Category: More Topics

59 Things to Smile About

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59 Things to Smile About

Let's talk about smiles today

59 Things to Smile About

 

By D. S. Mitchell

 

1.) The roll of thunder and the flash of lightening

2.) The sound of crows calling
3.) Grandma’s 1940 aluminum cake carrier
4.) Having a flower budget
5.) Toddlers in sandboxes
6.) Homemade tamales
7.) Fresh baked apple pie
8.) Big Sur
9.) Fire trucks all red and shiny
10.) Liquor in crystal decanters

11.) Walking the dunes
12.) Tillamook cheddar cheese
13.) Sails in the wind
14.) Still saving my change in a piggy bank
15.) Making church steeples with my hands
16.) Finding a parking space at the front door
17.) Making Cannabis truffles
18.) Eating Cannabis truffles
19.) A ‘she-shed’ for the garden
20.) Waltzing in the Pittock Mansion ballroom
21.) Scrabble on a rainy Sunday

22.) My Alma Mater, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
23.) Daddy’s cherished gray ‘Bogie’ Fedora
24.) Snowmobile races
25.) 501’s and a leather jacket
26.) The art section at Goodwill
27.) Lake life
28.) Ping Pong basement championships

29.) Making floral bouquets from flowers collected from the yard
30.) High school football games
31.) White cotton shorts
32.) Being nice when someone calls you vulgar names on Twitter
33.) Astoria Sunday Market, on a sunny day
34.) A drive up mailbox
35.) A dog

36.) A cat
37.) Fresh baked bread
38.) First day of school
39.) Last day of school
40.) Wainscotting
41.) Cheese fondue with little bread squares
42.) Having read every book on the shelf
43.) Shiny oak floors
44.) First ski week-end
45.) A Blue Heron in the marsh

46.) Walking hand in hand with a child
47.) Wrapped peppermints in a glass dish
48.) Making pictures out of clouds
49.) Old photo albums
50.) Peanuts and popcorn at the ball game
51.) Oversize reckless, passionate modern art pieces
52.) Never feeling older than 17
53.) Powell’s Books, Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
54.) Spring wildflowers

55.) White curtains, blowing gently on a summer breeze

56.) Looking at childhood pictures in an old photo album

57.) Catching crawdads with my grandson

58.) Lunch with the girls

59.) Snuggling and cuddling with someone special

I hope some of my reasons to smile, made you smile. Tomorrow, Calamity News and Politics will be back covering the Washington, D.C. hotplate, and I doubt  there will be many reasons to smile in that environment.

 

 

Summer Sun and Fun

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Summer Sun and FunPink Flamingo Get a Lot of Attention

Summer Sun and Fun

By Anna Hessel

 

It’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over

As summer comes to its close, here are some fun reflections and sage advice on how to enjoy the remainder of the season…

Everybody In The Pool…

The opening of our local water parks and pools proved to be much fun; I can’t help but notice the difference between how men and women prepare for a day at the pool.  Since a week in Tahiti to get in the right mind set is a bit unrealistic, women begin with a mani-pedi, bikini wax at the European Wax Center, and a stop for beachy waves at their salon of choice.

Shop ‘Til You Drop

Of course, a trip to the favorite shopping center is in order (including the requisite stop at Starbuck’s for a mocha latte) to choose several new swimsuits, swim skirts, swim coverups, sundresses, two pair of designer sunglasses, toe rings, ankle bracelets, sandals, flip-flops, an attractive beach tote with a pretty scarf tied to the handle to carry it all in (mine is pink), a sun umbrella (mine is pink), beach towels from Big Lots (mine are pink), and a straw sun hat from the local millinery boutique.

Just A Few Sundries

Next comes the cosmetics: sunscreen in various levels of SPF, clarifying shampoo,  dry shampoo, volumizing conditioner, hair mousse, papaya body wash, hyacinth body scrub, coconut almond moisture bath bar, cucumber melon moisturizing spray, Tiki Beach body spray from Bath & Body Works, deodorant/antiperspirant, pre-tan accelerator, after-sun lotion, spray-on lotion, cocoa butter hand cream, pina colada flavored tinted lip balm with SPF, waterproof mascara, waterproof blush, bronzer, BB cream with SPF, lavender mint moisturizer, Avon Skin So Soft, makeup remover, grapefruit toner, day cream, eye cream from Rodan + Fields, mandarin orange body butter, peach foot cream, body firming lotion, talc-free powder, mint mouthwash, travel size toothbrush and whitening toothpaste, waterproof brow gel, Clinique Chubby Stick in Cherry, Band-Aids (mine are Hello Kitty – they were out of pink) , antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, brush, comb, curling iron, flat iron, hot rollers, blow dryer (mine is Hello Kitty and pink), water bottle (mine is pink), waterproof smartphone cover (mine is pink), headphones (mine are pink), fresh unmentionables (may I mention, mine are pink), wash cloth, fingertip towel (mine is guess what color? Pink!), loofa, and shower pouf (mine is pink).

Read On…

Add in some quality reading material, including the Good Book, the latest issue of Elle, Glamour, Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, a Harlequin “Love Inspired” romance, a Legally Blonde novel, and of course, something by Debbie Macomber.  Now if you are a mom, taking your children to the pool, the above list will most likely triple in size, adding healthy and fun snacks (just don’t eat them on the pool deck), a bevy of swim toys, water wings, and lots of Little Swimmers Diapers for the littlest ones.

All That Truck

As my husband was getting out the hand truck to take my teensie beach tote to the car, all the while muttering something about hernias and the kitchen sink missing, I snuck a peak at his beach bag: last year’s swim trunks in a plastic grocery sack from Walmart; you gotta’ love a man with style…

Waxing Eloquent

Of course, one of my favorite parts of summer is a trip to the full-fledged water park; this means a major hair removal spree – winter allows us to only shave to the knee.  I tried on my new swimsuit and looked like an orangutan wearing tube socks.  I better add a Brazilian wax to my pedicure on the beauty prep list.  I often wonder, why this waxing is not referred to as Australian or the Cuban wax?  Let’s just refer to it as a bikini wax, shall we?

Packing Light

As I am packing my new tote bag for the park (mine is pink with matching princess beach towel), I notice my husband is packing his plastic grocery bag.  In goes an old Spiderman beach towel, his brand-new swim trunks (his are light blue with orange pineapples emblazoned on them), a faded purple T-shirt, and green flip-flops for his feet.  He adds a Cubs hat in their trademark dark blue to this cheeky ensemble.

I Don’t Know Him

Upon arrival at the water park, I pretend I don’t know my spouse of 31 years.  I receive a sympathetic glance from a well-coordinated woman whose husband is attired in a red, orange, and yellow Hawaiian shirt from three decades past, faded green trunks, and argyle socks with sandals.  He proudly pulls a T-shirt announcing “My kid went to Florida and all I got was this lousy shirt” from his paper grocery sack.  I smile and give a knowing nod to his attractive wife, taking comfort in the knowledge that my man has style…

Fly In The Flamingos

Of course, COVID had caused havoc with summer pool season 2020-2021 to be non-existent, so I was extremely grateful when swimming establishments re-opened last year. I am fully vaccinated and boosted and I am always more than ready for some fun in the sun.  Last season, however, patrons had to provide their own chairs; this fact sent me on a search for two matching loungers, a task that proved more difficult than I imagined.  I finally found a duo at a mass retailer, but the individual chairs were at separate locations.  To my chagrin, the set’s motif featured pink flamingos.  My favorite color, yes, but the graphics of the cartoonish form of the tall birds, not so much.  Back in the day, plastic flamingos were not considered the most elegant of décor, but now, there is a sea of them wherever I look.  They are all the rage – they have become the pumpkin spice of summer.

Don’t Be An Angry Bird

Don’t get me wrong, actual live flamingos are very cool birds.  But too much of a good thing is, well, too much.  I have seen flamingo everything: beach totes, towels, swimwear, sunglasses, pool floats, drinkware, dinnerware, neon-lit sculptures, solar yard lights, mailbox covers, flags, shower curtains complete with matching beak rings, earrings, robes, PJ’s, slippers, bedding, mani-pedi nail designs, and even out-of-season Christmas tree ornaments, just to name a few.  A wooden sign reminds me to be a flamingo standing tall, finding balance, getting your feet wet, to keep on digging until you find what you’re looking for, to remain flexible, support your flock, and of course, always be “fla-mazing”.  Now I will admit I have a tin plaque on my rear patio that announces one must, “Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons”.  But to be quite honest, the entire flamingo craze escapes me.

Mine Is Pink, His, Well…

Since my lounge chair coordinates with my solid pink beach bag, towel, and flip-flops, I have somehow convinced myself that this sun chair purchase is whimsical.   My other half, although disappointed that he did not receive a navy and white striped beach lounger for his birthday, secure in his masculinity, he is making do with pink flamingos.  A glance in his direction shows he is extracting his old faded red and blue Spiderman beach towel from his plastic grocery bag, to spread across his pink flamingo chair, making us even more of a spectacle at the water park. As I lower my ample derriere to lounge upon the faces of 100 unsuspecting fake flamingos, I can’t help but wonder what in tarnation has happened to style…

The Dog Days of Summer

It’s hard to believe summer will soon be coming to an end – August, for me, means a wedding anniversary trip to yet another water park, one of the advantages of being married in the “dog days” of August.  This got me to thinking why we refer to the summer heat as “dog days”.  Our cats actually agree with our dog that they don’t like the heat, either.  I decided to do some research – in other words, I Googled it – to find that the phrase has nothing to do with doggies languidly sleeping in the shade.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree?

In reality, dogs are not involved at all per se – the origins of the phrase take us all the way back to ancient times in Rome and Greece; the star Sirius, a part of the constellation Canis Major, is called the “dog star”, and is the brightest shining in the waning summer sky.  It was considered the greater dog, which moved in the direction of the sun.  The star group normally can only be seen during the winter, but the Romans and Greeks were aware that the constellation, and the dog star itself, traveled towards the sun during the late summer, therefore called this time period the “dog days”.

The Phrase That Pains

This explanation led me to ponder about some other often-used phrases, which I must admit I find annoying.  The one which bothers me the most is the overused term “reach out” – in my opinion, reaching out is something one would do to aid their fellow man such as baking a cake for a sick neighbor or helping someone to change a tire.  Reaching out, to me, really has nothing to do with a call to the cable company, the bank, or my insurance agent.  Another rather silly nouveau cliché is the profound “it is what it is”; well, duh, it isn’t what it isn’t…  That made no sense, even to a blonde – please feel free to email your explanation.  I also find the phrase “we are moving in a different direction” particularly appalling, especially when used to terminate a long-term and loyal employee.  Back in the day we simply said, “you’re fired!”, because “it is what is”, and this reference has nothing to do with the dreaded Donald.

Until it Ends

Soon my fevered brain will be challenged  by the ridiculousness of pumpkin spice lattes, Santa decorated boxer shorts, and PJ’s emblazoned with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but until I fold up my pink beach towel and slide it into my little pink tote for the last day at the waterpark, let’s have some fun.

FOX Attacks 10-Year-Old Rape Victim

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FOX Attacks 10-year-old Rape Victim 

FOX Attacks 10-year-old Rape Victim 

 

By D. S. Mitchell

 

Channel Surfing

I started off the morning watching Sam Stein filling in for Velshi on MSNBC.  I switched over to Smerconish, when the commercials came on, to see what was top of the conversation at CNN.  Both CNN and MSNBC were featuring lead stories on the tragic case of a 10-year-old Ohio child who was raped and impregnated by her attacker. Since we are in a post-Roe world, she was denied an abortion in her home state of Ohio, and was forced to travel to Indiana to undergo treatment.

Out of the Blue

When the story went viral a whole lot of anti-abortion agitators opened fire on the girl, her family and the MD who provided her care. Out of the blue, the Indiana Attorney General, Todd Rokita (R), said on the FOX channel, of course, that his department intended to investigate the doctor who did the abortion. On air, he quite plainly accused Dr. Bernard of malfeasance and overt criminality, suggesting that although abortion is legal in Indiana, this particular doctor, “most  likely committed a crime.” He went on to say “she often fails to submit required notifications and documents” to the state of Indiana regarding abortion procedures. Dr. Bernard’s attorney returned fire sending a Cease and Desist notice to Rokita, advising him he is likely to be the target of a lawsuit for defamation.

Political Provacteurs

This came after a week of right-wing bloggers, pundits, and political provacteurs, the likes of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, assailing this tragic story as a falsehood; arguing that it was a “story searching for confirmation.” Sadly, it was not a made-up story by the crazy liberals, attempting to win public support for abortion. The perpetrator, 27 year-old Gershon Fuentes has been arrested, and he has confessed. It was a true story about a real person, a child, no less, and a doctor trying to make life better for someone who’s life would be forever altered. But, over at FOX there will be no apologies, no retractions, just a quick jump to another hot button issue.

Really, Laura?

Maybe Laura Ingraham can’t remember being a 10 years old little girl, but I can.  I was still playing with dolls for ‘effin sakes. Playing with dolls. . .so instead of dolls, I should have been suckling an infant for the state? Barbaric. What will the next horrific decision be from the Robert’s SCOTUS? Forced state female circumcision? That may sound outlandish, even outrageous, but in the old days a woman wasn’t supposed to enjoy sexual relations, so better make sure she doesn’t.

In any Universe

I don’t know much about god (s) but I do recognize unbelievable cruelty when I see it; and I am convinced there is no god in this or any other universe,  blessing the behavior of FOX and its clones on the pulpits of “Christian” churches, across the United States. My hope is that all the evil done in the name of god, hopefully has harsh punishments, for those who use His name to facilitate their own worldly agenda.

 

OPINION:Horrible Language, Horrible Intent

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OPINION: Horrible Language, Horrible Intent

It's a dog fight, and it will be playing out near you as the 2022 Midterms approach

OPINION: Horrible Language, Horrible Intent

By D. S. Mitchell

It’s Ugly Out There

It’s a dog fight. The language is vitriolic. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent on campaign ads, showing candidates brandishing AR-15’s and going so far as to call their opponents “groomers” and “pedophiles”. Numerous Republican candidates have made claims that their liberal opponents are “grooming” children by pushing for LGBTQI+ rights; claims repeated by Tucker Carlson every night on the FOX channel. The radical language is not just for the opposition party, but these hyped-up right-winger’s are threatening members of their own party who they feel are not obscene, or disgusting enough, labeling them “RINO’s (Republicans in name only).”

Dangerous Topics

These ads filling our TV and PC screens are pushing some highly dangerous topics, one of the more dangerous and disgusting, is the current monster under the bed, the ‘great replacement theory’ and other similar racially and religiously charged conspiracies. According to America’s Voice, a progressive immigration advocacy group, hundreds of GOP ads specifically mention “replacement theory,” “migrants,” and “invasion.”

Enrique

The airwaves are filled with Republicans accusing Democrats of deliberately encouraging migrants to cross the southern border illegally so they can “replace white voters”. They further claim Democrats are trying to indoctrinate children with fake history lessons about systemic racism against blacks. Of course it isn’t just blacks; it’s browns, Mexicans, Muslims, Jews, Asians and anyone that isn’t ‘really’ white- Christian. In a country like ours, the “real” white guys are pretty far and few between. Apparently, the neo-Nazi, white supremacist group, the Proud Boys, couldn’t find enough of those ‘real white guys’ and were forced to enlist  Enrique Torrio, a man of Afro-Cuban ancestry, whose parents came as immigrants from Cuba, to act as their front man. What a joke. Only, it’s not a joke.

Highly Combustible

The language is dangerous and highly combustible. In my view, the hateful language is fodder for inevitable violent consequences. Hate crimes are up 339 per cent! The shooter in Buffalo, referenced the racist replacement theory 10 times in writings before his killing rampage at a Top’s Food Market. The gunman called his victims “replacers” of white Americans. While there’s no direct one-to-one connection between one campaign ad and a person or group carrying out a crime, “there is a really clear relationship between the hateful speech of politicians and hateful acts,” Sophie Bjork-James, an expert on racism, said recently. Ms Bjork-James went on to say that there seemed to be a disturbing pattern between a string of violent incidents across the United States and an increase in “dangerous” highly charged language from Republican candidates and sitting GOP members of Congress in ads, social media posts, and speeches.

Systematic Replacement

“They will not replace us,” was the rallying cry at the Charlottesville riot in 2018. This replacement conspiracy theory has anti-Semitic origins. This baseless belief theorizes that Jews are behind a systematic program to replace ‘white people’ with immigrants and black people, with the intent to  overwhelm American elections. When challenged to stop promoting such hateful speech the noise only  intensifies. Despite the outcry, Republicans refuse to step away from the hateful language. Recently 32 GOP members of Congress repeated “invasion” language in a letter to Joe Biden, demanding the president “protect America from invasion.” When surveyed, 7 in 10 Republicans believe the heated rhetoric. In fact, 7 out of 10 Republicans believe Democrats eat the bodies of small children, are actually, lizard people, and who the hell knows what else?

A Trumpian Call

J.D. Vance, a Republican U. S. Senate candidate in Ohio, said back in February, the only way President Joe Biden could win reelection in 2024 “is to replace the citizens of his own country with illegal foreigners. The invasion he’s allowing to happen at the border is about power for democrats and nothing more.” The fear mongering ramps up as we close in on the 2022 midterms. Traditionally the party out of power wins seats in the midterms. So, why are the Republicans going to the most base and deplorable extremes when they are almost guaranteed to  to flip the House, and perhaps even the Senate.

It’s not just liberals, immigrants, or trans kids, in the cross hairs. Republican candidates and lawmakers who are not aggressive enough are also are being targeted. Former Missouri governor, a candidate for  the U.S. Senate, released a video of him smashing into a residence, carrying an assault rifle, backed-up by a group of individuals in combat attire, also carrying long guns, and announced, “Today, I’m going RINO hunting.” The RINO’s are corrupt and cowardly, get a “RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn’t expire until we save our country.” Holy Moly. This is how he treats his allies? Facebook removed the ad and Twitter flagged it. Wimps.

January 6th Threats

Adam Kinzinger, is one, of only two Republicans, on the January 6th Committee. Kinzinger also voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. Kinzinger has been threatened, along with his wife and newborn son. Trump has labeled Kinzinger as a RINO. Kinzinger, predicts, “There is violence in the future, and we can’t expect any different.”

Pissed Off And Ready To Shoot Someone

The Department of Homeland Security is also warning of a “heightened threat environment” due to  domestic terrorism and ‘a politically charged environment.’ The agency pointed out a large number of false narratives and racist conspiracy theories in a recent report. DHS Secretary, Mayorkas, said the department is keeping close tabs on extremist groups, “Individuals spurred by ideology of hate, false narratives, personal grievances, (are likely) to act out violently.”

No 400 Pounders

The theories the Republicans are vocalizing aren’t coming from 400 pounders knocking out posts in their basement, but the rhetoric and the absurdities are coming from people who have real power. The continued hateful, divisive rhetoric, has gotten out of control. It is time to tap this shit down. Extremist thought is being elevated to a level of legitimacy unheard of, at least in the last fifty years. Words, and speech we may have heard at a card game, or in a bar-and certainly on the fringes of politics-but not spoken aloud by major players.

Conclusion

Those never said descriptors now part of 2022 campaigning. Is it working? I’m sure it is with a certain part of the electorate, I’m hoping that there are enough outraged women in the country to put  a stop to the Republican plan. However, if the Republicans take back the House and the Senate, I expect the rhetoric and the violence will become a larger, and larger. factor in our daily lives. We are headed for a new Jim Crow, a new repression of women, and LGBTQ suppression. I predict; chaos is coming, unless there is a blue wave; previously unseen in history. A huge Democratic turn out, that runs the Republicans out of office, is the only thing that could turn this whole thing around.

 

EDITORIAL: Glass Smashing Rage

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EDITORIAL: Glass Smashing Rage

EDITORIAL: Glass Smashing Rage

By Dani Davis

Not So Good, ‘Ol Days

I was born in 1946. That makes me 76 years old.  The Allied soldiers had just liberated Europe from Hitler’s fascist grip, AND saved the world from the jingoism of the Japanese Empire when I was delivered kicking and screaming into the world. The boys were back to the land of the not so free. A history lesson is appropriate at this time, for those have been separated from what it was really like in those days. Let me tell you; it ‘effin sucked for a hell of a lot of people, particularly people of color, women, and the queer.

Writing Law, Not interpreting Law

On June 24, 2022, I woke up to learn that the right wing-radical SCOTUS had overturned Roe v Wade. The first thing to suffer were two wine glasses sitting on the kitchen counter, which I sent flying across the room in an angry rage.  We all knew it was coming, since the ‘leak’ of Sam Alito’s draft opinion nearly two months ago.  I am furious. I am shocked. I am dismayed. But, more than that, I am deeply saddened for our country; and the meaning of law, and justice.

Pretzel Time

I am saddened and alarmed that the six ideologues chosen by the Federalist Society, who now sit on the highest court in the land, seem to have no brakes. It is clear they intend to smash through anything that gets in their political way. These isolated radicalized folks are willing to ignore 50 years of established precedent, twist themselves into pretzels looking to 15th century doctrine to support an outrageous 21st century decision. The justices, despite the wishes of 70% of the American people, overturned Roe. They could have chipped away at the law, which they have been doing since 1993, instead they are so brazen they did not hesitate in wiping Roe off the legal landscape.  Greatly emboldened they do not intend to let anything stop them. I am convinced nothing we call sacred in our society, is safe from this out of control court.

Mitch McConnell Is The Cause 

This “Catholic-Christian” majority Supreme Court just tossed out 50 years of progress and has sent this country into a very dark place. Lest not forget how we got to this imbalance on the court. Republican Mitch McConnell, when he was Majority Leader in the Senate, denied Barack Obama a chance to install his choice for Supreme Court Justice, Merrick Garland. In 2020, Mitch again, went against all Senate history and jammed through Amy Cony Barrett as Trump’s 3rd appointee, during the last days of the Trump administration.  Those two actions by McConnell have resulted in the current imbalance of conservative justices on the court.

More To Come

Abortion is not the only ‘right’ under attack. There is much more to come. All you need to do is read Clarence Thomas’s opinion. Frankly, with the court’s decision to overturn Rue, came with a threat to end many long established rights. Clarence Thomas, in his assenting opinion foreshadowed many rights he was willing to take the judicial hammer to. It looks to me like, we have an over-active, ‘law-creating’ court that will soon be targeting many cherished privacy rights. The right to contraceptives, same sex marriage, and the right to decide the race of your sexual partner may be in the cross-hairs of this politically active court.

Most Egregious

It seems a bit odd that ‘Uncle Tom’ Clarence Thomas has forgotten that his right to marry a white woman isn’t many steps away from the topics he suggests were decided egregiously.  I’d like to remind Clarence and Virginia (Ginni) Thomas, that it wasn’t until June of 1967, when I was a senior in college, the Earl Warren Supreme Court issued it’s landmark opinion in Loving v Virginia. Let me repeat that, it wasn’t until 1967, that Clarence and Ginni could have even traveled together, much less gotten married in nearly a third of the states in these good old United States. Looking backwards might not be the best choice for this duo.

The United States Is Not A Christian Country

The United States was founded as a secular republic, not a ‘Christian’ country. What unites us is a common Constitution, not a common religion, or a common culture. The U.S, Constitution is meant to protect the rights of us all; not just the rights of the “believers.” Nobody is supposed to be burned at the stake anymore; yet Sam Alito had to reach back to the time of the witch trials to find basis for his anti-abortion ruling. Please, it is 2022 and it is fucking time a woman should be allowed to make the decisions that effect her, and her family. Literally, a woman could be pregnant 3/4 of every year, for 35 plus years, producing potentially a child a year.  Without contraception, or abortion a single woman could if forced to produce 35 kids. Really? This is what the conservatives want for 21st century women? Total crap.

Lawless Abandon

The Catholic-Christian majority that has been jammed onto the Supreme Court have decided that they can wield their 6-3 voting power with near lawless abandon. Don’t just clutch your pearls ladies; these six SOB’s want to impose their religious beliefs onto the rest of us; it is time for action, not whining and moaning. We are a country of 330, 000,000 people, from different religions, different cultures and backgrounds, each of us with different dreams. The recent Supreme Court actions on voting rights, gun rights, the EPA, and Roe v Wade are total BS. The idea that the Founding Father’s believed that every citizen, no matter how crazy, should be able to openly carry a weapon of war is total absurdity. I think Ben and the boys would have put the kibosh to that idea quickly and decisively.  The eighteenth century philosphosper/revolutionary was part of his world, and for a court to suggest that the eighteen century and the twenty-first century are equivalent is patently ridiculous.

A Fraudulent Court

The fact that the last three of the nine justices, were appointed illegitimately, thanks to Mitch McConnell, by a twice impeached, one-term president, makes any of this court’s decisions suspect. Furthermore, from taped testimony, it looks like Barrett, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh may have misled, or perhaps committed perjury during Senate questioning. I would go so far as to suggest this is a fraudulent court. There is no way we can wait forty years for this court to die of old age; while it destroys the fabric of our society.  These folks were not elected, yet they are sitting in lifetime positions, making decisions that effect the most basic of our rights; privacy. Outrageous.

My Final Days

I will not be silent. I may be 76 years old,  but I can still march, I can still vote,  I can still vocalize my anger. I’m not dead yet, and until that final day comes I will be working for a re-do of the ‘third’ branch of government. The idea that you can remove court decisions from the time and place of the decision is absurd.  The Founding Fathers were a part of their time.  When Ben, Tom, Jimmy and George were imagining a new country, they sure as hell had no idea that the country of 2.5 million would eventually spread from to sea to shining sea, with a  population  nearly 10 and a half times the size of the original country. There were no cars, no cell phones, no railroads, no astronauts, no AR-15’s, no female CEO’s, no black legislators. For the ‘purists’ on the court who want to take us back 245 years let’s remember that the Ninth Amendment offered flexibility and growth. The FF knew that the constitution could grow and stretch to the needs of the country, not contract and penalize the many.  We can grow past 1619. We can grow past 1776 It is 2022, time for a new perspective, not an old and outdated one.

Real, True Outrage

Should a woman be forced to carry her rapists baby until birth? I say, “hell no.” What if the impregnated person were a child, carrying her father’s baby, as a victim of incest. Or perhaps, an uncle or a  grandfather; or some other relative. My fucking god, this ordeal is guaranteed to fuck up just about anybody. Let’s start thinking with our hearts. Let’s begin with love for the hopeless, for the abandoned, let’s offer them a life line, not an anchor.

Conclusion

It is time for court reform. If there isn’t court reform I  predict that people will just stop listening to anything that comes out of their biased mouths. At least 90 attorney generals and state prosecutors have stated for the record they will not prosecute any abortion cases. The Robert’s Court has already damaged the public view of the court. I  think the last time I looked, the Supreme court approval rating was about 20%.   It is time to enlarge the court, institute term limits, and come up with a code of ethics, to reign in the likes of Clarence Thomas and his anti-democratic wife.

 

Hug Yourself…We All Need Some Self-Love

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Editor’s Note: When I picked up Wes and Anna’s article on self-love I knew they were sending it to me personally. Anna has been aware of some upending events in my personal life recently and she sent this unsolicited piece to remind me that sometimes you need to check out of the chaos and just be kind to yourself. Thanks Anna and Wes for knowing how to support a friend. Sending hugs your way.

 

Hug Yourself….We All Need Some Self-Love

Be kind to yourself 

By Anna Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

You Only Have One You

In tumultuous times, self care, self love, and choosing to be comfortable in our own skin are as important as ever.  Here are some ways to stay positive and upbeat in a negative world:

  1. Remember that Joe Biden, not Donald Trump, is President.
  2. Reading relaxes – curl up with a good book, the Good Book perhaps; read a newspaper or magazine, read blogs (especially this one).
  3. Comfort foods are comforting in moderation and fruits and veggies will keep you healthy.
  4. Exercise: it gives you endorphins, and endorphins sure do make you happy.
  5. That glass of wine, margarita, martini, or Kahlua can be a comfort but do not over do.
  6. Prayers and meditation are a healing balm to a weary soul.
  7. Get a manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, or body wrap – think of it as an investment in yourself.
  8. Use a facemask, take a bubble bath, or a hot shower.
  9. Look at art, it is calming and thought provoking – in a gallery or museum can add to the impact.
  10. Cook or bake a new or old favorite recipe, and then actually eat it, or share it with others.

Let It Out

  1. Light some scented candles, just not so many that you burn the place down, because only a fire in a fireplace or grill is comforting. Opt to meet your fire department at their next open house, not before.
  2. Smile – it takes less muscles to grin versus frowning.
  3. Realize it’s okay to not be okay. God gave us emotions for a reason – controlling them is not always for the best.
  4. Embrace the sadness as you work through the pain – God has your back.
  5. Take a dip in a pool – as long as it’s actually open.
  6. Enjoy a sauna or whirlpool – ditto.
  7. Contact a friend; real friends don’t judge – they encourage, commiserate, and help you to see humor, if there is any, in a given situation.
  8. Call clergy or a help line if things get too difficult for you to deal with on your own.
  9. Scream loud, it actually helps – just do it in an appropriate place; in line at the grocery store, the dry cleaners, a church, theater, or at the department of motor vehicles (tempting though it may be) are not on the list of appropriate places.
  10. Listen to music, it soothes the soul and the savage beast – or is that breast?

You’re Worth It

  1. Hear children’s laughter.
  2. Laugh at something funny or silly – laughter really is the best medicine, after all.
  3. Binge watch favorite shows, take in a movie, find new favorite shows, or watch your favorite film (mine is Legally Blonde but there are many more movies that I love). Give me a chick flick anyday.
  4. Take a break from social media drama – yes, this means you, Facebook.
  5. Do an act of kindness for someone, because being nice never goes out of style.
  6. Compliment someone.
  7. Clean out that closet, and donate what you don’t need – one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Let’s not fill up those landfills.
  8. Dance and don’t care who is watching.
  9. Sing your favorite song loud, even if it is off key.
  10. Take a class – it shows you have some.

Try Something

  1. Go for a walk or a drive, nature can comfort even the most frazzled nerves, but always on designated paths or roads, unless you’re the off-road type.
  2. Turn everything off.
  3. Talk to Alexa – her and I have had some wonderful conversations.
  4. Have a date night – if you don’t have a significant other, date yourself.
  5. Pet an animal – ‘fur-babies’ are an uplifting lot.
  6. Play a board game with friends, but don’t argue over what Free Parking is for, or who gets the dog or the top hat.
  7. Get dressed up, wear a silly hat, or some Betsey Johnson boots.
  8. Play in the snow or the sand.
  9. Redecorate – do something different to spice up your decor. I, however, do not recommend painting multiple color stripes on the walls.
  10. Deep clean the whole house – spring cleaning isn’t just for spring.

Get Out And Get Going…

  1. Window shop, and maybe even stop in to buy something special.
  2. Go to the grocery store on free sample day. Costco has samples everyday.
  3. Volunteer – it helps you and someone else.
  4. Watch a Little League baseball, or pee wee football game, go to your local high school musical, or attend a dance or piano recital, just not as one of those parents.
  5. Drink a glass of champagne while wearing your best outfit – celebrate you.
  6. Stomp your feet, it’s fun – just make sure the surface you’re doing it on can withstand it.
  7. Ride a bike, motorcycle, or snowmobile. How about a Qubi?
  8. Go horseback riding.
  9. Do yoga, water aerobics, barre, spin class, Pilates, or another group exercise – twitch those hips (not twerk)
  10. Take a dance class – ballet, ballroom, and belly dancing are always fun and great exercise; work those endorphins as per Elle Woods.

Prescribe Yourself a Chill Pill

  1. Take a deep breath and exhale.
  2. Watch a sunrise or sunset. How about both?
  3. Stretch – physically or emotionally.
  4. Do something out of your comfort zone but keep it within reason. Getting arrested is not what I’m suggesting here; but maybe try a Karaoke night out.
  5. Visit your place of worship, local library, or neighborhood park.
  6. Attend an online or live event, such as a concert, lecture, or play.
  7. Challenge someone to a short race. It doesn’t matter who wins – you’re in the running.
  8. Walk, dance, or sing in the rain – umbrella or rain slicker optional.
  9. Clear out the kitchen cabinets and donate to a food pantry.
  10. Visit an elderly person – it will make their day and they may just share their wisdom with you.

It’s The Little Things

  1. Count your blessings, even when things are rough – sadness and difficult circumstances will not last forever; this too shall pass.
  2. Thank heaven for being alive.
  3. Smell a bouquet of flowers or your favorite fragrance.
  4. Laugh at yourself, that’s okay to do.
  5. Go to a planetarium, zoo, or aquarium – kiss a dolphin.
  6. HUG! If no one else is available, just wrap your arms around yourself and squeeze – you deserve it.
  7. Write a letter, article, or essay.
  8. Paint something but make sure you own what you chose to paint.
  9. A walk around the block can cure the blues, especially with a dog, friend, or significant other. I don’t recommend walking the cat – just give them a pat on the way out the door.
  10. Wash and wax the car – maybe vacuum it, too.

And Now For Something Completely Different…

  1. Watch cats stretch.
  2. Watch puppies or kittens play.
  3. Order take out, wear your jammies, and watch a black and white show or film.
  4. Look at your high school yearbook and smile at your hair style, then recreate that do. Try on your high school cheerleading outfit, letter jacket, bell-bottom jeans, or other apparel of years gone by.  I certainly don’t mean to boast but the earrings I wore to prom I can still fit in.
  5. Prepare something from a basket of strange ingredients and pretend you are a “Chopped” competitor.
  6. Be silly, not stupid.
  7. Stand up to someone that irritates you, but do so with dignity and class.
  8. Get naked but not in public.
  9. Check out some fun vintage things – a trip down memory lane is good for the spirit.
  10. Do your old high school or college cheer, even if the uniform no longer fits (see # 74).

Do For You And Others

  1. Throw your bathroom scale in the dumpster.
  2. Donate clothes or personal care items to a shelter, clothing closet, or pantry.
  3. Adopt a senior pet.
  4. Become a foster family.
  5. Walk barefoot in the grass or on the beach; you’ve never seen a “Do not walk on the sand sign”, right?
  6. See live theater and enjoy the magic from the stage.
  7. Eat the cookie.
  8. Try a new hairstyle, a different shade of lipstick, or tie a pretty scarf around your neck.
  9. Remember we have a female Vice President – be very cautious where you walk, because that ceiling has been shattered, and there’s glass everywhere. I just have to recall Kamala Harris stating, “So help me, God”, on inauguration day when I need a boost of confidence.
  10. Collect items for Ukrainian refugees, donate to the cause, and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Just Breathe…

  1. Invite your in-laws to lunch, you’re in a bad mood anyway.
  2. Go out to brunch with your besties, and drink mimosas or morning glows (mimosas made with wine, my signature cocktail)
  3. Visit your local park district or recreation department, and sign up for classes or events.
  4. Go to a farmers market – spend some time browsing and shopping.
  5. Go boutique hopping with a group of friends – it’s much more productive than bar hopping.
  6. Check into a hotel and be a guest.
  7. Jump in the pile of leaves or snow.
  8. Build a snowman or a sandcastle, or make a snow angel.
  9. Play with dolls, balls, or jump ropes – be a kid again.
  10. Hop on one foot – brush yourself off and start all over again when you fall down.
  11. Just breathe and feel the energy of God’s universe.
  12. Put up a Donald Trump dartboard, and get that pitching arm ready…

Women’s Day Celebrates Women

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30 Quotes Celebrating Women

March 8, International Women's Day is a day we celebrate the accomplishments of women around the world.

30 Quotes Celebrating Women:

International Women’s Day

D. S. Mitchell

March 8th marks a wartime strike in 1917, when Russian women demanded “bread and peace”. Within four days of the strike’s start, the tsar was forced to abdicate and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. That is how and why March 8 became the date we celebrate Women’s Day.

The date is recognized world wide as International Women’s Day; a day to recognize the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to raise awareness of women’s equality and lobby for accelerated gender parity. I thought it might be fun to look at some famous quotes celebrating women, so here goes, be inspired:

3o Quotes Honoring Women

1.) “Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” –Unknown

2.) “To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.” –Spanish Proverb

3.) “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

4.) “The best protection any woman can have is courage.” –Elizabeth Cady Stanton

5.) “Where there is a woman, there is magic.” –Ntozake Shange

6.) “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” –Unknown

7.) “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.” –Hilary Clinton

8.) “Feminism is for everyone.”-Bell Hooks

9.) “There’s nothing a man can do that I can’t do better and in heels.” –Ginger Rogers

10.) “Above all, be the heroine of your life. Not the victim.” –Nora Ephron

11.) “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.” –Emma Watson

12.) “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” –Stephanie Bennett-Henry

13.) “A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.” –Gina Carey

14.) “She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.” –Atticus

15.) “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.” –Unknown

16.) “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” –G.D. Anderson

17.) “You can always tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” –Unknown

18.) “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand

19.) “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” –Madonna

20.) “A woman is like a tea bag: You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

21.) “A woman should be like a single flower—not a whole bouquet.” –Anna Held

22.) “I know what I bring to the table… So trust me when I say I’m not afraid to eat alone.” –Unknown

23.) “Women are the real architects of society.” –Cher

24.) “When women wake, mountains move.” Chinese Proverb

25.)  “She’s a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.” –Unknown

26.) “Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.” –Unknown

27.) “I expect woman will be the last thing civilized by man.” –George Meredith

28.) “Women are made to be loved, not understood.” –Oscar Wilde

29.) “The age of a woman doesn’t mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

30.) “In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits” –Arnold Schwarzenegger

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2017/03/29/quotes-on-courage/

 

BMW Previews Car That Changes Color

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BMW Previews Car That Changes Color 

BMW is leading the way in real and virtual driving experience

BMW Previews Car That Changes Color

Editor: The German car company BMW recently showcased a “color changing” car at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The BMW iX Flow, employs “electronic ink technology” that makes it possible to change the car’s exterior color.  An app is used to trigger the color change. The company even claims energy efficiency. 

By Dani Davis

OMG

I saw this come up on Twitter and I said, “Hell, yeah!” Cool as shit. How many times have you loved a car, but the color just wasn’t you? A bright yellow Mercedes comes to mind. Well, BMW has come up with the solution to that problem. The company has developed a car with an ink coating that acquiesces to the driver’s mood with just the tap of an app on the owner’s phone. So, on to what I learned about BMW’s dive  into driver psychology.

The News

Quite literally, BMW has a car that can change its color on demand. The reason is that the exterior has an E Ink coating. The fascinating feature of E Ink is that it can cover the surface of an entire automobile. Believe it or not, this is similar to the technology used in Kindle e-book readers. The BMW’s color changing car was featured recently here in the United States at the CES 2022 Trade Show in Vegas, where it got cheers; and a few jeers from the Twitter-verse.

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Women Of A Certain Age

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Women Of A Certain Age

We are Survivors of a hell of a lot. . . .

Women of a Certain Age, are survivors

Women Of A Certain Age

We are Survivors

By Anna Hessel

We Survived 

4 years of “The Donald”. Shoulder pads. Bouffant hair. Bodysuits that snapped down there. Mullets. We survived 45. Eighties fashions; including spandex and neon. Girdles that were never Spanx. Fighting for the ERA – we continue to survive this one. Thigh cream. Trump “presidency.” Platform shoes. Bell bottom pants that did nothing for our bottoms.

Nair For Short Shorts

Short shorts themselves. We survived 45 (and I’m not talking about the age…). Push up bras – some of us are still surviving this one. Aerobics classes at the ladies gym in brightly colored leg warmers. Jelly sandals. Ironing our hair with clothing irons. “That” administration. Velcro hair rollers (I actually still use mine!). Setting our hair on orange juice cans. Class photos, precursor to drivers license photos. Drinking from the garden hose.

The Trumpster

Suntans courtesy of baby oil and iodine with no SPF in sight. Junior High, High School, and College. Many of us survived childbirth, terrible twos, and raising teenagers. Gym class in uniforms that resembled prison garb. “Agent Orange.”  Powder Puff football games. Cheerleading skirts. Pageants with swimsuit competitions. Bridesmaid dresses. Rotary dial phones. Land lines. Twenty-six foot telephone cords. Beepers, and pay phones. Polyester pantsuits. 4 years of “The Family”. Paisley floral prints. Granny boots with ruffled dresses.

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Fifth Harmony “Work from Home”

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Fifth Harmony “Work from Home”

Fifth Harmony “Work from Home”

Good morning and Happy Labor Day! In honor of labor, Calamity News and Politics Jukebox Choice of the Day is all about work. “Work from Home” was recorded by the American girl group Fifth Harmony. The song was released in the spring of 2016. If nothing else the buff bodies on that work site should keep your eyes glued to the screen. Happy listening, and watching. Enjoy, your Labor Day holiday, you’ve earned it.  You can also check out the lyrics below.

Work from Home

I ain’t worried ’bout nothin’
I ain’t wearin’ na-nada
I’m sittin’ pretty, impatient
But I know you gotta
Put in them hours
I’ma make it harder
I’m sendin’ pic’ after picture
I’ma get you fired
I know you’re always on that night shift
But I can’t stand these nights alone
And I don’t need no explanation
‘Cause, baby, you’re the boss at home
You don’t gotta go to work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
But you gotta put in work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
You don’t gotta go to work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
Let my body do the work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
Let’s put it into motion
I’m ‘a give you a promotion
I’ll make it feel like a vacay
Turn the bed into an ocean
We don’t need nobody
I just need your body
Nothin’ but sheets in between us
Ain’t no gettin’ off early
I know you’re always on that night shift
But I can’t stand these nights alone (oh)
And I don’t need no explanation
‘Cause, baby, you’re the boss at home (yeah, yeah)
You don’t gotta go to work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
But you gotta put in work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
You don’t gotta go to work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
Let my body do the work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh, yeah, girl go to work for me (work for me)
Can you make it clap, no hands for me? (ooh, yeah)
Take it to the ground, pick it up for me (uh, ayy)
Look back at it all over me (oh, yeah)
Put in work like my timesheet (oh)
She ride it like a ’63 (oh-whoa)
I’ma buy her new Céline (oh)
Let her ride in a foreign with me
Oh, she the bae, I’m her boo
And she down to break the rules
Ride or die, she gon’ go
I’m gon’ juug, she finessin’
I pipe her, she take that
Put in overtime on your body
You ain’t gotta go to work, no
Work, work, work, work, work, work
But you gotta put in work (oh)
Work, work, work, work, work, work (ooh, yeah)
You don’t gotta go to work
Work, work, work, work, work, work
Let my body do the work (do work)
Work, work, work, work, work, work (do work, yeah, yeah)
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
We can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
Yeah, we can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh
Yeah, we can work from home, oh-oh, oh-oh, yeah
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Daniel Bedingfield / Brian Lee / Alexander Izquierdo / Joshua Emanuel Coleman / Dallas James Koehlke / Jude Demorest / Tyrone William Jr Griffin / Tyrone “ty Dolla Sign” William Jr Griffin
Work from Home lyrics © Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Emi Blackwood Music Inc., Fox Film Music Corp., Aix Publishing, Its Drugs Publishing, Songs From The Dong, Art Is The Sound That Seals Make Publish, Songs Of Universal Inc., Reservoir Reverb Music Ltd, Reservoir/reverb Music Ltd