Halloween is my second least favorite holiday of the year, right behind April Fools’ Day. I’ve never been much into Halloween. When I was a kid I’d wait until that morning to figure out if I was going to wear a costume to school or not. As an adult it seems quite loud.
If I’m going to dress up in a costume I’ll do it any day I please.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women in our military. They put their lives on the line to keep the rest of safe and secure. Some of them have seen atrocities we probably can’t even imagine. They embody three principles that are incredibly important to me: Honor, Integrity, Commitment. I would lay down my life for them as they have done for me. Non negotiable.
No presidential candidate is going to be perfect. But I can’t even consider the candidate that has called members of our military “losers”, shows a complete lack of respect for citizens of this country, and spends much of his time denigrating other human beings. A leader should lead, not belittle. Selflessness vs selfishness.
I don’t expect anyone around me to think as I do. However, I am resolute in my moral foundation. We all should be. Vote with compassion, vote according to your moral compass. Your vote is your voice. It speaks to character.
We’re not going to find perfection in this election. But let’s move forward together. 💙 🇺🇸
Earl and I were driving across Samuel De Champlain bridge on Autoroute 10 when this song came on the radio. We were driving to Montréal just for the heck of it. I was working at a Top 40 dance leaning radio station at the time and I was always looking for something new and different to play on the air. This was to differentiate us from the other Top 40 station in the market, which leaned more mainstream.
I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. I think the vibe of driving into Montréal at the time contributed to mon amour; the sample of “I’ll Be Around” by The Spinners also contributed to the vibe.
From 1999, here’s Michael Moog with “That Sound”.
My heart is aching. Friends I have known all my life, family I share DNA with… too many of them are showing their true colors and complete lack of moral foundation with their declarations of whom they are voting for.
It’s the racist, sexist, rapist, convicted felon they’re choosing, in case you’re not following along.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of good people and I’m related to plenty of good people as well. And this isn’t just about not voting for Harris. It’s about voting for a man that is the embodiment of everything we’ve been taught is wrong, and thinking some sort of God shot him down here to set the world right.
Pardon my French, but I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with these people.
Kamala Harris is far from perfect. But honestly, she’s better than Joe and I think she would make a very good president. Great? Possibly. Outstanding? No. But the never-ending shitshow of a Trump term of revenge is beyond dangerous. It’s fucking abominable.
I keep thinking this week before the U.S. election is probably going to be the sanest week for a long while. Things are going to go completely off the rails on Election Day. Mark my words. The Nazi rally in New York this past weekend? It was just the appetizer.
And I know too many people that are on board with that racist idiocy.
We need a meteor.
I just posted my latest hiking video. There’s a story behind this video that I’ll only tell right here in this blog entry.
Last week was a tough week for me. It was tough in the mental fortitude department. The election is really weighing on my mind, even though I’m doing everything I can to avoid the subject. Living in this fine swing state of Arizona, every single commercial on every television in every establishment is blaring out ads for every politician that thinks they know everything.
I just want this election to be over. Obviously, I don’t want the country racing into the oblivion of another Trump term in office. My early ballot has been submitted. I colored in the necessary dots, and I heartily voted “No” to retain every judge that appeared on the ballot. Every governmental office, from the top to the bottom and the left to the right, should have term limits. Every single one of them. The idea that judges can be parked in their role for nearly a century is appalling. The fact that we can rinse and repeat ancient senators and house representatives is reprehensible. This country’s political mess desperately needs a CTRL-ALT-DEL.
I’m going on a tangent.
I’ve been feeling down. I wasn’t sure I was going to do my hike this weekend but I got up out of bed and made my way to the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains. I decided to focus on the hike instead of the presentation, and brought only my iPhone 16 Pro and selfie stick/tripod combo.
I’m happy with the way my video came out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did sharing it. Because this creative endeavor significantly boosted my spirits this weekend.
And we can all use a boost.
Be sure to take note of the woodpecker, the gila monster, and the abert’s squirrel that all make an appearance in this week’s episode.
Keep the first selfie.
My mood is better than it appears to be in that photo. It’s Friday, the weather is gorgeous, and I actually got a decent night’s sleep last night.
Wrapping up the week is always an enjoyable endeavor for me. It’s a shame that I don’t really get into the groove until Thursday afternoon. Calm down boss, I’m kidding a little bit. I’m a josher, I am.
We are suppose to have a weekend of record heat here in this part of Arizona, so my hike tomorrow will probably be on one of the trails at a higher elevation. I like it up there; there’s more trees to enjoy. The only downside is the amount of time it takes to get up there.Â
Even though we can see Mount Lemmon from the back yard, and it looks quite impressive, it’s still 20 miles away as the crow flies.Â
I wonder if crows actually fly from our back lawn to Mount Lemmon. Perhaps they’re on their way up to Flagstaff or something.
After that tangent I believe it’s time to set down the MacBook and just enjoy the moment.
Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.
Weird? Eccentric!
