Political Circus

The political circus was in town on Tuesday, drawing a crowd of ye 7,200 adoring fans to a rah-rah ego stroking campaign rally for the Republican POTUS, otherwise known as the Liar in Chief.

Yes, I live in Youngstown and I am NOT one of his adoring fans. In fact, I personally do NOT know ANYONE who lives within the city limits of Youngstown, Ohio, who is a fan.

Correction: I think one of the shopkeepers that I talk to downtown is a Republican, so odds are that he voted for Trump, but doesn’t talk about it.

I do know a guy who lives in Boardman who voted for him… so did some friends and family down in Columbiana County, mostly small town or rural folks who believed half the propaganda nonsense they read online about Hillary involved with child pornography and killing off her husband’s lovers.

Yes, some votes were influenced by REALLY FAKE news… their votes for Donald Trump were more or less just votes AGAINST Hillary Clinton. Some didn’t even like Trump, but voted “for the party, not the man” claiming that who the man is doesn’t really matter. I wrote about that in Political Fish.

And, to be straight up honest about it, there are a LOT of quietly racist people in rural Ohio who voted for Trump because they wanted a white man in the White House, any white man would do… except Bernie Sanders, if that makes sense at all. Those are the ones who cheer the loudest as Trump strives to undo Obama’s legacy.

Sure, he does have some supporters who so actually like him… but, just my opinion and observations… the reason why Trump keeps bringing up the election, Obama, and Hillary in his tweets and speeches (which seems to baffle most of us because the election was so last year) is to maintain the support from people who voted for him even though they did not like him… he has to keep those voters engaged.

I went downtown for awhile… passed out some free buttons, but did not stick around for the protest (my legs won’t let me) and made it back home before the main event.

 

 

FRIDAY NOTE:

Reading the full text of Bill Browder’s testimony to the Senate Judiciary today put the investigation into Russia’s meddling in our election into perspective. It’s some deep shit… explains the reasons for the Magnitsky Sanctions. Trump may call the investigation a political witch hunt, but reading Browder’s statement makes it blatantly obvious as to why Putin wanted Trump to become POTUS; he’s got major money on the line… Trump was (maybe still is) Putin’s best chance at getting sanctions lifted.

Questions remain… was Trump aware of the reasons for the Magnitsky Sanctions? Or, is he extremely naive or just downright stupid? Did he cut a deal with Putin, one billionaire to another, accept Putin’s meddling with a promise to lift the Obama era sanctions? Was a promise given, or just implied?

Trump’s pen will tell… will he sign or veto new sanctions on Russia?

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Street Vendor Girl

I was the lone vendor at the First Friday Art Walk by SOAP Gallery in downtown Youngstown last night. That’s okay… check out the Big Nasty (local jazz band) up on the loading dock behind me (photos snapped before the crowds arrived):

So, I was there at the entrance hawking handmade jewelry, buttons, and small art (mostly drawings matted 5×7 ready to frame) with my rolled onto site “itinerant retailer” set-up… so it’s not exactly proper for upscale art or craft shows that require “professional displays” in white tents and table covers that drop to the floor, &c… but, oh well… I’m more of a street vendor girl.

It was a good night… sold some jewelry, a few buttons, and a couple pieces of art while listening to a cool band play lively jazz on a beautiful night while “Celebrate Youngstown” opened in SOAP Gallery. It was a great night for doing a gallery hop or wandering around downtown as there were other openings and events at several different venues.

Hopefully, next month’s First Friday Art Walk will attract more vendors.

Well… I’m out of coffee, got to walk… thanks for reading!

WIP: Tilt

I started a new drawing with a tilted horizon.

My world is tilted. I’m seriously thinking of composing a list of questions for my shrink as I want to know what he thinks we are working on as, quite frankly, I might be flipping nickels to Lucy for nothing.

The little boy in the photo is my grandson, the middle child of my daughter’s three. He is four years old and as ornery as can be. It was his turn to spend the night at “grandma’s house” so I hooked him up with some paints when we went down to the community room on Sunday afternoon for the Arts & Crafts Society’s Sunday Draw.

Speaking of “grandma’s house” with this being a small unit in a high rise, my rental application to rent a whole entire house was approved. I haven’t called to view inside that big old boarded up house yet because I still need to raise some cash up for deposits, appliances, movers, and other costs that will be incurred during relocation. I’m still thinking on it, too.  It might be too much house for one person and the Vet thinks a ranch would be better for me legs, which is true… but, there are very few (maybe zero) affordable ranch style homes for rent located on main bus routes near business districts.

As for the shrink, I told him what I was thinking about doing and his advice about ANYTHING uncertain or unsure of is to WAIT as in DO NOTHING… well, that don’t fly. I took his advice before when I was struggling trying to tell a friend about some things, not sure why I couldn’t bring myself to tell him, my every attempt halted and… well, WAITING cost me a friendship.  But, the end result might have been the same for different reasons. I still think it is because I fell off my damn pedestal.

Oh well, I can’t sit around doing nothing, so it is time to sell stuff…

I will be at the Four Seasons Flea Market over on the east side on Wednesday mornings. This week I’m taking buttons and handmade jewelry.

UPDATE MAY 8, 2016: that was a marketing lesson on choosing the right venue for my items… another vendor suggested slashing my prices, told me no one would pay more than 3 dollars for a pair of earrings… I had gemstones, crystals, real pearls, and sterling silver already priced ridiculously low… ear studs starting at $5! In all honesty, I think I could have priced everything at a buck each and STILL no one would do more than walk on by… their eyes were already on the ground looking at the next display. That flea market is the perfect venue for old junk laid out on tarps. I couldn’t even sell a button. I also left early because I made another mistake… I took one of those fold up stadium chairs to sit on and it was awful. My bones crunched when I sat down, so I was dealing with pain and stiffness for the rest of the day. So, axe THAT… flea market idea is off my list.

Then, on the first Friday of each month (at least this month, hopefully every month) I will be a street vendor selling buttons and my original art from 5 to 9 PM on Champion Street for the “First Friday Art Walk” near SOAP Gallery, which has a show opening that night, in beautiful downtown Youngstown.

I will also be bringing a button machine and special paper punch (it cuts precise circles out of actual photographs – or ye photo paper thick art papers – sized just right to go on buttons) to First Friday Art Walks so I can make 2.25″ button pins, magnets, pocket mirrors, bottle openers, and key chains (two types) right there on the spot.

So, BYO photos (good idea to have prints made first) if you want photo buttons made at Art Walk. Price is $2, your choice of back. Chains will also be available if you want to turn a bottle opener into a necklace.

If you are not in or near Youngstown, some of my original art is available online in my Webstore, but not on First Fridays, as odds are that I will put the store in vacation mode OR pull listings of what I plan to take for display on First Fridays, if a vacation mode is not available.

I’m also thinking about taking the mosaic guitar this week… maybe it will sell.

Wish me luck… and thanks for reading!