Resist 2020#7
New World Order: 200,000 dead and no end in sight.
Q. Cassetti 09.19.2020
Resistance v2: 2020
I made an image a week for the first year Donald Trump was president. One image a week—which gave me a little space to think about the significant image/idea and make an illustration from it. It was not easy to pick sometimes, but more often than not, the idea bubbled up with a degree of clarity that I really did not have to think too hard. Those images became a show at Exhibit A Gallery in Corning and were also the fodder for my “guerilla” resistance. I printed each card and placed them in literature racks around town and made them available for free for postcard writers and others interested in protesting the obscenity that this administration represented. Here are the images for your review. A few got published in national shows—and they were a good release for me.
However, as things began to wind up, I couldn’t focus on the one crystalline idea a week. It was all too much, too fast, too overlapping—-and I was (and still am) trying to drink from the firehose of information, media, stories, web of people, past and paperwork to really stay abreast of making an image. I had to let it settle and see if the inspiration would hit again. After a prompt from a graduate school friend and the coaxing of my family, I have climbed back on and started making images starting in mid August of this year. There are some themes (need themes to give me a hook and a push)—1. Saints and Sinners; 2. 10,000 Novel Coronavirus 19. The first is what it is, Saints and Sinners…not just those who are malicious, but those people who hearten and raise our spirits, the Saints. The second is to recognize every 10,000. people killed by the virus. I started at 180,000, 190,000 and have 200,000 in the offing. The coronavirus is apolitical and is busy being the best virus it can be—and I figured instead of hating it, I would embrace it, honor it and depict it not as a threat, but something that is here and needs to be regarded in awe and frankly, wonder at it’s ability to expand it’s reach. In giving it color and texture and adding the virus to everyday things—it might help me to be less fearful but still be cautious around it.
I will be posting on Facebook, on Instagram and here—and when a new one happens, I will post here just to give it a little space before it is cojoined with the group.
Lockdown Day 27: Another warm and caring video from our First Lady
Why is it that anytime this woman speaks, she drives a sharp icicle into my soul? There isn’t an ounce of warmth, of caring, of compassion, of kindness. There isn’t an ounce of believability, of truth, of humanity. It is hard to believe that she is a mother, a wife, a daughter, a stepmother in her cold, limited way. Her stylists always seek the wrong tone from the Dick Tracy look she espoused when visiting the Queen of England, to the Empress of America coat she wore to meet her handler, Mr. Putin. Those choices along with the choices she has so badly made , the most brilliant one right now for me were the nasty jabs she made at Greta Thunberg, a young woman about the age of her son…who has taken the environment on as her mission and cause—continues to illuminate how uneducated, unsophisticated, simple, and hollow individual Melania is. Her “Be Best” Slogan has been promoted as “be the worst” evidenced by her “I don’t care “ jacket she wore to meet the immigrant children in cages on the border.
How could we forget the warm and magical Christmases she has delighted us with? Where’s Bo? The horrifying red, Handmaiden’s Tale Styling of 2018, and the Bloomingdales aspirational Christmas of 2019. Looks like they edited out the super sad (in the 2018) little moment with a pair of ballet dancers who in the dark portrayed sadness verus the joy that the holidays should portray.
A message at this time of huge upheaval and grief should uplift and support all Americans—but instead Melania continues to spread poison, unearned privilege, hauteur of the unknowing and honestly, the stupid. She had, prior to going to the White House, had a series of documents on the Melania “brand”.
The AP article “Documents show Melania Trump still involved in Branding” by Julie Bykowicz (02/08/2017)
I cannot even begin to think what that was about, and what the “Melania Trump” name represents associated with products. Cheap? Ill made? Worthless?
That sounds on point.
Melania’s Easter Gifties…. Remember Einstein Immigration Visa….
Lockdown Day 26: "Rebuke this thing. Rebuke this inert virus"
I don’t know about you, but I can always depend on “the evangelicals” to bring a fresh spin to otherwise horrifying experiences. Their Jesus is so different than my Jesus. Their sassy ability to cast out demons with a puff of air, or shaking fingers is dumbfounding. And, surprisingly, they are all very crotchety old, white guys who know best for all of us because they maintain and broadcast the rules and regulations to maintain a white patricarchy. They know the rules, they write the rules and anyone who is not a white male is someone who needs to be repressed, denounced and “taught” to behave. Could it be that this whole uproar is based on the screaming mimis who want to hold onto their dwindling majority as “everyone else” seems to be taking over the world?
You can imagine how Pat Robertson’s recent video sent a frisson of fear and delight down my spine. He wants us to stop cowering in our cars and go to our Churches. I guess that is why Trump wanted Easter to be the “back to normal” from COVID-19. He is declaring it “done” by Easter. Poor Pat, he is in the age group of those who are most susceptible.
This jewel from the televangelist Kenneth Copeland.
”I blow the wind of God on you. You are destroyed forever, and you’ll never be back.
Thank you, God. Let it happen. Cause it to happen.”
—Kenneth Copeland
Isn’t Pastor Copeland delightful? His wizened face contorting and shouting and dang, he is gonna lick that COVID by Easter so we can wear our outfits and have breakfast with the family at Cracker Barrel. What fun it will be to see Memaw and Paps while enjoying the all-you-can-eat waffles and dessert stations. Truly, how could anyone watch this clown shout with this nutty back-up band and begin to think that he walks with God, living the golden rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”?
While there seems to be more rings added to this circus, there are beds in tents in Central Park and St. John the Divine is also having tents and beds set up inside the Cathedral and crypt. The Javitts Center is filling up, and there are remote operations on Long Island and Queens to accomodate the overflow of sick people. A bus of healthcare professionals are leaving Ithaca tomorrow to go assist.
In New York State alone, as of today we have had 138,457 cases of Corona virus confirmed (+6627 today), 5,489 people died (+731 today), with a 4% fatality rate, and 14,236 recovered. The numbers are not climbing (across the board) today which is so reassuring that the stress we are under—and the give ups are worth it to know at least it is not on a wild tear continually climbing. Fingers crossed that this might be the beginning of good change. My doctor (when we had a telemedicine visit) spoke to his symptoms and his experience—and mentioned that he has seen glimmers of it even prior to Christmas. Rob said the same—recalling a really sharp, hard cough he had in December. So Corovid-19 has been sneaking around even before the new year? How much is the CCD and President holding back? More than what we think…I know. Gov. Cuomo continues to pursue this. His spirit and dogged quest to help and support is the only true leadership we see in our state.
The rest of the spin and con continues from the daily rally with the delusional president and his men telling lies and self praising. The Acting Head of the Navy resigned after his awful behavior yesterday. And so much more around power to the powerful, money to the rich and the rest of us afraid without friendship, consolation and leadership. More, I am sure…later.
Lockdown Day 25: Doomsday domesticity
Lucy Littlestar, skittish airedale rescue, has discovered she likes green beans. And to top it all off, she loves raw carrots as much. It’s pretty cute, and for an a girl who came to us weighing 92 lbs. and is now slimming down to 67 lbs, she’s got a little more bounce in her step—so new edible rewards seem to align nicely with her changes. I could give her carrots all day as they are better food, are fiber and are not the mountains of cheap, wheat flour food she grew up on. So, hello, CSA and the juicy carrots—Lucy is interested in those roots as are we.
I have been grating carrots and making a nice salad with a dijon/lemon vinaigrette (add a bit of chopped cilantro—or sauteing them in a bit of olive oil, garlic and some “bloomed” coriander/cumin/garam masala. All good. I bought 2 8 lb bags of carrots and we are depleting the reserve. I also am fermenting and am on my 3rd round of garlic/dill pickled carrots. I am reusing the brine when the carrots are ready to put new carrots in. That live bacteria goes CRAZY—bubbling and popping within minutes of the new sweet veg. hitting that solution. Its good amusement to see how we can keep this going. I also did a big batch of pickled beets . I boiled the beets and peeled them prior to the pickllng which made the brine become almost syrupy—lending more dimension to these vegetables. Next time I do beets it will be a smaller batch, and I may just peel and cut the beet vs. the boiling and see if they become a bit more sour and picklie.
Yesterday at noon, I started a loaf of the NYTimes No Knead Bread. There was a time I was really pushing on Sourdough starter and bread—and I had an audience of hungry teenagers to eat even the mistakes. Since then, I have been a non-baker, but with the need to be home, hungry mouths and limited bread in the stores (seriously, I ordered 2 loaves from Wegmans and got a half of a tiny loaf…which was consumed in seconds upon arriving here)—has prompted me to rethink bread. My friend, Teresa from the Honeybee Embassy made this Jim Lahey recipe and sent me pix. The pix clinched the deal…I was going to try this. So, 3 ingredients stirred together, placed in a bowl and put in a warm-ish place (I know where those are in my cool kitchen). A day later, I had a loose dough that had bubbles. I am now in the last rise and we will see if my hopes are realized. Good thing though, there are eaters who would love to eat some hot bread regardless. And in the world of Pandemic land, we are not dependent on other bakers and fermenters—we can do it ourselves.
Kitty is busy making masks in her spare time. She made them for friends and family but also making for the local restaurants and retailers that are open for sale. I am proud that she is engaging in helping on a grassroots level. Feels right to give back—and/or pay it forward.
I am tired. Not sleeping well at all. Last night I credited the full moon with this jumpiness but candidly, I think its okay to just acknowledge the horror of the times and try to focus on small projects like the bread and carrots on a local level. I cannot change Washington, but I can evince change here at the local level.
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This article in The Atlantic. The Revolution is Under Way Already by Rebecca L. Sprang (April 5, 2020) speaks to conversations we have been having under this roof. Give it a read, your thoughts?
Oh my God. I had to look. I knew that this week was going to be one for the record books. And the President and his lick-spittle cabinet is publicly shutting down and trying to silence Dr. Fauci, the only voice of reason representing science and medicine with 45 prescribing untested medicine and protols that he has absolutely no place doing. This is just plain head-spinning. At least we know that there is no bottom to this evil.
Lockdown Day 24: A. numbing samenesss
The Queen spoke today on the BBC. She gives us hope (as does the brusque manner of our Andrew Cuomo). Elizabeth knows horror and pain. She knows separation and commitment. She knows how to express compassion and rally some esprit des corps. “Better days will return.” I hope she is right. True leadership reassures and we have few examples during this horrendous time as an american.
I am not sleeping well. And when I do sleep, I am dreaming horrifying, almost hallucinogenic images of dystopic landscapes, of existence underground, and of a faceless Donald Trump upon which a spectrum of faces emerge and segue one into the next. I watch the numbers, the reports but try to steer clear of the full firehose of news—but little is good beyond the animal pictures and those of what people are cooking. The fear of the unknown, the fear of having no control is monumental.
The racists are out in droves. Secretary of State Pompeo refused to sign a document at the G7 insisting that this virus was called the Wutan Virus or the President trying to jam “Chinese Virus” down our throats as common parlance. Thank God the press did not run with that one—and gave it no oxygen to help it grow, puff and spread. People are being beaten up on the street over their race—and “funny stuff” like the photo to the left is somehow right and appropriate. I know that that evil demon, Stephen Miller, the architect of so many of the truly nasty policies this administration has tried to put in place—is delighted in his success and focusing on more filth to spread. Help me to understand how any of this is funny, cute or amusing. Is this all about “owning the libs”?
We have religious crazies declaring victory over the “destroyer” Covid-19. Oh man, so Satan=Covid-19. And these are the people who are communicating with the believers. This is for the folks that say science has no relevance—and that one just needs a “Strong Stand of Faith” to overcome this virus. I am horrified by this stupidity and how it is going to effect the red states, and the rural communities. These mega churches speak to a community of people who have not really been heard politically except when it came to electing Trump.
Then we have Little Miss Face Lift, White House Evangelical, Paula White raising money for her own “spiritual hospital” (her own church) during this time. Its so messed up. It’s so about lies and con— Along with Liberty University insisting that their students all come back from spring break—essentially turning their campus into an enormous hot spot and focus of this virus without a significant medical infrastructure to support that immediate break out. I wish I could laugh as these characters are so exaggerated and distorted. Their words are a mashup of code, of false promises and untruths, interwoven with Bible versus and odd prayers. Their focus is financial and truly the successful are those who con for money—the Rich are the enlightened and blessed. It is truly medieval —those who are not blessed are just not working hard enough or deserving of the blessing. And these are just two cons for today. The world is writhing in this nastiness.
I need to get focus. I need to pull in positive. I need to find my center and my sense of humor.
Lockdown Day 13 : Panic is the Enemy.
I have been pretty much in quarantine for two weeks. Since then, we have hustled to get our kids home (thanks to extrordinary efforts on my kids and husband’s part). The minute the NBA cancelled I was running to lock all the doors and pull up the drawbridge. The next day with the closing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the shuttering of Broadway, I knew we needed to move fast to begin the hunkering. My son was on the bus the next day. So, now we are all here. Everyone is working remotely from me (as always) to my museum professional hubby, to my daughter studying theater design at Yale to my son, photographer…though his freelance work essentially dried up as did his time selling tickets on Broadway. We are all here…in the silence with our headsets on trying to stay quiet and thoughtful. The news and the world rage around us…but here we are with the cookpots filled with some bean thing and tubs of things for folks to grab and eat. However, I cannot quiet down.
Susan, my therapist (now teletherapist) cited the need to try to bring balance between the Rational minda and the emotional mind. Here is a bit on that:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), presents three basic states of mind: reasonable mind, emotion mind, and wise mind. When operating from reasonable mind, we view the world rationally and pay attention to observable facts and phenomenon. You may notice that you are in reasonable mind if you feel somewhat detached from the situation and find yourself noticing the facts and planning future behavior based solely on observable knowledge.
When you are in emotion mind, you may experience an intense subjective state wherein logical thinking becomes difficult or cloudy. You may notice the facts, but find yourself distorting them or amplifying them based on your current emotional state. In emotion mind, it is difficult to remain objective and you may engage in behaviors that are solely driven by your subjective perceptions and internal emotional state.
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So to put that on a spectrum now, I am very much in the planning and reacting mode—ordering food at the store a week out. I am reaching out to my farmers and friends and offering to help. Cooking and advanced thinking for the home team. But, worrying about all that I cannot anticipate. Worrying about the world. Worrying about the families and people stuck in NYC. Worried about my son’s roommates. Worrying about the place we find ourselves when the Governor NYS cannot get help. Worried that we are on a breakaway horse with no idea where we will end up (if we do not end up dead) . Worried about the pain and suffering that every person will be subjected to because of tremendous greed, narcissism and fear has brought us to the brink with this administration. It is the end of dreams. How can we hope?
I wish I could get my head around this for a pretty picture or some tidbit to brighten my soul—but I am not in the least bit humored or lyrical. We will talk tomorrow.
