Life In The Struggle

 Maybe I'll end up deleting this without posting.  Maybe I won't.  I have warring feelings about it.

My demon has really been rattling her cage lately.  I'm not sleeping well.  My writing has stuttered to a halt.  So... 

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The second Trump Administration has Sybrie The Tenth (said demon)  all riled up.  Everything they do seems like an attack aimed directly at me.  Well, not me personally, but most of my demographics.  Cuts to the federal programs I depend on to allow me a measure of independence. (I know that's an oxymoron, but deal with it.)  Social Security is probably safe - most politicians know that would be career suicide - but my apartment is HUD/Section Eight.  My Medicare (thru SS) is supplemented by Medicaid and Food Stamps, both of which have already been meddled with.  Every time I pick up my prescriptions, the total cost is different.  Not by a huge amount but enough to bother me.  Since I'm disabled, I don't have to put in work hours to "earn" my benefits.  Yet.  Talk of denying Food Stamp recipients things like soda pop and candy bars only bother me in principle - I do a pretty good job of focusing on healthier options.  But every now and then I do like a treat. 

I'm also one of those "childless cat ladies" who "want to make the rest of the country miserable, too".  Sort of... none of my minions are legally or biologically my offspring and my apartment lease precludes  pets.  

Y'all know I'm aggressively nonpartisan (antipartisan?) because I got loved ones all over the political spectrum.  I do avoid the fanatics.  Same with religion.

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I recently learned that my antidepressant makes me less tolerant of heat.  I figured it was just my age and weight getting to me.  But no, the very medicine I credit with giving me the last 30 years and relative sanity is keeping me inside the air conditioning.  Which aggravates my sinusitis.  YAY another medical issue conflict.  

When I fell a couple winters ago, the ER doc diagnosed arthritis in my knee.  I suspect I have it in the other knee and my assorted old injuries.  Self-diagnosed carpal tunnel and tennis elbow. Nothing horrible, honestly, just an assortment of aches and pains.

I eat reasonably well, but could stand to exercise more.  In the words of my doctor, one of my diabetes medications "keeps the weight on".  We tried changing it but I did not react well to the new option.  I do walk when conditions permit and enjoy a stroll through the woods. Not a hike, a stroll.

****

Social contact, even just with the cashier in a store, gives me some sense of mattering.  I do exist!  I stay active on Facebook, keep in touch with friends and family that way or via telephone.  So I'm not isolated even if I feel that way sometimes.  Like when outside conditions keep me inside my hidey-hole.

I think I will go ahead and post this.  Even if it does look like "Boohoo feel sorry for me", maybe it will help someone out there.  I know getting it off my chest has helped me. 

Another One "Gone Woke" That Already Was

 

I recently visited the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Mansfield, Missouri.  Where she wrote the Little House books that made her famous.  I'm sure my older sisters read those books to me until I was able to read on my own.

I remember when they made a TV show based on the books.  I remember being disappointed that TV Pa had no beard.  Growing up with the books, Pa's entire description was beard and blue eyes.  But I let that go.  Even as a child, I understood about compromise. (How could I not?  I had seven siblings!)

As it happened, Pa's facial hair was the least of the changes.  On a previous visit to Rocky Ridge, at some point in my twenties, I spent most of the time saying things like "that person did not exist" and "that didn't happen that way" to a TV-show fan.

That said, the television show clung to the values of the books.  Even the books were altered from historical fact.  Laura's recollections were rearranged to fit a juvenile fiction format, but she accepted that as long as her deeper truths, her values, remained.

I did post previously about the Laura Ingalls Wilder award for children's literature getting a name change, because of things in the books that are racist by today's standards.  Negro and Indian, in her time, were not racial slurs.  The minstrel show in a later book was a common event for the time. 

The entire family's lives are saved early on by a black man (historical documents tell us he was Dr. George Tann) and the Ingalls family demonstrates compassion for the Osage of Kansas even as Ma fears them.  When the old Indian warns the citizens of De Smet about the deadly winter storms of 1880-1881, his knowledge is respected.  

There have been countless other LIW projects. But the books and TV show are the benchmarks. 

Netflix is producing a new show based on the books.  The town is Independence, Kansas, which lines up with the third book in the series.  The actresses playing Laura and Mary are eleven and fourteen, which closer to the fifth book.  Carrie doesn't seem to exist, which lines up with none of the books.  Dr George Tann exists, consistent with book three.  So already they've shattered any continuity with reality or the books' timeline.  

As for the values that Laura insisted upon?  People are complaining that the show's "gone woke".  How dare they push pretty much the same values Laura did, that Michael Landon did!  The details of the Ingalls' history may be distorted, but the values look to be holding and I see nothing historically inaccurate in the broad strokes.

I gotta laugh so I don't cry.  Or get angrier than is good for me. 

Professionalism in Politics

 It wasn't all that long ago that Americans were freaking out over the POTUS wearing a tan suit.  Cries across the land of "unpresidential" "unprofessional" and even "tacky" echoed from the purple mountain majesties and the fruited plain.  

Maybe it's because I'm nonpartisan, I saw nothing wrong with the tan suit.  I thought it made a nice change from the usual navy or black, a bit of individuality in a cookie-cutter profession, but ultimately I'm more invested the the POTUS's policies and character.   

Today I'm sure I'm not the only one wishing for the tan suit scandal. Not because of how the current POTUS dresses, but because of how he and many of our elected officials are behaving.  I'm not talking about what these people say and do in private, or even in a casual public moment.  I'm talking about official communications (and yes, that includes the social media of any given office.)  

Partisans are quick to point out that the other party forced a dementia patient onto us.  Some nonpartisans suspect said patients were put into place by "handlers".  But dementia is not so much a question of professionalism as it is a question of capability.   So I'm going to ignore that question. 

It upsets me that two of the most common current political catchphrases -- ones used by professionals -- are FJB and FDT.  Imagine walking into a job interview and saying that about the other applicants.  Imagine telling the interviewer mean things about the previous holders of the position.  Smear campaigns used to be the most unprofessional thing they did... not any more. 

Politics has always been an ugly thing.  But up until 2016 (yes, I'm beating that dead horse again) everyone put on their company manners.  Profanity, especially words that get bleeped on TV, would be career suicide.  But now... slogans like FDT and FJB are shouted in the streets.  

I don't want a POTUS who looks like he just mowed the lawn, but I'd prefer that to one who acts and sounds like a frat boy.  Or something worse.  

Still Dreaming

During the months between Christmas and Easter, I develop Seasonal Affective Disorder on top of my Dysthymia.  The worst manifestation of this is the nightmares. The details change, but the theme remains: everyone is mad at me for something beyond my control.  

Sleep is usually a refuge for me.  It's an escape from a world that sees me as a failure.  Part of my waking routine is to remind myself of all the ways that I did not fail.  I usually refer to it as "waking up slow".  I probably picked up that term from one of my minions (speaking of ways in which I did not fail). 

During the Christmas/Easter gap, though, that routine becomes harder.  It's difficult to remember I'm loved when I'm waking from a nightmare that tells me otherwise, night after night.  It's a long dark haul from Santa's visit to the Bunny's.

Recent events and the current political climate have shaken my resolve, I won't lie to you.  My pie-in-the-sky dream of winning Publisher's Clearing House is over.  PCH is gone.  Sometimes I pick up a lottery ticket, keeping that dream alive.  I know it's unlikely but I freely admit to needing that crutch.  

My faith in the Founders' checks and balances has been shaken badly by partisanship, which shows us exactly why the Founders were opposed to political parties.  But the party currently in power is experiencing a schism and elections are coming. There's hope still. The American Dream ain't dead.

Easter is almost here. Spring has already sprung.  And I'm still dreaming. 

Artificial Intelligence

 I joke about my aversion to AI.  I say things like "I've seen Terminator".  That's an extreme take on the situation.  It's unlikely that things will ever reach that point.  But I said the same thing about Donald Trump doing the very things he is now doing.  Make of that what you will.

Anyway, my aversion to AI is based more on the misuse of the tool and the environmental impact.  We aren't curing cancer, we're making cute little cartoons of ourselves and videos of Barbie committing arson.  We already have tools to do those things!  Tools that do not autonomously commit plagiarism and taint ground water! 

When AI gets a prompt, say "write a children's book, with illustrations, about divorce", what it does is look through its database and steal bits and pieces of copyrighted works and smush them together.  And I'm not even going to get into the data-mining it does on the prompter.  It can lead to misinformation because AI does not fact check.  

Not to mention that the purported author has poured none of their blood, sweat, and tears into the work.  Literally or otherwise.  This applies to all art forms and homework.  

The processors generate a lot of heat and are usually water-cooled.  The water picks up contaminants and is then released, thus sharing them with the world.  If it is possible to use a closed system for cooling - some sources say it is not - the companies that operate the AI don't use them.  Because they cost more.  We're tainting our water supply so we can giggle at bunnies on a trampoline. 

I freely admit to being something of a Luddite.  I worry that we humans depend on it too much. And it's hard to detect the line between Photoshop and "make a picture of Aunt Suzie in Rome".  One has, after all, grown from the other.  But art is a uniquely human thing.  Better to use this technology for science.  Creating an affordable closed system for cooling the processors would be an excellent start. Then march into the battle against incurable disease.  

Snow and ICE

I'm one of the many people living in the path of Winter Storm Fern.  That name makes me picture the little girl from Charlotte's Web merged with Old Man Winter.  Which is funny.  The rest of it, not so much. Most of the worrying I see people doing has to do with snow.  How many inches of snow are we getting?  Get the plows out onto the roads.  

I'm concerned about power outages.  I have food that doesn't need cooked.  I have means of communication with the outside world, at least for a while. I have plenty to do, even after the computer battery dies, given my plethora of books and Barbies.  But the temperature outside is 19F.  Without my furnace, it would get really cold in here really fast. That scares me.

Oh, I've got places I can go (provided they have power).  I've got a million blankets I can pile on the bed and burrow into.  I've got ointments and ibuprofen for my aching joints.  But I do not do well with temperature extremes and these are forecast to stick around for at least a week.  I'd rather have six feet of snow.  

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Also on my mind is ICE.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  We've all seen the news, so I won't rehash it here.  Except to summarize the problem: This agency, which did its job within the law during previous administrations, has become a threat to life and liberty.  I've been quite vocal for the past year, educating people about Due Process and how it is not just for citizens and/or legal immigrants.  The Constitution is clear.

This is not just my opinion, as I've been told.  The Supreme Court has spoken on the subject.  Besides, it's just plain common sense.  Due Process is how they find out if you're in the country legally.  

I have at least one family member who has taken to keeping their birth certificate on them at all times.  Proof of citizenship.  I worry that ICE will not let them show the paper, or will declare it a forgery.  (Show us your papers, you runaway slave.)  I worry that if they reach for the papers, they'll get killed. (We thought they were going for a gun.) 

I also have family members who defend ICE's overreach. I blocked one of them on FB because I am many things, but I am not "clueless" or "stupid". The most ridiculous is the fact that I've explained Due Process repeatedly to a veteran, a man that took an oath to defend the Constitution. 

 

Traditional Values

I've been watching a lot of The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie lately.  Then I saw something about someone (Netflix?) rebooting Little House and, of course, there they were... the pearl-clutching army in the comments worried about THE WOKE AGENDA is gonna ruin it.  

I got news for y'all.  If this happens, and you don't like it, nobody says you have to watch.  I stopped watching the original TV show when they decided to divert from the "facts" of the books.  Mary never married and Albert didn't exist.  That's how you deal with offensive TV shows.  

Anyway, that got me to thinking about the question of how these wholesome shows might have handled certain topics. 

 I realized Little House did handle a lot of the topics.  Mary's blindness gave them the vehicle to show that the disabled are not so different from the abled.  They brought in nonwhites from time to time and, again, focused on the similarities more than the differences. Nellie married a nice Jewish boy.  I have come to the conclusion that, given the limitations of television in the 70s and 80s, that Little House is yet another example of something that was WOKE all along.  

I don't recall a lot of the specific storylines on The Waltons.  But in recent viewings, I saw Elizabeth deal with possibly being paralyzed and an attempt to heal her by a "gypsy".  The Waltons are friendly with a "colored" family.  Well damn, that's some DEI stuff right there!  

All of this led me to wonder how these shows would handle certain other topics.  

Homosexuality:  The Waltons made it a point to be historically accurate, but I guess they could have a couple of "confirmed bachelors" or "old maids" sharing a home.  Maybe they did and I just don't remember. Maybe the Baldwin sisters weren't really sisters!  Little House would probably take a similar route, but given the pattern of that show, it'd be some stranger who wanders into town just long enough to confess the deep dark secret to an Ingalls.  

Interracial Marriage: Maybe one of the Walton boys could bring home a Japanese bride after WW2.  Maybe some local natives want to court the citizens of Walnut Grove.  But I can't see how a black/white pairing would work without destroying any semblance of historical accuracy.  One takes place not long after the Civil War.  One takes place in the American South.  Both predate the Civil Rights Movement. 

Transgenderism: This would be handled much like homosexuality.  (The girl-disguised-as-boy-for-protection trope does not count here!)  Little House's setting could set up an Albert Cashier type scenario. Albert Cashier Hell, maybe Grandpa Walton served with an Albert Cashier... when did the military actually start examining recruits? 

Which leads me to why I gave this blog post the title I did.  Often when we hear about traditional values, it's people raving against the sort of things I just mentioned, but considering how these topics could have worked in the shows... some of our traditional values aren't bad.  

These fictions reflect the world as it once was.  Did Olivia Walton or Caroline Ingalls bother much about what the neighbors did in the bedroom?  Did Charles Ingalls and John Walton assume the the new guy in town was female because he had no beard?  I don't think so... not unless they were hurting people.  These are traditional values - if a person is harmless, what they do is none of my business. 

But maybe I'm just pushing that woke agenda. 

 

No Kings Day

 The situation here - my personal situation - has held steady.  My SSDI hasn't been interrupted, thank all the gods ever.  My food stamps and Medicare/Medicaid haven't changed, but I worry more the longer this goes on.  My area is rife with food pantries.  But not so much Prozac and Metformin pantries.  So I worry more about the meds. 

It's becoming more and more difficult to remain nonpartisan.  MAGA has weaponized the party division even worse than the 2016 election meddling did.  I always hoped, believed, that the Elected would eschew partisanship to fight a blatant abuse of power.  A few of them have and I applaud them.  But far too many of the Republicans are sitting on their hands.  

Most man-on-the-street Republicans are not okay with things as they are.  Nobody I know (or at least nobody I respect) voted for Trump because they hate immigrants.  I suspect gas and grocery prices had a lot to do with it.  Many people blamed Biden for the post-pandemic inflation that the whole world is dealing with.  People vote what they think is best for "me-and-mine".  They expect our checks and balances to, ya know, check and balance. 

The government is in shutdown as I write this.  Both parties are more focused on their own agendas than on what needs to be done. (Nothing new there, but I digress.)  Federal employees, including but not limited to the military, are either going without pay or facing that possibility.  On what planet is this preferable to giving a medical care to non-citizens?  

Today people all over the world are holding No Kings rallies.  Protests about the overreach and abuse of power by the current POTUS.  I have chosen not to participate, mostly due to my crowd phobia and the distance I'd have to drive to find one, but my heart is with them.  And I honestly think we'd be surprised how many of those protestors voted for Donald Trump.  

People who voted for him are now suffering from his policies.  Those who opposed him from the start are gloating! This is not cool.  No one deserves to be screwed out of their livelihood by a person they trusted. They put their trust in the wrong man (or men, considering the failure of the legislative wing to stop this), and now they need compassion.  Now they need to be shown forgiveness for their error.  

We The People can get through this.  But not by continuing this partisan bickering. Certainly not by assuming that, because I'm from a certain demographic, that you know how I voted. Some of those farmers losing their homes voted Harris or third parties or maybe didn't vote at all.  Just give each other a break, benefit of the doubt, and be kind.  Stand together with your fellow Americans.  Hell, with your fellow earthlings.  

  

State of Unrest

That title could apply to the political situation, in which I see little glimmers of hope.  Some of the state governors are standing up to the federal government's overreach.  Most of them are, of course, members of THE OTHER PARTY, but we gotta start somewhere. 

My dreams have had a recurring theme for a while now, that of moving into or cleaning out a hoarder house.  A sure sign of my dissatisfaction with my current domicile situation.  There are, of course, the issues you get in any apartment building.  The air flow in individual units sucks.  Some of the close neighbors are inconsiderate.  No private yard.  But all told, and compared to previous homes, it is good. 

The hoarder house part intrigues me.  In part, I can blame a certain YouTube channel, which frequently buys such homes or the contents of such homes and takes me along on the exploration.  In one such home, he found artwork worth more than he paid for the entire house!  Both of my parents were hoarders to a degree.  My father because he grew up on a farm and survived the Great Depression and my mother because she had a plethora of untreated mental issues.  I declutter regularly to avoid leaving that kind of mess for my heirs. 

Flipping houses interests me.  The notion of turning a place that's been used and abused back into a viable home really appeals to me.  In a way, it would feel like healing the house.  But in the dreams, I have to empty the house before I can flip it. (It just occurred to me that part of the healing process is removing or rearranging stuff. Especially if the wound has been festering for a while.)  

I get like this from time to time.  Probably soon I will whack off my long hair and rearrange the furniture.  But this time it feels different.  Maybe because I'm no longer playing with Publishers Clearing House.  Funny how much comfort I've always taken from that long shot.  We gotta have dreams or the bastards really will grind us down. 

Anyway... thanks for joining me on this little journey inside my head.  See ya next time. 

Still Scared - And Now Angry

 My situation has changed for the better since my "I'm Scared" post.  My loan is now paid off, which means I'll have a bit of a financial cushion if the government turns on me specifically.  I still hold out hope that the checks and balances will check and balance this mess. They just need to hurry up.  

I really don't want to jump on the Hitler/Nazi bandwagon.  Even now, with what's going on, it seems too much like hyperbole even for me.  But the historical and cultural parallels are there.  If you're an informed reader, you know what I refer to.  If you're willfully ignorant or choosing hatred, nothing I say can change your mind.  I won't dwell on it beyond this:  I have loved ones I fear for.  

I've had to block a sibling on Facebook because every time I opine on the political climate, I get told I'm stupid.  I am a great many things but stupid is not one of them.  However, my family situation has never been the healthiest, and he doesn't know me very well, so I can understand why he assumes I'm lacking brainpower.  

I'm contacting my senators and representatives regularly, expressing my doubts as to the fitness of POTUS.  I'm amazed at how many Americans, even veterans, think Due Process is only for citizens.  

The Polarization is returning rapidly to 2016 levels of Us vs Them.  If you start a conversation or discussion with me by asking how I voted, I will refuse to answer the question.  My opinions and my actions speak more of what I am.  

I am, once again - or maybe still, sick of living in the Divided States of America.  

Money for Babies

One of the reasons I was bullied in junior high?  We were Welfare People.  Why else would anyone have seven kids in the space of a decade?  The more babies you have, the more money Welfare gives you. The truth of the matter? My father was Catholic.  Birth Control was against his religion.  There were other Catholic families around, with a house full, and I honestly can't say if they got this treatment as well or if I was just an easy target. 

As an adult, I worked in stores and restaurants.  My coworkers were prone to making the same assumption about any woman with many children, especially if she was anything less than a fashionista.  Even the coworkers who got government help to supplement their meager income, or the ones who had a house full of kids themselves.  

I never had children, but was often seen with minions in tow.  I once had to stop my grandmother from "boxing his ears" when a man in the grocery store said something snide to us.  He saw an old lady, a young woman, a teenager, a preteen, and two smaller children shopping.  He jumped to the Welfare Mom assumption.  

I'd be a liar if I claimed I never used government assistance.  Hell, the name of this blog comes from the fact that I'm on SSDI and Food Stamps.  I'd also be a liar if I claimed I've never known a woman who gave birth for more benefits, or who simply accepted that if she couldn't support her surprise baby, she could get Welfare.  

I am in no way shape or form standing in judgement of Welfare Moms.  What I am saying is that for my entire life THEY taught me that "having babies for government money" is a vile thing to do.  But now there's talk of stimulating the declining American birth rate by... wait for it...  paying people to reproduce.  With government money.  

The dichotomy blows my mind, especially since it's coming from the same people who refer to "the parasite class".  What is the difference?  Anyone who thinks it's okay to cut every birthing mother in America a check needs to reconsider how they feel about Welfare Mom.  

I'm Scared

 I'm aggressively nonpartisan, as most of you know.  I've got loved ones all over the political spectrum and my feelings about most issues fall somewhere in the middle of the two-party divide.  I have a lot of faith in the checks and balances built into the fabric of our government.  I don't think the havoc currently being wrought is a permanent thing.  

But I'm scared.  I depend on SSDI, Medicare, and Medicaid.  My apartment is HUD.  Even a temporary hiccup in the system could destroy my world.  Large expenses are put off and the money socked away just in case.  Most of my family is willing and able to help me if needed.  But dammit I don't want to need their help.

I do not think Social Security or Medicare are in danger.  Too many politicians on all sides know that would be career suicide.  But what about Medicaid?  HUD?  We already have planes falling out of the sky, possibly because of slashes to FAA.  NPS is barely going to be able to keep parks open (and those generate a lot more money than they cost).  

I try to focus on the good, to look for the helpers (as Mr. Rogers suggests), but my demon is SO rattling her cage.  There is governmental resistance to the overreach by the current POTUS.  Even Americans who are okay with the rights of others being trampled will switch sides real quick when they or theirs is threatened.  We will get through this.  I just hope it's soon and with minimal harm to me and mine. Yeah, I'm selfish, sue me. 

Nomenclature

Recently, the National Parks announced that the name of Clingman's Dome would be officially changed to its Cherokee name.  Most of the signage and news articles refer to it as "Kuwohi (formerly Clingman's Dome)".  That's a good method of helping people adjust to the change.  I like that it nods to the name most of us know the peak as, while reminding us of the new/old name.  

It was hardly the first time a geographical feature reverted to a native name.  A mountain in Alaska was named Mt McKinley from 1917 to 2015.  Its native name, Denali, was reinstated by Barack Obama, for most of the same reasons and to much of the same objections.  

*One of the first things Donald Trump did upon starting his second term as POTUS was change Denali back to Mt McKinley.  (Most of his first term was spent trying to undo Obama's work, so I assume this is just more of the same.)  With an executive order, not a Nomenclature Committee. 

He also decided our southern shore sits on the Gulf of America.  It's been the Gulf of Mexico for at least 400 years.  The gulf is not the exclusive property of the USA and no other nation agreed to this change.  Judging by my Facebook feed, I'm not the only one who finds this laughable.  But I digress.*

Changing or giving an official name to a geological feature is not an action taken lightly.  Nomenclature is important.  There is a long and exhaustive procedure involved.  I'm okay with properly made changes.  That said, I am like most humans in that the names I've always known them as will remain in my brain.  

The Powers That Be can change the official name.  But this conversation will happen:  "I saw a bear up on Kuwohi."  "Where?"  "You know, Clingman's Dome."   As long as everyone involved knows what you mean, I don't see an issue.  

Fifty Ways To Be A Woman

Okay, that number is way off.  Which direction depends on your definition of woman.  The hullabaloo at the recent Olympics got me thinking about this more deeply than I usually do.    I'm not sure of the details, but from what I gather, an athlete's hormone levels indicated male even though her body (genitals)  indicated female.  Myself, I think the Olympic committee knows their own standards and can make the call.  End of that discussion on my end. 

Typically, females have different hormone levels than males. We have different genes.  We also have different brain functions when under a brain scan.  And, of course, the private parts are not the same.  These are all sex (biological).  And there's the whole gender (social construct) question - what do we identify as?  

But it got me to thinking.  Intersex happens.  It is a rare event, but as we learn more and find new ways of defining sex, it could become simply unusual or possibly even commonplace.  Ignoring gender and focusing only on sex, even now we have cases of genetics not matching genitals and/or hormones and/or brain scans.  

Intersex people are traditionally those whose genes do not match the genitals, or those who have indeterminate genitals.  Suppose there is an as yet unknown biological aspect to transgenderism... the brain chemistry.  This would give us four biological ways to define the sex.  Maybe transgenders, to go back to an archaic and possibly insensitive term, are transsexual.  (Remember, we're defining sex and gender differently.)  

Most people go through life perfectly okay with the sex diagnosed at birth or before.  Finding out your hormones or genes don't match up can cause problems, privately and publicly.  Add to that the brain scan possibility.  Now... Imagine a person with female genes and female anatomy, but male hormones and male brain chemistry.  What is this person?  

I see news articles almost every day reporting a presumed male skeleton having female DNA, blowing notions about ancient societies out of the water, and this could bear on the future.  I'm not trying to push any sort of agenda, except possibly my usual DEATH TO GENDER ROLES.  

Of Hurricanes and Hatred

 I'm gonna start this by reminding my readers that I am aggressively nonpartisan.  I vote for those I feel are best qualified to do the job I want done, regardless of what letter appears behind their name in parentheses.  I vote for third party candidates when one meets my criteria and loathe the fact that we're brainwashed by the two-party system.  

That said... The very idea of a hurricane in the Smokies boggles the mind.  But Helene has taken out a huge chunk of western North Carolina and a good sized bit of Tennessee.  I honestly believe the Smokies saved the rest of eastern Tennessee.  To put it very simply, the hurricane bounced off them hills!  

My Facebook feed is full of Helpers.  It does my little black heart good, just like the plethora of food pantries during the pandemic.  Civilian groups, state and local agencies, even just Jim-Bob next door are pouring into the area from all over the country.  And even from outside the country! 

Dolly Parton donated money to the cause, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's out there in her civvies handing out food and water.  (It's not like we'd recognize her!)  Other celebrities have followed her lead, but as usual when people are in need, Dolly led the pack.  

But FEMA has dropped the ball, or at least fumbled it a little.  Internal agency issues, budgeting, and paperwork gets in the way of a quick response by any federal agency.  It simply doesn't matter at this point who shortchanged FEMA this time, because it's been getting ripped off as long as it has existed.  Disaster victims are less important than a pet special interest group.   

In all the news reports, in all the Facebook posts, I've seen nothing to support claims that FEMA isn't letting people in.  Because I've yet to see any vehicles that say FEMA on them.  If the National Guard units and local law enforcement are trying to stop you from getting in there, odds are that you simply are not qualified to do anything more than endanger yourself and others.  Go home, stay out of the way, and let them work.

This disaster is not the fault of FEMA, of any political party, and certainly not of any given individual.  The very idea of a "weather control device" defies the laws of physics.  Yes, it is possible to affect the weather by seeding clouds and such, but no one can drive a hurricane or tornado around like it's a 56 Buick.

And honestly, at this point, I'm looking sideways at those of you pointing the finger of blame.  I'm wondering if you'd leave some hillbilly stranded because he was or wasn't wearing a MAGA hat.  Shame on all of you.  

Thoughts on July Fourth

 Today is one of my favorite holidays, because it's about the ideals this country was founded on.  Not the nation as it is, fallen short of those ideals, but the nation as it could and should be.  The Great American Melting Pot.  The American Dream.  Also, we get to pig out and blow things up. 

I've got friends and family all over the political and religious spectrums.  Among us, Republicans sit down with Democrats and Independents and even those who choose not to vote at all.  The religious grab a drink for the atheist.  We focus on what we have in common instead of the differences.  Which is exactly what one of the aforementioned ideals is.  

I could go on and on about how Americans have failed The Founders, but not today.  Today is about what we can be if we chose to be.  Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   E Pluribus Unum.  We The People.  All that jazz. 

Let's not dwell on negativity.  It's on us to protect and nurture that more perfect union that The Founders and countless others since have fought and even died for.  A place where people of diverse cultures can break bread and laugh together. Have your junk food and your boom-booms.  Embrace (literally or otherwise) someone the nay-sayers call your enemy.  

America's turned out to be more a stew than a melt, but when was the last time you saw a potato duking it out with a carrot?  Or even a hunk of meat?  Hmmm.... maybe we're a Mixing Pot instead of a Melting Pot?  

Anyway....  Enjoy the holiday.  I intend to. 

 

Bears In The Woods

 I really did try not to hop on this bandwagon.  And I'm not hopping on for the reasons many might think.

In case you've been in a cave or on a desert island... someone made a video asking women who they would rather run into if alone in the woods - a man or a bear.  Most of the women replied that they'd prefer the bear.  Reasons given included wildlife's natural inclination to leave you alone if you leave them alone and the fact that a bear will only maul or kill you.  (Bear ain't gonna hold you hostage and do unspeakable things to you.)

My first response was bear because if I'm out in the woods, I'm hoping to see some wildlife.  

Yes, demographics support the point the video was making.  I am not disputing this.  I'm not even going to trot out my "not even most" logic (see previous blog post titled the same) to defend the men.  The women who chose the bear had valid reasons.

I've not seen the video in question, but I'm willing to bet it is edited.  Selectively edited.  I could splice together a video "proving" all my siblings like me best by questioning each of them, then taking out everything that contradicts my claim.  So... how many women chose the man and were edited out?  

The scenario that came to my mind was one I've been in many times:  Hiking a trail and falling behind my group because they are all younger and healthier.  (I'm not foolish enough to go alone very far into any woods a bear might pop out of.)  So even if the bear or the man behaved in a threatening manner, I'd have a weapon - my hiking stick - and others nearby to help me.  

What I find interesting is the number of people who, when given a third option, choose a woman.  That's seated in gender roles, which would require a whole other blog post.  I'd still choose the bear if coming from a place of fear. Humans are  more to be feared than any animal.  Even Cujo and Cocaine Bear were honest about their intentions.  

It's not so much a condemnation of men as it is of society.  I understand choosing the bear because if it mauls me, even if I was trying to take a selfie with the bear's cubs, everyone will blame the bear.  That does not happen enough when a man attacks a woman.

The Barbie Movie

I couldn't go see it in the theater, being hard of hearing.  Had to wait for home video.  Totally worth the wait.  What a roller coaster!

A lot of the complaints about this movie can be summed up as "it's feminist propaganda".  DUH. Barbie has always been a feminist.  She was invented during the heyday of Donna Reed and June Cleaver, with the stated mission of demonstrating to little girls that possibilities are not limited to being a wife and mommy.  She never needed a man - a movie in-joke that makes me want to hug poor ole Ken.  

I love all the little references to Mattel's history.  Weird Barbie's minions are all discontinued dolls.  The residents of Barbieland live in Dream Houses. There is even a sly reference to the Bratz lawsuit.  Rhea Perlman plays Ruth Handler's ghost.  Barbara Handler has a cameo.  (Ruth created the doll, named it for daughter Barbara.)    

Lots of cameos.  Many celebrities asked to be in this movie and got cast, basically, as extras. 

SPOILERS AHEAD 

Barbies know of The Real World, where they believe the invention of the Barbie doll completely wiped out patriarchy.  When Barbie confides to her friends that strange things have been happening, the consensus is that she's malfunctioning.  She goes to see Weird Barbie, who got played with too hard and is now the local seer.  Weird Barbie sends her to The Real World.  

In the real world, the only ones who know of Barbieland are the executives at Mattel.  There's an interesting bit when Barbie is being told (by Sasha, the girl who outgrew her) how she's bad for the self esteem of girls is juxtaposed with the Mattel executives talking about how the doll is empowering women.  

The Mattel executives find out about Barbie's crossing over and seek her out, trying to avoid a repeat of "the Skipper incident".  Barbie and Ken are quickly discovering that her invention did not obliterate patriarchy.  (This is really the only point I took issue with -- none of the women they see hold any kind of power, anywhere.  In 21st century LA.)  

The executives at Mattel are all male, which could be true in real life.  Mattel was always at the forefront of hiring women and minorities, but even now men hold most powerful positions in corporations.  These men appear (at least to me)  sincere in the belief that the doll is empowering women, and that it is a good thing.  

Ken comes to see that he's the victim of a matriarchy as toxic as the real world's patriarchy ever was.  Barbie is fleeing the executives, with the help of Sasha and her mother Gloria.  The malfunctions Barbie was having, we learn, are the result of Gloria projecting her adult concerns onto the doll.  Ken beats them home.

Barbieland is no more - it has become Kendom.  Barbie and her human friends join forces with Weird Barbie and her minions to take Barbieland back.  I won't give away more than that... there's only a few minutes left after the beach battle fought with tennis rackets and volleyballs.  

Final point - I once laughed at the idea of a Barbie movie getting Oscar nominations.  Not now.  They made it work on all levels, at the same time.  They overthought Barbie even as they made me giggle.  

Not Even Most

Saw a meme today that said "Men who say NOT ALL MEN should be locked in a room full of snakes.  Not all of them are venomous."  I'm not sure it I'm supposed to laugh or admit the truth.  I did neither because it's based on a fallacy.   A few fallacies, actually.    

Fallacy 1: Women have to be careful walking alone because a man might attack her.  True statement.  Yet it is also true that a woman might attack her.  Or an animal might attack her.  It's more accurate to say any person walking alone should be careful because they might be attacked.  No one gets vilified, and certainly no entire groups.  (It's my personal experience that an animal attack is far more likely, but I digress.)  

Fallacy 2: Let's talk about those snakes.  Say there are a hundred snakes locked in that room.  Only 10 to 15 are going to be venomous and even fewer prey on anything the size of a human.  Even the deadliest snake does not bite for fun.  The snake that bites for no reason is a rare creature indeed.  

I'm fully aware that people are not snakes.  Some would even argue that we are not animals.  Yet the basic principle applies - how many men  are willing or able to randomly attack a fellow human being?  

Fallacy 3: It kind of leans into blaming the victim.  I understand the man who objects "Not all men".  Nobody likes to be stereotyped, and certainly not negatively stereotyped.  

I suggest "not even most" as the phraseology.  Or a sarcastic "thanks" if you're feeling less intellectual.  The latter usually gets a response of  "Oh, not you.  Other (men, in this case)."  Ask for names if they say that.  

This advice doesn't just apply to the given scenario.  It works with almost any blanket statement. Try it when you find yourself being lumped in with evil-doers  because you share a sex, religion, or political leaning. 

Small Town

Jason Aldean may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but I don't believe he's advocating lynch mobs.  I'll clarify. 

First:  Pairing footage from a BLM protest gone bad with those lyrics?  Incredibly ignorant move.  Small towns, particularly in the south, have historically dealt with black "troublemakers" by way of a noose.  Jason Aldean may not have made that connection because he isn't and never was black.  He didn't grow up being warned about Sundown Towns or Emmet Till.  But ignorance is not malice, people.  

Second: Jason, dear, they do have a point.  A simple "Oh crap I didn't realize" could have gone a long way to defuse the situation.  There should be no shame in admitting your ignorance or your error.  I've said and done a lot of things from in my straight white ignorance - and usually been forgiven when I admitted it.  

Third: It's more reasonable to believe the entire thing is a publicity stunt.  The song has been out for a while, but few seemed to notice until the video was released. Jason Aldean just happens to be opening a bar/restaurant the same summer.  I'm more inclined to think he's greedy than ignorant or racist.  

Fourth: Jason Aldean is a city boy.  He's got no idea about small towns, especially the ones with a church on every corner.  The list of people who died because they tried something in a small town is growing every day.  There is a tragic drive in small towns to conform.  Especially in towns with strong political or religious leanings.  That's what killed Brandon Teena and Matthew Shepard.  That's what got the West Memphis Three convicted of murder.