This was written over the Xmas season on another site. By me.

It’s Xmas season. Everywhere you turn, you are besieged with messages wishing you “Merry Xmas!” B/c as our POTUS has said, MERRY XMAS is now BACK…with a vengeance! But, as more and more folx ID as atheist, agnostic, non-religious, or even just some other religion other  than Xian, where does than leave US? We grin and bear it, give our  Xian friends appropriate gifts, try to enjoy the good things about the season….but

Really. I find this all very difficult. After a while, the red and green everywhere, the tinsel and the unending Xmas carols become maddening. I dislike Xmas even more than pumpkin spice lattes…and I HATE those with a passion. I find myself on the verge of informing random strangers that Jesus was most likely born in the spring (if he existed at all, which I doubt).  OR maybe the autumn or the summer. We don’t REALLY know. The whole Dec. 25th thing was set by the R. C. Church back in the day to co-opt Saturnalia. And Bethlehem? Another guess. Wise men? Total fabrication.

But I don’t do this. I attend parties and even church services with good grace. I wish everyone MERRY XMAS. I sing along. But inside I’m madly plotting to blow up the whole Xmas thing….even though I know it will tick on year after dreary year after year. Rant over.

I’m feeling high anxiety these days, I confess. Under attack, even. Existentially threatened.  Let me count the ways: I’m AFAB (assigned female at birth), so there’s that. I’m trans* (FtN, female to neutrois, a nonbinary gender, which is REALLY pushing buttons for folks in the culture wars); I’m Jewish; I’m atheist (yes, you CAN be both at the same time, unlike Xtianity); I’m extremely liberal politically-Democratic Socialist. I sometimes joke that the only box I fail to tick to be every conservative walking nightmare is person-of-color. Now, though I’d have to add “immigrant” to that. Though, of course, I’m the grandchild of -gasp-RUSSIAN JEWISH IMMIGRANTS.

Recent developments have been contributing to this. I’m sure you are familiar with them, unless you have been living under a rock: the recent spate of pipe-bombs sent to prominent liberals; Trump & co.’s continued attacks on the LGBTQ community including the newest proposal to literally define folks like me out of the lexicon. (Just another reason I <3 ACLU.) And now the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. (As an aside. Will people please stop saying JEWISH SYNAGOGUES? A synagogue is de facto Jewish. There are no other kinds! Public service announcement, and you’re welcome!)

I’m trying hard not to give in and succumb to despair. I regularly get a diagnosis now of “major depressive disorder” from my internist, but because I don’t qualify for Medicaid (even the expanded version, though I helped get it passed here in VA and so happy for Virginians it was), I can’t afford regular counseling for this. The local mental health center turns me down again and again. I do the best I can. I work to get candidates who do not support such heinous policies elected-ANTHONY FLACCAVENTO for Congress! and keep them in office-TIM KAINE for Senate! I work with organizations that promote goals that will help Virginians on a grassroots level-VIRGINIA ORGANIZING and APPALACHIAN PEACE EDUCATION CENTER.

Friends help immensely. Last night two came and took me out, so that I would not be alone after the synagogue shooting. That helped so much! There was one surreal moment, though. We were at a local microbrewery listening to a local band that I quite like. I do have to wonder at the choice of music, though. There were two songs that drove me outside for a break: The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down followed by Hillbilly Nation. I just couldn’t listen to these two songs sang back to back. I felt such a sense of being a stranger in a strange land at that instance….I mean no offence here, but these two songs? What I thought outside was that when Bowers said that “I can’t sit by and let my people get slaughtered….”, well, THESE were probably HIS people in his mind. I felt so out of place and then immediately felt worse for feeling that because people here in Abingdon HAVE been kind and welcoming to me, a great many of you. So.

I’m listening to Jason Isbell a LOT these days….this is for everyone who like me might be struggling:

Somehow I’ve become one of those people I used to run from-those whose life seems to be a train wreck…..Why is my life like this? I’ve got complicated health problems. Given the current health care system in the U.S., this does not make my life easy. My living situation is problematic-I rent from a private landlord and live on his personal property, in a small apartment built into his his garage. Before this election we had coexisted peacefully, despite vast political and religious and cultural differences. He is a conservative Evangelical Xian though probably not as conservative as his wife and relatives. I know that he himself dislikes Trump and the mess in Washington. But we have clashed b/c he does not understand my concern over environmental conditions ( I discovered mold in my AC) nor share them. And I fear that if I push TOO much, I’ll be asked to move. My apartment is affordable (for now, though he’s recently raised my rent) and is in a very convenient location (Historic District) in town.  And then there’s the recent breakdown of several pieces of my electronica…my Iphone died (dead, defunct, deceased); my vacuum cleaner also died, and as I mentioned earlier my AC has mold in it though that’s my landlord’s to replace, not mine, and he’s NOT replacing it-I scrubbed it out for several hours after I discovered this and now spray it with hydrogen peroxide every week, but I fear that’s the bolting the barn door after the horses have escaped, sigh.

I console myself somewhat with the fact that I’m not the only one experiencing a breakdown of daily structure-many I know are experiencing similar struggles. A friend who lives in a different state and who has a good job with decent insurance recounted a problem getting a prescription filled lately. It took multiple phone calls to the pharmacy AND to her physician. This was not an out of the ordinary med but something she took on a routine basis and was generic.  And the tales I hear on transit from bus denizens who doesn’t have really ANY resources are truly harrowing, not to mention some of the stories I get told from the folks I “meet” whilst phonebanking….they break my heart, they do. So a lot of us are hurting out here.

I find myself chasing my tail and playing catch-up from one month to the next. I keep telling myself that myself that things will get better but I think I’m going to stop that. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. I guess that life now is just going to be fucked up for an indefinite time. I’ve tried to seek help from different sources, to no avail. So I’ll just do the best I can, and if my best isn’t good enough?  Well….

I grew up in Mississippi. When things get tough, you turn to the blues. I’m posting this video of Son House doing Walking Blues, b/c one, he was a phenomenal musician and two, I got to hear him and meet him before he died.

https://youtu.be/Wl5BiHw74xU

One year has passed since the debacle at Charlottesville. One year has passed since my own encounters with various forms of hateful acts, but two especially occurred in respect to Charlottesville. (See my blog post entitled Finding No Comfort At A CandleLight Vigil.) While I had reported the drivers who made the remarks that I referenced in this entry, I had never addressed the drivers personally. I decided the time had come to do so. I wrote letters to both men, as they are still driving transit. Here is one letter:

The anniversary of Charlottesville is at hand. I don’t know if you recall telling me I should be deported, but I assure you I most assuredly do do. I’ve never spoken to you regarding this, but it made a profound impact on me. I’ve pondered it over and over during the past year.

B/c I realize you might indeed not remember, here is what transpired. Juanita was riding transit and was visibly upset about the possibility of violence coming to Abingdon. I attempted to comfort her and assure her that she was safe. She patted my hand and told me. “god bless you.” I replied to her, “Thank you.” And THEN you, transit driver, interjected unasked into the conversation THIS: “Oh, she’s (meaning me) laughing at you…she doesn’t believe in god!” This further upset Juanita, who now thinks her friend who is going to hell! She got off of transit even more troubled.  I am saddened and aghast that you used one of transit’s most vulnerable passengers to target your anger over my beliefs/politics/orientation. And all I said to you afterwards was, “You know, the 1st Amendment applies to me also.” And your reply was as follows: “No, it doesn’t. You don’t believe in a Christian god. You’re one of them atheists. You should be deported!” (I’m curious-what country did you have mind for me?)

So. Thank you for making me much less safe on public transit. Thank you for making me feel much less welcome in my own country. Thank you for setting an example for “good Christians” everywhere. Thank you for showing me who you are. And finally, thank you for giving much to think about over the past year.  I know that I have the reputation of being “the militant” on public transit. But I’ve always endeavored to treat my fellow passengers and the drivers with kindness and respect. I shall continue to do so, though I have no deity instructing me do so. I hope that you do likewise.

I am a volunteer for Anthony Flaccavento in Abingdon, VA. Sometimes people will ask me why I am working to get him elected. I decided to put my reasons down on paper, so to speak. A written testimonial, if you were.

First and foremost: Character matters, now more than ever.  Anthony is one of the most decent thoughtful individuals I’ve met. I’ve known him for many years, going back to when I lived here before and he ran the first time. He’s never wavered in his unfailing kindness and regard for those around him. This is reflected in his business and his accomplishments, most notably Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture. (Love your local farmer’s market? Might consider voting for Anthony, as ASD has been instrumental in the development and nurturance of these all across Appalachia.)

Second. He is a Man With A Plan, what I call a “concrete visionary.” His rural progressive platform and other such ideas are very specific to this region, which is what we need here. He has definite ideas for what could be done across Appalachia, economically and in other areas. I won’t enumerate them here, as he does a much better job than I. I refer you to his excellent website (flacc4congress.com or to explore his rural progressive platform in depth, ruralprogressivepolitcs.files.wordpress.com) or his book (Building A Healthy Economy From The Bottom Up: Harnessing Real-World Experience For Transformative Change), should you wish to delve further.

Third. Anthony listens and Anthony shows up. If you are a constituent of his and call him with a problem, you WILL be heard and he WILL endeavor to address your concerns. I am certain of this. You won’t get some robo-form letter that says the same thing for  every reason you call the office , regardless of WHY you call. ( Yes, Morgan Griffith, I’m talking about YOU!) And Anthony will show up in Congress to DO HIS JOB AND ALSO VISIT THE 9TH DISTRICT! Imagine seeing your Congressman eating at a local restaurant! Being able to visit with him! Talk to him! Wouldn’t THAT be nice?

There are many other reasons, too. But these are the big three. I hope to see you at the polls on Nov 6!

I just watched the debate between Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart. I found Corey to be Hobbesian in the extreme in his answers, i.e. nasty, brutish, and short, as least as far as the facts were concerned. However, and I say this as someone who is devoting my time to HELP Kaine and Flaccavento  get elected on NOV 6th in Virginia, Corey Stewart owned the debate. He turned it away from a  debate between two people running for office in Virginia and into a referendum on support for Donald Trump. Kaine seemed either unable or unwilling to stop this, and so rather than being able to do a back and forth debate on his positions or policies, was forced into a showdown over his (lack of) support of  Trump. When Kaine attempted in vain to show that he had in fact worked with the administration on a variety of policies, for how could he NOT-that’s his JOB as a U.S. Senator and ranking member of several committees, Stewart steamrolled over his answers and kept up  his drumbeat of Kaine being “a weak ultra-liberal who takes his marching orders from Chuck Shumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton.” I’m merely surprised that George Soros never got mentioned. Perhaps he’s saving George for later.

The audience (The Virginia Bar Association) ate Corey’s little heap o’ Trump right up. They even booed Tim Kaine, one of the nicest and most decent guys I’ve ever met. And I fear that this WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.  The rules have changed, you see, and a lot of liberal Democrats haven’t caught up. I’m NOT saying we play by Trump’s rules and engage in this sort of gaslighting, what-aboutism, deflection, and flat-out lying. But I AM desperately saying that we NEED TO LEARN WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!! Study George Lakeoff, for example. (The Blue Book is an excellent introduction.) Listen to his webinars and videos on idea-framing. and other concepts. Amanda Carpenter is another person, not nearly as academic but still very good, who has written on Trump’s technique…she is a REPUBLICAN. (The book is Gaslighting America: Why We Love When Trump Lies To Us.)

We keep thinking that if we point out the flaws in their arguments, the contradictions in their statements, or their actual lies, that this is going to change hearts and minds. For the few out there that are primarily cerebral, perhaps this is effective. But this is not what the game is about any longer-to our opponents. They have have given up on the whole reason and logic front altogether and moved to occupy tribalism and emotional satisfaction instead. But damn,  they do this SO WELL! (I mean, if a person living here on Disability REALLY contemplated it, he might have to admit that Trump is one of the very elites he claims to despise and has zero in common with ANYONE living in Appalachia.) But it’s not about that. It’s about how rooting for Trump makes them FEEL. Do people REALLY think a border wall is going to happen or will actually work? Well, no, not really. But it definitely FEELS right and good to say (or chant with your buddies), “Build that wall! Build that wall!” And it’s a heck of a lot easier to say (and think about) than “enact sensible immigration policies that will give us a coherent system for dealing with people who are seeking asylum and those who wish to come for other reasons  economic and cultural and climate-related and oh, do something too to help conditions in the countries that they are leaving” .

Okay, Back from my tangent. The point I’m trying to make is that I fear a LOT of good Democrats are STILL missing the point. I want these people to WAKE UP. Otherwise, I fear I will awaken on Nov. 6th to find my beloved state of Virginia a blue bastion no longer: Tim Kaine loses to Corey Stewart; Anthony Flaccavento loses to Morgan Griffith; and in my nightmares, 2020 rolls around and America gets Donald J. Trump and ilk for another 4 years or worse. PLEASE STOP THIS!!!

At first read, this story sounds like an NRA ad come true: two good guys with guns save the day when they come to  the aid and kill a bad guy with a gun. But upon further perusal, you quickly realize that by the admittance of all involved (except the bad guy-he’s dead), this was a narrowly-avoided clusterf&ck. Here’s what happened:

A shooter approached a restaurant in OKC and opened fire upon its front. The first good guy hears the gunfire, arms, and goes to the scene of the shooting. The second good guy happened to be driving past and stopped to see what was transpiring. When he was told of a shooter, HE arms himself and proceeds to the scene. So. You have the shooter. Good guy one. And good guy two. They concurrently decide the original shooter is the bad guy and shout at him to disarm. When he fails to comply, they open fire. The bad guy dies of multiple gunshot wounds. But not before the police arrive, to find THREE guys with guns on the scene. The bad guy is down by now. But the police, exercising due diligence, handcuff all three and take all men into custody to sort out who is who. The good guys are eventually released. The bad guy, as previously reported, dies. No-one else was hurt during the incident.

But just consider the possibilities! The good guys stated that that THEY have done so, and that it was purely a matter of luck that they didn’t mistake each OTHER for the shooter. So, just think about this. Now you have two people who are shooting at each other by mistake; an active shooter who still might intent on his original plan of action, so he is still shooting. The risk of casualties, intended or accidental, has just risen greatly. Then add to this the arrival of the police, who are of course ALSO guys with guns. How are they supposed to ID the bad guys with guns from the good guys with guns? (Hats? Idk….) In any case, I’m saying that this is getting to be WAY too many guys with guns. (And please please please don’t tell me the answer is to arm everyone. It’s too late at night for me to even begin to address THAT argument.) If the idea is to keep everyone safer, and that WAS the original intent of the whole guns-thing, this does not seem like a sensible way to be managing it. Unless we’ve changed the intent and it’s now just to protect GUNS, not people.

With the recent two Supreme Court Decisions, I am most disheartened. I DID see a news clip of a rabbi (haven’t been able to find out who he was) saying something to the effect of “If you want to come after someone, come after me, you sons-of-a bitch!” Good for him! But those groups calling so LOUDLY for “religious liberty” protections? Well, OF COURSE they were celebrating the victory they got with the decision concerning what information a “medical provider” is obliged to give a women about her options when going to a crisis pregnancy center. (In case you don’t know, these places are usually run by antiabortion Christian groups. They will provide a minimum of care to the woman until she gives birth , persuade her to give the baby up for adoption or keep it-ONLY OPTIONS, then she is on her own  and SOL.)  But concerning the treatment of immigrants and the travel ban, which largely affects those from Muslim countries? Deafening silence. So. I propose they just come clean. Stop with all the trumpeting about “religious liberties,” when what they mean is protection for CHRISTIAN values, particularly those of an esp. conservative bent. After all, the POTUS has been saying outright things which should have beyond the pale  and apparently gets a mulligan every time from values voters. So hey, let’s just hear y’all start telling the truth!

Amazon VS Walmart: which evil empire do you choose? In this day and age, it seems an inescapable dilemma. As much as I dislike the though of enriching Jeff Bezos any further, I must admit that after a recent with Wally-world’s remote customer service, Amazon STILL provides much better customer service, plus you will get what you actually ordered.

Here’s what transpired: Walmart had sent me a digital coupon for 15% off, if I use their delivery service, claiming they missed me. This is mystifying, since to the best I can recall I’ve never ordered online from Walmart. But okay, I’ll use the coupon. So I order some items using their two-day shipping option. One item, Burt’s Bees Body Wash For Men, is shipped separated from the other items, and due to arrive Monday (which is actually later than the 2-day shipping promised). Monday comes, no item. Tuesday comes, And I get an email saying that my item has arrived. I check in all the usual spots it could be left-no box. I even go upstairs to look, b/c occasionally a substitute UPS person will take a box there in the mistaken view that I live there, though my mailbox is CLEARLY marked and beside my door-no box there, either. I even text my landlord to make sure no-one from his house received a parcel, just in case. Nope. So it’s clear that no delivery was made.

I contact Walmart that evening. The first thing that happens when I do so is a roadblock that asks me if I’ve availed myself of these possible options, i.e., have I done my homework before bothering customer service. I’m thinking to myself, “um, yeah. I have.”  So I contact a virtual agent. Our interaction was pleasant enough and went quickly and easily. He sent me a replacement item at no cost with two day shipping. We’ll see if IT arrives. BUT….

When this has happened with an Amazon item, I’m usually contacted BEFORE the item arrives so I know whom to contact if the item doesn’t arrive. The ONE time I’ve had a problem with Amazon, it was dealt with speedily and dispatch and no-one asking me had I attempted to do this, that, and the other.  And to make up for the inconvenience, Amazon gave me a 5$ credit to use. That’s the sort of thing that makes me much more inclined to go back to Amazon.