The Only King I Want Has a BURGER In It

Saturday's No Kings demonstration was my first, and I wasn't alone with that distinction.  Of course, we may have simply forgotten attending Vietnam protests during our youth; but if that's the case, at least we didn't lose our activism.

This protest was scheduled to meet at our town's Cultural Center, where we were politely asked not to hold up our signs on their property, but the sidewalk was fine.  They kindly allowed a small area for the Irish musicians; speakers; tables with Make-Your-Own-Sign materials; information about local events; and snacks and bottled water. 

Rosemary and I arrived quite early, so we wandered the art exhibits in the Center to kill time.   Co-worker Nellie met us there, and we procured standing spots next to the curb.  At first I thought we would be a couple dozen Seniors (and therefore dismissed as a force not to be rekoned with), but that soon changed.

By noon, the official starting time, the sidewalk was three layers deep; so organizers shepherded the 'overflow' down the sidewalk and safely across Hwy 101 to stand on the other side.  There were participants of all ages but it seemed most were over 50, I'd guess.  I saw one Palestinian and one Ukranian flag(s) which were largly ignored; not because those conflicts aren't worth consideration, but that wasn't the day's focus.

So we waved our signs with arthritic hands as people drove by, returning our enthusiasm with honking horns and lots of thumbs-up. Most of those who disagreed were at least civil and looked straight ahead while driving past; but there were others who made a point to roll down their windows, middle fingers raised, shouting profanities and telling us to Go Home - we weren't real Americans.  A few felt the need to speed close to the curb to give us a scare, which didn't work.  I just hoped no one would shove me into the street.

Cohorts in crime

A woman standing next to me was holding a good-size flagpole with a large American flag, which I feared draped dangerously into traffic.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, but your flag might become a target for some idiot to rip out of your hands as they drive by."

"I don't care, let them try.  I'm 80 years old and ready to go to jail. Not much frightens me anymore."  Gotta love her attitude.

We were advised that if there was any disruption by agitators we were to simply sit down.  And maybe sing, even if it's only "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," do kids know that song?

I managed to snap a photo of the overwhelmingly favorite protestors (l); along with the best sign, we all agreed.  The ladies in red were adorable, walking single-file up one side of the street and down the other, the tiniest slowly bringing up the rear.

Oh, my, we were a rowdy bunch, with our wheelchairs and oxygen tanks...a truly threatening mob.  In all seriousness, it was a very peaceful demonstration.  We didn't shout horrible things about the President (they were left on the signs), and the one you see here may have been the most insulting.

I've heard much worse come out of our President's mouth.  As I said in the beginning, many of us were protesting for the first time, but we all felt strongly that we had to do SOMETHING.  What's going on in Washington is not right.  We value the rule of law, unlike #47.  We don't want storm troopers in our streets.  We believe in the Constitution, and don't want a self-proclaimed 'King,' who cherry-picks military personnel to stand in the background of one of his inflamatory speeches, shouting and booing our former President.  

That's not what the military is supposed to be about.  While I didn't actually SERVE in uniform I SERVED as an Army-wife for 14 years and through osmosis learned what behavior is permissible and what is not.  That's more time than Trump ever saw:  5 deferments during the Vietnam era, the last using 'bone spurs' as an excuse.

As a Civil Servant I was protected from indescriminate terminations by a new President.  I was only trying to help put food on our table.

But don't take my word.  If you are or were in uniform, you know for yourself; and shame on you if you're denying it.

Prior to the demonstration Rosemary asked about signs, but I was still focusing on what to wear.  It was only the morning-of that the words to MY sign popped into my head, and I quickly put it together in an hour.  I thought it was pretty tame.  There were about 500 of us, the news reported, and for a small town like Lincoln City, that's quite a showing.  

So for those networks who are discounting the thousands of small towns with thousands of participants, DON'T.  Sure, particularly in large cities, there are going to be people hell-bent on violence, but that wasn't the predominant response.  Take my word on THIS one, thanks.

What Do You Wear to a Demonstration?

So I'm attending the local No Kings demonstration this Saturday and I don't have a thing to wear.  What DO you wear?  Comfy slacks or rugged jeans?  Jammies underneath?  I'd give my firstborn son if I could still manage that.  Tennnies for running or cowboy boots for kicking (anyone in the way if I'm fleeing for my life)?  Not that I can run anymore, either.

I don't have any tops with slogans other than a pink hooded sweatshirt from Sis proclaiming Jersey Girl. Will my walking stick be considered a weapon? At least I've got a Donkey brooch I picked up in Goodwill.  Well, I've got a couple days to think about it.

I'll post some pictures here, since I don't live-stream anything outside of the loo.  Hee-Haw!

The Outcome: The Only King I Want Has a BURGER In It!

Musings on Dorian Gray

My mother held this view, to which I agree:  "You only see a person three times (physically); and after that what you see is who the person is on the INSIDE."  That's why a so-called 'ugly' person with a pleasing nature can appear more beautiful than a stunner who's ugly on the inside.

When I worked in the Netherlands in the 90's, my late husband, Tino, had an unpleasant task after someone in his department, a young man in his 30s, had a sudden, fatal heart attack on his day off.  Tino drove to the north of Holland to pick up Fred's parents to bring them back to Ridderkerk, near Rotterdam.

The drive took several hours each way.  Tino said that when he first saw Fred's parents he was somewhat surprised, for the husband was very handsome while the wife was quite plain and stooped over.  Many of us make that comparison, our bad.

Mom rode in the front with Tino, and after talking for hours, by the time they returned to Ridderkerk he said it was as if she had transformed in the car; for she was such a beautiful person on the inside, that's what he saw. Don't get me wrong - attractive on the outside doesn't hurt, but it's not what counts.  Isn't that what we're trying to teach young people who are comparing themselves to celebs with plastic surgeries?

What's on the inside of our President, who is now deploying the National Guard against his own people for various reasons but primarily because he hates Newsom; or focusing the wrath of his followers on a particular person or cause?  Someone who cares little about his spouce's feelings over his infidelities?  Trump left Ivana for Marla then Marla for Melania.  Who's next?  Who cares?  He's all for himself.

Are Republicans really happy with current events?  Leave out the immigration issue for the moment - when you cast your vote did you want all the rest?  Firing thousands without cause (where's the proof of waste and fraud?); targeting Apple and Barbie?  Throwing himself one hellacious (and expensive) birthday party in the guise of celebrating our Semiquincentennial while so many (lawful) citizens are suffering from hunger and lack of housing?

Guess he never heard of the French Revolution - he was only impressed with their parade down the Champs Élysées.  And may I just say: monstrous GOLD accessories may be fitting in Versailles, but they look downright tacky in the Oval Office.  Well, it is a reflection of our First Couple.  When're the thrones arriving?

Republicans (hopefully not all) believe most (if not all) Democrats are woke radicals who want to invite dangerous criminals into the country.  Are (they) truly that uninformed?  Ever bothered to look up the meaning of WOKE, or simply repeating mouthpieces, elected and un-, without question? Take a civics class, for Pete's sake, before AI re-writes our history forever, like Trump's trying by constantly declaring he won the 2020 election.

What's at issue, when it comes to supporting illegal aliens, is not molly-coddling criminals, but assuring that every person in the country, legally or illegally, are given the rights granted in our Constitution.   WHY?  Once illegal's rights are so easily trampled, what's to stop ours?

Tino Jansen, self portrait

Tino was one of those illegal aliens, and not entirely of his own making.  Our NYC based company, now bankrupt, regularly hired illegals for the manufacturing plant in New Jersey.  We knew when a ICE Customs  Immigration (whatever it was called) raid was imminent (they had their informants), for the plant would be all-but-empty of workers.  The company transferred Tino to the New York office, promising to get the proper paperwork once he was here.

I told him they were shifty and unreliable, but coming from a country which is kinder to its population, he refused to believe that. After all, he'd worked for them for years and they'd always lauded his performance; but once here, they decided the paperwork was too much trouble so they cut him loose without a how-dee-do.  Shouldn't the companies paying the illegals be punished, too?

So yes, I do know the fear of deportation, which people so lighly dismiss. We worried for over a year, until Tino passed from a sudden, fatal heart attack, like Fred.  Illegal immigrants are here from every nation on earth, just as there are plenty of Americans overseas who have overstayed their Visas.

What we DO advocate is equal treatment under the law, not just for white people. 

And for Christ's sake - the people who compare the Trump/Musk feud as casually as having an argument with their wife - are they kidding?  We didn't elect (them) or their wives - but we do expect our President to act somewhat Presidential, and I for one don't see that.

Trump's a vindictive man; a truly ugly person on the inside (anyone can be nice at times); and his jackboot followers in Congress are just as bad for blindly repeating the lines Trump demands, lest they suffer his wrath and be voted out of office.

It boils down to ego, and greed.  Trump never bothered to put his portrait away.

PS:  Beware sundown.  As happened in Portland, crazies from elsewhere, hell-bent on causing trouble, are driving as fast as they can, THAT's what the thousands of troops are for.  'Course, if they didn't show up to begin with, the crazies would still be at home.  Why didn't Trump act like this on Jan 6th?

Like Children On A Playground

After all that bull-horning that he'd easily (and quickly) stop the war in Ukraine, Trump, trying to save face by blaming everything on Biden, now says that Ukraine and Russia are like children fighting on a playground, and we should let them duke it out for a bit, like you do with kids.  Kudos to the German Chancellor, who not only managed to interrupt Trump while he was going nowhere on a rant; but stressed (without directly contradicting DJT) that Ukraine can't wait. any longer - it's been 3-1/2 years.  I love that foreign politicians, now that they've seen Trump's treatment of visiting dignitaries, are better prepared for his BS.

Well, I think that's the way we all should feel about Trump and Elon.  We knew their split was coming, and as promised, it's entertaining as hell to watch.  So who will win out: the proverbial liar in the White House or the former Best Buddy?  Money seems to win out these days, but Trump's got more crazed followers.

Like every other one of Trump promises, we'll just have to wait and see.

Caligula's In Charge

You've heard the story:  Couldn't find the father, so ICE grabbed the 18 year old son on his way to volleyball practice with friends.  Such a threat.  ICE kicked the two young passengers out of the car (and left to their own devices) and the young man was taken into custody.

I was listening to the volleyball coach describe Marcelo Gomes-DaSilva  as, "the kind of kid any parent would want."  In addition to athlete, he is an honor roll student; in the band, both at school and church; nice; kind; "lightens up any room."  A Junior in H.S., he's been in the country since 6.  What did he do wrong, besides being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

She made the point (sic), "If ICE agents were able to identify the father's car, then they would know the address of the family and could have gone there.  OR they could have cited the young man for a traffic violation, taken him into custody, and when the father came to pick him up they could get him then."

That sounds reasonable; but NO, ICE says any illegal they find gets the 'treatment'.  Three patrol cars surrounded the car, the officers approached, covered but for their eyes, did not explain or show paperwork why he was being detailed.   They've moved him to another detention facility since he wasn't eating (shock and stress).

How would you feel about YOUR son experiencing something like that?  Even the innocent underage witnesses are likely traumatized by the experience as well, and certainly more distrustful of authority figures.  And worst of all, this is not an isolated incident.

Let's forget for the moment this haphazard way the government is arresting and detaining people.  Did you also hear that NEW Federal hires will be required to write an essay and take a Trump 101 seminar to learn the President's agenda?  Any actual skills are secondary.  Do you really believe he's going anywhere in 2028?

The fear being cultivated by our current administration is just dead wrong.  People are afraid to go to school, work and church.  People are afraid of losing Medicaid and Snap benefits.  Business owners are afraid to make plans.  Jews are certainly afraid, and that's not the administration's fault necessarily; unless you count the President embracing White Supremacists-and-South Africans.  Judges are afraid for the safety of their families.  Many are afraid decent Judges will resign en masse and we'll have another Judgement at Numenburg.  Cowards like the Egyptian who set those SENIORS on fire are trying to stoke fear; took him a year to plan that?  I love that the Holocaust survivor claims she'll be there next week, I wish to be so strong.

Everyone should be afraid that the FBI is tasked with helping ICE rather than looking out for foreign terrorist threats.  And Gulf Coasters SHOULD be afraid now that Hurriane Season is here.  How are those folks in North Carolina doing - ready for another; now that 20-30% of FEMA's workforce is GONE?

Trump's almost 80, isn't he?   By his age, most people have grown up and learned NOT to seek retribution against anyone who's caused him grief.  That's up to a higher power, or do you disagree?  Took me until my 60s, but I'm not in charge.  Haven't most people of any religion been taught that concept?  Certainly in Christian teachings; I single them/us out since that's becoming a pre-requisite in society. 

The President is beginning to think he's a god, just like Caligula.  From Wikipedia:

"For the early part of his reign, (Caligula) is said to have been "good, generous, fair and community-spirited" but increasingly self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant and sexually perverted.  Thereafter, an insane, murderous tyrant who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated the Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul.  During his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the emperor." 

We finally got rid of our stallion; rode right off in his Tesla, thank the gods; though be fair, some dispute that story.

Caligula's reign didn't end well, as I recall.  Well, at least I don't have to explain the Tooth Fairy.

Low Income Motel Travels

This piece continues my recent cross-country trip from New Jersey to Oregon.  My rental van was filled with much of my worldly possessions, stored for decades at Mom's and later a storage facility.  I was opting for motel rooms in order to pull the van up to the door (for easier unloading) and I succeeded; but it was a hodge-podge of establishments, many now turned into low-income housing.  Not run by a reputable non-profit or sponsored by the government, but 21st Century Slumlords.

After spending the night in  one such place west of Gettysburg, I zipped through Ohio and into Indiana. I didn't want to get too close to Chicago, so at 4pm I began searching for a place to stay.  I stopped for some cooked food at a Bob Evans in Ft Wayne, Indiana, but there weren't any motels nearby.

By 6 or so I cried, 'Uncle,' and stopped at a Mini Hilton or whatever.  The place was packed with people wearing sports memorabilia, and I wound up turning down the room offered, you can read about my snooty hotel experience in the previous post.

So I pulled back on to Rt. 30. The exits were few and farther between, so  by the time I exited at Warsaw and saw a Red Roof Inn, I gratefully pulled in.

It was dark by then.  The owner, I presumed, asked if I'd be staying a week.  "No, just the night."  $45 cash; $50 card.  He was polite but not too, and said my room would be at the end, on the ground floor, as requested.  As I drove through the parking lot I saw a few people standing around smoking and talking; a woman walking her dog; a grill-on-wheels in an empty parking space.