6 days until the crying trump (#3561)

     Just like a baby, trump will be whining his little head off. He will blame anyone else but himself because that is what spoiled children do. Intellectually and emotionally he never grew up and despite the great advantage he started out in life with never took the initiative to mature and gain objective comprehensive knowledge. He is a simpleton by far, not an idiot like he often shows. Of course just ask him and he will tell you how large his brain is and the many genius thoughts he often has. Yet I judge the character of a person by his deeds and somewhat less by his words. On both counts trump has shown that his words are a lie while his actions speak volumes about what a cad he is.
     The crying has already begun with trump in that he has said that if the republicans lose the midterms it is no fault of his but if they carry the day it is all because of him. Childish to the very end I am sure trump will be. He is old enough now that for him to change into a decent human being is nearly impossible. Which is why we need to never relent in our pursuit to negate his personal and public vendetta against the working middle poor class in what time he has left in office. Shortly we are going to see the combined efforts of the backbone of America rise up and confront the trumps with a resolute momentum unseen in modern day American politics. He has unleashed our vigor and hubris in ways that can only come about through being shocked to our core.
     So his crying that has already begun will soon be that which is similar to the blue tsunami wave that is about to descend on his short lived era. That he has already caused damage is undeniable yet to put and end to further damage is now our constant prerogative. We must all get out and vote much like we are doing now in the early voting stage of our national election. What else must be done is to vote for every democrat on the ballot, giving republicans nothing as a reward for their tearing at the rich vibrant fiber of our national heritage. We are done with trumps as a national and world disgrace and having a real Congress of the people in charge is now the first step toward preserving our precious democracy.

7 days to go until we have a new congress (#3560)

     The time for a major change in the momentum of this coming election has passed. The steady march we democrats have made since November 8th, 2016 is finally going to end for a moment when we elect democrats as the majority in both the house and senate. Yes, the senate as well. The under polled surge in new voters, independent voters and frustrated republican voters for democrats will carry the day. I now expect a night similar to the one Canada experienced in 2015 where liberals at all levels of government swept to power. What cannot be lost in all this is the 100's of state house offices that will become democratic. I expect about 600 will go from being republican to democratic. The conventional model is for about 450 but I sense a larger turnout than the conventional model predicts.
     But it is just me here in my chair after these long weeks of frustration finally seeing the fruits of our labors against the trumps and their republican acolytes. I may be doing some wishful thinking here but our momentum if anything seems to be growing and with just 7 days left for the voting to come to a tally, there is very little that republicans can do to assuage it. If anything, knowing trumps he will actually exacerbate republican chances down the final stretch. he will take his carnival barking road show to Pittsburgh today to try to bask in some perverted glory while Jewish parishioners of the devastated synagogue mourn their murdered by a follower of trump principles. The irony is lost on trump and as his ignorance continues to deflate our nation while more anger to vote against him and his ilk grows.
     I am an optimist and so when the outcome of the 2016 general election became clear I hadn't felt such a gut punch since decades ago when I lost the heart of a woman I was dearly in love with. So being wrong is nothing new to me but this time there was no overconfidence nor superficial expectation. Nor has there been with many like minded souls like me who felt that sickening feeling from trumps being installed. But with grit and anger fueling our motivations the many of us fought back with the little leverage we had and forced the trumps to either align with us or feel the wrath of our vote this coming November 6th. Well in one week we will know but if anyone chooses to ask me here is what I say, get out and vote and then let the final day come and watch as our blue wave descends just where it should, on the heads of the republican party.

8 days left to defeat the republicans (#3559)

     This week is huge for our early voters to get out and vote. Waiting until election day November 6th to vote is unnecessary and could become problematic. Any numerous things in life could stop us from our plans as we all know. So procrastinating is not to be borne when this election is so critical to the life of our democracy. I know I will be upset if we don't have 100% of our registered democratic vote cast for all of our democratic politicians. I know that is unrealistic but that is just how I am. Nothing less than everything all of us can do to vote for every democrat running is just unacceptable to me. I am a hard task master on this issue but I know just how devious and manipulative republicans can be when they control the opportunity for us to vote and the counting of the votes.
     We must get our votes in early so that there is time to rectify any shady acts by republican traitors to democracy. Yes, anyone who would manipulate the votes of our citizenry to their advantage is a traitor. Even those who accept foreign help to lie, cheat and steal our votes is a traitor and must face the extreme justice reserved for just such betrayal. So vote now and make no more excuses for not doing so. There are many opportunities to vote and if we must give up some desire to make it happen, even our work for the day, we must sacrifice whatever it takes because in the long run the loss of one days wages will pale in comparison to what we will lose if republicans maintain control of our government.
     What lesson we should all have learned from the 2016 general election is that there can be no complacency when it comes to casting our ballots. The urgency to do so is obvious and clear. We must justify our honorable principles for democracy and the only way that can be done is through our vote. Remember, republicans are all about deny us the vote and each election cycle they are able to disenfranchise our electorate with laws that beneath the surface lie about the true intent of their purpose. We should be guaranteeing the rights of our electorate, not diminishing them. But as we all should have found out by now, republicans don't think of all of us as Americans, only themselves who reflect the light in a white caricature sort of way.

Vote in the next 9 days; also compassion and curiosity are my natures (#3558)

     There is nothing more real to me than my nature, both my compassion and my curiosity dominate my thoughts and actions. There is little room for anything else. I am not infallible so there are times when I divert from my natures and catch myself being less than I am but I can honestly say that it is because I am unsettled by current events that shock my sensibilities to the core. When calm and peace are my environment then there is nothing beyond my care and wonder. I am pretty much a selfless man who is happy enough just to be alive and somewhat healthy. It is all I need in life to make life worthwhile to me as a foundation.
     I have heard people say that they are unsettled in their lives or that they are trying to find themselves. I know both of those because they are to me my insatiable thirst for knowledge. I am unsettled because I can't learn or am barred from learning what my curiosity demands of me. I also know that my unsettled state will always be that because I will never be able to satisfy the what, how and why questions of life. What I have found about myself also is that I can be settled geographically and content in many other ways. I don't need to be the whirligig that I used to think I had to be. But I know that settling for less than everything I can know or learn will never happen. My curious nature must always be fed along with my compassion otherwise I am not me any longer.
     Why do I keep trying to tell you who I am and what my natures are? It is because they define me. In that defining is where my vision for life begins. I wonder, so I must learn, and I care so I try to make life easier for all who need it. Life for me is all that simple. I am aware of the many great wonders of this world and want to now know the great wonders out beyond this world. My curiosity demands it. My manifest destiny if you will. I know that my mortal life is finite but I ignore that fact and still try to pull all I can into my sphere of comprehension. I am a relentless soul trying to be who he is. The best way for all of us to be the best of who we are is to make our society reflect that so vote democratic in 9 days and make it so.

10 days to ending the republican unimpeded rule (#3557)

     Now the latest anti-October surprise from republicans is that one of their ardent followers is not being labeled a terrorist even though he broke many laws trying to kill democratic leaders. It is only obvious that this trump worshipper is a domestic terrorist but the republican majority rule in our government is protecting trump and itself by not acknowledging the fact. I know they are protecting themselves so close to an election but the facts are what they are and no amount of denying the facts is going to change them into non facts. Although it seems republicans are ignorantly willing to try!
     What republicans are not figuring into their calculations are all the independent voters that were out there for the convincing to their side but are now just as disgusted with republicans for trying to tell us all that up is down. So deny that this disgusting human being tried to kill at least 10 democratic political leaders/advocates and try to sweep this all under the rug. I know that I quit long ago arguing against republicans trying to use what logic and common sense as a rule I could muster but now I don't even need to talk as republicans are proving themselves to be liars and cheats right out into the open. My sense of things is that not even 100's of millions of dollars in spending from here on out will help them clean up and wash away their own poopy drawers.
     That is why I am so confident, despite the 2016 debacle, that we democrats are going to wipe the floor with republican politicians this time. They crept up on us last time keeping their agenda mostly hidden but now they are out in the open for all to have assessed their guilt at trying to ramrod their punishments to the working middle poor class down our throats. Well we democrats have our boots on now and are itching for the battle we know we must fight in order to save our democracy and our own dignity. Voting everywhere has begun and as the millions of votes come in to tally we will keep being relentless at every opportunity to build our totals to the level yet seen ever for a midterm election. It will take all of us so get your vote cast no matter what it takes because that is how battles are won.

11 days now (#3556)

     I am nearly at the end of ending the double digit countdown toward the final count of our votes to see just how much our blue wave will sweep republicans out of office in it's undertow. One thing we have seen is that the republican voters are not going quietly into the goodnight. They are coming out and early voting both in person and by mail in balloting. However, that is all they have as an October surprise to try to thwart our vote from coming out. They think that by trying to show they are actually a red wave they will dishearten us. Well let me tell you that their early onslaught at the ballot box is going to wane and what will be left is very few of them actually left to vote on November 6th.
     Meanwhile our democratic and friendly independent voters are steadily keeping pace with in person early voting and mail in voting and the pace we are setting will not wane as we have many more voters than republicans do. Why I know this is because many new voters are casting ballots all over the country for democrats along with our steady likely voters from past elections. Which means we have many more voters who have not voted yet who are reliable voters who will vote before November 6th or on that date. Voting early has been not been easy in many states for the working middle poor class so as the early polling stations begin to expand their hours our numbers will increase measurably.
     So in 11 days from now there will be enough inferential data available to show that more democrats have or will vote than this early rush of republicans to the polls might otherwise indicate. I keep saying this from the bottom of my heart and from the deepest part of my mind, we must not pull our foot from the gas pedal of determination when it comes to speeding along toward casting our votes. Regardless of our assumptions and feelings, all of us have to vote like we are trying to save the very air we are breathing. Nothing is more important in life right now than to stop the criminal insanity of the trumps and their despicable republican accomplices.

12 days is all we have to wait (#3555)

     Despite threats, bombs and physical intimidation, we democrats and independents will vote this election season with a vigor and anger unmatched in the history of our great nation. I say great because comprehensively we are great, despite the current republican lessening of our democracy. In 12 days we can change that. The ebbs and flows of our democracy should not be something we have to regulate like we are now. This is an attack on our democracy unlike anything our nation has ever seen. We have been attacked militarily by other nations but never have we been attacked from within. That there are those in power in our government working to undermine the rule of law and democratic principles is savage and psychotic.
     There will be a reckoning and that reckoning can only happen if all of us vote. The pressure from all this anger trumps has initiated within us is about to find it's release and it couldn't have come much later. We are all weary and exhausted from the daily rambling horribleness from the appointed one, not majority voted elected one. We have our voters registered and ready to vote and now is the time to get those ballots filled out and turned in. The republican party has only a limited supply of voters and although they are voting in bunches early they will peter out soon enough as they just can't keep up with our enormous big tent voting populace.
     When all the mostly older white male and females have finished voting the only ones left to vote republican are some younger deranged ones who find racism and misogyny more attractive than tolerance and diversity. Those stragglers won't add too much to the limited republican total so they will hit their ceiling well before our floor passes them going up to new heights. The republican party cannot escape their judgement. They played out their hand in hopes that they would convince all of us that they are the new master race party. But most of us are not interested in treating people like dirty animals instead we are interested in treating people with respect and dignity. You know, like how most all the rest of us would like to be treated.

13 days to stop republicans from suppressing our vote (#3554)

     The fact that republicans are suppressing minority voters who generally vote for democrats is undeniable at this point. They have been doing it for years with some clever messaging about practically non existent voter fraud plus using the guise of cutting back early voting hours to save money. But as we have seen, they never inhibit the wealthier areas of our nation, for one because they usually vote republican and secondly they are domestically stable and therefore can use the mail in absentee balloting that keeps them from ever having to go to a polling station. That the poorer among generally vote democratic and we have a more transient electorate the removal of polling stations is critical because fewer of us can vote by mail.
     But by far the biggest racket republicans have going on is their voter purging strategy and their exact match mail in voting restrictions. Given that an infinitesimal amount of voter fraud actually occurs is no reason to disenfranchise potentially millions of legal voters as a cure. Unless of course your purpose is not to combat the unlikely event of a few voter fraud attempts but to stop your opponent from voting against you. Occam's razor would suggest that the latter is the reason. For so many years now that this has been going on it is without question anymore the true intent of the republican party is to win without the consent of the majority. Power and wealth drive republican politics so it isn't a stretch to think they would want to keep power and wealth at all costs.
     So the only way we have to stop the republican party of further damage to our voting systems is to oust them in 13 days. I thought for sure that the 2016 election was our most crucial given the vast differences in the two major party candidates and the implications for the supreme court for decades, yet I have been surprised to find out that this coming election is now even more critical in that if we don't stop the complete control of power by the republicans they will then act like they have a mandate for their democracy crushing policies and even our right to vote will no longer be a right when they are through. The republican party wants to be the only political party in America and they will not stop trying to make it so despite any illegality they have to perpetrate.

14 days is all we have to vote (#3553)

     From the women's march back in January 2017 to now we who have been gut punched by the trump appointed presidency have had to heal and then work our tails off to raise awareness of the hideous nature of the trumps and his acolytes. Well 2 weeks from now we will see how well we did to make sure we were prepared to end the complete domination of our government by the trumps. We have already started voting and although our enthusiasm has been record breaking republicans have not been just sitting back letting it happen. They are starting to come out in force to try to offset our onslaught. We outnumber them however along with many independent voters so despite their last minute attempts to combat their comeuppance we will drown them in their punishment.
     We have seen what a trump leadership looks like and it something that is beyond our worst expectations so the impetus to change that is at least on the surface, recognizable. But we have seen with our electorate, more is needed to motivate them even when it is obvious that life is and will get much worse. So we marched and talked and posted information for all to see that the importance of voting is never to be underestimated because that is how we got trump and his despicable enablers to begin with. For nearly 2 years we have been feeling the disappointment day in day and out from what our lack of duty to our vote has cost us. In 14 days no more!
     But our chance to rectify our poor judgement in not voting to secure the Clinton presidency is about to get a reprieve. We cannot replace trump with Clinton but we can ensure that no legislation of a demoralizing democracy killing nature ever leaves the White House with trumps signature on it. We will have taken from him his get out of jail free card and begin to make him pay for his numerous crimes. The end is near my friends for trumps and many republicans who enabled him who are up for reelection will soon find that they no longer have a job in the public trust. Because we the people are their masters whether they accept that logic or not. 14 more days and then we the people will begin to construct the ending of trump himself in the 2020 election.

15 days until the voting (#3552)

     Another October surprise is showing itself. The trumps are lying at every turn trying to woo and frighten democratic voters to their illusion. The latest ones are a tax cut and the threat that he won't recognize a democratic overtaking of any part or all of Congress. The carrot and the stick simultaneously. First the carrot. He says he is going to propose a middle class tax cut before the election. Well, that is just like I promise to do something if you vote for me first. Let us break that down. He says he will propose a tax cut for the working middle poor class, yet Congress won't be back in session until November 15th, well after the midterm election. So instead of offering us a real carrot he is only promising to give us a carrot after we give him what he wants first. Since he has shown himself to be a liar thousands of times over we won't be falling for his latest lies either.
     Now let's look at his claim that he will call bullshit on our votes if they don't go his way. His threat is that if democrats win any majority in congress he will deny it and obstruct it's validity. Well I expected him to do that anyway so his threat is a bit hollow because he hasn't the power to control the other branches of government nor our votes when they are tabulated against him. He is not a dictator like his few most trusted foreign allies so he can't undo our votes against him. Secondly, he puts himself in danger of being ousted through the 25th Amendment by his own cabinet if he persists in the manner of a spoiled child who throws a tantrum that cannot be stopped.
     What most all of us have learned over the last especially 2 years is that trump is a windbag and only threatens like a bully. It sometimes works for him so he keeps it as his go to move. Well the rest of us have more than enough character to stand up to him and this time is nothing new. He will try even more strategies to either entice us to him or threaten us away from voting against him. Either way though we see right through him and as the days continue to countdown his rhetorical nonsense will only get more unbelievably blusterous. Each day we early vote the less his inane and childish threats are heard by anyone who has at least half a brain.

16 days until we start getting justice (#3551)

     The time is getting closer now with only 16 days left to vote in this midterm election. It seems that the republican October surprise is to buy up massive amounts of advertising on all the media outlets and lie their asses off about the horrible things they are doing and the horrible things they will do after the elections. I have already countered that strategy by not watching or listening to media that advertises their corrupt practices. I have also already voted so no matter what they do from here on out I am immune to it as it relates to trying to sway my vote. Which is why I keep encouraging all our voters to get out and vote as soon as the possibility presents itself regardless if it is convenient or not.
     It still amazes me that there are people out there who are not only gullible to the two faced republican messaging but that they cannot yet see or understand that the republican party is unscrupulous in its continued attempts to stoop to the lowest of lows to lie and cheat their way to power. Life teaches us common sense in a variety of ways but we have to want to apply it to our lives. How it is that so many don't is troubling and the real genesis of republican manipulation. Our educational systems are broken and republicans are the root of that by starving our public systems of funds and enlarging private institutions so that they have greater control in creating the narrative for the information being taught.
     So in 16 days we will know if the great awakening of democrats to get involved in our political process after the 2016 national election is successful. The republicans now know that they are behind in many races and will undoubtedly spend 100's of millions of dollars everywhere to convince us that we are the problem not them. Well, they have had the political power over the last 2 years to do what they wanted and now they must be held to account for their condescension and cruelty. The voting has begun and tomorrow it will start in many many more areas so do not wait to vote. Do not give the republicans the opportunity to confuse and misdirect us from our mission to make them pay for their acts of already punishing us for their sickening pleasure.

17 days left to survive (#3550)

     No one knows how much can happen in the next 17 days but I suspect that if republicans had a smoking gun surprise they would have already brought it forth. My reasoning is simple, because the voting has already begun and millions of ballots have been cast and every day many more millions are following. The republican party cannot feel good about it's current position so it would seem that their dirty tricks extend only to voting purges and poll closings as their strategy for winning. They certainly don't have a political or social message that is attractive or imaginative to win over the vast majority of us in the working middle poor class.
     I have been through enough of these elections to know that the republican party is never to be underestimated in their attempt to hijack this election over these last 17 days before the final counting begins. I still expect something even if it becomes nothing from them. They have already tried mightily by allowing outside interference into our voting tabulations and have denied our national government the resources to protect the integrity of our vote counting systems. Yet the states have mostly done some good work here in securing our elections given the nefarious acts committed 2 years ago by trump friendly russian hackers.
     So I encourage everyone to vote now and do not procrastinate because what could happen is still possible and we must make sure that all our votes are recorded for counting. Early vote at any opportunity regardless of the inconvenience. Nothing is more important in the existence of our humanity than the upcoming election. The republican party will negatively change the course of our history if they are validated at the voting booth in 17 days. So let's make sure that we can back away from the crumbling brink they have pushed us toward and vote democratic so we can get back on a solid pathway of normalcy and progress. Nothing is more important in life than right now voting to solidify our democracy away from the carpetbagging republicans and their authoritarian desired rule.

18 days until the blue wave comes crashing down on republican heads! (#3549)

     The only October surprise that appears now is that trump has allowed a murder in order to bankroll his family. I can not come to any other conclusion. So if we were all sitting back waiting for trump to do something otherworldly, which murder is to me, to offset our blue wave then he has failed miserably at it. In fact he has put the whole of the republican party between a bad rock and a bad place. So no October surprise from the republican party which excels at lying, cheating and stealing. Just as well since republicans have been doing that for decades and especially over the last almost 2 years.
     I find comfort in our democratic position coming into this election in that for mostly 2 years now the momentum of our party has overwhelmed any and all attempts by republicans to inhibit it. Instead republicans have been about their egregious agenda and too self important condescensions to notice that our democratic wave has been doing little else but growing and becoming more forceful. The republican party is trying to find solace in that the current polling has them competitive due to traditional polling methodologies, yet that is an illusion. What the current polling models don't include in their methodologies is the tidal wave of new democratic voters who are determined to vote unlike anything political predictors have ever seen.
     18 more days and the worst of our living nightmares will begin to reshape into a more sunny outlook. A democratic house is quickly becoming a foregone conclusion while the senate is still very much in play. With the new voters contributing to our totals that the prognosticators are not including, the likely outcome in the senate will be a democratic controlled one as well. The only questionable divergence of my assessment for the senate is if the new voters don't perform like I expect they will given the turnouts from the last many recent special elections. The deaths of so many school kids and the anger that has percolated up against republicans ignoring their demands for gun legislation of a meaningful nature, makes me believe that their agenda to vote is nothing less than a priority.

19 days until the first reckoning (#3548)

     What this current appointed president is doing to America is dastardly. He is not an honorable man, he is a conman who has little to no compassion for other human beings. Every day some connection to some nefarious act or behaviors emanates from his existence. He treats others with a disdain and condescension unrivaled in our American politics. He has the lackeys in charge of congress to help him along with his rotten core vision. I am utterly stunned and angered at his continued assault on our constitution and our rules of law yet he has no care in the world as he breaks these legally binding restrictions like he is flicking a flea of his smoldering personal stink.
     The voting has already begun and it is going like gangbusters all over the country. More and more states are starting their early voting processes and the indications from what has already been going on since the very first special election way back in 2016 is that we democrats are making ourselves known like we should have in 2016. The greatest mistake of our lives was the disinterest we democrats had in voting 2 years ago. But we can and will rectify that mistake beginning a few days ago when the early voting got under way. Given that we all know that republicans have long been after making voting hard and near impossible for those who are not them, our political party has been eager to vote as soon as the opportunity becomes available, so I have no doubt that most of the early votes are going to democratic candidates.
     Because we know if we wait until November 6th to vote any number of strategic republican obstacles will come up to keep us from the voting booth. So voting early is our safeguard to ensure that our votes count. The idea of a blue wave in this election is more than an idea to me it is happening as I write this post. We the heart of America are done with the conmen of the republican party and their never ending lust for power and wealth. Our nation is more than the greedy bastards who are now trying to force their con on us and the world. In 19 days the beginning of the end for trumps and his stench in congress will commence and because of that my real fear that the trumps and his acolytes would kill us all is getting less certain.

The republican party, making the world hate us! (#3547)

     The cruel, brutish and selfish republican party has one goal in their vision. To conquer the world and subjugate America while they are at it. That is all there is to it. Look at everything they are doing and try and tell me I am wrong! Go ahead, try! You can't defend them for their obvious actions unless your are devoid of logic and common sense. So what to do about them? Well we have an election concluding in 20 days and the best way to stop the self destruction of America by republicans is to vote them out of public office everywhere they are running for public office. The ballot each of us has a chance to fill out and hand in is our way to end this idiotic and ultimately dangerous political reality.
     The republican party has shown us that they will go to any length to keep their strategy of world and American domination alive so expect that they will continue to lie, cheat and steal right up until the votes have been formally counted. They are not above manipulating our ballots in a way that their candidates come out on top regardless of the votes against them. Nothing is beyond their lack of principles when it comes to the outcome they want. So we must not give them any wiggle room for deception. We must come out in force and vote so heavily against them that there will not be enough room for them to manipulate the final count. Our democratic blue wave must be tsunami like if we are to finally end their control of our government and our lives.
     The world at large has seen the effects of the appointed president and his cowering republican party on our home front but they have also seen and felt the effects of the trumps antagonism toward themselves, our allies included. The obvious collusion the trumps have with putin and his russian gang is further proof that the trumps are not patriots of American democracy. The trumps are the tip of the spear in the republican onslaught of our true American destiny and they must be removed before they can further damage what is left our national identity of the melting pot of the world. Our American heritage has been based upon our care and curiosity for all things living and breathing but until we vote the republicans out we will not be able to recapture the rightful manifest destiny of our era.

Getting old sucks but working around the house at least gives me some satisfaction despite the physical price I pay (#3546)

     I feel so tired so much of the time now that I am getting near my sell by date. At least some of the time I feel alive and full of vigor but those times are less than the times I can't wait to take a nap. I get a lot of grief from those who are a generation older than me who are still running around like spring chickens but there are not a lot of them that are so fortunate. People like me who labored hard through life and piled up the injuries, aches and pains that go with hard labor are not so fortunate. That is the problem with living life fast and hard, it does tend to come crashing down hard on those of us who survive the wild and chaotic trip.
     I am not complaining mind you as many of my contemporaries did not survive their hard and fast lives. And truth be told despite the chronic nagging aches and pains I still enjoy being alive and participating in my own life. It is just that the aches and pains seem to be growing exponentially in their annoyance to me. I have cut back on my hurried lifestyle to just plodding along but even my plodding is fast and furious at times. So despite my advancing caution I still get myself into situations where I push too hard physically and then pay the price with the consequences. My trouble is I have much to do around this old house and not a lot of time and money to do what I would like to do so laboring is about the only thing I can afford without penalty except for the physical price I pay.
     This home of mine may not be as modern as I would like but at least it is mostly clear and clean. Elbow grease I have and selectively some upgrades can be made with smart budgeting. Nevertheless I do appreciate what I have and those who went out of their way to help me achieve it so complaining like I am doing here is a bit childish. I hope to be able to employ a more efficient strategy for my labor and the physical cost that labor demands of me as I still have enough hubris left in me to fight against the tide of older age and diminishing physical abilities. Despite the getting old sucks part I am fortunate to have some moments of triumph to comfort my weary soul.

The hate under our skin (#3545)

     It doesn't matter what I say to some people, they say to me they understand but they don't. They won't let go of the hate they have within them. It eats at who they are but they don't seem to care. They put on their easy nice faces and pretend that they are good people but they just can't pull it off. Something always shows their dis-ease when they try to take credit for doing something good. I don't know why they choose to hate without confronting what it is doing to them. There is nothing I can do anymore with some of them because they have built a wall between us that they will not let crumble.
     So what to do when it is unavoidable and constant? I ignore them as best I can without causing a war with them but they get nothing of good consequence from me. Anything they get from me is shallow and hurried. I just have no more time to try to show them that hating is a rot and will cause their lives more misery than satisfaction. I am talking about racism. Hating because it is convenient to their narrative they have built over time. They are unwilling to backtrack and admit that they were wrong. So their choice to deny truths and facts have left me with my choice, to deny them any part of me that is right and good. It is unfortunate that it is what it is for now.
     I myself could have taken their path and been a hater. In some demented way I could have justified it to myself by remembering the past and some isolated instances where I was harmed by those whose skin tone was different than mine. But I am more logical than that because I also remember the past where many more instances of harm was perpetrated on me by those who have the same skin tone as I. I also remember the kindnesses that were given to me by people whose skin tone is different than mine. So I cannot justify hating others who are not the same as me. But what is more prevalent now with a hater appointed to lead our nation is that more people are now showing their hate and with that they get nothing but the back of me. If they persist to make their unwelcome hatred a part of my life what they will get from me is going to be a force of rebuttal that in no uncertain term clearly expresses my resolve.

More than 57 million voted early in the 2016 general election (#3544)

     Will we get close to that figure of more than 57 million early voters for this 2018 midterm election? https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/407683-first-votes-already-cast-in-volatile-midterm-elections. I would not be surprised at all if we did. In fact I would be surprised if we didn't. I know that 2016 was a presidential election and we ended up with an appointed president, but the anger and determination most of us have against the said appointed president is so thorough that a larger than normal turnout is at least expected. Furthermore many have forgone waiting in lines or being told to travel long distances to vote on the traditional voting day that when they can early vote through mail and at conveniently located polling stations, they will.
     Especially since republicans have shown that they will stoop to cheating, lying and stealing wherever they can to mitigate the national uprising against them. So many have taken to voting early by mail and recording the information from their ballots as proof of their vote. We honorable Americans who believe in democracy have to make sure we are part of the solution to the problem republicans are creating for our nation so voting is an imperative. Early voting even more of an imperative since it takes the odds of us voting on election day right out of the equation. Many of us have already voted so our duty is complete and the personal satisfaction on our faces is evident.
     In this election cycle there is no doubt as to whom to vote for since it is a democratic wave we are attempting to construct to offset the horrid decisions by trump and his acolytes in the ruling republican party. There is no wavering in how to vote so getting our voting done is the greatest priority. Since many of us have completed our duty we are freed up to help others get their votes counted as well. Whatever it takes to get our voters to the finish line is what all we democrats have to focus on. Whatever sacrifice we have to make that doesn't kill us is worthy of consideration. There is nothing more important in life at all than voting in this election so the sooner the voting is done the better our lives and our democracy will be.
     

24 days and counting... (#3543)

     I have already voted but the last day to vote is in 24 days. It feels good to have made my mark on the history of our United States this cycle since it is such an imperative. 46.9% of eligible voters did not vote in 2016 and we ended up with the worst appointed president in the history of our nation. That is what shirking our duty to be involved in our democracy has gotten us. The worst possible outcome for us as a nation was the republican control of our political, legislative and judicial institutions. Yet in 24 days we can begin to rectify that error in judgement. It won't be easy since we see how republicans are making voting as difficult as possible under their watch.
     Yet we can still override their obstacles simply by focusing on our own duty to vote and getting it done regardless of the obstruction. It is still possible for most all of us to vote and we had better exercise it or otherwise we may shortly find our right to vote has been denied. Under the guise of protecting against the infinitesimal chance that there is actual voter fraud, republicans have now denied the right to vote to millions of otherwise non republican eligible voters. The audacity of it should have been enough to stop it but with republican control of the supreme court it has been allowed to continue. The lockstep agenda of the republican party has effectively infiltrated all possible oversight institutions that could have stopped this anti democratic behavior.
     So what is left is for all of us who voted last time and those who didn't by voting this time to put a stop to all republicans from furthering their public positions. We can vote for every democrat or in some cases independents on the ballot thus denying a large amount of current republican officeholders from being reelected. The only way we can purge the republicans from office is to take them out at each election cycle. By 2022 we should have accomplished that goal and with that we will finally be able to move our nation forward on the basis of democratic principles.

The polling switched from registered voters to likely voters (#3542)

     If you see a shrinking in the polling gap between republicans and democrats it is mainly because of the way pollsters have revised their methodology from registered voters to likely voters. So likely voters will have at least voted in previous elections which makes all newly registered voters ineligible for their inclusion in the new polling. We know at least for this cycle that most new registered voters are more inclined to align themselves with the democratic party over the republican party. So the new methodology does give a boost to republican candidates that is not a complete picture of how the voting will eventually happen.
     So do not be dissuaded by the illusion of a republican reversal of our democratic bluewave. We are still a momentous force that cannot be denied. Yet these tricky polling changes do serve to dampen our enthusiasm when we don't understand their tactics, which is why we need to constantly provide information that helps us to see the truth of things instead of the illusion of things. Nothing has changed in the dynamics of our dislike and disgust with what republicans have and are still doing to us so trust your instincts and just know that regardless of what the manipulative press or advertisers try to push at us we are still united in our quest to end their reign of illegitimate power.
     The voting is taking place now as we speak as millions are already casting their early ballots prior to the November 6th final voting day. Let us just remember to vote for all democrats on the ballot and give the republican party their reckoning. We will not sit quietly and be subjected to their mind altering judgments of condescension and disrespect. In some cases the idea that this election is closer in republican minds isn't all bad since they are so full of themselves and just take for granted that they are the more than they really are. Many will not feel the compulsion to get out and enthusiastically vote because they are already of the mindset that they are going to win. Let them sit on their laurels because their misguided polling will not save them from the fact of our actual voting in greater numbers than they think possible.

26 days until we count the votes. (#3541)

     I am just in such an anticipation for the November 6th reckoning for republicans. I remember like yesterday thinking about how 100 days until the vote was just a moment away and now it is only 26 days. The time is flying toward our democratic blue wave election and I am like all the rest of us just itching for it to hit. I know and expect a trumpian republican October surprise from them but at this point they haven't got anything to fight back against us hard enough to stop the inevitable weight of our momentum. We also have a surprise for them and several things could happen to further their expected crushing losses.
     So even if we call the October surprises a wash, the tumult coming at republicans will smack them hard. The House is going to be a democratic one and the Senate is still within grasp. Yet even if we don't win the Senate, we will have started on a path toward holding funding over what trump and his conspirators try to do with our treasury. The investigations from the House will also begin to expose the traitors who have been hiding behind republican obstruction. The republicans in the Senate will not be immune to investigations and the slim majority that republicans may enjoy there will soon find itself in jeopardy.
     26 days and the voting has already begun. So many of those I interact with have let it be known that voting straight ticket is done. This midterm election will be an anomaly from past elections in that the turnout will be unprecedented and largely due to increased democratic enthusiasm. The trumps have done their deeds against us who are in the working middle poor class and now we will tell them what we think and feel in such as way as not to be misunderstood. The reckoning the republican party deserves is just a few short weeks away and for most of us it cannot come soon enough!

Hopefully if they "love" you let them go and they will come back (#3540)

     Well I put this into motion yesterday and this morning I was pleasantly surprised to see them both back. I may be referring to my two feral kittens/cats but the adage holds. And instead of love I think it has more to do with comfort, security and especially food and water. But I will take it since it is all I have to cling to. I gambled yesterday that they wouldn't just take off for sights and scenes new and adventurous. I got them both at about 4 months and they had just been trapped the day before so their whole existence has been predicated by living on the streets for their survival. They have been with me for about 3 weeks and in that short time I have bonded and it appears they have bonded with me as well.
     It was a bit dicey this morning to wake up and not know if they were sleeping in their spots or outside galavanting around. This neighborhood is dangerous to small animals as many bigger aggressive ones are all around. But it seems my young cats know enough for today to be back home with their food and their familiar surroundings. I have doggie doors for my dogs to go in and out as they need and trying to regulate those doors because of my hesitancy to let the young cats, Artie and Betsy, roam at will would have been almost impossible. I had to trust that their instinct to stay would outweigh their instinct to go and so far so good.
     I treat my animal children with the best of care I can provide and love so that they feel like they belong here and it seems to be working on my two little newcomers. I often talk to them to let them know that this is their house and they have this safe place for the rest of their lives but I also know the inquisitive nature that both we humans and felines share in abundance. So giving them the opportunity to make a break from me is just part of what the life cycle is all about. They were not ready to go outside those first few weeks but just in the last few days they have been testing their strength in pushing through the flap of the doggie door so I knew they would be going soon. This morning was the test and it seems that we all passed it at least for today on our way to becoming a larger little family.

Four more weeks (#3539)

     As mentally deficient as trump is do not be surprised if his handlers help him come up with a surprise right before the final election day on November 6th. It will be something that has an illusion of democratic betrayal to it in order to depress our vote and make us question our party's ability to represent us. It will be a sham of course but that is beside the point. The republican party does not hold itself accountable to facts or ethics so all is in play for them. Well, we democrats do hold ourselves to facts and ethics so we will of course be shocked to hear of the republican "surprise". Yet know this, it will be as hollow as they are and in most cases we will not fall for it but unfortunately some of us will.
     Which is a good reason to get your vote in early so that you vote now before they try to spin you away from your own values with falsehoods. Any chance anyone can get to vote early should get pounced upon. Not only can waiting put your vote in jeopardy through republican obstruction but sometimes our own lives mess with our prepared plans. So don't procrastinate voting if the option is available now. Bank our votes and then be of help to any who would need help to get their vote in. My motto for life is to stay ahead of the things I can. When I see that I am getting low on some item I get more of it before I run out so I have a steady supply without interruption. Just like with our voting, don't let anything unforeseen circumstance stop us from our duty and need to vote.
     The next 28 days will be an anxious time for many of us and I for one will not wait for some final date to cast my ballot. I have read all the information on the measures and initiatives and have made my decision on them. I always vote for a straight party ticket and this year will be no different. I will take a snapshot of my finished ballot with the identification number on it as a receipt that I can keep as proof of my voting choices. I am just one man but I count my vote as precious and of value like any heirloom I may acquire in life. I actually value my vote more than objects of significance because with my vote I am willing to die to protect it whereas material value is not as important to me as my right as a free human being who has committed himself to live under a democratic social contract.

We the people NOT we the trumps (#3538)

     The arrogance of trumps is not in dispute. The degree by which he is arrogant can be debated but there is no doubt in my mind that he is more arrogant than not. I have been calling him a wannabe little dictator since he was installed and it still holds true. Not only does he want unlimited power but he wants us the people to kneel to him. I won't do it at any cost. Death is preferable to being a subject of his. Yet death isn't the only option here. We can stop the little maniac before he consolidates any more power. The coming election in 29 days allows us to change the dynamic of power in Congress. Staying focused on voting democratic in every race is our task and despite the clever advertising republicans use to attempt to fool us, our final act is to vote and vote only for democrats.
     Because in the end it is all about what republicans have done. They have worked to end women's rights; degrading our voting rights; reducing and eventually destroying the social security and medicare/medicaid contract; denying us the right of education and fair pay while keeping our natural resources all for themselves. They want to divide us along class, gender and color lines as if the 19th and 20th centuries never existed. So no matter how clever and witty their advertisements are on television, radio and print, they are beholden only to themselves not representatives of those of us who thought we lived in a democracy. So remember that there is always the end game here, your vote and if you make sure you vote for every democrat on the ballot then you will have overcome their attempts at lying and deception.
     We are a smarter people than what republicans give us credit for. They think that the last 2 years of stifling our rights and punishing us for not being them is forgotten. The republican party thinks they know us better than we know ourselves. They think that we will be happy to let them dictate to us how and why we choose to do what makes us happy. The republican party has the unmitigated gall to tell us lies while saying it is truths. The time for their reckoning is coming and it won't be us turning into them, it will be them getting their just due for all that they arrogantly tried to steal from us. The voting has already begun and in 29 days it will culminate in our push back against their tyranny and traitorous acts.

30 days and less (#3537)

     Many have already cast their early ballots. So it will be over the next 30 days until the voting ends. So if you are planning on voting this is your time. If you are not planning on voting then you are the ones who give your power to people like the current republican party. So don't cry or be dismayed when they take your power and use it against you. You let them because you were either too lazy or too indifferent to care. Another consequence of you not voting is the burden you put on the rest of us to carry your load. You may not mind that we have to make the world better for you but you make it harder for us by not voting.
     The old adage of "many hands make light work" is absolutely relevant here. The more of us who activate by registering and actually voting the better the outcome for all of us. As we have seen over the last few weeks is our involvement or not in voting has tremendous consequences. The lesson given to us yesterday is that when bad people get power they don't stop being bad. They will make things their way despite their obligation to serve we the people. Their arrogance and in this case paternalistic demands have won the day and further stripped our democracy of its equality, fairness and justice. Yesterday was a dark day and in that darkness the worst of our natures gained further power and it will hold sway over us for at least another generation.
     But for now all we can do is focus on the next 30 days and get our electorate registered and voting. The victory we could have in 30 days could be amazing and because if it comes about we will stop the slide into the depths of political despair. Our hope is all around us and to be perfectly clear it is what we have all been waiting to create. So get out there and vote today, tomorrow and all days afterward if your state allows you to vote early. Do not procrastinate nor abdicate your right to be an
American citizen with the privilege and duty to vote. It absolutely will be what saves your and our futures.

The whitewashing of decency (#3536)

     I am not going to let this moral betrayal by the republican party get me down although my guts hurt from the kick in the gut it gives me. I felt this same thing the night of November 8th 2016 so at least I know its effect. This time though I have already known that most all republicans were ready if not eager to trade our nation's decency for some form of profit. Yet I had held out some hope that there were just enough republicans left whose conscience would overrule their pocketbook. It seems that I was wrong about that as well. I have been well aware of the republican party and its ulterior motives. For years I have been calling them out for anyone to hear, yet at this point in time I don't need to call out at all since they are showing the world just how depraved they are on their own.
     The final vote is later today and so the voting hasn't been recorded yet, but for me to hold out any hope that one or more of them will find it within themselves to hold dear our nation and not their personal gain is foolish. I have my dignity as well and will not grovel to them to do what they rightly should do as a consequence of being an elected representative of not only our people but of our better natures. They have already designed a narrative that in no universe justifies their voting for him but it seems they are satisfied enough to use it. I am disgusted beyond measure at the republican party but in all seriousness I saw this coming. They have no moral compass that guides their better natures so short of that is only their willingness to be bullied by their political party into moral depravity.
     Their narrative is incredibly insensitive as well as torturously upside down. They would have us believe that the victim is the perpetrator and the perpetrator is the victim. How they can sleep at night when their own character is being challenged by all the innocence in the world is confounding. I would have expected a few of them to hold to rational and reasoned thinking yet we are not seeing that at this point. I titled this piece the whitewashing of decency because it is a whitewashing of two sorts, the rich white man dispensation and the changing of the facts. The decency that is being whitewashed is the betrayal by republicans to call the worst of our human natures an afterthought of no significance.

Why do men (kavanaugh) objectify women? (#3535)

     Lust has most to do with it yet there are those who need to feel the rush of power in order to justify their own lives. When we are young men going through puberty the allure of sex is/was extreme to many of us. We often didn't know what to do about that and in the not knowing we often form various responses to it that fall outside the boundaries of acceptable behavior. In other words we don't think as clearly as we need to in some of our thoughts that move to action. A primal instinct overtakes us and we respond in kind. Many of us find the proper civilized way to control our new found urges but some of us don't. Which leads us to what kavanaugh did as a response.
     He allowed his primal sexual instinct to dominate his life through drink and collaboration with other weak minded individuals. Instead of stopping himself from acting like a barbarian, he embraced it. Which leads me to say that he was one of those who objectified women instead of seeing them as equals. In his cultish circle of protection, he began to become like the children in the novel, "Lord of the Flies". Yet in his case he was not deserted on some island, he was smack dab in the middle of a WASPian community that likes to hide their illegal and criminal behaviors more than confront them. His upbringing is no excuse for his acts but they do play a role in his deciding that he could get away with treating women as sex objects instead of human beings.
     Well as most of Americans know what we do as young nearly adults is akin to defining our lives for the life of it. Yet not so much in the wealthy circles the few advantaged and privileged white males circulate. They, like kavanaugh, can do most anything illegal or criminal and have it disappear from being recorded. But what about the women who were the subjects of his objectifications? Do they just go on about their lives without any scarring from being overpowered and humiliated? Are they just the brunt end of an out of control male fervor and not subject to a just recourse? We have laws for most Americans but it seems that we don't have the same laws for the privileged and advantaged, nor the protections for their abused victims.

Early voting has already begun (#3534)

     We don't have to wait until November 6th to cast our election ballots. In some states the early voting process has already begun. In a handful of days most of the country will be able to vote early. My sense on early voting is to make sure your voice is heard by voting as soon as you are able. The dynamics of this coming election will not change much since most of what we all deem important has already been defined by the candidates. So find your nearest early voting venue and vote now so that no unforeseen cause can affect the voice of your vote.
     If I am reading this election correctly, early voting will be huge among we who want to put a check on the trumps. Taking the time  now to vote instead of waiting until the final day is smart and efficient when scheduled properly. We have all seen the long lines at voting stations and the inconvenience republicans have baked into our registering and voting options. So make sure that your vote is cast and the best way to do that is to cast your ballot as soon as you reasonably can. What that does is also free up us early voters in order to help get those who need assistance get their chance to vote. We need all hands on deck this election and getting our voting duty done in order to help others get their voting duty done is paramount.
     Needless to say here that we democrats need to vote a straight blue ticket so that the healing process within our government can begin in earnest. Readying for the next election that ousts the trumps and elects a democrat who can begin the common sense and logical restoration of our world and national vision. We have been set back by the trumps and even though trumps won't be around much longer their imprint on our democracy will. So starting now as the early voting dictates let's get on the record with our casted ballot and help any and all who would like to join our fight but need some assistance in doing so. Nothing is more important in our lives right now than the health and welfare of our nation and nothing will improve that health and welfare of our nation like a cast ballot already in the bank.

I wish this was the presidential election and not just the midterm (#3533)

     I cannot tolerate the trump pos much longer. He is so vile and despicable as a human being that my civility to him is long gone and a burgeoning need for a reckoning to happen that he so richly deserves grows each and every day. The blob of humanity is so in need of a comeuppance it is beyond the bounds of normalcy. I rely on Karma to have its way with him and hope that his choices to this point lead him to his just punishments. There is one thing that is totally intolerant to me and that is a smug arrogant little man who cannot find any humility nor remorse in his character. A sniveling coward who has no conscience nor soulful heart to guide him to a better life.
     The calculated strategy to put him into power is now as evident as our own face in the mirror. So no amount of feigned ignorance by the republican party will pass muster. They will pay with a punishment as well as the trumps and his immediate cohorts, both domestic and foreign. If Karma does not have its way here then our nation is in for a bumpy ride not unlike being torn apart from within. We still have avenues to make the little smoldering pos pay for his deeds and in 34 days we will be voting in at least the midterms as a check on his now unlimited power. But for me it is time for him to be gone and even thinking about him being around for another 2 years grates on my very existence.
     There are many behavioral traits that I would crush like greed, racism etc... but there are also some human beings who have placed themselves in that category. The republican party and their trumps are fully within that paradigm. Justice would be for them to immediately retire or if that isn't their choice then their expiration would not be mourned. I am not calling for any violence, just Karma bringing itself full circle on those who spit in its and our face. I am one who has practically no belief system but what I do have is logic and common sense and what those two principles have taught me is that good usually attracts good and bad usually attracts bad. Here is to the republican party and trumps in particular attracting their full measure of their causes and effects.

Being human in an inhuman trump era (#3532)

     I find myself reflecting on the happiness within my own walls and it makes me feel guilty because I know that there are tens of millions who are struggling so desperately to have a decent life. I have worked hard to get where I am and mostly it came about before the trump fiasco. But so many who are younger and many who are older are not so fortunate. But I understand that it isn't my fault and that soothes my aching somewhat. I try to remember that me being an example of a simple man who can find happiness easily within the confines of very little is a good thing. I can be happy and not feel like I am being selfish.
     For one thing I am a steely eyed advocate to end the rule of republicans everywhere. Because I know that they are the root of all our major problems and the obstacle to all our solutions. I cannot say it in a more profound way than this, quit voting for republicans and vote for every democrat on your ballot. The republican party has exposed it's nature and it is a nature that is rife with anger, greed and hatred. We democrats have for the length of my lifetime wanted nothing more than a fair and just society that respects merit and disavows privilege and advantage. An egalitarian society that has no color line nor gender bias. We want all of human life to have a pursuit of happiness that is free from the agenda of republican egoistic condescension and false judgment.
     I choose to live my life as a free human being because that is my nature to be free. So why wouldn't we all want the same since our true natures are ones of compassion and curiosity. We can only live as free beings if we take our good nature and thrust it out for all the world to see. The human experience is being subjected to a belittling from the trumps and that is uncalled for. So our duty to not only protect democracy from outside and within, but to safeguard our humanity from the likes of trumps is more than a duty, it is a demand! Our demand will take the shape of a mighty force come this November 6th when we evolve our rebuttal to all the trumps into votes that will subject the trumps to the true force of our nation, we the people!

The voting begins this month (#3531)

     We are into October now and that means that at various times throughout this month we will get to early vote. Either through polling stations that open early for the convenience of our working population or through absentee balloting which helps many who are either not in their local counties for long periods of time, are in a hardship to vote through physical incapacitation or who find that absentee voting is much more efficient for them. Whatever the reasons, the voting will begin this month and I would recommend that all we democrats vote as early as possible. We need to bank our votes and then get out and help others to do the same.
     We democrats must all make ourselves available to whatever need is given for helping other democrats, independents and like minded republicans to help them to vote. It is going to take all of us voting to make sure that the republican strategy of disenfranchising voters is not successful. The republican party is the minority party and they know that making sure the opposition to them is not voting is their only way of maintaining power. They are a ruthless lot who value power and greed over equality, fairness and justice. They don't want their advantages and privileges to end so making sure they win at the ballot box through hook or crook is nothing new to them.
     But end it will because too many of us are ready to combat the republican dirty tricks. We will get to open polling stations wherever they may be and cast our ballots for all democrats running. The republican party made a fatal mistake the last two years, they showed us who they were without trying to keep their agenda secret. We know who they are now and they will suffer for it. The intentionally inflicted damage they have done to the working middle poor class is known and they cannot hide from it. So when your time for early voting comes do not hesitate at all. Take time off of work if necessary. Travel long distances if required but make no mistake about the need and urgency of you voting this election and elections going forward. Ridding America of the worst political party America has the dishonor of allowing into power is our only hope for a vibrant thriving democracy that our foreparents dreamed of and began to create for us to improve upon and enjoy our lives while seeking our own respectful individual happiness.