World Turned Upside Down.

The unthinkable has happened. A reality TV star, racist, misogynist, bigot has been elected President of the United States. Has this country gone mad? Is this really happening or just a bad dream?
The polls before the election showed a fairly convincing victory for Hillary Clinton. What the hell went wrong?

Trump ended up winning the electoral college by winning very narrow margins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.  As of now, it appears Hillary Clinton is going to win the popular vote by 1.8 million votes.  There is something very wrong here.  I live in a country where the candidate who got the most votes is going to lose?  That doesn't even make sense. Trump was right, the system was rigged but rigged against Hillary Clinton. The Electoral College is an archaic remnant of the past and should be abolished immediately. This is the second time in the last 16 years the winner of the popular vote will be denied the Presidency, when Al Gore got more votes than Bush in the stolen election of 2000.

Lets face it, Hillary Clinton was not at all an inspiring candidate. She got roughly 5 million less votes than Obama did in 2012. If Democrats don't get people to the polls they lose. The Democratic establishment forced her upon the electorate in the primaries and rigged it against Bernie Sanders.
Bernie had a great message and inspired voters.  He had massive rallies and enthusiasm with virtually no press coverage. I saw a recent poll that showed he would have easily defeated Trump. He appealed to the working class white voters, that Hillary could not.  There was also the disgusting racism and bigotry of Trump. There is a segment of this society that message appeals to, he capitalized on that. She was the darling of Wall Street. There is no way that one could believe she would all of the sudden be for the common folks after talking millions from wall street. All of her prior baggage did not help either. She was a flawed, uninspiring messenger in a year where people wanted change. Still she got 1.8 million votes more than Trump.

It is wonderful to see all of the protests springing up around the country. Maybe people will become more engaged after this travesty. The foundations on which this country were founded are slipping away little by little. The wealthy and elite are gradually turning this into a oligarchy run by them and the corporations. Could this election be the final straw that broke the camels back? This is going to play out over the next several years. Will a popular resistance movement to Trump's racism. misogyny and bigotry really sprout up? That question be answered over the next months and years.
As of now, we are sitting on a Time Bomb.

No Sleep Till......

                               Brooklyn

                                                          A Rose Grows In Brooklyn

                                                           A very captivating photo

                                                                       Suedehead

                                                                        What She Said

                                                               How Soon Is Now?

                                                I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

                                                                       The Encore

A truly enchanting night with Our Moz, for those lucky enough to attend at the King's Theater in (No Sleep Till) Brooklyn.

Solitude

Isolation is a teeming room.
Resignation is an awaiting tomb.

Desolation
Segregation
Separation
Sequestration
Annihilation
Obliteration
Termination

Bergen

Our Moz started his 2016 world tour with a marvelous concert in Bergen, Norway.  As always, it's wonderful to see Morrissey back on stage thrilling his fans.  No artist commands the stage like Our Moz.  His presence demands attention and he is quite the compelling figure.  The set list was an impressive mixture of old and new, spanning his amazing career.  We should all consider ourselves to be lucky to live in an era where we can listen, watch and learn from one of the all time great artists.

Suedehead
Alma Matters
You Have Killed Me
Ganglord
Speedway
Staircase At The University
Have-A-Go Merchant
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
World Peace Is None Of Your Business
Kiss Me A Lot
Istanbul
Meat Is Murder
It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small
Everyday Is Like Sunday
The Bullfighter Dies
Scandinavia
All You Need It Me
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Jack The Ripper
I Will See You In Far-Off Places
Oboe Concerto
Let Me Kiss You
Irish Blood, English Heart

Where In The World?

Kenny, Kenny

Today is the 4th of July, the birthday of the USA.  This weekend was a major concert weekend in Pittsburgh.  Kenny Chesney played at Heinz field on Saturday night.  I am certainly no fan of country music and could care less about this show.  The problem is what happens each year at this annual concert event.

The country music people are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the real "patriotic" Americans.

They wave their flags and mindlessly chant "USA, USA, USA".  I guess they think that makes them believe they love their country and they are the real, true Americans.  And then they do this:

This is pretty embarrassing.  These are the same people who blindly support going to wars and if you don't agree, you are a traitor.  We wonder why the USA is no longer respected as it once was.  And this of course is the aftermath:

There you have it,  These true patriots and real Americans are nothing but a bunch of fucking pigs.
They are are all talk and of course actions always speak louder than words.  Naturally, not all country music and Kenny Chesney fans are like this.  I would never stereotype people.  The fact is, a good portion of them are drunken hogs (my apologies to pigs) and this is proof.  A lot of it is alcohol related.  Seriously, can't people attend a concert, have some drinks, have a good time and not have it end up like this?  The problem is the mentality of these people, and that truly does make me afraid of americans.

                                                           I'm Afraid Of Americans

                                                                      Alcohol

Vote For Nobody

Collecting some thoughts here in dreadful Pittsburgh before I go running today.  It's about 90 degrees today and humid.  It will be a brutal run, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.  In reality, Nobody really cares. (Faith No More Cares)

                                                                 We Care A Lot

I see that Our Moz will be doing some shows in August.  I'm glad to see he is getting back on the road again.  He seems so alive on stage and his concerts are quite a special affair for those lucky enough to attend.

Morrissey shows confirmed

August 6 BERGEN (Norway) Grieghallen
August 8 STAVANGER (Norway) Konserthus
August 11 GOTEBORG (Sweden) Way Out West (festival/headline)
August 13 HELSINKI (Finland) Flow (festival/headline)

scheduled:

August 16 BERLIN (Germany)
August 19 ISTANBUL (Turkey)
August 22 TEL-AVIV (Israel)
August 24 CAESAREA (Israel)

Morrissey wrote a very insightful statement on the Orlando massacre and the state of U.S. politics on True to You.  I truly appreciate the genius of Morrissey and this statement certainly shows why he is a beacon in a world of darkness.
The kind words for Bernie Sanders were heartening since I have been an avid supporter of his.  Morrissey's song, "World Peace Is None Of Your Business" is such a prophetic articulation on the current state of U.S. and world politics.  I bow to you Mozza for your intellect.  This song should be an anthem for those left on the outside.  We are offered the choice of Trump or Clinton.  What a disaster for this nation.  We had a chance to elect a genuine agent of change for common folks.  The elite would never allow that.

                               World Peace Is None Of Your Business

PS.  Unfortunately I couldn't induce a heart attack in the 92 degree heat and successfully completed my run.  Running is clarity of clutter, peace of mind, never.

                                      Just Home From Running

           Is it true Nietzsche?  What does not kill me makes me stronger?

Atrocity

There are no words I can write that can elucidate the depravity of man.

The beautiful souls brutally massacred in Orlando:

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 Antonio Davon Brown, 29
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, 24 Christopher Andrew Leinonen,32 Angel L. Candelario-Padro,28 Frank Hernandez,27
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 Cory James Connell, 21 Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 Luis Daniel Conde, 39
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25 Miguel Angel Honorato,30 Javier Jorge-Reyes,40
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 Amanda Alvear, 25 Martin Benitez Torres, 33 Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 Jean Carlos Mendez Perez,35
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 Luis S. Vielma, 22 Kimberly Morris, 37 Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 Stanley Almodovar III, 23 Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

The Hands of Time

It's hard to be left-handed but smile you're not the only one

Left-handed

Days of Thunder

Summer is only 10 days away, my favorite time of year.  There is nothing more divine than looking outside and seeing the lovely green of trees painting the landscape.  Flowers are blooming and the air is warm, fresh and clean.  The world is alive, birds chirping, squirrels scampering about, bees buzzing on their quest for pollen.  I live for this time of year. It is a balmy 80 degrees today. I am playing tennis this evening. It doesn't get any better than that for me.  Summer is Magic.

                                                                           Magic

                                            A dreaded sunny day, with a head full of dread

With good comes bad, as always.  I am so sad about the passing of Muhammad Ali.  He was not only the greatest boxer of all time, he was an amazing person for his stands on civil rights, peace and his work for charity.  He was truly "The Greatest".

                                                                     The Greatest

Also, I found out today one of the true greats of hockey died.  The superb Gordie Howe died at 88.  He was Mr. Hockey in Canada.  He was the greatest player in hockey before Gretzky and Lemieux.  As a hockey player, I mourn the death of one of the greats of the game I play.

                                                                   Gordie Howe

                                              There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Dirge for Connor

I was watching the local TV news last week and saw a very sad story about a young lad who developed a tumor in his cerebral cortex.  He was a very active, normal 7 year old,  who played baseball and did everything a kid that age does. The next thing you know, the kid had a tumor diagnosed and his life was devastated.  Apparently, this is a rare type of tumor and regular cancer treatments wouldn't work.  He became unable to walk, speak or even feed himself.  What a dreadful thing to happen to a young vibrant child.  How cruel can life be.  A young innocent child has to suffer like this and have his future viciously taken away.

                                                                     Connor

                                                             A Future Baseball Star

I was really touched by this story because I feel there is nothing worse in this life than having an innocent child's life destroyed by disease.  I don't have much but I decided to give a small donation to his go fund me page.  There was a small bit of hope.  His parents researched and found an experimental treatment in the UK.  They needed to raise $250,000 to travel to a hospital and for the treatment.  I received updates and yesterday I saw they had raised the money.  I don't have much faith in people but this does show there are actually some good folks out there.  They were planning on going next week to get the treatment for Connor.

As days go, today was a decent one.  I got home from work, worked out and sat down at my computer for my small bit of peace and relief from this mad world.  I saw an update in my email about Connor.  I opened it and my world just stopped.  Time became meaningless.  My mind went blank.  Something or someone was clutching at my throat.  Connor had died earlier today.  Why? Why did he have to die now?  He had been through a living hell for a year.  Couldn't he have lived another week, maybe this treatment would have worked and given him a chance at life. Of course he is in a better place.  No child should ever have to suffer like that. I can't imagine what his family has gone through.  The old adage life isn't fair doesn't even apply here.  Life sucks, life isn't right. That kid never had a chance.  Morrissey said it best, "Life Is A Pigsty".  Tomorrow the sun will come up and the rhythms of life will go on.  It never changes and we here eventually will all take our turn, turning into dust.

                                                                      Into Dust

Clouds

This week the cloud image of Our Moz has been all the rage on TTY, FTM, So-Low and Twitter.  My first thought was, it must be a slow news week,  On second thought, did the cloud really resemble Morrissey?  After several glances and comparing it to a real picture, yes it does bear a small resemblance, I suppose.  I wonder who actually first noticed the cloud looked like Moz.  It must have been a true convergence of heaven and earth to produce the conditions to make such a sublime image.
Thank God someone photographed it.

The picture reminded me of those hidden image photos.  I was always really terrible on figuring them out.  It must be my lack of imagination or vision or something like that.

I found this one on the Internet.  In my mind, I see Harrison Ford as the President in the movie "Air Force One" in this image.  Call me crazy but don't call me after 10 because I'll be in bed.

The Moz cloud image also made me think of the episode of Seinfeld where Mr.Pitt was shown one of these photos but couldn't figure it out.  It drove him nuts the whole show,  It was one of my favorite Seinfeld's.

                                                               Mr. Pitt from Seinfeld

The Moz cloud also gave me pause to consider clouds themselves.  In reality, I don't really like clouds (except for the Moz  cloud of course).  Clouds block the sun and I love the sun and being outside on a warm sunny day.  Clouds also cause rain, which I despise because rain stops me from doing what I love, playing tennis and running.  I suppose clouds can be beautiful.  I've never stopped and considered clouds. I guess you could say, I really don't know clouds at all.

                                                                Both Sides Now

Making a Racket

                                                       Making a racket with my racquet

In a nice change of pace, we played tennis last night.  After 5 straight months of ice hockey, it was
a delight to play tennis.  We played at a brand new indoor club.  The courts were awesome,  They
were colored purple, which is quite different.  Naturally, I played my usual incredibly lousy brand of tennis.  In spite of that, it was a fabulous evening.  Of course the 20 glasses of beer at the club afterwards added to the ambiance of the affair.  Just 2 months more of hockey and it will be tennis season, I can't wait.

                                                                            Today

Change Is Gonna Come

Several months ago I decided I was going to sit this Presidential election out.  I enthusiastically supported Barack Obama in 2008.  I worked on his campaign, knocked on doors, made phone calls and gave my hard earned money.  Obama's first term was a time of great promise.  All the flowery speeches in the campaign did not quite translate to actual governing.  The filthy republicans opposed everything.  Mitch McConnell said his number 1 priority was making Obama a one term President.  So much for the good of the country.  Obama was able to get a health care bill passed and a stimulus bill which saved the country from going into a devastating depression.  The Bush recession was crushing to the economy.  Due to Obama's steady hand we went from losing 800,000 jobs a month to a positive job growth.  In 2012 I supported Obama's reelection and gave some money.  I decided not to volunteer because I think Obama did ok but could have done better for those like me who helped put him there.  I certainly would never have voted for the vapid, cardboard cutout, Romney.  It became the lesser of 2 evils choice all over again.

My thinking has been, I won't vote for the lesser of 2 evils in 2016.  I saw Bernie Sanders was going to run for President and thought initially, what a quixotic adventure.  I thought he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell.  Bernie has been the only politician I have ever followed on Twitter because I don't think much of politicians.  I know he had always been true to his beliefs, so I always liked to hear his views on matters.  The initial polls had him getting around 3 percent.  None of the so called pundents gave him a chance and I really wasn't paying much attention.

The first part of 2016 saw the intensifying of the campaign.  I had started to pay more attention to what was going on.  I began to read more and watch speeches.  The more I watched, the more I became inspired by Bernie.  For the first time in my life someone spoke about and supported everything I believe in.  Health care for all through medicare should be a right not a privilege.  The income inequality must be reversed now.  The millionaire and billionaire class must start paying their fair share in taxes. Strict regulation of Wall Street and Big Banks. The minimum wage must be raised to $15 per hour.  Something must be done about the in equal justice system for black folks.  We need a different foreign policy, not a war first mentality.  We are in dire need of rebuilding our infrastructure.

Bernie had me hooked.  This guy is the real deal.  It's amazing a 74 year old can inspire folks with words.  He has drawn the biggest crowds by far of any candidate, not that anyone would know it,  The media hardly pays him notice.  I wonder why?  The answer is "Big Money".  Who owns the corporate media?  They would never want to see him elected.  They are completely in the tank for Clinton.  The Democratic candidate of Wall Street.  The party of FDR.  He must be spinning in his grave right now.  Huge PAC's and money coming in for her from the wealthy.  See, they win no matter what. We all lose.  She has the gall to say, she has a plan to severely regulate Wall Street.  She is going to regulate Wall Street after taking millions of dollars in contributions from them?  Its kinda like building a wall on the Mexican border and making the Mexicans pay for it. Clinton voted for the Iraq war.  The worst foreign policy blunder in American history.  It has cost several hundred thousand innocent lives along with trillions of dollars and we are still paying for it today.  Bernie Sanders voted against it.  How anyone who voted for that war can sleep at night with the blood of hundreds of thousands on their hands is beyond me.  Don't they have a conscience?
I truly have come to despise most politicians.

The road ahead is quite bleak and difficult.  The meme of inevitability has begun for Clinton.  I will not waver in my support of Bernie Sanders.  He is the only authentic choice there is, if we want to build upon what Obama started.  If Bernie loses, we all lose.  The wealthy win no matter what Republican or Democrat wins, unless its Sanders.  I will not vote for Hillary Clinton in the fall if she wins the Democratic nomination.  I refuse to choose the lesser of 2 evils this time, when we have a candidate who can fundamentally change things for the better for common folks.  I will write in Bernie's name this fall if he does not win,  If not Bernie this fall, I will vote for the cat running for President, Limberbutt McCubbins.  She could do a better job than Clinton or Trump.

                                                                              Change