He did what?

That darn Reagan!

• As Gov. of California, Reagan signed the Mulford Act which prohibited the carrying of firearms on your person, in your vehicle and in any public place.
• As Gov. of Cal. Reagan signed off on a 15-day waiting period for guns.
• As president he signed into law a ban on ownership of fully automatic rifles.
• After leaving the presidency he supported the Brady Bill which provided for a 7-day waiting period for guns.
• In 1994 he wrote Congress supporting a ban on assault rifles.

Re-elected! Amen!

I was just listening to the Political Junkie on TOTN (NPR) and Ken Rudin was playing a litany of spots from conservative pundits and the emphasis was on just how "Liberal" the President's speech was. As if that were something bad. You know, I'm tired of that. I'm a liberal and quite proud of it. Liberals have made this country great while conservatives have contributed nothing at all. Their record speaks for itself. And this President has bent over backwards to appease the rightwingnuts for the last four years. It has not worked. So yes, it's time to be a liberal and to move the country forward.

I left the democratic party because they were not liberal enough and I'm not sure that I can ever return. being an independent has a nice sound when stated. I don't belong to a political party...I'm independent.

Still listening to the radio, I got to hear Hillary Clinton blast some senator...as he deserved. I think it was Rand Paul. And then the old fool, McCain declared that she hadn't answered the questions to his 'satisfaction'. He will never be satisfied. He doesn't want to be satisfied. He can't get over the fact that a black man beat him in the race for President. He is a racist and AZ suits him fine. He really needs to retire...or wait? What if he did retire, would the wingnuts in Arizona elect Joe Arpaio to take his place? Perish the thought! My sister lives there and being the great liberal that she is, she finds it hard to stomach some of the idiocy that takes place in the AZ capital. I try to support her when I can by letting her know that is not alone...

A grand day...

President Obama is President once again. And the Republicans are still perplexed as to how they will best derail any of his plans. They do have some ideas and they will put them out there just to see which way the political wind is blowing. I'm not worried. A little bit irritated at them but not worried...

I just came in from my studio where I've been working on a few paintings. One is Pollock style on a small scale, only 2'x2'. I really need to go big for this kind of painting but I don't have the room for it. The other is an oil pastel piece that is 18"x10". This is one where I've been experimenting with using a heat gun to soften the pastels and then I use my finger to blend them. It works great and I love the smooth transitions between colors. What I don't like is the fact that my finger often encounters a hot patch of 'oil' and I have to grin and bear it until I've finished the stroke.

Speaking of Pollock style paintings I have another one hanging at our local Art Center in a Members Show. I'm asking $350 for it and hoping that it will come home at the end of the show. It has a decent space on our living room wall and it looks sad without it hanging there. But then again, $260 will buy a lot of paint.

I watched the documentary 'Painting Bolinas' the other night. It's a short film detailing some of the last days of the artist Peter Lee Brownlee. It was fascinating. And disturbing, as Peter Lee lived in squalor. He was bedridden at the age of 90 but he never stopped painting. His paintings surrounded his bed and were stuck in every imaginable place in his house. Despite all of this, he seemed to be very happy. Certainly much happier than I would be in that same condition. And at the same time, I envied him his freedom. The film also shows him with his friends as an art show of his works  is being prepared. I recommend the film...

And follow this link for a better view of the phenomena known as Peter Lee Brownlee.

We're still enrolled in a Senior Wellness program at a local gym. Three morning a week of cardio and core strength exercises. Afterwards, I come home and take a shower and then return to the gym for an hour in the pool. I put weights on my ankles and use 'noodles' to support myself while I float; allowing the weights to flex what is left of my normal vertebra. Four of them are fused and will never flex again. I also hope to loosen the hip connections that give me the most pain. Then I treat myself to 10 minutes in the spa at 104 degrees. Aaaahhh! so nice...

What to do?

Everything I read tells me that the 113th Congress is primed to do as much, or more, damage to our country as the previous Congress. ( I recommend reading Gail Collins in today's NYT )

So, what do we do? Since I can't be Emperor for a day...where I would allow congresspersons to serve no more than 6 years. Total!...I think that we must hound our congressperson at every turn. They must not be allowed to forget who they work for. Email, snailmail, Twitter and Facebook. Make them remember your name. Republican, Democrat or Independent (recommended), they work for you. That's something they seem to have forgotten. And it's all our fault...

Just as small children misbehave when unattended, Congress (large children) misbehaves when we are not watching them. We need to do better this year.

Fiscal...don't say it!

Here it is, a new day in a new year. And if one more person says "fiscal cliff" to me, I swear...to the moon!
That phrase has already been condemned by most groups that exist to protect our language. Oh, yes...kick the can down the road and bucket list are also verboten from now on. And not a moment too soon.

I would not be surprised to learn that 'fiscal cliff' was created by Fox news. It sounds like something they would do. What is sad is the fact that 'responsible' newscasters picked up on the phrase and used it till it lost all meaning...if there ever was a meaning. If there ever was a responsible newscaster. Edward R. Murrow is dead and we're the poorer for it.

What is sad about this negotiation is the fact that the President caved...again. $250K was supposed to be the limit. The republicans have no power. They are a tired and useless party. So why give them an inch? Look at their leaders...Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and McCain. Liars and losers! 

I guess I better watch a football game today and allow the players to dissipate my anger. After all, it is a New Year!