Tag Archives: News

Sunday Vibes

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Today’s mood: out of the loop by choice…

I don’t want to hear about that orange POS or worry about WW3 or the economy or ICE or any of the other no good, terrible, very bad things that are going on. I want to bask in my ignorance.

Just for today I want to be the innocent who waters her garden and talks to crows and delights in butterflies and believes in the inherent goodness of humanity.

Curated from Cottage Whimsy / Artist: Naoko Stoop

This Beach Boys song seems to convey the vibe of the day, only good vibes! Here’s Good Vibrations studio footage. I know that Leon Russell played on a version of GV, but I don’t see him here:

My Stupid Little Town

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Our water district sent out notices about a horrendous and onerous rate increase planned over the next two years.

For example, if you now pay around $71 a month, the rate will shoot up to approximately $119 a month by 2027. That is absolutely unconscionable and a definite hardship for a lot of us.

The law requires a certain period of time for protests and objections but only for due diligence, NOT because they’ll take our opinions into consideration.

Some people wrote letters and a few of us also showed up to speak at the hearing to affirm or deny the rate increase. I realize that this was a futile exercise more based in legality rather than actually caring about the community because our council doesn’t really care at all about the people who live here; they are fully invested in overdevelopment and support all the rate increases from water to trash.

I’m really sorry more people didn’t come to the stupid council meeting yesterday to voice concerns about the egregious water rate increases but I understand — nothing we say or do ever seems to change the outcome of anything that’s done to stop the ruin of this once adorable coastal city.

The reality is that those people on council do not represent the community they are SUPPOSED to represent.

One guy who spoke said he was a civil engineer and actually supported the increase; maybe he was looking for a job? Kiss ass or a plant, I’m not sure.

The city consistently approves more and more low income housing projects but doesn’t think about those same low income residents on pensions, disability, Social Security, and other types of fixed incomes who are (or will become) deeply impacted by our chaotic economy and cuts to services will actually be able to pay for necessities.

Who can afford an increase of $30+ a month? Council is out of touch with real people. They live in a bubble and not only don’t understand-they simply don’t care.

The water district’s millennial spokeshead was angling for a pat on her back as she uptalked this NOT very humble brag…”We eliminated two full time positions to save money.” like that in and of itself should justify their economically burdensome rate increase?

How much is she paid? Team Leaders at this water district are paid an average of $175,000 per year. Others are paid between $47 and $60 per hour. Group Managers earn $270,000 per year. I think we all can figure out where costs could be slashed to pay for our water increase.

I knew it was a waste of time but I showed up anyway and here’s what I said:

“You all need to learn to read the room. How are you continuously so incredibly disconnected from REGULAR people? It makes no economic nor reasonable sense in this seriously screwed up political landscape to raise rates of any sort, especially now.

Look at it another way—you constantly approve building all these low income housing projects, right?

And there are lots of seniors and retired people in Carlsbad, and other low income families on Section 8– so how do you expect this demographic who rely on some sort of fixed income to pay for these egregious increases when their FIXED income doesn’t match the increased cost? 

Haven’t you thought this through, this macro picture? Do you all live in a bubble?

If the stock market continues to implode, if Social Security and disability is reduced or completely cut, if pensions and public assistance are wiped out, WHO IS going to be able to afford the increased water rates? 

It makes no sense. THIS IS NOT THE TIME. I strongly and LOUDLY object and protest the tone deaf water rate increase.

This rate increase is beyond ridiculous, especially in these uncertain economic times.

It’s an egregious misuse of power to increase financial hardship for those of us who don’t know if we’ll even have a job or are on tenuous fixed incomes. You need to radically correct this type of financial exploitation. It’s an economic burden we do not need to carry.

The truth is that you do not need any rate increase; what you need to do is LOWER your water rates.”

And then I looked at the entire council’s facial valences that communicated zero emotion, negative OR positive as they stared at me with flat affects, and ended my three minutes with, “Crickets again, I see. What a disappointment you all are.”

Featured photo by Enchanted Seashells

Repeating History | Where We Are

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This is exactly where we are. It’s happening all over again, but this time, HERE, in the United States. Who will have the necessary courage to stop this nightmare?

January 13, 1943
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
Diary of Anne Frank – Anne Frank

From media sources:

+ Did you all see the video of the ICE agent breaking a car window near the border? He wasn’t an ICE agent. He’s the founder of Veterans on Patrol, a FAR-RIGHT MILITIA patrolling the border for migrants. They’re basically deputizing militias to act as federal agents. This is dangerously out of control.

+ A U.S. born citizen was arrested in Florida for entering the state as an “unauthorized alien.” His mother and a community advocate showed his birth certificate during a hearing in Leon County. The judge said she had no authority to release him. Update: He has now been released.

+ This happened in Boston. Trump’s ICE Gestapo took away a little girl in a Winnie the Pooh shirt who was on her way to school.

+ A 19 year-old living in New York — Family has an asylum case pending with no criminal record or tattoos, ICE grabbed him and two other boys right at the entrance to his building. One said: ‘No, he’s not the one,’ like they were looking for someone else. But the other said: ‘Take him anyway,’” he recalled. He is in CECOT (El Salvador)

Even more disgusting and tone deaf to the destruction of democracy and while all of this is going on around us, was the spectacle of half a dozen entitled women taking a very expensive ten minute joyride to cosplay being an astronaut.

The Blue Origin “flight” took the women more than sixty-two miles above Earth, crossing the internationally recognized boundary of space and giving them a few moments of weightlessness. It’s an insult to every real astronaut who spent years training for space exploration. I. CAN’T. EVEN.

San Diego #HANDSOFF Protest: More Good Trouble

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Where were you on April 5? Did you participate in the #Handsoff event in your area?

We took the Coaster down to San Diego which was a much better idea than driving and trying to find a place to park. The train was so packed, we had to sit on the floor. Our ride down the coast was filled with positive energy, singing, and chants about DEMOCRACY in action.

This growing movement is a call to protect democracy, civil rights, and social justice. Organizers say the protests aim to send a clear message: “Enough is enough.” These protests are grassroots-led, with no single group in charge. However, coalitions of youth activists, civil rights organizations, and climate groups have joined forces.

Hands off Social Security.
Hands off Medicaid.
Hands off veteran care.
Hands off our kids’ education.
Hands off our rights.

robert_ciani_photography

I don’t believe mainstream media is honestly representing accurate numbers but I think we might have had nearly 50,000 participants in San Diego.

I have never before seen so many people or felt as much energy, even more than the Women’s March in 2017.

The “Hands Off!” protests today were nothing short of monumental, marking a powerful and unified stand against what organizers have called the most audacious power grab in modern history. With over 1,400 events spanning all 50 states and hundreds of thousands of participants, this movement brought together a diverse coalition of workers, activists, and everyday citizens to demand an end to billionaire influence, cuts to essential programs like Social Security and Medicaid, and attacks on marginalized communities. From bustling rallies in Washington, D.C., to smaller gatherings in conservative towns, the message was clear: Americans are fed up with policies that prioritize the wealthy at the expense of democracy and basic rights. The energy on the ground was electric, with chants of “Hands off our jobs, our healthcare, our democracy!” echoing across city halls, federal buildings, and even international cities like London and Berlin. Today’s turnout was not just a protest—it was a resounding declaration that grassroots power is alive and ready to fight for justice and equity (From The Other 98%.)

robert_ciani_photography

For some of us, fashion is important. What do you wear to a protest rally?

In addition to good walking shoes, I wore all black, but I couldn’t resist my Leon Russell hat.

On the train ride back home after the march, which was peaceful and without incident, energy was high at the success of the event, but we were tired and a bit subdued.

Someone noticed my Leon Russell hat and told me how much she LOVED him, and the next thing I knew, my phone was at top volume playing everyone’s favorite Leon Russell songs, singing along and chatting about the awesomeness of the one and only Master of Space and Time.

An amazing end to this beautiful day. We all participated in GOOD TROUBLE.

From AltParks: Yesterday was incredible. The official count is in — 5.2 million people joined the #HandsOff protest nationwide. So many are asking: what’s next? Mark your calendars: 4/19 is the next nationwide day of protest. Let’s go even bigger — our goal is to get 3.5% of America in the streets. Some media outlets are reporting only “tens of thousands” participated, but that’s no accident. Downplaying the turnout is a tactic to suppress momentum. But you were there. You saw the crowds. Even small red-district towns showed up in force. Don’t let them rewrite the story. It was a historic day — and we’re just getting started. We are proud of all of you — for many, this was your first protest, and you showed up with strength and purpose. Thank you to all the local authorities who helped keep everyone safe, and to the many military members and off-duty officers who attended and monitored the situation. Keep your signs, make new ones, and start preparing now. Let’s make history again on 4/19.

Doomscrolling vs Good Trouble

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“Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis

Doomscrolling refers to the compulsive and often anxiety-inducing practice of obsessively scrolling through social media or news feeds, particularly for negative or distressing content, with the expectation that the news will be bad.

I stopped watching mainstream news the morning that the fake election results were announced. I’ll never believe that muckrat and the orange POS along with a foreign entity did NOT alter the results. I’m convinced that Kamala Harris should be president.

Instead of watching the news, I’ve participated in a few protests. While the Hands Off rally on Saturday in downtown San Diego is predicted to be HUGE, the Tesla Takedown Day in my little city wasn’t as big as some others around the country, but we were passionate and devoted to showing up to make a difference.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

As the wonderful John Lewis also said,
“Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society”. 

This showroom is in an obscure business park with not too much traffic, but we were united in our passion to DO SOMETHING to save democracy and this country. Unlike other events in the area, this was peaceful. No one shot us with BB guns, none of the people at Tesla came out to intimidate us, and there were no shouting matches on either side.

However, if you count the cars that honked in solidarity as they drove by, it was a resounding success.

I’m not so sure next week’s event will be as tranquil or serene, but it’s definitely going to be exciting.

We don’t want Greenland or Canada; we want our Social Security (NOT an entitlement), health care, education, our data private, muckrat deported, the other one in prison, and PEACE.

Oh, and make sure to tell muckrat and his cronies that no one PAID us to attend; we’re participating to SAVE DEMOCRACY from people like HIM.

Poetic Truth : Pity The Nation

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We are living in sad and scary times. Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote the poem “Pity the Nation” in 2007, drawing inspiration from Khalil Gibran’s original work of the same title, published in 1933. Their words are a reminder about the cycles of history.  

We’ve been warned.

PITY THE NATION

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
   And whose shepherds mislead them
 Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
            Whose sages are silenced
  And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
 Pity the nation that raises not its voice
          Except to praise conquerers
       And acclaim the bully as hero
          And aims to rule the world
              By force and by torture
          Pity the nation that knows
        No other language but its own
      And no other culture but its own
 Pity the nation whose breath is money
 And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
      Pity the nation oh pity the people
        who allow their rights to erode
   and their freedoms to be washed away
               My country, tears of thee
                   Sweet land of liberty!
 Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 2007

                         

PITY THE NATION
By Khalil Gibran, 1933

Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.

Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own wine-press.

Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.

Pity the nation that despises a passion in its dream, yet submits in its awakening.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins, and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.

Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.

Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings, and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings again.

Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.

Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.

Amoral Architects of Destruction

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That orange POS and his puppet master, Muckrat, are doing their level best to destroy America.

Not only have they fired thousands of government employees, in 2020 his administration delisted the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Some Federal protections for gray wolves were restored across much of the United States a couple years later, but a new threat to decimate the entire wolf population is real.

Regarding the environment and according to Defenders of Wildlife, President Biden took sweeping, historic action to permanently protect more than 625 million acres of United States ocean waters — and the wildlife living there — from the threat of offshore drilling.

Now the target of a Trump administration executive order to reverse course, coastal protections will be fought out in the courts, Congress and through engagement with the American public. At stake are protections for the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean in Alaska. Wildlife is caught in the balance.

You might think that’s bad enough,
but this is chilling...
Have you heard of the SAVE Act?

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would require all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation—in person—when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Specifically, the legislation would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on a passport or birth certificate to prove their citizenship. While this may sound easy for many Americans, the reality is that more than 140 million American citizens do not possess a passport and as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name.

Because documentation would need to be presented in person, the legislation would, in practice, prevent Americans from being able to register to vote by mail; end voter registration drives nationwide; and eliminate online voter registration overnight—a service 42 states rely on. Americans would need to appear in person, with original documentation, to even simply update their voter registration information for a change of address or change in party affiliation. These impacts alone would set voter registration sophistication and technology back by decades and would be unworkable for millions of Americans, including more than 60 million people who live in rural areas.

Additionally, driver’s licenses—including REAL IDs—as well military or tribal IDs would not be sufficient forms of documentation to prove citizenship under the legislation.

In short, the SAVE Act is disastrous legislation. The flawed leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has declared that passing the legislation is one of their top priorities for the 119th Congress.

These are the actions of the amoral architects of destruction. The people who have now seized power are determined to throw the United States into mayhem.

Are you scared yet?

P.S. By the way, it will always be the Gulf of Mexico and Mt. Denali. We all know that those stupid decisions were just smokescreens for the real damage to our constitution, right?

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💖

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I don’t care if it’s become a commercialized celebration or not; I LOVE Valentine’s Day and always have.

A gifted seashell or a Chanel brings the same amount of joy; it’s the thought that counts.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re in the midst of February’s Full Snow Moon. While we’re enjoying some much needed rain so I can’t actually see the moon, I know she’s up there, shining her light on us. This is a time to step into personal power, trust in the shifts that are happening, and believe that everything is aligning for a better, more fulfilling future.

From Leon Russell’s album, Moonlight & Love Songs, here’s the standard, My Funny Valentine. I love Leon’s arrangement, his voice, the song, the Nashville Symphony– everything about it!

The album features Jim Price, Edgar Winter, and Bruce Hornsby.

I hope everyone enjoys a day (and life) full of love. 🎩 💕

Featured image from World of Love Hearts

Reach For The Light

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When things are as bad as they appear to be here in the US, and with growing anxiety every day, sometimes all we can do is breathe and reach for the light wherever we can.

Light is the thing we seek
Within the darkest of day,
let it show us the way.

Little words by Athey Thompson
“Reaching for that Star” by Florian Ceglarek

Bad Times in the United States

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It’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore that absolute shitshow that’s going on in this country since that orange POS and his puppet master muskrat defrauded the election in November.

And yes, I truly believe that his “winning” was not the will of the people; with muskrat’s help and maybe aided by a foreign government, there is a growing fear that the vote was tampered with.

I can’t imagine what the rest of the world thinks about us. The deteriorating relationships with our friends in Canada and Mexico is hard to believe, but it’s all real.

We are living a worst case scenario.

While all this is going on, yesterday my local congressman posted smiling pics of himself in my city having a cup of coffee at a local place like democracy isn’t burning to the ground. Talk about not reading the room! You should have seen all the comments telling him to get back to DC and DO SOMETHING to stop this madness.

As much as I try to stay away from watching the news and becoming overwhelmed with dread, THIS can’t be ignored, no matter how hard I try:

From the BBC (as I no longer trust most US based news sources):

The Trump administration has given Elon Musk’s deputies access to the federal payments system that controls the flow of trillions of dollars in government funds every year, US media report.

[From Enchanted Seashells: To clarify, this includes Social Security payments, social security numbers, and banking information for those who get direct deposit.]

Reports suggest members of Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – which is not a government department, but a team within the administration – have been granted access to sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.

Two officials at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were reportedly placed on leave after a standoff with Doge members over access.

Read the full article here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77rkg5dm3vo