Pandemic Fail: What Trump Did Wrong

{Updated 10/1} If you are a fan of the guy in the White House and a friend of this blog, you may want to skip this one. I don't mean to offend a friend.

I blame Donald Trump and his incompetence for the Pandemic. A teacher friend shared that when people say that, it devolves in a screaming match and she never really learns why someone blames him. So I thought I would explain why I blame him for chaos we are living under. 

First some background. I worked in the film industry and education among other fields. I can move an army through the desert. I understand logistics and purchasing. I've collaborated with the Army, Navy and Secret Service in my career. My family background includes construction (which I have helped in) and law enforcement. I've lost my job due to COVID, so I have some skin in the game. 

So this is what should have been done by a TRUE leader: 

1) Don't tear apart the Pandemic Team. The history of our Pandemic readiness as a nation dates back to George W. Bush. He was on vacay at the ranch and read a book on the 1918 Pandemic. (A President that reads...how novel!) He read that they occur every 100 years or so and was looking at the calendar and came back to Washington and gave orders to start preparing. Obama continued and enhanced. Trump tore it apart. Gotta love a lack of foresight and planning on a leader's part. 

2) Freeze the borders immediately. Donald's excuse: "Well if they are Americans, you have to let them in." So quarantine them on an army base or hotel or outpatient hospital. Hawaii is doing this. Other countries did this. 14 days and a clear test and DONE. 

Los Angeles' own patient zero was from Wuhan who flew into LAX TWICE while ill... the second time, he was too ill to move and had to be hospitalized. Think of the plane-loads of people he infected. This should have never been allowed to happen! 

3) Mask mandate. Fauci / Birx et. al have openly admitted they did not suggest masks because they knew there were not enough and feared medical personnel would have NONE.  This is where LEADERSHIP is crucial! A good, effective leader could prevent panic by saying the following: 

"Listen folks, we believe a mask is crucial to stopping this, but PLEASE do not run out and buy an N95. We are desperately trying to make sure our medical teams have those. A simple fabric mask will do. So I'm going to call on all the fabulous makers and sewers we have here in America. Get that quilting fabric you've been stashing away out and SAVE LIVES! The CDC is posting patterns on their website and the White House website will have it too. Please make masks for all your friends... and honestly we are so short on N95s, make some covers for your nurse and doctor friends too! THIS COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!

And I know it's uncomfortable to wear them but the thing is, you can be spreading the virus without having ANY symptoms! So please do your part and wear a mask! I'll wear mine every time you see me in public. Just know when you see me wearing a mask, I'm doing my part to save the lives of my family and wonderful staff. YOU DO THE SAME and we'll get through this quickly!"

And then you wear a mask everywhere. Be photographed in it. Make it normal! Make it heroic! And never, ever make fun of anyone who choses to be so heroic!

4) Purchasing clearinghouse. The USA had the ability to order supplies: PPE, masks, gloves, gowns, ventilators etc. in bulk at a Federal level. If I were purchasing on this level (for 50+ states and territories), I would have worked on percentages. Ex: If New York had 55% of the cases, NY would have first crack at 55% of whatever we bought on a given day. If CA had 20% of all cases, they could have 20% of available PPE. If someone had enough gowns, they could just stay in inventory. 

Items would be sold to the states at cost.

As it was, states were bidding against one another and would think they had locked in supplies only to be outbid again. There were stories of comptrollers being lead to parking lots by highway patrol to get to the PPE first. California was paying $5.50 for N95 for healthcare workers when the going rate was half that.  Desperation breeds fear and costs money. By having the Federal Government work as a centralized clearinghouse (something our military has vast experience in), it prevents panic and saves money. 

5) Standardized Re-opening plans. If the Federal Government had set a clear standard for what the numbers of cases should look like before you open restaurants / bars / gyms / churches / schools, there would have been far less pushback. They don't have to mandate but come up with a plan. Even the Department of Education HAS NO PLAN. Everything is left up to the states.  What could have been standardized across the country is willy nilly and based on politics, not saving lives. Which leads to spoiled baby Americans saying, "Why to they get to go out to eat when I have to stay home." More discord and pushback. 

6) Let the science do the talking. Trump made every press conference about HIM. A genuine leader with concern for his people would have popped in and said, "Ok, this is what we are looking at today: {Update on numbers}. We have cut a deal to {buy PPE / manufacture vents}. Wear your mask folks and now, I'm going to let the scientists fill you in on the rest. 

Talk about what the government can do (your strength as a leader) and let the smart scientists do the heavy lifting, without regard to your own electability! 

7) Just be honest with us. I know that's a hard thing for dear misleader to do with over 20,000 lies on the books (Why are we o.k. with that?). Americans will tolerate a lot. They will band together and pull off AMAZING things, when under clear, direct leadership. 

8) Pay people to STAY HOME! (Can't believe I left this out!) Other countries did this. In Korea, they basically paid for groceries and utilities and that's it. All rent / mortgage's suspended. Did you skip the key word there: mortgages. I'm a landlord. I rely on my rental income to make MY bills... my mortgages were not suspended (Heaven forbid we hurt the big, bad banks!) but my rental income was. It just makes no sense the way our Government has tackled this! How's the whopping $1200 you got way back in April holding out??? 

How different would things be if we had someone kind and compassionate in the White House? 

I can only imagine... but I do know this for sure. We would all be out having a cocktail or lovely dinner after getting off of work if these things had been done. 

Duck Idioms

Living with so many ducks, several idioms have become clear as day to me; and some, clear as mud! I thought I could use some photos to clarify.

Duck Walk:

Like Ducks to Water:

Like Water off a Ducks Back:

Ducks in a Row:

Sitting Duck:

Lucky Ducks:

The Odd Duck (There is ALWAYS one!):

Duck Blind:

With apologies to geese: Silly Ducks

With apologies to my pool man: Duck Soup

With apologies to dogs and rock bands: 13 Duck Night:

With apologies to my Democratic friends and for being all political on a duck blog (especially on a day the Prez did such a wonderful thing!) but I obviously didn't have a photo of my own to fit: 

Lame Duck:

Duckpdate - Fall Habitat

I haven't really been posting on the ducks because... the ducks are doing what they are supposed to do...growing up and moving on. But Sarge is hosting a Give Us the Bird posting contest this week and when Mabel Lou heard there may be foodables involved... well, she egged me on!

So, I thought I would post some duckling pics and tell you a few stories of the goings on at Dirty Creek this week. The biggest adjustment the not-so-little team had to make was the annual fall raping of their habitat. They are living in a flood control basin which is improperly controlled. As you can see in the photo below, all the tall reeds the ducks were living in are on the right are now trimmed to the ground!

Yet right across the water, where most of the flood waters actually go, the city did not cut or trim. Nor did they cut the tree that fell this year. It's all a bureaucratic mess! The Dept of Public Works blames Fish and Game who claim rare species in those waters. Yeah? Well if that's the case, why did you allow a five foot deep pond to fill up with sediment to maybe one foot deep???

The government agencies also blame the golf course, who - per their contract with said governing bodies - are supposed to maintain the trails and creeks. They've done such a crappy job that this week, another government agency is taking over. Grrrr. Don't get me started... back to my ducks...

Mallory Mallard enjoying her bath in my pool's waterfall while watching her ducklings.

I check on the ducks most evenings and I was there the very day the trimming was done. The ducks looked somewhat confused and mildly panic stricken. But this little team is tough. The next day, they seemed much calmer. In some ways, it's good the city no longer trims the area north of the pond...that's where predators must approach from! And I'm certain they make quite a ruckus going through the thick growth.

So the team made it through another hurdle.

If you would like to join Sarge's contest, be sure to check out his blog!

Advice for Mr. Trump

I can't say I was surprised that Donald Trump dropped out of the presidential race. He seemed to get off on the wrong foot right away and he lost the race before his name could ever appear on a ballot.  This is sad to me because I feel that someone with his business knowledge could make a great president under the right circumstances.

But Trump got hung up on things that don't matter...like whether or not Hawaii is part of these United States...instead of talking about something that does. It's the economy, stupid! If the whole birther mess didn't hang him, his ability to NOT laugh at himself at the White House Correspondent's Dinner certainly did.


Here's a clip of Seth Meyers ... check out Trump never cracking a smile


But the fact of the matter is... we are a vain and petty country. And unless Mr. Trump has a successful hair transplant before his next attempt at the presidency, he has about a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected.What's his hair got to do with it??? We always elect the guy with the better hair. Don't believe me???
Take a look:

Good Hair / Bad Hair

OK Hair / Better Hair (I think the eyebrows hurt Gore too)

Good Hair / Strange Hair

Good Hair / Excellent Hair

Again: Good Hair / Excellent Hair

Now I ask you, is this presidential hair???

I think not.Almost any man in America could out do this head.

It Needs to Be Addressed

In the aftermath of the shooting in Arizona, I've heard all sorts of things and groups blamed:

• The Democraps blame Republicists
• And vice versa
• The Idontgiveacrats blame the "political rhertoric"
• Everyone blames the media
• Some blame the shooters parents
• Many blame our gun laws
• A few blame the idiot loser shooter (ILS - I refuse to print such a loser's name!)

And all are absolutely wrong. Yes, I do blame the ILS. It is ultimately his fault but I wish somebody - ANYBODY would address the greater issue which is the way this country treats the mentally ill. 

This ILS was clearly a mental case for many years. And the inclination would be to blame his parents. But the fact of the matter is, even if these parents realized something was wrong with him years ago, they would not have gotten any real HELP!

They may have turned to his school and chances are the school was just as exasperated with him as the parents were. They may have turned to our social services or mental health agencies, but I promise you, they wouldn't have seen much of an improvement. 

This issue makes me so angry. There is great mistreatment of the mentally challenged in this country. I've seen it in the homeless people I know. I've seen it in my own family. 

Would you believe, it's standard practice to NOT label a minor with mental deficiencies??? Think about that... a child with sociopathic tendencies CANNOT be labeled a sociopath! I assume this is the fear of mislabeling a healthy child and giving him challenges to overcome. But I find it odd that we fail to examine and label problem kids when this, to me, seems the best time to prevent a tragedy such as Tucson. In addition, the kid would potentially be covered by parental insurance as opposed to a problem adult with no money for treatment. 

It's exasperating. And exhausting. I know a young man with 13 of the 14 most common traits of serial killers (list below). And his foster parents have tried EVERYTHING available to them. And I have to wonder if the parents of the ILS from Tucson felt the same. 

But unless and until we find a humane way to deal with our mentally ill, this kind of thing will keep happening. You can't do a damn thing about slap dab crazy. At least, not yet. 

14 Most Common Traits of Serial Killers

1. Over 90 percent of serial killers are male.

2. They tend to be intelligent, with IQ's in the "bright normal" range.

3. They do poorly in school, have trouble holding down jobs, and often work as unskilled laborers.

4. They tend to come from markedly unstable families.

5. As children, they are abandoned by their fathers and raised by domineering mothers.

6. Their families often have criminal, psychiatric and alcoholic histories.

7. They hate their fathers and mothers.

8. They are commonly abused as children — psychologically, physically and sexually. Often the abuse is by a family member. 

9. Many serial killers spend time in institutions as children and have records of early psychiatric problems.

10. They have high rates of suicide attempts.

11. From an early age, many are intensely interested in voyeurism, fetishism, and sado-masochistic pornography.

12. More than 60 percent of serial killers wet their beds beyond the age of 12.

13. Many serial killers are fascinated with fire starting.

14. They are involved with sadistic activity or tormenting small creatures.

In Defense of Bristol Palin

I hate politics... mostly for what it does to normally sane people. But I've been especially offended by all the comments and rants over Bristol Palin's continued good misfortunes on Dancing With The Stars.

I will openly admit, I'm more than a bit biased as I write this. NO, I'm not a Tea Partier and I'm not a left winger either. My bias comes from childhood - from being the only "normal" sized girl in a dance class. I was a little girl who could strike amazing lines (very important in dance), albeit, not skinny lines.

I loved being on the stage. I danced solos in front of large audiences. My dance career came to crashing halt when my mom took me out of the Dotsy Barron School of Dance after I refused to dance one more time for company in our living room. (My mother will tell you it was because I was left unattended when class was canceled but this is MY story.) It is one thing to be on a stage with bright lights in your face, completely unaware of the audience until all is said and done versus, being in your living room, very aware of the uncomfortable stares on the faces of your parents' friends!

I didn't dance again until I was in my last semester in college. Taking two projects classes that required about 60 hours a week, I found myself missing an elective to graduate. The only one that fit my crazy life was a Broadway style dance class - full of Dixie Darling's no less!  Talk about pressure - take a dance class with a dance squad! But I was busy with film projects and marketing projects and decided to view the class as a twice weekly steam release. I went; I danced; I left. It wasn't until one of the Darlings came up to me at the end of the semester and said, "Wow, you can really dance!" did I realize that I was again being judged for being a "normal" sized girl who dared to dance into a skinny girl's domain.

Just know... that's where my Bristol bias comes from. That and I love rooting for the underdog.

I should also disclose that I'm a somewhat long time fan of the show. I hate reality t.v. on many levels and in the beginning referred to DWTS as Dancing with the Vaguely Familiar. But for some reason, I got hooked on season four and never miss it now. I love the pro dancers so much - they are such talented people and having to put up with famous people is not easy. And having to put up with people who once were famous is even worse!

I expected little from Ms. Palin but when she hit her lines with such ease in show one... I thought she had a future. I felt it was confidence she lacked. I saw a normal girl in a skinny celebrity world and she won my heart.

Now, I admit, she has not progressed as fast as many others have. But Bristol has come so far. She still lacks confidence and acting ability. But she shows UP. She doesn't phone it in. She doesn't look into the camera and beg for votes. She doesn't appear to be a Diva. She's real. And I like REAL.

The girl has spunk. When she learned she got the job on DWTS, she put her baby in the truck and drove to L.A. from Alaska. I once considered driving my Jeep to Louisiana with a rottweiler and chickened - out.

And speaking of Bristol's son, Tripp: She has spoken of how hard it is to be working seven days a week and having to send him home to Alaska with relatives. As have the other parents on the show. Without fail, every season, the celebs who have kids always talk of the impact of the show on their families... except for one. Brandy.

And again, I'm biased here. I have friends who have worked with Brandy. D.I.V.A. Nothing I care to repeat here but I will share a story told to my by the former principal of Hollywood High. That school has so many celebrity alumni that come back and visit. Once Brandy had returned and came into the principal's office, which was covered with autographed photos from floor to ceiling. Brandy asked where her picture was. The principal pointed it out - up near the ceiling. Brandy asked why it wasn't at eye level where it could be seen. My friend told her, when you graduate from high school, I'll move it! (I think this says a lot about BOTH women!)

For all the outrage blasted over the "news" media this week, when I've met someone and hear them complain, I always ask, "Did you vote?" Surprisingly, the answer is NO! I can understand complaints about her dancing but the worst is the issues that Bristol has NO control over.

• They show her mom on every episode - as they do every celebrity's  family. Just because viewers don't realize that's Kurt Warner's wife or Jennifer Grey's husband and they do recognize Sarah Palin doesn't mean the producer's are treating Bristol differently. When Momma grizzly didn't come, they showed Bristol's aunt. After every dance, the first audience shot is almost always someone connected to the celeb.
• The Tea Party is stacking the vote - but if you listen to the producers of the show, Bristol and partner Mark Ballas only needed 1.5% more votes than Brandy to stay in the competition. I hardly call 1.5% a stacked vote.That's less than a margin of error in most elections!
• The ABC website allows you to vote with multiple, unconfirmed email addresses - This may be true but again, the producers have publicly stated IP addresses are being checked...there's no way to fake that!
• People are calling from multiple phone numbers - True... but it is allowed for an allotted number of votes. Back when Apolo Anton Ohno won and I had four phone lines for the house and the shop plus a cell phone, I would race around calling from all of them.

I just wish people would give her a break. Life is hard enough for Joe Schmo. I can't imagine how hard life would be as the unwed teen mom /daughter of Sarah Palin. Which brings up the one reason I'm thrilled Bristol has made it this far... MONEY! Base salary for the celebs starts around 125K with bonuses for each week they stay on ranging from 10K per week to 50K for the final show. The winner will make around 350K for the whole run with the two runners up making 50 - 100K less. How much life could 250K buy YOU??? I love that this girl can get an education or save for her young son's future or just stay home and be a mom if she chooses. I wish every single mother in this country were so lucky!

I promise, unless some miracle happens, Bristol won't be the best dancer Monday night. But she will have the most heart.  Just like in previous seasons, the voters will decide the final winner. And just like my mother taught me about my duty to show up and vote in a real election, "If you don't vote, you give up your right to complain."

Down in the Dumps

I've been a bit down lately and I hate posting here when I am. I can fake it for the bead blog... but this place is all me...my haven; my one true place. I don't fake it well here. So maybe if I get it all off my chest, the fog will lift. Here goes:

Mother
My mom has been really sick. Scary sick. She's 87 and her mortality has always been near the surface of my fears ever since I was a child and my father died. Now that we have the correct diagnosis (equilibrium issues), she is on the mend. But it's been a frightening week. I bought and returned THREE plane tickets in one day, unable to decide if I should go to her or stay put. Of all the many versions of me, it's Indecisive Holly I dislike the most. In the end, my poor sister bore the brunt of this one with me making phone calls and giving advice from here.

The Website:
While working on my taxes, I started to distract myself with the need to totally rebuild my bead website (Still in progress...). You know I'm bored if html code suddenly sounds interesting. It has been an all consuming project which is what led to the next problem....

My Left Elbow:
My left arm is numb...like it's asleep ALL the time. I've somehow damaged a nerve in my arm. I never knew how many things I do with my non-dominant arm until it started hurting. I hang onto the phone as if I'm sliding off Mt. Everest. On the computer, my elbow remains on the edge of the desk until I need to two-handed type. I drive with my elbow resting on the window sill. When Mabel joins me on the sofa, I scoot to the right; to keep from falling off the edge, I lean left. I sleep on my left side with the elbow bent and the arm tucked under OR on my back, lots of pillows and weight on my left elbow. If my hands get cold, I tuck them under my behind and put more pressure on the elbow. I rest on that elbow making beads.

WHO KNEW my world could be turned upside down by one freaking little elbow???

I went to the local massage school yesterday for a $20 massage and managed to leave with feeling in my index finger and thumb. Now, if the rest of them would wake up...

The IRS:
I owe more money to the IRS than I have ever owed in my life! And yes, I'm spitting mad about it. I took money out of a retirement account because I had NOTHING at Christmas. I took the money to pay property taxes and my house note... that's it. No Christmas shopping - I didn't give gifts this year. NOTHING frivolous... just keeping a roof over my head. And even though my business lost money last year, I still owe... a penalty for taking my own damn money. ARGH!!!

It wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't think it would be going to buy flowers for Nancy Pelosi or half of a screwdriver for the Pentagon.

The Job Prospects:
I send out resumes all the time and have come to accept I may not hear back as I always seem to be grossly overqualified or missing ONE thing out of literally forty required skills. But I've applied for no less than three jobs in the past month that I am a dead on skill match for. And... NOTHING.

But, there is always one cheery, wonderful thing in every blessed day. The one creature who can get me out of my head and out of my house. The girl who always makes me laugh. Here she is on a hike with Twinkie's pack.

And, you might enjoy this photo essay of the girl eating cream with her furiends from Twinkie's blog. And... these next pics are not photoshopped at all...just cropped! Hope they make you smile!

How Very American

I was quite miffed the other day when I saw Aretha Franklin on The View. The hostesses inquired about that fantastic hat Ms. Franklin wore to the inauguration in January. The Smithsonian Museum wants it but has not gotten it.

Ms. Franklin stated, "I'm considering it. But, we haven't come to terms..."

Haven't come to terms???? What terms??? They want it. SEND IT TO THEM! PERIOD!

Maybe it's the two trips to Washington DC I took as a child, both highlighted by trips to various Smithsonian museums, that makes me feel this way. These places are living history.

And the thought that some petty music superstar can't come to terms with donating a hat...

She won't wear it again... does she want visitation rights? Can't be that... everyone can visit.
What other terms could there possibly be? That really leaves the issue of money. Does she want remuneration? While tacky, surely some donor will step up and reimburse her for the damn hat.

And I guess that makes Ms. Franklin very American.

The Efficiency of the Public Works Dept.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works maintains our local streets. They even take care of the plants along the streets.

Trump Got It WRONG!

It big news here in Cali that Donald Trump, owner of the Miss USA pageant, has ruled that the bigot we call Miss California will keep her title in spite of not revealing nude photos to the pageant and spending her time working against gay marriage.

Ms. Prejean, the bigot in question, states, "I exercised my freedom of speech and I was punished for doing so."

Well, honey, your freedom of speech shows you to be an idiot and a bigot!

And really, if she stood up there and stated that African Americans or Asians deserved to not be treated equally, would she still have that crown, Mr Trump? I think not.

When you isolate one group of people and treat them differently, that's not right. And it seems gay people are the last frontier of bigotry in this country. Enough is enough.

Bittids - Inauguration Related

It certainly has been an exciting day for our country and, it would seem, the world at large. We have so many hopes for this president and I do pray for better days for all of us.

No Prayer for Me
Speaking of praying, I was quite upset at the choice of Rick Warren to say the invocation and was rather shocked to see yet another controversial minister associated with Barack Obama. For those of you that don't follow California politics, Rick Warren was one of the minsters behind Prop 8, making it illegal for gays to marry. Another minister that espouses hate and bigotry... I'm think the administration needs a "Minister Choosing Committee" for all public functions.

I turned the t.v. off and had the BFF phone when Warren was done.

How Do They Move that Fast?
I have been obsessed in recent weeks with how someone moves and starts such a huge demanding job. Moving is one of the most stressful things I've ever done and it took me a year to unpack after moving here! Not only that... there's the whole issue of what to take and what to leave behind.

When you know you are only going to live in a place for as little as four years, you probably leave quite a few things behind. But most presidents seem to get in for a second term. Eight years... that's almost a decade. I would want every creature comfort or hobby item or book I own with me.

Luckily, Good Morning America ran a video over the weekend about how the White House staff moves one president in and one out. It was fascinating, especially considering they do it in five hours!!!! Almost 100 people move the Bush family out, repaint and then completely unpack the Obamas! They even put favorite stuffed animals out for the girls, a favorite book on the nightstand of the president... they have extensive notes about how the Obamas live and like their belongings. And I'm still amazed that all this gets done in five hours!

How Will He Sleep?
I can never get to sleep my first night in a strange place. I know many others suffer from this although I don't know if President Obama does. But, think about it. There are performers that cannot "come down" after being in front of an audience. Obama spoke before millions... add in the t.v. audience and the number shoots way higher. He was in a parade. He even worked a bit. He and his family moved today after moving twice in the past month. And tomorrow, he starts one of the hardest jobs in the world at a most difficult period. How the hell is that man going to sleep at all???

Change Indeed???
Right after the Inaugural Address, I got three orders. I haven't had three orders on one day in months! And they were decent... not the petty five dollars here and ten there that have been trickling in! This is my best financial day in months!

Excited, I called the BFF. They got orders today too. And, she's always checking the dollar to the Euro because her mom lives part of the year in Hungary. She reports the dollar is much stronger!
Now, that's some good change!

Movie Review: Milk

The night I got the stomach flu, I was out with a friend to see a preview of Milk, starring Sean Penn. The movie is so amazing and I need to issue a Spoiler Alert for the simple reason, I doubt this movie will even get the play time it so deserves in middle America.

The Gus Van Sant helmed film about the life of seventies gay activist Harvey Milk is an incredible and surprisingly timely story. The casting is uncanny: all three major characters (Milk, Councilman Dan White and Mayor Moscone) are played by dead ringer actors (Penn, Josh Brolin and my favorite song and dance man, Victor Garber respectively).

The movie opens as Harvey Milk, living in the closet in New York picks up a younger man, played by James Franco. The two end up moving to San Fransisco and starting a business Castro Camera.

At first, conservative Southern Belle that I am, I was a bit concerned about the sex scenes... this was San Fransisco in the seventies: pre-AIDS, let's sleep with everybody, freewheeling seventies. And Van Sant is not known for his discretion. But they were really pretty mild. There is one tender moment early in the movie with Fraco's Scott Smith character sitting on a ledge in front of the camera store. Sean Penn as Milk was squatting on the ground and the two were making out. It felt so tender and personal that I felt as like I was some voyeur watching a very private moment.

While the Castro was quickly becoming a mostly gay community, homosexuals were still regularly beaten and even barred from some businesses. Milk quickly organized the gay community. They would boycott businesses that refused to do business with them. Even business owners who initially shunned homosexuals could not deny the power of their dollars.

Milk started running for public office by approaching groups who lacked representation: gays, hippies in the Height and the elderly. Still he lost several times. All the while, he has clearly become a leader in Castro and gay community thanks to a fight against Prop 6 and Anita Bryant. Prop 6 made firing of gay teachers mandatory. Even if you weren't gay but supported them, you could be fired.

How timely that the gay community is fighting a similar battle with Prop 8 here in California and in other states that refuse to give them the right to marry...even though a marriage provides different rights than a civil union would.

After one such loss, Milk gathers his inner circle and asks them if they are out. Most nod in agreement.

Then he asks again: Are you out to your parents, your siblings, your friends, co-workers, neighbors, your boss? Are you out to everyone you know? The room grows quiet. He hands a phone to one man and says, "If they know one of us, they vote with us.

I can't go into the ending and Milk's murder...I got ill and missed the last twenty minutes and will the see the movie again for that. But what I saw was beautiful and amazing.

Mr. Milk, I know many of you. I care about my friends and I love them deeply. I'm proud to stand beside you and vote for equal rights for ALL!

At Least I Feel Better...

A reader on Velvet's blog wrote about the website Change.gov. I was shocked that they requested people to fill in a form with their vision for the government. And while I doubt my tiny voice will make a dent and all the President-elect Obama has to do (I certainly feel like there is more pressure on him to get the ball rolling way faster than any other newly elected president in my memory!), it made me feel better for writing it.

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Right now, my business is failing. I'm looking for work and even though I have a ton of skills, there are no decent paying jobs OR I'm literally one of hundreds applying.

The thing that scares me is our government wanting more and more of MY money. This is happening on a local, state and probably national level. When things are tight and I have little coming in, I have to cut back. That's what I expect of my government. Don't come asking for more when I don't have more to give.

The other thing that bugs me is our elected officials filling bills with more and more pork. A bill should be about one thing. If you need to send some money for some local pet project, fine; but make it a stand alone bill.

Re: the war. I don't think we should pull out IF it's going to leave egg on our face or leave us open for future attacks. We promised the Iraqi people we would be there for them in Gulf I, and we weren't. What have we promised them now that we can't deliver?

Finally, you folks in Washington have GOT to start dealing with our open border policy! ILLegal aliens affect EVERY social aspect of American life: Jobs, Hospitals closing, identity theft, & declining / overcrowded schools. My godson had to go to a private school in first grade because we spoke English! Imagine that in America? We had to pay for private school because we spoke the native tongue! That's a disgrace!

I can't imagine anyone is actually going to read this but I'm praying for a stronger, more successful America under Obama.

Unique Show of Support

OK, so I sort of went off on folks gloating after the election. I certainly didn't mean to offend any of my regular readers. I'm so sorry about that. I know many of you feel differently than I do and it makes for lively conversation amongst friends.

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I had meant to mention this in yesterday's post but forgot. One of the neatest (and quietest) shows of support that I saw for Obama on election day: Many, many people on Facebook added a middle name to their own on election day.

That name: Hussein.

It was very sweet and comical all at the same time. And a brilliant way to say that a man is so much more than his name.

Election Day - Excited, Appalled, Sad & Pissed

I must say it was truly exciting to see lines of people out the door of the polling place across the street from my house. My own polling place - thanks to the lines of democracy drawn down the middle of th streets around here, I vote a block from my BFF's house and she votes across the street from me - was moved from the cramped choir practice room to a large auditorium. There were more poll workers than I've ever seen, including two teenagers too young to vote.

Outside, an immigrant voting for the first time posed in front of the auditorium and flag for his young daughter to take his picture. Ah, if we were only so patriotic.

In spite of the "record" turnout, the numbers that really have my attention are these: 37 / 32 / 29. Those are the percentages of registered voters from the Democratic / Republican / and Independent party that showed up to vote. Isn't that sad? How can you not care? How can you not see that this affects all of us? How can you be so cavalier with the voice people died to give you?

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Election-wise, I feel like a loser all around. I don't think I've ever felt this way after an election. I was so caught up in prop 8. Sadly, it passed and I can only hope that we take this battle to the Supreme Court. It is nothing more than discrimination. And that can't be tolerated!

I was also suddenly aware that the Yes on 8 jerks were advertising on MY blogs! I became aware of it when I went over to Becky's Constant Crafter blog to comment and saw a huge banner! I emailed and ripped into her and then realized - she doesn't feel that way; I KNOW she doesn't. And then I remember google adsense and the box to allow political content. I raced to check my blog and right next to my No on 8 tirade, there was a Yes on 8 ad. Shaking with anger and not knowing where to turn off political content, I took the ads of this blog. I was even more shocked to find an ad on my BEAD blog...no political content there; why advertise there??? I took those down too and as I hit various websites and continued to see them, I started clicking. Why not cost the bigots some money???

Too bad the ads are not around today....

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As for president, at least the year Ross Perot lost (Go Ross!), we still got Clinton and I could feel OK about that. I have so many fears about this guy that so many follow so blindly. Some rational, some not.

On the irrational side - please remember that I became a huge Obama opponent after his appearance on a Spanish radio program here - I fear he'll hang a huge Bienvenido sign at our Southern borders.

On the more rational side, I'm terrified of how he wants to pay for all his change. I somehow feel like I will be footing the bill.

And I have to wonder what all the masses that so adore him are going to think come summer when "change" really hasn't happened. It simply can't happen that fast and even he hinted at that in his acceptance speech last night.

And those of you that are so elated, please remember almost half of us more quiet voters are very sad and even afraid of what the future holds. Please don't rub your victory in our faces too much. Please, give us a little time to adjust.

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I spoke to Mom this morning and she was happy at the defeat of several new taxes in Baton Rouge. There, they recently increased the values of homes in hopes that a new property tax bill aimed at homes valued over $100K would pass. It didn't. They also defeated a measure that would increase their sales tax - already one of the highest in the nation. (I am shocked each time I visit that they tax groceries there, something we don't do in expensive California.)

The bottom line is, everyone is feeling the pinch and I for one and sick of the way our politicians waste our hard earned money. I have less money coming in than ever. I'm living off savings - and very little of that is left. When I have less money, I cut down. I don't go beg for more! It's time politicians from city hall to the white house all learned, tighten the belt!

Waiting on the World to Change

For a dog, the whole world changes by simply talking a walk. For most people, it's not that simple.

So while the rest of these United States collectively holds her breath, hoping and praying for a change, I going to join that cute dog waiting in that jeep and go for a hike (right after I vote, of course). Because I honestly feel, that no matter who moves into 1600 Pennsylvania come January, I don't feel he can do much to improve my world. I really think it's foolish to expect a president to have such power.

And yet, these two men-who-would-be-king have already changed our country. It has been said that more people voted for American Idol than voted in the last election. If you look at the numbers for my state, on average only about 50% of those eligible to vote are even registered and the turnout of those folks on election day is even smaller. Those who have the right to vote are so cavalier with their power and privilege, that often only 30% (on average) chose the direction of this state with each election. That's pretty pitiful!

But this election will be all accounts be different. Numbers as high as 80% are expected at our polls! Now, that's change I can believe in (and only pray that it lasts!).

So, while I don't expect much from the new president and things are pretty bad here economically - so many of my friends are facing desperate times - I still have people who love me, people who make me laugh, food in my pantry, a creek to hike in that's guaranteed to adjust any bad mood and a fur-kid to cuddle with.

Speaking of which, I need to go change her world.

Have a wonderful Tuesday and don't forget, if you don't vote, you can't bitch about it for the next four years!

One More Time: Yes on 8 = Hate

I have been absolutely astounded at the preponderance of Yes On 8 signs in my own neighborhood. I never knew I lived in such a hate-filled place.

This is an actual conversation a friend had with one such supporter:

So you remember our old neighbors Devin and Roger? They got married. The guy I used to work for, Jim? He married his long time partner. Can you tell me how that affects your marriage? Really, what does that have to do with your day to day life?

Oh it doesn't.

Then WHY are you voting Yes on 8???

(Excited) They're going to teach it in schools.

What do you remember being taught about marriage in school?

(thinks for a minute)... Nothing...nothing at all.

EXACTLY!

At the end of the conversation, she was on the fence. Baby steps = progress.

Twenty plus years ago when my sister's nieces and nephews were all grade schoolers, I met one of their cousins. The boy (aka "Jay") was obviously gay to me. I worried a bit about him growing up with a passion for dancing in such a "he-man," sports fanatic family. The other cousins would often make snide remarks about "fags."

Now that all of these boys are young men, I asked my sister's nephew how Jay was. He spoke in glowing terms of his Broadway bound cousin. When I reminded him of his and his cousin's homo-phobic tendencies growing up, he replied, "It's different when it's someone you know and love."

That's how we change the world, one little bit of love at a time.


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Re: Comment posting: Feel free to post comments IF you have a PUBLIC blogger profile and you keep the hatred to a minimum, otherwise they will be rejected. Again, MY blog is not YOUR forum. You are a visitor; please be respectful.

Eight Ain't Straight

I hate politics. I hate the name calling and the not dealing with the issues and I hate that someone has to lose. But the hatred and vitriol of this particular election season really has my dander up. And no, I'm NOT talking about the two bozos running for president.

I'm talking about Prop 8 here in California. Prop 8 would revoke the right of homosexuals to marry.

The ads the Yes on 8'ers have run on television are vile and nothing more than hate mongering. The thing that amazes me is, if you replaced the word homosexual or gay with "black" or "Mexican," all those civil rights groups would be so up in arms. Are gay people the last frontier of people we can hate?

In addition, Yes on 8 folks have even stooped to extortion! They sent letters to business who donated to the No on 8 campaign and basically told the business owners they "had" to donate an equal amount to Yes on 8 or be "outed" in the press! When did we take away people's right to choose to support a bill or not???

You may think it strange that a straight conservative woman would be on the No on 8 side. I have my wonderful mom to thank for that.

I watched my mom struggle with the racism she was taught as a child; her parents were farmers that came of age in the 1900s. But, her big open heart and generosity shocked me when it came to gay people. My grandmother had a homosexual brother and while they never talked about his situation, he was loved. Maybe that's where my mom learned what she has taught me...

As a kid, there were a couple of "funny" boys in my high school. We secretly made fun of them and I know our actions were hurtful. But, in high school, you just try to fit in. There is very little thinking for yourself.

My senior year, my mother took a job on the road and I was on my own. There were two young men that worked with her in their late 20s. One (I'll call him Randy) of them was gay. That summer, they were stationed in Biloxi for a few weeks and I went down to hang in my mom's beach side hotel room and sun by the pool. That grew old after a day and I decided to go to Ship Island. Neither Mom nor I were concerned about me being on a very public island by myself but both of "the boys" were rather worried about me. They each took a vacation day to escort me around Biloxi! Randy and I spent the day on Ship Island together. I was impressed with his quick wit and kindness.

Shortly after I moved to California, Randy died of AIDS. Randy's parents had disowned him years before, but when they learned of his impending death, they showed up at the hospital. Randy had been with the same partner for more than a decade, but now his partner was not welcome at the hospital. Randy was comatose and his family spoke for him.

After his death, his parents laid claim to his home. In spite of the partner having lived there for years, he had no rights. In spite of a will leaving everything to this man, he had no rights.

My mother spent many long hours on the phone with this man who she had only met in passing. He would call her crying as Randy lay dying. My mother offered to let this man move in with her to get on his feet (he had left his job when Randy took ill.)! She offered him money; he refused it.

Years later, he would tell her that it was her kind voice and support that kept him alive after losing Randy. When I tell her how much I admire the way she handled this situation, she brushes it off: "It takes so little to be kind to someone."

After witnessing firsthand someone lose their home, be removed from their partner's deathbed and made to feel powerless; after watching my mother open up her heart, wallet and home, there is no way I can support this proposition.

I will never understand how what goes on in the privacy of someone's home hurts another couple's marriage. The yes group is also resorting to fear tactics stating that schools will teach gay marriage. I was never taught squat about marriage in school and I doubt it's different today. And, you see gay people everywhere! Do you think the kids don't notice? have questions? need to feel comfortable talking about it?

Proponents are claiming the real issue is that Californians (not me) voted against gay marriage and then three judges threw out that vote. And by voting yes on 8, we are telling judges they can't do away with the people's will.

But when the people are wrong, we need somebody willing to tell us that. I would imagine back in 1863, there were still plenty of plantation owners who voted to keep slavery. Thank goodness, someone told them they were wrong. Thank goodness these judges saw the light and I pray that, this time, California voters will too!

The Token Political Post

I hate politics. I hate that this damn election has taken up two YEARS of our lives and that in the end, a lot of people will be unhappy no matter who wins.

That being said, I'm a small town girl and I take great offense to James Carville {Advisor to many of the Democratic party's most powerful leaders} and others in the Obama camp making fun of the size of Sarah Palin's town and city hall. Knowing a bit about Carville, LA, where Mr. Carville is from, I simply couldn't resist sending him the following email today.

Mr. Carville,

As a fellow (undecided) Louisianian, how about you hold up a photo of the Carville City Hall the next time you talk about where Gov. Palin is from? Oh, that's right, Carville doesn't have one...maybe a photo of one of the many trailers there would make the point?

I just don't think he's going to win Mr. Obama any votes making fun of small town America.

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Doin' the Math

I was laughing on the phone with a former Executive Producer friend yesterday and somehow the topic turned to New York's deposed governor Spitzer. The single bit of the story that was strange to both of us was the fact that he spent $80,000 in eleven years on call girls. Neither of us think that's a significant number. Why? Well, let's do the math...

Assuming Mr. Spitzer was a terrible tipper which (we know he wasn't) and the average encounter cost him exactly one grand. That's 80 encounters. In eleven years. That would be roughly 7.27 encounters per YEAR. Even if the 80 grand were spent in fewer years as some reports indicate...let's say two years. That's roughly three trysts per month.

But when you take into account the recent rendezvous, for which he paid $4300, if that number is averaged into the 80,000, that's roughly 18 encounters. Using the lesser length of time, that's still not even once a month.

As one anthropologist, brought onto it's-morning-so-we-don't-have-to-think-t.v.-news to speak as to why men cheat, stated (paraphrased): Mr. Spitzer has a thick brow line and high powerful cheekbones signaling lots of testosterone. Men like that need a lot more sex.

Apparently, not even once a month more.

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BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.

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