A writing in which I reveal how I voted and why...

To be accurate, this is where I reveal how I didn't vote and why.

I didn't vote for either leading candidate, and the fallout from last Tuesday's election affirms my decision. Here in the state of California, I had the luxury of making my presidential vote a statement - if only to myself and those who know how I voted - because the outcome for the presidential race isn't altered one whit by my vote when the Electoral College votes are counted. No, this isn't a screed about abolishing the Electoral College. If anything, it's a screed about abolishing the uncivil discourse we now take for granted on Facebook and other social media. 

Friends? Stop. Just stop.

In your passionate response to the election results, you are defaming, demeaning, and labeling YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS who exercised their right to disagree with you in their vote! You're doing, or supporting, the very things you accused the opposite side's supporters of having up their sleeve!

This is a hard truth to absorb for those who were and still are passionately committed to their candidate, but here's why some of your friends didn't vote for your guy or gal... and it's not because your friends are racist, sexist, knuckle-dragging, America-hating, bleeding-hearted, ignorant, uneducated, panty-waisted, misogynist, will-fall-for-anything, or any other derogatory adjective: Clinton and Trump are deeply flawed representatives of the parties for which they ran, and they don't represent what millions of your fellow Americans believe is best about our political process. Clinton not only came with a huge load of baggage, but she was identified early on as not capturing the spirit and enthusiasm of Millennials and plenty of other Democrats and progressives. A hugely wealthy, senior, white woman was the DNC's choice, despite all evidence that she wasn't the best choice. As for the other candidate, Donald Trump is no more a conservative Republican than I am a baboon. Millions of voters who are as American, as intelligent, as concerned about this country's future as anyone else, couldn't vote for him in good conscience because of his deep flaws and questionable dedication to conservative ideals. The Republican Party rejected him until he shockingly beat down all other Republican contenders, including those who have represented such values throughout their careers!

So... somehow we ended up with two of the most unpopular presidential candidates in U.S. history. 

Although I've watched many of my fellow voters be browbeaten for doing what I am about to tell you I did, here goes: I voted for a write-in candidate. As I said, California goes Democrat in the presidential election and there's the Electoral College to consider, so my single vote wasn't going to swing this thing one way or the other. My write-in didn't file to be considered as a write-in, so he wasn't going to win even if millions of others voted for him. (For all I know, thousands did.) 

What made up my mind to write in his name? When the ugliest phase of mudslinging began, back when there were still multiple candidates but the field was narrowing by the week, this candidate dipped one toe in the muck and mire and made a personal insult against one of his competitors. Within a day or so, he publicly apologized, noted that he needed to be an example to his children and wouldn't engage in that behavior again. And he didn't. He is lightyears more qualified to serve as president than Trump, but he got winnowed out in the silly season that was Election 2016. 

I'm sad about that. I'm sad that any number of strong candidates didn't hang in there and end up on the ballot. That doesn't mean, however, that I felt compelled to vote for one of the two leading contenders because of the little letter that followed their names on the ticket - and there's the problem with this particular election (and every other one), I believe: That little (D) or (R) isn't a magic charm. If you take that designation away, you quickly realize that your guy or gal this election didn't represent the highest tenets of the two top parties. Recognizing that fact made it easy for me to write in the name of someone who, IMHO, does. 

It also makes it easy to stay out of the slugfest that's happening now, still, days after the election. I'm as willing as anyone to throw blame at the media, who really do need to reexamine their function in our democratic republic. I'm willing to throw blame at DNC and RNC party leadership, who have been so terribly out of touch with the majority of the country. I'm not, however, willing to post articles on Facebook and other social media that snarkily call my family, friends, and neighbors all kinds of ugly names because they didn't agree with me in this vote. I didn't have a dog in this race, and it was liberating. 

The people around us are the same people they were last Tuesday morning before the tables were turned. There are some folks who are out there wreaking destructive havoc right now, but the vast majority of American voters truly voted their conscience and went with either Clinton or Trump. The rest of us voted our conscience and chose neither of two hugely unpopular candidates. 

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The Great Loverby Rupert Brooke I have been so great a lover: filled my daysSo proudly with the splendour of Love's praise,The pain, the calm, and the astonishment,Desire illimitable, and still content,And all dear names men use, to cheat despair,For the perplexed and viewless streams that bearOur hearts at random down the dark of life.Now, ere the unthinking silence on that strifeSteals down, I would cheat drowsy Death so far,My night shall be remembered for a starThat outshone all the suns of all men's days.Shall I not crown them with immortal praiseWhom I have loved, who have given me, dared with meHigh secrets, and in darkness knelt to seeThe inenarrable godhead of delight?Love is a flame:--we have beaconed the world's night.A city:--and we have built it, these and I.An emperor:--we have taught the world to die.So, for their sakes I loved, ere I go hence,And the high cause of Love's magnificence,And to keep loyalties young, I'll write those namesGolden for ever, eagles, crying flames,And set them as a banner, that men may know,To dare the generations, burn, and blowOut on the wind of Time, shining and streaming . . . .These I have loved: White plates and cups, clean-gleaming,Ringed with blue lines; and feathery, faery dust;Wet roofs, beneath the lamp-light; the strong crustOf friendly bread; and many-tasting food;Rainbows; and the blue bitter smoke of wood;And radiant raindrops couching in cool flowers;And flowers themselves, that sway through sunny hours,Dreaming of moths that drink them under the moon;Then, the cool kindliness of sheets, that soonSmooth away trouble; and the rough male kissOf blankets; grainy wood; live hair that isShining and free; blue-massing clouds; the keenUnpassioned beauty of a great machine;The benison of hot water; furs to touch;The good smell of old clothes; and other such-- The comfortable smell of friendly fingers,Hair's fragrance, and the musty reek that lingersAbout dead leaves and last year's ferns. . . . Dear names,And thousand other throng to me! Royal flames;Sweet water's dimpling laugh from tap or spring;Holes in the ground; and voices that do sing;Voices in laughter, too; and body's pain,Soon turned to peace; and the deep-panting train;Firm sands; the little dulling edge of foamThat browns and dwindles as the wave goes home;And washen stones, gay for an hour; the coldGraveness of iron; moist black earthen mould;Sleep; and high places; footprints in the dew;And oaks; and brown horse-chestnuts, glossy-new;And new-peeled sticks; and shining pools on grass;-- All these have been my loves. And these shall pass,Whatever passes not, in the great hour,Nor all my passion, all my prayers, have powerTo hold them with me through the gate of Death.They'll play deserter, turn with the traitor breath,Break the high bond we made, and sell Love's trustAnd sacramented covenant to the dust.----Oh, never a doubt but, somewhere, I shall wake,And give what's left of love again, and makeNew friends, now strangers. . . . But the best I've knownStays here, and changes, breaks, grows old, is blownAbout the winds of the world, and fades from brainsOf living men, and dies. Nothing remains.O dear my loves, O faithless, once againThis one last gift I give: that after menShall know, and later lovers, far-removed,Praise you, 'All these were lovely'; say, 'He loved.'

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It seems to me that cats and dogs fill that gap that develops in long-lasting human relationships. . . when you've lived with someone long enough that you no longer gaze for long seconds into his or her limpid eyes without awkwardness or a desire to be the first to look away. Dogs and cats, on the other hand, gaze unabashedly into their humans' eyes - tenderly, adoringly, loyally. No embarrassment, no jokes to break the awkward silence. . . just long, silent looks that speak volumes.

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Here's a new necklace for spring and summer, using vintage and new beads.

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Charming No More: Strauss-Kahn Braces for the Wrath of American Puritanism

"Puritanism"? Really? "Puritanism"?? Because sexual assault and attempted rape are illegal?

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Weed-blocking fabric made from corn. . . Check.

Organic compost. . . Check.

Organic leeks by the dozen. . . Check.

Rain in the forecast. . . Check.

Thank you, God, for gardens and gardening.

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Bead seller Happy Mango Beads sponsored a Halloween beading contest in October. My entry ("Legend of the White Pearls") in the "White, Luminescent" category won! Thank you, Happy Mango Beads.

At right is a link to my shop on Etsy.com, where I listed the winning set for sale.

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This summer, I entered my first beading contest. The very fine beading supplier Happy Mango Beads sponsored a contest with a summer theme, and I entered a floral beaded bracelet in the Kokomo category. . . and I won!

I've been listing my handcrafted jewelry for some time on www.etsy.com, and this contest win spurred me to make more. I enjoy taking custom orders, so if you're thinking of special, one-of-a-kind gifts for birthdays and holidays, please contact me through this blog or through my Etsy storefront to discuss your ideas.

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Right now, Congress is considering a measure that ALL of us should be concerned about. It is a potential threat to personal liberty, with loose language defining the conditions under which the President of the United States could shut down (i.e., take over) all Internet communication, based on information from an unelected Internet czar who bypassed the approval process. It's called the Cyber Security Act.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), is being presented as a necessity for national security. The Cyber Security Act would grant our federal government essentially complete control over all electronic communication. Our President and his administration would be allowed to shut down all electronic communications without notice for a number of poorly defined reasons. Consider the potential of this kind of action on communication and commerce. If you don’t think it would affect you, consider how NO INTERNET ACCESS would impact the way you communicate via email, pay bills, buy merchandise, reserve airline tickets, update your controversial blog, keep up your online social networking, etc., etc., etc.

Remember what happened in Iran recently when Iranian citizens used Twitter to broadcast what was happening in post-election protests despite a government-enforced media blackout? No matter who you voted for, this is a real issue of personal freedom. How would you feel about any administration ushering in a cyber security act with such potential power vested in one person—and so little concrete language about what constitutes a cyber emergency?

You can learn more about this legislation at www.aclj.org.

Please: Call or email your elected representatives in Washington about the Cyber Security Act.

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Music-lovers. . . Today, Kate Earl's lovely song "Melody" is the song of the week on iTunes. That means that we can download it for free!

Furthermore, Kate's new album, "Introducing Kate Earl" (which is actually her second album), is being released today! Mucho, mucho exciting!

My top pics of the songs I heard on her early-release EP this summer are "All I Ever Wanted," "Everlasting" and "Melody."

Give Kate a listen!

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The California legislature and governor have presented a new budget. . . one that "borrows" money from local government and special districts to pay bills at the state level. Hmm. . . I think we voted this option down in a special election just a few months ago. At least, I THOUGHT that's what the ballot read.

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Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World by Sandra Felton

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a heavy-duty read. It's not about how to organize your house: It's about why many of us have difficulty doing so. A thought-provoking and sometimes disturbing read, it addresses issues such as self-esteem, alcoholic parents, attention deficit, etc., etc. Author Felton doesn't condemn; rather, she offers hope and concrete suggestions for the perennially disorganized and clutter-challenged.


View all my reviews.

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Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World by Sandra Felton

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a heavy-duty read. It's not about how to organize your house: It's about why many of us have difficulty doing so. A thought-provoking and sometimes disturbing read, it addresses issues such as self-esteem, alcoholic parents, attention deficit, etc., etc. Author Felton doesn't condemn; rather, she offers hope and concrete suggestions for the perennially disorganized and clutter-challenged.


View all my reviews.

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A couple of weeks ago, I did a phone interview with the fun, smart guys at ComicGeekSpeak. We discussed how publisher Cinebook goes about translating Franco-Belgian comic books and graphic novels, what the response has been in North America, what it's like to work with a largely European workforce, etc., etc. It's a pretty animated discussion.

If you're interested in listening, the podcast is here.

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With a new Federal administration come new hopes, new promises, new impetus for change. It's an opportunity to do what many new administrations accuse their predecessors of not doing: action rather than talk. Particularly at this time, with the U.S. economy in the throes of dramatic adjustment, our elected Federal leaders have a tremendous opportunity to engender goodwill in the Americans they serve by demonstrating it themselves.

Voting to discontinue automatic pay increases for themselves would be a good place to start. In fact, several places would be a good place to start, but would any other be more applauded and more appreciatively viewed by their constituents - and at such little cost, relatively speaking?

Why, then, did our Congressional House leaders actively let this opportunity slip through their fingers this week?

Read about it here. If you feel strongly about it, call or email your senator to voice your opinion.

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. . . you might say stuff like this:
Teen son to mom, as he's wearing his homemade costume for the Napoleon Dynamite dance he's about perform in the school showcase (moon boots, a white T-shirt with "ringer" neckline and sleeve edges colored in marker, a paper decal of “Vote for Pedro” awaiting ironing and temporarily stuck on with pins, his dad’s old aviator-style glasses) -
“This is just a rough draft, but what do you think?”
It warmed my heart. :-)

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Does the above title ring a bell with you? No? This isn't surprising, unless you're a Francophone and recognize the translated title of a much-read volume in the comic-book series "Les Tuniques Bleues."

I'm now translating this series into English for publisher Cinebook. The volume Robertsonville Prison takes its setting from the infamous Andersonville Prison, which operated during the War Between the States. "The Bluecoats" takes a humorous look at the ineptitudes, inefficiencies and incongruities of humans and their actions in wartime. It's been extremely popular over the years with the French-speaking world (the comic-book series, not war) and is making its debut in North America.

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Just a brief update to say that I'm out riding my bee-yoo-tee-ful new cruiser, a generous Christmas gift from my amazing children. :-)

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Brian Williams (white) to Tavis Smiley (black) after Smiley's observations about the import of this election:
"That's why we invited you to our family table."
Yikes.

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Professor MacKenna teaches his children to spit through their gapped front teeth at the American flag. When asked, they are to say they’re not from America. Ameri-k-a, he spells it out in conversation. Boann MacKenna cringes each time.

The children don’t question. Well, Siobhan, the baby, six, asks: “Why can’t we be American, Da? My friends are.”

Her elders stifle groans. They’ve heard it, all.

“Shuvvy, my love,” Mam coos.

“You’re no more American than my R’s,” MacKenna lectures his giggling brood, his brow knitted all over in a complicated cable pattern.

Even the older kids think he means arse. They’ve been taught to call it bum.

Mam shakes her fair head. “Gair,” she murmurs.

Gair. His Irish name. Some of the neighbors call him Gary and he seethes.

Gaping teeth aside, the five of them look American, Boann thinks. Red, brown, blond heads. Wide-striped T-shirts, frayed jeans, sneakers with rubber-capped toes. (Trainers they’re called back home, which the children know is not Home anymore).

At school, where they wear St. Margaret Mary’s chosen plaid, they look much like the others, the Americans. Their names are anything but: Breandan, Aedan, Boann, Emer, Siobhan.

Boann—a misery of a name to wear to middle school, where she is called Boo Ann. “Close enough, Sister,” she says each September, a small smile painted on her face.

She’s stuck in the middle at home, too. And what’s she called when she’s at home? Her nickname’s worse: Bobo. She doesn’t explain to Da that he’s given her a clown name, that they’re all clowns. Worse, she doesn’t tell him the neighbor kids call him Mr. Magoo. A cartoon character. Well, aren’t they all?

Boann drives her father mad with her American desires, habits, terms. Her dreams he only guesses at. She cocks her hip out when he lectures, sticks a tolerant look across her face like a plaster. Boann has a friend, an open-faced Proddie girl from down the block who came to the house once. Da answered the door to her trusting knock and glared until she ran back down the messy front walk.

Now they only speak at school, and to and from. They stow their friendship at the corner every day.

Da is not all bad. It’s hard on him that he’s not allowed in Belfast anymore. What was he called when he was at Home, then? His friends there knew MacKenna as Mac Cionaoith—“sprung from fire.”

It’s a derivation his children never can forget.


© Erica Jeffrey 2008

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. . . being an informed voter.

Who's your candidate in the upcoming election? Why?

If your man is Barack Obama, please visit the following site for a detailed, dispassionate overview of his stated policies, recorded votes, and issues on which he's been called to account and had to respond/recant publicly. Having read much of the material (and planning to read more via the copious links supplied), I wonder: Is Joe Biden running the most Freudian, passive-aggressive, covert campaign for VP in US history? When he said that Obama's response to an outside threat within 6 months of being elected would look like the wrong choice to the rest of us, I don't think he was being hyperbolic.

Please read carefully: The comprehensive argument against Barack Obama.

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A tragic bus accident a few weeks ago in a nearby county left several people dead, including the owner of the bus. The bus was on its way to a casino. Investigations revealed that the bus and driver weren't properly licensed and that the driver may have been impaired by medications and/or alcohol.

One can find any number of offenses in this story, right?

So, obviously, the first lawsuit I've heard about is directed against . . . THE CASINO!??

The lawyer who has brought the suit on behalf of family members of a woman killed in the accident said on camera (and I paraphrase) that the casino needs to be held responsible for the fact that it earns money from people who are transported to the casino on buses! NOT casino buses: privately-owned buses! NOT buses driven by casino employees! NOT buses that may crash on casino-owned land!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm not a fan of casinos. My outrage isn't about protecting the casino industry. It's about SHAMEFUL, SHAM lawsuits motivated by greed.

I'm wondering . . . if someone gets in a car accident on the way to the lawyer's house . . . is the lawyer responsible because the accident wouldn't have happened if the driver weren't on the way to the lawyer's house?

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We're in the final push toward Election Day 2008. Of our honorable candidates, who, along with the rest of us, are staking so much on the ballots we'll cast in November, I make this request:

TURN DOWN THE RHETORIC!
TURN UP THE SUBSTANCE!

I don't want to hear another word about what the "other" candidate is hiding . . . I want to hear what you're planning.

I don't want to hear another word about failed economic policies or broken systems . . . unless it's a potential solution.

I don't want to hear another word about a citizen asking a "good question" in a town hall forum while the candidate stalls for a response . . . I want to hear a straightforward answer.

I don't want to hear another catchphrase from either side . . . We Americans are capable of analyzing sentences longer than 7 words, no matter what journalists have been taught. My comprehension is waaaay past that of an average 5th grader's, so I don't need your speeches and subsequent pundits' explanations broken down into small, manageable clauses lest they go over my head.

This election is serious business. Please, candidates and media, don't treat it like a sitcom that's geared toward the lowest common denominator.

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. . . and here's what he said: CaptainD's Book Reviews Blog.

Next up on my reading list is David's book, Space Oddity, which just arrived in the mail. David is a fellow reviewer for Curled Up.

Thank you, David!

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