NOT NORMALIZING

Not one fucking thing am I going to normalize.  You don't get to say nasty, viperish, and mean spirited things one day and then ask me to treat you "normally" the next.  Won't do it.  And, oh by the way, more people voted for her than for him.  Don't know what I expected from Barack after his meeting with the man whose name will not be mentioned; but him asking me to be fair and give the guy some space and time was not what I wanted to hear.  OK, I get it--he has to be presidential but get this--I don't.  I get to be really pissed and very worried.  George Packer's article was predictive of what happened a week ago today.  People hate where I live, what I read, what I think, and possibly what my religious beliefs are.  Cannot go on. To quote John Oliver, then there is this:

--Be very focused on his Supreme Court nominees.  Ruthie, Souter, and Kennedy (the even more important swing vote) are all over 80.  Gotta assume his appointment to replace Scalise will be at least as bad if not terrible.  That is why an EMT (some of you may have heard me on this before) needs to be stationed 24/7 with each of them so they do not die while he is in office.  Like gay marriage? Like a woman's right to choose? Like voter rights protection? Like health care?  All at risk.
--Visited two oases in the midst of two red states in the last month.  Austin and Asheville.  They share so much but one has the residence of a certain relative which made it just a smidgen better!!  Austin is bigger but each has tons of youngish people, loads of tats, many dogs with kerchiefs, and bustling food/art scenes.
--But, of course, every bloody flight takes forever to board because of all that crap people insist on bringing on board.  First of all, boarding should be from the rear and from the windows--and people who must cheat should be forced to the back of the line just like in elementary school.  Second, airlines should charge people not for checking bags but for bringing them on board.  God damn.
--To quote another famous person (that would be FV):  "Happy wife, happy life".
--Read a monstrously hysterical book called "A Man Called Ove".  Did not see the recently released movie of the same name but the book is darkly funny.
--Another election thought:  A old CSNY song had a line something like this--almost cut my hair but would not give in an inch to fear.  About the fabulous 60's.  Feel just like that and wonder about all the positive gains which might now be lost.
--Louise Penny is an author we both love.  She had a great piece in a recent issue of the AARP mag about her husband's dementia.  Just powerful and then I learned he had passed away after she wrote the piece.
--Continuing to depress us all--Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell both died.  Loved Leon.
--Give some money (especially now) to Combatants for Peace.  This non profit was founded by former Israeli soldiers and former Palestinian "terrorists".  They will soon open an office in the states and deserve our support as they demand both governments reconcile.
--Finally, a shout out to a resident of Kalamazoo (that would be you JF).  He managed to turn the state of Michigan red and then, almost as bad, managed to allow his Hawkeyes to beat my Wolverines.  Yuk.

SPORTS TALK
Kudos to Theo and a big ha ha to Red Flop owners who kicked him to the curb.  And please do not ask athletes you love what their politics are--you might not like what you hear.  Belichik deserves all sorts of criticism for his play calling when they had 4 downs from Seattle's 2 and could not get a TD.


Adios