tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81983909124010568622024-03-21T09:23:08.787-05:00Rocket ScientistMelding fiction and science with just a hint of philosophy...Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.comBlogger477125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-4509697440949159592021-03-20T14:40:00.001-05:002021-03-20T14:40:51.347-05:00Just a Little Wicked releases today, and I'm in it!<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnVCCuVIyhawLfaHJp2gezmDXgsnsPg8AwRbl1lcgwIbVLtbvtR5GKLTFteTX18EbEuzWqIKvXwfwa4eSnjF_msAlGvehHVpo-GHp3WJN8H7bQEXS-1pz1T_wbo-P0A6jp7IQYu1RixOs/s2000/JAW_Release+Day.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnVCCuVIyhawLfaHJp2gezmDXgsnsPg8AwRbl1lcgwIbVLtbvtR5GKLTFteTX18EbEuzWqIKvXwfwa4eSnjF_msAlGvehHVpo-GHp3WJN8H7bQEXS-1pz1T_wbo-P0A6jp7IQYu1RixOs/s320/JAW_Release+Day.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>I
signed up for a bunch of anthologies where stories (as long as novella
length) will be bundled up with others. Some are for charity; some are
for profit. All are fun. <br /><br />This is the first, a collection of
witchy tales for those of us who like to see the full gamut of witchy
wonders. Here's an excerpt my story, "Best Witch in Town": </p><p>
</p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sylvia
took another sip, grimaced, and slammed the cup back into the saucer. "You
have to do something about that crazy cat. She knocked the card right out of my
hand. My reading was ruined." </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Was
it?"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"I
did not tell him what he wanted to know. He needed reassurance."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May
tsked. "Sometimes, you cannot give them what they want. They pay for
truth."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sylvia
huffed and blew a perfect lock from her face. "What would they know about
truth? You know nothing about business." </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May's
sunken lips twisted into a little smile. "True enough, Sylvia."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sylvia
stepped closer to a wavery mirror, ancient and made with blown glass, to admire
herself. "This mirror is worthless." </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May
said nothing, though the ancient mirror was technically priceless and she'd
been offered more than one fortune for it. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pouting,
Sylvia leaned on the counter and a huge black cat with tufted ears and long
luxurious fur rubbed against her. She made a sound of disgust and pushed it
away. "I don't know why you insist on filling my shop with all these fuzzy
monsters when you know I'm—I'm –achoo!"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"You're
not wearing the medicine bag I made you," May said, gathering up the huge
cat in her arms and cooing to him. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"That
pouch of herbs? I'm not wearing that. I told you. It's ugly and it smells
funny." </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May
sighed. "And you needn't be mean to Beltane. He's the only one that likes
you."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"More
fool him." She glanced around the shop and nodded at the more obvious
depleted stock, notably some soft cotton dresses in flowing fabrics imported
from India, several nice silver jewelry pieces, and a statue of a dragon that
had graced the entryway for nearly a year. May was already limping around the
shop, pulling out additional dresses and jewelry from the cupboards behind the
counter. "I see you sold that stupid dragon. I told you it would never
sell. I can't believe someone bought it."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"You
were right. I gave him to someone who needed him."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sylvia
shook her head with a tinkle of jewelry. "You gave it away? Who in the
world <i>needs</i> a dragon statue?"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Joe
did. I knew someone would," May said placidly, hanging more of the dresses
on the hangers. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Whatever.
I'm glad to be rid of the eyesore. This is the list of spells I was asked to
cast. Write up the invoices after you restock. Did we sell anything
expensive?"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May
set down the box of jewelry and fished a notebook from behind the till. "A
few things. I made a list," May said, handing her a notebook and taking
the single sheet of paper Sylvia offered her. May looked over the list of
spells and her skinny brows rose. "You didn't actually agree to a death
hex? Spells like this have a karmic backlash that you can't just shrug
off.". </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"None
of your business," Sylvia said. She looked over the notebook, snorted, and
tossed it back. "Good thing I'm making money, or this place would go under
in a week. And I heard you severely discount that necklace earlier." </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"She
needs it and only had enough to pay a hundred. She'll come back soon
enough." </span></span></p></blockquote><p>You can buy it right now for just 99 cents. <span style="font-family: times;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="http://smarturl.it/JustALittleWicked?fbclid=IwAR167XN6xqfmxSKl3n8jZb-ftf0ByzCLcDFZXfOGeKR1dvkBsr2nRVTVx_Y" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--blue-link); cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: outside none none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none medium; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; touch-action: manipulation; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://smarturl.it/JustALittleWicked</a></span><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTvfsq2EW05x5lu5Whmmk3dJ2nGxbjxiuGeuK2U_D1ru_avoVHdhQe6Rcle-9_Y-lBepqwq53w5eJ5vMdULgR1uOSNIS5quZk0t_yfzj5_caMy8hekBPMOVtz5cZRHR5y08dOFBHbexkK/s2000/JALW_Personal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTvfsq2EW05x5lu5Whmmk3dJ2nGxbjxiuGeuK2U_D1ru_avoVHdhQe6Rcle-9_Y-lBepqwq53w5eJ5vMdULgR1uOSNIS5quZk0t_yfzj5_caMy8hekBPMOVtz5cZRHR5y08dOFBHbexkK/s320/JALW_Personal.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-41413502836398543002019-03-24T23:14:00.001-05:002019-03-24T23:14:36.767-05:00Twice the Man is OUT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp5R0J6lG7ry_vOKt4KyAedHQKGL-_lETjH2un3TOtllf9rOpoPNpkelTLBAd-nEhJPY36fqMBmL7hEl783EGjj90er_kNwkzm1xYmT_zLeB_0mvIz2BYL5ydOAaqiMK6Hfc2aprTNMjr/s1600/Promo+Ad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="671" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp5R0J6lG7ry_vOKt4KyAedHQKGL-_lETjH2un3TOtllf9rOpoPNpkelTLBAd-nEhJPY36fqMBmL7hEl783EGjj90er_kNwkzm1xYmT_zLeB_0mvIz2BYL5ydOAaqiMK6Hfc2aprTNMjr/s320/Promo+Ad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", times, baskerville, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">My
Bete novels are among my best received. Not because they're sort of but
not entirely YA while still appealing to adults (and I've had almost no
one but adults read them). Not because they have adventure. And
romance. And science. And magic. And a broken spaceship. And some of the
best snarky banter in town, especially my bad-ass venomous snarky
shipcats. Okay, maybe it is the shipcats.<br /><br />And now, finally, I
have finished the original intended trilogy with each of the original
three best friends taking center stage in turn. Of course, none of the
books were a one-man show, but the ensemble cast aspect, where half a
dozen and more players have big parts, has become more pronounced with
each successive book. And I love it.<br /><br />I may come back to my
little world of castaways. We still have flooding there and a sentient
arthropod out in the depths of the ocean not to mention that unexplained
wormhole. But I tied up the most current stories, just like I promised.
For a series that inspired by a manga/anime and written with my now
adult daughter in mind (who never read it, ironically), I have had a
world of fun with the Bete series, and I hope you do, too. If you want
to find them all, you can find them on my website.<span> </span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://stephanieebarr.us/" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, baskerville, georgia, serif;">http://stephanieebarr.us<strong> </strong></span></a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, baskerville, georgia, serif;">Here's an excerpt:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As if breathing in
her essence woke her, Rem felt someone stir against his chest. How she always
ended up curled on his chest, he didn't know. But he loved it. "How are
you feeling?" he managed to ask, hoping he hadn't blasted her with death
breath. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Could you just
kill me?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"No can do,
beautiful. And that was something I thought I'd never say."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I am not
beautiful, but, given what happened to me when I opened my eyes, I don't
suggest you find out for yourself." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I don't need
my eyes to know you're beautiful," Rem said, chancing a little squeeze. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I don't want
you to take this the wrong way, but I don't feel up to flirting. Or fending off
flirting. Or, in fact, breathing."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Flirting is
the best reason I've come up with since I woke up for breathing, though I have
morning breath that could kill a badger-boar at ten paces."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Not true,"
she said, stirring in a more determined way and levering herself into a sitting
position. "You'd have to get, I don't know, within arm's length."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Rem chuckled and
then used his freed arm to grab at his head. The pain had not abated one iota.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Rem,"
Sinda said, lowering her voice to an intent whisper. "Try to teleport out
of here. Now while no one's watching."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Rem, who had still
not opened his eyes, used all of his consciousness to visualize Cil and will
himself there. The pain neither abated nor increased. But he went nowhere. He
willed himself to grow, to become his other form, but, if there was even the
slightest change, he could not detect it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"No joy, eh?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"None at all,"
he whispered. "What now? I'd ask my talent, but I don't have one anymore."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He felt a slap on
his arm, hard enough he opened his eyes without thinking, then reeled a couple
of moments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Don't you
ever," she hissed, "talk like that again. If you start moaning that
you're worthless, I will totally lose my temper. I can't shift into anything
and I haven't exhibited even one tiny talent, but you think I'm worthwhile. And
you're <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i>! Because I'm smart and
capable and don't just curl up and die when challenged. And neither do you.
Last time you had an impossible problem, you developed a new talent instantly.
Not that I'd turn it away today but say that doesn't happen."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"You don't
understand," he said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Yeah, boo-hoo.
Grieve later, we got stuff to do. Gonna give up, let the bad guys win, fall all
to pieces just because you're down to the same set of tools the rest of us
humans have? If you do, I'll know your tolerance of humans was a lie from the
beginning as well as every word of admiration you've ever given me."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"That's not
fair!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I've heard you
and Xander say that no one is superior to anyone else, that there isn't Prime
and sub-Prime and, I presume, humans a step below that. If you truly believe
that, you need to snap out of it. I get that losing a super-cool set of tools
to play with is a bummer, but we don't have time for that. You have all the
gifts of the smartest humans I know. Use 'em and let's figure out a way out of
this mess, and, yes that may mean never getting your powers back. I promise, if
you help find a way free, I'll let you wallow in your disappointment for two
whole weeks, but only when we have the time to spare."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Rem had put his hand
over his abused eyes, but he lifted it to regard Sinda through one eye. She
really was wrong. She was still beautiful. "If I come up with a way out of
this and it works, will you take my interest in you seriously? Treat me enough
like a grownup that I have a chance to woo you?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Woo?" she
went into a peal of laughter. "We're surrounded by hostiles who have
purged the magic out of everyone, we are facing death, torment, or enslavement,
and you want to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">woo</i> me?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"What better
time will I ever have?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I'll tell you
what, loverboy. You figure a way out of this and make it work, and I'll totally
date, or go out, or whatever you kids call it these days. I'd seal it with a
kiss right now, but I think the state of our mouths would kill us both."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Since they were both
sitting, she was within delightful reach. "I'm willing to risk it."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He slid his hands up
her arms, and, to his intense satisfaction, she blushed. But then she pushed
his hands away. "C'mon, c'mon, woo later, solve problems now."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Aww,"
Danai said, obviously enjoying the romance. Silly kid. Rem chuckled and given
how protective Kert was of her, Rem figured she'd find out about romance first
hand soon enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He sat back against
the corner of the wagon, pleased that the horrific after-effects of the dart
were starting to recede. Or maybe it was Sinda. Either way… "Well, we don't
have the upper hand." Rem looked through the wagon sides, counting wagons
and what people he could see of the natives and the exiles. "Looks like
there are more of us. Everyone from the upper camp and most of the crew and
teachers from the lower camp as well as the Bete that were there and the older
teenagers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe two hundred of us
versus a hundred or so of them, if there aren't more in hiding. Probably, half
are sleeping while the rest keep watch, I don't think any are missing. Or not
many."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Looks like
most of the exiles are here so they're about half native and half the guys we
kicked out. But then there are the wolves and I think that's their biggest
advantage. That makes escape challenging as well as being a physical
threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, we have been drugged and
are still disoriented from having our skills ripped away. They are armed and
know the area, which we don't, so the advantage is still on their side. And,
they can communicate whereas we can't."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"Plus, they're
ruthless while we still have our humanity," Sinda added, a little grimly.
It surprised Rem. She was usually pretty tolerant with different cultures, but
she looked positively murderous. Perhaps the double dose of dart had seriously
impaired her good nature. Most likely, her antagonism wouldn't last, but she
had it now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"That's not
always an advantage," Rem said. "People who think like a sword tend
to (a) think of things in terms of black and white and (b) think everyone else
thinks the same. No nuance. Nuance can be useful."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sinda took in a
breath and released it carefully. "Sounds like something I would have said
myself. You're too smart by half, loverboy."</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-72853124102222498122018-08-14T16:47:00.000-05:002018-08-14T16:58:12.166-05:00Call for Submissions to a Charity Anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Call for Submissions for an anthology highlighting the capabilities and contributions of disabled people in science fiction. This will be a charity anthology with the proceeds and any royalties donated to the Special Olympics. We welcome involvement from disabled authors or those that would be interested in beta reading the final anthology. <br />
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Genre: is geared toward science fiction, however, science fantasy, urban fantasy, space opera, other types of fantasy and speculative fiction are also acceptable as long as we're focused on now or the future instead of ancient history. Other planets and non-human characters are acceptable. Dark fantasy/SF and horror are also acceptable as long as disabled heroes are not turned into victims. <br />
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Theme: The main characters must be disabled and succeed through their own efforts and without normalizing (i.e. undoing their disabilities with technology). This book is about celebrating the people who exist today and making them represented in the future. <br />
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Age level: should be no racier than PG 13 and YA is not precluded but we will not be targeting a YA or underage audience. <br />
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Length: 1500-7500 words<br />
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Deadline: All submissions should be received no later than November 30, 2018 with expectation of a February 2019 publication date. <br />
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Send submissions to stephanieebarr at Dragonfaeriecreative dot org with the subject "Disabled Heroes"<br />
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Format: Word .doc/.docx file, 1" margins, 12-14pt Times (or other serif font), double-spaced, contact info and word count on first page, running header w/name, title, page #, etc. The usual stuff. And please include your name and the story title in the filename. I will accept reprints if you (a) have the rights and (b) it fits our criteria.<br />
<br />
Please edit your story carefully. We're all busy indie authors and will not take the time to help you rewrite your work into something that works for us. Please make an effort to send something in finished form that meets the criteria we've set. <br />
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Title and cover are not yet finalized. <br />
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You can find out more on facebook by joining: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/disabledheroes/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/disabledheroes/</a>Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-22690623213151591312017-11-17T21:33:00.000-06:002017-11-17T21:47:28.911-06:00Making Smart Use of Our Microphone (aka, Don't Be Stupid)For at least a few weeks now, women have had the microphone in a way they haven't had perhaps ever. They've been talking about a culture we've mentioned many times before, but not to much response. A world where women are objects, where they are taught their value is in the eyes of men (often by both parents) or where, even if they don't see themselves that way, they have to put up with others who see them that way to survive. And that the pervasive culture that goes with it makes real predators among the men hard to bring to justice because, instead of being believed, we are dismissed, marginalized, blamed.<br />
<br />
This is the world women live in. And one reason we're quiet is for survival. And one reason is because we get attacked for telling the truth. But, for a window, that's starting to change in part because we got angry and started talking. And part is because a few someones started listening, not only when we talked about predators but when we talked about good guys who were part of the dehumanizing that enables the predators. <br />
<br />
And responded. The #MeToo campaign helped make it clear how pervasive it is. How ingrained it is. This is about that effort, but I'm going to take a side trip.<br />
<br />
I grew up watching M*A*S*H. It was and remains one of my favorite shows, not because it encompasses the feminine ideal--oh, hell no, plenty of misogyny which I didn't notice at the time and still don't think eliminates the value of the show--but it does address many concerns about how people are and are treated, how a culture can make decent people do indecent things and still sleep at night, how some people are monsters hidden among them, and about how some people, despite the culture around them, strive to still hold on to decency.<br />
<br />
Now real life (and even the show) wasn't that clear cut: [a] people who strived to live above the difficult culture they were stuck with (war), [b] decent people pushed/felt compelled to do things no decent person should have to do, and [c] monsters who let the war be a cover for greater monstrosities. In truth, there's plenty of folks between b and c--people who, when push came to shove, weren't nearly as decent as they thought they were, for instance. <br />
<br />
But the tools for dealing with b and c were totally different for good reason. You don't destroy a [b], who is driven by some outside force (often patriotism and propaganda and the force of the culture around him); you do your best to educate them, teach them why it's wrong and you do so knowing many won't really get it. Not because they're evil but because the culture is too ingrained. <br />
<br />
And the monsters, the [c] folks, you try to take out of the game as cleanly as possible because they are beyond saving. <br />
<br />
Now I bring this up because I think this has a useful life lesson. When we did #MeToo, we included both sexual harassment as well as sexual assault. While I understand, I think that might have been a mistake, especially if we didn't clarify the kind of sexual harassment we're talking about.<br />
<br />
There are two kinds of harassment (both illegal but how you prosecute them is different). One is making an uncomfortable work environment: touchy-feely (non groping), dirty jokes, sexist statements [culture] and one is using power to threaten a woman to comply or hamper/crucify her career [predatory]. Both aren't good and I'm not, in any way, trying to argue that former kind is good, shouldn't be talked about, shouldn't be brought up. We definitely need to so people understand that that kind of environment is painful, stifling, oppressive, and dangerous. It needs to change not just because it's all those things but because it also provides cover for the more predatory folks. <br />
<br />
But the way you handle a "cultural" infraction isn't the same way you handle a predator and what I'm seeing right now is mixing those two up. If I'm a guy telling a dirty joke at work and someone hears me and reports it, I will not likely be fired for it. What I will be told is that it's not appropriate, I'll likely get training, I may have to apologize. I'd have to establish a pattern of continuing it despite many warnings before I'm likely to be fired and the reason is, usually the warning is enough. For decent folks. <br />
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Predators are different. <br />
<br />
So, now, after being dismissed and marginalized, even blamed, for generations, we have the microphone and we're being heard. I'll say it again. We need to call out the cultural problems and call out the predators. Absolutely. <br />
<br />
But we need to treat them differently. Someone (who isn't a teenager) who stalks shopping malls hoping to pick up teenagers is not the same as someone teasing a coworker or making stupid jokes at her expense. Someone who grabs a woman's nether region because he can get away with it because of his personal power is not the same as a man who kisses you as part of a performance in a way you hadn't expected (and was in very poor taste). A scripted kiss you agreed to perform isn't assault, even if you didn't like how he kissed. Absolutely, you are within your rights to object to his method or change your mind afterwards. Tell him not to do it again and you <b>do</b> have a problem if he doesn't. But it's not the same thing as being groped or raped without recourse of choice and pretending it is the same diminishes real assault victims who weren't asked and had no chance to refuse.<br />
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Plenty of actresses have horror stories about kissing they did for roles, most of which they never talked about until much later. Shall we destroy the lives of every man who's ever given a screen kiss? I've been kissed by ten different men in my lifetime. I don't recall any of them asking before the first time and, while some I wanted, others not so much. Is it reasonable for me to track the men who gave me the ones I didn't want, get them fired from their jobs and make them pariahs?<br />
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Of course not. Because most of that is cultural. Stupid. Thoughtless. Selfish. Things that should change, but it was the culture they (and I) lived in at the time. I want the culture to change, absolutely, but I can't see the logic in trying to apply it retroactively. Ideally, what I can do is explain what was wrong with what they did, its affect on me, and hope they realize it was a mistake and strive to do better. Because if they work at it and I work at it, that's how cultures change. <br />
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If I get acknowledgement, if they listen to me without blame, if they appreciate my position, and agree they need to do better, that should be my goal. <br />
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Because I will totally kill my own credibility if I lump cultural transgressors with the predators. Because, if I'm out to destroy the same people who could help me change the culture, I'm not out to change it. I'm out for revenge.<br />
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It's the fear that women would do that, would use their newfound voice to destroy not just the ones who preyed on women but those who unwittingly covered for them, who made jokes or got pushy, who got angry or defensive when a guy was being accused. Men wanted to believe the predators were few and far between. If you tell them they're all monsters, why would they listen to you any more? Why admit you were right and make an effort to change if a dumb mistake (no I'm not talking rape or assault or having sex with a passed out drunk girl) can cost them their entire future? Potential allies in changing the world for the better will get lost. That's not just stupid. It's suicidal. <br />
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Because, if they don't help us change the culture, it won't change and the predators will still be hard to uncover because no one will be listening. <br />
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If your intent for #MeToo was to send the signal that every man is basically scum, and they should live the rest of their lives suffering as a result, well, you lost me.<br />
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Because<b> I</b> thought it was so we could change this toxic culture so our daughters--and our sons--could have a healthier environment, one where no one would be afraid to out a predator or be blamed for the predator's transgressions. One where men wouldn't be uncomfortable stopping ugly talk or women wouldn't be afraid to speak up sooner and perhaps avoid miscommunications that hurt everyone.<br />
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However you feel about Ms. Tweeden and Al Franken, we have a woman who brought forward what I consider to be cultural issues - her own story, I'm talking about. A kiss she consented to, teasing afterwards (whether pointed or mean-spirited, there's no way to know; I doubt they remember it the same), and a picture that does not prove any groping took place but was in definite poor taste. I agree with Al Franken. The behavior was not acceptable, but there is nothing there that proves malice on his part, or predation. She says she hated the kiss and told him never to kiss her like that again--and he didn't. Exactly the reaction one would want when someone makes an honest mistake. Everything else can be readily explained (not excused) by a culture that makes dehumanizing jokes and behavior mainstream. Wrong, absolutely. But not predatory.<br />
<br />
And <a href="https://www.facebook.com/senatoralfranken/posts/1553158881436655">Al Franken's response</a> is exactly what I look for in someone who has contributed to a toxic culture and has it brought to his attention. He has, in no way, attacked Ms. Tweeden. He has validated her feelings and apologized for his behavior with a vow to do more. He has asked for any and all investigation. And he has reminded all of us that he thinks the issues women are dealing with are bigger than just his own vindication: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">"</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them."<br /><br />That, boys and girls, is how you change culture, by making your case, getting heard, and those who made mistakes making an effort to correct them. What you don't do is treat them like a predator, or try to destroy them when they could be your ally. <br /><br />If you want to keep that microphone, if you want to take out the most dangerous threats you have, you better use that power for good and not revenge. <br /><br />Or you won't have it much longer. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself. </span></span></span>Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-77925653584230251292017-09-11T17:22:00.000-05:002017-09-12T21:20:49.473-05:00Why Do I Even Have to Frickin' Say: Let Her Speak?By now, I shouldn't be surprised. Be warned, there is cursing coming. That's not an apology, by the way.<br />
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I've been at a loss for the past 10 months on why the aging, limited, angry, financially-opaque, <i><span style="color: red;">losing</span></i> candidate for the Democratic candidacy (and not just barely lost, mind you, but crushed) who has yet to take one iota of responsibility for his part in Trump's presidency, has been anointed by far too many of the people who didn't even vote for the Democratic candidate as the only future for the Democratic party.<br />
<br />
I'm not mentioning Trump because he's a total disasster, a Trumpster fire, but, if you didn't get that before the election, you are literally too stupid to read this blog post. Getting Dems to take this back should be a no brainer but this guy, Bernie, is going to do his damnedest to keep that from happening.<br />
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The notion that Sanders is our only hope should be laughable and would be, I'd hope, so those of us who understood how important this was, how vital, and essential this election was, wouldn't get suicidal at that kind of nerve. But, unfortunately the DNC leadership has hooked their wagon to that stupidity and are doing their best to alienate their hard-working, still-suffering base. People are upset about the poor campaign contributions. Gee, imagine dissing the heart of your own party for someone who stabbed it in the back and continues to dismiss and mistreat it every time he gets on camera (and why he's on camera so often I couldn't guess. But then I feel that way about all the Trump talking heads, as well).<br />
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And that doesn't make them open their wallets to you? Go figure.<br />
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They say it's in the name of healing, but I would like to know the blockhead who thought a constant diet of ignoring the same devoted followers who voted for Hillary in the election (more than any previous white male candidate, I might add) and rubbing salt in their wounds would be the best possible game plan for taking the country back from the morons who have the reins today. Sounds like Putin's planted game plan to me and--I might have mentioned this a few times--we should be smarter than to keep falling for it.<br />
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So, yeah, I've been flabbergasted at the soul-searching I've been seeing by talking heads with pointing their fingers at Hillary as the one and only cause and not a one of the people--who has verifiable evidence of their own stabbing her in the back during the election--is willing to take a single whiff of blame. I've heard smart people tell me all about her shortcomings and, in the same breath, tell me we need to let the election behind us while we learn from our past mistakes (which they seem to translate as to preclude more Hillary or POC or women).<br />
<br />
<br />
Fuck. That. Shit.<br />
<br />
If the lesson you learned from this past election is we have to pander to the slime machine, that we get to ignore substance and actual capabilities if the media tells us to, that we can ignore talented capable people because they just aren't slick enough to sell snake oil, well, Trump is only the beginning of the total decline of this country. <br />
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If we really want to learn from our past mistakes, isn't that examining the past election? And really--and many of these folks are in the media--you can't think of anything <i><span style="color: red;">you</span></i> might have had to do with this incredible result? Berniebots? People who pouted at home because they got tired of politics? <br />
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And why the hell are the folks who think they should be running the Democratic party, now that their losing candidate is still out there campaigning, given credence even though these are the same damn folks we couldn't count on in the election and the same damn folks that Putin's trolls played like high-end violins? I don't know. Maybe we'd do better with some folks a little less gullible, perhaps someone who doesn't paste purity on a candidate who won't reveal his taxes or even his required financial statements for his job as Senator. <br />
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Sorry, I still can't get over it and it bothers me that I can't. I should have been able to forget Sanders as he went back to being totally irrelevant, just like he was before. Instead, I've had him shoved down my neck so I can't heal. You know, for unity. <br />
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Meanwhile, this incredible, noble, patient woman, hampered with rules and expectations NO ONE else had, who still did well despite the unending onslaught of negative views and backhanded compliments but lost to a total buffoon, a woman with all kinds of expertise particularly needful now (foreign policy, economic policy, etc), a woman who was constantly shouted down and talked over by rivals and foreign trolls during the election, is now, apparently, by her own party she's dedicated decades to, told to cease and desist in telling her side of the story unless, of course, she just wants to say it's all her fault and she's as bad as everyone says she is. You know, for unity.<br />
<br />
Fuck. That. Shit.<br />
<br />
You argue no one wants to hear her. Bullshit. There are sixty million plus people still traumatized by the election and being screwed by our own party that desperately needs to hear someone tell them they didn't imagine it all. There are literally millions of fans--that's right fans--who need to know we weren't alone, that she won't be party to the gaslighting the GOP is working on, the media's helping them with, and Bernie (and DNC leadership) is actively aiding and abetting.The one where we're told we're not good enough to be Democrats and we need to make way for "honest" white men to tell us what we really need. <br />
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She says she won't run any more. I don't blame her. I thought she was a saint for putting up with it the last two times. But you know what that means, you assholes screaming against her? She's got nothing else to lose. She can say any damn thing she wants until the day she dies. <br />
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And I hope she does. I hope she reminds you losers who were so anxious to set the country aflame rather than give her an honest shake despite her credentials and character, exactly what you bought with your misogyny and bigotry. I hope she never lets you forget that she, and the sixty-six million people who voted for her, have the only clean hands in the country--that all the blood and pain still to come is on the rest of you. You break it, you bought it. It's all on you. <br />
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I, for one, will not let you forget it. Nice to know, neither will Hillary.<br />
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And the thing is, until you guys get it, until you folks pointing finger start doing some real self-examination, we are doomed not to be able to save this country. Because you're the problem. And, really, she's the only one with the guts to come out and say it. Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-66784765102390569712017-05-07T14:24:00.002-05:002017-05-08T14:57:36.300-05:00So, What's a Dem to Do?Last time I argued against letting outside radicals come in and tear the Democratic party apart in the name of unity. After all, they don't know jack about governance and the examples of full up socialism here in the Americas back that up. Extremists regimes end up corrupt. Alt-right is proving that right now with our <i>own</i> government.<br />
<br />
But doing nothing won't work. We played by all the rules, took the high road, went high when they went low, showed them hard data, pointing out the issues and hatred on the other side, provided (on Hillary's part) reams of data on exactly what she wanted to do on a whole myriad of issues. And lost (though there were definitely some dark forces involved in that: the embrace of the Sanders' campaign of GOP and Russian misinformation, Russian misinformation bots throughout the campaign, the media gleefully pounding on perceived or trivial issues with Hillary while sexual molestation and criminal fraud were shrugged off on the Trump side, and, of course, Comey's poorly explained torpedoing of one campaign while silently deep in investigation of the other).<br />
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There are other factors outside the Dems and Hillary's control that were likely factors that don't get much play by pundits or the populace: name recognition (which is an amazingly big factor in voting and Trump made his name big among people who aren't politically savvy long before this election), the tendency of the dissatisfied populace to change leadership at least every eight years (even if they're better off than they were - they're rarely as well off as they'd like to be), and the fact that Hillary was (and the alt-left won't like this) one of the most left leaning candidates for president we ever had and far leftists don't do well in Presidential elections, per available data.<br />
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What the Dems are talking about includes courting the racists and sexists of this country (tossing aside the championship of civil rights) in the interest of winning (which I talked about last time), and rehashing the mistakes Hillary made: not going to enough states at the end, not a good enough ground game, not having a good message on economic issues, not having a catchy simple way of explaining the answers to complex problems (Apparently "Stronger Together" isn't unifying enough for some people).<br />
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But the truth is, none of this is really enough. Even with the dark forces in play, this election would have been something of a squeaker even though it <i>should</i> have been a landslide. The WORST they could come up with Hillary was that she used poor judgment setting up her server, but had an exemplary record of public service, including several key achievements like ChIPS, support for disabled students in schools, her <i>acclaimed</i> work as Secretary of State cleaning up after W, and a surprisingly transparent charity credited with helping people around the world. Trump was active in suits involving fraud, racketeering, and child rape, had a history of bankruptcy and destroying small businesses by not paying them, and bragged about assaulting women. That's not even counting the ugly, hateful, malicious rhetoric of his campaign. Unless you were painfully naive, a Republican who wanted a free hand to rape and pillage the country for other wealthy bastards, or you <i><span style="color: blue;"><b>wanted any possible excuse to not to vote for a woman</b></span></i>, this was a no brainer. But, for someone who wasn't with him ideologically, there was no excuse, whether Hillary came to hold a rally in your town or someone came to knock on your door and beg you to vote for her pretty please.<br />
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People <i>still</i> bring up the email, and that shouldn't have even lasted through a 24 hour news cycle instead of being pounded <i>daily</i> for a year and a half. It certainly shouldn't have been a factor that weighed anything next to what Trump stood for and his past. And I <i>know</i> that's true because Trump and half his staff do exactly the same thing now and the news on it didn't even make a 24 hours news cycle (nor should it) considering the heinous streak of horrible things they've done since coming into power. Which were entirely predictable.<br />
<br />
<br />
Because tearing apart Hillary and the campaign again isn't going to address the problem. That was a solid campaign swimming upstream against a media onslaught of epic proportions and much of what people said she didn't say, she did say, in detail and at length. The problem was, no one was listening. Well, those of us staunchly behind her were listening, but we had to search it out between all the attack pieces.<br />
<br />
<br />
I wish you folks could hear how it sounds from my perspective. Before you explain how it's not sexism, kindly find the footage where Bernie, who lost fair and square to Hillary by a huge margin by every metric, came on television and went painstakingly through every one of his missteps.<br />
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I saw this in 2008. Even though she had a MUCH closer loss with Obama, I heard for years a long litany of all her campaign failures. When McCain lost, other than his idiotic choice for VP, I didn't hear news and Republicans going on and on about his many failings that brought this to happen, even though they considered (and I saw this on actual campaign posters) Obama the anti-Christ. Maybe if he'd lost, they'd have done the same thing with him.<br />
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Hillary, unlike every other loser in the history of politics, will go into great detail again (and apologize) for her missteps because she knows that's a step required for her <span style="color: blue;"><i>and her alone</i></span>. She will acknowledge them just as she acknowledged mistakes during the campaign (and <i>no one</i> else did). And she'll be hounded for them forever anyway, because anything less than perfection must be castigated until the end of time, no matter how abjectly she acknowledges them or detailed her own analysis.<br />
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And not one other person will look closely at all the other missteps or take responsibility for them. All so we can pretend that the simplest Occam's razor answer isn't true, that as racist as this country is, it's even more sexist.<br />
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Bottom line, not just the right but the left was played, too. And, until we can convince us, the voters, not to be so easily played, until we can convince liberal voters that the rules have to be the same for everyone, the standards the same, not one set for the right and one for us or for blacks or for women (don't get me started on the brouhaha on President Obama's speeches - I wouldn't begrudge him if he'd demanded his weight in gold from the country as several for all the ugliness we put him through while he worked his heart out for us), we will lose over and over again.<br />
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Let me put it another way, even if you voted for her, if you're analyzing and the first and last answer to everything wrong has to do with some flaw in Clinton, step back and ask yourself, would you do the same, put 100% of the blame on another candidate the same way? If you're saying, "How dare she do anything less than take 100% of the blame for Trump being in the White House, I'll never respect her again," you've got more sexism in you than you thought.<br />
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We already know the conservatives will treat her differently because she's a woman. If you are using a different yardstick for Hillary Clinton than anyone else, it's sexist. And, if it's just as true on the left, that is probably the real problem. But, by joining with them to flay Hillary again, we're reinforcing their wrong thinking, not correcting it. And we <span style="color: blue;"><i>have</i></span> to correct it, because the key to winning isn't to look like the other side but to note why we're different.<br />
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One reason the conservatives have so much power right now is that they've dominated the narrative. They first told us Hillary (and Obama) were the evil communists among their own adherents while feeding stories to leftist outlets that they were both closet Republicans indistinguishable from the Republicans (no matter how that was belied by facts). But the majority that put Obama in the White House, the majority that <i><span style="color: blue;">voted</span></i> for Hillary, the tens of millions that believed in them, didn't scream about it. The screaming has been done by the extremists, such that Dem contenders in the midterms didn't embrace the good work that Obama was doing, but disavowed it (thereby losing and making Congress red), by not standing forward and shouting their love of Hillary (instead going into secret groups where they wouldn't be attacked). They aren't the ones who lost the election, but they seem to be the only ones doing the soul searching, wondering what they could do better.<br />
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What they need to do is educate those who are smugly proud of not voting or their third party vote or even voting for Trump while turning around and blaming Hillary (and company) for Trump's actions. That's the kind of nonsense that must be fought against. That's the narrative we need to kill right here and right now. Probably can't do it for the deeply red folks, but there are a lot of other people who are going to be facing some real appreciable harm who need to listen if they want the situation to get better. If you didn't vote for Hillary and you're bitching about Trump, you need to do some soul searching because YOU are a big part of the problem.<b><span style="color: red;"> And thinking the Dems need to change to fix it ain't the answer, because they aren't the problem. They voted for the answer. You didn't.</span></b><br />
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But what can the Democrats do? Well, you're doing it. You're reminding the Republican reps out there that you're watching and you hate what they're doing. Wish I could say that will stop 'em--it won't; they don't care what we think and they haven't for some time--but it does hearten the Dems. We need to back and support the Dems that are working for us. They did a great job trimming the worst of Trump's proposals for the budget and holding firm on that. They were staunch against the AHCA. Some of the Democratic Reps have offered to come to the town halls the Republicans are afraid to hold. That's a brilliant idea. Let the voters know who is really throwing them under the bus, who is standing for their rights and who isn't.<br />
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We need to change the narrative. Facts matter. Reality matters. People matter. The rules need to be the same for everyone or they are meaningless. We need to call out lies and keep calling them out. We need to mock the insane proposals as the garbage they are. We have to be noisy and scream that we're not going to be attacked without standing our ground, that we're proud of the people, often maligned and dismissed, who have been fighting for us for the past half century. We need to be the noisy majority and make the media do better, make the narrative truthful again.<br />
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We need to use that to build a better, smarter, less gullible electorate. In my opinion, that's the only way we win.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-44752131056320989652017-04-25T23:51:00.000-05:002017-04-26T23:02:28.107-05:00How to Destroy the Democratic Party and the CountryI know, I know, I was supposed to write more of these but I was unexpectedly sucked into more book stuff and then ended up in the hospital...well, you know how it can go. And I was all psyched, gonna write something that isn't politics. <br />
<br />
Well, so much for that.<br />
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There's been a big debate, when people aren't going on and on and on about how horrible Hillary is, even in the face of the monstrosity we have in the White House, about how to "fix" the DNC. What can we do after this calamity?<br />
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Here's my short answer: Don't fix it. That's not what's broken. Well, it wasn't.<br />
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Could use a bit more spine, of course, but that plays into why it's struggling so much now while the GOP is circling the drain. This should be when the DNC has it made. Unfortunately, we're so convinced we suck that we're going to throw away what makes us great out of fear. That's stupid. I need a state-sized hand to smack this country a couple times. Snap you out of it. <br />
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Now, here's my long answer: What the hell is wrong with you people? The biggest problem the DNC and people who are sympathetic to the DNC have is that they've been told no one agrees with them, so they are constantly second-guessing themselves. Too often, they are unwilling to make a stand in case it upsets some group of voters because, if they're not in power, they can't get anything done (especially with the current state of the GOP). That's whacked thinking of course, but slightly less whacked than the alt-left and the alt-right/now mainstream GOP which has been told everyone agrees with them (and they believe it) and think they walk on water because that's <i>insane</i>. These folks think they can do anything and it won't come back to bite 'em in the butt, that they can espouse any horrific notion and there will never be repercussions. They believe their own lunacy. They forgot they were even lying. <br />
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There are a couple things everyone who isn't currently part of the Trumpian mind meld (and I use the term "mind" loosely) or part of the Sanders mind meld keep forgetting. <br />
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For the past 60-70 years, all the good governance, all the recovery from fiascoes and blatant government corruption, all the sound economic policies and civil rights, all the improvements that so many have had in the past seventy years have had Democratic fingerprints all over it, even some of what happened on a Republican president's watch. All the unnecessary wars, the slicing back of safety nets, the fiscal irresponsibility, the deregulation, the environmental looting, that's GOP. <br />
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The Republican party hasn't had a clue how to govern in decades, which is why their presidents do so much damage but not as much as they might because they rarely have had a Republican Congress at the same time, and they've made their total inability to accomplish anything but catastrophe a point of pride. They not only willingly but gleefully picked up the ugly mantle of bigotry when the Dems (who had it first) began to realize how totally unsavory it was. They wear it unabashedly while telling us that bigotry doesn't even exist and probably never did.<br />
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Part of the Dem's good governance--and this is important--is that they never forgot the Republicans were part of the citizenry, too. That they looked at the big picture, were willing to wheel back their wants and wishes at times, accept half a loaf, often finding out the half a loaf was too much at once and adjusting. They LEARNED. The DNC wasn't just about winning, it was making the country greater, more inclusive, better for everyone and they would have gotten a lot further on that if they hadn't spent so much of their time cleaning up after GOP messes and, honestly, trying to make it work with difficult people who kept saying the opposite of the truth as if that could make it reality. <br />
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Someone's got to be the grownup in the room, got to do the grunt work, and make the sacrifices required for making this country function. And, more and more as decades progress, that was falling into the hands of solely the Dems instead of being something at least a few Republicans were trying.<br />
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What about the communists and stuff, the independents? I'll get there. The alt left has a bit in here, too, but it's not what you think it is and it's got nothing to do with governance. <br />
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Now, since the GOP was busy forgetting anything they might ever have known about leadership, they had nothing to do but line their pockets by passing out favors (and, yes, there are Dems guilty of this, too, and--gasp!--independents, but for blatant self-serving corruption, the GOP are masters. They don't even pretend they're not profiting off their legislation anymore) and figure out how to win. Because that's all they got. And winning, it turns out, is much easier than governance because no (self) sacrifice is required, no truth, no accountability, no thought. It's all about emotional manipulation and, since they've got the evangelicals in their fold now, they know just how to manipulate with hatred and fear, rage, all the things that have led to the ugliest chapters in human history. It works because emotional responses turn off thinking (literally) and outrage (for real events or false) becomes the catalyst to convince people to constantly subvert their own best interests.<br />
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Is it doomed if we don't stop it? Absolutely. And they'll take a lot of good people with them. The damage could go from years of recovery to total annihilation, and not just because our Trumpian toddler wants to play with the big red button. No way, unchecked, this ends in a pretty way. It never has. <br />
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So, Bernie's and other alt-left icons are the answer, right? I mean, obviously, he knows how to counter the GOP's winning strategy and can bring brightness and light into all the dark recesses of the DNC. Ugh, I just threw up a little in my mouth. Where's that state-sized hand again? We need another smack.<br />
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The alt-left is not without its uses. Historically, here and there, they have pointed out abuses no one notices and stirred up outrage that prods the DNC and other to stand up and address. But occasional screaming is not the same damn thing as governance.<br />
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The LAST damn thing the DNC needs is to hand over the controls to ANOTHER group that's never had ANY experience governing (except in several Latin American countries riddled with poverty, violence, and corruption). Or assume a man who couldn't even win a contest among lefties can win over a whole country of everyones, even using the same tactics as the GOP (which he did). And still lost. He's not even good at it. Oh, sure, he tried the divisiveness and the "us vs. them" rhetoric, the hate-the-rich mantra, then moved on to the smear the one with governance experience by insisting that there's nothing worse for the country than knowledge and experience. That was quite the logical fallacy. And he failed conclusively so that everyone knew it (but him and his most rabid followers).<br />
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Now, personally, I'd love to forget about Bernie. Not only has he lost all relevance sometime in April, but he's a never been, rather than a has-been, and knows diddly poo about leading because, if he did, he wouldn't be tearing the DNC apart under the guise of "unity." But, sometimes, even someone not worth one's time says something that just can't go unchallenged, and this is especially so now that the DNC has (idiotically) embraced them as their messiah: tossing away civil rights as if it's something we can pick up later, no problem, once the "real" problems are dealt with. <br />
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That's total horseshit. Not just because those civil rights for immigrants, Muslims (and Jews, too), blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, women, LGBTQ, disabled people, the elderly, are all on the chopping block while Bernie whines about corruption, though they are, but also because this is what separates us from everyone else. Not just the GOP. If the DNC decides, "Oh, we're not going to even try on this stuff now. We'll get back to it," there will be nothing to stop the wholesale dismantling of more than a half-century of hard-won progress because there is no one else defending it, no one else standing up for it, no one else who gives a shit. <br />
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As soon as you make the human rights of any citizen of this nation negotiable, something we can live without, no one is safe. As soon as you take away a woman's autonomy over her own body, she is less than human, not even able to decide her own life. As soon as you tell a black man, "Suck it up, the new minimum wage (which will never happen) will help you, too," without any cognizance that he can't get a good education without improvements, will find himself in jail on trumped up charges, or otherwise marginalized from the potential he might otherwise have had, you have become complacent that he'll never be treated as a full human being, deserving human decency<br />
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And that's the thing. Bigotry isn't just cruel and mean-spirited. It's STUPID.<br />
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Let me repeat that in case you missed it. It's STUPID. You can't marginalize half and more of your population without the country, as a whole, suffering for it. That potential, the minds and ideas and breakthroughs and culture and classics and everything that will never come to pass make the world that much darker. For what? So some fat cat somewhere can get a second yacht?<br />
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Stupid. Bad governance. <br />
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And suicide for the DNC because, right now, the blocks that come out, year after year to help them in the voting booth are women and minorities. Not because the Dems have always given them all they want, but because they'll at least try, because everything different between now and when "colored only" was a common sign, happened because the Dems fought for it. <br />
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If the Dems tell them, "Hey, you're really not worth it," not only will these still-marginalized people have no one to protect them, but the Dems will have lost the people who were most loyal to them. <br />
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And we'll have deserved it.<br />
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<span class="_5yl5">This whole notion is so illogical and asinine, so utterly self-destructive, it stinks to high heaven of GOP anti-logic and manipulation. I don't know about you but I'm sick to death of being manipulated by the stupid party. So, DNC, stop it. It's embarrassing.</span> <br />
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So, what do we do? <br />
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Guess that will have to do with the next post. Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-12699236124085144772017-04-04T22:21:00.001-05:002017-04-04T22:25:51.395-05:00Screw the Gimmicks; We Need to be Fighting for SubstanceFacebook, if nothing else, often provides me food for thought. Not because I'm dealing with idiots--because I don't deal with idiots any more; fresh out of patience for that nonsense--but from people I like, admire, appreciate who say something that, the more I think about it, the less I agree.<br />
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As one might guess, a good portion of the thinking public is trying to wrack their brains to figure out how they can (a) minimize the damage from the Trumpster Fire currently in office and (b) change the dynamic drastically in the next election so we can limit it further and perhaps even start on the long ugly slog of cleanup. <br />
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Of course, that means hashing and rehashing "what Hillary did wrong" but, hey, "we're not attacking her." And I get the rationale for trying to find ways of dumbing down our complex messages and weighty dreams into palatable chunks for the electorate so they feel special this time. I totally get why they're doing it. I even applaud the intent. <br />
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I just think it's wrong. It's not only wrong to do, it's going in the wrong direction and we've done too much of that already. <br />
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This past election was a war between actual meaningful verifiable substance and celebrity hateful garbage that didn't even pretend it was real. And the latter won, not by much, but by enough. <br />
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It's not the first time I've heard this cry: it's the same battle between climate change scientists and deluded deniers, healthcare practitioners vs. the rabid and totally debunked antivaxxers who insist that killing your child is better than autism, economic realists begging us not to once again try tactics that <i>always</i> end in abysmal ugly failure but sound good to the people who will get no benefits ("Lower taxes!"), those who realize that vilifying a religion is not how you get rid of terrorists, it's how you make 'em, etc, etc, etc. <br />
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These battles shouldn't be battles at all because the war between substance and empty rhetoric should be a shoo-in for substance, especially with the overwhelming data for any culture that wants, hey, a future of any kind. <br />
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And yet...<br />
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And that's why, finding the right gimmick, the right tagline, the right front man even if he (always a he) has got no depth is the wrong direction to pursue. Because, as soon as we become the party that says gimmicks are better than substance, we're no different than the other party. Once substance doesn't matter, once the truth doesn't matter, once the reality of governance becomes less importance than someone with snappy lines at the podium, it's only a matter of time and no one will be defending substance. <br />
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Sound extreme? It's not. I come from a scientific background. That's why I know the "scientists can't be trusted" nonsense is just that. If you're smart enough to be a scientist, believe me you could get rich quicker in many other fields if you were willing to compromise your integrity. Science is all about finding the truth, the how and why, the substance in the laws of nature that rule our existence so we can manipulate them or use them to the best effect. You can't go looking for the truth by ignoring it in favor of glam. Unlike politics, in the world of science, a <i>single</i> fudged study or manipulated result gets you exiled forever. You can have wild theories and hypothesis, but fake thedata and pretend it's real: you're outa there. Because every lie, every misrepresentation of the truth hides the substance and makes openings for more falsity to come and obscure reality and delegitimizes the good hard work they do. <br />
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Climate science doesn't need to find a new more straightforward way of explaining what's happening. What's happening is pretty straightforward: our crazy energy usage (primarily fossil fuels) is dumping shitloads of CO2 into the environment which makes the environment not only hotter but more volatile and chaotic, kills ecosystems in the water and, even worse, threatens Disneyworld. The specifics are complicated, but the general message: burning oil, coal and natural gas (at least that we don't make ourselves) is killing us off and we need to stop doing so. It's not that the layman can't grasp that message, it's that he's been offered an alternative and we've let that be acceptable. "It's fine. Nothing to worry about. The earth does this all the time. Let's dig some more wells, and, hey, don't lift a finger to find ways to save <i>yourself </i>money, reduce your energy usage, change sources, etc."<br />
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Well, no worries, then. All such a man needed was a viable alternative to believe and its complete lack of substance doesn't matter because there's no penalty for things that have no substance. They get the same (or more) air time so it <i>must</i> be legit.<br />
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We don't need to dumb down our message. We <i>shouldn't</i> dumb down the message. Governance is a hard task. We shouldn't have stupid people in positions of power. We shouldn't have people that are bought and paid for in positions of power. We shouldn't have people who ignore science and reality and substance to convince their constituents to elect them in a position of power. <br />
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And the reason they are there is because too many of us have stopped defending substance, have been all accommodating when someone trots out something that's demonstrably false instead of blasting them or laughing them off the stage, off the screen, off the newspaper. If I'm coming on a news show to explain the established facts of climate change, I don't need some paid shill up there tossing a snowball around like that means anything and we shouldn't continue to support shows that do so, we shouldn't read papers that do so, we shouldn't take as serious contenders anyone who does so. <br />
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And that's a much harder task because the celebrity depthless crap has become established as reality, that's why people can still talk about how Obama was a bad president or Reagan was a good one. <br />
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Tens of millions of people supported Hillary because they knew she had the chops to do the job. The background, the experience, the fortitude to withstand the horrific elements that come with the job, the understanding that answers are rarely simple binary yes or no's when we come face to face with complex problems that have short term and long term implecations. She was substance and this country repudiated her. <br />
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We have to change that, not find someone who will impress the same idgets that repudiated her but make them see that substance matters, that truth matters, that reality matters. Trump should help with that, he and his Congressional phalanxes of soulless jerks rubbing their hands with glee at the notion of taking away food from school children and old folks. We have the opportunity to say: "This is what you get when substance doesn't matter. When the truth doesn't matter. When reality doesn't matter. Suffering and damage that may take generations to recover from, if, in fact we do." And that's what we should say. Not that we'll try our own version of bullshit to see if we can compete.<br />
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We can't. They've been doing bullshit way longer and know how to tweak our bullshit to favor themselves. They've got a pipeline that stinks around the world. As they did in this last election.<br />
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Instead, we have to staunchly defend capability and know-how, science and reality, facts and humanity. Even if it isn't easy because that's what makes us different. That's what makes real progress. That's what makes change. Fighting for reality and walking the walk. <br />
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And the only way to do that is to eschew anyone who humors the bullshit. Anyone who gets all even-handed with lies instead of reality. Anyone who gives equal credence to nonsense, especially harmful nonsense, but really any nonsense. Turn off their shows. Write in to the papers. Make them back claims. Challenge when they misrepresent scientific studies. Don't back down when stereotypes against this group or that group get trotted out. We're all one people and we only succeed if we all succeed. Every other methods <i>always</i> ends ugly. That's historically factual. Some haven't ended yet, but you can see it coming. <br />
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And it will be coming for us, because a country that refuses to govern itself on substance deserves to fail. And will. If we don't want it to, we, as the electorate have got to change or we'll have the end we deserve. <br />
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Oh, and speaking of reality, <a href="https://extranewsfeed.com/hey-bernie-supporters-stop-forcing-democrats-to-agree-to-the-lie-that-the-primary-was-rigged-161d082e390d">can we stop pretending Hillary didn't win the primary</a>? Let's be on the side of truth, shall we?Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-55642256083355854352017-03-27T21:40:00.000-05:002017-03-28T19:45:12.519-05:00Dems Need to Drop the Double StandardYeah, yeah, it's late. Take it up with management.<br />
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<i>So, wait, </i>you may be thinking, weren't you just talking about double standards last blog post. (If you think I was nagging, go back and read it again. It clearly didn't sink in). Yes and no. Obviously the double standard that comes with misogyny is a big part of what helped put Trump in the White House.<br />
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But that's only part of the problem.<br />
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Dems/liberals/progressives have a serious problem. Not <i>just</i> that much of the country, whether we like it or not, is apparently hateful, ignorant or both--though that's pretty frustrating. No, we're also our own worst enemy.<br />
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Despite the abysmal failure of Republican policies when implemented, despite the historical failure of Republican policies, particularly economically, despite the overt cruelty inherent in many of the Republican policies and their fingerprints on several of the huge problems Obama inherited that people hated, they've managed to win a large foothold in local, state, and federal governments while they've been failing. That's absolutely mind-boggling to a thinking person as myself, especially with the heinous results seen to date. And then they get more power. How is that possible?<br />
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Propaganda is part of it, but there's something else that's key. When Republicans have a candidate, even one that tips their scales in sleaze, corruption or stupidity, they will still get plenty of support if they agree with one of several "pet" positions that have next to nothing to do with actually doing a decent job: abortion, gun regulation, gay rights. Those supporters don't expect perfection or even a modicum of humanity, which might explain the slippery slope of buffoon/psychopath/freaking criminal their candidates have taken over the years until we have the morass of incompetent cruelty we have now. That's insane.<br />
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But, no matter how we pretend it was all them, part of it was us, because liberals, too often, are the opposite of conservatives in terms of how we vote. We can agree with almost everything someone stands for, but one vote we don't like, one position we don't agree with, one decision that didn't pan out, and we turn our backs on our own candidates. <br />
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Think I'm talking about Hillary? Well, she fits, too, but it's much bigger than that. <br />
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Let's talk about Obama, handed two horrific failures of wars, (and the terrorist organizations growing as a result), the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and a concerted campaign aided and abetted by MSM to treat him like the anti-Christ. In amazingly short order, the worst of his crises had begun to reverse themselves and he managed to pull off as close to universal healthcare as our Congress would let him. He is not only intelligent, thoughtful, level-headed, strategic, and compassionate, as well as a hard worker (all key components for someone in his position), he is an expert in the Constitution, articulate, a great speaker, handsome, and an unabashedly devoted family man. Babies love him to an unprecedented level. <br />
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How did we reward this amazing man who took us from very maw of extreme failure and even gave us some key accomplishments? We freaking elected a red Congress. So, the many other accomplishments of his Presidency: gay marriage, drastically reducing our dependence on foreign oil, drastically increasing our efforts into green energy, putting some backbone into environmental regulations, imposing restrictions on banking to help preclude another collapse, Iran peace deal, Environmental accord, mending some very broken fences with allies around the world, even (gasp!) the TPP to help keep China from undercutting our future (but, hey, brainiacs, congrats on ruining that. Guess y'all want to be fry cooks) all had to be done without support. And, thanks to a grateful nation making his Congress increasingly red so that he couldn't even fill a SCOTUS seat (as if that was reasonable), he did it all almost single-handedly. <br />
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He should be treated as a bloody miracle, at least by the left, especially given the level of vilification on the right. The treatment he received, not just by the extremist "conservative" (racist) media, but tacitly accepted and reinforced my main stream media, down-played his incredible strengths and magnified even the tiniest misstep as if it were malicious, corrupt, or inept. And much of the left totally bought into that. The longest streak of job growth in history was blown off. Not good enough. More people insured than ever before and people with preexisting conditions, completely excluded from health care options before, could now find coverage. Not good enough.<br />
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Even his strongest supporters felt they had to make caveats, "He's a great president if only..." Does that mean I agree with all his choices? Why should I? I don't agree with all of <i>anyone's</i> choices, not my ex-husband's, not my mother's, not my daughters'. We're individuals. That's how things get worked out among grownups, we use our differences and our bits of commonness to work for the common good. That's how real people get things done, whether it's a craft club, a family, or any other organization. Dissenters are not tossed out the window summarily. We don't have to agree with everything. We're people. <br />
<br />
Folks, that's what will keep us from being successful. Good men, good women will suddenly face a huge wave of truly amazing hatred by their fellow liberals if they don't agree on every topic, if they use their actual experience, knowledge, or judgment to do things they think best and others don't agree. That is also insane. <br />
<br />
It's not just the far right that insists on perfection in liberal politicians but still have the warm fuzzies for their own even if they turn out to be pedophiles. The left also insists on perfection and gives the same pass to the right by normalizing monsters to the same level as devoted and capable people. <br />
<br />
People aren't perfect. They make mistakes and the smart ones learn from them. As long as we insist on someone who pretends to be perfect, we'll be split from those who notice the lack of perfection and therefore reject, and those who understand that wanting perfection is stupid (and doomed to disappointment). How about competence and integrity instead? Because the other side not only is willing to vote for the woefully incompetent, they're apparently willing to keep doing so in the hopes that eventually pans out. <br />
<br />
Someone has got to be smarter than that. I'd like it to be the people who care about the future and many of the most vulnerable groups in this nation. Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-72762294831052990112017-03-18T18:24:00.000-05:002017-03-19T08:53:06.183-05:00Stop Telling Me Hillary Gave Us Trump<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I've mostly stepped off the politics for a while, not just because the current administration not only makes me physically ill with their hateful callousness and cluelessness, not just because I feel helpless at this stage to do anything about it, but because I feel like this country literally kicked me in the gut with their choice for top executive, me and every capable, talented, hard-working, meticulous woman who has ever tried to meet every impossible standard and been deemed lacking while some know-nothing moron with the "right" plumbing took the job. Nor was it just a slap in the face for accomplished women everywhere (and, no, I don't think it's any better than many of the women slapped themselves) but also a direct attack on poor people, LGBT, Muslims, Jews, blacks, Latinos, immigrants in general (including those here legally) and disabled people. I felt like my own country, which I loved, had repudiated me, had repudiated all of us. I have never felt so betrayed.<br /><br />So, if you intend to tell me to get over it, you're on the wrong page. I won't delete your comment, but I will make you wish you hadn't made it. You've been warned. </span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">However, as the real horror, the implications of having a hateful, self-serving, corrupt idiot in the most important job in the government tied with a Congress that has proven itself just as hateful, self-serving, and corrupt in the only position to provide a check to him letting him have a free hand, sinks in, even to the people who supported him (well some of them), the great finger-pointing mess has begun. Far too many folks, especially those who should know better, are rushing to point the finger at Hillary for not being good enough. </span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Oh, no, that's not what happened. I've
been the smart one in the room. I've been at the table where everyone
agreed that my data was best and my conclusions were logical but, hey,
we weren't going to do that anyway. I saw this election as a repudiation
by <i>my</i> country of everything *I* am, not just Hillary. I watched her
every step. She did everything right, and, had every step second-guessed
by phalanxes of noisy pundits telling her (and more importantly <i>us</i>)
what she <i>ought</i> to be doing - often insisting on completely opposite
advice. And usually wanting her to do what someone else was doing and
failing. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span></span></span>The supreme irony of blaming her is that the very same people who undercut her, refused to explain her many many strengths, in fact deliberately kept them hidden, are the same folks whining that she didn't do enough. So, not only for every Trump voter, but for every voter who stayed home, every idget who piously threw their votes away on equally know-nothing but possibly less hateful third party candidates, to every newspaper and, especially, news show who peed yourselves in glee to go on endlessly about Hillary's every perceived imperfection while ignoring Trump's total dishonesty, greed and deviancy and equally ignoring Hillary's impressive resume of real verifiable accomplishments and detailed plans to do more, but also those folks, even if you voted for Hillary, who couldn't keep yourself from making a dig at her at every opportunity, let me just say:</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span>Fuck you.<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
I mean, I could say it more kindly and cleverly and try to cut you down with logic and reason, but, y'know, you weren't listening before the election. I don't expect it would make an impression on you now.<br />
<br />
You might think that's too harsh, but I don't think it's harsh enough considering the pain you'll be inflicting on the most vulnerable in this country. The children whose educations you've destroyed. The old people you'll be starving. The sick people you've left to die unnecessarily. The environment you've murdered irretrievably in the forlorn and dangerous hope that your son can also become a coal miner. Every black man who knows no one will be standing up for his rights when he gets hurt. Every little girl in the country who just learned, firsthand, that no matter what she does, how accomplished she becomes, how intelligent she is, how perfectly she dots every i or crosses every t, she'll be passed over to suit the whims of the total and unabashed asshole with no accomplishments, skills or human decency. Every Muslim child who is treated like a monster. Every Jew who sees his synagogue defaced or left burning. Every immigrant child or child with a Latino name who is treated like a criminal. Every gay teen left beaten and battered because the hateful feel vindicated in their hatred.<br />
<br />
You have used your freedom to potentially destroy these peoples' dreams and possibly their lives. Yeah, you'll suffer, too, but that's not quite enough for justice.Your choice; your responsibility. That's the real price of freedom.<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
But one thing I won't stand for is you pretending Hillary was the problem when this nightmare is one you brought on <i>yourselves</i>. You media being belittled and squashed. You poor people finding out your only lifelines are being eliminated because you had to vote with your worst instincts. The GOP and the media have spent twenty-five years vilifying a woman who has done more good than most people in the world. This is all on you. <br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">And spare me how she could have handled it better, that she lost "bigly".</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br />Just
the notion is absurd, and I noticed this in 2008, when Hillary had nearly as many
votes as President Obama in the primary. For months--<u><i>years</i></u>--all I could
hear was how she totally flubbed it. <br /><br />No one says
that about Sanders this race, even though he lost by a relative mile. No
one said it about Romney or McCain (well, except noting his VP choice)
when they lost to Obama - how they totally flubbed it, even though they
both lost, er, bigly. <br /><br />But when Hillary loses, even
if it's spurious, even if she does so well she's a hair breadth's away,
it's all about how she totally failed, flubbed it, screwed up. Even
during the most winningest moments in the campaign, primary and general,
every article about her went into a long litany of what was wrong with
her and why people hated her. <br /><br />Didn't seem to occur to anyone that constantly being told how hated she was might have been an eensy teensy factor. <br /><br />To
be frank, given the constant bombardment of bad press, backhanded
compliments, even pro-pieces, filled with caveats and subtle digs, it's
probably more amazing how she continually did so well, connected,
without fanfare, to so many millions of people while everyone was busy
not noticing. Amazing. But, since we insisted on perfection for women, still not good enough.<br /><br />That's how I see it. I am not alone in this thinking. There are a few other voices in the wilderness who get it, like <a href="https://anitafinlay.com/how-sexism-upended-an-election-and-why-it-wont-change/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-hillary-lost-the-great-american-lie_us_584da08ce4b0151082221ca2">here</a>. <br /><br />So, why is this important? Why harp on it? Because if we don't recognize the real criminals in this, the real reason why this country will be brought to the brink of ruin (if not tipped over), we can never do better. It wasn't Hillary. It's us. Trump is the president this country deserves. We deserved him because we refused to educate ourselves and let our blind hatred do our talking for us. Don't give me your sob story about how Hillary should have wooed you specifically or how disheartened you are that immigrants are taking your jobs (they're not). You brought this on yourselves and, if you want this country to be the great country it could be, you're going to have to take a look in the mirror and change your ways.<br /><br />Trump won, at least in part because his
hatefulness resonated with a large part of the populace. Partly because
he's cultivated a persona of being smart and wealthy, no matter how
belied by facts, and partly because the folks in this country, including
plenty of women, are willing to believe the worst of a woman and the
best of a man, no matter the evidence. I wish that wasn't so, but it
clearly is.</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">If we survive this, it will be because we learned something. Because, if we don't, we don't deserve to survive.</span></span>Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-65545292411068983352017-03-11T22:45:00.000-06:002017-03-11T22:45:01.415-06:00Reality Can Trump Fiction...<br />
And nowhere I know of is that more true than in biology. Folks, there's some freakish stuff out there. <br />
<br />
Some years ago, early in my blogging days, a fellow blogging nerd (that was the name of her blog: Observations of a Nerd) posted a series called <a href="http://observationsofanerd.blogspot.com/search?q=Sci-fi">"This Week's Sci-Fi Worthy Parasite."</a> She was/is a marine biologist and moved on, but the blog is still in place with all it's glories intact. <br />
<br />
Yeah, sure, you can get nightmares watching zombie movies or reading about real serial killers (I can recommend a good book but I know I can't read but a few pages at a time: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Hunting-Humans-Encyclopedia-Modern-Killers/dp/1559500263/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1489288734&sr=8-3&keywords=Hunting+Humans"><i>Hunting Humans: An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers</i></a>), but, if you REALLY want to never sleep again and curl up with your eyelids held open with toothpicks and a can of Raid in either hand, check out her blog.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/D._hominis_larva.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/D._hominis_larva.png" /></a></div>
<br />
Included in her honest-to-God real world of actual nasties are:<br />
<ul>
<li>flies that turn ants into zombies before decapitating them (Phorid Flies) - these are actually under consideration for fire ant control.</li>
<li>Parasitic wasps which not only eat catapillars and maggots from the inside out, but coat their eggs with a virus to disable the host's immune system and castrate it. Before the caterpillar finishes up, he'll spin a cocoon to protect his invaders and even defend them 'til they finally take him down. There's a spider killer that makes the spider build it a nice platform for the cocoon. (she really likes the parasitic wasps)</li>
<li>Lice (not talking about it or I'll start to itch)</li>
<li>Human botfly where mosquitoes deliver a human flesh-eating parasite (there are videos)</li>
<li>Schistosomiasis where bunches of burrowing parasites travel through our blood systems and infest our liver, copulating and generally having a blood bender at our expense.</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Naegleria_fowleri_lifecycle_stages.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Naegleria_fowleri_lifecycle_stages.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The brain-eating amoeba Naegleria Fowleri (shown up in a couple of medical shows but the transmission method and survivability was whacked) - this is ameobic meningitis and it takes no prisoners because it tells your brain it belongs there and your brain goes, "never mind then" until it's too late. I wanted to infect a character with this and let him survive, but my husband absolutely put his foot down. No amoebas were going to eat his favorite character's brain. They are bad to the bone, though.</li>
<li>The loa loa worm, aka the African eye worm. Do I have to explain?</li>
<li>Cookie cutter sharks that literally take a divot of flesh from the unsuspecting</li>
<li>Hairworm - using zombie control again, this time on grasshoppers its eaten from the inside</li>
<li>The Mountain Acon Blue Butterfly which convinces red ants to drop everything and feed it like a queen using her forms of chemical and aural communication.</li>
<li>Pearlfish that literally make their homes in the anuses of sea cucumbers and starfish (and, some of them chow down on their hosts while they're there. No need to go out for dinner. We'll eat in.)</li>
<li>A parasite that "kills" a fish's tongue and then takes it's place, acting like a normal tongue and keeping the fish alive for further feeding.</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Cymothoa_exigua_parassita_Lithognathus_mormyrus.JPG/1280px-Cymothoa_exigua_parassita_Lithognathus_mormyrus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Cymothoa_exigua_parassita_Lithognathus_mormyrus.JPG/1280px-Cymothoa_exigua_parassita_Lithognathus_mormyrus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The human (and other flesh) eating screwworm, basically maggots that favor living flesh, or at least until they're through with it. (Yuck)</li>
<li>The toothpick fish which is attracted to ammonia products and attach itself via spines to dig it's way in until it reaches a blood vessel. That's some pretty painful digging whether your its intended prey (fish) or a human. </li>
</ul>
Really, you could read for hours. I'm having to stop myself .<br />
<br />
Now, I've mentioned them before, but, here's the good part, trying to find them again allowed me to stumble over another collection of biological oddities: <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/absurd-creature-of-the-week/">Absurd Creature of the Week on Wired</a>. Jackpot! Not just parasites (though those, too) but all kinds of odd critters. You don't even have to be a writer to have a good time. <br />
<br />
Actually, both the blog and the column on Wired are very entertaining reading in addition to being educational. And, on that note, I'll leave you with this video. <br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/st8-EY71K84/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/st8-EY71K84?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
You're welcome.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-74648806058398645592017-03-05T21:41:00.000-06:002017-03-05T21:41:11.150-06:00Rocket Scientist is going to be revived!First, some blog news for a change. For those of you hardy souls who still check back or follow or haven't entirely given up on it, good news, I'm still alive and I'm going to start updating it more regularly. I <i>like</i> talking about this, that and the other. Lord knows I'm opinionated enough. No reason I can't share it here on my blog where someone might actually want to read it. (I've always been a dreamer).<br />
<br />
There will be some science stuff. Some politics (stop groaning; it's not like I elected him!). Some general philosophy. Whatever, really, just like it's always been and hopefully no less entertaining. <br /><br />Still will make note of new releases as they happen, but it will not longer be the focus. I won't be posting daily--got
three blogs and a girl's gotta sleep--but I'll try to post something at
least weekly. <br /><br />
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2cv8j" data-offset-key="803io-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="803io-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="803io-0-0"><span data-text="true">For
those who are still deeply interested in the writing itself, but don't
like checking back on blogs and stuff, I'm starting a monthly
newsletter. You can sign up on the right. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2cv8j" data-offset-key="bo592-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bo592-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bo592-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="87i1q-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="87i1q-0-0"><span data-text="true">You'll
get notifications of new releases and the single monthly newsletter and
that's IT, but only to people who signed up, who actually want to know
all that. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2cv8j" data-offset-key="84ii6-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="84ii6-0-0">
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="amvu7-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="amvu7-0-0"><span data-text="true">The
newsletter will include some insight into my writing, why I love it,
what I think about it and what I like or don't like, a handy reference
for all my existing books and news about forthcoming events, and an
original short story so my "fans" can get a first look on my stories. I
want it to be fun and hope it will be because, though I hate "marketing"
I love interacting with people and sharing things I hope they'll like. </span></span></div>
</div>
<br /><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2cv8j" data-offset-key="603oi-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="603oi-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="603oi-0-0"></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2cv8j" data-offset-key="4srup-0-0">
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<span data-offset-key="4srup-0-0"><span data-text="true">If you're one of the people interested, sign up. I will not be using your email for any other purpose.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d9k96-0-0"><span data-text="true">First Newsletter will go on next Friday, March 10.</span></span></div>
</div>
Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-41928708889655331332017-02-09T11:38:00.003-06:002017-02-09T11:40:49.000-06:00Saving Tessa: Now it's Science Fiction!I have reworked Saving Tessa to be a science fiction YA adventure (though it was
close to that already).<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7VjRfx5vDhosND4Pz846btUBZhBCOi-piS2UMWKhkaBnr4TXN9cOTG6oOq2m6GAmm9aw9NxMRXQdMLbdfGv-53Latr3F1NDPzMm9x4b0qmIBe7eLtaUfhwtZgN-HuofezOfRnShBLCU/s1600/Saving+Tessa2_RK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7VjRfx5vDhosND4Pz846btUBZhBCOi-piS2UMWKhkaBnr4TXN9cOTG6oOq2m6GAmm9aw9NxMRXQdMLbdfGv-53Latr3F1NDPzMm9x4b0qmIBe7eLtaUfhwtZgN-HuofezOfRnShBLCU/s320/Saving+Tessa2_RK.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyMk25DRr2Ew5tgyUOYQAKj8W6qdzzzzYcaBPvMwoRWeAGcnRad0Bwfqi4BcRZXiUVRJLLxoZLOQy3dkiDJSfgUHn3AZiVxUVc02IwnY_qVO3qECTvGY6DQJXtQPLrK2_rqiZdyhnRrU/s1600/saving+tessa+mock+up.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyMk25DRr2Ew5tgyUOYQAKj8W6qdzzzzYcaBPvMwoRWeAGcnRad0Bwfqi4BcRZXiUVRJLLxoZLOQy3dkiDJSfgUHn3AZiVxUVc02IwnY_qVO3qECTvGY6DQJXtQPLrK2_rqiZdyhnRrU/s320/saving+tessa+mock+up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the year 2045, smart tech is
everywhere, much of it devised by the teenage prodigy Dylan Chroz. But
being at the top of the technical world means being in demand.
Sometimes, by people who should be looking out for you. Sometimes, by
people who won't take no for an answer.<br />
<br />
Tessa alone makes Dylan's life more th<span class="text_exposed_show">an schematics and computers, a spot of vibrant color and irrepressible life in a dreary world of users and frauds. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
So what do you do when someone steals your girl to make you perform
your technical wizardry on their sketchy hardware? Do you curl up and
cry? Do what they want? Defy them? Or do you outsmart them and do your
damnedest to smoke out every one of them so they never can do this
again?</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> That is, if Tessa doesn't beat you to it.</span></blockquote>
Also, as with <a href="http://rockets-r-us.blogspot.com/2017/02/curse-of-jenri-is-out.html">Curse of the Jenri</a>, I'm going to make it available in
book form. Proof is on it's way to me now and I'll announce it when it's
available. Eventually, I'll do this with all my books, but I'm excited
about this one because I have a character frighteningly like me there.<br />
<br />
Thanks for the gorgeous cover by Ryn Katryn.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PTTTIJ6">Amazon</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483926">Smashwords</a><br />
<br />
One of the things I did with this story when I moved it to 2045 is work on a post-Trumpian recovery. I found it therapeutic.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-56856299396174993452017-02-04T18:32:00.002-06:002017-02-04T18:38:40.658-06:00Curse of the Jenri is OUT!Curse of the Jenri is now OUT, out in ebook and, for the first time,
I'm going to be putting it out in print as well. I got the proof, my
first ever, today! I'm so excited (so no print now but soon; I'll keep
you posted). You can find it on amazon and smashwords and it should soon
be available at Barnes and Nobles, Kobo and the iStore. Links for
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ND0KZ3T">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/699971">Smashwords</a> are available now<br />
<br />
.<br />
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Finally, a Sword & Sorcery epic like it ought to be: manly hero who swings a massive sword and stumbles <span class="text_exposed_show">into
spells, lovely wife who can kick his ass, a fleet of fiery and fierce
compatriots, dastardly villains with vile intents, even griffons, all
that and a dragonet. Oh, and six kittens. Because every manly man needs
kittens, right?</span><br />
<br />
RIGHT?!?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6mN6xLDGDZMdhv_Y9BMagnflAQq55UsIfAzCwUdDY6O1DVC9azjeFE_E5uh4dp7DNvgi5HjW0rQDIp4fOLqvJ5J3TyI5mletLlNOURV-_TS6XP2qwuZWrGfs927oPgixj-qXUd2mchEv/s1600/Curse+of+the+Jenri+-+Stephanie+Barr+R1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6mN6xLDGDZMdhv_Y9BMagnflAQq55UsIfAzCwUdDY6O1DVC9azjeFE_E5uh4dp7DNvgi5HjW0rQDIp4fOLqvJ5J3TyI5mletLlNOURV-_TS6XP2qwuZWrGfs927oPgixj-qXUd2mchEv/s640/Curse+of+the+Jenri+-+Stephanie+Barr+R1.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
Or, alternatively,<br />
<br />
The world of the Jenri is a dangerous, primitive world, where women are prized as
chattel, but the Jenri women, every one from the eldest archivist to the
smallest babe, strike fear into battle-hardened mercenary hearts. It is a world
where battle steeds are mythical beasts and magic is as deadly a weapon as a
sword. Those who wield both are doubly dangerous and those who cross them are
thrice damned. The Jenri are mistresses of all these things. If you love one of
these marvelous women, you must best her in a contest of her choosing to win
her love in return.<br />
<br />
These were women who needed no one to take care of them. Until now.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t enough that Jenri women had been stolen, including his wife, Layla It
wasn't enough that those who had stolen them had nefarious plans. And
phenomenal magic powers. And could escape in seconds. And an underground
fortress in the midst of frozen mountains so cold Tander was afraid he’d
shatter if he stumbled one more time. It wasn’t enough that he was surrounded
by angry husbands worried about their wives and willing to take their tempers
out on him if he was leading them in the wrong direction. It wasn’t enough that
he was also surrounded by the remaining women from his tribe who were equally angry
and more than capable of kicking his butt.<br />
<br />
No, on top of all those little issues, he discovered he's no longer “just” an
extraordinary swordsman, but also a great and powerful sorcerer with absolutely
no idea how to use his powers. He was not just any sorcerer, either, but one
chosen by six tiny kitten familiars who <i>did</i> know how to use his powers
and who had no problem telling him. All the time. While they demanded to be carried
all over his person, purring and taking inopportune naps. He didn’t want these
powers or a flock of noisy but helpful kittens, but he was going to need them.
He'd need all the skills and talents he and his companions possess in order to
save their women—and Layla.<br />
<br />
<i>But we love you, Tander!</i> Solace insisted, purring and licking his neck.<br />
<br />
Things have <i>got</i> to get better soon.
Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-26573186045345324062016-10-26T23:20:00.000-05:002016-10-26T23:20:36.016-05:00Hillary's Human Sacrifice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Now, before you Hillary haters drown in your own saliva at the notion that – <i>finally </i>– someone's going to admit that Hillary slaughters people for entertainment and feasts on their entrails, I've got things two things to tell you, (a) that's not what I mean by that and (b) your tin foil hats are on <i>way</i> too tight. You might want to unscrew that from your noggin and check it for leaking brain matter. Also, seek help.<br />
<br />
No, when I'm talking about sacrifice, I'm talking the altruistic, totally generous, amazing sacrifice Hillary is making right here, right now to be the first female president. She's fighting tooth and nail to do it, for our sakes, for our benefit, for the good of not only this country but especially the hard-working totally under-represented and overlooked female population in this country. She is totally taking one for the team, and it's a big, painful, soul-scouring "one" indeed and no one knows that better than Hillary herself. She's already been through the valley of death, seen, up close and personal, the hideous maw of malevolence and filth that any woman who steps beyond the role men have long dreamed up for them at the heights of power will face not just getting elected, but every hate-filled day of her presidency. She knows just how horrific what she'll face is, and she's not only willing to go in, but fighting for it just to do so. <br />
<br />
You may not think that's bravery or self-sacrifice, but, to me, she's throwing herself on a grenade for the rest of us. As I've listened to the inflated claims of her evil, the insistence that she's every kind of corrupt and cruel, which is totally at odds with a readily verifiable lifetime of public service for the good of others, as I've listened to pundits dismissing her knowledge and experience, her patience and even temperament, her plans and past accomplishments as if they're insignificant next to this or that victimless triviality, as I've listened to even supportive and well-meaning pundits and read journalists trying to make the case for her, but always with caveats and admissions she's imperfect (in case we forgot despite them being blasted 24/7 into our ears for 18 months) like you can't praise an accomplished, caring, knowledgeable, experienced, seasoned candidate without going into a litany of her flaws, I've realized you can't, apparently, if she's a woman. (Though I read plenty of gushing stories about Bernie Sanders and he's no more flawless than anyone else. As we've seen, it's fine to not remind the reader/viewer of those flaws every sentence - unless you're a woman.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
I realized the size and scope of the culture in this country against women, this campaign, in a way I didn't before. Oh, I knew about it, lived some of it, though I've not suffered it as much as many women, not by a long shot. It's not just women haters and Republicans. It's not just the obvious discomfort many people (including some women) have with women in power, but it's the readiness of so many people, men and women, to absolutely unequivocally believe the absolute worst about a woman without so much as a shred of evidence, despite the mountains of contrary evidence. The culture (of both men and women) that assumes the absolute worst spin on a woman <i><b>must </b></i>be true. A suspicion voiced, however preposterous, is presumed a conviction even if proven innocent. For instance, we need to know what she said in speeches (never mind that Trump was paid four times more (unbelievably) for speeches and no one cares what he said in them). <i>But,</i> the assumption of guilt is, of course, she was offering her soul for cash despite there being no need or rationale for it to be so. In fact, that sounds ridiculous. That shouldn't take ten seconds to be tossed by the critical thinking filter but an amazing number of people <i>even today</i> are convinced she was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak to large collections of employees and basically sell herself off semi-publically for corruption. And that's asinine.<br />
<br />
Don't even get me started on an email server she used to get her freaking job done when the tools she needed (and that she asked for) were not available to do all the non-secret work that goes on in a large department while the head of said department traveling all over the world. No information stolen. No harm done. She <i>did</i> believe they were totally benign or she wouldn't have asked for them to be published publically. And if one more person tries to conflate them with generals <i>knowingly and deliberately</i> giving totally classified information to journalists as if what she did is the same, I may become homicidal. I honestly can't believe I've been hearing this brought up as if it's a legitimate concern, a legitimate blight on her judgement or honesty for more than a year. This is a trivial detail she probably didn't give ten seconds of thought and, even more importantly, that had zero adverse impact on her job or national security. Lets. Move. On. <br />
<br />
But it's everything. She doesn't speak as well as Obama or Clinton (both, I might add gifted speakers); she doesn't excite. Yeah, no, because she's using facts and actual policies instead of manipulating people emotionally. Oh, the horror. Imagine a candidate that actually appeals to one's intellect. That bitch! She doesn't tell us what she's going to do (well, she does but news organizations turned that off as boring and she has it posted in detail on her website). What has she actually accomplished? Well, yeah, all that but that's old hat. Can't sit and listen to all that, let's bring up the emails again. She has to meet impossible standards and that she manages to do so over and over again is brushed aside with the latest (unsubstantiated) conjecture. <br />
<br />
And the stories of her failure. How many times have you heard how Obama totally trounced her in 2008? That she ran a horrible campaign? Would it surprise you to know that she and Obama got within hairsbreadth of each other in terms of people voting, though he had the lead in delegates and superdelegates? But all we hear is how horrible her campaign was even though, when it comes to close, she really was in many ways. How many times did you hear that Bernie Sanders was right up there with Obama in taking her down? Or that his campaign was phenomenal by the same people that dissed her 2008 much closer run? How much false equivalence should we have to swallow when she's running against a narcissistic manipulative bigot who's made a career (but little else of value) by bragging about himself and leaving contractors and creditors holding the bag - basically, if you trusted him, you were screwed.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Whereas Hillary is self-made, as a lawyer, as a diplomat, as a politician. She's sold books and given speeches to make money for herself, then turned around with her family and used her own money and influence to help people around the world. She's fought for children and healthcare and women's rights here and around the world for thirty years (and she has the scars to prove it). She doesn't need to be president to get rich. She doesn't need to be president to get influence. She doesn't need to be president to be heard and to make a difference. <br />
<br />
But a woman needs to be president and Hillary knows what the first female president will face. Hillary has spent her whole life trying to figure out problems and solutions for them and she wants to try to get some of them put into place, and has formulated plans that use the Presidency to get many of them done. I'm sure her problem-solving, gotta-butt-in-there, wonk heart is champing at the bit to do good for the people in this country, people everywhere, she cares about. Someone has to and she's the sort of person who goes into action instead of cursing the darkness. She wants it to be her, oh, absolutely. She's built her resume and her experience for just that purpose. She's done her homework and formulated her plans. Damn straight she wants to do it. She's a doer. But, she also knows she'll be swimming upstream during her entire tenure fighting for every inch of progress and fighting against losing any ground already won. And she knows the unrelenting ugliness that will be part and parcel of her Presidency, of any woman's Presidency.<br />
<br />
We've seen the last eight years. The unprecedented obstruction of a truly great President who inherited one of the biggest sets of messes imaginable with Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran issues vying with economic tailspins here affecting everything including plenty of mainstream America, and much of the ugliness and obstruction was because he was black. Oh, they would have tried to stop him if he'd been Kerry or Gore as well, but the unrelenting vitriol, the assertions of less than humanity, of dishonesty and corruption and evil all at complete odds with this dedicated patient intelligent and educated man? That's racism right there.Can you imagine if our first black president had been a smart and capable man, but prone to hot temper or antagonism? Obama took one for the team, too, and set an example of patience and forbearance, love for his country despite the hatefulness he and his family were subjected to constantly. We were lucky to have him for a president. We were lucky that he was also the first black man in office.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Now it's Hillary. And I'm damn glad that a woman is poised to take the presidency but I'm down on my knees grateful it's Hillary that's doing it, because I can't think of another woman on this planet so poised and ready, so intimately knowledgeable about the horrible backlash she'll face as a female in power in this country. I've been called a cast iron bitch a few times in my life (not shying away from that either) but the thought of facing what Hillary's about to face scares me silly. <br />
<br />
Not Hillary. She's ready. If I'm cast iron, Hillary is Damascus steel, forged with monsoon winds, beaten and battered, heated and beaten and stronger for it. She's resilient, powerful and razor sharp. She knows what she's in for and she's going into the fray anyway, absolutely thrilled by the challenge. She knows that, as Obama did, if she gets through this intact and can accomplish even a portion of her agenda with so much stacked against her, the next woman won't be voted into office despite the fact she's a woman, no matter how badass women can be.<br />
<br />
Maybe it will be because she's a woman.<br />
<br />
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Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-53813954791919892902016-10-10T22:18:00.001-05:002016-10-10T22:22:19.366-05:00Why I Won't Waste My Time with Those That Still Are Pushing Third Parties and Other Presidential Truths You Don't Want To Hear<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For those of you (not many of you, but some
of you sometimes wander into my sphere somehow) still pushing for a third party
choice or (<i>shudder</i>) Trump, here's the nutshell version of why I'm not
"listening" to you or why I'm not wasting my time reading your
resources and stuff or arguing your nonsensical statements point by point
There is, of course, the obvious answer that a protest vote this year works to
elect Cheeto Hitler, which should be reason enough for anyone who might care
about <span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i></span> of the millions of
vulnerable people put at risk by Trump presidency to vote for Hillary, but,
even if it's not for you, I'm not listening because, even if a protest vote
didn't scare me this year, the third party candidates don't make any sense to
anyone with a modicum of critical thinking skills. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">[Note, since I'll be mentioning Trump, some of this will be crass. You've been warned] </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gary Johnson - well, he totally wants to do
the stupidest thing ever when it comes to the economy (bend over for big
business and trust the states to look out for you because that's worked so well
the past twenty years) and, of course, he's clueless on foreign <span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i></span>.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Voting for Jill Stein and any other third
party candidate that has zero experience or expertise (or support structure) or
viable plans, etc, amounts to effectively offering the most important, critical
job to a total amateur. The notion that a job as nuanced, complex, delicate,
and important as the Presidency of the United States with literally millions of
people and their livelihood at stake should be in the hands of an amateur is
mind-numbingly stupid. That's like handing a power drill and a butcher's knife
to your trash collector and going, "I think I have an aneurysm because my
head hurts. Open her up and check it out, will you?" </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStwi9XdWnUTG2mx5hyphenhyphenHeC-LHWeS2LNdM_0vJXygFfwl0jfOprTbis9CzbDySTKHe9jndLSOooZEW93vz6DP2tqt2vQdcl6oVC800mP21LV10FHbz21TIa2c-_xaCftfw_fBfOtJzpLjE/s1600/Stupid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStwi9XdWnUTG2mx5hyphenhyphenHeC-LHWeS2LNdM_0vJXygFfwl0jfOprTbis9CzbDySTKHe9jndLSOooZEW93vz6DP2tqt2vQdcl6oVC800mP21LV10FHbz21TIa2c-_xaCftfw_fBfOtJzpLjE/s400/Stupid2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To think I should entertain such notions in
all seriousness when I understand how important this job is argues you're just
not smart enough for me to talk to. Or at least you don't really appreciate the
importance of what's at stake.In fact, I think this whole notion is somewhat racist and I don't think it used to be nearly as prevalent as it became when an accomplished, well-educated, highly intelligent black man took the Presidency (when the country was aflame in more ways than one) and tamed the nightmare. For some, still steeped in the Jim Crow thinking that apparently leads to brain atrophy, if a black man can do it, anyone can. Guess, what, buddy, you're wrong. I've said we were lucky as hell to get President Obama into office when we did, and I still think so. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, since Trump's a know-nothing (and he is),
does he fit that last scenario, a well-meaning trash collector with a drill on your cranium? No, because, though he's dumb as a stump,
unlike Jill Stein and company, he doesn't even have good intentions. It's
important to realize what Trump is doing is not any different than what the GOP
top guns have been doing for years, telling you how badly you've been done
wrong, while bending you over without even the courtesy of lube. But they
mostly still pretend that's not what they're doing. All that racism and
misogyny and homophobia has been prevalent and used mercilessly by the GOP for
decades now, but they wouldn't admit that's what they were doing. They called
it pretty names like family values and traditional roles and historical norms.
Status quo. Harking back to the golden days. But they have no problem screwing
you over totally and then, when you wake up from a bender, bruised and
bleeding, telling you Obama did it. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trump fits in with that nicely, if crassly, which
is why the GOP had no real way of stopping him from being their leader because
he spoke to every angry what-about-me, every they're-not-like-us, every [white
male] America Firster directly without the hedging and subtlety that allowed
the GOP to hold on to a few rational people over the years despite their
excesses. He used the same methods, blaming the poor and immigrants and gays
and Jews and blacks and women for everything wrong with this country and he
made it work because that's what he's been doing his whole life, not just
putting himself first but misusing other people successfully. Even wrote a book
on it. He's the living embodiment of the very worst of the Republican Party
from the way he disregards facts and logic and judgement to his complete
preoccupation with self and the assertion that whoever gets screwed as a result
had it coming anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, if you're not already disgustingly rich
and therefore stand to take a short term boon from his policies or a foreign
tyrant who'd love nothing more than his own puppet in the White House, and
you're supporting Trump, you're like a not-too-bright girl, turning around to
the man currently sodomizing her and saying, "I've had this horrible pain
and lesions in my nether regions. Fox news keeps telling me I'm getting screwed
but I can't catch anyone but you GOP folks around me. Could you check it out
for me?" With Trump responding, "Absolutely. Why, that's exactly what
I came her for; I'm here to examine you closely, possibly for hours [though
chances are you'll barely feel it]. I'm sure you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> been screwed, but, of course, I can be trusted to protect you
since I always wear a condom and pull out in time and will definitely hunt down
whoever's hurt you and take them down. I could have been a proctologist any
time given how smart and caring I am. I'll let Putin take a good look, too. No
one knows assholes like Putin. Believe me. I'll never let you get screwed again
because I'm the only man you can trust."</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, yeah, if you're voting for Trump, you're
either the scum of the earth or dumb as dirt. Probably both. If you're a Trump
supporter, you're probably insanely angry at me by now. Good. Right back atcha.
When someone's holding Trump's coat while he's trying to screw a whole nation's
worth of people, you don't get to pretend you're any better. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjp50xRuyMscffhQlXIqbinvvvcU8M-xEGvwMJFYPCgAxOqEiX-6vDGXH8QfLhrpbXu9tKVQlyIL9t-_Cp5gu-G8PTckRMhLspZYeEJK9q9zwhD4l-Ku3e24384x_GgENrm-xX9Vmu3U/s1600/Dumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjp50xRuyMscffhQlXIqbinvvvcU8M-xEGvwMJFYPCgAxOqEiX-6vDGXH8QfLhrpbXu9tKVQlyIL9t-_Cp5gu-G8PTckRMhLspZYeEJK9q9zwhD4l-Ku3e24384x_GgENrm-xX9Vmu3U/s400/Dumb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"But, but," you cry, "Hillary's
so evil!" Sorry, you're just wrong. She's not. She never has been. There
is, in fact, not a shred of evidence that she's ever had so much as an evil thought.
She's been at the forefront of getting things done (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unlike every other single candidate this year</i>) since long before
she had a political position that gave her power. And in between. You may not
agree with all her choices, but that she was working to what she felt was the
greater good is pretty damn evident if you're not pulling all your sources off
of Breitbart or aren't part of the alt-right conspiracy where treating
non-white males like human beings is some sort of crime. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yeah, even those few instances where she
suggested military aggression, because it's not a black and white situation.
Maybe getting involved wasn't the best plan in Libya. The folks can tell you in
Aleppo that hands off isn't doing them a lot of good either. Best intentions
often mean you do the best you can with the information you have and hope what
you choose is better than what you didn't – and no one may ever really know
for sure whether it was. Much of what she's done is unabashedly good: real
achievements for children's health and well-being, especially some of the most
vulnerable children like foster children, poor children, black children and
handicapped children. Between that, her efforts for women, her humanitarian and
much maligned work with the Clinton Foundation, there's far more good than all
the other candidates combined. Easily. No question. Could some of what she's
done it have been done better, could we have made better choices? Perhaps.
Hindsight can sometimes show us what we couldn't know before. Sometimes there
is no way of knowing what the right answer was. But making mistakes that's also
one of the side effects of actually doing something. The only people who never
make mistakes are those that aren't doing anything. For those who insist she's
evil incarnate, I don't expect to change your mind, but, I think you're wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And the good she's done, the knowledge and
know-how she undoubtedly has, the details and methods she's built that served
her well in the Senate and equally well among the leaders of the world, mean
that, even if she's not the standard bearer you would have chosen yourself,
she's the best bet to keeping it all from coming down around our ears, as
George W. Bush proved is all too easy to do. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">She's got a message, too. She's the new
school mistress who comes into the sloppy mess of your boarding school, where
some are mistreated and some are just whining and they're better off than they
were before but damn, why can't they all have a Daddy Warbucks and make it all
better. She comes in and says, </span>"Well, we can make this better, but
isn't going to be easy and it isn't going to be quick and you'll have to
actually get your hands dirty and do your part. We'll make mistakes but we'll
learn from them and I'm hoping we'll all be better off and even a better
community when we're done. That means everyone has to be treated with dignity
and respect, not just those that have been bullied but even the bullies from
before. We're going to get smashed thumbs, and scrapes and bruises. We're going
to get sweaty and tired and may even think it can never get done. And, when I'm
through here, it won't be the Taj Mahal, but more of you will be comfortable
than when I came and I hope you'll be thinking about how to make even more of
you happy."</div>
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<br /></div>
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And, in
the end, it's really a testament to who you the voter are if that last one is
the one that scares you the most. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwS8GCTPs_IaR9BYxLuObXZYWhinUQKByUGVK5PERsw0gcDdzmjtT9N2rnGGPCij3-IQq_vi3IqnJ_Oi0DrLTLnWESLbdS0qa3CA9QHxocyYs8M7J77ZqOS1fth-1xZWAHkNN7rbyQlg/s1600/hillary_unstoppable2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwS8GCTPs_IaR9BYxLuObXZYWhinUQKByUGVK5PERsw0gcDdzmjtT9N2rnGGPCij3-IQq_vi3IqnJ_Oi0DrLTLnWESLbdS0qa3CA9QHxocyYs8M7J77ZqOS1fth-1xZWAHkNN7rbyQlg/s400/hillary_unstoppable2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-10551538572123071732016-09-24T22:04:00.000-05:002016-09-25T09:52:54.694-05:00Still think voting for Hillary Clinton isn't for you? Think again.I wrote <a href="http://rockets-r-us.blogspot.com/2016/06/busted-bernie-or-bust-what-now.html">some of this back in June</a>, when there were several progressive type folks still clinging to the hope of a Bernie miracle, but it is as relevant now so I'm keeping the bits that speak to that and adding a bit about the wisdom of flushing your vote down the toilet to prove your purity.<br />
<br />
For those of you who really wanted Bernie to win, but accepted defeat graciously or even ungraciously and will do what you can to keep Trump from turning the world into a Trumpster fire, all honor to you. I appreciate you looking past your own disappointment for the greater good. <br />
<br />
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For those of you who are Trump's followers and the soulless GOPers who will
blindly follow in lockstep (not that you'd likely be reading my blog), this isn't for you. I use long words. Truthfully, if you're voting for Trump, I can't imagine you doing so unless you're a hateful bigoted asshole or dumb as dirt. Note that those are not mutually exclusive. <br />
<br />
No, today I want to talk to that remaining pool of people who either don't intend to vote, haven't made up their mind to vote or are intending to piss their vote away on unqualified third party folks who, fortunately, have no chance of winning. I'll explain why that's fortunate in a minute. Short of having just woken from a coma, I can't understand why a decent human being, especially one that claims to be progressive or liberal), would be in this camp for any but two reasons <br />
<br />
1) Those who hate Hillary Clinton as a long list of female-related expletives
and violent threats. Guess what, you're not the feminist you claim to be (even if you're a woman) and voting for an unqualified woman (Stein) who has no chance of being president doesn't change that. You have serious misogyny issues (and, yes, women can have them) and probably are beyond my help. <br />
<br />
2) And those who feel that Hillary Clinton can't be trusted, is too dangerous,
to allow to have power. I get you don't trust her, maybe even hate her. I get you are sure she's
crooked and willing to send young men to die in wars and stuff. <br />
<br />
Take a moment and indulge in your hate. And then, if you can get it to cool, I want you to engage your brain. <br />
<br />
First, let's talk about the third party candidates. For starters, even if they were the most fabulously overqualified people on earth, you still shouldn't vote for them when Trump is in the offing. Two reasons:<br />
<br />
(1) Neither one has any real chance of winning. Seriously, no chance. Your passion won't change that.<br />
<br />
(2) Even if they were elected, they couldn't do anything they promise because they'd have zero support in Congress. Well, Johnson might get a couple of things, since much of his platform is: Big Business, let's all bend over for them. A GOP Congress will eat that up. Stein, however, has a platform built on fairy dust. Sure it would be great to make education miraculously perfect overnight, but belling that cat is a whole different story. And her big plans depend on totally gutting defense, which might sound great but ain't happening without a Congress willing to do it since they write the checks. <br />
<br />
But, as candidates, they're not very stellar either. Johnson has already made his ignorance well known (and we've already got our share of know-nothing candidates, thanks) and has a platform of basically dismantling any agency, regulation or system that does the people good and trusting that the market will take care of us. If you're progressive and vote for Johnson, you are probably too dumb to breathe and should get help immediately.<br />
<br />
Stein wants (ironically) almost exactly the same things as Hillary Clinton, except for the alternative medicine spin she puts on some of it, but has no workable plan to get it, UNLIKE Hillary. I guess she's hoping charm will make a nice substitute for knowledge and know-how. And a supportive Congress. And expertise of any kind. I don't know her, does she have that much charm? Given she's last in the polls, probably not.<br />
<br />
"But no," you say, "I'm pure! I won't let anyone make me vote for someone just as bad as Trump. I'm making a statement." Yes. Yes, you are. You're making the statement that you're stupid and selfish, and don't give a DAMN about anyone else, all the people who will suffer if you insist on this kind of purity.<br />
<br />
Because you're wrong. We're not looking at two tragedies, not too calamities of similar proportions. And I bet I can prove it to you.<br />
<br />
<br />
Before I begin, I want to ask you, why is trust so important, or, in
this case, MORE important for Hillary than anyone else? There's never
been a politician who was able to accomplish all they promised. There
has never been a president (particularly a good one) that hasn't had to
compromise some of what he wanted to get something he wanted. Never do
it, you get nothing. Always do it, you're a doormat. What we need is
someone in between. Hillary's got a lot of baggage. Some of it one could
argue she earned. Some of it was bestowed on her through the auspices
of Karl Rove's clever slime machine that doesn't let little things like
exoneration or debunking get in the way of churning out the same stories
endlessly or planting them in heads of people who should know better.
You're probably not ready to believe that, but I do want you to ask
yourself something by way of motivation. <br />
<br />
Why is she more untrustworthy than anyone else? Seriously, think of specific examples and then look to the alternatives and see if that really makes sense. <br />
<br />
Hillary has been breaking ground for women all her life. She's been an
advocate for women and children (and if you don't believe that, do some
research) her entire career. She has asked this country to make her the
first female president. You may not think that's a big deal, but many women
do (especially those of us old enough to understand how incredible her journey has been), and, most importantly, SHE does. She knows that, as President, (having been under
the microscope before) that every eyelash flutter, every brushing off of
a GOP Benghazi-spewing cretin from her shoulder, every word, every
decision will be watched with eager eyes by supporter and hater alike,
that media (and the unending Rovian slime machine) will grab it, spin
it, tell people what to think about it and THEIR judgements of what she
does is what she'll have to live with. People don't actually judge by
reality most of the time. Given that, given that she cares about her
party (and the country, believe it or not), given that she cares about
her gender, do you honestly think Hillary is going to get the single
most powerful position in the country, perhaps the world, and turn
around and prove every naysayer right for a few bucks? This woman (and
her husband) gave tens of millions to charity, paid millions in taxes. She could be as rich as
she wanted without putting herself through this hell. You think she's going
to suffer for all that, just to make some fatcats happy in Wall Street?
Seriously?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Still not convinced? Still think it's a tossup between Hillary and (shudder) Trump?<br />
<br />
Okay, here are some key issues for me (and the country, even the world): what do you think Hillary will do?<br />
<br />
Trump will add people (likely 3-4) to the Supreme Court. You think the
justices he'll choose will support Roe vs. Wade? Marriage equality?
Eliminating Citizen's United? Undoing gerrymandering? Civil rights?
Universal healthcare? The environment? What about Hillary? Bill Clinton
gave us Ginsberg and Breyer. Obama chose Sotomayer and Kagan. Those are
Hillary's closest contemporaries. Do I have to remind you who Ronald
Reagan chose? The Bushes? And that's not a point in time issue - that
will last us for the next generation.<br />
<br />
Trump has told us of his admiration for foreign tyrants and his intent
to make friendly with them but (possibly) nuke ISIS (or Europe
inexplicably) where ever it may be, torture survivors and then, of
course, go out of his way to bomb the families of those ISIS folks. Do
you really think Hillary is on the same plane as that? Say she's more
hawkish that you are (okay, more than I as well, but I'm really
pacifist), do you think she'd act as rashly as that? Hillary was, hands
down, the most knowledgeable about foreign policy of any candidate. The
item held against her (which was not a vote for war, by the way), was an
error in judgement, not for advocating war (which she wasn't) but for
trusting George W. Bush to behave honorably. Not quite the same thing.
But, do you think she could possibly be as clueless and irresponsible as
Trump? Really? Stop. Think. Really?<br />
<br />
Trump has said he wants to gather up all the Muslims and separate them,
maybe have them wear badges, put them in a register. You really think Hillary would do that, to
that group or ANY religious group? Who's next, Atheists? Hindis?
Quakers?<br />
<br />
Trump has laid out a lot of nasty judgements on Latinos, Blacks,
disabled people, has been endorsed by groups that target blacks and Jews
and LGBT people. Do you think Hillary will support legislation that
actively discriminates against them? I think that kind of legislation
would get a total pass from Trump who wouldn't lift one finger to stop
it, if his rhetoric is any indication. But Hillary? No, of course you
don't. Not only would that be stupid but, if you'd done your homework,
you'd know she'd been working against that kind of thing her entire
adult life including going undercover to identify private schools that
were excluding black children. Calling the mayor of Flint and asking
her, "What can I do to help?"<br />
<br />
Trump's idea for infrastructure improvement is a big wall as opposed to
something useful (and hey, he's planning to use Mexican labor for that
anyway). And, as for climate change, he doesn't buy it so you can bet
NOTHING WILL HAPPEN on his watch, except perhaps dismantling what we've
already done. Do you think Hillary will refuse to support infrastructure
improvement and advances in renewable power sources? That she'll
support the unsupportable practices for coal and drilling in the
Arctic? She's worked for helping people who's jobs were disappearing
when she was Senator of New York; I don't see any reason to think she'd
want to let the job creation trend disappear that Obama started (and
Bill had going during his tenure, too). Both presidencies created far
more jobs than they lost and I hope we never find out about Trump's. And
what about the planet? Hillary helped Obama work with governments
around the world on a climate accord.<br />
<br />
<br />
Check out Trump's views on science (and Hillary's and the other two candidates who don't matter) here on <a href="http://sciencedebate.org/20answers#.V-af0Xkbntk.facebook">ScienceDebate</a> in their own words. If you give a DAMN about science, you can't vote for a man for president this year. <br />
<br />
Trump has said he will dismantle social security. Trump wants to reduce
taxes for the rich. Trump has said he thinks women who get abortions
should be punished. And should be judged by their looks (and put money
behind that, even). Trump wants to send every immigrant back "home."
Hillary was a cosponsor of the DREAM act. Trump wants to eliminate gun
free zones. Well, really, the list goes on indefinitely. <br />
<br />
Pick an issue that matters to you. Any one. And ask yourself. "What
would Trump do about this?" and then ask yourself, honestly, what would
Hillary do about this? And remember, a red congress would try to stop
Hillary but they won't stop Trump (and vice versa).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This isn't just an esoteric exercise. Real people will get hurt, will die. The world as a whole will suffer. And you'll be sending a message to the people who were hurt by your failure to do the right thing: you don't care about them. If you have friends that are LGBTQ, black, Muslim, Jewish, Hispanic, immigrants, poor, single parents, in the armed forces, veterans, you're hurting them. That's on you. Don't think your abstention from doing something to stop Trump absolves you of responsibility if he's elected. <br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"> You're also sending a very specific message to every daughter, sister, wife or mother by not stopping Trump.<br /><br />How
will you explain to your daughters? "Yes, when I was faced a woman who
worked her whole life for the betterment of other people, especially
women and children, who paid every due, expanded her experience base,
educated herself, even devoted her time, energy and own money to help
people around the world, as a choice for the Presidency, I refused to back her
over a racist hateful buffoon who treats women and minorities like
toilet paper, has zero qualification and a well established history of
fraud. So, thanks to people like me, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORK AND
STRIVE, no matter how much more qualified you are, you can be sure you'll be
tossed aside for a blowhard know-nothing who happens to have a penis in
addition to the one he carries between his shoulders." <br /><br />Because, yeah, that's the message you're sending. </span></span><br />
<br />
If you can live with notion of Trump in the White House, given a totally
free rein by Congress, no matter what ridiculous excess, and SCOTUS,
now PICKED by Trump, giving it a free pass, not just for the next four
years but for the next generation, of a President who lets that Red
Congress pass laws that penalize pregnant women and minorities and
immigrants, that take away school lunches and hamstring education, that
eradicate healthcare, that undo marriages, that leave the most
vulnerable people in this country at the mercy of Donald Trump and his
brigade of haters, you can do that. <br />
<br />
You can not vote, but then that's one less to stand against Trump. Or
worse you can vote for Trump. Either way, you helped put him into
office. <br />
<br />
Just don't think you're not culpable. That's not on Hillary. That's on you.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-6585716501723041872016-09-06T22:34:00.002-05:002016-09-06T22:34:47.123-05:00Amazing Changes on the Writing FrontierMany of you have likely noted my large repertoire of self-published
novels and anthologies. I had a good reason for doing it, namely, I
couldn't seem to connect with a publisher who appreciated my writing
like, let's face it, I do.<br />
<br />
And there's no merit in a
story that sits forever in a virtual drawer. So I put them out there,
where, they were mostly ignored, but nowhere near as ignored as they
were on my computer alone. And, I maintain, that was largely because my
marketing skills are not impressive. But the books...<br />
<br />
This
past year, I've dallied in a field I haven't dallied in in decades,
short stories. Prompted first by contests, then a great friend, <a href="http://www.rclarlham.com/">Chuck Larlham</a>,
who enjoyed reading my work and kept finding new opportunities to check
out and, ultimately, write a story for. So, after a year, I've got more
than a dozen new stories, mostly fantasy science fiction and fantasy,
but several that are also in different genres I haven't tried before or,
at least, not in a long time. <br /><br />As I've been rediscovering my
writing talent, Chuck's also been key to my sending it out there. I got
in JAMM magazine (as I noted previously), have a story accepted in an
anthology meant for book club type parties, and another short story in
charity anthology to support a charity that works with domestic abuse
(Dove).<br />
<br />
The publisher for the Dove anthology
specializes in science fiction and fantasy and the name could not have
been more perfect for me: <a href="http://tdrpublishing.com/">The Dragon's Rocketship Publishing</a>.
They're relatively new and small, which is fine with me, and also
accept short stories. So, a story that didn't make any waves in a
contest (I seem to do more poorly in those than straight marketing)
seemed like something to try because I *liked* it. So did they. They in
fact gushed in the way I've been dreaming of a publisher gushing since
time immemorial and wanted to know if I could make it into a novel.
Well, no, I hadn't intended to make it into a novel, but, oddly enough,
I'd written two side short stories that were related to a novel I'd
already written (<i><b>Curse of the Jenri</b></i>) and was weeks away from self-publishing.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXyLlEH4al_teI8-LoWfD-7YgIEVAjl4Tf2bT-hbb8M47ecI-XvB5UI8ftheCYB0vv0zl4lm8G9N2tVWzPd1iqt2yErpBUgxnl3FHCOwttSQ27yjDzoCXgX0Vv6vDyT5yV4X1h8YlNlU7/s1600/Curse+Jenri_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXyLlEH4al_teI8-LoWfD-7YgIEVAjl4Tf2bT-hbb8M47ecI-XvB5UI8ftheCYB0vv0zl4lm8G9N2tVWzPd1iqt2yErpBUgxnl3FHCOwttSQ27yjDzoCXgX0Vv6vDyT5yV4X1h8YlNlU7/s400/Curse+Jenri_2.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the final cover, just my own concept</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Well,
they liked those stories and then the novel. So, here we are, a few
weeks later and I have signed contracts on seven short stories (plus the
anthology story) and a novel. <br /><br />Am I happy?<br /><br />I, who am
never at a loss for words, can't even find a word to describe how
fantastic I feel to find people who *get* what I'm writing ans saying. <br /><br />If you're on facebook, feel free to go by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TDRPublishing/?fref=ts">their facebook page</a> and give 'em some love. Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-46305810940654414672016-08-19T23:44:00.000-05:002016-08-21T19:03:55.907-05:00The Constant Unending Misogyny [Many] Men Don't Even Know They Use: Clinton EditionI have read quite a few political posts recently, like more than the rest of my life combined. I started out this election not sure how I felt about Hillary Clinton and growing to respect and admire her the more I educated myself. I will not pretend I'm anything but a dedicated supporter.<br />
<br />
But, in addition to all I learned about her dedication and commitment and intelligence and experience and fortitude that I respect about her, nearly as compelling has been the opening of my eyes to her heinous treatment by media (yes even women) and almost everyone else that gets a voice. I found myself getting hot around the collar (and identifying with it from my own history and my own friends during this election) as people felt perfectly comfortable putting the ugliest possible spin on the most trivial and inconsequential items, beating her up, not just once or twice but at every mention for decisions that <i>other</i> people had made: her husband, Congress, other Dem Presidents even Republican Presidents. Even "pro-Hillary" pieces were filled with apologetic comments and praise for Bernie (if written by women) and filled with "of course she's got tons of issues and here they are <i>again</i> but she's better than total insanity" pieces often by men. And those are most of the pro-Hillary pieces. The anti-Hillary pieces are disgusting, beating the same dead horses, spinning everything from her clothes, her tone to the New York Times criticizing her for putting her hand over her heart when she talked. Seriously? Same week Trump is tearing into Gold Star families.<br />
<br />
But one I read yesterday, a <a href="http://www.vox.com/a/hillary-clinton-interview/the-gap-listener-leadership-quality">piece ostensibly praising Hillary</a>, sent me over the edge. I mean I was and am so livid I wrote the bulk of this at 4 am because I couldn't go back to sleep. That's how much it pissed me off. The piece was called "Understanding Hillary: Why the Clinton America Sees Isn't the Clinton Colleagues Know" in <i>Vox</i> by Ezra Klein and it was the absolute pinnacle of self-congratulatory patronizing misogyny I have ever read, masquerading as an apology piece. And it's clear the author had absolutely no self-awareness of it.<br />
<br />
Let's start by that title. Let's start by the premise that, though she had more votes than <i>any</i> other candidate (Trump [by nearly 3 million] or Sanders [by nearly 4 million]) this primary, we have to hear <i>again</i> how America can't see the real Hillary, with no awareness that, hey, maybe media's complicit in that.<br />
<br />
In case that didn't come through, he makes sure to remind us the first four paragraphs that (a) he's not going to talk (just like every other journalist) about any of her policies or achievements, (b) will remind us (again) of her many failings we need to mention whenever her name comes up, and (c) let's not forget the focus is on why she's so unlikable that everyone's talking about and, of course, (d) she proves the media's point by being everything the media insists she is even if everyone who knows her says she's not like that. Oh, and people that meet her. And people that have studied her history. Why? Because it *has* to be her. It couldn't possibly be that *he's* prejudiced or that *he's* refusing to see her clearly. Nope, we all know, she did it herself even if those that have known her for years say differently. <br />
<br />
He spends two paragraphs acknowledging that those that actually know her, have worked with her, think that perception is totally whacked and were angered at how people treated and perceived her that way. Of course, since he's interviewing her, let's not miss the opportunity (again) to confront her with how much people don't like her because that's not rude or unkind or in any way attacky. He actually uses this line to describe his interview with her: "As you watch this clip, remember this is a real human being — a human
being <i>who really believes she’s dedicated her adult life to helping
others</i> — trying to understand why most Americans say they don’t like her." [My emphasis]<br />
<br />
Really? I need you to remind me that she's a <i>real human being</i>? That she has the effrontery to think she's dedicated her adult life to helping others just because she <i>has</i>? And has to be confronted in <i>every exchange</i> with the media on why people don't like her? <br />
<br />
Her response is hey people love the work I do and I get very high approval ratings when I do the job [which is absolutely and objectively true] and that she thinks, if the media constantly pounds away at someone indefinitely <i>for years</i> it might affect people's perception of her [as has also been shown repeatedly by studies]. His response? "I don’t buy it. Other politicians find themselves under continuous assault, but their poll numbers strengthen amid campaigns."<br />
<br />
Yeah? Welcome to the world of women. And, hey, thanks for being part of the very process you insist isn't behind it. Since he's decided it couldn't <i>possibly</i> be on his side of things (and, in fact, dismisses it as absurd), let's ask the staff and colleagues and confidentes and coworkers what is it about Hillary that doesn't come through on the campaign trail. <br />
<br />
He was amazed they all had the same answer, and it was also the same answer that argued she'd be great at governance She listens.<br />
<br />
Now listen to his response to this: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div id="NPvtgu">
The first few times I heard someone praise Clinton’s
listening, I discounted it. After hearing it five, six, seven times, I
got annoyed by it. What a gendered compliment: <i>“She listens.”</i> It sounds like a caricature of what we would say about a female politician.</div>
<div id="NPvtgu">
<br /></div>
But after hearing it 11, 12, 15 times, I began to take it seriously,
ask more questions about it. And as I did, the Gap began to make more
sense.</blockquote>
He spends a paragraph reminding us that presidents [all men, by the way] are supposed to be great orators first and foremost, then spends three paragraphs explaining how the media scoffed at her listening tours when she was running for senator as if that was perfectly reasonable (although she won). Who would have guessed people appreciate being <i>heard</i> instead of just talked at? You'd think a journalist of all people would appreciate that, but then, apparently not.<br />
<br />
Then, when he got to this part, I just about lost it.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Clinton began her 2016 campaign with a listening tour, as well, and it
is worth considering the possibility that these tours are not simply
bullshit. This is, to be honest, a possibility I had not really
considered until speaking with past and present Clinton aides who have
been forced to take their boss’s process seriously.</blockquote>
Take a moment and, whether you hate Clinton or not, just think about the prejudice, the <i>patronizing</i> in that paragraph as if a listening tour was (a) strictly a gimmick with no meaning (even though, I reiterate, she won the election for Senate with it) and (b) had any bearing on a person's ability to, I don't know, look out for the best interests of the populace because she bothered to find out what people thought. Take a minute and let that sink in. He's not apologizing for thinking they were bullshit, folks, he's implying you should be as amazed as he was that they they weren't. Who would have thought giving a shit about the actual people would be important. Damn! <br />
<br />
He could have stopped it right there, really, on the gap. Asked and answered as well as demonstrating how it was communicated to the public by, hey, his and his media's brethren's doing it again. Their insistence giving their own preconceptions precedence over what she says and does can explain the gap right damn there. <br />
<br />
Then he noted how she actually <i>took</i> those notes and comments and local articles she'd gathered from listening to people and had her staff <i>follow through on them</i>, actually try to get some issues resolved, actually see if there was a way to address it in her work. Unbelievable! It may sound like I'm being flippant, but his reaction comes across that way, as if the notion that real people would influence Hillary Clinton's policies and actions is beyond belief.<br />
<br />
Then he says, "Let’s stop and state the obvious: There are gender dynamics at play here."<br />
<br />
Y'think?<br />
<br />
He goes on for several paragraphs on how women work vs. how men work (stereotypical but not entirely untrue either) with no apparent awareness of how everything he said before this followed exactly the same pattern. Then, of course, the obligatory praise of Sanders oratory but that Hillary was better at building coalitions (I could write a blog post on that alone, but I won't; the primary's over). In fact, after noting that her listening/coalition building skills won her the primary, he adds the also obligatory:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I want to be very clear here. I’m not saying that anyone who opposed
Clinton was sexist. Nor am I saying Clinton should have won. What I’m
saying is that presidential campaigns are built to showcase the
stereotypically male trait of standing in front of a room speaking
confidently — and in ways that are pretty deep, that’s what we expect
out of our presidential candidates. Campaigns built on charismatic
oration feel legitimate in a way that campaigns built on deep
relationships do not.</blockquote>
That's right folks, just because she had far and away the most votes and most delegates, that doesn't mean she should have won. He certainly wouldn't want to credit her with it.And his perception that her campaign felt less legitimate is, he's sure, universal. What we expect. And that couldn't, in any way, be y'know, sexist. [Rolls eyes]<br />
<br />
He then notes, surprisingly, that hey, listening might actually be a useful skill when it comes to governance. He noted that her contemporaries marveled that she listened, that she took the time and effort to learn about who they were and what they were about before they spoke (he seemed to think this was at least somewhat a gimmick, too, but an effective one instead of, hey, maybe genuine). That she learned and absorbed. Then he pointed out examples where people had come to her with legitimate concerns, she listened and enacted changes to address those concerns, not just a few times but repeatedly, impressing people who, y'know, actually cared about those issues. <br />
<br />
But heaven forbid we keep giving her credit for something unique she does that few if any other politicians do without telling us what's wrong with it. This was followed up quickly by a condemnation of its effectiveness despite, of course, his unfamiliarity with it (since he didn't even think it existed before now) or the fact she's never actually been governing anyone. <br />
<br />
He begins by noting there's a downside (which while likely true; most things have a downside), I just don't think he's qualified to say that. He says she's rarely taken tough stands as a result (which is utter bullshit. Remember universal healthcare she wanted to push through? Going to China and telling them to treat women better? Standing up against the NRA when most won't? Give me a frickin' break!) He blamed this listening on the failure of the healthcare she tried to get enacted rather than the tough fight she, as a non-legislator, had against people who resented her because of that and her gender and, let's not forget, the huge lobbying effort by the same folks that fought ACA and are still fighting it. But, sure, let's blame it on her listening. Then, of course, he brings up the Iraq war vote (which wasn't a vote for war) that 76 Senators voted for but is constantly levied against her and her alone despite the fact it wasn't an authorization for war. <br />
<br />
But, hey, no prejudice here. No bias. Just the facts, folks. <br />
<br />
Then, of all things, we have to go again into why she lost in 2008, all the mistakes she made to win nearly 18 million votes, at <i>least</i> as many as Obama did. It <i>couldn't</i> be that she was up against someone good (a masterful orator, for instance), whose race fired up the minority base, whose youth and idealism inspired many and made him a media darling in the primary. She won nearly as many votes <i>by herself</i> as the entire votes cast in the Republican primary that year for all four top contenders, but she's somehow a failure.<br />
<br />
Just like, even now, after having <i>won</i> the primary, she still is. What is she doing wrong?<br />
<br />
(Because it couldn't be us, right? It couldn't be the spin we're always putting on it. It's got to be her, right?)<br />
<br />
She's slammed because her vision isn't sharper - so many interests represented. Because it's somehow a bad thing to incorporate support for as many different people and issues as possible instead of brushing off everything but a few pet items? Really? He notes Robert Reich saying, "It is hard to say what she stands for because she has not singled out a
few very large, very ambitious ideas on which she would like a mandate
to govern." Why is that so? Why do I need a few sound bite ideas to govern well instead of nuance and understanding the intricacy, of realizing that many issues are interconnected and you can't effectively deal with one without addressing all the aspects that intersect with it. What if, I'm just throwing that out there, that's just a perception men have that, gasp, isn't actually true? What if the world is actually complex?<br />
<br />
But Ezra Klein's ready to predict Clinton's failure as a result of it already (surprise!): <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It is easy to imagine reading an article, in the third year of Clinton’s
presidency, that sees this process as the root of her presidency’s
failures. She could run a White House weighted down by endless meetings,
fractured between too many competing priorities, riven between
different advisers constantly fighting for her favor, and paralyzed by a
search for common ground that Republicans won’t let her find.</blockquote>
Guys, I don't think you've been paying attention to women. Multitasking and addressing the subtleties, big picture and detail, is one of our strengths. But, hey, let's not forget to couch her strength in the form of a weakness (as he decried the media for doing earlier while, um, doing it himself).<br />
<br />
Then, after explaining at length how he ignored what she said (which was absolutely accurate) and what she said she did (which was <i>just</i> as accurate) and what her close supporters said until (after dozens said the exact same thing) it occurred to him that maybe it was the truth, he's going to give us the skinny on why she has a problem with the press. Really, Sherlock? I'm pretty sure I can figure it out myself from your <i>own</i> prime example. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoz_GgIcQzrRAgRNYzXn2j7MLzVWt5hexsDto3EvPo-eS6pyfZm3LsHwCfsHo4ToYCig96WObfNj50tI4c2Ne4xWq5fuXJo9OC2ZzA7ngPIRgaxnPqsXMGghJR13DQQaTbPuZbctCUmq4/s1600/hillary3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoz_GgIcQzrRAgRNYzXn2j7MLzVWt5hexsDto3EvPo-eS6pyfZm3LsHwCfsHo4ToYCig96WObfNj50tI4c2Ne4xWq5fuXJo9OC2ZzA7ngPIRgaxnPqsXMGghJR13DQQaTbPuZbctCUmq4/s400/hillary3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
And he'll start off by making it all about <i>Hillary's</i> hatred of the press. He'll tell us what she thinks and what she feels because, apparently, as he was busy ignoring the absolute and obvious truth she and her folks were saying, he can totally read her mind. We women call that mansplaining, when men feel like they have a better handle on your motivations and thoughts than you do yourself. And it's no less charming when you see it as an intro to why Hillary and the press are often at odds. Because it primes the pump to dump it all on Hillary. Again. Of course. Couldn't <i>possibly</i> take responsibility for our inability to take her words and actions at face value. She's obviously a bitch for telling us stuff we refused to believe so she thinks we don't trust her. You know, 'cause we say she's untrustworthy. But, I'm jumping the gun. Perhaps he's about to present a <i>mea culpa</i> (ten bucks I'm right, though). <br />
<br />
He accuses her of carelessness. Other people give speeches when they're not in office and use personal servers to get their jobs done when no other alternate exists so she foolishly does so, too. Because, hey, it's not like the press treats her with a different standard or that she thinks she should get the same damn yardstick as every-damn-body else. The nerve! After all, Trump, who talked about running in previous elections, also has given speeches at much higher price tags (which is mind-boggling in and of itself having seen his speech making), but no one has demanded an explanation or a transcript or that he prostrate himself on the altar of public opinion. <br />
<br />
But, of course, it's all Hillary's doing, not the bloody double standard. <br />
<br />
He's nice enough to ask her, give her the opportunity to shoulder the blame as women are <i>supposed</i> to do but, no, she says the media has given up being gatekeepers of the truth and are focused on what's outrageous. And it doesn't matter that what she's saying is absolutely and obviously true. He's not only disbelieving, he patronizes her that <i>she </i>believes it: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It comes in response to a question about her favorite books. She really does believe this.</blockquote>
He gives her another chance. She gives him more absolute truth: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
At another point, I asked her why trust in so many major institutions in
public life — politicians, the business, the media — had fallen in
recent decades. She turned immediately to the media. “I really believe
that none of us have done what we should have done in being really
straightforward about what we know and what we don’t know,” she said,
“in being willing to say, ‘We reported that story last week; it turns
out we were wrong.’”</blockquote>
<br />
She's absolutely right again. Story after story of inflated nonsense (as, again, he noted earlier, so much written that turned out to have no substance) across stories with tiny little retractions buried weeks later than no one talks about. His response is that there's "some of that" but she's used it as an excuse to play fast and loose with the public trust herself. Does he explain how? In what way? What's the basis for that (or in fact any of the beliefs and emotions he's ascribed to her)? Nope. We just get to assume he knows <i>all</i> and she's deluded herself into betraying our trust in some unknown fashion, perhaps by telling us the truth. She's a politician. Can't expect that, can you? How canny. <br />
<br />
But, no, not sexist at all. <br />
<br />
Then, of course, we have to go into why Republicans hate her (it can't be because she actually gets shit done and won't be cowed and stay quietly at home like they prefer or nothing. It's got to be <i>her</i>). They can chant "Lock her up" in their actual convention but if she says she's good at making enemies of Republicans, <i>she's</i> the bitch. <br />
<br />
He sneers at her partisanship, at the fact she believes she can still get stuff done with the Republicans and then admits, when she was Senator in a very similar situation, <i>that's exactly what she did</i>. She (gasp!) listens to what they say, finds out what's important to them, uses it to her advantage, refuses to play grudge matches. You know, exactly what they hell she says she does. But we get to be shocked it might be true because, y'know, Hillary. Mr. Klein, while marveling at it, makes sure we know this unique ability to let bygones go by and do the work they were hired to do is somehow unhealthy. Reminds me of a Molly Ivins quote. <br />
<blockquote>
As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office.</blockquote>
Gee, maybe Hillary just doesn't think like a male politician. It's almost like she's, y'know, a woman. <br />
<br />
Mr. Klein, confounded (and apparently blind) to the honesty he's been shown seems clueless how acting like a woman would work for a female politician. When she's so hated. <br />
<br />
And never once seems to notice his own fingerprint on that particular conundrum. <br />
<br />
He might not get it. I do. The road she's paving is going to be hell, but I can't think of anyone more capable of puttin' it down. And folks like Mr. Klein will likely be the last to notice, despite the political acumen they seem so proud they have. Too bad it doesn't come with a little self-awareness. <br />
<br />
Ezra, if you're reading, Sandy wanted you to know "S<span class="_5yl5">andy Knauer Morgan approves this message"</span>Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-27796098693584867802016-06-10T00:09:00.000-05:002016-06-10T15:25:21.483-05:00Busted - Bernie or Bust, what now?Blank or Bust movements sound noble, don't they? <i>I'm all in! I won't settle for anything less than it all! That's how much it means to me.</i><br />
<br />
In reality, they're not so noble. I can say that. I worked as a safety engineer for years at NASA and, though I had one of the most pure jobs on site, where I got to focus on safety and nothing else (Screw cost and schedule! And science! Bring 'em back safely!), I was well aware that the people I brought my concerns to did not have it so simple. They weren't allowed to screw everything to suit me because, hey, the safest place for a rocket is on the ground, but it's not what they're for. That meant I sometimes got some of what I wanted (no, really!) and sometimes I didn't. Some times were easier to accept than others. But that's how we get stuff done. Because, if we're all safety all the time, we never leave our homes, and if we're all flying, screw safety, our program is doomed as we're pelted with broken rocket parts.<br />
<br />
So, what does that have to do with this election? Well, it means many very passionate people and some pretty passionate people just woke up with an election bender hangover to face the reality that Bernie was not getting the nomination (if you still think that's up in the air, you're not ready for this and probably are too detached from reality to swallow it anyway). The great revolution was over or, at least, the dream of Bernie leading the Dems into a new world order was not happening this year.<br />
<br />
Some Bernie supporters, likely those who saw the handwriting on the wall for a while, were prepared to vote Blue no matter who and, though disappointed, will be comfortable enough especially comparing Hillary to Trump (though, to be honest, there wasn't a GOP contender I could imagine swallowing - Yikes! You know the milk is rancid when Trump comes to the top). Some, while more reluctant, already can guess they'll take a shot of whiskey, stumble to the polls, and vote Hillary for the good of the world. All honor to you guys. You get the big picture and, while I understand it didn't make you happy, I appreciate you voting against the racist sexist buffoon anyway. (And a shout out to the conservatives out there who ALSO aren't willing to bring back the Third Reich and who will make the same decision. Good for you.)<br />
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Not going to address Trump's followers and the soulless GOPers who will blindly follow in lockstep. I think we've heard from them enough already. <br />
<br />
No, today I want to address the Bernie or Bust group and I'm going to separate you into two camps. <br />
<br />
1) Those who hate Hillary as a long list of female related expletives and violent threats - these folks are probably beyond help and should stop reading now. <br />
<br />
2) And those who feel that Hillary can't be trusted, is too dangerous, to allow to have power. I get you hate her. I get you are sure she's crooked and willing to send young men to die in wars and stuff. <br />
<br />
Take a moment and indulge in your hate. And then, if you can get it to cool, I want you to engage your brain. <br />
<br />
Before I begin, I want to ask you, why is trust so important, or, in this case, MORE important for Hillary than anyone else? There's never been a politician who was able to accomplish all they promised. There has never been a president (particularly a good one) that hasn't had to compromise some of what he wanted to get something he wanted. Never do it, you get nothing. Always do it, you're a doormat. What we need is someone in between. Hillary's got a lot of baggage. Some of it one could argue she earned. Some of it was bestowed on her through the auspices of Karl Rove's clever slime machine that doesn't let little things like exoneration or debunking get in the way of churning out the same stories endlessly or planting them in heads of people who should know better. You're probably not ready to believe that, but I do want you to ask yourself something by way of motivation. <br />
<br />
Hillary has been breaking ground for women all her life. She's been an advocate for women and children (and if you don't believe that, do some research) her entire career. She has asked this country to make her the first female president. You may not think that's a big deal, but women do, and, most importantly, SHE does. She knows also (having been under the microscope before) that every eyelash flutter, every brushing off of a GOP Benghazi-spewing cretin from her shoulder, every word, every decision will be watched with eager eyes by supporter and hater alike, that media (and the unending Rovian slime machine) will grab it, spin it, tell people what to think about it and THEIR judgements of what she does is what she'll have to live with. People don't actually judge by reality most of the time. Given that, given that she cares about her party (and the country, believe it or not), given that she cares about her gender, do you honestly think Hillary is going to get the single most powerful position in the country, perhaps the world, and turn around and prove every naysayer right for a few bucks? This woman (and her husband) gave tens of millions to charity. She could be as rich as she wanted without putting her through this hell. You think she's going to suffer for all that, just to make some fatcats happy in Wall Street? Seriously?<br />
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<br />
Still not convinced? Still think it's a tossup between Hillary and (shudder) Trump?<br />
<br />
Okay, here are some key issues for me (and the country, even the world): what do you think Hillary will do?<br />
<br />
Trump will add people (likely 3-4) to the Supreme Court. You think the justices he'll choose will support Roe vs. Wade? Marriage equality? Eliminating Citizen's United? Undoing gerrymandering? Civil rights? Universal healthcare? The environment? What about Hillary? Bill Clinton gave us Ginsberg and Breyer. Obama chose Sotomayer and Kagan. Those are Hillary's closest contemporaries. Do I have to remind you who Ronald Reagan chose? The Bushes? And that's not a point in time issue - that will last us for the next generation.<br />
<br />
Trump has told us of his admiration for foreign tyrants and his intent to make friendly with them but (possibly) nuke ISIS (or Europe inexplicably) where ever it may be, torture survivors and then, of course, go out of his way to bomb the families of those ISIS folks. Do you really think Hillary is on the same plane as that? Say she's more hawkish that you are (okay, more than I as well, but I'm really pacifist), do you think she'd act as rashly as that? Hillary was, hands down, the most knowledgeable about foreign policy of any candidate. The item held against her (which was not a vote for war, by the way), was an error in judgement, not for advocating war (which she wasn't) but for trusting George W. Bush to behave honorably. Not quite the same thing. But, do you think she could possibly be as clueless and irresponsible as Trump? Really? Stop. Think. Really?<br />
<br />
Trump has said he wants to gather up all the Muslims and separate them, maybe have them wear badges. You really think Hillary would do that, to that group or ANY religious group? Who's next, Atheists? Hindis? Quakers?<br />
<br />
Trump has laid out a lot of nasty judgements on Latinos, Blacks, disabled people, has been endorsed by groups that target blacks and Jews and LGBT people. Do you think Hillary will support legislation that actively discriminates against them? I think that kind of legislation would get a total pass from Trump who wouldn't lift one finger to stop it, if his rhetoric is any indication. But Hillary? No, of course you don't. Not only would that be stupid but, if you'd done your homework, you'd know she'd been working against that kind of thing her entire adult life including going undercover to identify private schools that were excluding black children. Calling the mayor of Flint and asking her, "What can I do to help?"<br />
<br />
Trump's idea for infrastructure improvement is a big wall as opposed to something useful (and hey, he's planning to use Mexican labor for that anyway). And, as for climate change, he doesn't buy it so you can bet NOTHING WILL HAPPEN on his watch, except perhaps dismantling what we've already done. Do you think Hillary will refuse to support infrastructure improvement and advances in renewable power sources? That she'll support the unsupportable practices for coal and drilling in the Arctic? She's worked for helping people who's jobs were disappearing when she was Senator of New York; I don't see any reason to think she'd want to let the job creation trend disappear that Obama started (and Bill had going during his tenure, too). Both presidencies created far more jobs than they lost and I hope we never find out about Trump's. And what about the planet? Hillary helped Obama work with governments around the world on a climate accord. <br />
<br />
Trump has said he will dismantle social security. Trump wants to reduce taxes for the rich. Trump has said he thinks women who get abortions should be punished. And should be judged by their looks (and put money behind that, even). Trump wants to send every immigrant back "home." Hillary was a cosponsor of the DREAM act. Trump wants to eliminate gun free zones. Well, really, the list goes on indefinitely. <br />
<br />
Pick an issue that matters to you. Any one. And ask yourself. "What would Trump do about this?" and then ask yourself, honestly, what would Hillary do about this? And remember, a red congress would try to stop Hillary but they won't stop Trump (and vice versa).<br />
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If you can live with notion of Trump in the White House, given a totally free rein by Congress, no matter what ridiculous excess, and SCOTUS, now PICKED by Trump, giving it a free pass, not just for the next four years but for the next generation, of a President who lets that Red Congress pass laws that penalize pregnant women and minorities and immigrants, that take away school lunches and hamstring education, that eradicate healthcare, that undo marriages, that leave the most vulnerable people in this country at the mercy of Donald Trump and his brigade of haters, you can do that. <br />
<br />
You can not vote, but then that's one less to stand against Trump. Or worse you can vote for Trump. Either way, you helped put him into office. <br />
<br />
Just don't think you're not culpable. That's not on Hillary. That's on you.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-59702387266418622042016-06-05T12:10:00.001-05:002016-06-18T22:21:03.319-05:00Hillary vs. TrumpI am a Hillary supporter. I've mentioned this before and I still am. I said I would vote her for her in the primary (and I did) and naturally, I'll vote for her again in November.<br />
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(If you think the choice might be Bernie, you have been misled. The primary is over to all but the most delusional. Wait, let me rephrase that. The primary is over and, when they go to the convention, Hillary will have the most votes, the most pledged delegates, and the most superdelegates. That is reality and thinking otherwise, no matter how fervently, will not change that. Bernie had a good run; that will have to satisfy you.) <br />
<br />
When it comes to the general election, does it occur to anyone that, especially with Trump as a competitor, the GOP has very little leverage against Hillary?<br />
<br />
Bernie they could have attacked whole-heartedly as a "Commie bastard"
out to increase EVERYONE'S taxes and a thousand other things I haven't
even thought of yet and, as always, it <i>wouldn't really matter if it were
true</i>. GOP is not bound by honesty. By the time the flood was largely debunked, Bernie would be
ruined, at least for this election. I'm not a Bernie fan, and this is not
an attack on Bernie; this is reality just like the delegate math. They
have no limits on him as effectively fresh meat. He wasn't vetted during
the primary, so they can paint him however they want and he'll have very
little time to recover. We've seen the feeding frenzy before. The best thing that could have happened to his career was losing the election and saving himself the pain that goes with this kind of thing. <br />
<br />
But Hillary's different. They've been attacking Hillary so consistently and so long, she eats their attacks for breakfast, spits 'em out and climbs on them to the next level. Most of the old stuff is so thoroughly debunked
only the fanatical far-lefties and the GOP die-hards think it's true (or
will at least pretend it is), the people who would do <i>anything</i> for an excuse not to vote for her, no matter her qualifications or opponent. And there's also that contingent (mostly male but including some misguided women) who think women just can't be President under any circumstances. For Hillary to try to get those votes is a waste of her time (and I bet she knows it), so the GOP doesn't have to do anything for that contingent.<br />
<br />
But, they're not the majority. People point to her unfavorability rating as proof she "can't win" but there's a world of difference between wanting her to die a fiery death and maybe wondering if there might not be truth to some of the deluge of accusations against her. It's this last bunch the GOP definitely wants to keep from voting for her. They can't touch her devoted followers. They probably can't do much with the devoted "Vote Blue No Matter Who" crowd, which means the pools of voters they need to sway are moderate (of independent, liberal or conservative persuasion), the Bernie supporters and other liberals that weren't sold on her during the primary but aren't rabidly anti-Hillary, and the GOP crowd who finds themselves frightened or nauseated by Trump. <br />
<br />
But how to sway them?<br />
<br />
IF she hadn't been battling it out
with Bernie Sanders this primary, where he and his supporters were
painting her as a corporate shill and a social moderate (with the active
participation of the GOP slime machine), the GOP could use the same tactic
they used with Obama on her - she's too left, she's going to destroy us
with her socialist ways. Under other circumstances, they could gain ground there since she's proudly said she's building on President Obama's legacy. Her very public, very detailed agenda is
definitely progressive. But they can't because reminding everyone that
she's really a progressive (and always has been) could bring more of Bernie's supporters to
her corner.<br />
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And Bernie's attacks have likely helped sway many of the moderates to her corner that are unlikely to be unswayed when faced with Donald Trump as an alternate. Probably will get a few of the most moderate conservatives that way as well since, while progressive, none of her proposals are so extreme they'll be desperately painful in the short time. And, let's face it, many people have learned to appreciate President Obama if they're not consumed with his race.<br />
<br />
They could try Bernie's tactic, reminding everyone
she's pretty wealthy and hobnobs with the rich and famous, not a friend
of the poor and middle class and corrupt because she gave speeches for
$250 thousand a pop. IF she wasn't up against Trump who is a bald-faced
liar (demonstrably so), hobnobs with the rich and famous since he was
born that way (and loves to remind people) and hey, gave speeches for $1
M a pop (and the mind boggles at why that was a going rate given his
vocabulary). Plus, of course, she's not a flaming racist misogynist
buffoon. And has nicer hair if crap like that matters to you. Try taking
that tactic to the debate stage, Don the Con, and you're gonna need
mops for your own blood.<br />
<br />
And that leaves the other Sander's tactic
that she's too Republican, especially when it comes to defense, to be President. But, then, that
didn't even work on Dems, for whom that's a bad thing, largely because it hinged on one vote that was not actually for war (however it was characterized) and a number of decisions when she was Secretary of State (made ultimately by President Obama however she saw it) that people regard as too hawkish. They might have been, but then, we'll never know if the alternatives weren't just as bad or even more destructive so it's hardly black and white. She was actively involved in an accord in Ireland, between Hamas and Israel, and the accord with Iran, which argues against the war now and under any circumstances paint they'd like to paint. Hillary calls it smart power and that's a key element and also argues something she has that absolutely no other candidate had here: in depth knowledge of these foreign circumstances. I'm not the only person who would rather, if we're going to have to have hard decisions made in volatile places in the world, have someone level-headed who understands the nuances to be making them. But that perception, how's that going
to fly with a whole heaping help of Republicans, some of them not
actually insane, who have, as an alternative, Trump? Many of these people care deeply about national security (which is why they've been voting for Republicans even though the Republicans have moved further and further into crazytown on social issues). When looking at the potential nightmare of Trump at the helm of the nation's defense (and noting his bombastic insanity on those issues and cozying up to tyrants), they'll be desperate for some sanity on the subject. And Hillary has it.<br />
<br />
The GOP can give Hillary the votes from Bernie's camp or their own, but can't attack her and avoid either. They've painted themselves into a corner.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Trump, the political gift that keeps on giving, can't seem
to stop himself from saying stupid, hateful or stupidly hateful things
almost 24/7, giving her an endless supply of ammo for attack ads and
speeches like her one on 6/2. And she doesn't have to hold back. Her
worst accusations pale against his actual words. He's arguing FOR her.<br />
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At least, that's how I see it.Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-66861713806783941862016-05-24T16:30:00.000-05:002016-05-24T16:30:32.480-05:00New Story Published!<div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="aleql-0-0"><span data-text="true">My new story, "Second Life," is out in the e-zine "Just a Minor Malfunction" available now for a limited time at $0.99! </span></span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="aleql-1-0" spellcheck="false"><span data-offset-key="aleql-1-0"><span data-text="true"><br /><br />My story, "Second Life," is set aboard a space station so I get to use actual rocket science expertise and I allow a little bit of sleuthing for the biologically minded. With people trapped forever in space, finding yourself confronted with what might be an epidemic has got to be terrifying, especially since insanity comes with it. I hope you'll check it out <br /><br />Chuck Larlham</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="aleql-2-0"><span data-text="true"> is in there, too, and a number of other awesome science fiction stories. In fact, it's one of the best collections of hard science fiction I've read in a long long time, so I'm proud to be part of it. Something for everyone, folks!<br /><br />It's a steal right now. If you like science fiction or just being entertained, well worth your dollar. <br /></span></span></div>
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Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-73099043586326045512016-05-04T21:50:00.002-05:002016-05-04T22:09:52.137-05:00Single Parent Appreciation on Mother's Day<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I was talking to my sister several states away and she
was telling me about some of her Mother's Day plans, doing stuff that's good
for her (which I applaud) and she said, "So, what are you doing?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Me? I'm likely hanging at home with the kids,
mothering. What day is it even on?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, don't think I'm complaining about my sister—I'm all for
her having fun. She works hard with her kids (homeschooling) and does a jillion
other things besides. She totally earns her fun. And, while I'm a single
mother, I have a good salary and a job that is very flexible so that I can take
care of them without serious hardship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it got me to thinking. Because it's different for single
mothers, especially those with younger children you can't just leave the kids hanging
around the house while you get your nails done. That's not anyone's fault, but,
having spent some years being part of a pair of parents and some years being a
single mother, the difference is easy to forget (I didn't think about it when I
was married). And it's always a good time to remember. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, that's what this is, a reminder for those of us who do
have someone to share the burden with and even those, like me, that have it
relatively cushy: single parents have it rough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are few jobs
more thankless than being a parent. When she has a partner, he (or she) might
appreciate what she does. Someday (probably far in the future) her kids might,
as well. But, for single parents (and I include both mothers and fathers since
they both have to do double duty) now, it's all hustle and bustle and jostling
and rearranging priorities as challenges come her way and often she, herself, is
perpetually at the bottom of the list. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxLmV94DgO7yh5deueSXEqasMecdpsfy18f4WjPIb2o79pbeJ8Ew_rF7K5H3EnRmicp_Uw9qwgTYVZi-TbNO5WjhPyrXl4vGcllJFWn-LHxWBDmd9JFlsjWOkpOKvLwJJQzAmbOnSZe8/s1600/Mother+%2526+Daughter+with+Umbrella-Silhouette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxLmV94DgO7yh5deueSXEqasMecdpsfy18f4WjPIb2o79pbeJ8Ew_rF7K5H3EnRmicp_Uw9qwgTYVZi-TbNO5WjhPyrXl4vGcllJFWn-LHxWBDmd9JFlsjWOkpOKvLwJJQzAmbOnSZe8/s200/Mother+%2526+Daughter+with+Umbrella-Silhouette.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When one is a single parent, there's no one else to load the
dishwasher or clean up the cat puke or fold the laundry or run to the store.
And, if she has to do the latter, she has to take the kids with her if she
can't do it while they're in school. If one of her kids is sick, there's no one
to take care of the other ones. Or if she is. She's a living breathing single
point failure waiting to happen and no one knows it more than she does. When my
son was in the hospital, I was in a world of hurt dragging friends in to help
so someone could watch my daughter while my son was in the ER. And then the
hospital. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scary doesn't even begin to describe it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A single parent is on duty or on call 24/7 and for many of you
working minimum wage or with crazy shuffling hours, my heart truly bleeds for
you. I literally can't imagine how you do it because it's all I can manage and
I have it easy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what's my point? First to say, thank you guys, for all
of you single parents doing your damnedest with half the resources you need.
Don't let anyone make you feel bad for those things you just can't do. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, secondly, to those of you who *aren't* single parents
but know someone who is, whether it looks like a struggle or not, this is a
great time to help them out (actually any time is). Doesn't have to be money or
expensive. Flowers are nice, candy, a card. By all means. But, if you really
want to give her (or him) something that won't cost you much but will be more
precious than you can imagine, donate the thing they need most. TIME.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Want to take her to get her nails done? Have your teenage
niece watch the kids or stay and let her have the afternoon to herself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get her a massage and watch the kids while she's gone. Send
her to the movies. Let her take a damn nap. Give her a few hours uninterrupted.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take her kids to the zoo. Wear 'em out while she does her
taxes or reads a novel or sits by the pool without kids around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of you who have generally had someone else around
to help (or never had kids) you literally can't imagine what a boon that is,
what it means, what it's worth. Date night is often important for married
couples—they need that alone time—we forget single parents need it, too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If time is in short supply, drop by with a dinner she
doesn't have to cook. Swing by for a half hour of adult conversation she hasn't
had. Tell her what a good job she's doing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because, chances are, she often has a hard time believing
it. Too many of us only see our flaws, especially when there's no one to point
out our strengths. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, this mother's day, if you know someone struggling alone,
take a minute to remind them. And, hey, why not make it a habit all year round?
</div>
Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-42012800860695580282016-04-30T18:15:00.000-05:002016-04-30T18:15:10.887-05:00So, I sold a short story to a new e-zine of hard science fictionThat's independent to an unusual degree. But, you know, I'm pretty avant
garde myself. Looks like I'll be in the first issue of Just A Minor
Malfunction along with my good writing buddy, R. C. Larlham. So, fun
will be had for everyone. <br /><br />I'm actually rather excited as it's
set in a science fiction setting I'd been planning (and am still
planning) to write a novel in, only this is more a prequel. Thing is,
I'm so in love with my characters in this new short story, Second Life, I
may have to make room for them in the novel. <br /><br />But then, I do
love a challenge. If you're interested in reading my story, Chuck's or
any of the other stories gathered, check it out. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/just-a-minor-malfunction-sci-fi-short-stories--2#/">https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/just-a-minor-malfunction-sci-fi-short-stories--2#/</a>Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198390912401056862.post-74851826768451209102016-02-07T09:35:00.003-06:002016-02-07T09:35:52.308-06:00Why I'm Voting for Hillary in the Primaries<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Hillary_Clinton_April_2015.jpg/800px-Hillary_Clinton_April_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Hillary_Clinton_April_2015.jpg/800px-Hillary_Clinton_April_2015.jpg" width="320" /> </a></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Photo courtesy of Hillary for Iowa</div>
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</i><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><i>Before I get started on a political topic (which is always touchy), let me remind you of a few things: (a) this is my opinion and not a condemnation of anyone else's views, (b) favoring Hillary is not an attack on Bernie, (c) if you favor a GOP candidate, there's really nothing for you here, and (d) this a blog, not a democracy so if your comment isn't contributing to the discussion reasonably, I'll delete it without apologies. That includes bashing candidates in ways that accomplish nothing and bringing forth any conservative propaganda talking points. Be as naive as you want, but not on my blog. If you want to talk issues or my specific points, by all means, but I'm not going to take abuse, dish it out, or allow it to go on in my comments unchecked. This is not kindergarten. Grow up. </i></span><br /><br />Before I get started, let me explain who I am and where I'm coming from. I am 48 years old. I have a background in science, rocket science, engineering and writing. Politics has been something I ignored far too long. I have long had liberal views on a number of issues, but I was never much of one for labels (I'm still not). When it came to voting (at a much later age than it should have), I didn't pay very much attention. That changed after I ignorantly and thoughtlessly voted for George W. Bush. It hadn't even warmed here in Houston before I was aghast at what we had wrought. My vote wouldn't have changed anything here in Texas, but I hadn't done research, hadn't thought it through, hadn't cared enough to pay attention and vote appropriately. I was part of the problem. I would not be part of the problem again.<br /><br />What that means is, when people who have been working these issues (on the left) for decades, marching and caucusing and speaking out and making calls for what they believe in, say I haven't been there like they have, they're not wrong. And I respect that. It also means that I'm far more careful to pay attention and do my homework before I form opinions about issues and about candidates. Also, the argument that one can learn from even the most heinous mistakes of the past resonates with me because I've been there. More than once. <br /><br />So, what do I like about Bernie Sanders? Lots of stuff. He's fighting for many issues that matter to me and he always has. Not all of them, mind you, but several. He's something of a purist and somewhat passionate and I'm cool with that. I totally agree that money and politics is a bad mix and I appreciate that, at least with intent, that's what he tried to do and tried to keep the focus on issues. I believe he genuinely joined in to get his message out without the intent to torpedo his own pet issues or jeopardize having someone liberal in the White House (and there are many who feel differently, but it doesn't change my vote either way). He appears generally true to his beliefs in many ways, even if he isn't the saint that some would have us believe. <br /><br />But there are things I don't like. Some of the issues that matter a great deal to me appear to be low priority to Bernie (and won't be fixed with his inequality plans). I know he thinks those measures to improve the world for the middle class will fix it all given he tends to describe the post WWII years as if it was a utopia as the middle class grew in power and influence, but women and minorities saw very little of those benefits; they were, in fact, left all but behind until they took action themselves in the sixties. He may have forgotten that rather egregious oversight; they have not. I don't like his slow response on guns or his lack of expertise on foreign affairs (a substantial portion of the President's responsibility). Foreign policy is something a clever President can really use to our advantage as President Obama has demonstrated.<br /><br />I don't like demonizing any group of people, even the filthy rich. There are clearly greedy assholes out there who care nothing for regular people but that is not true of all of them and it's misleading to do so. When people get passionate on the basis of hate, it makes me uncomfortable. That's dangerous.<br /><br />He has not been vetted and the very fact that he hasn't been raked across the coals at this point tells me two things: (1) we have no idea how he'll react to the kind of pressure and nastiness that both President Obama and, for far longer, Hillary Clinton have withstood (with poise, I might add) and (2) that the Republican slime machine either thinks he has no chance or is positive they can take him out without trouble else they'd have started in already. I hope we never find out, but, if we do, I hope their confidence is misplaced. I've noted, that, if I were a hard core Bernie supporter, I'd be very unnerved by the silence because the purer and more perfect he's seen to be (and some are already saying no one's attacked him because there's nothing to attack - which is desperately naive and almost certainly wrong), the harder he will fall if someone uses the right spin. Look how they swift-boated Kerry, using his own heroics to attack him. Substance is not necessary. After all, the GOP hasn't been a big one for substance for the past few decades, preferring inference, innuendo and boldfaced lying.<br /><br />I am also disturbed by his tendency to act as though he's the only person who's been fighting for the issues he cares about, in government, in the legislature, anywhere. It's not like he's been alone in this, but you'd never know it to listen to him. And he's been pretty <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/02/three-reasons-why-things-will-get-harder-for-bernie-sanders-213591">dismissive</a> to the others fighting the same fight he has, including our current President and many Democrats that are his colleagues. Despite the executive nature of the Presidency, it really isn't a one person show and anyone who hasn't learned that from watching President Obama the past eight years really hasn't been paying attention. And, Bernie's agenda is almost exclusively legislative, which argues where he is (and has been) in a much better place to put it into action. If he could rally his fellow legislators. Instead, only two legislators have endorsed him, and that's a pretty telling marker to me on how well he will be able to able to push them to back his more extreme plans. <br /><br />None of this makes him a monster. But these are legitimate concerns about anyone who strives to be President.<br /><br />I will admit also that, people of the liberal variety who are dismissive of what President Obama has done, distance themselves from him, and, most tellingly, <i><b><span style="color: blue;">show no sign of having learned anything from his presidency</span></b></i> are unlikely to convince me their ideas will succeed where his efforts did not. <br /><br />Which brings us to Hillary Clinton, a woman I was aware of but only peripherally prior to 2008. Most of what I'd heard, I'd heard through the media so, as you might expect, it was almost entirely mud. And, in 2008, I still wasn't digging in deep. I liked Obama almost from the start and never really looked past that (and I can't say I'm sorry I voted for him, though, again, it made no difference here in Texas). But, it was also the first contest where I saw the GOP slime machine in full swing first at Hillary and then at President Obama, not only during the election but afterwards, for what started as months and turned into years, never letting up. The insinuations and sneering were everywhere, but without anyone hating on him being able to come up with concrete reasons, just flimsy allegations of wrongdoing that I could debunk with a few minutes of research. I came to really respect President Obama, not just because of his tremendous accomplishments against non-stop ugliness and obstructionism, but because of how he never seemed to lose his love for this country or lose sight of what mattered most to him, how he remained true to himself, though I'm sure there are decisions he wished he hadn't had to make. <br /><br />I learned. <br /><br />So, when Hillary came in again, I realized that I didn't know much about her except the mud I'd seen, but, here she was, still strong. President Obama had trusted her in his cabinet and she had gone to help him, even after a tough and undoubtedly disheartening primary. Both those facts mattered to me. So, I started slogging through the mud, finding out what, if anything had substance and I found out very little except a few votes she either regretted or I wouldn't have chosen (Obama and Bernie have them, too) and some choices her husband made that she gets dinged for. But I could understand how those decisions were made at the time. I tell my kids all the time, "You can't always get what you want." I don't know why anyone thinks it's different in the White House, especially after watching our President have to compromise again and again to get things done (with his own side, too, I might add. Dems aren't sheep or soldiers walking in lockstep). <br /><br />I watched her poise and good temper when the Republicans (who never really retired her slime machine), cranked it to full speed. It's not because I think she "deserves" the White House for all she's been through (I think the Presidency is a hell job, myself), but it says something about her that she can withstand it without losing herself or her principles. Many people (like Obama) we never saw tested. I read about her accomplishments, not just from her supporters, but by unbiased sources like votesmart and others. And I recognized many of the mannerisms required to succeed by strong women in her just as I've cultivated them in myself and other women of accomplishment in my field (where I don't think women take near the pounding they take in politics). I've seen her take pride in President Obama's accomplishments, some done with her, and promise to build on them, a plan I admire. I've read about her crusades from before they were popular, when they only hurt her politically, that she never flinched from, and those that scarred her, but didn't stop her. Looking objectively at her past, I've seen her grow, change tactics, learn from her friends and her enemies, learn from President Obama (and probably taught him a bit). Fight smarter. I'm all about that, let me tell you. <br /><br />I find it telling that, while many are cool and grudging on her public persona, the people who most admire her are the people who really know her. It's not always that way (as I discovered when reading about Bernie) and I think that says a great deal on who you really are. <br /><br />She's not perfect. She's supported things, particularly in the past, I wish she hadn't. Made mistakes, changed her views on things, cozied up to banks and big business, made a show at least of being hawkish, and I'm pretty pacifist. But very few of those things are black and white. Being able to work with big business is far from a bad thing; it's being owned that's bad and that I haven't seen that. Some people are certain that she is, but I'm not convinced. And I won't be without hard data and I mean more than one or two data points, because there's a pretty impressive voting record that backs her and says she is more than all talk. As for those data points, I know damn well I've made mistakes and learned from them. I'm not about to tell anyone else they can't. And it's pretty frickin' clear to me she's never stopped learning. I respect the hell out of that, too. <br /><br />She gets that she's going to need legislative Dems on her side (and have locked up a large number of their endorsements as well as many governors'). She's also shared some of her campaign funding to help in other Dem races and that's damn crucial for whoever ends up in the White House. On the foreign policy side, we have no one <b><span style="color: blue;"><i>anywhere</i></span></b> running for President with a fraction of her expertise (not just experience, <span style="color: blue;"><b><i>expertise</i></b></span>). And it <span style="color: blue;"><b><i>does</i></b></span> matter that she's a woman, not just because women are under-represented (badly) in government but because women of accomplishment have an inkling of what it takes for women to get and keep power in a cutthroat world. <br /><br />And I've seen that stigma that still haunts women, in people insisting she must be dishonest or unlikable based on her "tone." On Bernie getting tons of credit for not going negative and sticking with issues while she gets none at all for doing <span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>exactly the same thing</i></b></span></span> and continuing to do so even when some of his troops and even he got a bit personal. Now that I'm looking for it, it's not hard to spot. <br /><br />I will vote for either one that gets the nomination. I truly believe that either will try to do the right thing from that position whereas I'm confident that no one on the GOP side will do anything but amp up the rape and pillaging of our country and any other country that strikes them. The mind boggles as the potential harm. <br /><br />But I'm voting for Hillary in the primary. For reasons I noted, but really because, in some ways I identify with both Bernie and Hillary, but not the same way. I identify with Hillary as a human being who cares, who has made mistakes and has learned from them, who is held to a different standard but still excels in her chosen field. Bernie, I identify with as a purist because I'm rather one myself. I am someone who, in the human space industry, distinguished herself as a safety engineer. And safety engineers are purists, focused ideally on safety and willing to stop everything else if it's just not safe enough. We have the luxury of not having to juggle schedule and cost and performance, and goals and crew time and limitations, etc. We get to focus on just safety and the program needs us to do that because safety can get lost when you're juggling so many things. <br /><br />But. <br /><br />You don't put us in charge because the safest place for a rocket is on the ground. And if you want to accomplish something, if you want to actually conquer space, you have to take some chances. You've got to juggle priorities and necessities, you gotta get your hands dirty and make tough choices, accept some risks, let some things go. You've got to hold tight to your goals, try to always work to the good while never letting all those important balls you're juggling drop. <br /><br />The Presidency is not a purist's job. <br /><br />So, with no regrets and no hesitation, <b><span style="color: purple;">I'll be voting for Hillary</span></b>.<br /> <br />Stephanie Barrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17772217449161603561noreply@blogger.com20