Opinions - 1

Last Monday, January 20th it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the US. A big YES for Martin Luther King, he seemed to be a beautiful human being. What else is there to say?
I suggest starting with reading up on MLK if you want to learn more about him. We need more people like him in the world.
Martin Luther King Day which was January 20th this year is the most important thing that happened in the USA that day.

Now on to the circus that took over the White House this week. I am just waiting for some other additions to the roster of crazies. How about the QAnon Shaman, Bigo, Enrique Tarro and Andrew Tate? They seem to be a good fit.
So my first personal strong disapproval of what Donald Trump did this week is the renaming of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, located in Alaska. He decided to rename it to Mount McKinley after a former US president that never even went to Alaska. Denali has been called Denali by the Native Alaskan people supposedly for over one thousand years. And for some time Denali was named Mount McKinley, until Obama reversed it back to Denali in 2015. IT SHOULD BE DENALI! If you want a mountain to be named after a former president from Ohio then the best solution seems to be to find some mountain in Ohio to name after him? In my opinion this is an action of showing disrespect by Trump but hey can you expect anything else really? Renaming Denali was an urgent issue for Trump I guess. 
How about the price of eggs, bacon and gas that the Americans that voted for Trump were SO concerned over? Well guess what honey......billionaires do not care about the prices of eggs, bacon and gas and they do not care about YOU either. But according to whitehouse.gov, one of the several priorities mentioned on there is "all agencies will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living." OK. What does that mean to you? To me it means lower rents, lower interest rates so people can afford to buy a house (especially for first time home buyers), lower the price of real estate so people can even afford to buy a house, condo or land, lower the price of food, lower the price of child care, significantly lower the price of prescription drugs, make health care affordable for everyone and do not let insurance companies make profits on people seeking medical care and purchasing medications (FREE LUIGI!).
What else? Trump repealed Executive Order 14087 and to quote pharmacytimes.com, "a measure from the Biden administration aimed at reducing prescription drug costs and increasing access to innovative cell and gene therapies for Medicaid recipients. Although the reversal did not immediately alter existing laws and regulations for Medicare and Medicaid prescription drug pricing, it has introduced uncertainty about the federal government’s strategy to address these critical issues and sparked widespread debate about the future of health care affordability in the United States."
YES......all you poor Republicans living paycheck to paycheck or on fixed income or on social security disablity that have health issues and need prescription drugs - enjoy the future! You voted for this. 
And I am curious to find out what the Saudis will invest $600 billion in here in the US? Buy up more real estate perhaps? That will really help reduce the cost of living.
I mean I can go on and on about this. But before I quit this rant.....who in their right mind thinks THIS is normal and acceptable behavior from a person currently serving as the Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE under the Donald Trump administration?

Another thing that just baffles me is how the MAGA people cannot see anything wrong ever with any actions stemming from Trump and his administration. It is like a cult.

About 15 minutes ago I clicked on a video that showed a group of men on duty as correctional officers using violence on a handcuffed inmate that lead to the inmate's death. His name was Robert Brooks. He passed away December 10. There are yet no arrests in the murder of Robert Brooks. No perp walk. No flyers up with the faces of these men that ganged up on one handcuffed person and murdered him. They kicked and punched him for a while. He was probably scared and in a lot of pain. Truly abhorrent. What else have these individulas done to other prisoners or other people out in society that is not known? Yes I know that Mr. Brooks was incarcerated for assault but what did he do to get handed that treatment earlier this month? I will be waiting to see what charges all the correction officers will receive and the follow up to that.......
Meanwhile Luigi Mangione shot and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson on December 4. The difference in how the deaths of the two victims are handled is very obvious. The spectacle surrounding his arrest looked like a movie scene. Way exagerrated.
Obviously a warning from the insurance companies to the public to think twice before trying to do something similar. We will find you and charge you with murder and terrorism so you might face the death penalty.
Yeah I am on team Luigi. I DO think what he did was wrong BUT what role did Brian Thompson have in thousands of people not getting proper healthcare that ultimatly lead to suffering and/or death? I totally understand why some see Luigi as a hero. I doubt Luigi has been shooting people for fun prior to shooting Mr. Thompson.
The problem lies with US healthcare and insurance companies and how much people suffer physically, mentally and financially from the impact of this severely flawed system.
According to The Guardian, "In a new poll, more than two-thirds of respondents said they believed denials of coverage and profits in the health insurance industry were partially responsible for the killing of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO, in early December".
You can clearly see that justice has a price tag attached to it. There is no justice for many. People with money can buy freedom and special treatment. Is anyone suprised that people are angry? I am suprised that there has not been a revolution yet? But as long as people can watch football in giant stadiums or on giant TVs and sip on beer and soda and stuff themselves with hot dogs they are OK. Why rattle the OK? 
Yeah my life will go on......we all struggle along in this wheel of life/suffering. People say that money does not buy happiness. I can guarantee you that money makes life a lot easier in many ways. When things are easier it is also easier to feel happy.
I would rather sit around at a spa several times/week for a few hours and hang out with Kaya at home later than go to work in order to keep a roof over my head. 
Anyways.....I am disappointed in humanity in general. In case you haven't noticed yet.

(The picture above might be altered).

With Trump (and Elon) stepping into the White House again in January for another four year term (unless anything changes) there have been some new positions created and some new people getting jobs. Quite interesting, or should I say a mix of comical and WTF is happening?
Like the new ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle......does she even speak Greek?
I have to check, hmmmmm she has a Puerto Rican Mom and an Irish Dad. Ok, what are the chances that Kimberly learned to speak Greek at some point? In case you do not know, Kimberly is enaged to Donald Trump Jr. although it is rumored that the engagement is on its last leg because Junior has a new girlfriend. A newer model, following his Dad's footsteps.
So Trump Senior decided to make Kimberly the ambassador to Greece maybe as a band aid for his son's wandering eye.  Like here you go now please go away.
Then we have the new ambassador to France, Charles Kushner. Does Charles speak French? He is Donald Trump's daugter's father in law, keep it in the family!
So......I think Trump should take a chance on me! In case you do not know that is the title of an Abba song.
I can do three jobs at once. I can be the ambassador to both Sweden and Poland and the ambassador to all the US exotic dancers. Do I qualify for this? Yes I believe so. I am fluent in Swedish and Polish. I would like to know if the ambassadors to Greece and France are fluent in Greek and French? I have spent time in both Sweden and Poland, so I am familiar with the cultures. I can even help Kushner with the French should he need help. Just like Melania, I am too a polyglot. Kind of. I mean a true polyglot should master like five or six languages according to many linguists. Master is the key word, knowing a few words in a language does not cut it. I can master two, I am good in one, ok in a fourth, I can pass by in a fifth and then I know some random words and phrases in other languages. So, not a true polyglot then.  
Melania got me beat. 😉
As far as the exotic dancers......well you know the answer to that one. I surely am well above and beyond qualified for all three positions. I think it is time to put a stripper pole in the Oval Office (a nice one that rotates with fun lights) and we can read the daily press briefings while dancing. Or sitting down resting against the pole. I think that Trump will be very pleased.
So somebody needs to notify Donald Trump that there is a Tati that he should take a chance on. And one more thing.....Trump said that there would be no more taxes on tips. Let's see if that happens. I mean he should be held to his word on all the promises made. Please do not tell me that he was promising things just to get votes......

 

It is the evening before election day. It is in between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. I am not voting because I can't, not a US citizen. In the 2024 election my vote is with Kamala Harris. From what I have seen and heard coming from Trump and his die hard supporters......where does one even start? I am actually in disbelief that there are people that are supporting him.
It is one thing to be a Republican, I don't have an opinion on that and I have nothing against that. But being a fervent Trump MAGA type person, that is something else.
I have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow......I just hope that this thing won't get too crazy and violent. Like can this election not be handled civilized? Is it going to be a "stolen" election again? Another coup attempt on the Capitol Building? I feel that anything can happen and if Trump wins then......it is what it is. Hopefully he won't manage to appoint himself as Potus for life like he has expressed in the past and hopefully he won't execute people that have been against him. What is this, Russia?
Then I also have to remember that the US in not a democracy, it is a Republic and there is a thing called the Electoral College here. In my opinion the Electoral College should be retired. And in this case the Electoral College feels scary.
I read through the Oregon Voter Pamphlet and I really like the Oregon Working Families Party......this is what I want to see.

I looked through both the Multnomah county (where Portland is located) and Clatsop county (location for Astoria) pamphlets.

And then there are people that feel very strongly about the way they do, like this person.
Advertising what he/she (?) believes in to all that pass by this property......Freedom of speech you know.

The sheriff's lieutanant in Ohio practiced his freedom of speech announcing that he was not going to help people that vote Democrat. Yes.....it is actually scary that there are people like this out there. He ain't the only one. 
But it is late, I had a traumatic (yes traumatic) day. I am tired, upset, anxious but I have to push through, I know there are people that have it so much worse than me. If you are eligible to vote then I hope you do (or did already).
 

Last year on October 7 Hamas decided to massacre innocent people who peacefully were enjoying themselves at the Supernova festival in Israel. I won't go into details because with the internet at your fingertips there are many articles to read about what happened. And you should read up on what happened to those innocent that got murdered or taken hostage, a very sad read. Showing how truly evil humanity can be. 
Since then there has been many demonstrations and support for Palestine and a lot of acts of antisemitism. I am disgusted by this. I am 100% in support of Israel and I am 100% against all terrorist groups like Hamas (Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran by the way). I can say without hesitation that I hate the ones spreading violence, terror and murdering innocent people. Looking back at history, say since 1950 and forward there is a repeated common thread, mostly crazy men commiting henious acts in the name of their Allah. It is disgusting.
Hijacking airplanes, murdering Israelis at the Olympics, murdering staff running a magazine, murdering writers, plowing vehicles into crowds, knife attacks on random people out in public, kidnapping innocent people, rape.......the list goes on and on, this random violence in the name of Allah is neverending. Brainwashed sick people. HOW do you become this way as a human?
I do not comprehend it.
Yes, I KNOW many innocent people in Palestine have died. I don't have a solution......move the Palestinians somewhere else in order to end this? To some other Arab country like Iran that supports Hamas anyways or wealthy Saudi Arabia. There is enough money in the Arab countries to house all the Palestinians comfortably. But they don't want them. Egypt for example closed its borders to the Palestinians.
Just as a comparison, Poland immediately took in millions of people fleeing Ukraine and a lot of the Ukrainians live in Poland now. And speaking of Poland, as a message to never forget there are several concentration camps still standing in Poland that the Nazis operated during World War II. And there are idiots here in the US and Europe that are antisemitic?
Educate yourself you morons. Go live in Palestine and see how you will like it. Throw on a hijab or a burqa, submit to your husband and Allah, pump out a bunch of kids and know that your daughters will have limited rights. Have fun with that.
And since I am on this subject......if you want to keep your cave man beliefs and fight to death for your God please stay in the countries where this lifestyle is the norm. Do not soil civilized countries with your beliefs, those beliefs DO NOT belong there. I feel so bad for the women, children and animals in countries where basic human rights do not exist and where only men rule and spread violence.
October 7, to all the innocent beautiful people that were exposed to terror - I am so sorry that this happened to you.

Check out this comic that supposedly was in some Tokyo newspaper. (I found it on Reddit). 

Ok....let's see, I would much rather have a latte or a coffee than a soda (in this case Pepsi) and I am currently typing away on a Mac laptop although my very first PC was a HP desktop but since that first computer I have stuck with Apple. I am more of a rainbow flag march person than a church going person. So according to this comic I must be a democrat.
Some background, I was not born in the US, I am not a US citizen so therefore I cannot vote here. Had I been able to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election I would hands down without any hesitation vote for my man Bernie Sanders but wait, Bernie is not running so I would vote .....drumroll......DEMOCRAT.
Let me explain why. And most likely I will lose readers now (and that is OK) because a large amount of people are so very divided here in the US on this topic, like you are either a democrat or a republican. Well I am a HUMAN first of all, my identity is not a political party. I float around on the political spectrum but I know what I am for and what I am against. I have friends that are republican, friends that are democrat and friends that don't stand for much politically and we manage to get along.
I don't like how polarized US society is, how much division there is. It is dangerous and unhealthy.
We all know by now that a 20 year old kid tried to take out Trump during a political rally. The bullet grazed Trump's ear and in his own words, he was "fine". One person in the crowd died, very tragic. Plus the shooter. Then Biden withdrew from from the presidential race. Which probably took a lot. So I admire him for that. Right now it looks like it is Kamala Harris and Donald Trump that will be battling for the votes. At this point I do not care who is the nominee for the Democratic Party, I would vote for anyone representing the democrats because I do not think that Trump should be in the White House. There are plenty of high ranking republicans and conservatives as well that oppose of him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Republicans_who_oppose_the_Donald_Trump_2024_presidential_campaign
Does this mean that these individual would vote blue? I don't know. I know that the debates between Harris and Trump will most likely be thrilling. In case you do not know, Harris used to be a prosecutor. 
I do not like how Trump has mocked Kamala's name, so arrogant.  I do not like how Trump encouraged the January 6th attack (coup attempt) on the Capitol. One police officer tragically died that day doing his job, so many officers were injured and four commited suicide within a year. Shameful. Those people that rabidly ran around the Capitol looking for Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence and were excited to cause destruction walk amongst us in society, that is insanity. I do not like the MAGA crowd that to me come across as unhinged bullies. I do not like individuals like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert. I do not like how the wife of the man that passed away at the Trump rally mentioned above refused a phonecall from Biden with the explanation that "I didn’t talk to Biden. I didn’t want to talk to him. 
My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him.” Like ??? This mindset to me is scary. What did Biden do to you and your deceased husband? Some republicans were quick to announce that it was somehow Biden's fault that Trump got shot. Mentally unstable people listen to that, believe it and that can lead to bad stuff.
When Paul Pelosi got attacked inside his own house by a far right conspiracy theorist that beat him with a hammer Trump thought it was funny. There are many more I do not like Trump examples that I can think of. These reasons and more is why I am would vote democrat in 2024.
Back in 2016 when Trump won the then election I was ok with him as president until he started acting out in ways that I do not agree with. I am sure Trump has a nice side to him in private at home with his children, around friends but another four years of Trump in the White House? Absolutely not. It is enough, just go away and take MAGAs with you.