i don't even like football...

 but thanks to the iitoo everyone is all up in arms about these kneeling players.  he's always gotta create chaos and a distraction from his crap.  Russia, crazy UN speech....deflect, deflect.

 these are still on the drive from Fairbanks home via the Richardson Highway.

 i just kind of think it's funny how offended all these people are who oddly didn't seem very offended at all when the iitoo was battling it out with the Kahn family...who had a son die in the war.  There were also the incredible rude and offensive statements about McCain, who served in the military and was a POW for several years.  then there is the purple heart that he was handed at a rally and then seemed to belittle it's meaning by stating he'd always wanted one.

 pussygrabbing comes to mind...i mean this guy is offensive but for his supporters none of that matters but a football player kneels during the National Anthem at a football game and there were actually people screaming treason.  really, treason?  perhaps they might want to look up treason because this is so not a case of treason.  the comments are beyond crazy, these people are livid without a real cause.  you don't like Hollywood (unless that person has your same values of course or is from a reality tv show and then you have no issues electing the guy POTUS)...don't go to movies, don't like the football players protest tactic, don't go to games.

 i don't find it offensive.  I'm not sure it's really been effective.  mostly everyone seems to be speaking about right to free speech and not the issues of racism that the initial act was supposed to be focusing on.

 guess the first time the player did this he just remained seated.  he got flack for this being disrespectful...he changed it to kneeling.  from what i understand...and again i do not watch football...football players do occasionally kneel.  from what i have noted this is done out of respect for a fallen player?  so why did he alter it?  was it because he did not intend to show any disrespect but wanted only to make a point.  why the anthem?  i have no idea.

 when blacks protest, when blacks try to do anything to speak out, they are not heard.  i get that.  at least he is getting heard.  or iitoo has made all this worse and not better as he seems to have no ability to formulate a speech that is not divisive and argumentative.  why is he getting involved with this anyway with Kor wanting to bomb us...oh wait he's pissing them off too.  again it's a distraction from his own failings to go to a rally ( why did he sign up to run in 2020 on the same day he was inaugurated...so he could collect more money?  so he could choose who he spoke to?)  and call them son of bitches and demand the team owners fire them.

 i have read also that it wasn't that long ago that teams were not even in the stadium for the National Anthem.  they stayed in the locker room.  many pictures i see of these team members kneeling, you look behind them and others are standing but not really paying attention and for sure not bothering to put their hands on their chests.

 guess in my opinion we have much bigger fish to fry and it seems pretty silly that so many who support this iitoo are offended by this but for some reason not by all the offensive crap he does.  he's needed some reminders from his wife a few times to put his hand up on his chest during the anthem.

 lets not forget how he took deferment after deferment to get out of going to Vietnam.  don't think it was because he was against the war so much as he was able to get out of it so he did.  that isn't offensive at all.  again...his rally's rev up his base and feed his ego and create a distraction from the crap he is pulling.

 was watching the PBS series about the Vietnam War. it is interesting.  war is brutal and that one seemed especially brutal.  i read quite a bit about it.  was curious.  it was ending as i was growing up.  i didn't remember a lot about it, but heard enough to be curious.  i remember some discussions about draft numbers.

 didn't sleep in too long today.  have been thinking i may not go all the way to Homer.  finding myself dreading the drive.  maybe a day trip to Seward.

 the pups are all clean right now.  so fluffy.  met my friends for a dog party at the dog pool.  the pups all had fun.  then bath time...after that i came home and did some house chores. the pups went into zoomie mode.  you would think they would be beat after the day they had.

 lots of wind blowing out there.

 we headed to Kincaid for a loop in Jodphur.  we took the trails and then took a side trail to the ocean view trails.  i had to keep reminding Tusker to stay "on trail".  he did pretty good.  no moose or bears spotted, which is good with me.

 after that i grabbed a bite and then we still had just a bit of time to kill so we hit Cabela's.  zipped each pup through on training runs in the store.  no time to shop though...booked to the pool

 listened to a ted talks (i think that stands for Technology, Education and Design) hmm.  not sure.  they have a podcast so i occasionally listen to that.  this one today was on failure.

 it was actually discussing the good side of failure.

 we all fail. the talks were more about accepting failure and even being willing to fail.

 when our nation was trying to get to the moon, we did eventually have success but there were many failures along the way.  trial and error is how we often find our way forward.  we have to be willing to fail.

 one speaker was talking about having a God complex and this unwillingness to see ourselves as capable of failing.  they say people like this often stay much longer in situations rather than admitting failure. they fear so much how they will be seen.

 again...the pipeline joined me along the way

 you must be brave enough to fail.  i have ideas sometimes but i don't do anything with them.  I've always seen it as laziness purely.  i am afraid to fail?  probably more lazy. haha. success can be complicated as well.  the more you have the more complicated life becomes.  i like simple.

 i have done very well at trial and error.  i tried out many universities and colleges.  tried out many different career paths.  trained as a zoo keeper, took a hand writing analysis class, changed my major many times. dated a variety of men.  investigated many different religious options.

 I'm sure to some i would be a failure...or to one brother we are all failures. of course, i believe his standard is based on financial success.  i think there are many ways to be successful that are not all measured by financial success.

 i don't regret all the experiences I've had. the major moves, the many friends i have met along the way.  how my eyes have opened through all of this.  i feel i am a better me for having experienced what i have.  for having failed at things.  for having tried things.

 i agreed with the various speakers they highlighted.  failure is an option.  chop off your hair, get that tattoo.  get out of that bad marriage, change careers.  move...

 at the very least, if you are miserable in your current situation in life be it work or romance..make a move. martyr's are miserable.  you can be a martyr to a specific cause, but being a martyr in  your life seems pretty sad.

 if you feel a protest will help go for it.  you may fail but you may succeed.  this guy was brave to take a stand...or kneel i guess.  he had no idea how it would turn out.  he had no idea what else to do.  i won't slam him for trying.  like that line in a song.  you gotta stand for something or you will fall for anything

 did he fail?  it seems not at this time.  at least people are talking...well some are just yelling. he may have succeeded in getting attention but maybe not for his exact cause.

 i have far more respect for a man who decides to try to make a difference than the folks who sit on facebook all day bitching about it.

 as i said, i don't like football anyway.

 i do think blacks in our nation continue to get the shaft and our current iitoo has made the situation worse not better.  he has a way of doing that with all things.  i miss having a calm, rational POTUS.

 these last pics are from a walk up Portage Pass.  clear, beautiful day out there.

 looks to be back to raining.  i picked up two bags of leaves from the yard today.  trash day is tomorrow. as a dog owner i have to try and keep the yard raked up...gets tough to find the dog poops otherwise.  save my shoes.

 the pups are all clean and fluffy tonight. so adorable.  many have commented as late that Ivy Rose looks more fluffy these days.

 post dental procedure my mouth has decided to break out in canker sores.  so painful!!  so annoying.

 pups had a fun day out here.  such a great trail

 i also managed to put what is left of the deck furniture away.  summer is getting put away...winter is coming.

 i keep feeling i have spiders crawling on me tonight.  i may be losing my mind.  of course, I'm sure some have felt i lost my mind years ago.

 below is the first pool you hit when you have finished going up and up and up on this trail.

 it's deep enough for the pups to swim in.  guess i could swim in it as well.  probably pretty chilly though.

 looks like a drop off going the other way.  great views that was as well.

 well, i should crash.  it's nearly 1 am again. I'm a night owl, what can i say.

 don't be afraid to fail.

grateful for:  a.  fun pool party with friends  B.  my many failures that brought me to my successes  C.  freedom, and those who are willing to fight for us all to keep those freedoms.