Concepts by Michelle

Tuxedo Cat’s Near-Death Experience

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 0 Comment

He’s a quiet cat but his presence speaks volumes. Photo by Michelle M. Ryan

The cat used up one of his lives in June, 2024. I’d never know how many lives he may have left because he lived on the street before we met. He showed up in the backyard near a Maple tree. He looked like he escaped from a wedding photo shoot, complete with his natural tuxedo.

He was handsome indeed, and didn’t fit the description of an alley cat. I encountered him a few times in the yard and meowed at him. He meowed back. We kept it up and he really seemed to have a lot on his mind.

All the cats I’ve had were street rescues. Even the ones I brought back from Texas. However, most alley cat encounters never allowed closeness. The Tuxedo cat was an exception.

He entered the scene a few months after the loss of another Tuxedo cat, except that one was a beautiful dark charcoal grey and white, known as The Lieutenant. Tuxedo cats are not always black and white (nor are they considered a breed). It’s the bicolor pattern of the cat that determines the type, according to Cats.com.

Cats are like decorations. Photo by Michelle M. Ryan

The loss of The Lieutenant was devastating. Before acquiring him, he was tested for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), also known as AIDS. He was negative. Six years later, he suddenly presented with illness and died during the night after his vet visit. The next day his test came back positive for the virus. Even the vet was surprised at how quickly he succumbed.

Upon seeing the resemblance of the new Tuxedo cat’s coloring and size, I felt like The Lieutenant was sending a message – He couldn’t stay here anymore but he’d send another to help me with his loss.

Settling In

The winter was already in full swing. I kept leaving food out for the Tuxedo cat and eventually invited him in. He followed me around the house and kept grabbing my leg. By midnight, I told him he should probably be getting home. It was well past curfew and someone might be missing him.

I went outside with him and we stood in the cold night air. I thought he would head out into the alley. He stayed by my side. Perhaps there was no home to go to. Back inside we went.

He was staying close to the back door perched on a basement step. I brought blankets, a pillow and camped out on the kitchen floor nearby. We were strangers gradually building trust.

He had to surrender his street life for luxury. Photo by Michelle M. Ryan

Upon testing negative for leukemia and AIDS, he was neutered and we lived together for years. He wasn’t outside long enough to develop a tolerance for thunderstorms or fireworks. Both caused him to hide under the loveseat or bed.

Neither thunderstorms nor fireworks were present the evening he was growling and hiding under the bed. Growling was never part of it. He kept moving around and couldn’t get settled. He felt swollen on one side when I tried to comfort him.

The Hospital

My suspicion was confirmed by the vet when he was taken as an emergency patient the next morning. He had a urinary obstruction. The swelling was his bladder. The vet suspected lots of debris in the urethra. He was in danger of his bladder rupturing and becoming toxic from not being able to urinate.

The plan was to insert a catheter to dislodge the obstruction and flush the bladder. He needed antibiotics and pain medication. He’d have to stay in the hospital a couple days with the catheter in place to observe good urine flow. Then the catheter could be removed and he’d be watched to ensure urine flow continued.

The vet warned me that he’d need an X-ray to ensure no stones were in his bladder and blood work to check for kidney issues. If his kidneys were seriously affected, he’d need an IV. Otherwise, fluids under the skin should be enough to flush his bladder. A minimum of $600 – $800 was to be expected for his care.

Displaying how his belly was shaved for surgery. Photo by Michelle M. Ryan

The next day I got a call I wasn’t expecting. The funnel-shaped Elizabethan collar was needed to prevent him from messing with the catheter. Overnight, the cat managed to not only remove the collar but the catheter as well. I’ve never seen the layout of this hospital in back but thought he’d be a bad influence if other animals saw him do this.

This Houdini-type of action to escape his treatment resulted in the need for surgery to flush his bladder instead of the catheter. His hospital stay extended to five days. The bill was close to $1,200.00. That wasn’t even counting the special prescription diet he’d need for the rest of his life.

“Urinary blockages in cats can turn a routine day into a critical emergency,” according to Care First Animal Hospital. About 10% of male cats may experience a urinary blockage, often being fatal within 24- to-48 hours if not treated immediately.

Once home the Tuxedo cat looked at me differently. He was less abusive toward me and showed appreciation. Our relationship was further cemented.

ChicagoLand/Uncategorized

The Driver’s License Debacle

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 0 Comment

DMV facilities can be confusing to navigate. Photo by: Gabriel Senna/Pexels

It had been over eight years since I last visited a Department of Motor Vehicles facility (in Illinois). Apparently, about 2023, the state required appointments to renew driver’s licenses if a test was needed – vision, written, or road. I needed a vision test and thought I could schedule something a week in advance.

To my chagrin, tests were scheduled the same day you called and you had to call or schedule online at 6:30 a.m. An alarm had to be set to get up at this ungodly hour. However, I was able to schedule for 1:00.

The last time I was there I got lost in one of the lines. The facility was set up the same – one big room with different departments sectioned off by ropes. The goal was to try to stay within the proper rope boundaries for the proper department without getting lost.

There was a funny memory of a woman years ago who brought her children to a corn maze around Halloween for fun. As it was getting late in the afternoon, the woman panicked because she couldn’t find her way out and called 911. This made national news as the woman was from an Eastern state.

Anyway, the place was packed and there was a very efficient worker who looked like Željko Ivanek, who played the Chief of Staff on Madam Secretary. He yelled “Anyone disabled or senior citizens move to the front of the line!”

Things were moving along as I showed my paper work and was directed to get my picture taken, then stand in another line for the vision test.

A young woman with two young children was in front of me and were kept occupied by playing games on a tablet. The mother kept giving her son head massages and swirling her daughter’s ponytail around her finger. It was a long wait, so I sat down with a group of people right next to the line.

I had Boy George with me in the form of his first autobiography in my purse and was about to take him out. I asked a woman next to me if she was in line for the vision test. She said no. I was in the wrong line and quickly moved back to the right one.

Suddenly, a man wearing a neon green vest approached looking directly at me and said, “You’re next, move along.” I stepped up and he told me to get back in line. I gave him a “cat-look,” as he was apparently trying to move us all up. The woman in front of me kept leaving about ten feet of distance between herself and the one in front of her.

The look says it all. Photo by: Jennifer Moore/Pixabay

After passing the vision test, I carefully navigated my way all the way across the room to the cashier. One person was reprimanded for standing in a sitting zone off to the side – “Ma’am, you need to sit down. NOW.”

There were five sections to visit – check-in, picture, vision test, cashier and printout. It took about a half hour to complete and the license should arrive in about 15 days.

Part II: Let’s Do It All Over Again

On August 19, the Secretary of State’s Office mailed the driver’s license, which I never received. Instead, it was returned to the Secretary of State due to “No such mail receptacle.” I called the DMV and would need to go back to the facility and show proof of residency with a utility bill.

I really thought I would only have to verify residency and it’d be done. Upon approaching the check-in counter, a tall man with a commanding presence called me next while still waiting on the woman before me.

I showed him the letter and began explaining what happened when he suddenly interrupted me. He went back to the other woman. Upon quickly reviewing my letter, he told me I needed to go to the post office.

I told him I already explained this to his headquarters. He raised his voice, “MA’AM, YOU NEED TO GO TO THE POST OFFICE!” I retorted, “THEY DON’T HAVE IT!” The Željko Ivanek look-alike must have been off that day.

The DMV employee would be better suited in the military. Photo by Pixabay: Author Unknown

He then shuffled me along to get my picture taken again. Upon explaining the situation to the clerk, she said no matter what, you still have to get a picture taken every time you return.

After going through the entire process all over again, I was going to be charged $5.00. I protested, showed my receipt and said “I already paid for this!” The clerk at this station went across the whole room and spoke to someone. Thankfully, the fee was waived. The ordeal took about 45 minutes.

Again, thankfully, I received the license the day before my birthday. Sadly, the picture was taken within minutes after being yelled at. The anger I felt clearly showed on my face. As nice as the hair looked, it’s a bad picture.

I’ve had to show it twice since for ID purposes. I warn everyone that it’s a bad picture because I was yelled at shortly before it was taken. I was reassured that it’s just to prove it’s me. If I survive, this will go on for at least eight years.

Political/Uncategorized

Gay Group Warns of Trans Practices in Children

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 0 Comment

The Transgender Flag. Photo by Alexander Grey/Unsplash

One of the books that is part of a recent Supreme Court case is Born Ready, about a five-year-old girl who insists she’s a boy and decides to “share his gender identity with his family and the world.” The target age is 4 – 8.

The legal issue is the subject matter being introduced to elementary children without notice to parents. They would like the right to “opt out” of their children being exposed to inappropriate content that violates their religious rights. The subject matter seems to be pushed upon children, as in grooming, in many public schools.

Enter “Gays Against Groomers” (GaysAG) — “An organization fighting back from inside the community against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children happening under the guise of LGBTQIA+.”

The group is raising awareness about numerous health risks of puberty blockers including “loss of bone density, slowed or stunted brain and sexual development, and sterility.”

Furthermore, the group feels that gender-affirming surgeries, such as removing body parts of healthy children before they’ve grown into them, is child abuse. “Even chest binding is a destructive behavior that damages breast tissue …,” according to their website.

Chest Binding

One example of a chest binder by XUJI/Amazon

Chest binding can be a “do-it-yourself” practice that some girls use to flatten their chests to pass as males. A common material used is elastic sports tape that supports joints and muscles and it is not recommended. Proper binders are available, however, there are significant health risks.

The forced compression may cause chest and back pain, bruising and scarring, nerve compression, circulation compromise, breathing restriction, reduced exercise tolerance, overheating, itching or other skin irritations, altered rib cage, and fluid buildup in the lungs, according to San Diego-based Sharp Health Systems.

Chest binders should not be worn any more than eight hours a day because of all the possible negative risks, and they should not be worn at all by anyone who has asthma, scoliosis, or fibromyalgia, adds Medical News Today, as they can be “dangerous.”

Puberty Blockers

Medicines commonly used for transgender care are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, and are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They are intended for precocious puberty, approved by the FDA in 2011.

In females, GnRH “limits or stops breast development and stops menstruation.” In males, they “slow the growth of facial and body hair, prevent voice deepening, and limit the growth of the penis, scrotum and testicles,” reports the Mayo Clinic.

The dose is usually given by periodic injections or as an implant under the skin, usually replaced yearly.

Side effects may include weight gain, headaches, mood changes, and hot flashes. Long-term complications may affect bone growth and density, fertility (depending on when the medicine started), and growth spurts.

Regular monitoring of height and annual bone density tests may be advised, the Mayo Clinic adds. “To support bone health, youth taking puberty blockers may need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements.”

Interestingly, bone density tests, calcium and Vitamin D supplements usually don’t enter women’s lives until about their 50s – 60s.

In 2022, the FDA implemented a change in the safety label for GnRH because some children experienced elevated spinal fluid pressure in the brain. This can lead to progressive loss of vision, according to Managed Healthcare Executive.

After puberty blockers, the next stage is gender-affirming hormone therapy, which can develop feminine or masculine secondary sex characteristics. “Some of the changes triggered by gender-affirming hormone therapy cannot be reversed. Others may require surgery to reverse,” warns the Mayo Clinic.

Can we take a cue from nature and let the young ones grow up without human interference? Photo by Bruce Lipton/Pixabay

Psychological Issues

In 2016, the FDA ordered drug manufacturers to add a warning about psychiatric problems to Lupron’s (a GnRH drug) label after receiving reports of suicidal thoughts in children who were taking them, states Reuters.

Professional counseling is recommended prior to (and throughout) children taking puberty blockers. It is believed that children who have gender dysphoria (distress from feeling a disconnect with the sex assigned at birth), delaying puberty might improve mental well-being by reducing depression and anxiety that could lead to self-harm and improve social interactions.

Gender dysphoria is one more issue that can be added to causes of depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents. I only knew one girl in grade school who became naturally more masculine by junior high. There was also a boy who came out as gay in high school. Maybe they struggled with self-image.

Children can be uncomfortable in their own skin for many reasons and proper guidance is needed so they can navigate their way into adulthood.

I’m reminded of the chubby girl at school who became bulimic and anorexic as a teen. Another girl who was treated cruelly by the males at home became an alcoholic trying to escape her pain. A guy who came from a broken home became a drug addict and suicidal. No one even asked the cutter about the obvious scars on her arm.

Would puberty blockers prevent a gender dysphoric youth from becoming like the rest of us who self-destructed because we were uncomfortable in our own skin? My concern is they might be swayed prematurely by an issue that has become like a bandwagon.

Ponderings

The phrase “puberty blocker” should be cause to ponder. Puberty generally begins between ages 8 and 13 for girls and ages 9 and 14 for boys, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

How would children this age be emotionally mature to make such a decision when they’re not even developed physically or emotionally? How would a child know for sure if they needed to transition later without going through the natural experience of puberty?

Minors can’t even enter a legal contract because they lack capacity. “The rationale is they lack a full understanding of the consequences of their contracts,” states Study.com. What about lacking an understanding of themselves?

In conclusion, it was a relief to read GaysAG’s stance on this controversy —

“In order to become healthy critically thinking adults, normal puberty is essential. Puberty blockers are a risky and unnatural way of teaching a child to deal with something every human being naturally goes through. Rather than enabling children to wage war on their own bodies, we believe they should be taught how to love themselves as they are until they can make a clear and informed decision as an adult.”

Political/Uncategorized

Gay Group Fights to Protect Children

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 0 Comment

Beautiful combination of American Pride. Photo by MyersMC/Pexels

A favorite nationally syndicated radio talk-show is “America at Night” with Rich Valdes. He’s on from 9 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Central time (Chicago) on WLS-AM 890. Valdes describes himself as our “Liberty-loving Latino Amigo.” Although Conservative, he has a Liberal following as well. If anyone disagrees with him or is a first-time caller, you get moved to the top of the caller line.

Valdes has many guests and interviews politicians, doctors, scientists, financial experts, religious leaders, etc. I happened to tune in at the end of an interview with a lesbian. Afterward, Valdes says he’s spoken with many Conservative gay people and follows a group called “Gays Against Groomers (GaysAG).”

The group is “An organization fighting back from inside the community against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children happening under the guise of LGBTQIA+,” according to their website.

The group formed in 2022 and their mission is to “end the war on children being carried out in our name, and to reclaim the community we once called our own, which at this point, has become unrecognizable.”

Pride Parades

The Stonewall riots in June, 1969, when homosexuality was a criminal offense, sparked the LGBTQ civil rights movement, reports National Geographic. The riots led to the first Pride parade a year later in New York.

Gays and lesbians wanted people to see that they are no different than anyone else and were not a threat. They marched for equality and the right to marry just like everyone else.

The first legal gay marriage in the U.S. wasn’t until 2004 in Cambridge, MA. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that a Supreme Court landmark ruling guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry in all 50 states, after an “excruciatingly drawn-out battle” by LGBTQ activists, according to GaysAG.

Same-sex couple, free and open. Photo by Cottonbro Studio/Pexels

We see some of the Pride parades on TV but according to GaysAG, some of what goes on cannot be televised. Their stance on such parades is eye-opening —

Pride parades used to be a family-friendly celebration of same-sex relationships and loving who you wanted to love. Allies attended, sometimes with their children, to help them understand they were free to partner with who they loved and would be supported.

Over time, that “celebration” has been exploited by “debauchery and sexualization including adults selling sex toys, kinky behavior, teaching kids to pole dance, and drag queens.”

Drag queen performances are considered adult cabaret entertainment and don’t belong in the presence of children including ‘story-hours’ at libraries, according to GaysAG. They recommend more age-appropriate story characters, such as, princesses, or puppet shows, musicians and clowns for children’s entertainment.

Because of such displays at Pride parades nowadays, GaysAG no longer supports kids attending them — “They’ve become too obscene and has damaged the public’s perception of gay people. We are embarrassed of what Pride has become and are tired of seeing adults acting depraved in front of children in our name.”

One of the tamer (and intriguing) photos available. Photo by Mircea Iancu/Pixabay

Back in the (School) Day

The earliest I recall sex education in school was about the 7^th grade, age 12. Mr. O’Neill issued a stern warning to the class that if anyone thought this was funny, we would have to sit in an empty classroom and write nursery rhymes. There was no such thing as LGBTQ nor any discussion on homosexuality in my class in the 70s.

In junior high school, I was surprised and impressed when the class received books on controversial subjects. Go Ask Alice dealt with drugs. Lisa, Bright and Dark dealt with mental illness. Black Like Me dealt with racism. My mom told me to not let my dad see that one. He would not have taken on the school board but it would have led to a rant.

Nowadays the books allowed in grade and pre-schools have become more controversial — not the subject matter but the age they’re being introduced to children.

Examples include A is for Activist, an ABC book for the next generation of progressives: families who want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism — environmental, civil or LGBTQ rights. Target age 3 – 5.

Prince & Knight is a modern fairy tale where a noble prince and a brave knight fall in love when they pair up to defeat a monster. Ages 3 – 5. I recall rumors later in life that Batman and Robin were gay but as a child, I was only interested in their capers.

Born Ready is about a transgender boy’s decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. Ages 4 – 8.

Kids entering school with young impressionable minds. How will they be shaped? Photo by Syeda Saira/Pixabay

A couple of these books, labeled as language arts, have become the focus of a Supreme Court case, reported by PBS. Some parents in Maryland felt their religious rights were being violated, as they didn’t want their grade school kids exposed to the subject matter.

It was a relief to read that GaysAg believes there is a firm difference between education versus indoctrination. The group expresses the need for children to be children and not exposed to ideologies that prioritize sexuality and identity above age-appropriate practical learning skills.

We’ve touched on only two of GaysAg’s purpose — sexualization and indoctrination of children. The third is medicalization and deserves its own space.

Animals/Wildlife

Raccoons in Daylight

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 2 Comments

A raccoon recently showed up in my backyard in the early afternoon. It happens every spring. This is an indication the raccoon is a new mom and her world has turned temporarily upside down. Working with raccoons for many years has taught me a lot and it would behoove us to have a better understanding of what’s going on with them.

Depending on when she goes into labor and senses the time is near, it changes her regular routine to go out and forage that evening. She will need to come out and forage at different times when it’s best to leave her cubs alone. Fathers are not involved as parents.

Simply seeing a raccoon in the daytime may cause concern in people. Furthermore, raccoons shed their winter coats in the spring and when seen in daylight, they may look unkempt and unhealthy but it’s normal.

The shedding starts in the hindquarters and continues upward. The fur is clumpy, known as “cracking,” as it’s replaced by new lighter fur. It’s a gradual process, as they don’t have anyone brushing them to help the transition.

In and Out of the Den

Cubs can be born from March through June, so they’re sleeping a lot at first. They can become quite a pawful for the new mom. She gets woken up by the cubs and has to juggle her parenting responsibilities with her own survival. Her cubs may literally drive her out of the den at times. Sometimes a new mom would come by in the afternoon and nap in a nesting box in the yard.

Mother raccoons usually have more than one den. They search areas in their neighborhood including peoples’ homes. Keeping tree branches trimmed away from the house will prevent them from gaining access to roofs. If they find a weakness in a structure, they may try to break in and move into an attic.

Dens can be anywhere a raccoon can enter where she feels safe, including abandoned houses and garages, crawl spaces, under porches, etc. If one has moved in, homeowners can do a natural eviction, but it needs to be planned.

Raccoons will usually leave the den once dark and that’s the time to gather the cubs. They should be placed somewhere safe in a comfortable box as close to the den as possible, so she can find them. Of course, the opening of the property has to be secured right away to prevent her from moving back.

On one hand, it’s a compliment when wildlife moves into your space because you are tolerable to them. However, most people don’t see it that way. To help them move out, the place needs to be made annoying to them. Lights, loud music, noise, lots of activity, ammonia-soaked rags or moth balls near the area, will help them want to seek another place. Mesh netting bags that hold onions or other vegetables are ideal for moth balls and they can be tied to something.

If you’re creative, it’s not difficult to relocate them by making a nesting box. However, it’s best to secure it off the ground somewhere. Cats may move in if it’s on the ground.

Natural Rhythms

Animals have a circadian rhythm just like us. Another consideration is in spring, the daylight lasts longer until we reach the summer solstice. We may be more likely to see them in spring evenings, as opposed to winter when it’s dark much earlier.

Furthermore, it’s not unusual that our urban wildlife is not as distant from humans as those in rural areas. People have taken over their space and frankly, we owe them. We need to be educated on what is ‘normal’ considering natural life cycles. Working with nature and wildlife rather than against, has a better outcome for all of us.

Political

Tears of Joy and Sadness

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 0 Comment

While watching the Democratic National Convention last summer, I was moved to tears during a father-son moment. Tim Walz entered the stage to begin his speech. The camera cut to a teenage boy in the audience, Walz’s son, who was clapping, crying and yelling, “That’s my dad! That’s my dad!” He was so happy. Although I was not a supporter of Walz, it was very touching nonetheless.

Fast forward to the recent speech from President Donald Trump to Congress. DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018 and expected to live only five months, stole the presentation. The wide-eyed happy look on his face was priceless as Trump declared him an honorary US Secret Service agent. When Daniel’s hugged Director Sean Curran, the touching moment rose to another level.

Daniel’s had dreams of becoming a police officer as a young child, which is especially wonderful and influential for a child of color. His cancer is terminal and he continues to get regular treatment, according to The New York Post.

Another triumphant moment occurred when Trump announced that 17-year-old Jason Hartley found out he was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. We saw another priceless look of surprise and joy as this young man was starting a new journey.

Yet another victorious moment was when schoolteacher Marc Fogel, held hostage in Russia for four years and just released last month, was honored alongside his 95-year-old mom. She fought the whole time for his release and was supposed to join Trump onstage the fateful day of his first assassination attempt. How wonderful that she’s still alive to see her son again.

Not All Tears Were of Joy

Laken Riley’s mom was clearly broken while her sister kept blinking to control tears. Trump’s first piece of legislation in January was the Laken Riley Act, which “mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury,” as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Jocelyn Nungaray’s mom also looked deeply pained as Trump spoke of both of these young daughters being murdered by illegal immigrants. The 12-year-old victim will have the Galveston Wildlife Refuge renamed in her honor.

Sadly, no piece of paper that Trump signs and holds up for all to see will ever replace the loss of the daughters. However, the daily flow of illegal immigrants across the border dropped from 10,000 at the height of the Biden Administration to fewer than 500 currently, as reported by The Washington Times.

Despite whether tears were of joy or sadness, the responses or lack thereof, by the Democrats in the room was quite telling. It seemed like a not-so-brilliant plan was enacted to behave this way and likely backfired.

Imagine planning your daughter’s funeral after she was murdered by someone with no legal right to even be in this country. Photo by Dimitris Vetsikas/Pixabay

Shenanigans Further Hurt Democrat Party

The foolishness started with Texas Representative, Al Green, who carried on waving his cane and yelling at Trump. Thankfully, Trump managed to control himself and let Speaker Mike Johnson politely throw him out.

As the Democrats scrolled through their phones and held up paddles with negative messages, the childish and stupid behavior was for all the world to see. They didn’t consider how easily their signs could be altered into memes, which only spread the foolishness on social media.

The lack of applause showed a lack of care for a child with cancer, the achievements of a high school graduate, and a released hostage. Worse yet, there was no care for the grieving mothers. Perhaps applauding for the Laken Riley Act would admit the colossal mess of an open border of their previous administration.

Trump Derangement Syndrome

The hatred toward Trump has resulted in a phenomenon known as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). All common sense is lost. Hatred rules. Remember the saying, “You reap what you sow.”

Treatment for TDS includes tuning out mainstream media networks, which is difficult because they clearly dominate the news. Regarding news about the current administration, CNN and MSNBC are still serving the Kool-Aid despite their faltering ratings.

Efforts to restore their ratings by replacing commentators may be too late, as viewers lost trust. If you have access to these networks, then you should have access to FOX. Their ratings keep going up for good reason.

Another treatment for TDS is to research other Democrats who have left the Party and hear their stories about why. A treasure trove can be found (by clicking on the blue font) at the Walk Away Campaign.

I cannot believe that most Democrats can be proud of how they were represented at the Joint of Congress speech.

Uncategorized

She Never Said Anything

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 2 Comments

It was high school and he got a new job. The boss was pleased with him. The drawer was always balanced at the end of the day. Another worker was jealous and sabotaged him. He was fired. He had such a good thing going for himself but then it was ruined.

She had seen the knife before at the apartment. He had been wielding it, talking about how angry he was. Sometimes he thought about killing the cat. He wanted attention. The cat was gone. She didn’t ask.

Time for revenge. It was during lunch hour and they were outside across the street from the school. He took her to his former co-worker’s car in the parking lot. She was leaning against a car next to it munching on an orange. She dropped the peels on the ground.

He was still angry. He walked around the car, bent over and whipped out the knife.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“They were as soft as butter,” he said, after slashing all four tires.
As she picked up the orange peels, he asked what she was doing.
She said she couldn’t leave evidence at the scene of the crime.
He rolled his eyeballs and told her no one would know.

Before the day was over, a security guard came into her classroom. She had to go with him to the Dean’s office. Someone saw them by the car and told. The Dean and security guard kept questioning her. They even said he turned on her and said she did it. She didn’t believe them.

She admitted to nothing. She’d never turn him in. He was her best friend. Her soul mate. She knew he was troubled. They let her go.

At the end of the day, she was at her locker getting ready to go home. He came over to her.
He said, “It’s okay, I forgive you.”
She looked at him and asked “For what?”
He said “For confessing.”
She continued looking at him and told him, “I never said anything.”

He had a stunned look on his face that turned to rage. He believed her. He knew they tricked him. He punched the locker next to her. The security guard was right down the hall watching from a distance. He began to walk toward them. “Everything okay here?” he asked.

He yelled, “THAT WAS A NASTY TRICK YOU PLAYED!” The security guard told him they had to get to the bottom of it. He was expelled.

She was hoping this would finally end it. But it wasn’t over.

Political

The Amish & their Role in the Election

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Michelle M. Ryan / 2 Comments

A neighbor once asked me why I hung linens outside instead of using a dryer. I said it keeps me in touch with my Amish roots. I don’t actually have any Amish roots and the real question is why would you NOT hang linens outside if you have the choice? The house has hooks in the mortar and there’s a wooden post across the yard that I call the “Clothing Cross,” designed to hang laundry. It’s old-fashioned, down to earth, and as close to Amish as I’ll likely get.

With a new Administration, one of the voting blocs that stood out this recent election was the Amish one in Pennsylvania. I’ve always found this community intriguing and watched documentaries about them. With 19 electoral votes, whoever wins Pennsylvania often wins the presidency.

Radio talk show host, Dan Bongino, kept saying for weeks, “Vote early and bring 10 people with you.” His reasoning included something going wrong on election day – bad weather, a power outage, etc. As feared, some of the voting machines went down in Pennsylvania and his suggestion was to stay in line, send someone for sandwiches and get a diaper.

There was another point to Bongino’s urge to vote early, as it usually favors Democrats. The Democrats could bank on early numbers and they would be confidant the Republicans could not surpass them on election day. As Republicans showed up in record numbers for early voting, Bongino claimed the math would not add up in the Dems’ favor and they would be out of runway.

Note the pulley wheel on the top left that controls the clothesline. Photo: Author Unknown/Pixabay

An interesting chunk of information came from Scott Presler, founder of EarlyVoteAction.org, who was interviewed by Bongino. Presler spoke of how he went to Pennsylvania with three groups in mind – the Amish, Jewish men and hunters. For the latter, he visited shooting ranges, spoke with unregistered voters and helped them sign up.

Presler spent weeks with the Amish enlightening them, helping work on their farms and was taught how to milk a cow. They became acquainted with each other and Presler helped register them and arranged rides to the election site.

Another key player was longtime area resident, Liesa Burwell-Perry. She organized “200 community members to shuttle about 26,000 Amish people to the polls to vote for Donald Trump on Election Day — one of the highest turnouts the region has seen in recent history,” reported the New York Post.”

The Amish Community

Interesting information regarding the Amish community can be found by the Elizabethtown College Groups and summarized below –

The Amish live in 675 geographical settlements in 32 states. Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) live in three states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. The population has doubled over the past 20 years due to sizable families.

Despite residing in different states, “Pennsylvania Dutch” is the standard language and they’re fluent in English as a second language. Pennsylvania Dutch is actually a Pennsylvania German dialect although not many Amish speak traditional German.

Contrary to popular belief, the Amish use technology decided by their local church. For example, batteries are usually allowed to power “lights on buggies, calculators, fans, flashlights, cash registers, copy machines, and typewriters.”

The automobile, however, is discouraged because it could literally drive their community apart by travelers straying further from home, hence the horse and buggy. Public transportation is allowed on buses, boats, and trains as passengers, but not air travel.

Imagine shopping in town and you see this. Photo by: OlinEJ/Pixabay

The Amish pay taxes for “income, property, sales, estate, corporate, and school.” Many actually “pay school taxes twice — for both public and private Amish schools.” They are exempt from Social Security because the Amish consider it a form of commercial insurance, which they oppose. They believe their “physical and material needs” should be taken care of through each other as part of their church.

The family network provides a “dense web of social support from cradle to grave.” Strong support is provided for help with natural emergencies such as storms, floods, fires and death. Other issues like disputes are handled by an elder within the family.

There are no retirement homes in the Amish community. Again, the family supports each other and the elderly live within the home or have a small adjacent house on the property called a “Grossdawdy Haus.”

Another Amish term “Rumspringa” means “running around” and applies to youth starting at about age 16 – late 20s, where they are allowed to socialize on weekends. During this time, either marriage results or a decision to be baptized into the church, otherwise leave the community.

Conversely, outsiders are allowed to join the Amish community if they accept the rules, become baptized, join the church and learn the language.

Different Voting Blocs Add Up

A major factor with the Amish voting Right is the Conservative stance on less government. The Amish clearly want to be left alone but found the government has a history of crossing lines.

A volunteer stated, “The Amish have shown up and when they do, you know it’s serious.”
Photo by Amyd/Pixabay

One Amish member saw his family “repeatedly raided by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators searching for raw milk products.” It happened again in January, 2024, when the Amos Miller Organic Farm was raided and thousands of dollars’ worth of raw milk and other products were confiscated, reported the New York Post. Although the Amish did not carry Pennsylvania, they certainly helped.

The week before the election, Bongino was reading early numbers of the black vote in other states and said if this trend kept going, it would put Trump over the top rather quickly and the election would be called the same night. Barack Obama’s lecturing black men on how to vote sounded insulting and may have backfired.

In the end, Trump won an unprecedented 16% of black and 42% of Latino votes, according to PBS. Numerous conservative hosts stated that Trump typically under-polls because of the backlash his supporters face, so they won’t admit anything (hence, the Silent Majority).

Despite all this, mainstream media kept reporting Kamala Harris in the lead. After the election, both CNN and MSNBC’s ratings plummeted to half, while Fox News has increased, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Political

Red Wave Flows Across America

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Michelle M. Ryan / 2 Comments

By the end of the night on November 5, a message was sent loud and clear. The election results were absolutely stunning and weren’t even expected until possibly days later. Throughout the whole election cycle, the mainstream media kept saying Kamala Harris was leading in the polls. However, the Conservative side had a completely different scenario and their reasoning of a landslide proved accurate.

In retrospect, the Democrats initially had a big boost once Harris replaced Joe Biden in late July. There was an expected sugar-high that carried her to the Democratic National Convention almost a month later. The party hoped the momentum would carry Harris to victory. However, many speeches at the DNC were repeated attacks on Donald Trump instead of promoting a plan. As predicted by Conservatives, reality set in.

It wasn’t long when Harris’ lack of a message resurfaced from her sudden downfall in her 2020 campaign. Back then, “She struggled to offer consistent answers and hadn’t mastered policy questions that dominated the Democratic debates,” reported NBC News. Fast forward, despite Harris doing unexpectedly well in her Trump debate, her interviews were often perceived with skepticism.

Puzzling Interviews

Harris’ first interview with CNN including Tim Walz came across like she couldn’t do it alone. “Top aides kept Harris away from interviews and unscripted moments,” according to CNN, yet she couldn’t keep hiding. Oprah Winfrey had to interject to keep Harris on track after rambling responses to direct questions during a celebrity-supported interview.

The 60-Minute interview by CBS was re-termed the 61-Minute interview because the network had to “fix” Harris’ responses in an effort to prop her up again. The original was released on the X platform along with the edited version. A final crunch came when Harris was on “The View” and asked what she would have done differently than Joe Biden during the last four years. She said she couldn’t think of anything.

A presidential candidate needs to be strong enough to command respect by themselves. Frankly, Harris is flighty. At some point, I heard her say that when she gets nervous, she laughs. That trait would not bode well for a president representing any country. Presidents face so many serious challenges where nervousness needs to be controlled. Imagine a laughing attack when meeting foreign dignitaries. The president cannot come across as an airhead.

Celebrity Influence Unrealistic

Mainstream media handled Harris with kid gloves while celebrities tried to help fly an airplane without wings. The Taylor Swift endorsement of Harris caused an eyeball roll. I wondered if Swift does her own shopping and driving. Upon research, some of the vehicles she owns I’ve never even heard of – a Maybach S650. What the hell is that? It’s in the Mercedes family.

As of October, 2024, Taylor Swift’s car collection includes four Mercedes’, a Cadillac Escalade, a Range Rover, an Audi R8, a Porsche, a Ferrari, a Silverado, a Toyota Sequoia and a Nissan Qashqai, according to Marca.com. If things got really tight for Swift, she could sell several vehicles and maybe, just maybe, still make ends meet. Celebrities are clearly not on a level playing field as the average citizen and thankfully voters wisely saw beyond the facade.

Back to Reality

Despite all the efforts to push Harris to victory, there was an important underlying force also working behind the scenes. Remember the assassination attempt when Trump just happened to turn his head at the precise moment a bullet whizzed by? That was not a coincidence. The shot was literally dead-on. The next day Trump told commentator, Mark Levin, “But, for God……”

Many Christians felt confident that God’s hand was on Trump. I felt there were two possibilities — he is meant to be the next President to fulfill a mission and it’s part of his purpose OR he will be given another chance to prevent a riot at the Capitol if he loses. Death threats will continue and hopefully there is a Kevlar lining in Trump’s MAGA hat.

While symbolic of God, the lion & lamb can also represent opposition. In this case, courageous yet vulnerable. Photo by Jeff Jacobs/Pixabay

Despite God’s intervention, I still feared that Hatred would prevail. It seemed rather stupid that the Left kept using scare tactics and Nazi rhetoric against Trump when we already experienced him as a president. A funny comment by Conservative host, Michael Knowles, was how “President Biden gave Hitler a very warm welcome at the White House” during their recent transition meeting.

In the end, the Democrat party seemed to implode in their own hateful rhetoric resulting in a karmic payback. Unfortunately, many are not acknowledging that numerous polls showed the majority of Americans felt the country was on the wrong track with the Biden/Harris Administration.

The party needs to understand they went too far Left shifting the Right to the center. Not only did Trump win the Electoral College but he won all seven swing states, plus the popular vote. Additionally, winning both the House and Senate sent an even stronger message. That’s a Red Wave.

A friend of mine who is a lifelong Republican but doesn’t like Trump, said we all need to stand behind him now. The Left is largely showing vengeance yet they’ve lost credibility. It would behoove some open-minded Dems to give the Right media a chance, as they actually were right.

Political

Role of Vice President Under-estimated

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Michelle M. Ryan / 2 Comments

The president doesn’t stand alone while watching over the country. Photo by Hans/Pixabay

With everything that happened this year, the choice of a vice president and realizing their purpose should be more appreciated. More importantly than presiding over the U.S. Senate, the vice president has to be able to take over the role of president if he is unable to perform his duties. We know this but don’t really expect it to happen.

Democrats faced a challenging and sad situation as Joe Biden’s mental health noticeably descended during his term. The choice of Kamala Harris as his vice president attracted blacks and women to support the party, however, there needs to be proper qualifications of leadership.

As Harris is busy on the campaign trail, the question continues of who is actually in charge of the presidency now and why wasn’t the 25^th Amendment invoked before the troubling and telling debate between Biden and Donald Trump in June.

“Since the drafting of the Constitution, the guidelines for removing a president due to a disability have presented a myriad of constitutional challenges,” stated the TheHill.com. Both Harris and a majority of the Cabinet would have to declare the president unable to perform the duties of office. There is a risk that Harris could be seen as a “usurper” to the presidency, while cabinet members risk their chance of re-election by even challenging their leader. The legal proceedings involved take time.

Time is a crucial factor in how this played out. Republicans criticized Harris for winning delegates virtually instead of by proper standards. However, it was unrealistic to go through another process involving other candidates. Not only to come up with a campaign so quickly, but only Harris could inherit the campaign money intended for the Biden/Harris ticket. As of the end of June, the campaign reported having $95 million, according to Politico.com.

A Few Debate Highlights

The recent debate between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance was rather refreshing compared to the two presidential debates. The two vice presidential candidates were respectful toward each other where they could have gone into attack modes. They agreed on a lot and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if they went out for drinks afterward.

Surprisingly, Walz’s nightmare of the fall of Minneapolis during the George Floyd riots and Vance’s connection to cat ladies, plus viral cat memes involving Haitians did not surface. However, the CBS moderators, just like ABC’s, interfered to negate the Republican candidate.

A fair exchange between Vance and Walz regarding climate change, especially in light of the recent hurricanes, was unfortunately marred by Norah O’Donnell. Instead of just moderating and asking questions, she joined the debate by helping Walz summarizing, “The overwhelming consensus among scientists is the earth’s climate is warming at an unprecedented rate.”

Vance had quite a highlight when he turned the table on moderator Margaret Brennan by calling her out for breaking their own rules by fact-checking candidates on the spot. Brennan summarized, “To clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio, does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status.” Vance continued about an application called the CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection), leading to moderators cutting off the mics.

Regarding immigration, Vance said 320,000 children were “effectively lost” by the Department of Homeland Security — some were sex-trafficked, some were used as drug trafficking mules. Walz only refuted the statement by saying, “The drug mule is not true.”

The shocking report was just released in August stating children who crossed the border without parents were released to “qualified sponsors.” The sponsor doesn’t have to be a family member and the vetting process was allowed over the phone by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials. “At the very beginning of the Biden administration, they stripped all the vetting out of the process. The children are now at risk of sex trafficking, forced labor and other forms of exploitation,” as reported by the New York Post.

Despite the economy also as a top concern, the abortion issue is right up there and scares the hell out of WOMEN. There is such a controversy about the freedom to have choices over our bodies and the government needing to stay out of it. The Biden/Harris Administration violated that right when they enforced the vaccine mandate, which applied to EVERYONE (male and female, Federal, first responders, healthcare workers, etc.), or be fired.

Qualifications & Personalities

Pandora’s box opened when Brennan stated the Vice President is often the last voice the President hears before making consequential decisions and asked Walz about his leadership qualities. This struck a chord as Harris’ current role.

Keep in mind, in President Biden’s speech at the DNC, he spoke of how Harris was right there making decisions with him, which really may not have been a good thing. Harris has said she is not Biden and tried to distance herself from many of the poor decisions of their administration, which leave many in fear of the same old “playbook.”

Brennan included questioning Walz about conflicting reports of whether he was in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protest in the spring of 1989. Walz wouldn’t directly answer the question until pressed again.

Walz explained how he’s from a small rural town in Nebraska with a population of 400 and people know him. He went into quite a biographical spiel about teaching, taking sports teams to China, pouring his heart into his community, etc. Walz sprinkled in a couple admissions that he gets caught up in the rhetoric and is a knucklehead at times. When pressed again about the discrepancy (lie), he admitted he “misspoke” on this.

Walz seems like a very nice person, however, almost too nice to be in such a diplomatic position. He’s like a big white, soft teddy bear. Vance is sharp and esteemed but not “weird.” Out of the four candidates running as a team, Vance seemed to be more relatable to low-to-middle income people based on his humble background and being raised by his grandmother living below their means. The choice of a vice president needs to consider the BIG picture and not just who can get more votes.