Friday, February 14, 2020

BAUMBLOG: REFLECTED GLORY

Thursday, February 6, 2020

BAUMBLOG: ACTIVISM IS AN ANTIDOTE TO DESPAIR

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

A Toast, despite all, To Democracy and... Download My Best Photo!



Dear BlogFriends:  What a sad day this is.  I'm glad I have my Impeachment coffee mug to give me strong caffeine and a dose of humor to make it through. 

The mug is courtesy of Roy Zimmerman, an incredibly hilarious and brilliant singer, along the lines of Tom Lehrer, but always oh so political.  He tours the country, playing in community centers, churches, theaters.  I've seen him many times, but not lately.  Wasn't able to go to his recent local shows.  I urge you to click on his name to join his mailing list and attend a concert.  I can't understand why he isn't way famous.  But there's a lot of things I don't understand lately....

You can also buy your very own Covfefe mug, if you feel so inclined.

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Many of you liked -- even LOVED The Best Photo I've Ever Taken. That made me feel very happy, and I would like you to have the photo, if you wish.

Just click here, to go to a hi-rez version. Then click on "download," which is on the middle right of the page.

I feel there's something mysterious about it, like it's a portal to another world -- although I'm just looking through a hole in the driftwood. But what a magnificent piece of driftwood! And the sky.... Sometimes you just get lucky.

Terry


BAUMBLOG: I've had it with this "Partisan" Crap!

Why does the supposedly objective or even supposedly biased-toward-liberals mainstream press -- the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press for starters -- insist on labeling the whole impeachment process "partisan"? "Partisan" implies that BOTH Democrats and Republicans are solely motivated by their party identities, that they are only struggling for power for their team. But the Democrats, who are, let's face it, not extreme in any way, shape or form, did not go through what they went through just to make the Republicans look bad. They did it because the Republican President is doing everything he can to destroy our democracy! They did it because Trump had committed impeachable offenses and it was their Constitutional duty to bring charges against him. They did it because it was the right thing to do! Yes, they wanted their party to become more powerful. But they would NEVER have done it simply for PARTISAN reasons. The Democrats don't do those kind of things. Their thing is being wimpy. But they finally had the courage to stand up and risk so much and they're labeled "Partisan" for doing it. It makes me sick. Sadly, in this case, the two sides are not equal. One side is fighting for our democracy  and the other side is is trying to destroy it. 

With our mainstream press, every conflict is a horse race, a horse race, a horse race. How can people understand the truth of what's going on when they are constantly being told that both the Democrats and Republicans are only out to win the horse race?

Yes, the Republican-driven impeachment of Clinton WAS partisan because his adultery was neither an impeachable offense or a crime, and had absolutely nothing to do with him executing the duties of his office. it was a complete partisan farce. BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.

Well, now that I've vented, I feel a little better. I don't know if I've ever just VENTED in a blog.

I haven't blogged in a long time. I have such a hard time getting myself to do it, even though I always love writing it and selecting the photos. Often, when I assert myself in the world, I feel I'm pushing against chains that are dragging me backwards. There is a deep disconnect between who I was supposed to be -- wife, mother, straight, nice, conventional, maybe a nice teacher or secretary -- and who I am. I have to leap over that Terry who would have given my mother naches (Yiddish for things to brag about), in order to be the Terry I happen to be. So I've made the leap once again.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. First, we have to defeat Trump. Then we have to figure out what we need to do to build an actual solid democracy.

I'd like to end with something beautiful. I took this on a beach in southern Oregon. I think it's the best photo I've ever taken. I won't wait so long to write again.
Terry