This isn't "Sour Grapes" ... it's called being Patriotic ...

And that is just what they could fit on a MEME.... the list goes on. 

I keep having the same argument with a lot of my liberal friends and of course this is also the cry of the right... 

'it's sour grapes and you are just a bunch of cry babies and you are being unpatriotic' etc., 

Sorry folks, but you are so wrong that it's actually scary you think and feel that way. 

If you love this country and all that it was founded on, then you need to fight this election. Not through violence. Not through any illegal means, but via the system we have in place to keep tyrants out of the White House. 

More to come on this... Faithless Electors

Michael Moore has said that he will either quit or be impeached. Huffington Post Article 

He is right. And hopefully it will be sooner then later. I know that puts Pence in place, but that's a whole other topic.

Prof. Allan Lichtman was one of the few professional prognosticators to call a Donald Trump win – and now he has another prediction. Washington Post Article 

"A Class Divided" - A Lesson on Racism

I have been searching for educational videos about how to teach our children the subject of racism, hoping that if it was so simply and purely stated that even a child could understand it, that maybe... a few adults could learn a thing or two. I will keep searching, but I came across this and it just blew me away.  

From Frontline's encore presentation in 1985

the description of the film.... 

A Class Divided

The day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, a teacher in a small town in Iowa tried a daring classroom experiment. She decided to treat children with blue eyes as superior to children with brown eyes. FRONTLINE explores what those children learned about discrimination and how it still affects them today.

From the teachers guide for this documentary. 

A Class Divided is an encore presentation of the classic documentary on third-grade teacher Jane Elliott's "blue eyes/brown eyes" exercise, originally conducted in the days following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. 

Hypocrisy Cuts Both Ways in this Era of Trump

I love this MEME from Occupy Democrats because it's a truthful statement... but there is more to be said then just this. 

Hypocrisy cuts both ways.... we can't become the thing we hated. 

That insight is due to my very dear friend who patiently taught me that lesson, even though I thought he was totally insane at the time.  

So do we return the favor and become just as obstructive as the right was to Obama? In THIS case... I think it's justified. As long as we don't cut off our own nose to spite our face. We have to be smart and selective about any battle we engage in.

Two wrongs don't make a right. I get that. I agree with that. 

But this election is different than any other in our history as a nation since the days of Lincoln. 

This is not like Jeb Bush, or Mitt Romney or even Carly Fiorina got elected. When George W Bush got elected for a second term, as liberals, we knew that the country would survive his reign and that the fabric of our country would not be torn apart and shredded. Yes, did horrific things happen, yes they did.

This election is different. It's not even in the same plane of existence of say the Bush years, for us liberals. We actually know ahead of time what horrific things are on the agenda. It's up to the country if we let him act on it.  

Keep in mind, the country elected a man that even hard line republicans voted against because they KNEW how completely insane and dangerous Trump is. People crossed party lines to prevent him from a presidency. They sacrificed their OWN beloved party affiliation, because they feared him. 

This is a whole new game folks.

I am all for diplomacy and all for doing things via the high road, like FLOTUS asked of us in her many speeches at rallies and to the nation via the DNC.

Since election day, Obama and Michelle and their circle of family, friends and co-workers, have shown pure class and demonstrated absolute diplomacy by making this about a smooth transition so that the country would not tear itself apart. Now is the time for diplomacy and calm.

BUT.... if  (I only say "if" because no one has a crystal ball) and when Trump attempts to take actions that go down the path of pure evil (pure evil in my view as an Atheist ... lol) then we have to be ready to fight the good fight.

Quoting Bernie Sanders...   

To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. 

To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him. 

Sometimes you HAVE to get in the mud pit, in order to save all that is good.

Diplomacy is a good thing and always takes precedent. But there is a line and Trump is way beyond that line.

If some of us choose to "fight" ... for me.... we are no different then soldiers that go to WAR to save people, like we did in Nazi Germany. No one wants to be in a battle. But when the stakes are this high, we have to fight for what is right. 

This won't be won by doing either/or. We need diplomats who can be calm and centered in the face of pure evil and we also need people who are willing to go toe to toe if need be. You absolutely can be both.

Point is, we need to work as one to make sure we correct this horrific event in our country's history.

Did Obama Make Racism Worse?

The short answer is yes, but not in the way you think!

It's very simple... his Presidency flushed out all of the racist rats, snakes and roaches out into the open. They were always there, but we really had no idea how many there were lurking in the shadows until the first black President spent 8 years in the oval office. 

The right wing and every level of bigot that exists, not only wanted him to fail, but they stacked the cards against him to ensure it. Even with the odds against him, he has now become one of the best Presidents in American history.

Instead of changing their minds that black people are human beings after all, his time in office just made them angrier and meaner and more violent. They saw their enemy winning, even when they pulled every dirty trick in the book for him to fail. It simply enraged them and made them come out of the woodwork.

Not only did he do a great job overall, but his calm, cool, graceful, intelligent character and his attitude towards all the vileness directed at him and his family... only proved what a great leader he was. Not only was this black man a great President, but proved himself to be a moral leader, teaching us all how to overcome obstacles. You don't give up, that's what he taught us.  

I honestly believe his success is what has caused so much of the new era of racism. 

It's like a wounded beast that will claw and bite and do what ever it can to win. But here's the thing... it won't win. We simply will not let that happen. 

These angry beasts may not ever be erased from the planet because hatred and violent behavior will always exist in some form, but when the demented beast raises it's head, we can collectively shove it back into the dark where it belongs.

The hope I have for us all, is that someday they will ONLY exist in the shadows. We know they will always be around, but we can do things as a society, to keep them out of the everyday world.

"Bernie or Bust" Peeps ... Let's Win The War

I just read a really insightful article pointing out the fact that ... in essence... Bernie DID win. Certainly not in the way the Bernie or Bust peeps wanted, but there is a silver lining to all this. 

Yes, Bernie lost the battle, but his passion and ideals, will help us win the war. To coin a Drumpf-ism.... that's HUuuGE! 

Bernie made history. His base ... made history. Together, you influenced an entire party and made such great arguments for truly progressive ideals, that it's now the very foundation for our current platform. That's a Victory folks!

Here's the problem we face though ... if you can not let go and get past the fact that a battle was lost and move forward on this, you are now nothing more than an obstructionist, maybe even to the point that the war will be lost. How does that kind of defiant mind set, honor the battle you fought if you prevent us from winning the war?

The troops need to move forward. There are more battles to fight before its all over. If you are stuck in the field infighting over something you can't change, you are putting all of the troops at risk. We need to regroup and work as one if we are going to win the war. 

You did NOT fight in vein. 

The good news is that Bernie is now free to be the most effective, passionate, vocal and influential activist he can be! 

That is the silver lining to all of this. 

That's how we will win the war.

"Bernie or Bust" Peeps ... We Need Your Help!

Bernie or Bust folks... I have really tried to respect you and your passion, really I have. But what was once a passion full of good intent ...  has now turned into childish behavior. 

Image Credit

I LOVE Bernie! I have loved his views since way before he ran for the Presidency.

~ I believe that the country needs to supply it's people with fundamental rights and also provide a safety net for folks who need our collective help. 

~ I believe that big money has to be removed from the table when it comes to politics. You should never be able to buy an election or politician.

~ I believe the care of our planet should never be a political football, but something we all take part in caring and fighting for. 

I am totally with Bernie on those points.

I was torn for a long time over Hillary or Bernie, but I voted for Hillary in the primaries because even though I love Bernie, I felt that she had the experience and skills and strength to run our country more so then Bernie. Not that he couldn't, but that she was better suited. I am NOT anti Bernie, I want to be clear about that. 

Also note that I am not exactly in love with Hillary, but that's okay. It's okay because I firmly believe that she is the kind of human being that can change her position if she feels there is a good reason to do so. When you know better, you do better and she gets that.

I also feel confident that her entire LIFE is based on doing things for the greater good. 

So Bernie didn't win. That's life... you can either have a temper tantrum over it or do the next best thing. 

If you don't Vote Blue in November or don't even bother to vote in protest that is 100% your right... but... keep in mind you are playing right into the hands of the GOP who are absolutely laughing at us over this whole mess.

The right wants to divide us. 

It's a PLOY. 

Don't fall for it.

Just because Bernie didn't win, doesn't mean you have to stop loving him. 

So let's use an analogy. Pretend you are going some place to eat a nice juicy steak, that you have been totally craving for months, only to find out they are don't offer that as a choice anymore!

Instead of staying and ordering something else... you have a melt down and flip the table over, knock trays of food out of the hands of the waiters, set fire to the curtains and storm out like a 3 year old brat.

Or....... you get the chicken and deal with it. You aren't happy but you don't take it out on anyone for not getting what you wanted. 

In keeping with the same restaurant theme, now we move on to apathy (not voting at all). 

Because they don't offer what you want any longer, you decide to just not eat there at all (which is fine) but on the way out, you notice that they don't let Blacks, Muslims, Gays or Mexicans in at all. 

You have a choice, you can ignore it, or you can help by speaking up or making sure you support someone who will fight for them. 

If you are a good person, you don't ignore people who need help with any form of injustice or enable the offenders.

Well guess what... the Democratic party needs your help fighting injustice! 

We need your help to win against those who would gladly deny people, based on some form of bigotry!

This is bigger then YOU.

If you are all about doing the right thing for the greater good, then morally, you should vote for Hillary this November. 

She may not be your first love or first choice and you may not even like her, but the thing is, she will fight the kind of injustice the other side perpetuates. 
  

‪#‎VoteBlue‬ 

‪#‎NeverTrump

‬ ‪#‎BernieSupportsHillary‬

To Be Black In America - From the view of a one old White Chick

I don't know what it is to be black. I don't know what it's like to wake up in utter dread each day and wonder what injustice will cross my path. 

I grew up in a mixed neighborhood. Jews, Blacks, Chinese, Latinos, Irish Catholic, Germans, Italians, Polish... you name it... we had one tucked in our area somewhere. I had no idea what racism even WAS until I got older. Even though I was born in the 60's and racism existed all around me, the community I grew up in, sheltered me from the reality of it because we just didn't treat each other that way. 

When I was in my teens and started to see racism first hand via my black friends, even though I knew it existed, I still didn't fully understand it. How could I? I wasn't Black.

All I know is that from the time I was about 5, when anyone experienced being treated unfairly, it made me mad and made me want to stand up for that person. I can't be 100% sure where that came from. Was it the neighborhood I grew up in that didn't see race? Is it something inside my DNA? What I think made me this way was because I was always around people who were full of compassion and were always respectful of others. 

That kind of compassion for your fellow human being, and having respect for others, has gone missing somewhere along the line. When did we stop teaching this? Did we stop acting like this? Did we think compassion and respect was instinctual? Did we think someone else would teach our kids these things? What ever the answer is, we need to step up and start making sure kids grow up knowing the requirements for being a good person.

There are a trillion examples of the lack of compassion and respect we have for others, especially if you are Black in America. I want to talk about one of those examples.

Leslie Jones, of SNL and the remake of Ghost Busters was attacked on her Twitter account ... for being BLACK.

Leslie Jones, star of Ghostbusters and Saturday Night Live cast member, exposed Twitter trolls on Monday for sending her racist, hateful, and even graphic messages. Some of the horrible messages included pictures of apes, with frequent comparisons of Jones to Harambe the gorilla killed at Cincinnati Zoo, and one message saying she was the source of AIDS. {full article} 

My heart breaks for her. But I know she is not alone. Because she is a celebrity, she is a public figure and that makes her the perfect target for racists. Sadly, this is just one of many stories of racism in America.

Each day, I am absolutely floored by all the hate in this country for Black people. I struggle to understand it. I thought we turned a corner when we elected Obama. I don't recall this level of racism back then. So what happened? 

Something occurred to me today and I wanted to share it. So here is my theory on one of the reasons for this renewed, overt bigotry in America.

It's Obama's Fault!!!! 

I am making a joke really, but sort of not. 

I really think this new fervor of racism is some giant backlash for Obama being such an incredible President and for being such a good human being. 

Bigots wanted NEEDED him to fail, they did everything they could to sabotage him, and when all of their dirty tricks didn't break him, it just made them even crazier and more desperate to undermine any black person. I think that is why we are seeing it more today then when he was elected. 

Because Obama was able to take what they dished out, with grace and class, I am convinced it left them so defeated that they are trying to "up their game" and go after people they think they can rattle or diminish in some sort of sore loser mode. You know the type, I lost, so I am going to take you down some other way. He did such a great job, even though he had more on his plate than any president in recent history, that it scared them that their days of white power... was OVER!

Here is the thing about the attack on Leslie Jones .... all the racists out there that think they can get away with this kind of thing, I've got news for you.... millions more... HAVE HER BACK. You didn't pull her down. All you did was inflict a tiny mosquito bite and the rest of us are going to squash you like the disease infected bugs you are.

This is a kind, beautiful, funny, talented human being who was attacked just for being Black in America. She did nothing to deserve this. Not one .....single thing... to incite this, except have the utter gall to be Black in America. 

The attack on her is only going to rally millions of people to her side. Even though it's only one story in the landscape of being Black in America, I hope it also becomes a sort of beacon for folks who are not public figures that go through this kind of experience too.

You racists didn't didn't knock anyone down, in fact, what you did, had the opposite effect. It's bringing people together in the fight against this kind of ugly, foul, idiotic behavior. Now go back into the cave you crawled out of.....

#LoveForLeslie   

Sunflower Shaped Solar Panel and Water Collector.

I love this clever design. We keep coming up with newer and better ways to live clean and not kill the planet! I wonder what other clever shapes and designs people will come up with!

Snipped from Inhabit News: IBM Research and Swiss solar technology company Airlight Energy just unveiled a cutting-edge solar system that resembles a 10-meter-high sunflower! The High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system can concentrate the sun’s radiation 2,000 times and convert 80 percent of it into useful energy, generating up to 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day—enough to power several average homes. Oh, and it can also produce clean, fresh water as a result of the process used to cool the solar cells!

Read more here..... 
http://inhabitat.com/ibms-new-sunflower-shaped-solar-concentrators-produce-energy-and-fresh-water/

The Demon Seeds of the GOP

These are the seeds you sowed GOP.... you sowed seeds of hate and violent behavior and lack of morals. You sowed seeds of intolerance and proud ignorance. You nurtured all the worst qualities of mankind and now the monster seeds you planted into the heads of your party, are all sprouted and  loose and out of control in ways you never thought possible. 

I used to speculate that this was all some con game, but not any more. No sane person allows this or says this or does this....

Short copulation video from Americans Against the Republicans that I think best demonstrates the sickening behavior and mind set. 

Donald Trump's War On The 1st Amendment
WATCH AND SHARE THIS! Today, a credentialed reporter was slammed to the ground by his throat by Trump's Secret Security forces. He regularly attacks the press with hateful and violent rhetoric. He jokes, "Nah, I wouldn't kill them" -- an answer to a question that should not have to be asked. He's stated his opinion in the past that Putin's execution of journalists in Russia "shows strength."He incites, encourages, and rewards violence against protesters.He has stated he would expand libel laws, tearing down the framework of the First Amendment. In fact, he's declared a war on the First Amendment. Donald Trump doesn't believe in the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or the freedom of the press. We're never going to stop making fun of Donald Trump, but make no mistake -- the threat he presents to our nation and our democracy is all too serious. Trump, and his supporters, are fascists. When caught accidentally retweeting Mussolini, he DEFENDED Mussolini. He's the Republican frontrunner, and all predictions say he'll be the nominee. He's their leader. Trump is everything the GOP stands for, even those that won't admit it. Ignoring him isn't going to stop him. The only thing that will is letting it be known that this kind of behavior and attitude is not going to be tolerated in our nation. The undercurrent of racism and fear he has tapped into is strong, and our voices and votes MUST be stronger. There is no other option. Are you with us?LIKE Americans Against The Republican Party for more!
Posted by Americans Against The Republican Party on Monday, February 29, 2016

Yeah... I remember the days when you could beat someone up so badly for speaking up, that they would need to be carried out on a stretcher ...

I remember those days. I also remember the days we hung black people from trees. They were dark days in our history

I also remember the days when we welcomed everyone to this country who wanted to make it their home and contribute to life.  Those are the days that make me proud.

Some day, when we look back at all this, we will remember your words and actions and look at you as the greatest example of the downfall of humanity. 

They ARE people ... you on the other hand .... represent the worst of them.  

Green Roof Top France and Beyond

Hey all you budding entrepreneurs out there.... here is one way to start up a business selling greenhouse kits, or something of that nature, to all the gazillions of people who have flat roof tops in this country.

Roof top of Chicago's City Hall 

Green technology and changing the way we live off of the planet... is an open map.

France is doing it's part, making sure new construction is eco-friendly. Check this out ...

A new law recently passed in France mandates that all new buildings that are built in commercial zones in France must be partially covered in either plants or solar panels.

Green roofs, as they are called, have an isolating effect which helps to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a building during the winter or cool it in the summer.

They are capable of retaining rainwater and reducing problems with runoff, and also offer birds a place to call home in the urban jungle.

FULL ARTICLE HERE  

National Geographic Article 

Malaysia's Forest City