A brand new year...

It's the end of 2017.

How did we ever make it through?

This year was filled with chaos, division, protests and some of the worst natural disasters we've ever seen..

Terrorist attacks both foreign and domestic.

Income inequality became wider.

Then there's the opioid epidemic and unimaginable amounts of gun violence.

Poverty is on the rise.

For the first time people are dying younger...

Some might say it's looking pretty bleak.

So, will 2018 be better?

Only if we make it better.

It all ends up trickling down to us. ( that, I suspect is the real meaning of trickle down )

So what can we do?

We can be kind. We can be sensitive to the feelings of others.

We can take little steps.

We can reach out, lend a hand, give an hour or two.

Make a call.

Tutor a child.

Start a conversation.

Donate to a worthy cause.

Volunteer.

Start a movement!

One candle really can light the darkness.

One person really can make a difference.

Let's all quit procrastinating and saying we'll do it tomorrow.

Let's do it now.

Let's make some noise, let's change the world!



Happy New Year!

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

The best gift...

We wanted to give you all a gift.

So we thought and we thought and we thought...

At Christmas we always watch one movie; Love Actually.

It's a little corny and over the top but it's meant to be. It's also sweet and touching, funny and sad and it leaves us feeling hopeful and warm like someone wrapped us up in a great big hug knowing that no matter how bad things are there is love all around us if we just take the time to look.

Especially this part; take a look it's the best gift we could think of.




The merriest of holiday's to you and yours!

Noodle and crew

Merry, merry...

May your tinsel stay sparkly as it hangs from your tree.
May you watch lots of football on your TV.

May your holly be green and it's berries stay red.
May sugar plumb fairies dance in your head.

May your lights all be twinkly and shine very bright.
If you eat lots of cookies, may your pants not be tight.

May love and laughter fill all your days.
And if you are lost may you find your way.

May your blessings be many
and your troubles be few...

have the happiest of holiday's

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday...

Noodle and crew

One small step...

                                              (listen to;)   "walk on"

With the roll back of voting rights, tax cuts that are really tax hikes, immigration policies, the rescinding of DACA and on, and on and on...

We'd like to acknowledge something that just might be a little more positive.

It's a small step but it could be one that takes us in the right direction.

In 2015 Walter Scott was shot to death by a police officer.

There have been too many of these types of incidents that have gone unpunished and too many people left with no justice.

Families left with no one held accountable.

But, on Thursday after pleading guilty, a judge sentenced the officer who shot Scott, to 20 years in prison.

In the aftermath of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner and too many others to mention, It may seem like a small step...

but as small as it might be, it is a step.




Have a wonderful weekend!

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

Secret Santa...

Oh boy!
It's our first Christmas present of the year...
Let's all say thank you to Donald Trump and the republican party!

The phrase death and taxes is usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in a 1789 letter that “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

In the early hours of the morning the Republicans pushed through their tax bill.

Never mind that the bill looked like a mish mashed word salad with scribbled unintelligible bits and pieces in the margins and is 400 pages long. And that no one including those who voted for it had any time to read it.so no one actually knows for sure what is in it..

But with some nifty two stepping Mitch McConnell was able to persuade republicans to fall in line.

Here are some things we do know about the bill.

In an already devastated Puerto Rico, the bill hikes the export tax. Because Puerto Rico isn't having enough trouble.

The bill will increase the deficit by over a Trillion with a T, dollars.

Students will have a much harder time affording a higher education.   

Oh and by the way...
multi billion dollar corporations and the rich will do just fine.

That includes Donald Trump even though he vehemently denies it.

Their taxes were slashed so, there's that.

Like the Beatles wrote in the song Tax man ;

"If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
if you try to sit, I'll tax your seat,
if you get too cold, I'll tax the heat
if you take a walk, I'll tax you feet".

This tax bill will in essence be the death of an already critically wounded middle class.
But the rich get richer and if we all wait long enough it will somehow magically trickle down,...

So, merry Christmas or if you are so inclined, happy holidays...
What a wonderful gift!



Have a great weekend!

Noodle and crew



We are part of The Cat On My Head blog hop!

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

Quintessential Barbie or the dead squirrel in the room...

                                  (baby Noodle archives)



When I was seven, my friends and I were walking home from school one day when we came upon a dead squirrel.
None of us had any experience what so ever with death.
But there lay the squirrel at the base of the big cherry tree right in from of my grandmother's house.
I can still picture the scene in my head, 5 seven year old's gathered in a circle around a dead animal.
We decided to give it a proper burial in the back yard thus began the search for a coffin.

We descended upon my bedroom looking for some type of box in which to put the remains of said squirrel prior to it's burial.
That's when I spotted my Barbie Doll.
The doll was a prized possession and as such I was extremely careful to always put her back in the box in which she came every time I played with her.

Now I was debating using her box to bury a squirrel.
In the end the squirrel won.
And was laid to rest in Barbie's box.

That's what I used to think about when anyone mentioned Barbie Dolls.

Until now...

Now consciously or subconsciously the only thing that comes to mind when I hear Barbie Doll is Ivanka Trump.

It's not so much that she looks like a Barbie Doll it's more her persona.
She seems plastic.
Stiff,
not real
I guess the word I'm looking for is pretend .

She's like a shiny Christmas ornament.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be mean but other than promoting her "business"
I'm not sure what her function is except to stand there and look good.

But now she has a platform from which to peddle her brand and make a little more money.

But be careful what you wish for...
because now it seems to be coming back to bite her in the a**!

Just recently she was inundated by nasty memes after tweeting about the appropriate Thanksgiving table setting which was so far off the mark for ordinary people that it was a joke.

Now she's off to India to do...what? Be window dressing?
Make a deal on lower costs over seas to produce her clothing line?

The White House now seems to have become some bizarre version of the Sopranos
with money laundering and back door deals with shady governments all contributing in some way to the financial interests of the Trump family.

Take for example the almost indictment of Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. in 2012.

Funny, I can remember a time ( was it only a year ago?) when we would have thought that all of this must be in reference to some third world country.

Rampant corruption, money flowing in from Russia and who knows where else.
Indictment's being handed down on a daily basis...

But on the plus side, at least we have Ivanka Trump to tell us all just what to wear to the next Congressional hearing.


Have a wonderful weekend...

Noodle and crew

Gobble, gobble, gobble...

                                 (I'm thankful for my treats...)



Sometimes it feels like there might not be a lot to be thankful for.

Maybe you lost your job or there is illness in your family.

Maybe someone close to you passed away.

Maybe you live in Puerto Rico  and are still waiting for water and power.

Or your child is one of the 9 million children covered by CHIP and congress just let it expire so now your child is without health care.

Or you lost your home to flooding or wild fires.

Maybe you came here from Haiti after the earthquake and are now facing having to leave and go...where?

Sometimes we feel lost and over whelmed by life in general.
We look for answers and solutions and if we are lucky we find them.

Thursday is Thanksgiving, it's the one day a year that most of us reflect on what we are thankful for.
Some years are more difficult than others and it takes a bit of soul searching to find those answers.

Sometimes we look too hard and miss what is right in front of us....

That's when maybe we should think about others...the people who can't pay their bills, don't have enough food.
People who have to find shelter each and every night.
Mothers who cradle critically ill children in their arms.

I think of the parents of the children of Sandy Hook.
The families of those killed in Las Vegas.

The families of those in the military, who risk their lives on foreign shores while we eat our Thanksgiving dinners.

That's when perspective kicks in.

Most of us have so much to be thankful for that we don't even notice most of it.

Most of us complain about small, insignificant things while there are people out there who are facing impossible odds each and every day.

Maybe this year we could all try a little bit harder not to lose sight of the blessings we have right under our noses.

Instead let's look outward to others who might need a hand up or even just a smile and warm hello.

Let's do unto others...

and most importantly let's not stop on November 23rd.



Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


Noodle and crew

A cat named Cheddar...

                                                      Cheddar
                                            (photo courtesy of Jade)

In this world that at times can be filled with anxiety and division sometimes it's hard to find the stories of simple acts of goodness and love that are hidden in the chaos.

We came upon one such story right in our own neighborhood and were so moved we wanted to share it...

Jade got her cat Cheddar from the Brooklyn New York public shelter 1 year ago.
She flew home with him and he became a part of the family.

Cheddar would sit in the front window and watch people walk by.
Jade would take Cheddar for walks around the neighborhood on a little leash and harness and says he loved meeting new people and their dogs.

On Friday, Cheddar accidentally got out.

That evening  a couple stood in the street as they tended to a cat that had been hit by a car.
They where trying to notify the owner and stayed with the injured cat petting and comforting it.

On Saturday there was a small makeshift memorial where Cheddar had been hit. One of the notes left at the memorial was handwritten and said, "I was on my way to work. Please forgive me."

Later, Jade would leave a comment in a post where this story was first reported where she said; "to the young man who had this unfortunate accident with Cheddar, It was not your fault and I do forgive you".

Cheddar didn't know the couple who comforted him while they searched for his owner.

He didn't  know the person who hit him.

He didn't know the people who read his story and sent words of comfort and sympathy to Jade.

But clearly all these people where touched briefly by a cat named Cheddar.


In loving memory of Cheddar...

Noodle and crew

It's about Russia...and has nothing to do with politics...

I know... we are supposed to be doing Wordless Wednesday.
Hey, let's be a little flexible shall we.
Life is full of disappointment's.

Sorry, I lost my cool.

Anyway, Russia, Russia, Russia.
It's all we hear about these days.
I get it...there's a lot to find out whether you think it's important or the proverbial which hunt.
We are hearing a lot about Russia.

So we decided to find something about Russia that everyone could agree on, and we think we did!

Although it involves Russia, it has absolutely nothing to do with politics or Donald Trump or the 2016 elections...honest.
Just take a look.

Oh, and by the way, that guy is 30! That's old for someone in his profession.
So, I know we haven't done it in a while but we are giving a big Fuzzy Hug and Kitty Kiss to
Sergei Voronov!


Have a fabulous Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

Is it time yet?

The shooter in LasVegas;.
He was white.
He was not a radical Islamic terrorist.
killed 58, wounded 546. at a concert

The shooter in Alexandria, Virginia;
He was white
He was not a radical Islamic terrorist
Severely wounded 6 one being a member of congress while playing base ball in a park.

The shooter in Sandy Hook; .
He was white.
He was not a radical Islamic terrorist
killed 26 in a school 20 of which were 6 year old children.

The shooter in Aurora, Colorado;
He was white
He was not a radical Islamic terrorist
killed 12 and wounded 70 in a movie theater


The shooter on Sunday in Texas;
He was white.
He was not a radical Islamic terrorist
killed 28 half of which were children in a church

Mr.Trumps wall and his travel ban would not have had a thing in the world to do with stopping the carnage in all of these incidents.

So, okay not radical Islamic terrorists...

"No, but they were all crazy people"!
Okay, why then was one of the only pieces of legislation passed by this administration, to make it easier for anyone who is mentally ill to own a gun?

How did that help? Well, it didn't!

There are those who will continue to argue the second amendment when it comes to any type of gun registration, sales through the Internet and gun show loop holes.
They will argue their second amendment rights when it comes to automatic weapons and bump stocks and 100 round magazines.
This is a very small percentage of the American public that are condemning the rest of the country to being hostage to the increasing threat of just going about their daily lives.

I hear people say ,"there are more good people with guns out there than there are bad ones".
What happens when all the bad guys with so many guns and rounds of ammunition shoot all the good people who insist what we need is hugs and prayers but no gun reform?

Who's left?

Congress is so afraid of this group that they will not even bring gun ownership issues up for discussion.

In the past as now, they say; now is not the time...

Is it time yet?




Happy Veteran's Day.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

Blogging 4 peace...

Today we are Blogging4Peace.

We thought it would be nice to do something special on this day, so we thought and thought and came up with this...
The photo above is me on the very first day I came to live with the humans.
This is a never before seen photo of me but I must say "aren't I just adorable?"

And in the spirit of peace, we know it's a little early but we couldn't resist. We ask that you ponder the words to this great classic song from this great classic movie.



Have a wonderfully peaceful weekend!


Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

Upside down and backwards...

When I was in photography school, one of the first things we learned was that when you were loading slides into a projector tray you had to put them upside down and backwards.
It was easy to remember so the slide show didn't come out all wonky.

That phrase came to me all these years later when I heard some old hits playing in the world of politics the other day.

For the past couple days I've been hearing how we have to start investigating  Hillary again and "lock her up!"

Don't look now but the e-mails are back!

No, not Ivanka and Jared's or Donald Trump Jr's, forget about them ( they want you to really forget about them )
focus on Hillary.

Let me put this in perspective for you...

Hillary Clinton used an unsecured server for her emails! Treason! Lock her up!

Ivanka, Jared and others used private email accounts and....nothing.

Four Navy Seals killed in Niger.
No explanations .
No word of this incident to the families or the public until the media reported it.
No word from the president...even now!
And one little investigation, very very quietly.

Remember Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi? 7 plus investigations by the GOP...hum-m-m-m.
To me this all seems upside down and backwards and that's a nice way of putting it.

But just as we're  taping our toes to the GOP classics, along comes the real story...

Last night the first indictment's were handed down from a grand jury in the Trump Russia investigation.

So, saddle up buckaroos we're in for diversionary tactics of epic proportions now.

Heaven help us all...


Have a Happy Halloween...

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

                                    (baby Noodle archives)




Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

"Look at me, look at me..."

Donald Trump wants to be adored.

He wants to be adored so much that he will basically do and say anything as long as you are paying attention to him.

He's like a toddler who says "look at me, look at me, look at me...hey, why aren't you looking at me?" They don't know what they want but they know they want you to know that they are there.

Everything he does, every move he makes, every tweet he tweets is a cry for attention.

He wants to be the center of all attention and if it's not about him he doesn't care about it.
There is NO agenda.
There are no policies, no plans to make America great again it's all just hype, snake oil to sell anyone who will buy it.

People keep saying on this or that daily faux pas or latest controversy; he's incompetent, he doesn't understand what he's doing, he's in over his head.
And all of that may indeed be true, but here's the thing and this is the most important part...
he really just doesn't care!

Donald Trump doesn't care about anything that isn't about Donald Trump! Not health care or the budget or veterans or the people of San Juan or anything else...

And if his petty insecurities start a war or devastate health care for those who voted for him....he doesn't care.

What he does care about are the things he talks most about and tweets about over and over and over again.

The adulation of his base.
His money.
His popularity.
Who is nice to him.
Who likes him and more importantly who doesn't.
Who the last person to criticize him was and what he's going to do about it.
His poll numbers and rally sizes.
Revenge.

He works feverishly to discredit anyone who he who he sees as better than he is.
Why do you think he spends so much time berating and lying about President Obama?

All those conspiracy theories about birth certificates and wire taps and how he didn't make calls to fallen soldiers families. The dismantling of any and all things Obama did while in office?


In this new political climate, no lie is too outrageous, no subject out of bounds, no institution to sacred.
Democracy is up for grabs and the constitution has lost all meaning.

When a  four star general willingly goes in front of the country and blatantly lies, then he has lost all honor and credibility.

When the spokes person for the White House then goes on to tell the world, not to question this administration It begins to sound like we aren't in America anymore Toto.

So listen up, media, congress, journalists, voters, world...

The next time you are questioning why Donald is doing the latest thing he's doing and you see it as yet another fire he's starting and ask yourself why?

Just remember it's because he just doesn't care.......

We'll all save ourselves a lot of time and energy, the things we will need to put everything back together when he's through, if we just remember that one thing.




Have a wonderful weekend!


Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

Donald Trump is not a cannibal...

Mr. Trump's statement the calm before the storm seemed to come right after
Trump's anger at Secretary of State Tillerson's alleged  comment about Mr. Trump being a moron.

When asked what he meant by the statement or even what it was in reference to, we got the standard "you'll see" answer.

And with that we are off awaiting the next episode of this stranger than fiction reality show.

This kind of cryptic statement is just the latest in a string of  figure it out for yourself bizarre things Trump has said.
Isn't it odd that even though he purports to have "the best words" he doesn't seem to be able to find them when it matters most.
While other presidents have used their standing to give comfort to those who have faced tragedy and grief, Mr Trump seems content to belittle and shame.

Take the people of Puerto Rico, after a public scolding of San Juan's Mayor and reminding his audience that Katrina was a real tragedy because more people died.
And shame on  Puerto Rico for messing with the budget.

He gleefully tossed rolls of  paper towels into a crowd of people who are still without power and drinking water. And when criticized for his response to the relief efforts such as they are, he gave his own version of what has transpired under his watch.

It appears to be the storm after the storm. But perhaps Jon Stewart put it best...


Have a wonderful weekend...


Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday...

Noodle and crew

A ghost story...

                                           (baby Noodle archives)


It's getting closer to that ghosts and goblin's time of year.
So, putting all the insanity of politics aside for now we offer this;

Did you know that there is a  ghost cat in the Capital building?

The ghost cat or ‘Demon Cat’ is a popular story around Washington DC. The cat apearently haunts the basement of the Capitol building at night and can usually be spotted around the hall between the Crypt of the Capitol and the Old Supreme Court Chamber.

Tourists can even see little paw prints on the floors of the hallway if they look close enough. The story goes that Capitol Hill (then Jenkins Hill), was once the home of a den of black cats, but once construction of the Capitol began (in 1794) the cat’s den was destroyed along with the family of cats.

The mother cat now roams the halls of the basement of the Capitol building where presumably the den was located, searching for her young. Even though there are no unattended pets allowed in the Capitol, late night staffers and visitors have noticed an animal dashing here and there around this area of the building.



Have a wonderful Sunday!

Noodle and crew

PS; We are participating in the blog hop over at The cat On My Head

Wordless Wednesday...

With hopes of peace, love and kindness in these trying times...

Noodle and crew

by the numbers...

We're keeping a list and checking it twice...( if only this was about Santa...)

We have a  list of things that keeps us up at night and it seems to get longer day by  day.
So, we decided to write them down and lucky you, we're going to share them!

Some are bad some are worse, some are petty grievance's and some are even remarkably happy things
(although those are few and far between).

#1 The ACA is still alive!

After heart wrenching scenes of disabled and wheelchair bound protesters being dragged off and made to leave the place where they were having open public discussions on the latest iteration of Republicans toxic health care bill. Several Republican Senators and all Dems could not be persuaded.
John McCain once again road to the rescue.

#2 Puerto Rico is part of the America!
You don't tweet about bull shit for days after a disaster and then blame your disregard of the situation on the victims of said tragedy. ( *see; Donald it's not about you!")

And if that weren't bad enough, after more criticism he doubled down and did it again!

#3 In a press conference, Donald Trump  patted himself on the back so hard saying things like "how wonderfully they were handling the devastation in Puerto Rico", he almost beat himself to death!
Just like most things in this world, the hurricane, the devastation, the relief efforts, Donald,*"it's NOT about you!"

#4 The first amendment applies to EVERYONE! It's in the constitution. Donald would know that if he ever took the time to read it.

#5 Note to Sarah Huckabee Sanders; It is NEVER appropriate for the President Of The United States to call people "son's of bitches"

#6. As to North Korea; Donald listen...You don't rattle the cage of a totally insane monkey!
Mr.Jong-un, the same goes for you.


This is a really long list so...

To be continued.



Have a wonderful weekend,

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

                                                   
                                                 
                                 dreams of being a jungle kitty...








Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

PS. If you would like to help pets in Puerto Rico check this out; click here

Backward facing Sunday selfie...

                                   "WELCOME FALL!"

Have a super Sunday!

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

                                     And the rains came...




Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

Revenge...

                                                             

                                  

                                           ( baby Noodle archives )

Everyone was so surprised when Mr. Trump met with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, ( now known as " Chuck and Nancy") about what apparently everyone thought was going to be a long arduous discussion about the debt ceiling and Hurricane Harvey aid.

The media and Republicans where shocked that Trump accepted the very first offer thrown out by the dems, as-is!

They were all so surprised.

Really?

Maybe I'm crazy but I wasn't surprised at all.

For the last several weeks Trump has been berating and huffing and puffing about how his party didn't pass repeal of Obama Care and didn't stop the investigation into Russia. He called Jeff Sessions an idiot for recusing himself.

He goes on and on about how those in his party "aren't nice to him" and they "don't have his back" with the Mueller investigation.

Donald Trump is not one to just blow hot air when it comes to retribution.

This deal was total payback, period.

He's giving a big middle finger to the GOP.

Letting them know in no uncertain terms, play ball with me or this is what I will do,
because I can.

This is the one thing Donald Trump is very good at, revenge.

Don't get mad, get even...

Of course now several days later, the story is that there is no deal.

It was only a discussion about a deal.

And to be perfectly honest did anyone really think Trump would keep his word?

Let's face it he does have quite the history of lying changing his mind.

If I were the Democrats or the Republicans I'd be on my guard.

That little twinge you feel between your shoulder blades just might be a knife in your back.





Have a wonderful weekend!

Noodle and crew

Here come the locust...

We're calling this weird Wednesday!
Kind of like freaky Friday...
We're posting our weekend post today and on the weekend doing what would be wordless Wednesday.
Why you ask?
Just to keep you on your toes...

So, Hurricane Harvey and now Irma the largest most devastating hurricane on record in the Atlantic.

Thousands of acres of wildfires through out California, Oregon, Montana and Idaho to name a few.

An 8 point plus earthquake in Mexico

40 days and forty nights and then some of rain...

It all feels a little too apocalyptic for comfort.
Any minute I expect to look out the window and see hoards of locust filling the sky!

You may be asking your self, "why is all this devastation and doom taking place?"


With Thanksgiving right around the corner we thought this might  be a good time for we as a society to do a little self introspection,


They say what goes around comes around , you reap what you sow, you get what you give,

Simply put; pay back's a bitch!

We've gutted the planet to suck out every drop of oil we can.
We've ignored or dismissed global warming/climate change.
We've used the oceans as our own personal garbage cans.

Let's face it we've treated the planet that we call home like one giant toilet .
Can we really blame Mother Nature for being just a little ticked off?

We live in Seattle.
People here like to say how beautiful it is, how green and lush.
There's the Pacific Ocean and the mountains and the forests...
We're very progressive
A couple weeks ago the moon was full, it was also red!
Shrouded in smoky brown pollution from wildfires burning on the other side of those mountains.

It is easy to pass these events off as one time things and go about our business and wonder why at times it seem like the sky is falling.
When one of these events occurs we seem perfectly content to throw a telethon, donate a few dollars and light a candle for a day or two.
Then we pat ourselves on the back knowing we've done something.

Let me introduce you to someone who's actually done something;

Meet Xiuhtezcatl Martinez who started earthguardians.org.
He became an activist at the wise old age of six.
Yes six...

Now tell me again why you aren't doing something to help. Go ahead I dare you.


Have a great Wednesday...

Noodle and crew

Remembrance...

We are re-posting a post we do every year on this date. It says pretty much what we feel today...

                                           a moment of silence...

While you are out and about today living your life we hope you will take a moment or two to reflect on the things you are grateful for...

Then we ask that you go one step further and preform just one
random act of kindness for someone you know well or someone you do not know at all.

We wish you a day filled with peace and comfort.




Humbly and with affection...


Noodle and crew



 

Political guest post with Marks Mews!

So...we're doing something new.

We asked TBT of Marks Mews to do a guest post and he graciously accepted.

We know you'll enjoy it as much as we did...

“Most politicians in the US understand that there are 3 co-equal branches of Government.  I learned that in High School.  Some of my fellow students didn’t.  High School cliques and gangs know only a single leader.  And they tend to follow that idea all their lives.  They tend to become followers in bad jobs because they don’t ever learn how to become cooperators joining together for a purpose.

Some gang leaders or individual bullies learn skills, though.  They become leaders.  They become leaders by experience in intimidation, insult, manipulation of their followers, and a talent for seeing weaknesses in other people.  They see what some group of people want to hear.  All dictators and lesser strongman leaders are like that.  Hitler was, Genghis Khan was,  Mao Tse Tung was, and other minor strongmen in South America and Africa.  

Democracies have to fight such people constantly.  There are always people who desire power beyond what the laws allow.  They push at the laws, they change them for their benefit, they intimidate others with populist movements.

A long-standing democracy, like the US are hard for dictatorial types to overthrow.  The structure of the government has checks and balances built in.  Some rules are so embedded that it would take a military coup d' tat to change.

But that doesn’t stop some people from trying.  Donald Trump is trying.  That he has been thwarted so far says good things about our laws and our 3 part government.  Don’t think he isn’t trying to take over.  He is.  He is failing, but he is flexible.  All he needs are a few successes against his threats.  

His personal threats are that he is being investigated for collusion with the Russians to win the election, that his taxes are mostly fiction, that he is racist, that he has obstructed justice by interfering in legal investigations, and that most of the US find him “unfavorable”.

Any one of those should sink an American President to meaninglessness.  Together, they such cause impeachment.

And let’s get clear on “impeachment”.  Impeachment is not a statement of a crime.  The causes for impeachment are deliberately vague in the Constitution.  It is a political decision by the Congress that a President is not suited to the demands of the job.  And impeachment is merely the act of considering the matter legally in The House Of Representatives, not the trial itself.

Trump should be impeached.  He should be impeached for all of us for general reasons, for some of us for specific reasons, and for rational reasons of “he is basically just not qualified”.  A President doesn’t have to commit a specific crime to be impeached.  Impeachment is not a trial.  It is a declaration there should be a trial in Congress.”

Mark and The Mews

Thanks again to TBT!

Have a great weekend...

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

killing the dream...

I'm a dreamer...

I get all snuggled up in the laundry and dream of treats and petties and family and being loved.

Now as he promised in his campaign, Mr. Trump is going after DACA.
If Trump ends DACA it will cost the country 700,000 jobs and billions with a B of dollars.
But don't worry because "he's a business man" maybe not a very good one but it's all subjective right?

Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg who are unarguably great business men along with
Executives from General Motors, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and many other companies who echoed other business leaders in their letter to Trump.

"All DACA recipients grew up in America, registered with our government, submitted to extensive background checks, and are diligently giving back to our communities and paying income taxes," their joint letter said.
"Our economy would lose $460.3 billion from the national GDP and $24.6 billion in Social Security and Medicare tax contributions," if DACA recipients lose their protections and face deportation, the letter continued, calling those recipients, also known as Dreamers, "vital to the future of our companies and our economy."

So who should we listen to?
The guy who just paid a 25 million dollars  to the defendants in the Trump University lawsuit?
Or these other guys who actually can run a successful business and not just a branding scheme on the back of a loan from his father?

I know who I'd choose.

On top of all that....

polls now show that 58% of Americans are embarrassed by Mr Trump.

Those in his cabinet and some Republicans in congress are questioning his ability to run the country ( not really sure what took them so long???)

Just a few days into Hurricane Harvey, Donald Trump landed in Corpus Christie where he did a Trump victory tour as opposed to meeting with survivors and first responders.

While Mexico and Canada showed what true leadership is when both countries after being belittled and berated by Mr. Trump on numerous occasions offered complete support in the hurricane's wake.

We have to make a choice no matter what party we are .
Country should trump party!

Look at the devastation this man is leaving in his path...

Don't let him take out one of the most important tenants of our democracy.

Demand comprehensive immigration reform!
And for GODS sake don't let him dismantle DACA!


Have a morally conscious weekend...

Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Noodle and crew

In trying times...

We want to let all those who are or will be affected by Hurricane Harvey that our thoughts and prayers are with you...



Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

Words of the day...

Please excuse our wonky line breaks again...

HATE:

Its a small word that encompasses great big feelings.

Feelings that can fester and grow and rot away the core of who you are.

Four little letters that can destroy civilizations

Hate can kind of sneak up on you.

It can lay dormant for years smoldering away in some deep dark corner of your heart.

Until someone or something opens that Pandora's Box and releases all the wickedness it possesses

There is only one way to combat hate...

It's another 4 letter word; LOVE,


TERRORISM:

Call it what it is!

It's not just 9/11 or the attacks this week in Spain.

It's not just Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and Isis

It's white supremacist's in Charlottesville.

It's a young man filled with ideological hatred who took the lives of 9 people in the midst of prayer in

South Carolina.

It's a couple guys who hated the government so much that they killed 168 people including children in Oklahoma City.

It's people in power who stoke the fear and anger of those around them,

these too are terrorists.

Let's call them what they are.

Let's not let others pick and choose for us.


RACISM;

It can be flat out, in your face.

It can also be subtle and devious

It's shooting first.

It's assumptions about people you do not know.

To those who experience it, it's HATE and it's TERRORISM


There has been a lot of talk since what happened in Charlottesville about statues and the history of

this country.

There are those who want to take their country back.

Take it back from whom?

He ran on Make America Great Again.

And that's the problem...

with all our faults and messes and naivety we are already a great nation.

No one gets to just say we aren't to win more votes.

But, bit by bit we are watching as a group of individuals replace our greatness with immorality and

scandals.

With divisiveness and fear.

I'm afraid when he's finally gone we will have to make America great again.

Which brings us to my final word of the day;


FOCUS...

Stay focused! Stay vigilant!

Don't be distracted by all the bright and shinny objects like Steve Bannon being fired or the last

twitter storm.

They are NOT important.

Watch what they are actually doing.

Things that are shrouded in secrecy and passed without fanfare.

The bills that take away voters rights and de fund the arts.

That take away Social Security and Medicare and meals for the elderly and children.

The potential of a private, for profit military.

These are the things to watch, not the loud and raucous show everyone is watching now.

Change the channel.

Before it's the only show there is left.


It's up to us...




Have a wonderful, love filled weekend!


Noodle and crew

Wordless Wednesday...

                       
                                    ( Baby Noodle archives )







Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Noodle and crew

I crave...

Every year for the past 3 years we have participated in a photography project called August Break

Today's prompt was I crave...

We want to send our thoughts and prayers to the people of  Charlottesville, Virginia along with our entry for today's prompt.

I crave an end to hate and violence and all the things that divide us.

I crave a time when we will all see each other as equals and treat each other with respect.

I long for a world in which no one is afraid of their neighbor, their police, their community or their president.

I crave a solution to all this madness.

We must not hide behind the curtain and pretend that there is no problem or that someone else will have to fix it.

We must all step out into the light and face it head on.

We must confront it with compassion, understanding, empathy and tolerance.

Only then can we replace hate with love and begin to heal.



Have a wonderful Sunday...

Noodle and crew