collusion between Trump and his family and members of the Trump campaign team.  Holy Fuck. It’s finally going to get put out in the open for all to see and know that all of Trumps “I don’t have anything to do with Russia” bullshit is just a huge pack of outright lies to cover the fact that he made a deal with the Kremlin and Putin in exchange for their help in getting him elected to the American Presidency.  And I think this is just more of Mueller being super smart and circling the slow-motion train wreck called Team Trump.

Holy crap!  Now it’s Friday…the fucking week has been a blur of Mueller letting little pieces of the puzzle of Trump being compromised by Russia (and I believe he will also point to him being compromised by Saudi Arabia and Ukraine as well when it’s all said and done).  It’s been a crazy ass week for US political news junkies like me. This has become a sort of daily soap opera where you can NEVER imagine what is going to drop next. It’s impossible to predict this shit! You couldn’t write this script if you tried! It’s been a full week of finding out for certain, through the disclosure of factual evidence, that Trump is an un-indicted co-conspirator in obstructing justice, lying to Mueller/FBI/Congress, collusion with Russia, pay off plans to gift Putin with a $50M penthouse, and oh so much more is coming down the Mueller pipeline! 

I bet Trump never saw his November coming to this kind of end. He’s got a big Christmas present coming! The American people are getting to the truth, and it’s not pretty for the Trump family at all. Personally, I will be happy to see him put out of office – one way or another. He’s done nothing short of destruction over these last 2 years and it’s time to put an end to this bullshit.

America needs a LEADER. One who will stand tall, be respected and respectful in world dealings, be looked up to by young people, who treats everyone equally and with dignity. We want to get on with normalizing the political climate here and get on with business like improving our infrastructure, fixing immigration, getting healthcare under control and making sure everyone has good access to affordable care. We’re tired of being embarrassed on the world stage by a man who only think of himself and what he can gain from any situation or interaction. We want to be more at peace here at home, while promoting more peace abroad. We want to get our troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and stop helping the Saudis slaughter the Yemen people and give more help to Ukraine to retake Crimea and force the Russians out of their lands. We want Putin to return the 24 Ukranian sailors he has taken hostage and imprisoned with 13 yr sentences for violating “his” border ideas. We want fair trade policies, not tariffs and over taxation of our trade partners. We just want an end to Trumpism and hatred it has caused.

I’m happy it’s the weekend. I am going to go to a Christmas parade tomorrow morning and to a craft fair at the local high school.  It’s supposed to be a nice day, so I should also be able to finish up my leaf raking and yard clean up before it snows again on Sunday – as predicted. I’m happy; I feel loved and life is good. 

Peace.  Be Kind.  ~ MB

Chaos and Disruption in America

Hello world.  It’s another Monday, my least favorite day of the week.  I wanted to blog last night but Lulu was insistent on licking my computer screen…so I had to put the computer away and tried to sleep..with no luck.  I’ve been having some evil sleeping problems, I just can’t seem to turn off my thoughts and fall into a peaceful slumber.

I worry a lot now about my country and our horribly chaotic political landscape.  Trump is driving us into the ground.  It’s just insane, and it seems to get WORSE every day that goes by that he is still in office.  I’m actually a little bit surprised that he has made it this far (6 mos) without either  being booted or killed.

The level of violence in the USA has risen to all new heights.  Trump’s being elected to our nation’s highest office, with all of his hate, bigotry and discrimination, seems to have given new life to violence.  Some think it’s the answer now.  The police in the US are gunning down criminals at an alarming rate – I personally have NEVER in my life experienced a year like we are having.  Not a day goes by that we don’t hear of a police involved shooting somewhere in this country.  We have had a few of them locally.  It’s astounding to me, cops never used to kill people like this.  They would find ways to take them into custody without taking their lives.  I’m not sure if the Trump administration has given some underlying directive to tighten up and take less prisoners or what.  That is certainly what it feels like.

This scares me because the police are supposed to serve and protect the people.  And with this very strange, violent, unpredictable administration in DC I am afraid of some sort of Marshal law being instituted.  They have already given judicial directives to start trying ALL drug crimes to the maximum penalties.  This is not the answer to stopping illegal drug trade in the US.  Imprisoning people for small amounts of drugs is a waste of time and money, yet that’s what they (Trump & Co.) want to see happen.  The answer is to educate, provide treatment programs and to work to stop the demand.  The drug industry is completely fueled by supply and demand.  If we could somehow teach people how NOT to reach for drugs as an answer to problems then we would slow the demand, making it inevitably less profitable to deal drugs, and less appealing.  Sounds simple huh?  Too bad it’s not. Take it from a drug addict, curing addiction is a bitch, and it’s so easy to reach for that thing that kills the pain, makes one happier for a little while, and is so easy to get.

So, I fear the police now.  I’ve always had a healthy respect for the law enforcement of this country, and I have had my dealings with them on a few levels over the years.  But now it’s different.  I fear being stopped in my vehicle, fear reaching for my wallet – maybe I’ll become another statistic of  the “….I thought she was reaching for a gun…” defense.  It seems that it happens so frequently now.  There was an Australian woman in Michigan recently that called the cops because she heard a woman in distress in the alley, as she was standing outside the cop car talking to the cops the cop on the passenger side shot through the driver’s window and killed her.  She was holding a phone.  She had called them…she needed their help…she ended up DEAD.  And STILL the cops are remaining silent, they won’t say WHY they killed her!!!!  THAT is an ATROCITY.  That is the kind of stuff we now fear from our own law enforcement here in the USA – land of the free, supposedly a safe country.  Things are changing.  My country is morphing into a place that frightens me, especially as a Butch lesbian.

Trump and Company are in loads of legal troubles lately.  They are all lying so much about their involvement with Russia and Putin that it’s pathetically obvious.

I could rant on and on about all the horrible things that Trump and his cronies are proposing to do to the USA.  The list is pretty much endless.  He’s attacking any and all programs that help people live. He’s attacking minority communities.  Doing away with all reference to the LGBT community, attacking HIV/AIDS programs, Social Security, Medicare and our food supplement program – which feeds millions here.  His idea is to do away with ALL of these programs as soon as possible.  He will create even MORE poverty, more suffering and more hatred.  Many Americans, most of us, are upset, angry and afraid for our future; for the future of America as a unified country.  But what to DO about what is happening is very confusing and feels out of reach.  Even our representatives in government are not all speaking out against all that is happening.  A few brave politicians ARE, but the majority are remaining silent; afraid for their own political futures if they “go against” the sitting president.  Yes, he has our country in a choke hold, and somehow we don’t seem to be able to yet break free.

Personally, I am trying to hold on to my pride in my country; trying to hang on to some faith that we will come together and put our country back on the right track.  We can once again become a country that cares for all, not just some of the people.  The American people are very caring and devoted people.  Taking care of our own should be our first priority, and yet this new administration thinks that taking care of only the rich and powerful is important, and that the lessers can fend for themselves in all ways.  They see women as property and as breeding machines without the ability to govern their own bodies and lives.  This has been made obvious by various statements made by several men in the Trump administration over time.

Some of the things you hear and read are so incredible that you just cannot believe that anyone “really” said them!  Things like that God is punishing people by making them disabled.  That women are meant to be raped.  That men are entitled to rape.  That we do not need a supplemental food program in a country where 1 in 4 have food instability.  That we do not need preventative medical care.  That we do not need a healthcare policy.  …and on and on…just incredulous statements and ideas!

We know that several things go on when someone wants and intends to control a country’s people.

The news media is discredited and people are told to only believe the government’s words.

Education is cut, because the less educated the people are the less trouble they can cause.  Keeping people in the dark.

Scare tactics are used.  People are made to fear the police, their government officials, attacks from abroad and each other.  An air of distrust is created to keep people on edge and seeking some kind of protection for themselves and their families.

Groups of people are marginalized, like the LGBT community, the African American community, Latino/a community, Muslims, Mexicans, Asians, and anyone not white, well educated and rich.  This keeps us separated so that we in turn fear not only them, but one another in many ways.  This keeps us from coming together and fighting the real enemy of the people.

These are all tactics used by the powerful to keep the people under their control, and to keep chaos in the air.  This is exactly what Hitler did in Germany.  This is what Trump is doing to America.  Think about it.  These things, plus more, are being done on a daily  basis.  Look at the programs he has condemned to shut down already – including our American Healthcare program, our department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, Planned Parenthood, Women’s advancement programs, child welfare programs, wildlife protection programs, and more.  He’s dismantling all that is good about America, one program at a time.

If this stuff doesn’t frighten – or at least concern you a lot – then you really don’t get what is about to happen here.  It has to be stopped before it’s too late.

Some Republicans are beginning to see that Trump is NOT good for America or the American way.  Those few will grow in number over time.  I just hope it is soon enough.

Peace.  ~MB