A Life, Lived

Fool the Fools

This old quote explains a few things in politics right now . . .

Women's March - Toronto

Yesterday I woke up in my own bed for the first time in a week. Work was nuts last week and I was exhausted . . . even after a good sleep. I was thinking about the march in Toronto and debating whether or not to go. At the last minute my friend Nancy and I made plans to meet up and show our solidarity.

It was a HUGE crowd in Toronto - actually, I understand that crowds beyond all expectations was the experience around the planet. Marches and rallies happened on all seven continents . . . I bet that has not happened before!

Here are some shots from the Toronto rally and march.

Love the front page of the Toronto Star today . . .

Here we go . . .

Women Rising . . .

Women around the planet are responding to next week's inauguration of a misogynist sexist boor as US President by holding marches on Saturday the 21st.

The rise of women to defend their rights and promote a more socially conscious political agenda is one of the hopeful things to come out of this situation.

I mentioned the other day about how my friend Amy had joined in with many others by knitting pink 'pussy hats' in response to one of the President elect's more horrific statements (which got Billy Bush fired BTW and you know who was elected President in a strange juxtaposition of morality).

Anyway, even the ducks at the wonderful Make Way for Ducklings installation, are getting into the spirit of the marches.

HOPE . . .

Fact Checking

There was a lot in the past few months about how fake news sources and people who spread the fake 'stories' played a hand in the rise of Donald Trump. This short YouTube video shows how it happens . . .

be smart - check before you share!

Legal . . .?

A Brand Spanking New Day

Leave it to Berkeley Breathed, creator of Bloom County, to put into words the struggles of so many people to come to terms with last week's election.

An Election Day Tussle

A friend of mine on FB posted a 'we need to come together' sort of post. It caused great upset with my friends who are very worried about a Trump Presidency.

I posted and tried to explain how people were feeling. I said I feared for women and minorities. Her daughter took it upon herself to respond with a hateful diatribe against me. This was my response:

With all due respect, no one said they felt sorry for anyone. No one was saying anything about the media. I am not an idiot, although your dismissive comments appear to suggest that I am. I read, I listen and I form opinions based upon what I see.

If you actually took the time to read what I said it was 'I fear'. I AM afraid for the future. You can dismiss my fears (and you sure did) but it does not make them go away. Your comment was essentially a huge f-you to how many people are thinking today. Thanks for that, your words say more about you than me.

Frankly your complete disrespect for what people are actually feeling speaks volumes. You actually have legitimized people's worries. You have proven in words that people who DO think differently than you have reason to be concerned for the future. The things you dismiss so easily and suggest to be whining are things that people value, respect, and live and breath. Your callous disregard is what gives rise to people's honest beliefs and fears. You may not agree with them, fine, that is your right. You do not have the ability to ignore them or dismiss them.

If the US you describe is 'your country' then it is not the US the world has come to know and respect. The US you describe is cold and mean spirited. I am happy that I have come to know a different US filled with people who share multiple views and are accepting of those views.

Guess what, you do not own the US. 300 million plus people do. You can not take it back and make it what YOU want. The very thought is embarrassing. To suggest that the 25 % of registered voters are anything close to resembling a silent majority is laughable.

If this is 'your country' then you are welcome to it. I want no part of it.

Debate Night Kit

Last night was the last debate for our American brothers and sisters. You know that the political discourse has reached a low when you start seeing things like this trending on social media.

Hallowe'en Ideas

It will not be long before people are thinking about carving their jack-o-lantern.

I think that there will be quite a few variations of this one this year: