Hegseth Is The Joke

 I'm sitting here with a level of anger I haven't written with in a very long time. I'm scared I won't be able to put into words the rage coursing through my body...FYI, I needed to walk away from the keyboard and this post for a few days. Every word that came onto the page was too much. Too angry. Too intense. Too disappointed in the world we live. Too sad for those who are used for ridicule. Just "too." With 48 hours of clarity behind me, it's time to try again. Here goes...

  Pete Hegseth, the person in charge of the approximately 2.1 million members of the US military and close to a million more civilians in support roles, used a picture of a female Canadian Cadet leader to try to embarrass both the woman in the photo and the entire country of Canada. To score some sort of petty political points. A man with almost unlimited power did this. Thinking I'm sure, that it would make him look smart, strong, and powerful. 

  Of the over three million people under his command, anywhere between 400 and 600 thousand are women. The vast majority of whom know what he posted, why he posted it, and the intended effect of the post. Their "boss" was attempting to belittle and degrade a fellow woman in uniform. A woman he did not know and who had not injured him in any way. All because of her body size. I should also note that he is very vocal that women should not be in combat roles, going so far as to disband the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

  The US Secretary of "War" has been plagued by allegations of a drinking problem and erratic, manic confrontations. He has been accused of being confrontational and exhibiting manic outbursts. Former colleagues at Fox News have discussed his drinking to excess. To be fair, Hegseth has said repeatedly that he does not have a drinking problem. I should also add that most people with drinking problems say they don't have one. But he denies it, so we will leave it at that. 

  Mr. Hegseth is also the father of two girls, a teenager and one aged 9. He is twice divorced and currently married to a former producer at Fox News, where he was a commentator. His current wife is also the Chairwoman of the Military Spouse Commission. Media reports say she sits in on high-level Pentagon meetings and manages his public messaging. Considering the "message" he just released, I find that very disturbing if true.

  In a leaked email from 2018, Pete's momma accused him of routinely mistreating women and criticized his character. She said he was an "abuser of women" and used them for his own ego. In an attempt to be fair to mother and son, she did say it was written in anger and that she apologized for the email to her son. Mrs. Hegseth also said the comments were not true and that her son is a good husband and father. What strikes me most about the email is how she took the side of her soon-to-be former daughter-in-law over her son. That doesn't happen often in my experience. 

  One last bit of background on Pete Hegseth. In 2017, he was accused of sexual assault by a woman in California. According to his lawyer, the encounter was consensual, and the woman was the aggressor in the encounter. Consensual or not, he did pay an undisclosed amount of money to her because he thought any accusation would terminate his job at Fox News. Believe what you will. 

  Let's recap...a husband, father, son, coworker, boss, and accused. It's safe to say he has a lot of interactions with women every single day. So why would he try to shame a woman? Or actively search for a photo that represents his beliefs while demeaning another human being? Then release it to his 2 million-plus followers on social media? All to what? Embarrass Canada or its military? To make a point about how strong the US military is in comparison? 

  All those things are probably true. He more than likely got a lot of pats on the back, a few "atta boy" comments from his bros. If asked in private, I'm sure he would say, "Yeah, I taught them a lesson not to mess with me". Schoolyard bravado from a bully. But is that the point he really made? Not even close!

  What was meant as a "gotcha" became a moment of national pride. Canadians from all walks of life came to this leader's defence. This mentor. This shining example of service to our country. What was meant to be an insult became a chant of "thank you for your service" from a nation proud of this young woman's dedication to the uniform. What was supposed to show weakness produced support from millions of Canadians. One photograph from a foreign government official increased our strength as a nation. 

  This woman is without a doubt mortified. Not because she didn't know she was overweight, but because she had become the butt of a joke that was seen all over the world. A photo with a caption that, once on the internet, will never ever go away. Will be brought up repeatedly by news media. She must face her family, friends, and coworkers. She will question everyone's motives who look in her general direction. We have no idea what it will do to her confidence and self-worth. A cowardly piece of garbage changed her life, took some of her power, and for what? 

  I hope this Cadet Leader is able to get past this. I hope she knows she is a thousand times better than him. I hope those people in her life rally around and support her in the months to come. I hope people throughout the world say his name with the word asshole in the sentence. I hope we see this man lose his position and get to watch him slink away in disgrace. I hope most people wish the same thing. 

  I wonder what he would think if someone did this to one of his daughters? 

  Ang

  

  

  

Way Too Early

  I woke up at 3:23 this morning. My bedroom was bathed in light. A soft blue hue was floating around the walls. No, I was not dreaming or abducted by aliens. The television turned on...by itself!! Creepy, I know! To make matters worse, the serial killer from our latest binge-watch was behind every shadow. 

  After that very early, very abrupt start to the day, I couldn't go back to sleep. Instead, I went down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos and Facebook reels. After a few hours of mindless scrolling- who knew an elephant could pick up a watermelon, let alone throw it at a car- I decided to get up and start the day. Big mistake! Huge! Now, four hours later, I'm regretting that decision. I'm dragging, and the most basic things are feeling like too much to handle.

  My friend Deb said that the TV was a sign that someone who has passed was saying hello. I don't know if she is correct, but just in case she is, let me make myself perfectly clear to anyone in the afterlife who may want to pop in and visit me...don't. 

  Okay,  so we need to fast-forward 24 hours. Not long after typing those previous paragraphs, I stepped away from the keyboard to refill my coffee. Another big mistake. The day was spent in a fog with nothing accomplished and an early bedtime. A wasted day.

  Let's hope tomorrow is better!

  Ang

  

Carney vs Crosby

  I just read something about how PM Mark Carney wasn't "really" Canadian. He was born in Fort Smith, NWT, and raised in Edmonton, so definitely a citizen. Mark (you didn't know we were on a first-name basis, did you?) played goalie growing up. Can't be much more Canadian than that! So why would some people say he wasn't truly one of us?

  Let me explain. Mr. Carney is smart. Very smart. He went to Harvard and Oxford. Can you imagine the debt he came out of those two schools with? But I digress. After completing his studies, he went on to be quite famously the first non-British citizen to be named Governor of the Bank of England. He also worked for Goldman Sachs and the United Nations. So yes, he worked and lived outside of the country for many years. To be fair, most Canadians knew him from his days as the head of the Bank of Canada. His name is still on a lot of our money btw!

  So that's the argument. He went away to school. He left the country to work. Didn't stay here. Not Canadian enough. Let's try to diminish him for getting the best education possible and the good jobs that led to better jobs, then to the height of his chosen career path. He's not really one of us. That's the criticism. While many conservatives agreed with this premise and expanded on it, here's how that argument got ripped apart in such a way that left these same loud voices silenced with two words...Sidney Crosby.

  Every single person in Canada knows #87. He scored our "Golden Goal" in 2010 at the Olympics. Then helped bring home another gold medal four years later. He's won the Stanley Cup three times, and each time shared it with his fellow Canadians in small towns or with large parades. Sid the Kid, at 39 we can no longer call him that, was everyone's little brother, cousin, grandson, or neighbour kid. We watched him grow up, we cheered him on, and we proudly talked about his accomplishments. All forty-one million of us agree he is Canadian. Hell, we even put him on a postage stamp in 2016!! 

  Hang on a minute...Crosby went to school in the US at the age of 15.  He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. Since that time, he has lived in the US for more than half of each year. He pays taxes, owns property, and I'm assuming has healthcare coverage there. Based solely on years lived outside our borders, Crosby beats Carney by three years... and counting! Why then, is Sid "ours" but Mark isn't?

  Politics, of course, is the reason. It's not about who lived where or what job they had. Not even close. No one can say the jobs PM Carney had were not evidence of a successful career. Quite the opposite. But we all know politics is about changing the narrative to fit our beliefs and belittle our opponents. This is just the latest attempt by the Conservative Party to garner support. Not a very good one, in my opinion.

  Being Canadian doesn't mean you must necessarily live or work within our borders. It's about how we treat people. How we do the right thing even when it's hard. Our morality. Our dignity. Our pride in where we come from and what that maple leaf stands for throughout the world. 

  That's what makes us Canadian...not geography.

   Ang

  

  

  

Pettiness 101

   The other day we were at a local hardware store buying a door. It was a little overcast, and there was a bit of a breeze. As we were walking out with our purchase, we saw a car pull into the parking spot beside us. The parking lot was pretty empty, but with many spots available, this car still chose to park beside us. As hubby went around to the trunk, I stayed in the front, and that's when I saw it...the lady got out and hit my driver's door with hers! 

  This happens all the time in parking spots. We've all come back to our car to find a dent or a mark that wasn't there when we went in. It's frustrating and irritating, and we all swear at this unknown vandal, but we get over it quickly when there is no one to blame. Not this time! She was right there. Maybe ten feet away from me. She was looking at the mark she had made and even said to me that she had hit it and I should look and see. In fact, she went one step further, opened her door again, and carefully lined up the mark! This woman wasn't trying to argue that she had done it. Finally I could prove wrong all those YouTube and TikTok videos showing how everyone never takes responsibility for their actions. Eureka! But then...here's where this gets weird. 

  I asked for her insurance papers, like you should when there is any damage at all. She said no. I will admit I was shocked, as this was not the response I had been expecting. I mean she had already taken responsibility. Why say no? Then she said those four little words that send dread down a driver's spine, "I don't have insurance." WTH?? Who drives a Lexus without coverage? She said this not once, not twice, but three times. All while slowly walking farther away from me and the dent. 

  I followed her as I continually asked for a driver's license or the insurance info. All while digging through my purse for my phone. As soon as she saw the phone, she picked up her pace.  She was still talking, but she didn't turn around. I can only assume she didn't want photographic evidence. I did manage to get a picture of her face, though I didn't think it would help me much. 

  By this point, the driver of the only other car parked near us had asked my hubby what was up. He explained that she had hit our car and didn't have insurance. Without missing a beat, this total stranger said, and I quote, "F'ing immigrants!" Needless to say, hubby was disgusted by the reaction and got far away from this guy. 

  After taking a few photos of the car's plates, we started for home, disappointed in people yet again. But not just disappointed. Now we were angry. This woman had damaged our car and couldn't care less about it. Unlike the bumper, the door is made of metal, and as it was scraped down to it, I called the insurance company. The agent, Rebecca, was wonderful. She explained how they can track whether the car was insured or not and what the process was to proceed. 

  Now for the pettiness. The damage is very minor. IF we had come back and seen the mark, we would have been upset but probably not given it another thought and certainly would not have thought about getting it fixed. Perhaps the wind had caught the door, and she didn't have the physical strength to keep hold of it. Had she said that, we never would have faulted her for that. It could happen to any of us. But we saw it happen, she didn't apologize, and she was recklessly driving without insurance.

  A few short hours later, I hear back from the agent. Guess what? The lady lied. She has insurance. WTH?? Why say you don't if you do? Now we absolutely are getting the damage fixed. I don't care if it's a $60, $600, or $6000 claim. You need to be taught not to play with people. 

  Today I went to the collision center to get the repair estimate. I will admit to feeling petty as he looked at the damage. After giving a few details, he matter-of-factly said he would be petty too. My car is damaged through no fault of my own, and I shouldn't be made to feel like I'm doing something wrong. 

  I'm sure the repair will be a little sanding and a bit of paint. It will take about three days, and I'll need a rental car for that time. Will that be enough to raise this woman's rates? I'm not sure. Does she get penalized by her insurance company for not giving her information? No clue. I hope it is enough though, for her to be more careful and to do the right thing the next time something like this happens. 

  But that I will never know.

  Ang

  

  

   

Mr & Mrs Kelce

 Finding a topic to write about hasn't been difficult for me lately. Finishing my thoughts on the subject has been. I have seven entries started and seven unfinished. I know what I want to say, just not exactly how to say it. Tonight though, this topic is easy. One I will be able to finish...Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding. 

  So far, we know they got married at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lots of celebrities attended. The guests got gift bags filled with some pricey swag. We know who the officiant was. And we also know at least two of the musical performers. Happily, not one pic of the happy couple has been leaked...you know my view on letting the bride & groom post the first pics.

  Okay, MSG as a wedding venue...not my first choice. Right in the center of the busiest city in the US? Doesn't scream romantic, private, or opulent to me, but not my wedding. I'm sure some photos will show the decor and we will all ooh and ahh over them. But Adam Sandler married them??? WTH??? I'm not sure what could possibly have been going on in their heads to make this choice. Again, not my wedding.

  Of the reported 1000 plus guests, was the who's who of the entertainment industry and the football world. They must have a lot of friends. Can you imagine that seating chart? Bahahahaha. I wonder who got to sit next to great-aunt Martha, who can't hear anything, or uncle Harold, who drinks too much and tells awful jokes. Hopefully that was Adam Sandler! 

  Paul McCartney sang! THEE Paul McCartney! As exciting as that would be, and it absolutely would be, Stevie Nicks did too!!! THEE Stevie Nicks!!! Can you freakin imagine?! Who cares who else performed? No DJ is going to top that. 

  Full disclosure...I am not a Swiftie. I like a couple of her songs. I'm also not a football fan, but I've heard rave reviews of Travis's podcast with his brother. However, they seem like a happy couple who deserve the wedding of their dreams. 

  Congratulations Taylor & Travis! I hope you get your own version of happily ever after 💕

  Ang

Transgender Facts

  After seeing too many hate-filled posts about the transgender community on social media in the past few days, I thought I would share a few things about that particular community with you. Things that you may not be aware of or forgotten about. If the comments are any indication, too many of you are not aware of the lives of this less than 1% of the population. Which I find quite shocking. But remember, I'm not an expert on the trans community, just an observer sharing her observations.

  Transgender men and women live in houses and apartments. They have furniture and knick-knacks that collect dust. Beds, sofas, and televisions are common. Their kitchens have stoves and fridges. Some even have fancy dining room tables that can be set with their Grandma's wedding china on holidays or paper plates for late-night pizza. I've even heard of some who have two bathrooms and a laundry room!

  You may not be aware, but trans people have jobs. Good ones and crappy ones...just like you and me. They set an alarm, battle for a seat on the bus or get stuck in traffic daily so they can pay bills. Believe it or not, they complain as much about bad drivers and the cost of parking as you and I do. Overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated isn't foreign to that community either.

  Here's something you might be shocked to learn. Transgender people mow their lawns and shovel snow. Garages need to be organized, and garbage cans replaced or repaired. They do home renos and pick dandelions off their front lawn. And when they are finished, they've been known to sit on their deck with a cold beverage, admiring their handiwork. Shocking, I know.

  Buying groceries, cooking dinner, loading the dishwasher...all done by this community. As is washing floors, folding laundry, and shredding. They have a junk drawer in their kitchen and containers with lids that have disappeared. Too much time is wasted on their phones or bingeing Netflix series. And I'm not the only one who knows their Amazon driver's name.

  The trans community celebrates holidays, goes to weddings and funerals, and visit sick relatives in the hospital. They share Sunday dinners with their parents, laugh at Uncle Bob's lame jokes, and roll their eyes when asked for the tenth time if they are married yet. We aren't the only ones deciding whether our elderly parents need to move into care or a sibling needs to get into rehab. Sadly, they have those conversations and arguments too. 

  Could it be? Could it possibly be that trans people are just that, people? Human beings? Just like us. Do you think so? Deserving of dignity? Respect? Empathy? Could that really be true?

   If they are human beings, and it looks like they are, why do we hate on them? Or allow others too? You can dislike a single person based on an interaction with them, but their entire community? You would hate everyone! And everyone would hate you!

  Transgender people are just that, people. Some are nice, some are not. You may not understand the genetic makeup or the biological factors associated with it, but most of us don't understand those two subjects at the most basic level. Mind your own business, don't judge others, and if you cannot, then keep your hatred to yourself.

  To quote Oprah, they are living their true lives. And don't we all wish we were doing just that?

  Ang

  

  

  

  

The Uneducated

 In 2016, Donald Trump said, "I love the poorly educated." This comment was made in a victory speech after winning the Nevada caucus. Since then, parts of this phrase have been echoed by many. Both conservatives and liberals. Used by both sides as the reason the world is in the state it is today. They could have said "the uninformed" or "political ignorants," but they didn't. The words were carefully chosen. And it irritates me...a lot!

  The View host, Sunny Hostin, has several times blamed "the uneducated" for policies put in place by elected officials who support Trump. As if those who, for whatever reason, didn't continue their education in a university or college, were somehow less informed than their degree-wielding counterparts. While that may be true for some people, it certainly isn't for most. And I've met many Master's Degree and PHD holders whose political leanings do more harm than good.

  Remember during COVID lockdowns, how we wouldn't have survived without grocery workers, the truck drivers, and warehouse workers. Or had anything to eat without the farmers and fishermen. Janitors in hospitals and schools keeping the germs at bay. We were so appreciative and swore we would never again look down on their contributions to society. That didn't last long.

  There are a few insurance companies that advertise better rates for university graduates. Obviously, they believe that makes you a better driver...not quite sure what one has to do with the other, but ok. Some optical stores, barbershops, and many beauty stores give discounts. You can even get a discount on LASIK eye surgery... wth? 

  Does a piece of parchment with fancy writing guarantee success? Don't tell that to Rihanna, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Lawrence, and Whoopi Goldberg. All extremely successful in their chosen fields, not a diploma of any kind amongst them. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Sidney Crosby never stepped foot in a lecture hall. Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Oprah, all billionaires, not one earned degree amongst them.

  Even within the world of academics, there is status. Some degrees are worth more than others. Ask any engineer, and they will tell you theirs is much more prestigious than others and show you their ring, of course. Just a bachelor's degree? Be prepared to be looked down upon by those with Master's degrees. And PHD holders? Don't be surprised if they correct you all and want to be called doctor. Who is the "uneducated" now?

  I guess it's all about the value we put on a piece of paper. I personally think we put too much emphasis on it. Not that people shouldn't go to university, more that those who don't shouldn't be thought of as lesser than. Or that someone who goes into the trades should not be looked at with disdain because they work with their hands and not their minds, because that is simply not true. 

  When it comes to politics, being "well educated" has absolutely nothing to do with a degree or diploma. It is all about information, circumstance, and need. Those change all the time for all of us. Read up on the news of the day from several different sources. Ask questions. Those leaflets your representatives, or wanna-be reps, put in your mailbox? Read them before you throw them in the recycle box. Make up your mind based on facts you have verified. You'll be better informed by the time you cast your ballot.

  Stop trying to diminish people because they chose a different road than you. It makes you look...uneducated.

Ang