One Intuitive's Theory: A Stolen Presidency

Let's get it straight: I’m not saying there was tampering with every voting machine in America, as that was unnecessary. Ultimately a few states were targeted--as determined by Cambridge Analytica and Breitbart subscriber stats--to skew the Electoral College tally in Trump’s favor and support the concept of “disenfranchised pockets of America” to justify the win.

Very creative, very subversive, incredibly Bannonesque, with just the right amount of Putin. Sadly, more "doable" than one would think.

Can I, personally, prove it? Not really. But not only is it viable, the plethora of substantive information does support it.

Bannon isolated Trump at the get-go, feeding him ideas, concepts and tweets in "soundbites"--easily remembered and repeated. He continues to schedule pep rallies to build Trump's confidence every time he takes a hit, and finds a way to throw his competition for Trump's ear under the bus. Bannon is a fundamental cog who appears "untouchable"--metaphorically as invasive and deadly as cancer. What did he say after Trump's first public address to Congress that seemed to turn a corner from his vile rhetoric? "They bought it." The self-proclaimed "Darth Vader" truly relishes screwing with America and anything we hold dear (like freedom).

What was Trump’s payoff for running? Money. More international business contacts, promoting the “Trump brand,” writing off debts of historic proportions. He didn't realize he'd actually become president.  That was Bannon’s surprise--fulfilling his own well-documented goal of creating anarchy. 

Overall, I don't think any politicians expected the GOP win. That's why there is such rampant disorganization. All they know is they're in power and wielding it everywhere, without definitive purpose or goals--other than to eliminate eight years of "Liberal intrusion." Moving at a feverish pace because they know the "House of Cards" is likely to collapse at any moment. Whether it be by Executive Order or legislation, the insatiable dominate: Conservatives are happy, the rich are getting richer, and the powerful maintain control.

In the meantime, those of us trying to keep a roof over our heads and who embrace a diverse universe are paying the price for words without substance, chaos that pleases very rich, very miserable men (i.e., Trump & Bannon), and leaving the majority of Americans feeling “raped” by an America we no longer recognize. (I myself am a “survivor,” so I don’t take the word lightly but I am hard-pressed to find a more suitable descriptive.)

Blinders Off, Reality Goggles On

Metaphorically, those of us who despise President-Elect Trump's words, behaviors and methodologies during his campaign feel a "violation akin to rape" from the currently-apparent outcome of the election. Stop telling us to lie down, shut up, and "take it." That makes you an accomplice and as reprehensible as we believe him to be. He has successfully embedded a dangerous divide in this country and offers no constructive act, word or deed to repair it going forward.

Had a million demonstrators not been sitting on the White House lawn in 1969, Nixon would have continued his plan to nuke Vietnam (his pen was literally poised upon the documents to do so but when he saw the volume of protesters who didn't agree, he reneged).

Don't tell us our words, beliefs, and protestations have no place in the U.S. Those of us who love this country and the principles upon which it was founded know that our constructive actions can indeed make a difference.  In fact, many of us of a certain age successfully worked to implement changes in human and civil rights for the better. For me, it's been nearly five of the six decades I've been alive.

But now we feel like the slate is being wiped clean. That people who really care more about the greater good are insignificant when compared to greed and aggression. We hurt--not because we're "thin-skinned"--but because the message we're accepting and passing on to our children is that it's okay to bully, blatantly lie, and be cruel as long as you are victorious.

We do not protest because we did not win. We protest because 98% of Americans lose with this planned administration. Although we acknowledge your frustration with the status quo, we know most of us will be far unhappier with what appears to lie ahead.

The Most Unpredictable of Times

Hillary Clinton is indeed an "insider" who has navigated every "dick in power" worldwide to become thisclose to running the White House. She is brilliant, tough and driven (all qualities desired—if not demanded--in a president).

Secretary Clinton has proven herself committed to bettering the lives of average Americans because of her life’s work with the poor and middle class--even if she has to “mingle with the monied” to get the job done. She is also the one person who can "clean house to decimate the 'Old Boys' Club.'" In fact, the latter have played a huge part in flooding the internet with phony "voting videos" and "news sites" that have been created solely to incite, fear monger, and deliberately lie. It has also become obvious to many that largely meritless politically-motivated “legal inquiries” (e.g., “shemail”) have been devised to prevent her from shattering the glass ceiling because they know their days may be numbered.

It was the sheer volume of accusations that had me questioning: “Why the implausible overkill?” All who believe themselves astute and knowledgeable about politics, business/corporate dynamics, and “the way things work,” must realize that anyone held up to extreme scrutiny will never emerge “squeaky clean” every time. Would you? Under this level of scrutinization, you would likely be prosecuted for a parking ticket. But actual dates and timelines of these "planted facts" were inconsistent and contradicting. Regardless of your level of interest in the minutia of actual occurrences versus propaganda, facts do matter. 

Worldly and business savvy individuals know that circuitous deals are made everywhere in every corner of the universe to achieve an objective. (Ask the author of "The Art of the Deal," for whom this has been recorded as "routine"--yet somehow acceptable--without anywhere near the same level of scrutiny, or federal income tax responsibility.) 

Sadly, as has become common with "the art of the deflection," we are made to believe that everyone negotiates with the ultimate intention of acquiring wealth and power. In actuality, some begrudgingly make less optimal deals to achieve a far more altruistic result. It just goes to show you that some people can't even think in those terms. 

Nothing in this universe is one dimensional, cut and dry. Consider who has the goal of "attending to the greater good" versus one who is self-promoting a dynasty without a clue about what is needed to run this country but exalts in cultivating hate, violence, and anarchy.

The damage from the lies is largely done but before you cast your vote, think about two things: (1) How far has anger gotten you in life so far? and (2) Use common sense. It’s just you and your ballot. No one else will know your ultimate choice. 

For the record, it’s not that I’m in love with Hillary. I’ve just researched carefully and logically, deciphering the most convincing but phony newsfeeds. Extensive examination revealed them to be blatantly (often cruelly) inaccurate. While I too often feel anger at "the system," I know firsthand that her "opposition" has historically withheld payment for services provided by hardworking Americans in his employ without a thought as to the impact on their lives, businesses, and families (i.e., "true Americans" who support and believe in him, believing he is their savior). 

By the way.... The one time I interviewed Hillary Clinton, she was more afraid of me than I ever was of her. Just sayin’.

Find YOUR All

Ultimately a hoax or not, Essena O'Neill's message rings true and there is much to be absorbed from what she says. Stop looking to others for approval and love yourself first. Everything else is secondary.

Attention from others is a blessing and allows for interaction; it should not be an expectation or become the way to satiate our (normal, intrinsic) need for validation.

I found the selfie thing to be a tedious exercise and my attention was so much better spent elsewhere. Although I am relieved to find out that even the most beautiful take dozens of photos before sharing "the right one," desperate cries for "look at me" only prove that you haven't accepted yourself.

Everything is an illusion; there is no such thing as "having it all." Not in the idealistic way most think. Hopefully we all eventually find our "sweet spot"--our version of "having it all"--and usually, it laughably defies any fantasy we ever initially envisioned. ‪#‎FindYourAll

The Moral of the Story Is...

From the "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger files..."

This time of year is very bittersweet for me as it was during this time three years ago that we kept vigil while my mother was actively dying. What was expected to take a week or two lasted nearly two months.

It was during this period that I started sensing a profound energy from the other side, as I could see my mother in her nonverbal state pull away from their summoning as she was not yet ready to leave. Yes, it was torture for all of us as we were powerless to make a difference in what was happening, emotions were in high gear, the entire family was summoned to her bedside several times with "this is it" episodes before she took one last breath in my sister's arms in the middle of the night.

Now I have learned that time of my life was setting the foundation for finally discovering who I was truly meant to be. Elements had always been there, although I didn't know terminologies or all the metaphysical concepts but it confirmed the reality that "spirits on the other side exist" and it has nothing to do with anything but sending pure love and energy to help us discover ourselves on the highest level.

This is not to say that I am "there" yet. In fact, you'd be surprised how many times I myself turn to Google to answer certain questions that I don't completely understand. But I have never known such peace, such certainty (tinged with some uncertainty when I don't take every experience as it's happening "in the moment" and fail to trust myself and/or my intuition). Everyday I nearly fall to my knees in gratitude that I have remained open, loving, understanding, willing, able... That I have met like-minded people who aspire to the same and have the same qualities, lend a hand, encouragement, and support.

Still, my life in total and the experiences of those who guide me from the other side bring the same message: It may not always be easy but by taking these lessons, experiences, and absorbing information from reliable sources--while actively applying willingness, openness and pure intent to use it for the greater good--will take me to the goal of being the best person I can be.

Although I am not a fan of lengthy blog entries or shares, I do hope you get what you need to know from this share so that you too can bring yourself closer to your highest self--especially during anniversaries or significant dates of those who have passed over--because it is then the vibrations are strongest and the connection is more "intense." They continue to teach us and we are forever a student.

Blessings always... MM

Let There Be Light with the Circle Unbroken

NOTE:

The above picture is NOT mine (although the following pictures were taken by me). The configuration is similar to how my wiring appeared when removing the old fixture, so I'm sharing it only as a frame of reference.
I am not an electrician, nor am I pretending to be one. I am a moderate level DIYer. I have wired lamps and replaced ceiling fixtures, installed ceiling fans, and done things of this ilk for several decades. But if this experience has taught me anything, it's that electrical wiring situations can differ from one geographical area to another (i.e., due to building ordinances in different cities, states, countries, etc.), from home-to-home (depending on who does the work to the home), and--as in my case--from one location in the home to another.

I would never have gone to the lengths that I did to resolve this on my own if I didn't have a modern circuit breaker system in place. I'm not suggesting that you do any of it. However, if you are at your wits end trying to figure out a similarly confusing configuration AND have a modern circuit breaker system in place, it may save you some aggravation.

In any case, before removing or installing fixtures—and especially before touching any wires—make sure the power is off (not just at the light switch). Until I was sure which circuit breaker controlled the area I was working on, I turned the main power to my entire house off.

You will need a voltage tester (e.g., a multimeter) to identify your hot wires and your power will need to be on for that. I tried non-contact testers but found that the surrounding wires often tested hot even when they weren't--even with sensitivities adjusted.

Proceed with extreme caution. And once you have identified your hot wires, etc., turn the power off again before proceeding. Respect electricity, it'll go right through you and can be fatal.

Like "Easy Do It…" says: "When in doubt, hire it out."

For two weeks I tried to "crack the code" for replacing an old light fixture in the one place that hadn't been upgraded by our handy previous owner (it still had cloth wiring but in decent condition). 

I was replacing a vestibule light that was attached to a 15 amp single pole switch, and connected on a circuit that also powered a ceiling light in the adjoining bathroom and a standard grounded double outlet. All the wiring from the circuit was crammed inside the vestibule ceiling light electrical box.

Among my mistakes early on: 

-Not labeling (or taking a good picture of) the wiring/lighting set-up before removing the old fixture

-Thinking all black wires only go to black wires and white wires only go to white wires all the time

-Cutting the cloth wiring very short because I thought it was outdated/unnecessary

I eventually discovered that most of these errors in action/judgment are quite common for DIYers and am more of a stereotype than I care to admit.

So after using three voltage meters, several types/gauges of electrical wire, dozens of wire nuts, numerous wire configurations, and reading contractor/ electrician forums that explained the process (but unfortunately never illustrated it, nor posted a video on You Tube), I was almost ready to give up because I couldn't successfully achieve my goal.  But for me, giving up isn't an option.

My main issue was that out of all the wires (eight in all), only one was actually hot--120 on the multimeter with all others registering a big fat 0. (FYI: Scrutinize old fabric wiring very carefully because although they may appear to all be one dark color, often each set has one "blacker than" its partner. In my case, those were indeed THE black wires—even if they weren't all hot.)

In our case, the circuit required the one hot wire to be wire nutted to the other two black wires and their partner wires were to be wire nutted to each other to complete the circuit, providing current for all the items on the circuit to operate.

During my trial and error process, the vestibule light lit with the switch in the "off" position (and the other two items in the circuit worked fine) BUT when I turned the vestibule light to "on," the breaker tripped and nothing worked. 

THEN I got the vestibule light to work (as did the other two items in the circuit) but the light wouldn't turn off, as if the switch didn't exist. (I later learned this was because I was bypassing the circuit and working off the main line, independent of the light switch.) 

Finally I found this page (and the illustration above), which finally made sense. Although it wasn't comprehensive enough to encompass our particular circumstances, it was enough to make the "white wire becomes the hot wire" methodology understandable enough to execute.

So the picture above is what I did with my complicated 15 amp connection (should have been photographed step by step but I didn't think to "blog it" until all was said and done; below is an explanation as thorough as I can manage). With this kind of configuration, initially think of the wiring to the switch as independent of all other black and white wires. 

1. To provide working wire length to compensate for each of the fabric wires I had stupidly cut short, I wire nutted additional lengths of solid copper cable (Romex NM-B 14/2 wire with ground, which I stripped for black and white accordingly).

2. I wire nutted TWO new black wires to the one hot wire I had identified earlier.

    - One was wire nutted with the other two blacks (which had each been connected to the old black cloth wires) 

    - THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT (AND CONFUSING): I wire nutted the second new black wire from the hot wire to the white wire that connects to the power switch. (Yes. The WHITE WIRE.)  The white wire in the switch set then becomes "the new hot wire" and attaches to the hot wire screw on your switch.) Trust me, it sounds weird but look at the diagram because it worked.

3. The ground wire from the ceiling electric box was wire nutted to the ground wire in the light.

4. The white wire that was partnered with the one hot wire was also wire nutted to two new white wires

    - One was wire nutted to the white wire on the ceiling light

    - The second was wire nutted to the other two white wires (that had each been wire nutted to the dark brown cloth neutral wires)

5. The black wire from the switch was connected directly to the black wire in the ceiling light.

The vestibule fixture lights. It turns on and off with the appropriate flips of the switch. The bathroom ceiling light on the circuit works. The grounded outlet on the circuit works. No more tripped breakers, no more sparks. No more hassles. I'm giddy as a schoolgirl.

So check out this guy's site and support him. If he were within reach, I'd give him a massive hug. But for now, I'm giving him a huge shout-out and my undying gratitude.

An Earth Day Thought

I always thought that Autumn was my favorite season but I have come to realize over the years that Spring has taken the fore.

It's amazing how new life and greenery appears each day. What was barely a bud yesterday becomes a full blown bud that "springs a leaf" the next. The birds sing rhythmically, sharing the wonders with their pals as they find as their way from one source of sustenance to another, then take off in pairs.

Spring is a season of hope and promise. Enjoy it and the rest of earth's gifts as long as she's willing to share them.

But whatever you do, stop pissing her off. She doesn't like it when she's not respected.

And that, my friends, is why it's definitely Mother Earth. "Hell hath no fury..."