David Hatch - Artist Web Site
__________________________________
Alex Pretti
Bruce
Springsteen Song
List
of citizens assasinated last few months
Photo
of downtown minneapolis aerial view
New red line crossed, journalist arrested for covering protest
Alex
murder from bystander cell
________________________________________________
Documentaries Link
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Folk singer Jesse Welles singing:
CHARLIE
And he can really Jam:
________________________________________________
Tribute to soldier, Rory Dunn from Renton WA,
disabled in Iraq, passed away in 2025
The video above is followed by poem "Road March"
with permission and read by Rory's Mother
Seattle Times
________________________________________________
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal
titles due to his
association with disgraced pedofile Jeffrey Epstein. 2025
________________________________________________
The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro,
has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in
prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup.
________________________________________________
FREDERICK DOUGLASS'S “FOURTH OF JULY” SPEECH (1852)
July 5, 1852
Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens:
He who could address this audience without a
quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I
have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly
more
shrinkingly, nor with greater distrust of my ability, than I do this day. A
feeling has crept over
me, quite unfavorable to the exercise of my limited powers of speech.
The task before me is
one which requires much previous thought and study for its proper performance.
I know that
apologies of this sort are generally considered flat and unmeaning. I trust,
however, that mine
will not be so considered. Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent
me. The little experience I have had in addressing public meetings, in country
school houses,
avails me nothing on the present occasion....... (read
the rest)
________________________________________________
excerpt from article
by Thom Hartman put on top of page
Donald Trump has spent ten years modeling for America
the exact opposite of leadership.
Ten years of cruelty framed as strength.
Ten years of mockery, insults, and grievance elevated to the
highest office in the land.
Ten years of praising strongmen, including Putin, Xi, and Orbán,
while attacking democratic institutions.
Ten years of targeting Hispanics, Black Somali immigrants,
demonizing refugees, and encouraging suspicion and hatred toward entire communities.
And now he’s giving us the example of using ICE not simply
as a law enforcement agency, but as a masked, armed, unaccountable weapon of
state terror aimed not only at brown-skinned families, but at journalists, clergy,
lawyers, and anyone else who dares to document their abuse.
Kids graduating from high school this year have never known
anything else. That fact should alarm every parent.
Children learn what leadership looks like long before they
understand policy debates. They absorb emotional cues, and notice who gets rewarded
and who gets punished.
When a president calls fellow Americans “scum”
and suffers no consequences, the lesson is clear: cruelty is permissible if
you have power. Empathy is expendable. Democracy is a nuisance. Accountability
is optional.
This is how normalization works. What once would have been
unthinkable becomes routine. The outrage dulls. The abnormal becomes background
noise. And a generation grows up believing this is simply how adults in authority
behave.
History tells us where that road leads: dehumanizing language
precedes dehumanizing actions.
Every authoritarian movement begins by teaching people to see
their neighbors as less than fully human. Once empathy vanishes, abuses become
easier to justify, and violence becomes easier to excuse.
That’s why we all — parents, grandparents, and
citizens — have a special responsibility right now.
We can’t assume our nation’s children will automatically
recognize how dangerous and abnormal this moment is; instead, we have to name
it for them.
We have to tell them, plainly and repeatedly, that this is
not what healthy leadership looks like.
That calling people “scum” and “sleazebags”
is not strength. That praising autocrats while undermining democracy is not
patriotism. That power without empathy is not leadership; it’s merely
a simple pathology known as psychopathy.
And we must model something better ourselves.
Disagree without dehumanizing. Stand up without tearing others
down. Teach that democracy, in order to work, depends on mutual recognition
of one another’s humanity.
________________________________________________
The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is a book by Dr Elaine Aron.
I'm reading for2nd time. It compiles alot of research and goes into areas of
living extensively with the idea of reframing past perceptions of your self
and how you experience life and deal with the culture which generally does not
support high sensitivity, especially with men. I paid for the movie and then
found the web site was not working. It seems to be available on you tube so
here is the movie:
Sensitive--The Untold Story
"Sensitive--The Untold Story" examines in depth the
temperament trait of high sensitivity. It is based on the findings of bestselling
author-psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron and features Alanis Morissette. Dr. Aron's
international bestseller "The Highly Sensitive Person" has been translated
into 22 languages and her research is published in top-tier peer reviewed journals
such as The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Brain and Behavior,
as well as replicated and extended by other scientists, who are interviewed
in the film. Dr. Aron found that not only 1 in 5 people are highly sensitive,
but the trait occurs in the same percentage in over 100 other species.
watch
movie
________________________________________________
Tim Waltz's daughter, Hope Walz:
On getting through Inauguration Day,
building community & going outside.
Jan 17, 2025 9:24 AM
When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz became Kamala Harris’s Vice Presidential
nominee in the back half of 2024, the campaign’s supporters quickly fell
in love with his family .
Walz’s wife, Gwen, became a prominent, empowered maternal figure and
teacher to the greater public. Meanwhile, their son Gus’s proud cries
of “that’s my dad!” at the Democratic National Convention
won hearts; and their daughter, Hope, brought a joyful, relatable presence to
the campaign trail.
Following the election in November, Hope found a welcoming audience on TikTok,
where she posted pragmatic pep talks and cozy video diaries, sharing behind-the-scenes
family anecdotes, “what’s in my Baggu?” insights, and even
introducing her boyfriend to the world.
The 24-year-old joined her dad for the duration of the whirlwind campaign
but has returned home to Bozeman, Montana, where she works at a homeless shelter
and as a ski instructor.
Although the future is uncertain for TikTok, she plans to continue posting
content on social media, helping an online community come together in, well,
hope, for the big changes ahead.
Hope sat down with Good Good Good to share how she’ll be spending Inauguration
Day, ways people can get involved in the causes they care about, and what book
she and her dad plan to read next in their father-daughter book club.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
A Q&A with Hope Walz
Kamrin Baker, Good Good Good: Tell me how you’re managing this moment
in time.
Hope Walz: I mean… obviously it’s been a weird time because there’s
this TikTok ban that people are starting to freak out about and then there’s
also the upcoming inauguration and the new administration. It honestly kind
of feels apocalyptic on at least my side of the internet.
But, I’m really just in the mode of controlling what I can control.
I can’t stop the TikTok ban. I can’t stop the inauguration from
happening. That stuff is going to happen. So I just have to control what I can
control.
I’m just kind of leaning into what I can do, like the work that I have
at the shelter. I got booked to ski instruct on Inauguration Day. Thank God
I’m working, and I don’t have to see that.
I won’t say it’s business as usual, but I’m just kind of
trying to push forward in that way because there is nothing that we can do about
it other than lean into our people.
KB: Where are you finding hope and joy as we move closer to this next stage?
HW: I mean, I won’t kid about it. It’s obviously terrifying and
it’s very easy to just get paralyzed with that fear. And I don’t
think anybody knows what the world’s going to look like come Monday [Inauguration
Day], and that’s a very scary thing.
But I am kind of leaning into this idea, you know, I won’t say we’ve
been here before, but we have seen a Trump presidency before. We’ve seen
apps get banned before. And people always find a way to keep pushing through.
I think you do that by working in your communities.
So I’m finding a lot of hope in my co-workers and just my community
at large. I’m finding so much joy in skiing, and that’s a very privileged
thing to be able to do, but finding the joy of being able to go on a walk and
knowing you have a body that allows you to do that, and just those little things
that will keep us moving forward.
KB: Tell me a little bit more about the work that you do. I know you work
in a warming center, right? And I hear you’re contemplating going to grad
school? Tell me about that and what drew you to this work.
HW: Yes, I am. So, my degree was in criminology, which is really like a sociology
degree with a focus. I always knew that I wanted to be people-focused. I started
out studying political science and I was like “this is way too much theory.”
Like, this stuff happens, but what really affects things are people, and behaviors,
and how people react to each other. So that’s kind of why I went that
route.
Then when I graduated, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to get a nine-to-five,
sit-down job or go to grad school yet, but I still wanted to do something in
that direction. One of my friends worked at the center and I was like, “I’ll
apply.”
So now, I do the overnights at the shelter, and I do a lot of direct services.
They say in the field of social services, “it’s a lot of just referring
people to other people,” so I get to be like, “You should come in
tomorrow at 10:00 and speak to these people and they’ll be able to help
you with this,” or “You can go here and they can get you a voucher
for this.”
It’s just a lot of human connection. You see people at their most vulnerable
and get to be that solid, stable person.
I do think I’m going to either apply to start [grad school] this coming
fall, or a year from now — I guess, to get my masters of social work.
I don’t know if I necessarily want to go into the field long term, but
I think I want to do policy or some sort of political consulting, anything in
that realm.
Again, when I was in poly-sci, I was like “this is not real,”
so I want to come from having a degree and having experience on the ground,
knowing what people actually go through and what actually helps.
So, I think I’ll do that. It may change. We’ll see.
KB: What’s your advice for people who want to get involved with helping
their most vulnerable community members but maybe don’t have that education
or don’t have that professional training?
HW: It all starts, I think, with your comfortability level. So, I made a video
and I said “go volunteer at your high school ticketing counter at a sports
game.” Like, that stuff matters, too. And if you are feeling uncomfortable
or quite ready to walk into a shelter or a warming center, start by bringing
food to the food bank. Those little things really do add up.
I put out a call to action on a wish list for the shelter and it sold out
in three days. And to me, that just showed that people are looking for ways
to help; they just need direction.
I urge people to Google-search nonprofits in your area. Organizations —
a lot of times on their website — they have volunteer opportunities and
at the place I’m at, we have a wonderful group of volunteers. A lot of
people are there very consistently.
I will say people come in the first time and they’re like, “I’m
a little nervous right now. I don’t know what to expect.” That’s
a completely normal thing. But they leave and they’re like, “That
was amazing. I’ll be back tomorrow.” If you come in with an open
mind, it’s amazing, and it’s so fun, so just dive in with an open
mind.
KB: Moving on to the inauguration. You mentioned that you work that day, but
walk me through your day, start to finish. How are you getting through it? What
are you doing? Maybe you can provide a blueprint for the rest of us.
HW: I think I’m not going to look at social media. I think there’s
going to be a lot of news coming out because [Trump] has a billion executive
orders coming out. And truthfully, I’m not going to pay attention to it
because I know that I will see what I need to see.
We need to know what’s going on, but I think it’s going to be
very scary for a lot of people because it’s just going to come fast and
be objectively hurtful for a lot of people.
So on the actual day, I’m not going to go on social media. That’s
just for my own mental health. And then the day after, I will get back on and
kind of regroup and see where I can go.
And for me personally, I think it’ll be a little hard to watch because
I could have seen myself there, as well.
But, like I said, I’m working, and I get to ski instruct, so I’m
doing something that I love to do.
And then I’m going to make sure to do some extra self-care. I’m
not cooking that day. I’m getting something fun for dinner. I’m
doing an extra thing like a face mask or something and then just kind of preparing
for what’s to come. I think the first day will honestly be the scariest
just because there is going to be so much
KB: Something that I think a lot of people resonate with about you and your
family is that you guys are kind of just…normal. You just represent a
happy, normal family, which feels very rare in politics. How did you maintain
that sense of normalcy when you were on the campaign trail last year?
HW: I think it started out with just being grounded just in general. My dad
has now been in elected office since 2006. We hadn’t experienced anything
to the level in which we did [in 2024], but we did have experience in that.
And my parents worked really hard to keep my brother and I’s childhood
the way it would have been if he hadn’t been in office. I grew up in the
same house and I went to public school and that whole thing. And that I think
really just set the groundwork.
Yes, my dad does this. He’s a public official, but I’m normal
and I’m like everyone else.
I think when we did get kind of thrust in this, we knew that in order to get
through it, and in order to be the people we needed to be for the country, we
had to keep our humanity.
I remember, the first week when we were on that joint rally tour with the
Vice President, we were sitting in a hotel in Phoenix and there were big windows
looking out into the city and the mountains, and I just started laughing.
My dad’s like, “What are you laughing about?” and I’m
like, “Can you believe you’re running for Vice President? What do
you mean you’re running? And we’re sitting here right now?”
And there’d be moments throughout the campaign that we just start laughing,
like “This is the craziest thing we’ve ever experienced.”
I think being able to recognize the just absurdity of what was going on around
us allowed us to really kind of stay grounded. I was pretty much full-time traveling
with him, and it was just such a fun thing to do together — and to meet
all of these amazing people and see the entire country. I’d never been
to most of these places before, and I like to say I saw the best of America.
Being able to do that with my dad was just a very humbling experience, and
I think we definitely recognized the significance of what we were doing. I think
we were portrayed as the way we actually are because we’re authentic in
that way. And it was just cool to see people connect to that.
KB: It’s obviously not the same thing as this moment in time, but I
imagine your experience going into the campaign was probably similar to this
time for many Americans. Like, you’re filled with this uncertainty, maybe
a little bit of anxiety, just all this overwhelm. For people who feel like they’re
about to embark on a time of uncertainty or abnormality, what is your advice
for staying afloat and staying true to your values?
HW: During the vetting process or “Veepstakes,” as they like to
call it, I was spiraling. I was in the process of moving to a new spot. I got
strep throat. There was a point where I was just doom-scrolling for a week straight.
I found myself leaning on my friends a lot to just watch a dumb movie or a reality
TV show, or talk about things outside of what was happening in my life.
I found leaning on my community was super important.
And then, stepping into that uncertainty, the day before my dad was picked,
my parents called me and they’re like, “You should maybe come home.
This is actually a possibility.”
So I booked a last-minute flight, and I was feeling super anxious. But when
I got home, things were very normal. My mom had some dresses on the bed that
I would potentially wear, and they were all ugly and horrible, but we figured
it out.
I was just like, “Okay, this is where I’m at right now. Whatever
is going on outside of this right now, it matters, but I just have to kind of
focus and be in the moment.”
There’s a saying — I don’t know who said it — it’s
“be where your feet are.” So there might be all of this doomsday
stuff around you, but where your feet are, if you’re doing the good work,
you’re leaning on your friends, your family, your community, that’s
where you are. That’s where you have to be.
It doesn’t help to just take in all of this really scary stuff. When,
hopefully not, but when it inevitably gets bad, then I think it’s just
recognizing that we can organize and we can get through it together.
I talk about community a lot. It’s kind of beating an old drum here.
But really, if you have your community around you, I really do think we’re
going to be okay.
KB: I really feel that too. I’ve seen a lot of people share about how
your dad was a representation of a stand-in dad that they wish they had, or
a dad that they had before they lost him to some harmful beliefs. It’s
so special you continue to share glimpses into your life and your family, but
what would you say to those people who feel like they lost the hope that he
represents?
HW: I am very strategically putting that [content] out there because I know
that there was a sense of community around him in that way. That feeling was
a super powerful thing for our entire family and it really put in perspective
just how lucky that I am.
So, I have been putting stuff out there, sharing him, because I know it does
make a difference for people seeing that. It makes them feel safe and that is
super important, and hopefully I can keep doing that on whatever app we’re
all on.
I really think when we saw this displayed on a national level in a way that
we probably haven’t before, it gave a lot of people hope. But there are
Tims all over the place.
It might not be your dad, but they are there. And it might not even be a father
figure. It might be a friend, or anyone else. There are people like my dad everywhere,
and I think that’s why he resonated.
KB: I love how graciously you share him, too. I want to give you space here
to be yourself and be an individual and be your own person, but it also seems
like you just genuinely have such a deep love and appreciation for your family,
and it doesn’t seem to offend you that this is a central conversation.
HW: No, not at all. On one of my videos, there were a fair amount of comments
when I said something like, “when we got into this,” referring to
my family stepping into this experience. And people commented and said they
really liked how I framed that, and that it’s a very Midwestern thing.
I think I’m so confident in who I am as an individual because when my
family did get into this, even in 2006, when my dad first ran, it was a family
thing. It’s always been all of us, and that’s just how we do things.
It’s never just him. If it wasn’t for my mom, he wouldn’t
be where he is. And if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be where
she is. It’s a thing we all do together.
KB: That’s so special. OK, let’s end on some fun lightning round
questions. Who was your favorite person you met on the campaign trail?
HW: Maggie Rogers.
KB: What’s your favorite Kamala-inspired TikTok sound?
HW: I mean, anything with the coconuts. That was the beginning of a super
fun and hopeful time. I look back on those fondly.
KB: Three things that give you hope.
HW: Okay, let’s see.
Women.
The sun. I’m so grateful to live in a place that is sunny a lot.
Good journalism. There’s not enough of that.
KB: What’s your go-to Midwestern-ism?
HW: I get a lot of comments on the way I pronounce “bag.” But
the “yeah, no, yeah,” I say that a lot.
KB: What’s your go-to nonprofit you support?
HW: I work for one, so I’m going to say HRDC here in Bozeman.
But there’s also another one I’ll plug here in Bozeman; Big Sky
Youth Empowerment. We take kids who may not have the opportunity to go outside
and do outdoor activities, we ski with them at Big Sky, or take them climbing
and hiking. I used to mentor for them, so that’s a good one.
And also the Human Rights Campaign.
KB: What’s your skiing hot take?
HW: If you make fun of other skiers, you’re not a real skier. If you’re
on skis, you’re a skier.
KB: Favorite vegan or vegetarian dish?
HW: I love a good falafel wrap with pickled onions and hummus.
KB: What’s the best thing you do for your mental health right now?
HW: I have really gotten into skin care, to my bank account’s detriment.
KB: What’s something you’re looking forward to in 2025?
HW: I’m hopefully going to Nepal! My dad and I were supposed to go but
then the trip got cancelled because we had to run.
But I also think just seeing communities come together. I think we’re
seeing that with the LA wildfires, and that was pretty amazing. It sucks that
it’s out of survival and necessity, but I do think that’s going
to be a really cool thing we see more of.
KB: Wait, can I just say I love you being like “yeah, something came
up so we couldn’t go on our trip anymore.”
HW: Something came up!
KB: Lastly, what is the next book on your book club list with your dad?
HW: Oh gosh. I really kind of want to get him to read “A Court of Thorns
and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas. I just started it, but I don’t know
if that would go well.
KB: Oh my gosh. Can you imagine everyone joining in with him and reading it
at the same time?
HW: I know. That would be hilarious. We’ll see. He does take my book
recommendations sometimes, so we’ll see.
Maga Granny
A former Capitol rioter who publicly turned on President-elect Donald Trump
after serving 60 days in federal prison has said she would "refuse"
a pardon from the MAGA cult leader, who has previously promised to free nonviolent
offenders who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Pamela Hemphill, a grandmother
in her 70s who pleaded guilty to charges related to the riot, sounded off on
social media about her thoughts on her prospective pardon. "I’m not
going to be bullied by MAGA anymore, as those who went as far as calling my
Probation Officer trying to get me in trouble backfired on them, thinking I
would stop speaking out, just give me more confidence to continue!" Hemphill
wrote in a post on Twitter. "I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!"
Trump previously highlighted Hemphill’s case in a very brief post on his
Truth Social app in 2023 — but by that time Hemphill had already distanced
herself from the MAGA movement. "I pleaded guilty because I was guilty,
period," Hemphill told the Daily Beast at the time. "I mean, I was
trespassing. I had a choice — I could have left."
Links:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Current Painting:
Painting for family and friends (willing to pay for shipping)
Completed #1 2022 (Grace's Tiger)
Completed #2 2023 (Fox & Hound)
Completed, Shipped #3 2023 (Nicolette & Evelyn)
Completed, Shipped #4 2023 (Payton - San Diego)
Completed #5 2023(Compilation Christine/Sherril/Blair/David)
Completed, Shipped #6 2024(Morgan - Colorado)
Completed, Shipped #7 2024 (Alan - San Francisco)
Completed Orphan Series #1 2024
Completed Orphan Series #2 2024
Completed Orphan Series #3 2025
Completed Orphan Series #4 2025
Completed Orphan Series #5 2025
Completed Orphan Series #6 2025
Completed Orphan Series #7 2025
Completed Orphan Series #8 2025
Completed Orphan Series #9 2025
Completed Orphan Series #10 2025
Start #11
Current Music:
Playing at Liberty Cafe in Renton WA Last Friday of the month
noon to 2
a great little coffee shop that always has local artist displayed.
Playing only originals, no covers, no cover charge, less than 3600 square feet
Less than 4 speakers, Not licensed with any PRO's
The Poem of the Day
Jabberwocky
BY LEWIS CARROLL
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)
Links for resourses
Bottom of Page
