Who Steals an 84-Year Old Woman?!

Someone who needs to be put down.  Euthanized.  Yes, I'm for that.  There are unspeakable crimes committed in this country by people who oughtta be.  Christ, we put down animals for less.

Hearing the news of Nancy Guthrie shocks everyone, and we're likely thinking similar thoughts.  Haven't you considered what your own mother would be going through?  The poor woman.  Not to mention the anxiety of her loved ones.  I can't imagine how Savannah Guthrie is feeling, but I suspect her unwarranted guilt will tear at her forever.  Now, because of idiot copycats, every celebrity will need to beef up security - on their parents?

What the hell has happened to this country?  So yes, I think it's about time people be euthanized.  We might as well get the jump on it before the President begins mandating it for certain groups.

Yes, prayers, prayers, prayers for Nancy Guthrie's safe return.

That's my opening, but I've been jotting down a list of other topics worthy of comment, including:

1.  Sending ICE to the Winter Olympics.  Isn't that like Carrying Coal to Newcastle?  I don't believe it's for any other reason than President Trump wishing to intimidate European leaders.  It hasn't been so very long since Europe experienced similar horrors, how thoughtless.  But that's our guy.

2.  Part of Elon Musk's deal with his Board included him producing human replacements:

Tesla shareholders approved a $1 trillion 10-year compensation package for Elon Musk in November 2025 that is conditional on achieving significant AI and robotic milestones. The deal requires the production of 1 million Optimus humanoid robots.

Kinda makes you wonder what Elon and his Doge-ites were really doing by gathering all that information about US?  It's only a matter of time before the robots have realistic features like the Stepford Wives.  But people my age don't need to worry.  Nobody's going to replace a bunch of septuagenarians-plus.  They'll just use us for food, like Soylent Green, since there won't be anyone to grow or pick our sustenence.

3.  Any woman who isn't outraged over the Epstein files debacle might already BE a Stepford Wife.  They're making sexual assault a legit game managed by the Uber-Zillionnaires.  Am I the only one worried about our increasingly close ties with men who wear drapes and treat women as property? Did you happen to hear Melinda Gates?  Is no one listening?

I walked out of the supermarket the other day and had to pause to examine my slip for one bag's worth of groceries:  $34.00, and it wasn't exactly stuffed.  Remember when you could average $10 a brown bag?  Of course I'm not alone, but I sometimes think so while hearing about yet another gilded renovation - on the Kennedy Center, it's not called anything else except by Trump-o-files.

Maybe if they gild the new Air Force One it'll drop out of the sky.

It's called Pennies from Heaven.

Be Wary of Clipboard Holders

I was at work yesterday afternoon when an elderly-couple (60-ish) parked and started walking towards the clubhouse.  Wintertime is slow and the room was empty but for my managers and me.

"Uh-oh - they're wearing badges."  I hopped up to grab my personal safety alarm in the little room off to the side, just in case.

"We're from the Concerned Citizens of (_______) County, and we're checking RV parks in town to see if the people on our list are still here or have moved on - for voter registration purposes.  You can appreciate the importance of knowing who's really here and who isn't," the woman tilted her clipboard down a bit as she spoke.

The hair on the back of my neck immediately stood out - what the?  Who the ?

My manager, always the professional, engaged; but one of the first things she said was (sic)

"You understand our skepticism - in today's climate."

"Yes, yes, but look here," the clipboard again tilted, "the woman at the park down the road - Chris - completed their sheet."

"Who are you with?"

She repeated the group's name printed on their badges, adding they just want ballots to go to the right people, or something to that effect.  Oregon is a vote-by-mail state.

"Well, nothing can be done now without contacting Upper Mgmt.  Do you have a card?"

"No, they just gave us these badges.  What is your name?  And title?" She scribbled it down.

By that point I couldn't sit still, and as I passed behind my manager's chair I mumbled,

"Who are these people?  Where are their credentials?"

I returned to my chair.  The woman glanced at me, recognizing her Enemy at the Gate, but she continued pushing her mission on to my manager, who maintained her composure.  The whole thing sounded fishy; and the reason it sounds confusing to you now is because it was confusing to us then.  Totally unexpected.  They announce when Census-takers are coming so you're prepared, but this?

Nothing could be done at the moment, but they could return on Wednesday.

"We work during the week.  Would this time next week work?"

YES, PLEASE, I wanted to scream.  I don't want to miss a moment of this.

She handed over our list and they left.  It seemed to take forever for them to get out the door before we began exchanging notes.

I looked up the name of the group and all I could find was a Facebook page, which set me off even more.

"A Facebook page - A FACEBOOK PAGE!"  I hate the fact that nowadays policy is created and announced via social media.

"She must have said 3 or 4 times that other parks did it," the unsaid being so why can't we?

"It doesn't matter if every idiot up and down 101 provided information, this doesn't cut the mustard."  I looked at the list and there was my name.  "Where did they get this information?"

I half-heard her answer - something about DMV and public records.  Apparently it's available for a fee; at least limited information is; but then what other information is it the Government is asking States for?

"Beth and Bill (Workampers from years ago) are on this list, but they're from Idaho."

"I think at one time they registered something here..."

I keep thinking about it.  I don't receive my ballot here at the park - I have a Post Office Box.  So how does that fit with their little list?  A friend of mine who recently moved out of the park but still lives in the county was on the list - it just doesn't make sense what they were doing.

"What identification did they have?"

"Just those badges - Andrea can make those," since I make signs and what-not for the park.

There's no chance of the form being completed for those Concerned Citizens, but my manager is going to make management aware, regardless.  One of our other parks has ICE agents hanging around near their entrance, because there's a factory of some kind next door.  We don't tell people if someone is here in the park or not - some people have stalkers; and besides, it's simply a matter of privacy.

Perhaps you think I'm paranoid, but how can you not be suspicious of Yahoos with clipboards openly going around collecting information on us and our neighbors?

I can't wait for them to come in next week; and if they do, I'll post an addendum.  

As Old as Disneyland

I'm not tellin'...you'll likely see the same commercial which alerted me to this fact. I'm still stunned - somehow I imagined Disneyland was as old as time.  Surprise!

I keep thinking, "My (loved ones) now gone are the lucky ones.  They don't have to see what's happening to our country, and the world."  (Photo: 1970-ish, during a trip to visit relatives in CA; AJ on left with my That Girl 'do.)  It was one of my favorite shows at the time; when we were all learning about Women's Lib and the possibility of being something other than Nurturer. My young  hairdresser never heard of the show or Marlo Thomas, but at least she knew about St. Jude's.

I'm sure you've had to explain something-or-other to someone younger.  I do it all the time.  It annoys the hell out of them but they annoy the hell out of me plus it reinforces my memory, so too bad:  the Oscar Meyer jingle; chicken salad; Mozart; searching for a pay phone.  OK, explaining chicken salad was more a regional thing (and Mozart's a cultural).

Explaining spectacles like Ringling Brothers or this Horse Diving show raises eyebrows, and scorn.  Try justifying letting kids ride bikes without helmets, driving without seatbelts or walking home alone after dark and you'll receive condemnation.  Playing games with Winners AND Losers?

I know people still aren't paying attention to what's happening or what's imminent, there's nothing you can do.  I haven't gone to a demonstration lately, and so I figure to do my part by continuing to express my opinion the best way I know how - writing.  It'll last longer than me standing on a sidewalk.  I didn't used to think that meant much, until I received confirmation that whatever I'm doing to keep doing, let me explain.

My Freedom or Amazon Prime - Which Do I Value More?

It's extremely disappointing that Jeff Bezos had nothing to say about one of his Washington Post's reporter's home being raided and her phone, laptop, etc, confiscated...in the name of National Security, or some such hooey...same as they're saying about the Epstein files.

Bezos, at one time, had a spine and backed the people who worked at his 'hobby,' but since the rumblings of Trump returning, he's been eating too much Jello.

OMG, you can't write that...what if Amazon catches wind and my 1/2 price subscription to Prime is suddenly cancelled?  That was Andrea.  How will I replace their Free Live TV, I know there are other sources, but Prime has a really great selection, to my old and tired eyes.

Really, Andrea, you're weighing $6.99 a month compared to your civil rights...your FREEDOM?  That was Amy rising up, supplying some chutzpah.  I need both of us; maybe people should be searching for their own Amys.

Shame, shame, shame on me.  There's NO debate, so here I am.

Today there was another person shot and killed in Minneapolis by 'federal law enforcement'; and I happen to agree with one opinion that regardless of whether the victim was armed or not, illegal or not, no one's going to believe anything our so-called Justice Department has to report.  Nothing should matter other than it's another lamentable, deplorable death at the hands of our own.  There's nothing to excuse that.

Inexperienced, masked, a bit too enthusiastic; someone needs to really do something about DHS's hiring practices - I don't believe all ICE agents are thugs.  But probably like every other federal entity, the experienceed, competent officers have likely been retiring early or quitting, if not fired.  Where have those ethical officers gone?  Who's going to protect us?

So this is what I'm doing to contribe to support our Democracy, to hell with Bezos.

What's your PRIME?

What Shall We Talk About?

Annexing Greenland?  Mobilizing the military to battle our own?  Ignoring the Jeffrey Epstein files?  Stealing Venezuelan oil?  Melania's biopic?  Pardoning real criminals while gunning for the good?  No More Elections?

Gee, I didn't realize that was what people wanted.

Discouraging vaccinations?  Rewarding the rich?  Turning hamburger into haute cuisine? 

"Let them eat dogs!"

Destroying NATO?  USAID?  The Balance of Power?

Aw, c'mon, you're nitpicking.

Remodeling the White House?  Renaming the Gulf of America, Department of War, the Kennedy Center and 9 military bases back to Confederate names?

Why is there money for all these things, but not for food, shelter and health care? 

How is it our Dufus-in-Chief has time to study blueprints, compose insulting plaques, and plan his next revenge-tour but can't take the time to examine what people REALLY need?

"Civil Rights led to mistreatment of White People,"; "I've slashed prices on drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 400%, 500% and even 600%"; and finally, revealing his true motives:

"Considering (Norway) decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace."

Considering his penchant for adopting White South Africans, why would he knock a Nordic country?  Well, it's not my grandchildren who will be sent to fight in some unnecessary war.  I'm not worried about being jailed, sterilized or worse because I'm queer.  I'm long past worrying about needing an abortion because some straight but whacked relative decides to 'do me'.

By all means, let's Make America Healthy Again; but how about leading by example?  Donny looks like an overinflated balloon which will burst at any moment, his ankles are poised and ready.  How will he stand up?  Even his HHS Secretary RFK Jr said recently,

"Trump has the most 'unhinged' eating habits; I don't know how he's alive."

But double-standards are integral to Trump's manifesto, let's talk about subpoenas:

"Rep. Jim Jordan defied a subpoena from the House January 6th Committee in 2022, refusing to provide testimony about his communications with President Trump leading up to the Capitol attack."

I don't recall anything happening to him.  What do they intend doing to Bill and Hillary, lock them in a pillory?

Those who feel the shooting of Renee Good was justified are probably waiting for their ICE applications to be accepted; or running for re-election.  I don't believe I've heard Trump refer to Renee as anything other than, "That woman," whose father voted for him, that's what's important to him.

Whatever happened to Ukraine?  And why are we debating the actual size of a $3 meal?  Simple to do if you're on the opposite side of the table.  

SHAME!  SHAME!  SHAME!

...If They Stop Acting Stupid

This is a continuation of my last post...which didn't last very long.  Some of my readers are happy about that; the ones who aren't don't have to read, as one friend reminded me.

I'm up at 3am - the heat shut off (that always happens in the middle of the night), but it's just a matter of going outside and switching to my second propane tank.  Each tank lasts about 4 days in the winter.  I'm not complaining - this is life in an RV, I'm just sayin'.

My SNAP balance for this month was $28 after my shopping trip on the 12th, I'm just sayin'.

I have a $50 budget for gasoline each month.  That's more than enough, so long as I don't go out of town.  We're still paying over $3.50 a gallon; closer to $4, I'm just sayin'.

I just glanced at the screen and couldn't tell if I was looking at Iran or Minneapolis.  Things are escalating because, once again, the out-of-town-Yahoos (always on the lookout for a good riot) took a bit of time finding Minnesota.  Doesn't the President  have his indignation over the treatment of demonstrators backwards?  He's taking credit for the killings in Iran stopping, but not here, 

I'm just sayin'...