At the airport

Ok, TMI, but I am having a nice glass of wine by the window in some bar near my terminal.With a chicken sandwich.

Some random pictures from night two of the Convention will be coming. Everyone loved Joe Biden; everyone loved Michelle, everyone loved Obama and everyone loved Bill Clinton. Everyone loved the Rev. William Barber, an electrifying Civil Rights leader. Most everyone were pretty darned impressed with Hillary's speech, not screech, too.

However, we did not love having to sit or in my case, stand on the bus in the parking lot for an hour until all their motorcades left. All in all it was a very peaceful Convention. Lots of sad, angry Bernie people, but then I said that. I was sad, not angry. Why bother? Now we must get to work electing Hillary. The Donald already said he wants to "hit" last night's speakers. That's the bully who wants his finger on the button. who wants to build a wall, who wants to do all kinds of anti-humane things to us all. Be afraid people, be very afraid. Sorry, but it's true.

And a message from the past: "Don't mourn, organize!"

Our delegation of Bernie supporters with my favorite and most important sign

Bumps on the Road to Philly

 Will He or Wont He?

As part of my Bernie delegate status I get to communicate with others of the same status. People are seriously disturbed that Bernie might endorse Hillary before the Convention. Don't do it they say. The Platform battles have been going on for a week or so in other places, like Orlando. Our plank to not bring up TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) during Obama's lame duck administration fell on deaf ears. Even though Hillary says she is against it too, her delegates, or enough of them, voted it down.

Now it will be a Minority Report and maybe taken to the floor. Can we get the votes there? People are concerned about going against Obama's wishes. But he will be gone? He has so much else he has done to leave a lasting legacy in this Country. This is a bad deal for America, and probably for the world, in terms of environmental regulation (or lack thereof) and workers' rights. We can have fair trade agreements. Let's work for those.

Anyway, I am getting all my ducks in a row for the long trip east. Since I just had a birthday, my wonderful husband bought me a new Surface Pro. Now I just have to get it up and running and learn how to use it in time for the trip. Yesterday got a new carry on bag in bright orange on sale at Macy's only because of the color. The black one was twice as much!

  The Big Endorsement 

 

 Some of you all were surprised that Bernie actually endorsed Hillary.

Joint appearance in N.H. off the YV screen

Some people think he can still get the nomination. That is very unlikely; but there is work to do and so all of us delegates, spending our precious vacation money, money we could use to buy a new car, or put away for a rainy day, are still headed to the Democratic National Convention. There will be votes on Platform, Rules, and of course on the candidate. We are promised a roll call, so we get our vote. There will be workshops. I have signed up for Candidate Training. What I do. And Bernie is asking us to work for down ticket progressives and 50 state strategy. Keep the Political Revolution alive!

I am honored to be one of 1832 delegates chosen to represent Bernie in Philly.

News Flash! the Airport workers on strike! Will planes be able to land? will baggage be unloaded? More to come on the bumpy road to Philly! Stay tuned.

What to eat while stuck on the tarmac while an airport strike is on:

 

Trailmix, and lots of it. Hershey Bars; bottled water, but not too much; the toilets might be backed up.

 

A special Recipe for Rudy Giuliani - Moose Turd Pie

For sheer hutzpah and stupidity, there's Rudy Giuliani's speech at a Scott Walker rally that President Obama does not love America, because "He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”

Besides having the least little tinge of racism, on its face this is an outrageous slanderous thing to say, especially coming from a former mayor of a major (if not THE major U.S. City, New York). You might not agree with everything the President says and does (I certainly don't, but I suspect for very different reasons than Mr. Giuliani), but to say that means he doesn't love his country is off the rails.

I love my country and I find fault, lots of fault, with it. I don't believe we are the greatest in the world. If so, we'd have universal health care, housing programs that work, a decent living wage for all workers., better environmental regulation; we'd be working harder toward erasing income inequality, racism, sexism and ageism.

We'd be more like Sweden, maybe. Saying the President doesn't love his country because he wants to make some changes is like saying a parent doesn't love their child because she wants him to stop being a bully, get better grades, clean up her room or a dozen other things that every sane parent complains about every day.

I love my dogs, but  wish they'd stop eating poop off the street.

All of which brings to mind a culinary treat I would love to serve up to Mr. Giuliani and his ilk.

Moose Turd Pie, made famous in the song/story of the same name by U. Utah Phillips, the Golden Voice of the Great Southwest, who I had the pleasure to meet and to hear this song and others about riding the rails, unions and unrequited love.

Here is the man himself telling how he came to make a moose turd pie. (Read all the lyrics to the song, a sort of talking blues, here)  The background is working on a railroad line, hard labor, with the men, none of them knowing anything about cooking, taking turns cooking up the grub. If you complained about someone's cooking, you go the next shift. It was Phillips' turn this day. (Yes, this is an apocryphal story, but it's a good one.) Enjoy.


       "I sallied forth over the muddy river. I was walking around among the sheet grass and the bunch grass, and I looked down, and there was just a hell of a big moose turd. Biggest damn moose turd; that was a real steamer! I looked down at that meadow wafer, and I said to myself "Self, I'm going to bake up a big moose turd pie." Because if anybody complained about my cooking, they were going to have to cook. So I tipped that pasture pastry up on edge. I got my **** together, so to speak. And I started rolling it down towards the old cook car.

       "BALUUMP! BALUUMP!

      "I got it down there and leaned it up against the side and I climbed up in the cook car, and I baked a hell of a big pie shell. And I baked that moose turd in as slick as you please. And I cribbed it with my thumbs, and laid strips of dough across it, & garnished it with a sprig of parsley, a little paprika. It was beautiful; poetry on a plate. And I served it up for dessert, waiting for the first hint of a complaint." 

     "Well, this giant dude comes in, about 5 foot 40; I mean he was big. Throwed himself down like a fool on a stool. Picked up his fork. Took a big bite of that moose turd pie. Well, he threw down his fork, and he let out a bellow, and he yelled..

     '"My God! That's Moose Turd Pie! ... It's Good, Though!"'

If you want to make some for yourself, try this actual edible version, compliments of http://www.quiltingboard.com/recipes-f8/i-need-recipe-moose-turd-pie-t222070.html:

Make a brownie crust. Bake and cool.
Make a chocolate pudding, and mix it with whipped cream for a fluffy mousse-like filling.
Stir in a bunch of mini peanut butter cups (or chocolate covered caramel balls or chocolate covered peppermint patties). You could also add some coconut and/or chopped nuts or any other delicacies you think would win the men over to declare your offering THE winner!!!
Pour into pie shell. Chill.
Drizzle chocolate and butterscotch over top in a grid like or circular design.
Edge around the pie crust with whipped cream.

Dems, don't jinx the race

How many articles have I read opining that the Dems are in trouble in the mid-terms? Most say this is because people are disillusioned with Obama. He's too tough, not tough enough, too warlike, too peacelike, too confused.

All that may be true. But hey Dems, shut up and vote, I say. Stop the gloom and doom and scare tactics that just might backfire and keep people at home on Election Day, coming sooner than you think.

Ramp up the positives. The good you have done and will do for the American people, the State, the County, the Town. Trash the Reps, don't trash your own chances.

Or am I being overly pessimistic myself?