Halima Aden’s Attitude and Beauty Are Both Crown-Worthy

Congratulations to Somali-American Muslim, Halima Aden, one of 45 contestants during this past weekend’s Miss Minnesota USA Pageant… one of 15 advancing to the semi-finals… doing so in fine fashion as the very first entrant to wear the burkini during the swimsuit competition and the hijab throughout.

Though the trailblazing Aden didn’t win, her good looks / attitude and her spot on social commentary, as expressed below, have certainly proven her crown-worthy.

“Not seeing women that look like you in media in general and especially in beauty competitions sends the message that you’re not beautiful or you have to change the way you look to be considered beautiful. And that’s not true.”

But… what is true here… sad but true… these pageants are a clear-cut case of non-evolved males objectifying women… insensitive male pageant organizers coercing each contestant to pursue the unrealistic Barbie Doll body… male oinkers ignoring the total spectrum of female beauty… all of which oft needlessly leads to women’s negative self image issues and eating disorders.

While we can commend Halima Aden for smartly avoiding those pitfalls, how can we not be concerned for other women who have yet to do so?

Let’s “Play” Let’s Say

 

The following discussion is based on the premise that Democracy, by its very definition, means that the People are the bosses of their leaders… and NEVER vice versa. Via the ballot box, the People are supposed to wield the hiring and firing power over said leaders… HOWEVER…

Let’s explore the wide awake nightmare that could become reality when some low information people get brainwashed into hiring a charismatic entity who harbors materialistic, narcissistic and sadistic tendencies… one who is hell bent on selling out the economy and ecology to the highest (lowlife) bidder?

Let’s say… soon after HIS ascending the throne… HE flat out demands absolute, no questions asked loyalty from everyone HE lords power over? That’s a hell of a lot to expect from folks whose day-to-day lives HE is needlessly and ceaselessly ruining… would you not agree?

Let’s say human nature causes most self-respecting folks to react by instantly going into KMA mode?

Let’s say that HE then overreacts by ordering all such dissidents to shut the F up and apologize? APOLOGIZE? Those, who HE attempts to dominate are supposed to do what? Suck up HIS abuse and say they’re sorry for legally exercising their rights to reject his obnoxious personality and odious ideology?

Let’s say, that the oppressed folks, who, ironically, are HIS bosses, refuse to kiss HIS ass… and HE then decides to punish them mercilessly? To that end HE deploys the troops and rolls out the tanks… commands HIS army to go on a rampage throughout the land… gleefully instructs them to kick down doors and round up every last suspected political dissident?

Let’s say that, sans any due process, HE locks them all up, throws away the key and then tortures them… uh… pardon the “erroneous” terminology… subjects the subjugated to “enhanced interrogation techniques”?

Let’s say… just to further tighten up HIS suffocating chokehold on power… just to muzzle any reporters and bloggers who may’ve slipped through HIS nationwide dragnet… HE decides to hit the “kill switch” to the Internet?

Just how, then, would the oppressed masses ever be able to legally exercise their freedom of speech… their freedom of the press… their right to peaceably assemble and petition their government for a redress of grievances?

Where could the citizenry turn when their best available outlet for presenting the grim facts-of-oppressed-life to their compatriots becomes inaccessible? Uh… that’d be going on the assumption there’d still be enough bold citizens who’d still be willing to actively speak up… or for that matter even passively listen?

At that point, all petitioners would be forced to go underground… and the need for anonymity would be paramount.

Let’s say such surviving dissenters then opt to petition their “government” by using old school printing presses? STRIKE THAT

Not when online newspapers and periodicals have driven much of this equipment into obsolescence and/or oblivion… not when whatever presses may still survive are at the mercy of HIS brown shirted, goon squads with standing orders to demolish this machinery with sledgehammers.

Let’s say whatever dissenters remain then crank up their computers’ laser and inkjet printers? STRIKE THAT

There can be no anonymity when such devices are actually spying on everyone… when each and every page contains difficult to see yellow dot encoding, which deviously reports the printer’s brand, serial number and date of printouts… as well as the owner’s ID, zip code and phone number.

Let’s say dissenters, as a last ditch effort, resort to publishing handwritten newsletters and flyers? STRIKE THAT

HIS handwriting analysts could easily expose and “incriminate” them. Furthermore, sans the ability to easily and anonymously generate multiple thousands of copies, protest movements would quickly languish.

Now… let’s say that the People are too smart to ever hire a leader whose evil intent is to severely betray them?

Uh… too late… better STRIKE THAT too!

Nobody Will Be Minding The Store (99 Word Blog #069)

Considering how America’s prez-elect has been selecting from the dregs of society ISO asses, who’ll be warming the departmental chairs of his totally inept and corrupt administration… this raises one key question.

Why bother?

Since he doesn’t shive-a-git about maintaining world peace, cleaning up the environment, keeping Wall Street banksters in check, stopping hate crimes, maintaining Americans’ health, educating our young… neither will his appointees.

Doncha get it?

There’d be very little difference between his appointed cronies showing up for “work” and nobody showing up at all.

The elimination of their titular positions could at least save tax dollars.

CBS NEWS BULLETIN

 

The following is an excerpt from my very first WordPress blog… my memories of 53 November 22nds ago when, as a (then) 9-year-young boy, a national tragedy forced me to face down too much age inappropriate content… to grow up way too soon.

I voted for John F. Kennedy when I was ONLY six-years-old!

Well… uh… sort of. Here’s what had actually happened…

After Mom had closed the voting booth curtains, hoisted me up to adult eye level and demonstrated how everything worked, she actually let me shift JFK’s lever down! My having done something so grown-up on Election Day 1960 had been a feel good, defining moment in my young life.

As I grew physically, so did my understanding of (and respect for) the immense leverage, which each of those tiny levers can exert in shaping our nation and world. Tragically, not everyone opts in to such a civilized, orderly process. Such was the case on…

November 22, 1963 ~ It had been a gray, overcast, rainy Friday. There had been no school for Sis and me (due to parent / teacher conferences). I was just finishing lunch when my sibling came rushing into the dining room. Still clutching her pocket-sized transistor radio, she blurted out…

“Somebody Shot President Kennedy!” Mom, Sis and I quickly adjourned to the living room. Even before our Zenith TV’s B&W picture tube had fully warmed up, we could already hear one of CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite’s earliest bulletins.

As time came grinding down to a dead halt we felt ourselves rapidly descending into the depths of our nation’s communal shock. There was little else we could do… save for waiting and hoping that our worst fears would not be confirmed. But…

The bad news just kept on spilling forth from our nation’s TV screens while Kennedy’s dream for the betterment of our national / global society, was hemorrhaging forth from his head wounds… dying along with this great man. Eventually, Cronkite had to choke back his own overwhelming sorrow as he reported…

“From Dallas, Texas… the flash apparently official… President Kennedy died a 1 p.m., Central Standard Time… 2 o’clock Eastern Standard Time… some thirty-eight minutes ago.”

And that’s the way it was… the feel rotten, defining moment in my young life. The President I had “voted” for three short Novembers earlier had been blown away. Bullets… not ballots… had removed John Fitzgerald Kennedy from office and shot to hell my childhood innocence.

Up till then, TV had been a source of light entertainment… but… Cronkite’s pioneering venture into live, breaking news, non-stop coverage, reality TV… proved neither. Worse yet, one could never make the Kennedy Assassination “go away” by merely switching channels or by turning off the TV. Nothing could’ve ever changed that horrifying outcome… one which… even today…  is perpetually, sending debilitating shockwaves outward from that Dealey Plaza Ground Zero… all across the space-time continuum.

Even now, more than half a century later, my vivid, as if they had just happened mere seconds ago, memories can and do cause tears to well up in my eyes.

For anyone, especially someone as young as I had been, learning to cope with these issues would not be getting any easier. Two days later, I was among millions of TV viewers who had become eyewitnesses to the live network broadcast of vigilante Jack Ruby gunning down alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

While some folks might applaud an-eye-for-an-eye “justice”… innocent until proven guilty is the law of the land and I, among many, believe Oswald should’ve had his day in court. We might’ve even discovered the answers to all the still lingering, unanswered questions.

Now, whether you had actually watched and “survived” all of that long ago bloodshed or have merely read about it in America’s history books… I’ll bet you, like I, have oft fantasized about traveling back into time to save the life… save the presidency of John F. Kennedy… and have also wondered… with a successful outcome… what would America be like today?

I now invite you to read about… or better yet… view here… a compelling, alternate reality to November 22nd… as presented by TV’s “The Twilight Zone”… the episode titled “Profile In Silver”. Observing actor Andrew Robinson’s performance… his so convincingly bringing JFK back to life… can and does evoke tears of joy.

 

ADDENDUM posted 12/07/16 10:10 a.m. to modify blog’s final paragraph / replace YouTuber’s removed “Twilight Zone” video.

Mega Thanks! In Roman Numerals I’m Now @ “C” Level!

 

Approximately two weeks ago, WordPress congratulated me because my website has attracted 100 followers. I’ve not mentioned this, up till now, for two reasons…

1. I don’t like to brag.
2. Quality is more important than Quantity.

Indeed, YOU really do mean far more to me than the statistics appearing in my Dashboard’s graphs and readouts… reports, which, if taken too seriously, can seem obsessively goal oriented, overly analytical and unduly dehumanizing.

However… my above concerns would never prevent me from liberally expressing my gratitude.

That’s because YOU, the residents of this wonderful WordPress Community, have been taking precious time out of your busy lives to read my blogged prose and poetry and listen to my musical Blogcasts. You’ve been clicking my “Like Stars” and posting comments, too.

When YOU make that “little red dot” appear in my screen’s upper right-hand corner and ring my email chime YOU bring joy into my life.

I’d like to wholeheartedly thank all of YOU for all that YOU do for me, each and every time we enter our shared, virtual, WordPress world!

Did Gwen Ifill Die Of A Broken Heart?

American Peabody Award winning journalist, newscaster and political analyst Gwen Ifill died at age 61 on 11/14/2016… her too brief life and career cut short by Cancer. TV viewers, who frequent PBS, will forever, fondly remember and admire her for both the off and on-the-air contributions she made to society.

As an African-American woman, she had been a trailblazer for and champion of racial and gender equality. As a consummate professional, her impressive résumé included being the moderator / managing editor of Washington Week in Review and co-anchor / managing editor of the PBS News Hour. In both capacities she was and will forever be a role model and inspiration to girls and women of all ages.

Even news watchers, who habitually turn elsewhere to less reliable sources for their “information”, will still likely have strong recollections of Ifill’s topnotch work as debate moderator during the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns.

With an ailment as grave and unpredictable as Cancer, we can only conjecture about its ups and downs… what ushers it into remission… what triggers it to rage out of control.

But, I truly believe, with all my heart, that Ifill’s sudden and far too soon demise is attributable to the horrific outcome of last week’s presidential election… the defeat of Clinton… Hillary’s loss to a misogynist and racist… his campaign, itself, having set back, by centuries, what little progress women and racial minorities have achieved, to date. It’s a certainty that Ifill had known fully well how, once that knuckle-dragging Neanderthal takes the oath of office, he’ll promptly bomb civilized society all the way back to the Stone Age.

In short, although her death certificate lists Cancer as the official cause, Gwen Ifill actually died of a broken heart.

I’ve witnessed, first hand, this phenomenon before. Back in 2003, it involved my own 89-year-old mother, who, to say the least, had been devastated and demoralized by the outcome of the 2000 presidential election… i.e., how George W. Bush and five corrupt, archconservative, bastard SCOTUS “judges” had colluded to deny Al Gore his legal right to a recount of the ballots in Florida… how their screwing over Gore had given birth to W’s illegitimate presidency.

My Mom’s deep depression had only worsened after W, the bungling incompetent, had gotten caught with his Commander-In-Chief pants down on 9/11, AND, in the post apocalyptic aftermath, when his too little / too late preserving, protecting and defending of America caused him to overreact… to strip all Americans of their Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

In short, although her death certificate lists old age as the official cause, my Mom actually died of a broken heart.

Seeing how we liberals, at present, are sinking into the depths of our own post Election Day funk, we can only speculate on how much this is all shortening our own lifespans. Of course… all in all… that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Come Inauguration Day, when that tyrant begins his reign of terror, We the People, who oppose him, can take some solace in knowing that his depressing us to death… well… this could be our early ticket out.

For us, serving in Heaven (or even winding up in oblivion) would have to be infinitely preferable to watching him ruling in the Hell of his own making… than our being forced to exist within his Hell on Earth.

We’d also be able to rejoice in knowing that, once in Heaven / oblivion, we’d never be forced to cross paths with the likes of him again.

R.I.P. Gwen Ifill… at least there can be peace for you.

Super Moon Toons (Super Special Blogcast)

Just in time for the Super Moon (11-14-2016), I’m Blogcasting five Moon Toons, which will help set the proper mood for this amazing astronomical event… one where Earth’s satellite, in it’s full phase, will be at it’s closest perigee since 1948 and appear 15 – 16% larger and far brighter than we’re accustomed to seeing.

Oh, btw… the Moon is looking mighty impressive even as I post this tonight… one night early.

Throughout the ages, gazing at the Moon has inspired a universally experienced air of mystery, awe, romance, passion, and love… these feelings eventually and inevitably becoming interwoven into our world’s music. When a song’s focus turns skyward, our primal, natural yearnings are roused, instinctively drawing each listener’s attention to matters celestial.

And if the moon watcher is also a composer of music, a synergy develops with other watcher-songwriters. Consequently, there’s a vast body of Moon Toons for us to choose from and enjoy. There’s also a diversity of song tempos, instrument arrangements and musical genres, which could almost be compared to the phase like moods set by the Moon… first quarter, full, last quarter, new and earthshine… from the narrowest sliver to the Super Moon… and everything in between.

While these special musical segues, presented below, can be enjoyed at any time of day, for the optimal effect, synchronize the playback with the spectacular Super Moon. At that time, be sure to shut down all artificial lighting and once you’ve clicked the play button on the first video, traipse on over to your window, fling those curtains wide open and watch this cosmic event lazily arcing across the sky.

Once you’ve tracked through all five songs, it’ll be time to head for the great outdoors… and the farther away you get from the hustle and bustle of civilization, the better. If there’s a significant other in your life, invite that person to join you.

Once you’re one with nature, the hush of the night will form its own subtle “music”… perhaps a gentle, steady breeze whooshing through pine needles or rustling whatever leaves may still be on the trees… maybe a nearby babbling brook will add a bit more ambiance, too. At that point, that ol’ devil moon will draw your gaze upward and you’ll feel your terrestrial concerns ebbing as you soar to commune with the vast cosmos.

Who knows, the sparks of new love may be in the air? Or perhaps latent feelings will be rekindled? Might single folks even wind up experiencing an unexpected meeting with their soul mate, while both are wandering about beneath the night sky? Whatever transpires under the Milky Way… under the Super Moon… you’re bound to feel a timeless bond with the rest of humanity… one that has always been there for the taking… for those attuned, caring souls, who know how and where it’s found.

Howling is cool, but not mandatory.

 

Van Morrison ~ Moondance

Sting ~ Moon Over Bourbon Street

Cassandra Wilson ~ Harvest Moon

Norah Jones ~ Shoot The Moon

Bap Kennedy ~ Moonlight Kiss

 

 

Revisions on 111416 15:33

Violence is NOT the Answer

 

Donald Trump’s victory has, justifiably so, upset all well-informed and principled people. We’re fully aware how the next president will be a vain, avaricious, dogmatic, undiplomatic, intellectually incurious, soulless creature, who gets off on mindless discrimination, hatred and violence, which targets women, LGBTs, racial minorities, non-Christians, the aged, ailing and disabled. In addition to his unleashing societal ruin we know he’ll soon be inflicting perhaps irreversible, irreparable, economic and ecological devastation upon our world.

Within nanoseconds of his victory, Trump “successfully” emboldened legions of his low information and amoral deplorables, who, with increasing frequency and severity, have been going off on a celebratory rampage. On his behalf, they’re scrawling racist and sexist graffiti everywhere… are intimidating anyone who doesn’t measure up to their waspy standards…. are ambushing women with a barrage of dirty deeds and obscenities. His evil influence has even poisoned America’s youngest minds to the point where school kids are taunting and threatening their own classmates. [Related Story #1] [Related Story #2] [Related Story #3] [Related Story #4]

While we might be able to hold our noses and take Trump’s victory in stride, it’s been the post Election Day stench wafting off of these grotesque white supremacists and their atrocious displays that we can NEVER stomach!

It has been liberals’ anticipation of Trump’s ugly America and our watching, in horror, as this nightmare is already coming true (two months prior to Inauguration Day), which have caused our outrage to spill out into the streets… our own demonstrations, oft times, deteriorating into violence.

The fact that prez-elect Trump has, so far, only paid lip service towards healing divided America, amply demonstrates how he is either a lousy leader or, worse yet, a sadist who is enjoying what’s rapidly and rabidly becoming a feeding frenzy of hostility.

We, who can still think rationally, need to take a time-out to better understand what we’re going up against. Donald Trump possesses a closed mind attached to closed ears that rarely, IF EVER, listen to anyone. This fact raises some tough questions… such as…

1. Beyond the emotional catharsis, just what is it that we hope our demonstrations will accomplish?
2. Could we ever cause Donny to experience an epiphany… suddenly feel the resultant onrush of warm, heartfelt, decent human feelings? NOPE… not gonna happen!
3. Could we ever teach him to respect humanity? NOPE… not gonna happen!
4. Could we ever convince him to either mend his wicked ways or abdicate the power he is intoxicated with / addicted to? NOPE… not gonna happen!

Folks, Trump is beyond reason… beyond redemption… and worse yet, politically speaking, totally untouchable. With the soon to be restored, rightwing, judicial juggernaut on the U.S. Supreme Court bench… there’ll be no rulings against him… with the U.S. House and Senate’s rightwing chokehold… they’ll never impeach and remove him from office.

So… does this mean correcting this situation is utterly hopeless? That resistance is futile?

In a word… NO.  We must continue raising awareness regarding all the damage which Trump and his deplorables are doing, while being mindful of the fact that, as reprehensible as their conduct is, we must NEVER sink down to their level.

We must always take the high road to deal with these hate crimes… e.g., use our cell phones to first record and preserve visual evidence against all perpetrators and, next, encourage all the victims, along with any eyewitnesses, to call the cops.

As for our political demonstrations, we need to play some mind games… use psychological warfare… as it were…

Prime example: Let’s consider how, throughout the 2016 campaign, we saw Donny feeling rapture whenever he whipped up his supporters… got them to throw punches at any naysayers, who were attending his rallies. This all suggests that our best demonstrations could involve no demonstrations at all!

Folks, don’t you get it? The ultimate way to piss off narcissist Trump just might be to totally ignore him. Our use of passive resistance would deny him his perverse satisfaction, which could utterly devastate him… make this cowardly bully so despondent he’d tuck tale and skulk back into the pool of primordial goo from whence he spawned.

Of course I’d be remiss to not mention the inherent danger that he’d simply delude himself into believing that zero protests mean everybody now loves him.

So… realistically… long sigh… our protests must continue.

And whenever they do occur, we must never let our passions excessively govern us. We must never walk our anger down Trump’s low road. Our brains must trump brawn when we demonstrate… our movement needs a more proactive and productive methodology and venue.

The Internet / Blogosphere would provide visibility and accessibility to our noble cause… be the go-to place where our war of words can be fought and won.

We’re also going to need to find true blue liberals in the real world… candidates who are strong (but nonviolent), smart, charismatic, politically and emotionally baggage-free… folks, who’ll work within the system to change the system for the better… who’ll run for elective office at the federal, state and local levels… who’ll be funded by grass roots strategies… the few bucks here and there / small contributions from everyday, average Janes and Joes.

True, this will all take time but the sooner we start… the better. Equally true, it’s unlikely we’ll ever win over many of Donny’s deplorables but, then again, the whole idea would be to marginalize them while we energize the electorate… especially the apathetic voters who, had they not sat out the 2016 elections?

Well… we would’ve elected Hillary Clinton as our first woman president… and, would not now be facing down the dismal prospects of Donny’s Dark Ages for 4 to 8 years… as well as having to suffer the consequences regarding what are sure to be his handpicked, emotionally impaired and supremely ignorant Supreme Court judicial hacks… who’ll outlive him by 2 to 4 DECADES!!!

 

Yo Donald! Please Deport Me, Too! (99 Word Blog #068)

 

ATTN: Mister Trump!

My parents’ parents immigrated to America… Mama’s folks were Yugoslavians… Papa’s folks were Croatians.

That makes my parents only first generation, born and raised Americans… makes me only a second generation, homegrown American.

There’s also reason to believe some of our ancestors were of the Jewish Faith… had passed themselves off as Christians to avoid the persecution of boneheaded bastards… such as you.

Now… getting to the whole point of this open letter…

After Inauguration Day… once you start purging America of folks who clash with your Master Race motif… would you please deport me, too?

 

DANGER! Trump, Ryan, McConnell & Roberts’ One Party Rule

Politically speaking, I know the difference between right and left. As the grown-up here, it’s abundantly clear to me that, on Election Day, the children on the right threw a tantrum and wrongfully elected Donald Trump as our their president.

Morally speaking, I know the difference between right and wrong. As a respectable adult, I’m fully aware that I must reject Donald Trump as our their president.

Because I’ve honored the U.S. Constitution’s stipulation calling for an orderly transition of power, I’ve done my patriotic duty… and that’s as far as I’ll go. I must draw the line somewhere! And that means I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT compromise my ethics the same way Trump and his supporters flip off theirs… that is… if they ever had any true patriotism and solid scruples to begin with.

Under normal circumstances, we, who voted for Hillary Clinton, would mourn for awhile and then shrug off her defeat by saying, “Oh well… better luck next time”… BUT… it’s not as easy as that.

How so?

Mere days ago, the voters did absolutely nothing to safeguard America (and the world) against madman Trump’s wrecking ball. And I’m not being melodramatic when I point out how Dangerous Donny made campaign promises, which will batter, objectify and subjugate women, discriminate against LGBTs, fan the flames of racial and religious intolerance and mock disabled folks… which showcased his ill-conceived plans to plunder our economy and lay waste to Earth’s fragile ecosystem.

These voters cleared away all Constitutional impediments from Dangerous Donny’s path by granting him solid Republican Legislative Branch majorities and, as soon as he fills the vacant seat on the SCOTUS bench, he’ll have a 5-4 Republican majority within the Judicial Branch, too.

Under normal circumstances, even one party rule would be tempered by checks and balances, where (in this instance) the Republican majority… both legislators and judges… would consistently prioritize their patriotism over partisanship.

In other words, IF WHEN Trump does something wrong… they’d fearlessly call him out as flat out wrong.

But, such patriotic and moral traits… such political mettle… NEITHER accurately characterize Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts NOR their sycophantic rightwing colleagues.

So, I can only counter the folly of my American compatriots, who’ve elected Donald Trump… and, worse yet, have granted him absolute power (which will corrupt absolutely) by saying…

My rock solid patriotism and moral compass guide me on the high road.

I will NEVER march in lockstep, alongside them, down their low road… down Donny’s low road, which is strewn with the craggy rocks and boulders of insanity, profanity, stupidity, bigotry, misogyny and gluttony.

Although they are oblivious to the grave reality of the situation of their own making… they have buried America.

After only four years hours of Donald Trump in the Oval Office, for average Janes and Joes (and yes, ironically, that’ll include Trump’s supporters), the American Dream will come to an end… the American Nightmare will begin. As for the phrase, “Oh well… better luck next time”…

“Oh well… better luck next time.”