And The Nightmares Begin...

It only had to be a matter of time before I started posting on the President-Elect's choices and actions. I have a whole list of things he's done, so you will not be disappointed. I will try and pepper it with happy blogs.

Since only the New York Times is reporting (all of the other news sites are reporting off of the New York Times story,) this is not something that is set in stone. Yet it's something to consider.

Donald Trump does not really want to stay at the White House. He's thinking maybe Monday-Friday with the weekends at Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago, or perhaps a golf course home.

I wonder how many Trump supporters have thought about the implications of this. Trump campaigned on cutting taxes (mostly for the rich, but everyone bought it.) How much extra are they going to have to spend to secure these locations? Because he will be going back to these locations, they can't leave them unsecured either. All three locations are part of a larger public location.

Let's start with his home, Trump Tower. Often during the campaign, he would fly hours so he could wake up in his bed there. It is also the hardest to secure because it is a high rise tower in the middle of Manhatten. It is just about impossible, in my opinion, to properly secure this location for someone who will be, whether we like it or not, the Leader of the Free World.

It is a "58-story" mixed use tower on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets in Midtown Manhatten. It has a ten-story (making it a 68-story building) atrium. The ground floors have room for 40 stores and restaurants. The next 26 floors are office space. The highest 38 stories are residential. The upper nine floors have penthouse duplexes and triplexes. The highest three floors are the Trumps' penthouse. 

Usually, anyone entering or leaving an area where the President of the United States is vetted by the Secret Service. This is impossible for Trump Tower. How long would it take to vet the residents and office staff from companies that lease there? Add to that the staff of the Trump Tower (they offer maid service if you have an apartment there,) new staff, new residents, people who are visiting the offices and residents, nannies, etc. Now let's add in the stores and restaurants, and tourists. Is Trump Tower going to have to set up scanners like the have in airports??

Now let's talk about outside the building...on a famous street. How to handle that situation. Anyone can say they're going shopping or eating there and even people who have money can dress casually. Like Steve Bannon for instance. Maybe there is some new-fangled contraption that gives instant credit checks so authorities can see if that person can actually afford to shop or eat there. Then there are venues to hold special events. Are they going to block off the sidewalk in front of the building with huge concrete barriers? 56th Street is already closed to allow for Trump's motorcade. Secret Security wants traffic closed on 5th Avenue when the President is in town. As if traffic wasn't already a nightmare there. Currently, though, they have to deal with just pedestrians being restricted. Even if your destination isn't Trump Tower, you can't walk down Fifth Avenue past Trump Tower to go somewhere else.

Under ideal circumstances, the Secret Service and the NYPD can't effectively protect him in that tower. Barriers aren't going to keep people out of the public area. Nor will they keep out tenants. If someone lives there or works there, it would be easy enough to bring in anything one. piece. at. a. time. Not only do they have to deal with possible suicide bombers or truck bombers, but there is one more thing that could happen. One horrible thing that could happen. Airplanes. Is there going to be helicopters patrolling the airspace in Midtown Manhatten, and specifically around Trump Tower? If Secret Service has its way, 5th Avenue would be closed so it would be easy to tell when Trump was in town. Thinking logically, they should keep traffic stopped all the time.

And finally, on Trump trumping it up in Trump Tower...what if something happens in the building? A fire breaks out, innocently, not as an act of terror. Are they going to be able to get Trump out? How are they going to control thousands of people who are afraid they are going to die, or the building is going to fall over? They can't...not without enforcing it with weapons. If I were in a burning building with God, screw it, I'm thinking of me first. It's human nature. And that's what makes people that have the frame of mind to save someone else or a lot of someone elses during a time that death is more imminent so extraordinary. Trump and his family are at the very wee top, and that is 68-floors up. And he has to go down. There is no helicopter pad on the building.

Now take that into consideration. And think what it's going to cost us in taxpayer money.

God willing, no attempts will be made on his life in Trump Tower, but that protection still needs to be in place, and those security measures will be in place both when he is and when he isn't there.
And he will lose the vote of every. single. New. Yorker. that. has. to. deal. with. that. Suddenly, it won't be fun and wealthy in Manhatten anymore.

Mar-a-Lago...20-acres on a lake in Palm Beach, Florida. It is also relatively an exposed property immediately adjacent to Southern Boulevard bridge. There is a 600-foot seawall fronting an easily accessible Intracoastal waterway and some some oceanfront, where the Beach Club is located. Do you see any problems there??

Mar-a-Lago is underneath flight paths. This should be nothing new to anyone. Trump was suing to have the paths moved. He recently dropped the lawsuit, probably because the airspace around it will be closed. Not only for Air Force One to land, but it's a presidential residence. In addition to the usual road closings, Southern Boulevard bridge will be locked down as Trump is taken from the airport to Mar-a-Lago or one of his Golf Clubs in Jupiter and West Palm Beach.

Like Trump Tower, this is a "public" place. There are hundreds of members and guests who come for meals, meetings, afternoons at the Beach Club and to attend charity events, which are held in the two ballrooms. It is also a resort, meaning there are guestrooms, suites, and cottages. At least this would be easier than Trump Tower. To vet members and guests  to vet. Or they can just close it when he's there. Again, that is a signal that he is there and that can be dangerous too. If the resort closes when he is there, business wise, it would hurt them. They will lose customers if their reservations are canceled due to a last minute Trump visit. However, it will be a boon to other swanky resorts in the area.

This is my first look at Trump's United States of America. Stay tuned...

A Year And A Day.

Yesterday I was on Facebook looking through it's "On This Day" feature and it let me know that it was a year ago that I had entered an outpatient program for feeling suicidal. I had been that way for a long, long time. I felt great if I was at a concert and hanging with my friends but obviously, I couldn't do that. And so I hid it.

Last November I finally came out and told my psychiatric nurse that I see every couple of months. She asked if I wanted to go to the hospital or do an outpatient program. It turns out that the outpatient program was in the same office complex and my doctor was the one who saw the patients.

On that day, I entered what turned out to be about 6 weeks worth of four intense and stressful group therapies a day. It was a lot of work too. I made a couple of friends too. I believe I was discharged on December 28th. I looked forward to going back to the old ways that had put me there. Namely, sleeping all day and staying up all night...and worse, isolating myself. 

Isolation is what got me in trouble in the first place. I just refused to leave the house. Mom and I would decide to go out to eat, and I would ask if we could do it tomorrow. And tomorrow turned into a month. And Mom would get annoyed with me. She can only understand it so much and who could or would blame her? And when I did decide to go out, even if it was an errand that I could do on my own, my Mom had to be with me. The only time I would drive on my own and by myself is when I went to concerts. But even towards the end of last year, the concerts where I only had me and myself going, Mom would ride along and read in the car while I saw the show. If it was far enough away, we'd get a hotel and she would read there.

I pretty much knew that I could not allow myself to become like that again. So I adjusted my sleeping...I already had to a certain extent because I had to get up and go to PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) and when I got home, I tried really hard not to take a nap. I thought I would take it slow and start at being up at 10:00 a.m. I would wake up and color or go on the computer. And I was back to isolating.

I also started seeing a therapist, who was wonderful. She helped me to look at things differently. I stopped seeing her in July when it was clear that there was no benefit to seeing her anymore. Now I have a stand-by therapist to help when I need her.

In April, I went and became a member of the new YMCA that they built in Citrus County. And it was a long time coming. I'm sure a lot of people automatically though "YOGA!" or "EXERCISE EQUIPMENT!" I thought "POOL!" It was due to open on May 1st, however, the pool didn't open until two weeks later. It is under a retractable roof that wasn't finished...and still isn't as of this writing.

On June 8th, I went to a water exercise class and I loved it. Afterward, I swam laps for another hour or so. But I also knew another thing, and my Mom did too, that I would only last going a few more times and then I'd quit. That's my modus operandi.

A year after I first entered PHP, and a little over five months since I started going to the YMCA I can proudly say that I'm still going. And going early in the morning...I'm in the pool by 7:30 a.m. I go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The women in my class are hysterical and I have made friends. I have only missed five days - three for swimmer's ear and two for tropical storms (one of which the Y was actually closed. The second it wasn't.) I have not once blown off a day. Last week I woke up earlier, couldn't stay awake, and then went back to bed and hopped right back out to get ready to go forty minutes later. It has never been a matter of when I was going to go, it is was a matter of I'm going. The week I missed because of swimmer's ear nearly killed me.

I started going to the YMCA in order to socialize and be around people. I started because I knew I needed to get used to going out by myself without my poor Mom in tow. I had to face people on my own as well. I needed to start a routine, and I succeeded beyond any measure that I can ever have imagined.

But something else happened. One that I certainly never expected because all I changed was to start swimming and because of medication I was taking...I lost weight. From July 2015 to July 2016 I lost 13 pounds. From July to now I lost 30. More than one medication causes weight loss, and I have hypothyroidism so I never thought twice about losing weight. This is just an added bonus for me!!

Last week, there was a gentleman at the YMCA filming the newest facility (Our Y is under an umbrella organization called YMCA Suncoast that has a number of different facilities.) I had emailed the director once telling her how grateful I was and how much it meant to me. The message was relayed to the Aquatics Director who asked if I would be willing to be interviewed. I jumped at the chance because not only I wanted to sing their praises on how much they have done for me, but I also wanted to say that I have bipolar, but look. I'm fine. I'm not violent and I'm not any of the things that society brands on me for having bipolar. I'm me.

In closing, I thought I would post the before and after pictures that the cameraman asked for.

This was my life...for a year and a day.

 Early 2015. My friend is Chopstick, the Chinese Alligator

Taken November 10, 2016

The Constitution of The Great United States.

The Constitution...a beautiful document written by our Founding Fathers that is the backbone of our country. From the Separation of Powers to the Amendments, it is a fluid document meant to change with the times. It can be slow to move on certain things, like cyber bullying and security, but it does move.

This election cycle has brought out the worst in people, or just brought them out. Since the election, people have gone to the street to protest Trump's election. It's unprecedented, but it is their right as long as there is no violence. Also within their rights are Trump supporters who criticize the protesters as being immature brats who can't accept the outcome (I'm paraphrasing - what I read was much worse,) and then tells the protesters to either accept it or leave the country. Others are professing that it is the end of our country, our democracy, and all decent life forever in our future. Finally, and a major pet peeve of mine, saying that Trump's election and campaign are the same as how Hitler rose to power.

I'm going to speak of the last one since it is a pet peeve and also absurd. Even if it's off topic. Democracy was forced upon Germany after the Treaty of Versailles. That "democracy" didn't garner a whole lot of interest. They didn't know what democracy was, didn't care and didn't participate. Germany, like the rest of Europe and the United States. was in a depression, and a lot of people were without a job. Along comes this charismatic leader who convinces the current chancellor to retire and give him the title. And that is when the Holocaust began for the Jews.

It was also the 1940's. TVs was the new cool trend and technology. It didn't have remote controls, DVRs, VHS, or even color TV. We didn't care as much about the sanctity of human beings. We didn't think they were like us, and segregation was in effect. We were isolationist until Pearl Harbor.

So Hitler comes to power and starts by winning over the people by giving them jobs and making them proud to be German for the first time in generations. When the war started, they all cheered. Who cares that Jews are being relocated. They didn't care so long as they got jobs.

I had a friend, Harry, who I met at the hospital when I had to be admitted in 2005. He was an Auschwitz survivor. On the train to Auschwitz, Harry's father managed to push him out of the train to save his life. That was the last time he ever saw his family again. He joined the Polish Resistance Army, which was disorderly, violent, and anti-Semitic for the most part at that time. Later he was arrested again and sent to Auschwitz, where he was a slave laborer until he was freed. Like most displaced people, everything in his life was taken away. He languished in the prison camp until he was able to immigrate to Israel...where he served in the army and fought for Israel's right to exist.

Harry was a deeply religious man who thought that comparing anyone to Hitler was an insult to those that died and those that survived but were scarred for life.

So no, Donald Trump is not the next coming Hitler. No one can walk in that man's shoes. They're too evil to even be tried on. And I'm sure that there will be another blog on Adolph Hitler and WWII.

Protests and Trump Supporters. First of all, people have the right to freely protest as long as it's nonviolent. They also have the right to burn the flag, the fact that a lot of people (and I am one of them) find it abhorrent is beside the point. I recognize that I don't like it, but other people do, and that is their right.

Trump supporters are sharing memes and messages about how that the American flag is "their" flag and people should start respecting it or leave the country. These comments usually have racial overtones and hate. Yes, it's their right to say that, but I don't think it's patriotic to tell people something that denies them their rights. 

The violence committed against minorities by Trump supporters who think that because their candidate won, and by the things that he said, they are now allowed to commit violence is by far worse than burning a symbolic piece of cloth. Muslim women have had their hijabs ripped off, children have come home crying after other kids (or teachers) said they were going to be deported. A school bus teacher looked at a Puerto Rican child and said: "You're not going to be here long." I also had a person respond to a friend's post that she was going to kick some ass to get to and save "her" flag. And that the Founding Fathers would agree with her actions. Violence should never be tolerated, in any context. It is not "their flag," it's OUR flag.

So there are all these awful things being said about protesters. And then they say "leave the country." They want to kick them out for using their Constitutional rights. That is wrong. If you don't want your Constitutional rights violated then don't violate others.

And when I asked a conservative friend about it, she said that it was disrespectful to the veterans and those that died in the line of duty. When they become a soldier, they have to say what is called a "Soldier's Oath." It states that the person will honor and defend the Constitution. Not the flag, not the anthem, but the Constitution. Soldiers have every right to be offended by burning flags but they fought and gave their lives to uphold ALL of the Constitution. Even those rights which they do not like they defended with their lives. By expressing an opinion and then adding something to the effect that the reason why they believe it is because of veterans actually insults the men and women who have fought to defend it. 

Now Trump and the Constitution. It was made obviously clear during the campaign that he didn't know it. But how will it affect his efficacy as a president and the inability to not get what he wants? There are separations of power...judicial, administrative, and congressional. The Supreme Court can only review existing law, not pass any laws. Trump cannot insist that a Special Prosecutor be assigned to investigate, try and put Clinton in jail. He also cannot present a bill to Congress. Someone in Congress sponsors a bill and there are two votes - one for the Senate, and one for the House of Representatives. If the bill passes Congress it is then signed or vetoed by the president. Congress also has the power to allocate funds. Trump has already walked back on his on great wall that was the stalwart of his campaign. He said that we would have to originally pay for it and then he will go and get the money from Mexico. Congress is never going to approve the building of a wall, and since they hold the purse strings, they are never going to agree with that. And I doubt that they will allow him to block access to the country for Muslims, or give a large tariff on companies who go overseas. In fact, this is true of all presidents. Their policies look great, but they can only do what Congress and the Judicial system allows.

There is no excuse to be ignorant of our Constitution.

In closing, all I have to say is this:

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

America...Post Election and President-Elect Trump

Like many people, I went to bed late, with a huge pit in my stomach. I couldn't believe what happened. On Wednesday morning I turned on the TV only long enough to find out and my heart was heavy and I was in shock.

Our country has just elected for president a man who at the very least, is offensive. At the most? A sexual predator. But President-Elect he is. The world didn't end, and this is far from the death of this country or with our democracy.

So what happened? Why did the polls get everything so wrong? I think the media failed to look past Trump and all of his admittedly offensive and violent rhetoric and look at the people who were voting for Trump for reasons that went beyond his character. They were completely overlooked by everyone. Except for one. Michael Moore.

Filmmaker Michael Moore, a Bernie Sanders and then Hillary Clinton supporter, went down into the trenches and talked to the typical Trump voter, and he predicted that Trump will win. I chose to ignore what he had to say because I refused to think that Americans would elect someone with so little political experience with an awful record as a businessman and a horrible character.with disgusting views. I guess I was in that "Clinton Bubble."

Here is what Michael More said before the Trump victory:  Michael Moore: "Trump Will Win" And here is his reaction to the results: Michael Moore: "The Day After To-Do List.

And welcome to my perky, annoying optimistic side. Our democracy is not dead. It came out in droves and elected Donald J. Trump. It was present last night in the impromptu protests that formed in the wake of his election victory. And it will continue to work despite a Republican president, a Republican Congress, and now, almost for sure, a Republican Supreme Court.

And there is us. We won the popular vote. More people voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump. If we want to, we can make our voice heard, and make Congress a little more jittery.

There are also some things that might work in favor of us. Trump was originally a Democrat and might hold onto some of those ideals still. And Trump's ability to use people only for what he could gain. Now that he is president, he can do a complete turnaround and disavow his supporters. And there is still quite a few Republican who are against him.

One more thing. The majorities in the two houses of Congress tend to change in the mid-term elections after two years of the new president. I believe that in 2 years the Democrats can become the majority. If this happens, the Democrats can give back all the obstructionism that Republicans handed out. Though, I hope they don't. We need to work with one another to make this government work, not be at a standstill.

And finally, my perky self says, he was elected, and I can't change that. What I can do is pray for him, and pray that he has the ability to lead our country successfully. Because that would mean our country is succeeding.

My realistic side is trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, despite what past history shows.

And my negative side says there is no way in hell that he is going to change, or even CAN change his behavior. The people responsible for the rise of Trump? The media, and the Republicans for one. Both sat on their behinds and watched Trump insult immigrants or a president senator who was also a POW. Instead of just covering what he said, the media should have challenged every offensive comment and made it a major issue. As if that wasn't bad enough, he spent weeks calling into news programs and expressing his views with little consequence. It was a really good plan too. And it was free publicity too. Who needs to pay for ads when you can get your message out there through the media?  The Republicans? Honestly, they thought he was a  jerk and would be eliminated before the primaries. But Trump is their creation. By the time that they realized he was unfit, he couldn't be stopped.

Now with my realistic and opinionated side...

Like I said, he won. And while I will never quit complaining and bitching, I recognize that he will be our president and I don't want to see this country go down hill.

I am proud to be a Democrat. This country is divided more than ever, in large part due to Trump and the Birther Movement. Obama and Clinton both came out with not only dignified, and heartfelt comments, but they both want America to work, and Obama is graciously taking him under his wing, so to speak, and will try as much as he can to make the transition as easy as possible, not just for Trump, but for the country as well. I can't imagine how hard this is for him, considering all that was done with the Birther Movement and the racism behind it.

And I doubt that there will be a backroom meeting the night before inauguration with Congressional Democrats, to agree to support NOTHING the president wants. To basically stop how the government is supposed to work to make a president look bad. They opposed bills that would help the people that put them in office to represent them. I doubt the people wanted the jobs bill to not pass, for the veterans bill that would help desperate vets not to pass. In fact, if Obama supported it, it was rejected...even if they themselves supported that bill. Democrats, I pray, will not choose revenge and instead, be willing to meet with Republicans to help keep this country working.

I pray that there won't be further racial divides and that the hate that has overwhelmed us will at least crawl back in their holes. I pray that the ACA won't be repealed, along with legal abortion. And that any Supreme Court Justice appointed will also be more interested in following the Constitution says more than his political ideals.

I also think that even if it does become our worst thoughts and expectations, this country will make it through it. We're not a bunch of wusses. We have gone through wars and crippling terrorist attacks that killed thousands. In 1861 our country not only ripped into two countries but over 650,000 people died. We have overcome the institution of slavery, reconstruction, natural disasters and so much more. We will survive.

So yesterday I awakened to a President-Elect Trump.Then I went to the Y and swam, and laughed through class. And I woke up again today.

I woke up and realized that we weren't in Mordor, that Trump is not a flaming eye looking down on our country, and we don't have to drop his hair into the river of lava flowing in Mount Doom to make this country better. Little Frodo and Samwise can't help this time. It's up to us, and I have to believe in us.

Because you know what? We Will Survive! SING IT GLORIA!!