It's been awhile. And a lot has happened since my last visit.
First and foremost I need to express how sad it was to learn of Merlin's passing. Sia had reached out to me via email. (Thank you Sia)
He was certainly an incredible individual, a cut above. I was always amazed at his calm demeanor even in the face of the harshest most toxic attacks. I tried hard to learn from that example. But my nature, being what it is, pulled me the other way. I will miss him terribly.
In a nutshell, I retired in January of 2019. My wife and I had determined to move to central Virginia where her family members lived. My parents had passed. And my brothers and two daughters lived pretty far away. So we thought it would be nice to be close to her family. So here we are just north of Charlottesville, VA
This is an incredibly historic place steeped in Revolutionary War and the founding of our nation plus the Civil War. There is much to see and learn.
I have been spending my online time almost exclusively on Facebook. I had frequented Xitter (pronounced with an 'sh') until such time that it became a real cesspool. On Facebook I'm relentlessly political and in support of the Constitution & the Rule of Law. And I remain in staunch opposition to Trump and the unmerry MAGA movement. Because of my stance and constant refrains, I've lost family members and longtime friends there. But I've also garnered the attention and support of other like minded citizens who constantly speak out against this descent into dictatorship.
I have also become involved in local politics. I joined the Greene County Democrats and have worked as a poll worker for the past four years. One thing I learned almost immediately about that, Virginia elections are safe, fair, and secure. I've also attended several national protests. This included Kamala Harris' historic speech on the Ellipse. I was one of the 75,000 in attendance.
To be sure, we live in interesting times. The challenge before us is ours to meet.
Xitter! Brilliant!
Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on February 11, 2026, 5:41 pm, in reply to "Good morning all" ADMIN
Good for you to get involved in the election process and protests!
You know, as do I, security of our elections. There are so many nets and traps to detect, confront and manage fraud, the general public doesn't know. Mail in ballots are the most secure of all, with zero reports of fraud. As you know, established so the military could vote in their hometown elections, its success expanded to the general election where that security factor continues.
When lawmakers like Johnson question election security, puppeting their master felon in chief, they are astonishingly either ignorant of the election process, or they deliberately lie due to fealty to the convicted felon king.
I attended every No Kings Day, and plan to continue until the felon is out of office and MAGA crawls back under their rocks.
Resist! Protest! Everyone in every way you can!You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
Glad to see you here. Welcome, again!
Posted by Sia on February 11, 2026, 3:49 pm, in reply to "Good morning all" ADMIN
Hey, Aayjay!
Posted by greenman on February 11, 2026, 1:44 pm, in reply to "Good morning all" Valued Poster
RESIST!
Welcome Back
Posted by Trish on February 11, 2026, 11:04 am, in reply to "Good morning all" Admin
Your voice will be so welcome..
Hi AayJay
Posted by Skye on February 11, 2026, 10:49 am, in reply to "Good morning all" Valued Poster
Glad to hear that you are happily retired and still active, especially during this critical time. Silence is complicity. Keep up the good fight!