Tag / politics

by Lexine

I Miss

— Physicians for a Healthy Democracy (@physiciandemocracy.medsky.social) 2025-07-07T15:32:20.925Z

I miss the days where I can live my life without worrying if my gender, sexual orientation, or/and skin color would make me a prime target for the modern-day Gestapo (even if I was born in the States). 

I miss having a proper, competent government at the federal level, where their social media posts were not written by 4Chan exiles. 

I miss having a competent Supreme Court that didn’t bow down to oligarchs. (Just three judges siding with democracy ain’t enough!) 

I miss the days when politics were boring and not “BREAKING NEWS” every damn day.

I miss knowing a time when the US was not associated with concentration camps.

I miss the days when Nazi/fascism shit was a vile thing to do, and you’d only catch glimpses of it being parodied on shows like South Park. 

I miss satire being satire and not an actual New York Times headline. 

I miss mainstream media being factual, objective, unbiased, boring, and informative. I think it was before Faux News arrived. 

I also miss news channels not being 24-7. I’m old enough to remember CNN not being all news all the time, and when they aired other programs, like Style With Elsa Klensch. 

I miss seeing people feeling genuine shame when they fucked up. 

I miss the Biden days. And the Obama days. And the Clinton days. And, dare I say it, the W. Bush days. As much as I still loathe W. Bush, things were quite bad then, but not as catastrophically bad as it is now. The person that throws shoes at Putin’s puppet will be considered an international hero. 

I miss the days when the US was one of the places people sought refuge in after fleeing from the violence in their native land. Now, the States is becoming one of those violent countries!

I miss escapism. I’ll get back to that soon. 

I miss destressing at the beach. Crowds, work, and other things are keeping me away from them at the moment. 

*pops a Werthers* 

I miss the days when young girls bought their makeup/skincare at the drugstores and not at Sephora because TikTok told them to go get their makeup/skincare at Sephora. I think I should be glad I grew up with Seventeen magazine (which hyped brands like Cover Girl and Neutrogena to us teens in the 90s) instead of social media. I also grew up in a town where we didn’t have a Sephora or Ulta, and that makeup at Macy’s (which we had) was “for old ladies”. 

I miss life before social media. Blogging here is my tie to the pre-SM days, since blogging existed before SM blew up. Also, I tend to write a lot, and you can only fit so many characters in a SM post. 

I miss pop culture before 2008. I don’t think pop culture really died in 2009, but it started getting mid when the 2010s arrived. I blame that fake AF family. 

I miss it when “celebrity” meant an entertainer or public figure who got famous through talent & hard work and sustained it all over the years, and not some who-dat who has a bunch of social media followers and blew up after one of their TikToks went viral. “Famous influencer”? “TikTok celebrity”?? I don’t know them and get off my lawn. 

I miss craftsmanship in fashion. Some of the outfits I see on fashion runways these days would make Yves Saint Laurent spin in his grave. 

I miss riot grrl rock, new jack swing R&B, and socially conscious messages in mainstream music. 

I miss being a cat mom. Even if I wasn’t thinking about fleeing the country, the rules in my apartment only permit service animals. *pouts* 

I kinda miss hash browns. There’s no low-carb equivalent for it! 

I will not miss the times I’m currently stuck in. I aim to be a survivor of these times, however. 

by Lexine

Signs Of The Times

I’m four days late in this (blame my day job) but better late than never in posting my favorite images from last Saturday’s No Kings protests!  (Which I couldn’t attend because day job.)

*All posts from Bluesky*

Protesters formed a human banner at Ocean Beach during the "No Kings" protests in San Francisco on Saturday. The protest is among nationwide demonstrations against President Donald Trump.📸: Santiago Mejia

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle.com) 2025-06-14T18:16:36Z

Anyone who’s been following these protests should know that the ones on Ocean Beach in SF DELIVER!

Best image of the day:

— Krassensteins (@krassenstein.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T02:30:26.400Z

— Shelby Rivers (@ashelbyrivers.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T13:56:09.015Z

This is my favorite sign from Seattle #NoKings March. It’s 100% Pacific Northwest mood 😁

— KSlatteryResist (@kslatteryresist.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T15:08:23.419Z

From No Tyrants Day in Vancouver, BC.@alexwinter.com @vafcity.bsky.social #nokings#notyrants#Vancouver #Canada#FiftyFiftyOne #indivisible #meidasmighty#maplemeidas@meidastouch.com @meidaskiesha.bsky.social

— 🇨🇦Gen X Goth🇺🇸 (@jengagnon.bsky.social) 2025-06-16T02:27:59.058Z

Sacramento, California

— Natasha (@nastynatasha–1.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T19:30:12.943Z

Lmao

— Hemry, Local Bartender (@bartenderhemry.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T19:58:04.956Z

I had to add this because, well…oh, and this too 🤡

I’m Kat Abughazaleh and I approve this message.

— Kat Abughazaleh (@katmabu.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T01:04:39.570Z

Ahhh New Haven

— Asha Rangappa (@asharangappa.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T18:03:15.199Z

My favorite sign so far at #NoKings Walnut Creek

— Crystal Odenkirk – Art & Design (@crysodenkirk.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T18:46:09.386Z

Yay my hometown

“No Kings” Houston, TX

— Physicians for a Healthy Democracy (@physiciandemocracy.medsky.social) 2025-06-14T16:11:37.046Z

The most Los Angeles sign ever. And it’s true.

— Victor Shi (@victorshi.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T18:57:16.451Z

Florida ready!

— Serenity.Sue (@serenitysue.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T00:52:15.575Z

This incredibly Minnesota sign is breaking my heart.

— B. "Sunny" Willison (@bwillisun.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T19:18:26.698Z

Context to this

🤔

— KAMALA NATION (@kamalanation.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T13:50:58.066Z

Unlike many protests I've covered, of all types, the overwhelming number of signs at the Redlands #NoKings protest are clearly homemade.

— Beau Yarbrough ⌚🐕 (@lby3.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T18:13:08.730Z

My favorite #Wisconsin #NoKings sign/flag from today.#wipolitics

— Spud Lovr (@spudlovr.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T03:24:17.222Z

I need everyone on Normal People internet to know that American Girl Doll Instagram is doing doll protests today. There are tiny t-shirts and signs. AND THEN I realized it's a joint protest with the Barbie ppl, where there are EVEN TINIER SIGNS.

— Sarah Tolcser (@tolcser.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T22:03:41.069Z

Dolls protesting counts!

Chicago.

— Puff the Magic Hater (@mskellymhayes.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T17:27:05.561Z

Not a sign but an amazing concept (and well-timed shot 😆)

And…

— Jesus… (@comefollowjesus.bsky.social) 2025-06-16T16:49:10.598Z

✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

by Lexine

Why Me Worry?

I once heard that aging would bless one with the gift of not giving a fuck as much, and I looked forward to enjoying that gift when I entered my fourth century decade on this planet in late October last year. Then came the elections a week later and I guess that gift doesn’t work on everyone because hoo boy did I give a lot of fucks about things that day.

Six months after that election, I think I’ve been giving a fuck about things more than ever. Particularly my safety, well-being, and future here. Will I still have any rights as a single bisexual woman of color by the end of this year? Is the modern-day Gestapo gonna hunt down “illegal” immigrants in my blue city? Will social security and Medicare still exist when I need it 25-ish years from now? Will California still stay blue? Will my immigrant/LGBTQ+/POC friends also be safe? Is my measles vaccine from childhood still good? And then there are usual worries (money, bills, making sure I have a working car, my stupid eczema, etc.) piled onto that. So much for that gift.

It’s wild; just a year ago I felt relatively safe here in the States. I even had hopes that all who hated TFG (and it seemed like a majority of people) would vote against him and not look back. Now here I am watching politicians who are supposed to protect us voting in inept clowns who will ruin us and what’s left of our freedoms in this forsaken country. When I’m doing more research lately on where/how I can immigrate (my day job happens to be in demand in at least two countries I wouldn’t mind moving to) over writing my latest work-in-progress, that means shit is getting serious.

I seek out escapism from the madness, like watching movies on TCM and hitting up beaches and cat lounges. But I also see others casually shopping from Target and Amazon and posting on those other social media sites as if there’s no madness at all. I should have found some escapism from that annual event of gauche known as the Met Gala earlier this month, but not only was I not feeling it this year, it looked a lot more tone deaf than ever. It’s a shame because I saw some of my faves attend it. (Some people on Bluesky defended the Gala saying it’s all to raise money for the costume institute of the museum. OK. PBS still needs funding and I’m not seeing any big-name celebs wearing high-end couture to support that program.) I’m still fighting for good causes…but after seeing this, I now question: who am I protesting with? Is it with someone who did their best to save democracy last year by voting for Harris, or someone who willingly fucked around and just found out that their Medicare is being gutted and are now pissed?

When Roe v Wade was overturned three years ago, I (who had already chosen to be childfree) chose to get back at the conservative asshats of the Supreme Court by opting for sterilization. If they were going to take my reproductive rights away, I might as well exercise mines while I still have them. The current regime wants to go after birth control and turn women into baby-makers and nothing more; meanwhile, my choice to get that bisalp continues to age well. But now I stare down a far greater threat to my well-being and future in this country. I may not have the gift of not giving a fuck as much as I age. But if being aware of things is a gift, then I got it, and it’s a pretty nice gift. It’s far better than being ignorant.

by Lexine

Rainy Day Random Thoughts

Me in January 2022, as I was starting out on the keto train.

This should’ve been mentioned a week ago, but last week marks my three-year anniversary since I’ve gone cuckoo for keto. These days, I’m more low-carb than keto; I can eat a bit of bread or Godiva chocolate if I want to, but it’s not that often. Remembering how I used to look like before I ditched the carbs and sugar is my main motivation for staying low-carb. And, yep, that’s (headless) me in those pics! No airbrushing here, and no Ozempic or lipo involved. Left is me before I started doing keto, and the right pic is me just a week ago. 

By the way, as it is with all diet plans, YMMV. Going low-carb worked for me, and it may work for you or not. And making it work for you is one thing, but keeping at it is another ballgame. I’ve managed to maintain this whole time because 1) I don’t want to look like how I did in that left pic ever again, and 2) having been away from the stuff that made me gain weight for so long, I no longer miss them, and thus I don’t need them. A friend treated me to lunch at a Japanese restaurant weeks ago, and I did have some sushi (ack, rice!), but I didn’t eat all of the rolls in one sitting, nor did it make me crave sushi afterwards.  

*****

It’s been pouring in the Bay Area. I used to not like the rain when I was younger, but now, I think I only dislike it is when I have to drive in it 😆. Given that our state is prone to fires and knowing Temu Hitler and his henchmen would rather watch us burn down instead of grow a soul and help, I’ve since appreciated the rainy days. What faucet again??

Also, are umbrellas not cool anymore? How are some of you going by in the rain without a damn umbrella? On top of it being flu season right now! 😒

*****

I’d boo it too. 

🚨 CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS BOO DURING U.S. NATIONAL ANTHEM AT OTTAWA SENATORS GAME

— MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) 2025-02-02T02:08:55.120Z

Wondering if the boos will ever be done in the States. (Side note: I won’t be calling it “US” or “USA” for a long while as I feel like we’re no longer “united” here.) I’m not holding my breath for it to happen at the Super Bowl, but maybe it could happen at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, which takes place in SF. And as for some ‘Muricans returning the favor and booing the Canadian anthem, it’s nothing compared to what they cheer for (like Nazi garbage). 

And speaking of hockey, add these spineless cats to the growing trash heap. 

*****

2024 Grammys >>>>>> 2025 Grammys, yep I said it. Biased me liked last year’s guest lineup. Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman performed, a Celine Dion appearance, Mariah presenting, Miley and Kylie winning Grammys, no fire disasters, and this forever diva-glam moment from Xtina: 

I was hoping I entered my 40s in the same confident fashion. I think I achieved 1/25th of it. 

Speaking of the Grammys, has it been 25 years since J-Lo wore that dress and Xtina won Best New Artist and got all the Britney fans mad? What a time. 

*****

A little advice, and go ahead and call me a hater of your fave, but if you’re all for supporting trans rights, don’t ever be caught in 4K saying “both sides are the same” not too long ago. That uneducated mentality is why trans rights (and much more) are being gutted now, and you’ll never ever get a “yaass queen” from me. Only one side has been in favor of supporting trans rights, and I still find it baffling that some Americans allowed an overseas incident, amplified by misinformation packaged as “news” on social media, to make them believe “both sides are the same” and that it became their deal breaker in last year’s election. It’s like 2016 all over again, but far fucking worse! 

*****

It’s still a bummer to see some of my favorite celebs/people/accounts still use the other social media sites and not even join Bluesky (are they that ignorant over the fascists that own those sites?), but it’s another reason why I prefer to be a fan instead of a stan when it comes to public figures. 

*****

I know, I’ve been very political lately. Anyone who follows me here or on Bluesky knows what sides I’ve taken, and I make no apologies over it. I’ve read remarks that artists should “keep their politics to themselves”, and I’m probably making it tough for those who try to separate the art from the artist. But I’m still going to stand for what I believe in, and I’ll still be grateful for those who will still support my work along the way. I just refuse to be blind to the unconstitutional bullshit happening right now that could affect me and those who didn’t vote for the convicted felon. I still love my trashy soap opera glamour and I still escape to it, but supporting (or in this case, restoring) democracy matters to me, too. 

*****

Finally, I got something special coming a week from now! (No, it’s not a a full-face pic of me; y’all aren’t ready for that.) Stay tuned…

by Lexine

Kings Over Crooks

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day–the lone event worth celebrating today. Given what’s happened to this damn country in the past three months alone, this holiday hits different this year. Through ongoing education and activism, the beliefs of MLK Jr will not only live on, but will assist those who choose to resist the incoming tyranny. After all, it’s better to honor a king over a felon.

If you’re choosing to stay at home today like me, give his Letter From Birmingham Jail a read. (It’s free!)

by Lexine

Stuck In My Bad Girl Era

I’ll never be a good girl and I’m fine with that.

There’s something about the term “good girl” that never sat right with me. It’s what old male geezers say to young women in the workplace when the woman does something good at her job. It’s so 1950s, when Stepford wives and Doris Day-esque nice girls defined femininity while men got to be rebels without a cause with their leather jackets and cigarettes. It’s smack of submissiveness to the patriarchy and reeks of gender stereotypes; boys get to be “bad” and be rulers, fighters, and bed-hoppers, while girls can only be “good” and be rescued by the man for the sake of love and happiness. It’s something I wouldn’t say to my female pet if I had one. And it’s definitely why you’ll never catch me going near that Good Girl perfume. (I’m that petty to where I don’t even touch their sample vials in my Sephora perfume sets.)

It was not Marilyn Monroe or Eleanor Roosevelt, but a University of New Hampshire student named Laurel Thatcher Ulrich who, in 1976, said “well-behaved women seldom make history…” And in the early 1980s, then-Cosmopolitan Editor-In-Chief Helen Gurley Brown was attributed with that quote in the header pic (though she actually never said those words). Over four decades later after those quotes were made and I still see some women who’d rather “go to heaven” and be “well-behaved”. They’re now the Trad Wives, the ones who smile to look pretty for the guys, and the ones who vote like their man even if their vote takes away their rights. To be a “good girl” these days, in a landscape that witnessed a male convicted felon/rapist/all-around POS steal take the highest office in the country (again) and her abortion rights gutted, is to blindly dance in a field of landmines.  Meanwhile, the “bad boys” have morphed into Douche Bro Incels, with control over women being their modus operandi. They’re no longer the good-looking rebel smelling nice and charming the skirts off the nice girls; they’re now the ugly try-hard looking older than his age who reeks of Sauvage and wants to rape the skirts off the nice girls. Why should women still play nice with the “your body my choice” assholes? And even when women do good, there’s always going to be a guy or ten thinking she’s “bad” because she supported Kamala and pro-abortion rights.

And it’s why I have no problem being a Bad Girl. If being strong, assertive, and doing things your way makes me “bad” to some “men,” so be it. Guess you can say I’ve been in my Bad Girl era for a while now. I haven’t nor will I do actual bad things like rob or murder anyone or support Nazis. But I’ll go against stupid patriarchal values, vote to support women’s rights, and enjoy consensual sex for fun when I want to. I’ll never smile to look pretty for the guys and I’m definitely not a man’s incubator. I don’t need men for love, sex, and money as I’m also attracted to other genders and I make good money on my own. I don’t want to get married and not only am I childfree, but childfree AND sterilized. Some vile conservatives took my reproductive rights away, and my Bisalp from last year is my lick back. (I also don’t want kids in this life, so suck on that, Elon!) So call me a Bad Girl. Besides, it’s more fun to go everywhere instead of just heaven.

And to the White Broligarchy that wants us women to play nice and make babies for them, this Bad Girl dedicates these songs to you!

(Yes, I’m aware I posted the last song in my last entry. Works for this entry, too!)

by Lexine

Thursday Random Thoughts

Like many real ones with social media these days, I have joined the land of blue skies. I haven’t abandoned the right-wing cesspool known as Twitter just yet, although I may consider it if I get more followers on Bluesky than Twitter.  The Bluesky app also needs some work, but I must say: it’s soooooo refreshing to see a social media site not bogged down by its MAGA manchild owner, vile right-wing trash, algorithms that are obviously drunk, and dumb bots. Here’s hoping the site stays the course and doesn’t devolve like Twitter.

I’m also on Threads and still have my IG. I got a TikTok but I haven’t touched it for a year now. (I’m just not a TikTok girl.) In the hierarchy of SM posting, Bluesky now gets first dibs on my short-form nonsense, then Threads, and, if I feel like it, Twitter.

My Vegas birthday trip pics will be coming shortly. I’ve posted some on my socials a few weeks ago, but I got a lot more pics and a whole lot to say about them!

I travel for my day job a few times a week, and some of the things I’ve been seeing on the digital billboards when I take 880 North back home…😒”Be Kind”? “Choose Love”?? What in the sappy Etsy boymom hell is that? Many people in this country certainly weren’t kind at all at the polls two weeks ago!

By the way, IT’S STILL THE MOOD

Meanwhile, that parallel universe is looking more lovely by the day. We’re all looking forward to what the Kamala administration will bring to this country after her landslide election win two weeks ago, the House and Senate going blue, Trump and Elon finally going to jail, the racists/misogynists/Nazis all staying pissed on their Truth Social accounts, and next summer bringing us the release of Xtina’s newest album and the Batgirl movie. *sighs*

I think I found THE cold-weather fragrance…

…and THE scent for femme fatales, divas, and the bad girls your mother warned you about. In other words, MY kinds of scent! It’s a few steps above Black Orchid, which I also own, and that’s all I can say because I’m not well-versed in describing fragrances and its notes (and that’s something coming from a novelist-by-night).

Someone send me back to Vegas for the next seven months with a $15,000/month stipend to cover lodging, food, gas, bills, my rent back home, and miscellaneous. I only say this because the Penguins aka my hockey team won all their games while I was in Vegas. Superstitions and all that.

I’m really gonna miss Rafa. It was only a matter of time before he hung up his racket for good. The first time I saw him play was Wimbledon 2008; I tuned in after getting curious over the whole Nadal-Federer rivalry going on then. That Men’s Finals match, honey…talk about an intro! I enjoyed watching him play ever since, and he was the total package: talented, class act, and, yup, a hottie. 😘Him and Federer defined one hell of an era in Men’s Tennis that I doubt can be topped any time soon. Happy trails, Rafa! 🫶

I know Dolce & Gabbana are sketch (as people; their clothes are fine), but their Fall 2024 ads with Miley are STUN.

The pearl-clutchers need to take all their outrage they’re wasting over how suggestive Sabrina Carpenter is in her shows and instead apply it to why Fist Brown (thanks, Dlisted) still has a career. Go after the abusers in the industry, why don’t you. Or is that too difficult for them?

Ending this post with a song that will go multi-platinum in the households of young women fighting against the emboldened, yucky incels. Listen to the lyrics and you’ll know!