Monday, November 18, 2024
Sun’s out. It rained last night, contrary to expectation. Still avoiding network news except for Lawrence. Kimmel is good. Bluesky now getting a stampede from Twitter. I finally X’d X. Sleep is erratic, my scalp itches, my gut hurts. The clock ticks. Finn sleeps. I cleaned mold off some of the deck railings. You could make a real project out of that. I don’t feel like it. Tatjana asked for coffee December 6 — yay! Archive appointment in Dedham, December 11! Yay! Ortho doc, November 22. Rheumatologist December 4. Another day in December, another ortho doc.
The clock ticks. The sun is out. I bought two fake arborvitae to block the view of our neighbor’s driveway. You can’t say “suicide” now. Is this for real? “Unalived” is about as likely to enter my vocabulary as “pregnant persons.” Shoot me.
A figure in a red coat passes on the other side of the rock wall and lilac hedge. I’m reading Huck Finn. I don’t read enough. I eat too much chocolate. My hair is shaggy and unattractive. Heck — I’m unattractive. It’s a fact — these manly glasses, this bad hair, my droopy clothes (no need to comment, please). At least I have two front teeth! And a molar implant: also done.
I truly hope that’s it with the dentist for a while, but that’s like hoping that the Senate won’t roll over and give Trump recess appointments. It’s bad. It’s worse, even, than perhaps we imagined. But we do know how that fucker loves to shove norms aside with his tiny, sadistic paws. To own the libs? To see how much power he can consolidate in the executive branch immediately? What a dick! I’ve taken to calling him “Id in a skin suit.” No restraint. All impulse. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Here’s where we are. Pod Save America guy says: maybe we’ll be spared some of his evil agenda because of his incompetence. The Guardian says: maybe we can steer him toward rational, non-destructive international policy by appealing to his vanity. Legacy this legacy that. Do you hear this? How hard do we have to lean, exactly, into his incompetence and vanity?
Meanwhile Joe and Mika, after a crawl to Mar-a-Lago say, “It’s good to talk, isn’t it?” Not if it normalizes the antichrist, dickwad.
It was unbearable to watch Trump and Biden in front of the fire. Trump didn’t manage one of his aggressive yanking handshakes, but his mere presence in the White House and being accorded courtesy were sickening enough. What could Biden have done? Refused to meet with him? Well, yeah. You’ll notice the slanty-eyed Slovenian escort wasn’t there, citing a scheduling conflict. Oh please. They’re not even trying.
Did Trump meet with Biden in 2020? I don’t remember. I do remember Trump‘s administration denying Biden space and funds and briefings typical of a transition. So let’s shake hands. What the fuck?
I will not criticize Harris for running a bad campaign except to say she missed a step with Palestine and maybe spent too much time with Liz Cheney. OK, maybe. But Bernie Sanders can fuck all the way off with his tired “she didn’t address the workers” crap. Did he even LISTEN to her?
No more men in diners interviews please!
The point is, though, let’s move on to the real and present danger that confronts us.
I will rip our team on Capitol Hill new assholes if they don’t stand up to tyranny. THE OLD RULES DO NOT APPLY guys. Get with it. And it’s not like any of this is a surprise. For instance, and this is a real no-brainer, leak the goddamn ethics report on Gaetz — and not to the new GOP majority leader and not to a fucking Woodward who would cherry-pick revelations saving the juicy, more damaging tidbits for his next book in EIGHT MONTHS. To whom then? The Guardian? PBS NewsHour? Maybe. Certainly not The Washington Post, the LA Times or The New York Times. Jesus no.
Heads up NYTimes: being a “vaccine skeptic” is worlds away from being a “vaccine denier.” Do better, headline writers — unless you like polio?
This is me not paying attention to politics, by the way.
The clock ticks. The dog sleeps, waiting for his walk. I’ll make chickpea curry for dinner, if I have the energy. I’ll take a bath later with rose-scented Epsom salts, those salts being a huge treat to myself.
A small plane passes. Those fake arborvitae will not die — not like the last two I planted. Blueberries for breakfast. A fire engine honk overlaid with sirens from town center. It’s the middle of November, 2024.
PS please make a habit of signing your comments unless you want to be anonymous.
Here is Roxane Gay opinion piece many are talking about.
I believe it is a gift article so no paywall.
Yes. To all of it. Yes. Thanks for posting
Where’d my comment go?
To all of it YES? As that you?
No
I said I was not going to look at the news. SO much for that. I look. I listen to every podcast known to man. Am I hoping for a different result? The one good thing that came of all this is I was so glad when the election was finally over that a ton of art came pouring out of me all at once. I had been holding my art in all this time…..Is that even possible. Apparently. I am sure the flow will slow back down but for now……..art has top priority.
Your collages have been off the hook amazing. Such polish for an entirely new direction. Very impressed.
try again. women in our family, me, A and J have decided we need to read 2025 in entirety with our own eyes. this am: pick for chairman FCC is Brenden Carr who wrote
THAT chapter of afore mentioned publication.
Alyssia is getting her kids passports in order.
Passports. Yes. Especially if one has brown skin. We all knew trump’s denials about Project 2025 were pure pretense. Now he makes it clear. And speaking of project 2025, where is JD these days?
You rant and ramble. Me, I spin like a whirling dervish! I’m wired yet weary…looking for balance, wearing my Live Peace Pin on my ski vest, jacket, etc. whenever I go out. I need to do this because this pin is holding me together, my talisman. Live Peace is hard right now cause I want to run around like a whirling dervish and YELL!!!
I did that this morning, not the yelling but the running around, whirling dervish style after I read the news from the emails that I receive daily from The Guardian and Robert Reich. I don’t want to read them but can’t stop. It’s like putting on my protective gear on, to face the day only to find that by 3 pm, the gear has sprung a leak and I’m deflated…
Still, in the early morning hours, there is dance as there was this morning and I danced in my whirling dervish style to my beloved Irish group, The Chieftains. One particular piece of music spikes my blood and energy and of course it is tilted Boffyflow with Spike, a somewhat middle eastern sounding piece of music with vocals also provided by Van Morrison. Tomorrow, it might be dancing to my dearly loved salsa queen, Celia Cruz. The next day, I may want to dig into my Spanish roots and do my version of stomping flamenco or do some Hawaiian chanting with a bit of hip action. I might even get all sensual and sway and flow to the vocals of Smoky Robinson’s Cruisin….This is my RX for the reality of what is America these days…it has always been my exercise and stress release but now, it is my lifeline!!!!!!!!
I saw the chieftains perform in Dublin. Twice!
Love the Chieftans!!
Oh Dee, I am so looking forward to seeing you on Thanksgiving at Kathy and Bruce’s house. There is much to discuss.
Listened to your interview, read the author’s notes in the book, and did a smidge of research on Eliza. Now will resume reading. Have a much better handle on the story line now.
Betsy
Likewise. Ken and I both read some of your published memoir pieces. Such a lot to talk about it right!
Oh, and by the way, I’m 40 pounds overweight, hate to exercise, and my hair currently looks like shit and is falling out. We are already kindreds.
This is funny! And I hear you.
I’ve sworn off MSNBC, just scan the headlines in the NYT, fall asleep when watching the PBS Newshour, and am giving Bluesky a trial run … but stitching is what’s saving my sanity tbh
I have a similar diet. No PBS though
Yup. What’s happening is, at best, the f-heads might be cruising for self destruction. But that will take waaay too long. A day right now seems forever.
I’m having fun finding people to follow on BlueSky – but why? Isn’t this awful? Feels like planting fake arborvitae 🙂
I’m just trying to paint and visit with friends – coffee date yesterday, studio visit the day before w/banana bread. yum. I haven’t painted – tho I thought, as I made some good decisions I could get right to it this AM. Nah. I reorganized my studio. Put on The Cure and danced around by myself in the basement… “just like heaven”, “fascination street”. Nothing can make me cry yet. I am at a very deep simmer of anger but I do not feel afraid. I refuse, I refuse to participate except in protest. Billy Bragg posted (and I read) the NYT Roxane Gray OPINION. But… no, “we do not live in a just world”, and we COULD. But, no.
and thank *you*: ” How hard do we have to lean, exactly, into his incompetence and vanity?”
EXACTLY.
Until the oligarch-money runs out, I’m afraid.
I wish **you** to be nominated to the SCOTUS, in triplicate. Now.
I love the sound of banana bread and coffee with friends or dancing in the studio! I can’t cry either. And Gay opinion was excellent.
Here is a gift link. Never mind. Might have to put in post. They limit links in comments.
I did forget one other news source: The Daily Show on Comedy Central
Oh yes. Love them.
This is such a great read Dee. I’ve read through it a few times, along with the responses. Ideas sparked fly out of my head, only to disappear moments later.
I will only say then that I am afraid and that the whole “Unalived” threw me into “Huh???”
Nancy
Thoughts are like that sometimes.
Thank you!