I did some texting today for a Dem candidate for Arkansas State Senate. - The intro text says her name, TWICE and Arkansas State Senate. The # of people who respond TRUMP 2020 is puzzling.

It wouldn't be puzzling if you lived here. Imagine a bunch of parrots wearing red MAGA caps.

the lack of willingness to *work together* to accomplish positive progress for everybody--both are sadly lacking

I've been despairing at the grasp of mutual responsibility here as well, especially since COVID. Seems to be much less "love your neighbor as yourself/one for all, all for one" model that I was hoping for, and more "if I'm fucked over, let everyone else be fucked over as well". If there's a set of mind that I'm allergic to is learned helplessness. To see it plays out on millions is despairing.

But it's not the people who despair me. It's a world that was taught to expect for the worse and accept this as the status quo, even if the actions of enough of us together can make a difference. And in the end, you can't survive without hope. So, even if it's out of spite, I remain hopeful. COVID will pass (because brilliant/lucky scientists) and I'll be able to hug my friends again. And until that happens (and after this happens), I might convince few other souls that their words actions matter and that there is a greater good, one m-f at a time. (Hi, I remain hopeful, but I still swear a lot).

(I originally came here to say that onion crackers are my new found love and that I speak to everything around me 24/7 as well, but then I saw Beverly's post, so you got a mini-speech).

Onion crackers sound good. Spite hope does, too.

It comes back to the Angel paraphrase- if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.

I know I am beating a dead horse and preaching to the choir, but the anger of some people scares me. Not the anger of protestors or "looters", but the anger of the police and my neighborhood Trump supporters. Personally, I have a pretty angry personality, but I hate who I become when I am enraged, so I have worked on that, but then their anger makes me angry and it just circles around. So I am also afraid of my anger back at them.

I am trying to assume best intentions- assume people are trying to their capacity, but it is hard. I can't really even try to engage or have rational arguments with people like JZ does, because my rage impedes my rhetoric and I just want to yell at them.

It comes back to the Angel paraphrase- if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.

100%

Also Matt, it's too bad you're on opposite sides of the state, because I would love to introduce you to my liberal cousins in Fayetteville!

Sophia - would you at all be interested in text-banking? I ask because it is nice to have interactions with strangers who are in agreement. Also to have pre-written responses for the angries. It is helpful to me to just click a button and reply - "Thank you for your time" or "I am sorry that I have bothered you. Do you have any questions about election/candidate?" or "I can remove you from our list if you'd like." - all the while knowing that I am helping clean up engagement lists for Dem candidates and getting a few people involved that might otherwise not be.

Saw a picture of a bear on FB this morning, which prompts me to share a wacky mountain life story from this week. Note, it ends well.

So, earlier this week a friend posts a picture of a 19 year old woman who had gone for a jog, as was her habit, at 7PM and never returned home. Search parties and so forth. The next morning she is found making her way back. She was running a trail and inadvertently came between a mama bear and her cubs. Mama was not pleased and she panicked and climbed a tree. (Seriously bad move as bears can climb trees) The bear was in sight until dark so she stayed in the tree all night until she could see in the morning. 12 hours she hung out in the tree!! She was cold and exhausted and rescue folks took her to hospital to get checked out, but she is fine.

Anyway, I can only imagine what was happening in that girl's mind all night. Yikes. Also, for the record, if this happens to you, you are supposed to put your hands up and very slowly back away in the direction you came to let mama know you didn't intend to intrude.

Wow yeah, she got lucky but omg poor girl. All night in a tree!!!

This dog y'all. Slept from 10-4! But then up at 4,5,6...didn't want to go back to sleep after 5....barks his head off and I don't want the neighbors to hate me....

I've tried a couple different noise making bark deterrents. They kinda work, but it never stopped Skinner from starting to bark. One was a hand held noise thing that let out a blast, which was as annoying for the people as the dog. The 2nd one I tried was a collar that has 3 settings, first is a noise which is annoying to the dog, but not loud enough to disturb the general peace, next is a vibration which also annoys the dog, then is a shock which can be set at a whole range of powers. I only needed to use the noise and vibration. Much like the electric fence collars that first signal noise, then vibration, then shock, except this is manual. They also have automatic ones, but I never liked those in theory. I combine the noise/vibration with the command 'enough' to differentiate from the generic no.