Dear Mrs. Clinton

    Dear Hilary Clinton,
    
  I am a fan. A big fan. I like how you have made your own choices. Fought your own battles. Stood your ground against bullies. Shattered ceiling after ceiling after ceiling. I am proud to say you are a fellow female in this male-dominated world. Women cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

  Now.....please go retire somewhere. Stop talking about a possible presidential run in 2020. Or any political office anywhere. Find a nice cottage on the beach somewhere. Or move closer to your grandkids and spoil the crap out of them. Travel the world. Climb Mount Everest. Do anything but do it quietly and out of the public eye. 

  There are many people who need a shot at the top job. Both male and female. Up and comers who need to become front and center with the country. You and your husband have had your hours in the spotlight. Move aside. Let someone else fix the United States problems.

  It may sound harsh, and I say this with love, you will lose and worse. Worse is Trump winning again which he most definitely will do if you run. His base hates you more than you think and will come out in droves to see you humiliated again. Trust me. Most of us don't want to see that happen again.

  The country has had two Bush presidents. It doesn't need to have a second Clinton. Especially now where your country is fighting for its very soul. It needs new blood. New leadership. New vision. All metered out with sanity and calmness. The polar opposite of what you have today.

  Please think about the Cory Bookers and Kamala Harris's of your party. Let them show the country they have what it takes to lead you all down the right path. They may stumble a little at first but they will not fall. Or fail.

  In closing Mrs. Clinton, please remember there is life after politics. Most of us can't wait for retirement. Perhaps you should follow our lead.

  Ang

Why?

  I hadn't even finished writing about the pipe bombs that had sent the U.S. into chaos last week when the news of another mass shooting, this time in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, hit the air. While the entire country was lucky that not one bomb actually exploded, eleven people inside that house of worship were not so lucky. This yet again begs the question....what is wrong in the United States?

  Millions of people every weekend go to church or temple. Right now at nine in the morning people are sitting and kneeling in pews and benches praying to whomever they believe in. Peaceful and serene. But as with many times in the past, yesterday reminded us that no place is sacred. Or safe.

  Schools aren't safe. Movies theaters either. Not nightclubs. Or concerts. Malls. Sporting events. Airports. Private companies. Medical clinics, army bases, spas and the streets in your neighborhood are all fair game for mass shootings. Where does that leave? Nowhere. Once you leave your home nowhere is safe.

  Going back to my question of what's wrong in the U.S., I don't have an answer for you. Yes, access to automatic weapons plays a role. So does having a leader who embraces chaos and gives permission to create it. Feeling disenfranchised absolutely. Bigotry. Racism. Yes, yes and yes. However....there are countries with similar gun access and this isn't a common occurrence. There are dictators and fanatics in charge of many countries where this doesn't happen. Poor people without hope are worldwide. Bigots and racists live outside the U.S. as well. 

  So why is it commonplace there and nowhere else? I wish I knew. Being able to explain it might mean we could change it. Or stop it altogether. Right now we can all make assumptions and guesses but we are all grasping at straws. 

  After all, if the murder of 21 four and five-year-olds doesn't have people making radical changes......absolutely nothing will!

  Ang

  

  

Ian Rankin

  Yesterday John and I, and some other folks had lunch with famous Scottish author Ian Rankin. I have been looking forward to this since I bought the tickets three months ago. He is my favorite author by far and most of his books I have read at least three times. So to say I was excited to hear him speak about his new book, In A House of Lies, is an understatement.

  While he did give a few insights into this latest chapter in the lives of John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox he also gave some background on the people and places I've read about for years. Giving me a whole new insight into some of the characters who find their way into each book. Making me want to go back and read them all over again. Smart move Mr. Rankin!

  Take one of my favorite relationships in the Rebus series, the police officer and the criminal. Big Ger as he is referred to, has lived a life of crime but could have been a successful businessman had circumstances been just a little more in his favor. And Rebus just the opposite. He walked a fine line between cop and criminal too many times to count and could just have easily been the breaker of laws instead of the enforcer. They are polar opposites yet so similar. They hate each other, in some ways respect each other and in an almost unbelievable way, they are friends. Hearing the author reiterate what I always knew, or thought I knew, made the characters more "human" to me.

  When Ian, I'm on a first name basis in my mind at least, spoke about his writing and characters I was intrigued. Someone who has written for a living for over thirty years still has those moments of blankness that I have. Sits down with no clue where things are going or how they will end. Something that anyone who tries to write anything can understand. 

  One line I found most fascinating "The book writes itself." made so much sense to me. These characters have been around for decades. They have grown emotionally, gotten older, had relationships and setbacks. Their history propels them in certain directions that as readers we expect and enjoy. As an author Ian Rankin lets them go where they are meant to. It all sounds so....easy. Yet it's not. 

  I cannot tell you how happy a simple lunch made me. Or how listening to someone talk made me want to start reading again, something I have done very little of since finding Netflix a few years ago. Thank you, Ian Rankin, for coming and renewing my love of reading. Thank you for signing my book....ok books I did  take my favorite one with me just in case! Finally a huge thank you for another installment of John and Gerald. I hope you never run out of ideas for these two.

  And thanks for the selfie! 

  Ang

  



  

Thailand's Rules

  A 23-year-old woman from Alberta is sitting in a jail in Thailand right now and many people are outraged at the idea she may get up to ten years in prison for her crime. She has admitted to committing the crime but explains she was intoxicated and is very sorry for what she has done. Her crime? Writing graffiti on an ancient wall.

  "This is not a crime that warrants jail time." and "She's only a kid who made a mistake." are both floating around the news services.  Brittany Schneider is twenty-three, an adult, not thirteen which is a child. Would the punishment be different here in Canada? Absolutely but welcome to Thailand and it's their country and their laws.

  When you travel anywhere you must adhere to the laws of the land. Not Canada's. And when you break those laws you cannot cry to the Canadian government to bail you out of trouble and put you on the first flight home to the Great White North. They can help get you a lawyer or make sure you are being fed and taken care of medically but that's it most of the time. Part of your vacation planning should include a quick google search of laws and customs for the destination. Hell do it at the airport before your flight but be prepared. Especially if you are prone to drunken stupidity.

  I was told I had a "harsh" take on the situation. Where was my compassion? My empathy for a person who made a wrong choice? My response? Imagine that she had spray painted the War Memorial. Would you still be saying she was just a kid who made a mistake? Would you not be livid when she only received a fine and community service? People would be screaming for a tougher sentence. But she didn't disfigure anything of ours so we can be more lenient? I don't think so.

  A Thai jail is not going to be like anything here in Canada. Not even close. And if she does go to jail she will have a hard road in front of her. But perhaps she, and all of us, will learn a valuable lesson. Know where you are going. Know their customs and their rules. 

  Then respect them.

  Ang

  
  

  

Cannabis is Finally Legal

  Now that cannabis is finally legal in Canada can we move on to another topic please? It's been months and months of talk about production, will there be enough, where can you do it blah blah blah. Yes I do get this is a big deal but surely we have beaten this topic to death ten times over. Let's find something else to obsess about.

  Over the course of my lifetime, I've lost many friends to drugs. Some have died and some have lost everything that mattered to them. What they all have in common is marijuana was their introduction to illegal drugs. And I know some of you don't agree with me but I see it as a gateway drug that can easily start people down a road to something much worse. Please don't explain to me why you disagree this is what I have seen.

  Study after study shows that cannabis use in teenagers does permanent damage to their brains up till the age of twenty-five. But what is the legal age to buy/use/grow? Eighteen or nineteen, it varies by province. So there is at least five years of government-sanctioned brain damage that can happen. And again don't tell me how friends or family have always used it and they are really smart. I don't want to hear it. With two kids I'm not willing to take the chance they will be like your Uncle Bob or cousin Mary instead of Cheech and Chong. Besides, how do we know this is as smart as they could have been? Maybe they were supposed to be the folks who cured cancer. Ever think about that?

  I have no quarrel with adults, who are not working or driving, from partaking in this particular hobby. I couldn't care less. But when you throw kids into the equation we need to be more cautious. And I'm not so sure we have. The police have said legalization came too fast. Shouldn't we listen to them since they are the ones who have to uphold the law? 

  Those of you who are celebrating today please do so responsibly. Do not drive while under the influence. Do not work under it either. Be respectful to those who choose not to. And do not expect that everyone is going to be happy about this change. 

  Ang

  

Some Interesting News

  A few news articles peaked my interest overnight and I thought I would catch you up on a few of them. Like...

  Harry and Meghan told their family about their pregnancy at his cousin's wedding. Not cool. You do not steal the wedding couples spotlight. It's rude and very disrespectful. And doesn't make for pleasant Sunday dinners either. One more day would not have killed them. It says a lot about who they are as a couple. Yes I know it's their first child and they are excited but I doubt they would have wanted someone to make the same announcement during their special day.

  Hilary Clinton does not get the MeToo movement at all. Not one iota. During an interview, she was given a chance to clarify her husband's infidelities during his time as President. Instead she again missed the mark on whether an affair with an intern was an abuse of power. It was and everyone knows it so why didn't she say it? But here's where I falter. What did we expect her to say honestly? Yup he is a sexual predator? Or he should have been kicked out of his job? She stayed married to the guy so while she may have said it privately there is no way in hell she was saying it in an interview. If I stayed after that I wouldn't either. So while I wish she would, I get why she won't. 

  Global warming, yes it is real, is what is behind the intensifying hurricanes and tropical storms affecting the world. They are coming faster, hitting harder and lasting longer than we have seen before. The rise of sea levels means more damage farther inland and that is going to cause major damage in areas that were supposed to be safe. Yet many people still don't believe this is a reality. Or worse that there is nothing we can do to stop it. They are both wrong and we need to start right now seriously trying to fix it or our grandkids are screwed.

  A woman tried to stop her black neighbor from entering his own apartment building. He was on his way home from work and this woman tried to bar his entry. Was it race related? Of course it was. He happened to have his phone out, who doesn't these days, and recorded her. After it was posted on social media she lost her job. Even though this occurred while she was at home and not work. Did she deserve to lose her job over this? I don't know but we are now squarely in the  "big brother is watching" time that Orwell spoke about way back in 1949. It is safe to assume that no matter where you are or what you are doing someone is watching. And taping it on their phone.

  It's now early in the evening. I've walked away from the computer several times today. Life has a tendency to interrupt writing. I just want to add one more news item that I found shocking but not surprising. Donald Trump called a woman "horseface" on Twitter. How does an adult do that? Let alone someone who is the leader of a country? Especially one who's wife's major agenda item is online bullying. What an ass.

  Keeping informed in this digital age is easy. Sorting through it not so much.

  Ang

  

  

  

  

I'm a Hypocrite.....But

  Last year I wrote about a baseball team in the United States and how they sold raffle tickets on a rifle to raise money. I believe I went on a little rant about how irresponsible it was and just a little strange to use something not intended for children to raise money for children. I guess that makes me a bit of a hypocrite because I just finished making raffle tickets for Riley's hockey team and the prizes are.....liquor.

  Yup, I guess I didn't put alcohol and firearms in the same league. Yet when I spend a second thinking about it, there is no difference. Not really. What seemed insanity for a children's fundraiser is now exactly what I am participating in. I should probably take a few minutes to reflect on what exactly that says about me. 

  Yet I cannot change the fact that when it comes to raising money nothing is a bigger seller than alcohol. Especially as we start to come into the holiday season. All of my friends, even those who are not drinkers, buy some. Who knows who'll stop by and want a glass of wine or a beer. A nice bottle of wine is a great hostess gift or for a neighbor. And every single teacher would love to get a bottle of something. Seriously they would.

  As I'm sitting here at my dining room table writing this, I've already sold over half of them....over social media. One comment and my friends open their wallets. See liquor sells. And easily.

  I am going to embrace my hypocrisy and sell as many raffle tickets as I can. Maybe one of my friends will be a lucky winner. I won't get Riley to sell any though. Now that I've brought it to my own attention I might feel weird watching him do that.

  Or maybe not. 

  Ang

  

The Princess & Mr. Brooksbank

  This morning I watched bits and pieces of the latest royal wedding between Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. Over the years she has been criticized often by the press for her fashion sense, her vacations and the luxurious lifestyle she lives. That life is common to people born into money. So why does she get so much negative attention when William and Harry are adored?

  Part of it is her Mom I suppose. And theirs. The world seems to think that Fergie is an embarrassment and a joke to both herself and the royal family. Maybe they are always waiting to say "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". Diana never lost her sparkle even after affairs and a tell-all book. While it seems wrong to say it, dying so young and so tragically made her almost saint-like to many people. Making her kids more sympathetic as well.

  Most people who come from money and boy does this family have some, live differently than you and I. Ever stepped on a private yacht? Or celebrated your birthday in a palace? Have servants wait on you 24/7? Not wait for a table or inline at "the" club? Let's not forget private jets and a black AMEX card. All of those things are beyond us but as common to them as shopping at Walmart and eating at Red Lobster is to us. And that is by no means a slight to either company, I love the stuffed mushrooms at RL.

  On Harry's big day no one mentioned his Nazi costume from a few years back but I heard several times, on several different sites, about her past missteps when it comes to fashion. The costume seems ten times worse to me than a fascinator that is ugly or a dress that doesn't suit your coloring. We are all guilty of making bad fashion choices over the years. Why bring them up when she looked stunning on her wedding day? Seems petty, doesn't it?

   Unlike Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle, Eugenie has lived her entire life in the public eye. There are pics of temper tantrums and drunken bar nights I'm sure. Every boyfriend, every job, every appearance scrutinized. Every mistake and embarrassment front page news. It's a sad existence really when you look at it. Yet now Kate and Meghan are fashion darlings when we all know there are some bad choices hiding somewhere.

  Just now I saw a split screen picture of Eugenie and Meghan with the title "The Year of Meghan". Didn't she have her own day? Shouldn't the press let this woman have her own day without being compared to her cousin's wife? Personally, I don't get the hoopla around Ms. Markle. 

  Let Eugenie have her wedding day. Let her be the center of attention. The most beautiful. The most loved. Let her celebrate marrying the man of her dreams. Then leave her alone to get on with her life. Let's hope they will be happy.

  Ang

  
  

Twitter Madness

  A man on Twitter just told me that if women didn't come forward right away when they were victims of a crime then no one should believe them. It is their own fault when they don't get any justice. Then a woman said it's too bad but if they don't come forward then no man's life should be ruined because of it. This same woman then asked me if I was a "new-age feminist" and did I feel big and important while trying to ruin a good man's name and reputation. 

  All this took approximately three minutes on Twitter. Now I love that particular social media more than any other. I can find out things in a second. It's short, sweet and to the point. But it's also nasty, vile and disheartening. It's that damn keyboard courage I keep talking about.

  I have found though that killing people with kindness works wonders on that platform. So I responded with civility...aren't you proud of me Lew Bayer?...and agreed with one of her statements, one that wasn't totally nuts. And her entire attitude changed. She wasn't rude. Or superior. Yes, she was still very very very Republican conservative but the nastiness seemed to have left her keyboard. We disagreed but in an easier manner. Could it really be that simple?

  Feeling a bit proud of myself after numerous polite exchanges, I thought one more engagement might just make her see my point as clearly as I saw hers. Using my best language skills I said how I hope that one day, in the very near future, all women would feel safe enough to come forward in a timely fashion so real justice could prevail. I ended my tweet with a simple enjoy your weekend. An adult exchange! On Twitter!

  Nope cause the bat-shit crazy came out of the eaves. White men were the true victims. Women were vindictive and only wanted revenge from these wonderful people who had probably scorned them in some way. The Democrats were using them as pawns in their political treason and making them victims. She took it back to politics. So much for that adult stuff I mentioned.

  Let me make it perfectly clear....I think Brett Kavanaugh did it. He was a heavy drinker on one hand and a choir boy on the other. He was an innocent but liked to party. But the main reason I think he is guilty is Dr. Ford. Do I think we should always believe a woman over a man...no.  In this case, when it comes to credibility I have to say she had lots and he had none.

  I will continue to enjoy Twitter. But I won't try to have an adult conversation with someone who's profile pic shows them wearing a MAGA hat!!!

  Ang