The term impeachment" is commonly used to mean removing someone from office, but it actually refers only to the filing of formal charges. If the House impeaches, the Senate then holds a trial on those charges to decide whether the officer — a president or any other federal official — should be removed and barred from holding federal office in the future. ~NBC News.
To me, this process, of impeachment, is what is important. Facts will be elucidated and a transcript (not notes, not a summary) will be available for all to read. I do not expect the president to be removed, but I do expect the impeachment should be continued to the end for a Senate vote.
Also, what are we doing to fix or eliminate the electoral college? Don't you think the election of an official should be the one with the most votes? Why are we letting backroom political deals decide for us, the voters, who will attain office?
Finally, it is imperative that we eliminate foreign influence on our elections, whether it's by hacking into voting machines or by flooding social media with "fake news." We are already losing too many foreign friends, let's not open the door to economic and political enemies.
Feeling completely helpless in effecting change in the political climate, I hope to foster a productive discussion.
Below is virtual reality art from last winter's Desert X.
The little kids trick or treating last night were so cute! Some of the costumes were outstanding. One little kid proudly proclaimed he was a bee after his big sister said she was a vase of flowers (in a really nice Mom-made costume). As he was leaving, he said, "I drank some of her nectar!" pointing to his sister. I sure hope Mom remembers those sweet memories.
It was so mild, that I left the storm door open. There is a solid panel on the bottom and two screened (or glass) panels on the top. The really little kids quickly figured out to hop up to see over the solid panel. I would be sitting in my chair opposite the door and see a little smiling face popping up and down. It made my night.
I did have about 45 kids come to the door and only one herd of tween boys who said they lived, "far, far away." I have seen parents dropping off carloads of kids and I like to know how far they have driven. I guessed Belchertown and they scoffed which led me to believe that they are from the apartment complex down the street which has a goodly amount of subsidized housing and student tenants. Most kids don't trick or treat at the apartments around here because the many students make it slim pickings.
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All of the above was written on Thursday. It is now Sunday. On Friday, I drove to Emily's to meet her new Little Man. He is 8 months old, 21 pounds, and is a smiling little feller. He has obviously been well cared for so I hope his separation from Mom is short. He is so cute! He crawls but is really interested in walking. He's cruising (holding onto things and inching around) but some
times forgets that he can't let go and -- plop! -- he falls on his butt. Good thing for diapers which provide padding!
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Lisa and I went to see Camelot on the Academy of Music stage tonight. It was presented by the Valley Light Opera (VLO) which is a group of amateur volunteers. It was a fun performance, but long. It was three hours plus a 15 minute intermission. I remembered seeing Robert Goulet singing "If Ever I Would Leave You," but I think it was on Ed Sullivan's show or something like that because Lisa said that was the Broadway show cast, not the movie's cast. So now I'm hoping they re-release the vintage movie.
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Last night, at 2 a.m., we were supposed to "fall back" and turn the clocks back one hour. I was at Emily's house so I came home to a houseful of wrong clocks. My VCR, phone, and computer are all correct (by magic). The other clocks are going to have to wait. I don't want to rush into anything. I'll see how it's going for others and see if I want to do that. Last time, I waited six months and I didn't have to change the clock in my car at all.
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Last week I got to hear Archer Mayor who was promoting his latest book, Bomber's Moon. The last book of his that I read was Paradise City which is the nickname that Calvin Coolidge gave to Northampton, Massachusetts. Cal Coolidge was Mayor of Northampton at that time, well before he became President. In fact, Smith College is the only presidential library on the campus of a college.
[Editor's note: Thank goodness for friends who correct me when I'm wrong! "I think it was Jenny Lind who called Noho paradise city since she was on her honeymoon.
The Coolidge library is in the Forbes library." The Forbes Library is the public library of Northampton.]
Much of the book is situated in Northampton but Joe Burgess, Mayor's protagonist, is from Vermont. Brattleboro, Vermont is only about 45 minutes from where I live. Vermont is also the home of Green Mountain Coffee, recently purchased by Keurig Coffee.
Currently, I'm reading Presumption of Guilt by Mayor. It's a soft cover and two years old so it was cheaper than his newest hardcover book. Mayor writes a book every 14 months which seems to be a super human feat. His 31st book is half done. As he said when I heard him speak years ago, he is one of the few working authors who makes a living at writing.
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I'm sorry to report that Muddy Brook Farm burned and three horses died. The farm is just around the corner from me. On a more positive note, three people and six horses were saved by smoke detectors. The smoke detectors awakened the people living on the premises and they were able to save the six horses. These horses are huge draft horses (similar to the ones who pull the Budweiser Beer Wagon).
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Very early Monday morning ...
Guess what I made! Peanut butter cookies!
