More Political Stuff

I just read an interesting article that mentioned something I had been thinking about. It was on the use of ties by men. A study was done recently in Germany. Healthy young men underwent three MRI scans, wearing ties. First with a loosely tied Windsor knot, next scan they tightened the knot very tight, then a third with tie and collar loosened again. The researchers found that the tight ties reduced blood flow about 7.5%, and cut off blood flow to the brain. Take a look at all the men in Congress, especially the old ones… now you know why nothing much gets done, particularly much good by them. They don’t even wear Windsor knots… just very tight ones. I had always wondered how those old guys could stand those tight ties, not even realizing that the majority were cutting off the blood to their brains, but at last now I know why we need more women in Congress… they don’t wear anything tight around their neck and can actually think while there. My own experience with the men of the House of Representatives proved to me that men are afraid of women. I was in Washington, at a computer to demonstrate the work that we volunteers in SeniorNet were doing with the people these men were representing. It was a typical nasty, hot, sticky day of the sort that makes me hate Washington. A young man stopped to watch us get people from their districts, who could communicate with them through their computers. This was ages ago, so they weren’t as cognizant of the way this worked. The guy who stopped seemed interested, so I jumped up, realizing I had someone from his district, and said, “Here, sit down and talk to one of your constituents,” to which he replied with a “No, no, I have to go,” No way was I going to let him, so I clapped a hand on his damp wool back and said, “Oh, lord, it’s so hot in here, take off your jacket and sit down,” in a very forceful voice. He looked a bit rattled, but did as I said and started reading, as I said, “Now it’s your turn, type an answer. Poor thing, his shirt was soaked in sweat, but he typed, and got an answer telling him what a failure he had been on something or other. I let him escape, grabbing his jacket, he got it on, thanked me politely and ran. I do hope that the next batch in the House are more evenly divided amongst men and women, and have more sense than the present. Well, at least we are shed of Paul Ryan, who never worked at a real job except a stint at McDonald’s while in college. And less lawyers, please. How about people who know what real jobs are and will listen to constituents, work hard, then go back to their real jobs, having served their time. No permanent politicians… you serves your time and you get out. Things change constantly, and so should Congress. Bring us brains, and no tight ties to cut off those brains. Listen to the people you represent and try to do what they want. If you like politics, maybe try for a bigger job, but don’t just hang around so you can make more money as a lobbyist… we need to get rid of them. They are the scum of the earth. Please, please, go back to your real job and let a new batch try governing, learning, helping and leaving. That’s my next slogan for Congress: Run…Listen…Learn…Labor Leave. And More, while I finally have this ready to go on my blog, which I kept being told was not mine. Don't ask how I got here... I don't know. I am looking for a surrogate grandchild or someone who can come and tell me what to do next. Those lovely "Ah, hello Miss Cat-a-rate, I am Scott and I wanted to tell you I am from Microsoft and we have discovered you have something bad with your com-pu-tare and we wanted to help you get rid of it... etc., etc." all done in a very Indian accent. No sucker I, I simply say, "Oh, Sanjay, I know, if I only push the right button when you tell me, you will wreck my com-pu-tare and I will have to kill you..." and hang up (this of course is done in an accent to match 'Scott's.' Of course when they drag me out of the kitchen or bathroom, I tend to be a little angrier and say, "Damn you, you idiot, I was trying to cook my dinner... I wouldn't have any Microsoft junk on my computer... it is a MACINTOSH and in great shape... BANG goes the phone on its base... of course they do the same thing the next night... WHY do I answer???????/ So here's the next political note: Does anyone think maybe Dumbo t rump contacted his dictator friends in Central America and TOLD them to start sending gangs of people from their countries so he could start screaming that the Democrats were sending them North to burst through the Army or whoever/whatever he is planning to louse up the election this time, take your jobs and kill your family... He is so like my sister that I can almost read his mind. She used to hit me, then turn around and run to whoever was in charge of us, screaming, "Help, help, Peggy hit me and she is running after me to hit me again, help, help!" Donny, the fifth grader, who s never going to make it to the sixth grade has already been screaming and yelling about the mob ha undoubtedly planned and will be calling off the election so we can all go and make a wall to keep the 'criminals' out. It woould be funny if it didn't show that our school system has failed us, and we are livig in a country half full of people with no education, no workable skills, run by a madman who has become the object of laughter and derision wordwide, yet is actually believed by the morons in his gang of imbeciles. Yes, he, the consummate coward now praises one of his idiots for slamming a reporter onto the floor, gesturing as though he had done it himself. As though that coward could even try. So, for god's sake (or Zeus's or Gaia's sake) please just go quietly out to the polling place, stand in line if necessary, and VOTE. Hopefully the t rump t rash won't, as they probably think that good ol' dummy donny has everything sewn up. We'd better un-sew or I shall have to get a passport (I stupidly let mine lapse), buy a ticket to Den Hague and beg for asylum in the lovely Netherlands. Also, I am a bit upset with the man who bought TIME... I am not renewing next year, they are a bit too chummy about dopey donny... my money will go to the Guardian and the NYTimes. And to end, as I may never find my dear, un-read blog again, here's poem for the fat ugly one: Would/Wouldn’t How easy to say         that’s not what I said          I said…            or even    I didn’t      say that             I meant… or what      I meant                      was…        Do you know          I don’t do you know anything                 I doubt it there in that tiny         twisted       mouth so full of lies                     to a point where from the first     yuge       shouted yell to the         mean         slimy worded   tiny O explaining what    You may      have meant           we may never           know if you know        anything good           anything useful     anything fine            anything  anything                anything real and true When               do the people of this country When        when will we           test candidates             at least                  on        the Constitution      the states          how many          where they are the world                       names of continents           everything the other fifth grade minds should know or even     perhaps       the difference between should  and                                shouldn’t Peggy Cartwright, July, 2018

Another lovely, if lonely, cool but sunny day in San Francisco. Chilly winds according to my substitute home care worker. Ah, yes, Ana is 'ill' so I am training a new one. I think Ana is planning on getting 'the big money; for being an 'on call' worker. I really hate to disillusion her, but it takes hard work for that particular job, as I know one of them... she is the kind of person who comes in, looks around, 'gets' what is to be done and does it... FAST. Ana hasn't worked fast in years and is slowing down to almost stop these days. She also doesn't read too well and her English is almost gone. She also 'can't lift that' so I have done a lot of the quick, heavy lifting myself. She couldn't lift the sewing machine to close the closet door, so I did it. I got the bin of YARN from hall to living room and put the bin I had here where the other was... and I have no balance and can't walk across the room without holding on to something. I rather gather that Ana is 'taking the training' for this 'big money, as ythe woman who schedules said, "She'll be out all week, ah, er, the doctor note said she would be out until the seventh." Sure it did. Well, I guess all these years of Ana flopping a on chair and saying, "I'm tired" or "I can't lift that" or "You wanna go in the garden" or ""Should I go to the store," meaning I have to cash my check, or 'You need medicine from drugstore?" meaning I want to do some shopping at the drugstore and stop at Safeway on the way back -- arriving to quickly drop bundles into her huge bag and say, "Oh, time to leave, goodbye." Anytime Ana goes to the store for me, she always gets back JUST in time to leave. But... she is perfect in a lot of ways. She LOVES Sylvia and even though her company says NOT to do anything for our cats or dogs, she is kind enough to make sure Sylvia is well cared for... I think she likes Sylvie more than she likes me. She will feed her, talk to her (Sylvia has Spanish speaking friends in the building and understands both English and Spanish) And best of all... clean out the litter box, a no-no with the company. I do it sometimes, but Ana watches it and does it more often. Sylvia, in spite of the special treatment, acts like she expects it... and even gives Ana the nasty swat to the ankles ahe gives everyone but me, as she sits in the middle of the hall, a place where everyone must go by to get anywhere in the apartment. Anyone who walks by her, or I should say tries to get around her, gets the Sylvia grab around their ankle region. Sylvia loves the scream and jump she gets out of all the women who try to get by... if you know her and say, "OK, Syl, can I please get by," she casually gets up and leaves, but she does love to scare all others. Men, particularly young, good looking ones, get another treatment... she greets them at the door, with a sort of "Purrr-eouw." (She's a California girl, so that rises into a sort of question.) Then she follows them, tail held straight up, still questioning. If they sit down in the recliner, she immediately jumps into their lap and circles around. If they are 'cat people' they pet her and she settles down to purr." She went nuts over a very young, gorgeous guy from L.A. who stopped in to visit me once... leaned on the door and whined when he left. If they are not cat people and either say "Get down," or push her at all, she jumps down, gives them a dirty look and stalks off in anger. My friend Jack once said, "She is very regal looking," as he saw her sitting in the window, as in my photo on the blog... she is, and she will let you know she is the head of household and Princess of the Castle here. So, of course Ana is just another of her adoring subjects in her eyes. We wait on her...First! Ana does a lot of things above and beyond what most of the others I have had in and out of here during all my joint replacements and since I can't walk because of complete lack of balance. Tommy... since you seem to be one of the few who read this... keep exercising as long as you can. You 'kids of Bets' seem to be quite lucky... you didn't get 'the Cartwright Knees" as every one of us who look just like Daddy's family did (oh, goodness... Bets and Georgie looked like Jessie (George more like Mama), but they still get bad knees... that is a tough gene! My son is having knee trouble, and his two girls have already had serious problems and bad knee operations... so don't over-exercise like they did. Poor Callie was a big athlete and played volley ball, and Bella has been taking loads of dance lessons since around age 4. I am reduced to doing arm exercises and have bone spurs growing everywhere inside, and a couple outside on my shoulder now. My poor body seems to think it should be helping me... I sometimes wish it would quit, but I guess it likes living. Ah but back to the other things most "don't do." She goes to the bank and gets money for me... she gets quarter for the laundry... she buys beer or wine for me (are OLD people not supposed to drink? She even grabbed an almost new office chair for me that was being tossed out somewhere across the street, to replace my crummy old desk chair. I do hate the thought of trying to train a new gal, but hell, I do it all the time now... if they can just find me someone who will learn and then let me alone, who speaks, reads and understands English and will get me money and wine, I'll be OK.

Have We Perhaps Gone Too Far???

Have We Perhaps Gone Too Far??? When we lost Al Franken as a Senator (one of the better ones), I cried. He was young and foolish and with enough ‘fame’ to think he could get away with his insulting manner, all the time making others uncomfortable (the others being primarily women). When Los Angeles gave Stormy Daniels (or whatever that person is called now) the key to the city and made a big fuss over her, I wondered if we have not gone a bit too far. Granted, I was pleased when S.D. and a few other brave women, gave us their stories about the nastiness and filth we now have in the White House, Of course, we have all seen (ignored by the hyper religious nuts of the country who love our piece of trash there now) this lying member of the rich white trash, in action telling a ‘friend’ about the very active, and often illegal, personal life he feels he is heir to because he has the money to demand it. Do we need a school for men who have acquired a bit (or even a lot) of money and/or fame to teach them that women do not admire, or condone, men who grab them, paw them, suggest sexual moves, kiss them in an uncouth manner, show up nude for a ‘business meeting,’ or any of the disgusting ‘moves’ suffered by women in the past. The recent disclosures by a group of brave women has opened up a storm of protest from the not-so-brave who also have stories to tell of their attacks by the same or other men. And it will probably go on, into the news and the courts for some time, probably leading to not only truths, but also lies and tawdry little suits by some women, merely for the cash they see in it. (i.e., she got plenty, now I need to get some, too.) We are already known as the country with too many lawyers and far too many court cases. To quote Google: -- According to a study in 2006, America has more lawyers per person of its population than any of 29 countries studied (except Greece), and it spends two to three times as much on its tort system, as a percentage of GDP, as other big economies (except Italy, where things are nearly as bad). -- The U.S. has ONE lawyer for every 300 people. Would that a few who are in it for the money would realize that if they simply moved to Singapore, Australia, France or Japan, they could make a lot more, but I guess they might be too stupid to learn to operate there. There is a lovely article online (http://nationalpost.com/opinion/f-h-buckley-a-better-country-with-fewer-lawyers) comparing us to the much happier, better living, rising up as we fall in everything, Canada. (I suppose because they have an educated, intelligent population, who elected an intelligent man who will to listen to them and govern as they wish... well. Now I shall wail on my feelings: Why can a fool and a disgusting attacker of women, liar and generally slimy man stay in our top office, primarily under the protection of the republican party and the religious-right-evangelicals, while poor Al Franken, a good, thinking, intelligent Senator, is forced to resign. And further... I want Charlie Rose back. We have too few intelligent, charming, kindly people on TV now, or at any time. Charlie was the ultimate interviewer. He asked the right questions and he then LISTENED to the person he was interviewing. He never yelled or ranted or tried to make himself the one who must be seen and listened to. He made his guests feel comfortable, even if he might disagree with them, he let them do the ranting while he merely listened and perhaps asked a few questions to make sure they had shown their ignorance. I have found no one to fill his place on TV. I never enjoyed watching Johnny Carson, as he was often a mean guy, I remember his breaking an ant farm, I think quite deliberately, because the man he was ‘interviewing’ had begun to bore him. I sincerely hope that we do not return the airwaves, either radio or TV, to the ‘Fox-News-type’ of ignorant screamers and yellers. Those who do not know how to interview, but simply scream their little one-track, mindless viewpoint and never listen to the person they are interviewing. I shall never miss the vile Bill O’Reilly or Glen Beck at his strangest, or the worst of all Rush Limbaugh or even the whole Fox News, which I have never watch, except to check on a foolish bit I have been told or read about. Or perhaps to look at the girls in short, short skirts with overdone hairdos -- the silly smiles of all the fake news readers, male and female, such as that stupid boy, Sean Hannity, one wonders if he will ever grow up. What are we growing in this god forsaken country. Well, perhaps in the case of Fox News, this god-fearing and probably evangelical, “I-believe-everything-he-says” branch of this country, that backs t rump and Fox News and probably thinks PBS News (the one I watch) is a creation of the devil, as they have no doubt been told by the latest ranter, the latest to be selling not only fake news, but also questionable ‘products,’ the idiot on YouTube whose name, happily, I cannot even remember. Ah me, yes, 'just another screamer' a great name for all of them.

Alas & Alack

And what does Alack mean? And why do I have to type in this dreadful typewriter type in pale grey? And man do I do a lousy job of proof reading... the last post is FULL of mistakes and I can't remember how to get the old stuff back so I can correct it. Ah, me, alas and Alack, oh goodness me, and a few more ancient expressions...I do not write in this place, nor in any of the other places I 'should' be writing, like my 'diary' or even the letters I used to turn out to everyone... I owe many, but do not write them. Ever since I lost Kirk as a constant 'companion' corespondent, I don't seem to have the time to write to everyone else. So strange. Of course, my fingers hurt now (lack of exercise?) and they have become quite bent and arthritic... amazing that they are just now getting bad... and my left shoulder is trying to 'fix' a displacement that I apparently ignored when it happened. Now they can't just 'put it back' as the damned bone spurs are a mess there, working on building up, so I have a bump on the shoulder and the docs at UC/SF (who all look like teenagers) tell me that the only way to fix it is to have another replacement. Silly children... at my age I wouldn't get the use of the shoulder back by the time I'm 100, so why bother. Just like Jessie, I have learned to live with pain. No way do I go under again... no hospitals... no new doctors (mine are all retired) everything in me now goes to the oven with me (I do hope they sift out the metal before handing my ashes over to the kids). I am upset about one thing that the arthritic fingers have done... I cannot seem to write anything with a 'y' in it without hitting the "i" just before it. I think I have corrected all the ones in this, but I miss some and it annoys hell out of me. It used to be the 'l' that I hit all the time because of my weak ring fingers, but now it is the i, And to think I did so much proofreading on the job. I suppose it might be as this miserable type us such a rotten one and so light. I far prefer Arial which is readable and good looking (well, I kinda prefer Comic Sans, but they don't use it here on this blog site, which is sad. Amazing but t rump is still president... when will it all end? What idiots we have in Washington. I pray (even though I don't believe in it) that the whole House of Representatives (well all that are left as many resign) is simply voted out in the next election... all of them. Actually Senate too... let them all try to get real jobs... and make the new ones take tests to see if they can read and write and understand what they are there to do. Help, help, I do not think we have anyone who even wants to run for president except the moron who is there now.

Through a headache Darkly

Late... very dark and with only a cat to talk to... and that a complaining one. You are old, Mother Sylvia, the other old woman said / and yet you continuously stand on your head / do you think at your age that is bright? I loved Lewis Carroll and his lovely rhymes, and have used them as a basis for many of mine. Oh, good lord, I made the mistake of hitting the photo booth... I guess it is best never to use Skype... Poor Jackie... I rail at him for not combing his hair and not getting out of his nightshirt all day... and I do the same. I had forgotten to comb my hair, and it is far, far longer and more untidy than his! Today, after watching '60 Minutes' with all the lovely people who used to do it back again... I wanted someone to talk to about all of them... all dead and gone long since. Dreadful old Mike Wallace who used to scream at people. I remember him in Chicago when he was still the kid yelling "When did you hit your wife, senator?" and other charming phrases. I even remember when he had a program with his wife... oh, what was her name... a blonde... of course. All the rest were my darling friends every Sunday... Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, Bob Simon (my favorite) and funny Andy Rooney. So far they haven't been replaced. The new talking heads are good... but oh, they are not those great men. And now I shall make a little confession... I SO MISS Charlie Rose... I can't imagine him doing anything bad enough to take him away!! Where will he go... what will he do? Will he ever return? I do miss him so much. And on those notes, I was amazed to find that if I have the strength to stay up and listen to him, James Comey is almost a good replacement for Craig Ferguson, whom I thought would never be replaced... and whom I thought should be the one to replace old what's is name... oh.. Letterman, whom I never could stand... as I adored Craig. He was such fun I stayed up. Comey is a rather ugly, fat, little man, but he is kind (something Carson & Letterman never were) and a really good interviewer, letting the people talk and not topping them, as some of the interviewers do... even Colbert, whom I like, tends to do that... of course he can top drumpf!! Then of course there was 'Victoria' tonight. I love this series... the BBC has it all over our TV series makers. I actually cried tonight... I had a terrible time after I had Whitney... went into a rotten depression and she cried all the time as I was trying to nurse and couldn't, so she was hungry constantly... so I made bottles, but she wanted to be held and rocked and fed... I will never forget the saint next door who was the oldest of 10 or so, and hearing both Whitney and me crying every night, came over and taught me how to be a mother. My mother couldn't do it... she had nurses and mother's helpers and the works during all her pregnancies, so only saw dry, fed children (of course, she nursed us... she said she could have nurses triplets) for a short time each day. Then when we settled in Memphis, she had our Mammy Mary to care for us. When I think back to those days in Memphis, Mary was more of a mother than Jessie. Losing her was like losing a mother and I still tend to tear up when I think of her, but then 'I'm a sentimental sap, that's all / what's the use of trying not to fall / so turn me loose, you cooked my goose / 'cause you took advantage of me... another of my favorite tunes from way, way, way back when. I believe it was an early Bing Crosby tune... sung before my time, but taught to me by Ned Travis, a San Francisco guy, and a great jazz drummer, who knew Bing and many other musicians out here. Another confession... I really miss driving my dear little blue Chevette all over the Chicago area when I was designing things for the homebound handicapped at Easter Seal... and singing all the old songs at the top of my lungs as I drove. No one could hear me, or criticize my voice as Whitney always did. Well, I'm off to bed now, so I shall sing myself to sleep and if Sylvia doesn't like it, she can go in and eat the food she wouldn't finish tonight!

At Least a New House

I find it very interesting that the people (mainly men) who were elected to make our laws seem to have forgotten how. When they present a supposed new law with chicken scratches of unreadable hand written changes at the end, that no one can read, I think it may be time to toss them all out and try to find individuals who can at least read and write. Maybe make a new law that anyone wishing to serve as a legislator must first take the test given to people applying for citizenship, then a timed one on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in English, of course. Then perhaps, an essay on why they wish to serve, what they have in their background that makes them a fit, knowledgeable candidate for the job, presented with a 10 year copy of their tax records and any amount collected to help in their campaign with a list of donors who contributed over $1,000. These tests will of course be timed and taken in front of a judge and a group of twelve citizens in government offices across the country, It will then be read and checked out by two members of the Democratic and Republican parties. Those chosen to run will then be awarded money for their ‘run’... half of the money collected ($1.00 from each taxpayer) from citizens of their state. Perhaps, while we are at it, let’s clean up a few other errors. In future, all legislators will be paid like other citizens, with Social Security deducted from their pay, and paying taxes each year with the rest of the country. They will be in their seats in either the House of Representatives or the Senate at least four hours a day, and allowed only one trip outside the U.S. a year, with no trips paid for by donors anywhere. It’s a job, being a good legislator and will have to be treated as one, boys and girls. Of course, all of these rules and tests must be given to all persons being paid by the U.S. government. That includes the President and all of his cabinet, with each job having a special test related to the particular work to be done by that member, and each person chosen must present an essay explaining his/her background and reason for serving, and will give up ties with any company or work for the time served with the government. With any luck, Universities will catch on and begin teaching classes in government, with emphasis on how laws are made and how legislators serve in various other countries, and perhaps how they should be made in this country.

What Has Happened to My Country?

It can’t be that I went to sleep one night having spent the day talking to some reasonably intelligent people at the bus stop, at the store, along the street, then I wake up the next morning and seem to be surrounded by either drug addicts or people with trumpian brains (the ‘lack of’ sort). I live in San Francisco. This is my spiritual home, has been since I was 16 years old. I moved here for not only the lovely cool weather, but also for the cool people… the liberal, charming, kind and intelligent people I met over the years I visited, hoping to move here. Thrity-five years ago, even though my husband had stolen all the money I had saved to buy a home here, I came to live perhaps in less comfortable circumstances than I had hoped, found a tiny apartment in the Mission, the only place I could afford, worked at temp jobs until age sixty-five. Sadly all the rest of my IRA went to replace a knee so that I could still keep walking… that was done before, then after I hit sixty-five, I had the other done. So one knee ate up the whole of my savings, then Medicare gave me the other. With enormous luck I managed to get a low number in a low-income drawing and now have a home in the Mission for life, and have learned how to ‘live poor.’ A necessary evil, as Social Security seems to think that a cost of living raise means around $5 or 6 a month. Guess they haven’t bought bread and almond milk lately. Then came the day when, in spite of my vote and all the others in CA., we have a ‘leader,’ a man who is called our ‘president’ in spite of the fact he got millions of votes LESS than his opponent, who is trying to split our country in two. He lies and cheats and claims ‘the other side’ is so unpatriotic… that we all were not supporting our wonderful fighting men… etc., etc., and yet he avoided serving the country during the Vietnam war on the flimsiest of excuses, a ‘bone spur’ in his foot. Hey… I had one of those and my foot doctor gave me a simple shot in the heel… I’ve never felt pain of any unease since, and it’s been years. This man simply REFUSED to serve his country and went back to his slimy cheating and stealing and running after women he could ‘get’ because he had some pocket money from his daddy. I’m sick & tired of hearing how patriotic that bum in the White House is when NO ONE in his family has ever served our country - he is not serving it now but is deliberately dividing it. He has done nothing for, nor does he even notice the enormous number of homeless, almost crowding us out with their tents in my city. He speaks only to the smaller and smaller groups of his old white men who are the only ones who really support him and his views. The young people who need help, the troubled, the jobless young and old black men, those before mentioned hopeless tent dwellers are all ignored in the money raising yells organized constantly by the trumpian horde. And of whom do they complain? The players in the NFL. He has decided to twist their simple way of showing their wish to protest the lack of understanding of the treatment of just the people I mentioned above into some crazy notion of lack of patriotism by the players. This from a man who is really unpatriotic, who has never done anything for our country. If he has, I’d like to know about it. Colin Kaepernik, and all the other brave protesters… be it known that I am with you. I fear for my country, for it is being taken over by the wealthiest people in the world. They are trying to separate us into groups to fight each other and distract us all, so that they can retain the ‘top,’ keep all of their money and add to it, making sure they can leave it to their children in toto and also keep all of the power of governance. In this way they can let us fight and they can clean up for good and take their money out of the country and educate their children in better private schools, set up by dear Betsy so the government pays for them, while their so-called ‘experts’ ruin the public schools for the rest of our poor children. Fight on, oh wonderful athletes and I guess all you 'Millenials'. You became strong in body and worked your way up to an important ‘place’ in the country, struggling to make a good living to care for your family in the few years you remain in such good shape. Just remember to keep your family close, save your money and put your children in good schools to learn how to invest it well. And above all, help your community to grow and learn how to do good like the Kaepernik kid is doing. He’s on his way to becoming a strong, good and kind leader of the sort we need to defeat the lying, cheating and double dealing of the sort trump and his badly chosen cabinet of billionaires are doing now. Go, go, go kids… this old crone is with you all the way!! With love to all…. Peggy Cartwright

Now One Just Rambling to Me

For the last couple of years, because I have been alone and bored, make that horribly alone and sad, I have made up a list of the people I would like to have with me for a Christmas dinner (the sort of which Dickens wrote). I suppose I choose the kind of people who are great conversationalists, including people I have known and people I would like to have known, or know now. So I shall sit her on a very boring Sunday, following my 93rd birthday, alone as I was for the birthday, and make up a new list. No relatives this time, I think, although I know both Jessie and Betty Rae would be enormously welcomed by all the others for their bright comments. Even Daddy would be great, or Papa, they were so full of charm and stories. What a family I had and how I miss them now that I am completely alone, the last of the Michigan Cartwrights, except for Kath and maybe somewhere a cousin named Jeannie Jefferson Bock (spelling?) and perhaps a couple of others if the ones I knew had children. How lost I feel, and how alone now that my sister (and nemisis) is really gone. Ah, but back to the list... let's see: I almost always want Noel Coward (and a handy piano), so I suppose I should include Gertie also. What fun they must have been at a party, as they had known each other most of their lives and had so much to talk about. (And I could sing off-key with Gertie, for I know all their songs.) I had considered Bernie Sanders, but it is too close to an election and Politicians can get rather one-sided at those times. Ah... women first, how about both Queens Elizabeth of England... The Great Queen was brilliant and the dear little newer one a charmer with a good sense of humor. Now to match them with males, odd, I never put Dickens on my list, lets choose him and Mark Twain, there's an odd, but interesting match. Perhaps a match for me... no, not Kirkie, he doesn't go with this bunch. I get Orson Welles, as I have always wanted to talk to him. With Steve gone, this year I shall pick Tim Cook and pair him with Rachel Maddow, both of whom I would love to talk with. And, because I simply adore them and they are also pushing on toward their ends, I shall choose Judi Dench and helen Mirren. now, what gentlemen could come up to match with this pair? Ah, why not Billy Connelly and Mel Brooks, as those ladies do appreciate men with a sense of humour. Now that's twelve and I shall go to bed early on Christmas and dream about my wonderful dinner... for I shall have none that day, but probably just spend my whole day trying to get poor old Sylvia to eat if she is still alive.

A Goodbye to mr. drumpf

I don't know why I am putting this here, but it's a start, maybe it will spread. I am now convinced that the low life in the White House is so busy trying to get even with anyone who has made fun of him, or crossed him in any way. Since the world is now full of those people (he started with trying to ruin anything done by Obama), something must be done before he completely ruins the country tying to get even with everyone. He is costing us a bloody fortune with his flying around to his various golf courses and hotels, and this has to stop. Here is my plan to try to stop the nonsense, cost and annoyance of this dreadful fool. We have an idiot, liar and coward in the White House, donald j. drumpf. He must be addressed by his original name (just as I wrote it) and roundly ignored by every normal person in the U.S. Who cares what faux news has to say, every other news service in the U.S. has to just ignore him. He has nothing of import to say, he just wants us to keep his name in the news, so let’s not do it. Reporters can go to the press briefings, but let them play with their phones or turn their seats around and play poker or just go to sleep in their chairs... but do NOT ask about the oaf in the White House and never address him. What we need the reporters to do is to interview anyone who is anti-drumpf, but the interview should be about THAT person, with NO questions about drumpf. We should also ask the reporters to interview Obama about what he is now doing, hopefully for the country, also Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and both ex-presidents Bush. I saw a lovely program recently of Bill and Georgie being interviewed about their developing friendship (I always said old George found Bill the son he never had, and this confirmed it.) Georgie said his dad really enjoyed working with Bill. I sort of get the feeling that if we all try just ignoring everything crazy that drumpf does it might just drive him over the line and he will have to be picked up off the floor of the White House and carried off to a mental facility, screaming and crying. We know... we have proof... that he is a coward, a liar, a fool and has a bad case of ADHD, incapable of staying on topic for more than a few minutes. He is the classic Narcissist so should be a wreck within about a week. After being ignored and not having anything said about him (except on faux news, brietbart and a few far-right You Tube channels) all should be well. If you see him or he speaks to you, turn your back and walk. Won’t it be wonderful to have decent news every night... real news. What Angela Merkle is doing, how Brexit is going, are the French getting along with Macron? Make sure every one of you writes to your favorite station and tell them this is what you want... no more drumpf, anything but, and write to all the sponsors, tell them you love their products and their ads, happy they are not sponsoring any show that allows drumpf. When the top news people interview INTERESTING people like Bill Clinton or even Georgie about his painting, be sure to write and tell them how much you enjoyed the interview. If they break down and interview or even mention drumpf, write and tell them that you are switching to any other news person from a different network. About the foolish republicans who have given in to the nonsense and horror of this man who did not win the election, perhaps they too should be ignored At least if they attempt to aid him in his ruin of the country. At the mention of his name, whoever is interviewing should cut the interview short and tell the person that they are not interested in hearing about a non-person and to get back on subject or the interview will be cut completely. We will simply have to be a country without a leader for a short time. We probably should ask The Guardian and the London Times and other large foreign media to ignore drummpf also. All this might hurt for awhile, but I am convinced it will result in removing a moron who has been acting like a five year old brat from a job he is incapable of doing.

The Guardian -- the real news

Since I have almost no readers this probably isn't worth putting here... but here it is, my note to The Guardian... one of my favorite places online:

To: The Guardian (American Edition) on the internet...

I am a 92 year old woman whose ancestors fought in the American Revolution, living on my meagre Social Security, probably to be cut or wiped out by the trumpians if they can. I carefully prepared for a comfortable retirement, but my money was gambled away by one of the lovely ignorant U.S. 'white men' of trumpian bent, my second husband. Now, those of us left behind must read, listen, learn and continue the fight. You and the others are helping, dear Guardian.

I appreciate your real news and therefore sent you my very small contribution. I hope many others like me also give as much as they can. We need you more each day before the repoops/trumpians shut us all down. You, the NYTimes and New Yorker are about the only reading I do anymore, and since I subscribe to the other two, you should get a bit also. Thank you for your work! Keep it up.

Peggy Cartwright    

If anyone does read my posts... think about contributing, we need this 'paper' (what DOES one call them now? God... when I think of all the old, almost obsolete words I use constantly. Soon to be gone as I shall. Think about it... children looking at you bewildered, saying 'radio' what is 'radio'?... 'newspaper' what is 'newspaper?'... and more daily.)

THANK ZEUS FOR U.S. WOMEN

I just wrote crying that our poor country is suffering from half the country becoming under-educated idiots. Now I happily read an article on PBS Newshour online about Buckhannon, West Va (known as trump country), where women are revolting (no, not revolting looking... really revolting).

When I think of how many times I marched, talked my head off, wrote about people like Nixon, about bush, cheney and that gang, and how I wondered if it was worth one more march, one more talk, one more getting out there... now I see a woman saying, “It’s like we were all sleeping. Now I think we’re awake.” (Edwina Howard-Jack) Well, I hope so -- where the hell were they when I was pushing Whitney in her stroller in a march, when I was in anti-war marches, protests in Washington, women’s rights marches, and on and on in the ‘50s and ‘60s and ‘70s etc., etc., etc.? Do they know that now, because of trump their children are not being taught well? That if they don’t watch out, Betsy de Voss could make sure that your kids are the ones with inferior teachers and schools, and will therefore definitely not be ready for the new jobs in the new world. I hope they are talking about the inferior people trump has put into his cabinet to ruin our government (helped by his buddy Steve Bannon who admits he has long had plans to wreck the federal government).

I still feel for the intelligence of the ordinary people of this country. I wonder about people who can’t even spell Buchannon (the regular spelling of that old Celtic name). Or, about people who could actually listen to trump and not believe the old joke with a new name at its core: “How do you know if he is lying? Answer: His lips are moving.” I am amazed that anyone could watch this man for more than a few minutes and not just be suspicious of anything he says... but KNOW that he will say anything to get people to applaud him. He scares hell out of me, as he is not only a practiced liar, but also a mean, nasty person, and has shown it so often, from screaming to his audience to beat up and throw out anyone who disagreed with him in his early campaign speeches, to having a woman with a crying baby tossed out also, to the highly nasty speeches made on the just finished European ‘tour.’ That tour, by the way, showed his lack of diplomacy and knowledge well. He praised and chummed up with the Saudis, who raised most of the terrorists who have caused the worst strikes against all of us, had no notion about the Holocaust in Israel (or much of anything else... he is vastly uneducated in History)... pushed aside a head of state to get into the front row of a photo being taken, and generally insulted everyone there. Good for Macron for passing him by to hug Angela Merkle! Too bad he didn’t need to shove trump aside.

One need not even mention that the idiot in chief thinks climate change is something made up and so appointed an EPA chief who agrees on that completely. The European leaders, who rightfully believe the scientists reports, are all commenting on the ignorance of the U.S. government in this matter.

And so, we lose more and more in governmental leadership, but, thank Zeus our women are beginning to wake up, get to work, and fight back against the ignorance of the trumpian idiots. Perhaps intelligence will win... I fear I doubt it after all the pain and marching I’ve been though, but I suppose one CAN hope...

No Readers, But I Stll Write

Where Have We Come From... Where Are We Going...

I live in the United States, miss-called “America,” which is actually the whole two continents, but has, of course, been grabbed by the people who live here, as they have no idea there is any place this “isn’t OURS.”

Are we becoming a land occupied by only morons, the vaguely mentally ill, people who know nothing of the world or other’s affairs, and I might simply add, about half of the people one runs into almost daily are just completely crazy. Having just watched the news, I know all this to be true.

The top story was the return of our “Idiot-in-Chief” D.Drumpf, returning from meeting with top leaders of the world. While there he made a fool of himself by missing completely the reason to pray at the wall, as he has no idea of what happened during the holocaust. Then he moved on to insulting just about everyone he could, so that most of them avoided him as much as possible, and finally, pushed aside a ‘useless to him’ leader of a small country so that he could be in the front of a photo. He has just ruined all the good vibes we got by sending Obama over there and made the world understand that he is truly an idiot. They were just ‘wondering’ after reading his ‘tweets.’

After that, some world news would have been good... I’d like to know what is going on (but I must wait for the actual world news from PBS, later). So, instead we get big, long, plenty-of-video of a man driving in that auto race SO POPULAR among the idiots of ‘America,’ almost killing himself. Whoopee, just what I want to see. Then another great story for the masses: the USUAL ‘guy killing himself preforming in a lovely Memorial Day fun show for the masses’ -- well, at least it wasn’t in a plane, as so often. This time it was a poor kid who was jumping out of one of the Air Force planes.

Lovely... now on the news, a story of ‘Iron Mountain’... probably where dumpf’s grandfather started his career in mining. It is such a disgusting story that I could cry, but what good would that do? A typical story of big business and greed and the whole ruining of our country. Big mining company dug so many tunnels in this mountain that it is a mass of mines with water running through and turning the mountain into streams of  bad metal running into the rivers and streams of half of California. The company is now working on doing something about it, but in 2030 their work becomes the taxpayers of the U.S.’s work... yet, we pay for the cleanup, but it will take until 3520 to do that... or shall we say NEVER.

So what have we become as a nation. Hell, I hate to think... my ancestors worked hard to build a good, great nation. My generation and the present one worked/works hard to ruin it. Greed, lack of education, too many people, bad, bloated government, lack of care of the poor, terrible variance of pay for work. all these have turned our country into a wonderful place for the super-wealthy to show their greed, and a dreadful, fearsome country for the poor, the uneducated and the real ‘workers’ who do not know whether they will manage, for they have not been taught well, and are very tired of day-to-day life. How many people say they hate their jobs? How many people work long hours for less pay than their parents? And then they all watch the over-paid idiots like the men who drive too fast and wind up killing themselves on some racetrack, or know how to toss a basketball into a net and often wind up in court for rape, or just inherited a lot of land or money from a parent and cheat and lie and go bankrupt numerous times and wind up as head of a government that cannot control them. Do you then wonder why our kids don’t care to learn... after all the uneducated morons are the ones who ‘make it.’

I am, thank goodness, near death. I don’t want to know what happens to my children and grandchildren. I don’t want to know what happens to our useless government. I don’t want to see the small-minded idiots whose parents have cheated and lied and ruined others by some nefarious plans take over completely and wreck our once beautiful country. I loved traveling in Europe and having people tell me they admired my country. Now I am sure they would not, for we have become the laughing stock of the world and I’m tired of seeing the daily ruin of some part of our lives. Maybe the guys planning the trip to Mars will take me along to be the first dead person to be launched into space, having died in their spaceship. Let’s see? what can I do for them... ah, I can write a daily poem to be sent back from space. That’s about the way the mind of an “American” works these days.

Peggy Cartwright, 5/28/17

Could Y'all PLEASE Learn th "ME" is GOOD.

One would think that with all the wonderful things one can learn from computers (after all, you don't even have to spell correctly anymore, the computer does it for you), that the American (and I fear, even the English) public should have some little idea of when to use "I" or "me" in their writing or in conversation. But NO... I sit and listen to the TV, shouting, "It's ME, damn you, ME not "I." When the hell will you learn?" only to open a magazine and see "She gave it to my husband and I."JEEZE... would you say "She gave it to I" -- of course not!

My dear mother, Jessie, loved the English language and taught me to love it too... but she and I both loathe the stupidity of people who think "I" sounds more elegant than "me" and tend to drop that poor old "I" into every sentence they can. It grates on my ear... it is so ignorant. Jessie had a simple solution for the person wishing to use "I" and "me" correctly. Before you open your mouth and make the mistake, say the sentence WITHOUT the other person in it, as:  "They gave the picture to (my ....... and) I." You are never going to say "They gave it to I," now are you? Doesn't that hurt your ear? Well it does mine... therefore your long sentence with the wrong word hurts mine. It is "They gave the picture to my husband and ME."

Now we will get to "I"... starting with a somple sentence:  "The guys and me and me went to the concert." Do the same trick here. You would never say (at least I hope not), "Me went to the concert." Just think the sentence in your head without the other people, and you will know which to use. It is so easy to say the right word, why, why do so many people get it wrong? I wish a few more English teachers had Jessie's ability to teach the little tips and tricks that can keep our language beautiful and correct.

Well, with Betsy de Vos running the schools, no one will ever learn this, as I am pretty sure she is one of the idiots in love with using "I"... a really trumpian thing when you come to think of it. That man uses "I" more than anyone has is a long time.  "I am bigger.... I am better... I am smarter... I know... I know... I know"...... hey Spicer, he's caught in the goove again, so give him a quick kick where it hurts and maybe he'll quit.

(Guess Which? I Guess) President's Day 2016

I guess today is 'what-the-hell,-it's-a-holiday,-might-just-as-well-take-the-day-off-anyway' day, so I have been reading other people's blogs (all far more consistent and interesting than mine) and also a lot of political crap... although I found a great piece supposedly written by a University prof... a letter to Dr. Laura Schlessinger (sp?), of whom I have heard little lately, but thought this really funny- here it is:

Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination… end of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual unseemliness – Lev. 15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your adoring fan,
James M. Kauffman, Ed. D.
Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
University of Virginia

Just had a call from Larry, my other reader of my love letter podcast. He is stuck in Phoenix waiting to get on a plane with a four hour delay because of the terrible weather in the other half of the country. (This is why I am living on the left coast kiddies) As they told him when he asked why he had to wait four hours for a plane whose ticket said from Phoenix to San Francisco, "Buddy, we don't have planes sitting around here waiting to take you home... they have to COME from somewhere... and that's back East, where the weather is BAD." Showing you the way people think simply about themselves and their little moment in time most of the time. Yeah, it's always me, me, me, isn't it? So, think of the other person once in a while... well sure, as long as it's how he/she relates to me, right? So here's a poem that I think kinda illustrates that... written in a fit of what? nostalgia, despondency, maybe me, me

You're the One (in My Mind, Maybe Not Yours)

You are my best friend
the one I can turn to, the one I can cry on,
the one who makes me smile... giggle... laugh out loud.
You are the one who is always there
the sweetest person I have ever known
You are my last and greatest love
You mean the world to me and always will

With age I had to give up candy... dessert
I had to give up running, jumping and driving
eating great foods and drinking and staying out late
fooling around and most of the pleasures of life...
But nothing will make me give up You
Unfortunately there is only one way to say it in English
I LOVE YOU... but you must know I do... or do you care? 

So here I sit, writing (or editing) more poems to join the hundreds that sit in boxes or on old computers... that are the story of a life not very well organized or led, so will undoubtedly be also one not read... but one that rhymed a great deal of the time (or should that be timed?) Ah, silliness had set in, so it must be time to go... ye gods, yes, it is time for the news. Time to hear what those stupid, Ill mannered, loud mouthed republicans are blocking today. I hated all the lovely platitudes about what a sweet old guy Scalia was, including those from Democrats. You know how they interview people who live next door to murderers and rapists... "Oh, he was such a nice guy, always smiling... said hello to me every morning, helped with shoveling the snow... nice person." Or, as Larry said, "Wouldn't have been more interesting if he had been wiped out by 10 shots from a military weapon?" So now even the Dems are saying what a great constitutional lawyer and good guy Scalia was. Well, I cheered when Scalia died the other day... now if his black buddy on the court would just get the hell out, and the republicans let Obama appoint an intelligent person to the supreme, perhaps we would get rid of things like that damned bill that makes corporations people and military guns not legal for our citizens (hey, there weren't any corporations when the constitution was written... and my Pilgrim ancestors never saw a machine gun... where did you get that with that moron's 'great constitutional mind'? Peg... stop the rant... g'nite!

What a Day... hooray, I'm online & HORRORS the 'second coming' won in Iowa!!

And... it is my dear little (big) grandchild Max's third birthday... that's one for great celebration. He is definitely Mr. Cute, an adorable child I will never get to know... but then, I didn't get to know any of them, did I? The only grandchild I ever felt really close to was my dear little Bella, who is a lot like me, in sort of miniature, the 'middle child' syndrome?. They all do have the Cartwright face, though, although in Max it is the least.

So... first... Allie came over last night and presented me with "LoveMegglie.com"... my podcast, all done and online with my letter from L.Megan Carringtown, explaining what was coming and why it is called what it is, and introducing the hero and heroine of the great love story that started at the change of the century and will go on for around 8 years. I may have to do a blog along with this opening one, as there may be things to explain... or who knows what will happen..... I am pleased. Now there will be much less work... except for the reading of the letters... I'm up to number 44,  I think, so there will be a lot to read. I do hope that Larry is up for it... he is a dear to do it. And darling Allie is wonderful to do all the work on the website.

Perhaps I will start doing some artwork to go on the website. No... I think I must get to work and do some artwork and do a website for me, and perhaps stat reading my poetry and drawing stuff to do with it. I do wish I had a musician friend to write some stuff to be played with the poetry. What the hell am I doing... I'm not going to live long enough for all this. I have to go and see Colin and get all other simple day-to-day things done. Too much to think about... far too much.

Then... after having a lovely day thinking of all the nice things hat had happened, and all the nice people who had helped me...I had a call from Larry... a lovely person I was planning to call to tell him to get to a computer and listen to himself reading Kirkie's letters, when he gave the the horrible news: That moronic 'second coming' Cuban Canadian ted cruz won in Iowa! God... the end of our country if the dreadful stupid evangelical idiots manage to get the vote out and the GOP runs him for president. The end of the word is upon us... Jesus has been reborn as the most hated man in Congress. Yep, his father says he is going to fix the states first... then he will go on to fix the world. Sca-a-a-a-a-ary!!!
Oh, ye gods... WHAT A DAY!  I do wish Kirk was here... or even Jackie... I need a hug.

I Guess "I'm Happy on the Shelf"

Well, I’m back to talking only to Sylvia Katt once more. Rather she is back to telling me to “get the hell into the bathroom and clean out my litter box.” I will when I feel like it, having done so at least twice today (she's getting old and like all us old ladies, needs to go often), along with filling her water bowl, then filling her food dish... jeeze, what more can I do? I have become her constant maid and yet she wants more, but I can’t figure out what that is... she probably just wants me to take her out in the hall and watch her run up and down. Not in my nightgown, I won’t. Oh, great... she just knocked something down in the bedroom... hope it wasn’t the little suitcase that was up on the big one on top of the bookcase... she’s been jumping up there to use it as a scratching place... must be in shreds now. Oh well... I’m not going anywhere ever again, except in a small box.....

Ah, but where is our country going? We had better, all of us progressive U.S. citizens, get out the vote and elect either Bernie or Hillary, or the U.S. will cease to exist, as it will have a crazed, helpless republican in charge. What do they have for us? A screaming, power-mad billionaire with a pinky-yellow dye job, who hates the rest of the world and has never dealt with any other political leaders (well, which of them ever has... they are all really novices). Then there is the one whose father declares him the second coming, who is actually a Cuban Canadian remade into a racist Southerner. And another Cuban American, who is confused about almost everything; another dopey Bush, who claims to be the smart one in a family of not-too bright people; the woman who wrecked HP; a governor undoubtedly food-crazed from being on a strict diet throughout his campaign; a black brain surgeon who seems to be there to promote his book; and a bunch of other guys standing around hoping someone will ask them something they have rehearsed answers for.

Now we begin to see what the ruined educational system of this country is producing. Not just these political nuts, but also the people who actually vote for them. Someone has put these idiots into a position to buy votes... to get themselves backed by the wealthy, unscrupulous corporations that run our country and feed the wealth of our nation into the hands of the wealthiest amongst us. Whitney was right, we should have gone to Canada, or the Netherlands, but, unfortunately they don’t want us as citizens... we don’t have the skills to live in another country. Other countries expect their new citizens to learn their language and have the skills they need. We continue to allow assault weapons to be bought and carried by anyone, to give in to religious nuts who think the world is 6000 years old, to allow children to starve, while cutting the taxes of the wealthy, to allow corporations to buy votes by promoting the kind of stupid and useless politicians we now have in Congress. We need a single payer medical system, similar to the ones in ALL civilized countries. We need to get rid of the useless “health insurance companies” and have a health care system that is the same for all people. If every person in the U.S. paid $25 a month for health care, and the majority of doctors stopped being ‘single style’ doctors and actually worked as family physicians, we would be a much healthier nation. If teachers were better trained in their subjects instead of “how to teach” (most of the time useless), and paid more like the bloated ‘doctor specialists,’ we might have an educated country instead of a land of low IQ peasants. Children should not be taught at “age level” but at “intelligence peer level,” or skill level, with different groups for each skill in each ‘grade.’ Not every child should go to ‘college.’ If a child does not want to go, or cannot do the work required, he/she should have a choice to learn a trade or skill, or be able to work as an apprentice to learn a skill that will get them a job they like, for too many people in this country now hate the work they do, and should have learned to work at something they enjoy doing.

I get the feeling this upcoming election may be my last. For my grandchildren’s sake, I hope that the poor, uneducated, unthinking, low IQ nation in which I now live, has the good sense to turn their backs on the screaming, squabbling bunch of idiots and vote for the people in their district and in the national races who will not cater to the corporations and the wealthiest people in this country.  And, please, let's get rid of that nut who looks like the youngest member of "The Adams Family," Paul Ryan. come on, people of Michigan, you have more brains than that!

Finding People

When you get to be my age (VERY OLD) you tend to lose friends, family, people in general. The only people you see or talk to are your doctor, well, doctors now, they're all specialists, your dentist, the people you make appointments to see, your hairdresser (or barber), the people who come to clean your apartment, but not very many others. Old people become invisible to others on the street, particularly ones with my problem... I use a walker, so I guess younger people think I am beyond bothering with. I even notice that the little girl who is our building's 'program director' tends to talk to me the way one talks to a three year old... I'm THAT old. Unfortunately, I cannot put a sign around my neck, explaining that I am a 40 year old living in a 90 year old body. I can still understand a lot more of the English language that most people. I can still read... and write, using my computers, and carry on an intelligent conversation... well, that is, if I can find an intelligent person out there. They seem to have become one of the lost races on this earth. All but about two or three of my old friends are either dead, have moved in with their children back East, have just about lost it to some form of Alzheimer's or taken to their beds for good, something that doesn't interest me at the moment. 

So, I must begin a search... a search for younger friends obviously. I'm almost there. I joined my local 'Nextdoor.com' ... a lovely way to meet neighbors. I put two comments in... first one mentioned that I was a old woman who needed help with my new Macbook Pro, and getting a website started to put my podcast online, and made friends with a darling girl named Allie, who turned out to be a knitter and craftsperson like me... we had a lot in common to start with, and have discovered more as she helped me... I'm learning!! Then I commented on another note... and had several people get in touch with me... had a wonderful time last night... on of the young men and his girlfriend came over, bringing me dinner and stayed to talk... much fun. They promised to come back and bring yet another young man with to interview me. Plus... heard from some other charming girls... one coming for tea on Sunday, an older woman who invited me to come and see her California plant garden, and a dear girl with a baby who is coming to see me after her mother's visit. I do have neighbors... and looks like we will get to know each other. Perhaps I shall even get my Sunday in the Garden conversation meting I had thought about started. This is a great neighborhood... I do hope we all get together to talk. Now all I have to do is find wher the gals hid my Red Rose Tea. We were stuck having white tea last night, as it was all I could find. I love the idea of having neighbors again!

Talking to Myself Once More

Well, since no one ever reads this, I guess it is simply me talking to myself... so me, how's the neck? Don't ask! Why do I continue to exist in this terrible shape? I suppose because I don't think I could haul myself up over the edges of the GG bridge... and besides, I hate being under water... just brings back the remembrance of the horrible waters of Lake Minnetonka where I almost drowned the one summer we went there instead of up to the cottage, where we had beautiful Lake Huron, clear and clean and lovely. Few lttle stones as you walked into the lake, but then back to the singing sands of Michigan underfoot. On shore, hot sand to sink into as you ran to keep the feet above the broiling hot sand, heated up by the hot, hot sun, so it was either run up to the right and into the shade of the birch, beech and fir trees that grew there, or into the water and run on the tiny stones. Always running down to the public beach, as the lake behind our cottage was shallow and a long way to fight through the leg length water to a place where one could swim. At least at the public beach one could get in, walk a short distance and swim... swim around the big round logs of the pier, in and out, out to the last ones, where it became over the head finally.

How I miss the cottage... and all the relatives. Useless and alone in California... well, my dear son always says, "You're the one who wanted to live in California. Yep... it's always my fault... everything... forever. Well Mark et al, California has been good for and to me. Look... I'm living forever... I have help with my housework... I have a selfish roommate named Sylvia, who is now telling me to get the hell in there and clean out her litter box... must go.......... bye me, bye!

Oh, Did God Choose Sunday for US?

Here it is Sunday and I am so sick and tired of “Christians” and their so called ‘beliefs’ taken right from the teachings of their ‘Christ,’ or Jesus? Almost always, it turns out that they are giving us something from the OLD Testament, or the Jewish bible. There is nothing there about a Jesus... that is all in the NEW Testament, which they will also drag out and quote from, but normally their quotes are from the OLD.

To my way of thinking, the Old Testament is actually the telling and retelling and retelling, and retelling, and retelling, ad infinitum, of stories made up by a bunch of old men to keep their flocks in order and doing what those old bosses wanted done. (Haven’t we all had a boss who told us “because we’ve always done it that way?”) The stories that have come down to us that were put into a ‘bible’ are the ones that benefitted the ‘bosses’ the best, and the ones that were the most interesting to majority of people. That ‘book’ has been ripped apart and retold by a lot of generations, and I think most people now have gotten the idea, finally, that no old man with a long white beard patted together a lot of dust and threw in a couple of oceans to make a place for his original pair of ‘humans’ to live some 60,000 (oh yeah?) years ago. What language did they speak? (I’ll bet most of the holier than thou in the U.S. will say ‘English.’) "Great glory, I been SAVED!!"

As to the “Christians” in the supposedly devout fundamentalist groups in our country, most do not know much about the bible, as they do not read, but simply take the word of some usually just as ignorant ‘pastor’ who tells them how to think and believe. If they had read the New Testament, they would find that Jesus was simply a minor prophet who headed a quite small group of people of the Jewish faith, who, like most Jews, were looking for ‘the Redeemer’ (or whatever your group called him in those days), to take them out of the slavery they were in, to establish them where everyone wants to be... as the bosses again. A lot of this was of course, cloaked in the pretty voices of ‘the humble,’ ‘the kind,’ etc., etc. After all WE wouldn’t treat our fellow humans badly, would we? Noooo. We are nicer, aren’t we? And all the ‘holidays were cribbed from the Pagans... Jesus was NOT born in December, the ‘elders’ needed to snatch that pagan celebration, along with all the rest. 

Now if you look at the New Testament, you will find very few real “quotes” from this minor prophet, Jesus, as almost all of what is written (or made up) about him was written long after his death. Matter of fact, he probably wouldn’t even have become known if it hadn’t been for a man we call St.Paul, who came long, long after Jesus, picked up stories and beliefs about this good and kind man and spread his name and stories about him all across the somewhat civilized world of that time. Had it not been for St.Paul and his wanderings and teachings, we might have wound up with Thor or some vague Viking god as our main venue of worship. But, because of St.Paul, who most assuredly was not one of Jesus’ “disciples,” we got Jesus, the man he referred to as “the Son of God.” He did a great job, My mother, a devout Anglican Catholic (Episcopalian) always referred to St.Paul as the first great salesman.

Then there is the New Testament itself. I get very tired of the people who say it is the ‘word of god’... one would really not like to imagine that old man with the white beard lounging around on the clouds with so much time on his hands when he could be helping out some of the poor refugees down here, writing some of the fanciful stories in that book. Now you find me a quote from Jesus that says gay people can’t get married, or that a woman who has been raped can’t get an abortion.

First of all, those stories were gathered, again by the tribal bosses, to keep people in line and doing whatever work had to be done to keep the community together. Further, that whole book was torn apart by Constantine when he was converted to this new faith, who destroyed the parts he did not agree with, and put in a few little extras to keep his bunch in line. It was ever thus, no matter what all those fundamentalist preachers in their fancy, expensive suits ('God WANTS me to look good!') tell you.

There is so much information today because of computers, and the work of archeologists, and the whole EDUCATED community, that it disturbs me to see the rise in uneducated people who go to these huge fundamentalist churches and believe what is screamed at them by guys collecting enormous amounts of money from the masses. It also saddens me. I do wish that instead of all these churches and Mosques and other places full of people who are simply taught to hand their money to guys who are preaching at them, we could have small groups of people who believe like the Buddhists, not in a god, but in the quiet, good and kind teachings of a man who did not (nor did his followers attempt to) make himself a ‘god.’

Next I suppose I will do my little preaching on the division of salaries in my country... another crime against humanity. No person should make more than 250% (or I guess it is more now) than the average person who works for him/her. But that’s for next time...

More Tears... Another Hero Gone

A sad today today, just before 60 Minutes I heard that yet another of my great heros, Julian Bond, died today, far too soon. He was only 75. It is almost like the horror of being a parent and having one's child die before her to see so many of my heros go, leaving their sad old mother here, knowing, since she is a firm atheist, that she will never see them again. So Julian leaves, leaving me here wishing I had had the chance to meet him, that gorgeous, soft-spoken man who worked so hard at trying to make his country a better place for all of us. A kinder, sweeter and quieter person than most of the hard-driving people who fought for racial freedom in the south, one did not see him as often as the others, but I listened to his every word and watched for him at any rally. I brush away the tears that threaten to fall on my keyboard and can only say:  Goodbye dear Julian Bond, I love you and I shall miss you enormously. May you long be remembered as one of our country's greatest men.