Another year ends, another year begins...

(Pretend there's an image here that says Thank you 2023, Hello 2024)

Another year ends, another year begins...Thank you to whoever's in charge of that.

We get to keep going.

I don't have anything planned as a personal retrospective of my year for this blog entry Am I forgetting something major? My recollection in this last 3 hours of 2023 is that, in my personal life, this was a year of telling myself the truth about some of my blind spots and limitations, such as:

Work people are likely not friend people. Don't confuse the two.

I don't incorporate lessons for improvement into my daily life.

I still believe something magical, or to me unexplainable that I don't know how to replicate, will be the change agent for my life.

I'm still waiting for the change agent to come into my life.

Oh yeah - the change agent needs to be me.

I don't know why I continue making log entries here.

I guess this is a way to announce to the world that I'm still here and I'm still trying.

It would be remiss not to mention all the turmoil in the world at large right now. 

My heart and wishes for 2024 go out to all the people in the world suffering at the hands of their fellow human beings. What a tragedy it is that we, humans of Earth, have the capacity to hurt each other so profoundly when we are fearful.

I hope that people will feel the light inside them (wherever we think it comes from) and let that little light shine. We have to show each other the way out of the darkness of fear.

Let's all envision a world where everyone is valued and loved. 

I have a theme each year that I use to inspire me. When I started doing it years ago, I noticed that I would almost immediately forget my theme. At the end of the year I'd remind myself of the theme and realize that somehow (magically?) I had made at least some amount of progress. I figured that putting the idea in my head got my brain and my spirit and my soul working on the theme while I continued my day to day schedule.

No wonder I believe in magical things happening!!

So, last year my theme was Authentic Empowerment. 

I guess the fact that I learned a few truths about myself this year could be thought of as a bit of authentic empowerment.

I didn't incorporate it into my daily life. Although I did read the majority of "The Seat of the Soul", which was my guidebook, I don't think, though, I can truly say I am Authentically Empowered!

That goal will remain ongoing.

In 2024 my theme is "Act on commitments, not feelings"

I'm pretty good at following through on commitments I make to other people. I'm not good at keeping commitments I make to myself. Even things as simple as household chores or caring for my health. I very easily can say "Eh - I don't feel like it today," because I'm tired, too hungry, not in the mood, overwhelmed, frustrated, uncomfortable, or scared.

Actions will make change in my life (I'm pretty sure I wrote about that a few years ago!!) 

So, this year I'm trying to be more specific about goals and then will develop the habits that will help me reach those goals.

Goal - by the end of 2024 I hope I can successfully pass the sit down-stand up test; sit on the floor from a standing position without using your hands, arms, or knees to slow your descent. Then stand back up—without using your hands, arms, or knees to help boost you back up, if possible. (Hint: Crossing your legs on the way down and the way up seems to help, and loosely holding your arms out to your sides can help with balance.). The test requires flexibility, motor coordination, balance, and ample muscle power relative to body weight. I've been leading an excessively sedentary life in the last ten years. It's time I recognize that I'm aging. I should be able to do more than I'm currently able (I huff and puff walking up/down stairs for example).

Goal - eat more healthy foods. One of the reason my body doesn't respond the way I expect (even with my acceptance of growing older) is because I don't nourish it properly. I haven't worked out what my specific daily plan will be yet. I read that one way to get started without feeling overwhelmed is to pick three healthy meal options that I feel I can accomplish, and that I don't mind eating repeatedly. Practice with those three, make them the foundation. Develop the habit of eating healthy. Try preparing some aspect of the meal ahead of time (such as prepare a batch of quinoa) so a quick meal is always at the ready. I don't have my three recipes nailed down yet, but it involves potato, sourdough bread, carrot/celery/tomato/cucumber/spinach, quinoa, chickpeas, falafel, and hummus.  Maybe a few other things, but those feel like standbys to me. 

Goal - read 12 fiction books and 6 nonfiction books.

Goal - get window blinds

Goal - dental health <-- the one that scares me the most.

Goal - stop saving articles and books I won't read, plus don't spend excessive amounts of money on app games!!!!

That's a lot to accomplish this year. And I feel very cliche putting health and fitness as goals. I want to remember that (sigh) yes, I'm as ordinary as everyone else who wants to lose weight starting out on New Year's Day, but that also means (Yay!) I'm not alone.  

Honestly, I'm sitting here, New Year's Eve night - it's now 10:22 pm when I'm writing - and already dreading this lifestyle change; I don't want to have to do movement/exercise/cook food starting tomorrow and forevermore after that!!!  I want to be a blob (I've had an active couple of days).

This isn't going to be easy.

To me and all the others making plans and goals for themselves, for New Year and all year, who struggle with motivation and consistency...I wish us courage.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

We have a Speaker of the House.

From Axios AM 1/7/2023

8. 🖼️ Framer

Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep.-elect Katie Porter — a Democrat from Orange County, Calif. — reads in the House chamber last night.

• Later she tweeted: "The 15th time's the charm, apparently."

*****

15 times indeed...sheesh!

Here are my observations.

1. Elise Stefanik's standing ovations and McCarthy's humble surprise...each and every and each and every and each and every time McCarthy was nominated. It was like performance art. 

2. Campaign speeches included many references to all the 'investigating' and 'oversight' they'd be doing on the government (the Jan 6 investigation was a waste of taxpayer time and money, though, according to Republicans).  We can expect hearings about how the government tried to influence Twitter, Hunter Biden's laptop, the weaponization of the FBI and DOJ, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the origins of COVID-19, and lots of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi investigations. 

3. As noted by CNN multiple times last night, particularly from John King...the faction of the Republican party that includes Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Marjorie Taylor-Green, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Bobart, Steve Scalise and others are people who either directly or tacitly supported the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

4. Kevin McCarthy wanted this position more than anything, which is why he seemingly gave away everything. Naked ambition. I wonder what matters to him more than being Speaker? 

5. Hakeem Jeffries gave a speech. It was a good speech...kinda rousing. He even went through the whole alphabet using alliteration. I didn't notice until it was halfway through. Pretty creative even if it was 1/2 millimeter too much. The Republicans heckled him at a couple points (not just the alphabetic alliteration part [!! hey, I did it too!!]) but because he was giving a long-ish speech. If I were Jeffries I would have said, "every day I had to wait to give this speech I added 4 new paragraphs to it.", or "what do you think I was doing waiting for you all to get your act together?!", or "On Tuesday, this speech was 2 minutes long.", or "your indecision and inability to decide on a speaker gave me time to revise.". Something like that. He didn't respond to it, which I suppose is the right thing to do, but it wasn't 'satisfying' to the petty side of me that I'm trying to move beyond.

6. McCarthy's speech was an indicator of the horrible things to come. The one phrase that stands out to me was 'indoctrination in our schools'. I'm not sure that was the exact wording, but it was definitely the point.

7. The big question is what McCarthy 'gave' to all those holdouts. Some of them wanted what could be reasonable changes in how the Congress does business. (I don't know enough about the rules of the house to comment at this time). Others, though, wanted to be given leadership on committees or subcommittees. Matt Gaetz, one of the last holdouts who voted 'present' in the end, said they got everything they asked for.

I watched all hours of this drama on CNN. I was hesitant to do so because of the troubles they've been having. But I wanted to be immersed. I was. The good and bad side of CNN is that they have so much time to fill. That's good because it gives the panelists time to flesh out all the ins and outs of strategy (at one point I thought McCarthy and his allies should use strategy from 'Survivor'). It's also bad because they do a lot of speculating that may or may not end up being true, and often go over the same details multiple times.  As it turned out I liked the panelists  well enough and was interested in how things would work out - which I knew they would. It didn't work out for me or America, but it worked out for Kevin McCarthy and cable news.

The Republican House of Representatives

The House of Representatives - before they can swear in the new members - must select a Speaker of the House. Republicans hold a narrow majority of the seats. Under normal circumstances we would expect the Republicans to elect a person from their own group. Representative Kevin McCarthy - who apparently has always wanted to be Speaker of the House - can't get enough Republicans to vote for him (no Democrat will vote for him). They've had, over the last two days, 7 different votes and he loses each time. He needs 218 votes, but up to 20 Republicans will not vote for him.

McCarthy wants to be Speaker so bad he's been accepting all kinds of demands from the 20 who won't vote for him. It makes him seem like a shallow, empty vessel. He'll do anything to be the Speaker. It's disturbing to see naked ambition right out in the open. 

On top of it, McCarthy, and most of the people who don't want him, are Trump people and voted against the certification of the 2020 election. In my mind, they're extreme right wing. I listened to many of the nominating speeches and their view of the world is so different from mine, it's disheartening. Especially when I think about the world view of all the people who voted for them. 

It's likely this will work out for McCarthy - I say that only because these things usually do. Even if it doesn't and someone else becomes Speaker, it still looks like the extreme ideologues have shown that they can exert power over shallow, ambitious men. 

To be clear, this is my view of the extreme idealogues: they think Biden and Obama are the cause of every 'bad' thing in this country, they think federal government is too big and they want to destroy it by saying no and no and no, they believe there's a 'deep state swamp' that is run by elite liberals who are all Jewish, and they think white Christianity is being attacked, among other things. Their goals are to legislate their religious beliefs and deny rights to people who they don't like. They believe in freedom for all as long as the 'people' are white, Christian, heterosexual. and male. 

And then, there are the regular conservatives who think entitlements are handouts for lazy people, they believe in trickle down economics, they believe in everybody looking out for themselves, and they care more about their money than people. 

So, this is not good. I fear for the America I believe in.

From Dan Balz at The Washington Post

            https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/04/house-republicans-dysfunction-points-more-chaos-ahead/?outputType=comment

Thank you 2022, Let's go 2023!!

 

Another blessing of another year to look back on. I will always be grateful.

I'll be honest - I completely forgot my themes for 2022 until I just now looked at last year's blog post: Avoid Avoidance and Trust Myself.

Sigh.  I haven't found the 'magic' process to remind myself of my intentions.

When I think back on 2022, I think of Mom breaking her hip, Little Kitty living with me for about seven months, the January 6th committee, the Supreme Court (Dobbs decision overturning Roe - a women's right to choose, and other decisions in which the religious and extreme conservative block of five - Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett - are gleefully dismantling rights and remaking America...it's as if they think America should be a Christian nation. It's really shaking the foundations of our country.), Putin invading Ukraine, Elon/Kanye/Trump, and MFJ quit our company. 

I had personal insights during the year but can't find a way to write about them today. So, I won't.  The bottom line: the struggle continues.

And speaking of the struggle...this year's theme is AUTHENTIC EMPOWERMENT.

It's a combination of the continuing effort to discover who I am with an emphasis on my spiritual self.

I started with the word AUTHENTICITY because I am always struggling to discover who I am without the influence of nature or nurture.  I'm not sure it's possible to know the answer - human beings are born to be influenced by both; it's our blessing and our curse.  

In the last couple weeks, I decided I'd like to be closer to my spiritual self again. I pulled out three books from my bookshelf that called to me. I have varying degrees of familiarity with each. My goal is to give them more attention and focus this time around.

"The Seat of the Soul" by Gary Zukav 

"A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle

"The Nature of Personal Reality" A Seth Book by Jane Roberts

I started with "The Seat of the Soul" and it turns out the goal of the book is to discuss authentic empowerment - the alignment of the personality with the soul. I decided that the word 'authentic' was a sign that I'm on the right track for my 2023 theme. I refined my theme to AUTHENTIC EMPOWERMENT.

I spent a lot of 2022 on Twitter (now owned by Elon - ugh) and YouTube and reading newsletters.  I played June's Journey and Lily's Garden.

I also watched television and some movies as well.

Here are the highlights:

Television

• New Amsterdam S4, S5 (NBC) - I'm sad this is the last year
• Ghosts S1 (CBS) and Abbott Elementary S1, S2 (ABC) - good, friendly comedies
• The Bear S1 (Hulu) - compelling, with an easy/pat season finale.  
• Tehran S2 (Apple TV+) - intense.  I'm okay if there's no season 3, but I will watch if there is.
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+) - enjoying the cast, good stories.
• Masterpiece: Grantchester S7 (PBS) - love the characters and the ending
• The Resort (Peacock), engaging puzzle/mystery, good characters.
• The Mole S1 (Netflix) - good show
• The Big Brunch S1 (HBO Max) - good judges, good cast, good competition
• Andor S1 (Disney+) - excellent, story is perfect for our times. Empire and revolution
• The Peripheral S1 (Prime Video) good story, good characters who didn't unnecessarily hide things.
• Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan S1 (Prime Video) spy stuff - it was gory in places, but also good story.
• Only Murders in the Building S1 (Hulu) - I'm late to the game, but it was fun, funny, surprising.

Movies

• CODA (Apple+) Well done, father was fantastic, family was great, traditional coming-of-age story.
• Free Guy (HBO Max) Surprise to me - very fun
• Central Intelligence - another surprise that made me want to watch Kevin Hart and The Rock movies.
• Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level - fun, funny, Kevin Hart and The Rock.
• Everything, Everywhere, All at Once - Wowza - great movie.  Lots of depth under all the mayhem. Michelle Yeoh is fantastic.
• The 355 (Amazon Prime) - female badass spies.  
• What the Constitution Means to Me (Prime Video) - beautiful and stirring.
• Glass Onion, A Knives Out Mystery - I like this better than the first one and more in retrospect.
• Top Gun: Maverick - Who woulda thunk it? Great movie.  Not cheesy.

So that's where I'm leaving this year's blog post. I have a couple things on my mind so I can't focus on being as retrospective as I'd like to be. I'm running out of storage on this computer and spent a good chuck of the day moving items from OneDrive and this Surface to an external drive. I haven't quite settled on my next year's bullet journal plan, and I didn't do my Saturday Finances this morning.

Peace, Love, Joy, and AUTHENTIC EMPOWERMENT, to everyone in 2023!!!

Thank you 2021, Here's to 2022!!!

       

Take a look at NYTimes photos of the year.  It's stunning to be reminded of all the things that have gone on this year: the capital riot, the continuing pandemic, Joe Biden/Kamala Harris inauguration, vaccines, migration from South and Central America, weather/climate change, Trump's second impeachment trial, Delta variant, Omicron variant, the fate of democracy in America, emboldened racists, and the escalating power of the religious right and their threat to American and human rights based on their religious beliefs (abortion rights, lgbtq rights).   

It feels chaotic and sad and scary.  I worry these days, in the future, will be referred to as the 'good old days', or the 'calm before the storm'. 

At the same time there were lots of fantastic things happening. The pandemic was a time when people reexamined their lives, made new choices, quit their jobs, or changed their life focus.  While inequality became more apparent, it also inspired people to educate themselves and get involved in making solutions. The weather disasters brought climate change to the front of conversations. In the most difficult times, we often have the most possibilities. 

2021 has been quite a year for me. A highlight was meeting my biological sister and aunt on my father's side. I'm still getting to know them and at the same time I feel like I've known them all my life.  I graduated from the University of Washington at the end of this year.  Finally.  

My theme for 2021 was 'My Effort Is My Love'.  I have a sense that I was mindful about pushing through with a little more effort when I otherwise wouldn't have.  Small tasks at work and at home.  But also, big tasks.  I didn't want to finish my degree a year ago.  I was done with it.  I felt like I'd gotten what I wanted out of it and didn't need to finish the last three classes.  I pushed on anyway.  They were fantastic classes.  When I was thinking about last year's theme, I had an idea that it would be about making an effort to show people I love them. I don't think I did that very well. I continued to stay isolated. School and work kept me busy. 

I feel energized for what 2022 could bring now that I'm done with school.  I feel the excitement of new beginnings on the horizon (that I can't quite see) and a calling to reconnect with my Higher Self (so I can envision my new path).  I want to learn about creating visual 'explainers' and writing about current events.  Get back to artistic pursuits? I want to read books and watch movies. I want to Make My House A Home - my home environment is comfortable for me but doesn't feel warm and inviting.  I want to continue saving money and prioritizing sleep.  I want to be more physically active. I want to do better with food and eating healthy.  

For the New Year, I will be mindful of staying focused (even if it's for a short time) and making an effort - to take one more step to finish a task completely.  Those are themes from previous years that are still useful and beneficial to my life.

The new ideas for 2022 are two:   Avoid Avoidance, and Trust Myself.

How many projects or tasks are left unfinished because the next step is either scary, uncomfortable, or difficult.  I avoid it. In 2022 I want to recognize when I'm 'avoiding' and think my way through to the action that is best for me.

How many newspaper or magazine articles have I saved that I'll never read?  I'm usually looking for 'perfect knowledge' before I formulate my opinion on a topic.  I don't trust myself to not be influenced by other people whose intentions or agendas I don't recognize.  I want very much to have my own opinion.  

This year, I'd like to accept the fact that I won't have perfect knowledge and I can trust myself, I can stop saving articles unless I'm specifically researching a topic related to a writing or 'explainer' project.

I often feel pressure to make a decision in a rush.  But I can take a moment to check in with myself - take a deep breath - before giving an opinion or answer.

It seems extremely important, when I state my opinion or answer a question without perfect knowledge, to be open to receiving new information.  I often believe I'm open to new information, but deep down the default position I start with is my own previous decision.  I don't think that's being 'open'.  

These are some of the ideas I want to work with in 2022.  

On this last day of 2021, I want to acknowledge that we're all thinking of our wonderful Betty White.  When I was a young game show enthusiast (home from school, sick) I watched her on Password and The Match Game. I saw her bawdy side on The Mary Tyler Moore show.  She was a joy on The Golden Girls.  We had her for a long time, but it wasn't enough.

Along with Betty White, here are some other things I'm grateful for - this year and every year...

        Young people who have a lot of energy to wake up the world

        Old people who have seen the way life ebbs and flows

        Parents who have the courage to create humans

        People who love

        Babies and children who are full of possibility

        Teachers who share their knowledge

        Workers who give all of us food, energy, air, safety

        Thinkers and Doers, Activists and Communicators who help us move along.

        Musicians and Artists who open our hearts

Thank you 2021.  Thank you for the days and nights I was given to dance this life. I didn't use every moment in a way that makes me proud or happy, but there were plenty more moments of love and laughter, of hope and gratitude, of presence and peace.  Thank you. 

I'll keep dancing this life into 2022!!!

Donald Trump's second Impeachment Trial

 

The House of Representatives rested their case for conviction of Donald Trump yesterday.

Last night, three senators - Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lindsey Graham - met with the President's defense team to discuss their strategy.  

Note: those three are 'jurors' in this case.  Although this isn't a criminal proceeding - it's completely political - the expectation is that the 'jurors' will go into the process with an open mind. It's commonly reported that the result of this Impeachment is a foregone conclusion.  Most Republicans will not vote to Impeach the Trump.

The benefit of proceeding with the trial even though the result is already known: 

• Get all the information into the official record.  
• An impeached person is barred from ever holding office again
• To support the institutions of government over the political ambitions of one party or one person.

It's an American Tradition that we often like to put 'ugly' things behind us and just move forward.  We've lost accountability.  There were some who said we shouldn't bother with this because it's just wasting time and we already know the end result; it's best to just move on with Biden's administration. 

I disagree.  I think Trump did extensive damage to our country.  He can't be allowed to run for office again (which he threatens to do in 2024).

I will thank Trump for showing us all how delicate a democracy is, and how many people there are in our country that believe in the status quo where White people, and white men in particular, are the dominant force. 

Its truly unconscionable how bad a President Donald Trump was and would like to be again.

He didn't even try to use the collective power of the government to give all people in the United States a safe, secure, and free place to live.  He only cared about making his base happy and the rest of us are not the 'real' Americans he is working for.  

Donald Trump is the antithesis of everything I understood about what the United States aspires to be...with liberty and justice for all.  

Donald Trump embodies the Spirit of America that I grew up believing in if you tack onto the end of every sentence that it only applies to white heterosexual males whose families own property.

America is the land of freedom

America is the land of freedom for white heterosexual males whose families own property.

America is the land of the brave.

America is the home of the brave white heterosexual males whose families own property.

In America there is liberty and justice for all.

In America there is liberty and justice for all white heterosexual males whose families own property.

(I am not confident I have the proper grammar and spelling on that 'whose families' part)

Here's the problem.

I believe all this is true.  Donald Trump was a terrible president and I think he should be punished for inciting the January 6th Capitol Riot (among a lot of other things he hasn't been charged with).  I don't understand why anyone would support his behavior and his desire to be the king so much that he will destroy democracy to make it happen.  People may support his policies.  I have to accept that in a democratic United States.  But, his behavior - it's unacceptable to me.  

I have no power.  I don't know how to stop this descent into authoritarianism.  

The only way to 'win' is to get in the mud with those people.  I think that's a bridge too far for most of us.  We learned the lesson 'two wrongs don't make a right'.  And 'the ends don't justify the means'.

My hope is that this is the last gasp of a dying idea.  

My hope is that Biden will show that a good government has value.

My hope is that through our actions people will come to realize that sharing rights and responsibilities doesn't take away from anyone's rights and responsibilities.

(The white male power structure is afraid they'll lose something if they allow everyone to have what they take for granted - what they expect from the world).

These are my thoughts before the Senators hear the President's defense and take the vote to convict or not convict President Trump for inciting violence on January 6, 2021.

Maybe I'll be surprised. I hope I'm surprised. 

21st day of 21st year of 21st century!!!

Well there ya go!  

The 21st day of the 21st year in the 21st century!  

I think that is extra cool.

I love those kind of milestones in life.  It cements a moment in time.

As noted by Chelsea's young son Aidan - it's also Joe Biden's first full day as President.  Yay! 

I'm working today - going through emails.  I'm in week three of COM 304.  I don't yet have a vaccine for Covid-19 and don't expect one for several months, I'm continuing to isolate - and way too used to it.  That's my life update on the 21st day of the 21st year in the 21st century! :)

It would be better if I waited until the 21st minute of the 21st hour of the 21st year of the 21st century to publish this, but that's past my bedtime (a 24 hour clock).  11:21 pm  January 21, 2021.  

As a side note. comments replying to Chelsea's post were horrible.  Many of them coming from bot accounts (recently new account with only a few followers).  Others, though, coming from people who just want to say mean things - they say Chelsea made it up because no 4 year old would say something like that.  As she noted in subsequent texts, they do if that's the kind of thing their parents talk about at the breakfast table.  To me, that's typical of people who assume everyone is a copy of themselves - if their kid didn't say it, then no kid would ever say it.  Very Republican, and now Trumplican, way of thinking. 

And what's the point of even saying anything?  Why must those people rain on everyone's parade?  Especially if it's not a parade - just people living life.  What kind of mind must a person who goes out of their way to say mean things - in fact, seems to do it as a full-time job - what kind of mind must they have?  What kind of life must they live to have such negativity coursing through their veins and poisoning everything they see?  I suspect they'd say they live a beautiful life when they're not on Twitter, but that kind of negativity really does find its way into a person's daily life.  They don't notice it, but it changes them.