Steer Clear Of The Battle?

August 14, 2017

Steer Clear Of The Battle?

The old forget. The young don't know.
-Japanese Proverb

Happy Monday, August 14th, 2017!
August 14 is the 226th day of the year . There are 139 days remaining until the end of the year. It is a gorgeous Day here in New York. As I sat down to begin writing today, the music playing in the background was Lani Groves and Darlene Love's Bringing It Home.

Boy, that gets the blood to circulating.
The title of today's blog is once again ripped from the first sentence in my blog today. People seem to be overly insistent in their negotiations with me today. Today's blog is a stream of consciousness blog based on what I, and most of my friends, are feeling.
There's tremendous discipline in my way of thinking, which is helping me advance toward my goals. I'm keeping in mind that I will be able to sort through issues more efficiently when I really center myself. I am gravitating towards certain people in my private and professional life.
In light of what is going on in today's world and over the past few days, I can't think of a more appropriate title.

I'm trying to stay detached instead of getting emotionally involved.
It is not to say that I am apathetic because I certainly am not.
Anyone who knows me knows that. But I am finding myself asking 'why' a lot these days? WHY do these white supremacists, KKK members, alt-right, or whatever you desire to call them feel threatened?

I LOVE diversity. To me, it is the spice of life!
The horrifying scenes we have seen over the last 24 hours from Charlottesville are a direct result of the monstrous, racist words and actions by the current POTUS during the campaign and since he became President.
This is a horrible time for America -- but we, the people will fight back.
Today, take a step back and reflect on a situation that is 'stressing you out.'

I'm all about Celebration!

As someone posted on Facebook this AM, You want to change the world? Be a part of someone's solution. As much as social media gives, it also taketh away. We need to celebrate our differences instead of desiring a strange sort of sameness. I'm reminded of the film Village of The Damned. That is a world I truly do not desire to be a part of.

When our current POTUS and First Lady ascended dramatically down the escalator in Trump Tower on June 16th, 2015.
He showed me and the world who he is and what he is made up of. When he announced that 'Druggies, drug dealers, rapists and killers are coming across the southern border', I knew then and there that this man was not a leader and had no business being our POTUS.

All that's left is love, compassion and kindness.
-Shelly Goldstein

As much as I knew that this man should not be our POTUS, there were many who felt that he was EXACTLY what they had been seeking.

Ana Navarro: A true voice of reason

I am shocked daily to find friends and family who embrace his ideology.
Listen to Ana Navarro. She is a Republican and she has denounced him from the beginning because of his divisiveness.

POTUS never takes responsibility for anything except 'winning'. I feel that an 'h' should be in there somewhere.

He whines more than he wins.
I apologize to those of you who feel that I shouldn't get political and perhaps this IS one battle I should be avoiding, and yet, I continue to ask 'why'. I have been thinking back to a time

when you believed in myself and followed my intuition, even when those around you were doubtful.
I feel very strongly about why I dislike our current POTUS. It is because he is a bully. I was a bullied kid.
He spent his campaign mocking others and name calling.
He exhibited behavior that is unacceptable in a five year old. No matter how atrocious or outrageous his actions and comments were, the bigger and more solidified his base got.
My belief is that it is all because he is a celebrity.
Some people are entertained by his antics. I am not.

I am thinking about how I feel during this time, and how I WILL stay strong in the face of others' opinions. I want peace in the world. I am interested in inclusion instead of borders built on bigotry and hatred. An "un-named" White House official is not enough. Will he SAY, looking straight into a camera: "I reject white supremacists AND neo-Nazis?"

There is no excuse for this POTUS.
He is not my President.
But... Okay, GOP, you win. I will ditch my solar roof, junk my electric car, give up my equal protection under the law, let corporations pollute, pay insurance companies for policies that never pay off, allow banks to rip us off, privatize

How Private Prisons Are Profiting From Locking Up US Immigrants

jails and police and fire departments, close down public schools, treat women as less than men, demean people of color and transgender, put nativity scenes in post offices, allow kindergarten students to carry weapons, and get rid of all taxes

She DID win by the Popular Vote!

for the children off rich men just please get that imbecile out of the White House before someone gets killed. Oops. TOO LATE!!!!!!!
I repeat, NOT MY PRESIDENT!
-Facebook Post

Why on Earth would anyone be waiting for Donald Trump to say the right thing about Charlottesville, when he's the single biggest reason it happened?
-Jonathan Segal

Dear Ann Landers,
I have a friend who participated in the Charlottesville Rally in support of White

I will not be invisible!

Culture and a picture was taken of him and now it's all over the net and people are saying he's a racist but he says in his heart he's a really good person. What should I tell him? AltRight and Concerned.

Dear Altright and Concerned,
Sorry, you'll have to speak up a little louder, that hood is muffling your words. Joke! Just joking!
Seriously, I can't tell you how often I have heard this from readers, including those with some very tony addresses in Washington, DC. This is what I suggest: if you march down the street shoulder to shoulder with Nazis and Klansmen under a Nazi banner and Confederate flags, wearing that stupid frog pin on your lapel, giving Nazi salutes and chanting slogans about Jews while waving your tiki torch then nobody gives @#$% about that tiny vestigial organ in your chest and yes, you're a racist. Hope that helps.
Anne

He had two days to react to the national tragedy in VA in a way that specifically addressed who/what perpetrated these acts of deadly violence. Whatever he says now is of little or no consequence.

He had an opportunity to lead, to heal, to unite. Two days of hoping he could get away without calling out White Supremacy?
But then, let's not forget the campaign rallies of a year ago, when he encouraged violence against his dissenters. What has happened in Charlottesville is not only a national outrage, not merely an obvious demonstration of where hatred inevitably leads (i.e., destruction and death), but it was PREDICTABLE.
-Facebook Post

We all are able to read between the Trump lines and know exactly where he stands. An interesting thing to me is how different this whole thing would have played out if the folks wielding lit torches on a college campus and attempting to ram through a human chain of police officers were black. Hmmm..
-Facebook Post.

12.41pm on Monday, August 14, 2017 -POTUS finally called the hate groups out by name.

A sweet story posted by a friend on Facebook- She was moved to speak to an African American woman sitting on a bench outside. My friend said, "I know this sounds weird but I'd like to apologize for what happened in Charlottesville yesterday." The woman said, "Thank you." My friend asked her how she felt about it all and she said, "We need forgiveness if we are to move forward. So important. Forgiveness, living in the moment and taking care of the body."
They hugged and my friend couldn't stop thinking about her wise and very specific words. Her wisdom inspired my friend to do affirmations with her mom and they seemed to

encourage her. Sometimes life feels so overwhelming but little hints and glints of kindness keep us going.

Thich Nhat Hanh said, “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”

POTUS Says He May Pardon Arizona Ex-Sheriff Arpaio: Fox News | U.S. News | US News

Make no mistake: If Trump pardons Arpaio, this would be an official presidential endorsement of racism.
-ACLU National

Yesterday, we had dinner with two very close friends who are in the arts. Of course, the conversation turned to Charlottesville and the actions of POTUS over the past week. We then remarked at how baffled over those 'friends' of ours who CHOSE to support him. IF you voted for him, come out of the shadows and reveal who you truly are.

Are you proud and still stand behind your decision? If no, I accept your apology?
If yes, PLEASE enlighten me! I desire to know what YOU see that I don't. Baffled!
Although you may find this a little difficult to cope with, at least we will know where you stand, and can make other arrangements accordingly.

Yes, a U.S. president is being praised for having the courage to say that racism is bad.

If Trump had given speech like this on Saturday, we'd have commended him. On Monday, it does nothing for me. Zero. I suspect, I'm not alone.
-Ana Navarro

(President Trump on Monday was in damage control mode, changing his schedule to address the growing outrage over his tepid reaction to the violence caused by neo-Nazis and white supremacists)

From Twitter: Happy to hear Donald Trump call out white supremacy by name today. He notably did not say it on Saturday, but glad to hear it today. However....his way too late reading of the teleprompter today was meaningless.
It was completely devoid of any passion (or any feeling whatsoever). He almost seemed resentful of being forced to do anything at all today. He is who he is...and who he will NEVER be: a moral leader.
Steer clear of the battle? No. I'll be out there fighting for what is RIGHT and JUST (and I don't mean alt Right!)

Another Facebook post: To me, anyone who voted for him and is a still a Republican is still a hater. Otherwise, they are very very stupid or else, very easily mislead by this demagogue-flim flaming racist thief narcissist woman abuser. Also, 9 percent of Bernie supporters believed POTUS's lies.

The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. - Socrates

I'm throwing back the curtain and showing my followers the little man behind the Wizard who is always trying to put forth a positive image of a man.

Let's Be Friends! I promise you a great experience!

You have the power to change anything, because you are the one who chooses your thoughts and feels your feelings.

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w/Ann Dawson, Emily McNamara, Ben Rimalower... AND a Beloved Cabaret Mystery Guest

Congratulations Richard Skipper and Russ Woolley on another wonderful "Richard Skipper

See Ben Rimalower on September 10th

Celebrates" production at the Laurie Beechman Theater on 6/18/17. Wonderful production, wonderful host, and wonderful guests. How can it get better than that? It can't! See you in September.
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Richard Skipper's World War II presentation on May 20th, 2017 was phenomenal! Richard is a showman and gave much pleasure to his audience. I was happy to be there, I will be at the next show . Thank you for that gift.
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Sit Back! A New News Cycle Is About to Begin!

Thank you, to ALL who are mentioned in this blog for showing me that it is up to ME to lead by example!

With grateful XOXOXs ,