Gleaning Facebook: Happy Birthday Debi!

 So Facebook automatically suggested a birthday greeting with multiple pictures of a storytelling friend that I was happy to share, but trying to do the same thing for Debi I didn't figure it out. Anyway this cute little girl in the back yard of 333 South Ninth Street in Griffin about 1957 or 58 has a birthday today. Debi Lewis is a hardworking, creative, talented, loving mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, church leader, pre-school educator and administrator, and just a nice person. I am very pleased to call her my little sister: the fourth of five sisters in all. Happy Birthday, Debi!

Celebrating Restoration of the Republic

Celebrating the coming restoration of the republic with our neighbors Scott & Renee Fuller (and couple dozen other rejoicing Biden/Harris voters.) We stayed masked and tried to distance to a degree except for eating and drinking and very briefly for pictures like this. — still, in retrospect, I think this celebration was the most dangerous thing I’ve done since March. With the virus spiking again, folks, please refocus on masking and distancing and washing hands!)

Daniel Eason in the plaid mask is one of the heroes of the 2020 election hereabouts in my book, both as a partisan volunteer and as a non-partisan volunteer. Thanks, Daniel for all your hard work.

Daniel Eason: Thank you, Terrell! I'm so glad to be among such a great bunch of people in Rome. We have an excellent local party that is recognized as the leader in the region, thanks to a lot of people who paved the way. And we have some excellent nonpartisan groups, especially the Floyd County League of Women Voters and OCU and the NAACP, who offer many opportunities to get involved in nonpartisan ways. I am blessed to be among such fine people and organizations who all want to make life better for their neighbors.

Jeremy Smith is a wonderful artist. His drawing of President-elect Biden was in-progress but I stole a shot of his unfinished masterpiece anyway! 

Jeremy Smith is a wonderful artist. His drawing of President-elect Biden was in-progress but I stole a shot of his unfinished masterpiece anyway!
Jeremy Smith
Had to scrap that one, T. Sorry
Joan Ledbetter
Jeremy Smith I would have bought it as is. It was great!

Jeremy Smith
Joan Ledbetter it actually was (and still is-I still have it!) a great depiction of what A Coops and Mike Pence’s love child would look like lol. I really do hate everything I do:)

Joan Ledbetter
Jeremy Smith That is funny (Anderson and MP), but you are NOT right. 

Jeremy Smith
Joan Ledbetter there’s only one way to prove to you what I’m saying is true

Joan Ledbetter
Jeremy Smith So, you could give me a discount on the price
Jeremy Smith
Joan Ledbetter oh it’s yours my dear, no charge. But I wanna see if I can get Anderson to sign it first
Terrell Shaw
What? No!
Jeremy Smith
Terrell Shaw yep. Just couldn’t see it right or something. I think the reference photo I was using had too many conflicting light sources or something. Sometimes these things just don’t work out

• Jeremy Smith
  Terrell Shaw that is, however, a righteous drawing of Anderson Cooper in this photo:)
  Tracy S Lawler
  I could tell right away that it was Biden. I look forward to seeing your "redo".
  Jeremy Smith
  Tracy S Lawler sometimes you just have to give up after you realize you can’t reach your goal. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to do something.
  
  Jeremy Smith
  Tracy S Lawler for real though that one really did get away from me and I abandoned that piece last night. Faces are hard, yo!
  Joan Ledbetter
  Jeremy Smith Except, it was great.
• Joan Ledbetter
  I want a copy!
• Peggy Fowler-Casillas
  Jeremy Smith I don't know you and I'm not sure what you're seeing in that portrait, but that's definitely Biden. 
• Jeremy Smith
  Awww I am just loving all you lovely awesome people trying to assuage me of whatever existential crisis you think I might be having over that portrait. It warms my heart!
  
  For the record, I don’t have any art training and this drawing stuff is pretty new (this is the eighth portrait I’ve worked on so far, believe it or not). There is no manual, I have no plan, and ultimately I have no idea how this stuff happens.
  So sometimes it’s ok to mess up and start over.
  In very little time I’ll relay to yall my favorite Bernini story . . .
• Joan Ledbetter
  Jeremy Smith Do that, but keep everything and have an art sell soon, too 
• Jean Filson Linos
  Wow, that is such an amazing likeness!!!
  Jeremy Smith
  Tadaaa!
  

At the Biden/Harris celebration I took a bunch of my Biden button duplicates just in case. I was thrilled to swap with Joan Ledbetterr for these three Pete/Joe buttons. I've been collecting political buttons since 1964 so y'all keep me in mind if you have any to spare-- sell, swap, or donate!
Jaki Day: PB&J is my fav
Melanie Collette Babb: I am so impressed with Mayor Pete.

Terrell Shaw: I was kinda hoping he'd be chief of staff... but Biden probably needs a long time associate like Ron Klain, so I understand. I'll bet he gets an important position in the administration, though.

We stayed masked most of the time but we unmasked very briefly and promised to hold our breaths for a photo-op!

Scott Fuller: A great night with great neighbors! Thanks for sharing these pics!

 

Gleaning Facebook -- The Old Town Clock: A Rome, Georgia Icon

I’m a movie star again. Y’all watch it! And while you it give Austin a little support! The boy done good I think.

From Austin Wiggins' Facebook:

_____________________

 Hello, fellow Rome natives! I am a filmmaker born and raised in the great city of Rome, Georgia! I'm delighted to share that my film all about the city Clock Tower is now available to watch through the virtual Rome International Film Fest — info below!

The film features this group's founder, Terrell Shaw, as a phenomenal storyteller delivering his love, support, and knowledge of the beloved and iconic structure!

Thank you, Terrell, for being a part! Also, thanks to the city of Rome and Selena Tilly for so much help in the making of the project.

This film is dedicated to all who love and support the Clock Tower. I hope you all enjoy the film!

-----------------

Opening day is here! The Old Town Clock: A Rome, Georgia Icon is now available to watch via the virtual 2020 Rome (Georgia) International Film Festival — more commonly referred to as RIFF.

[Terrell's Note: The video is no longer available at the RIFF website, but it can be viewed in Vimeo here]

With that being said, I present the movie poster for the film featuring artwork by Rome's very own Robert Rakestraw — a lifelong Roman, musician, and artist.

The festival takes place now through November 22nd.

Gleaning Facebook: Hallelujah!

 I wish I were artist enough to add the image of Shayne to this. His memory was never far from my thoughts during my work on this campaign. God bless the memory of all those we wish could celebrate this moment with us. God bless our president elect and vice president elect. God bless America. I do not know the artist; I took this from an unattributed post. I love it.

Later Note: Thanks Jaki Day for finding the artist. He does some provocative drawings. I love 'em. Check him out at this link.

https://instagram.com/thisissketch?igshid=11rty898u6w0j

President-Elect Joseph R. Biden

 

What a joyous day this is. The race has been called. This good man will be our president. And we will have our first female Vice President, Kamala Harris. I am so thankful. These two will return honor, patriotism, intelligence, competence, and joy to the people's White House. We have done it.

During the long counting of the vote President-Elect Biden has demonstrated calm, dignified, cheerful, patriotic, American leadership. What a contrast with the other guy's childish lashing out incoherently over and over. 

The current president and the other racists and conmen will still be out there. We cannot let down our guard. But:

Our four year long national nightmare will end on January 20, 2021.

Thank you America. You rose to the occasion. 

You turned out in record numbers to toss evil out of our executive branch. You gave America the largest vote in history, over 73,000,000 votes for our republican values. 

Trump May Be Out, But Trumpism Remains

 Well, I certainly didn't get my dream of a blowout. I didn't even get my more realistic prediction. I am so far not horribly off my "minimum" projection. I predicted a range of 308 to 369 Electoral Votes (EV) for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Here's the minimum map I used:

Here are the Trump EVs I missed so far:

Maine's 2nd District - 1

Florida - 29

Ohio - 18

So at this point the count is Biden 243 and Trump 214. So we need seventeen more EVs out of these:

Yet to be called are:

Alaska (I picked Trump there) - 3

North Carolina (I picked Biden but it looks like Trump will take it.) - 15

Nevada (I picked Biden and he is leading there and I believe he will take it) - 6

Arizona (I picked Biden. It is whisker close but Biden leads; fingers crossed. Fox has called AZ for Biden, but others are not so sure.) - 11

Pennsylvania (I picked Biden. Trump leads but the mail ballots remaining will likely put Biden over the top.) - 20

AND GEORGIA! - 16

I picked my home state for Biden knowing it would be close, but I just had to pick him here. Well, Trump is leading by 0.3% but all the recent trickles of votes have favored Biden and narrowed Trump's lead. It is a TOSS-UP still. Expecting a final bunch from Fulton soon. On tenterhooks.

I am devastated that we are almost sure to have at least two more years of Republican dishonesty and dirty tricks in the US Senate. BUT in Georgia we will have a great candidate Raphael Warnock leading the woman who bought her Senate seat and as an incumbent could not even lead the "jungle primary".

In addition Trump Bootlicker David Perdue is for the moment at least falling below the 50% plus one required to keep him out of a runoff. That means we very well may have TWO Georgia US Senate seats up for election in the January 5 run-off election! If so we have almost two more months of very hard work to do.

I was right about these two flips: 

Arizona (Kelly)

Colorado (Hickenlooper)

And unfortunately I was correct about the red flip:

Alabama (Jones lost to Tuberville)

Here are the races I missed:

Maine  (Gideon)

Iowa (Greenfield)

Montana (Bulloch)

This hasn't been called but looks like I missed it.

North Carolina (Cunningham)

And I was correct about the two run-offs (Unless Perdue improves to 50% plus one.)

The US House was a disappointment nationwide. We kept out majority but it is slimmed a little, BUT in Georgia we gained a seat by reelecting first-termer Lucy McBath and flipping a seat for Carolyn Bordeaux.

We did NOT pick up seats as I predicted in the Georgia House so the GOP will continue to play havoc with district lines to minimize Democratic influence.

Gleaning Facebook: Trick-r-Treatin', Seriously

 Roo and Piglet took Trick-r-Treatin' at Gamma's very seriously, huh? Jealous of Gamma!

Gleaning Facebook: 2020 Election Day

My Facebook posts from Election Day:

To my Republican friends who have put American values over party to vote for Joe Biden, I just want to say Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

We may not agree on every issue on how to perfect the union, establish justice, ensure civility, provide for defense, promote the common good, and secure the blessings of liberty to all, but at least we agree that those are our goals.

Thank you.

-------------

"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House, and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof." - John Adams' prayer upon moving into the brand-new Executive Mansion (now called the White House) in 1800.

If you have not yet voted please go vote NOW. You have only four hours in Georgia to help restore honest and wise leadership to our White House. If you have voted, call a friend or two or five or join a phonebank to get folks out here in Georgia or in other states. Every vote for Joe Biden will help to add an exclamation point to the message: "We want American values returned to our Presidency!"

--------------

One last afternoon of waving our flags and calling our friends and neighbors in Rome and Floyd County to the restoration of American values. Vote Biden, Warnock, Ossoff!

-----------

I recorded this video a couple of days ago... from my heart. If you have not yet voted, please go vote for our kids and grandkids. Vote for science. Vote for equality. Vote for liberty. Vote for brotherhood from sea to shining sea. Vote for American values. Vote for Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and other honest, patriotic candidates.

---------------

Make this one day the day we reclaim our republic. Go vote for a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and Democratic patriots from the top of the ballot all the way down to city and county races. This election day is about restoring the soul of our nation. Vote for optimism and brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

-----------

This is it! Sheila and I have our electricity back but not internet or cable. AND IT IS ELECTION DAY! Oh, well. I'll be busy as an observer at polls today. I'll figure some way to watch returns tonight. Get out early and vote if you haven't already. Help bring back decency and American values... vote Joe Biden & Kamala Harris and Democratic candidates up and down the ballot!

2016 Was the Most Important, 2020 Surpasses That...

The 2016 Electoral Collge map, despite Hillary Clinton's victory in the vote of the people, looked very red. Of course big parts of the red areas out west have more cows and trees than people. Here's the map:

2016 Results

Here is my best guess about how the electoral votes will turn out tomorrow. I believe Joe Biden will win. I will be happy with 270 but pray for a much larger win. He likely will total between 308 and 369 electoral votes. I think he will carry every electoral vote that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 including the relative battlegrounds of:

Colorado

Nevada

New Hampshire

Minnesota

In addition I believe Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will carry these electoral votes that Clinton lost by a whisker:

Michigan

Wisconsin 

Pennsylvania 

Maine (2nd District)

I also believe Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will carry these battlegrounds very narrowly:

Arizona (3-4%)

Nebraska  (2nd District) (3-4%)

North Carolina (2% or so)

Florida (1-2%)

It may be wishful thinking but I believe he will even carry two states by a whisker (1% or so) that no one really thought he could:

Ohio (<1%)

(Please Lord!) Georgia (<1%)

My Official Optimistic Map

My Official Uh-Oh Map

Joe Biden will fall barely short (1-2%) by my reckoning (though I will still hope) in:

Iowa

Texas

If Joe has a really big night he has a long shot chance at picking up all of the above plus Alaska and Montana

We have few chances out of 100 for this to be the map! I don't think it's likely, but we have a shot if everyone gets out and votes. So mask up, wash hands, carefully distance, and VOTE! I'd be dancing in the street.

My Official Wow! Map

If Biden wins Georgia, as I hope, I think Jon Ossoff will likely be in a runoff for US Senator though there is a chance he could win it outright or lose it outright. I am really praying for this one. What a difference for our nation to have an honest and patriotic senator from Georgia. In the special senate race Raphael Warnock will lead with a close race between Loeffler and Collins to face Warnock in the runoff. I suspect Loeffler will edge out Collins for the spot. From that point it's a whole new race for that one and Democrats have a job in front of us getting out=r voters back out in January.

I believe we will take the senate. Here are my red-to-blue turnover picks in the Senate races:

Maine  (Gideon)

Arizona (Kelly)

Colorado (Hickenlooper)

North Carolina (Cunningham) 

I'll also pick these three upsets:

Iowa (Greenfield)

Montana (Bulloch)

Georgia (Ossoff)

Unfortunately there'll be one blue-to-red turnover:

Alabama (Boo-hiss, the coach, Tuberville, will defeat a fine and courageous public servant, Doug Jones)

Democrats will pick up ten or more seats in the US House, including Carolyn Bordeaux in Georgia.

We will increase our seats in the Georgia house but likely come up short of a majority. Here's hoping though.

Well, my superstitious side hates to put my hopes and opinions online for fear of jinxing things, but it has become TRADITION! I get some and miss some. 

I literally pray that our nation can put Trump and trumpism behind us with a resounding Democratic victory, but a skin-of-our-teeth victory is better than nothing. Our nation has never needed the people to step up so badly in my lifetime. Joe Biden and a slate of great senate candidates will, if elected, turn America back toward our most cherished American principles of liberty, equality for all, civility, one-person/one-vote, the common good, justice, order, environmental stewardship, and diplomacy abroad, and the ever perfecting of our great nation.

Gleaning Facebook: From Ray Atkins

From Ray Atkins Facebook page today:

In the pictures I saw in the Rome News-Tribune this morning, there were an awful lot of ecstatic Trump supporters at the rally last night, which blows right out of the water my theory that these folks were abducted and forced to go against their will while their children and pets were held hostage. I guess they wanted to be there, and that they thought they were doing something important for America, themselves, and their families, and that they got something from this experience, and hopefully it was not Covid-19. The fact that I don’t understand this devotion and never will does not detract from their beliefs in the least; it may, in fact, strengthen them.

Nor do I think they were all bad people. Some were, I’m sure, just like some Democrats I know kind of suck, but they mostly just looked like folks caught up in something bigger than themselves. In my opinion they are naïve, and wrong. They have been gulled and gamed and manipulated by a big-league grifter into believing in a false narrative. But my opinion of their beliefs only matters to me, and I suspect that their opinions of my beliefs are similar to my opinion of theirs.

For the record, I think that the last time someone so harmful came to town was back in (18)65 when Sherman rolled through and burned the place down. I think that Trump may be the worst human being I have ever encountered, and he is certainly the worst President this country has ever seen. The polls say he will lose handily, but they said that last time with Hillary, as well, although the fact that Joe Biden does not have a uterus may help his chances.

So whatever happens Tuesday, happens, and then all of the big players will go home, and I will be here in Rome with all of these people who don’t think like I do. I will see them at the Kroger, and teach them in my classes, and nod at them in passing. I have to live with them all, and I need to be getting comfortable with that.

 

News Clip: Trump Covid-Spreader at Rome Airport

 From the Georgia Democratic Party website, November 2, 2020
--------------------
CYMI: Georgia Democrats Blasted 
Trump’s COVID-19 Response in Rome
“We can’t take another reckless Trump visit, or another four years of his administration’s failures. Floyd County is already seeing spikes in covid-19 infection rates, and we continue to lose loved ones to the virus that could have been contained if Donald Trump had not failed us.” -Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis

Yesterday, ahead of Trump’s rally in Rome, Democratic Party of Georgia hosted a press conference with Rome Democrats slamming Trump’s ineffective, chaotic leadership on the coronavirus. They highlighted their personal experiences with coronavirus, and talked about why we need Joe Biden in the White House to defeat the pandemic, build back better, and protect our health care. See for yourself:

Roman Terrell Shaw called each of America’s COVID-19 cases an “individual human tragedy,” partially blaming Donald Trump for the extent of the outbreak.
“If (the president) had provided the leadership that any of our great presidents would have provided in situations like this, those numbers would have been much, much lower,” Shaw said.
Shaw said he thinks a Biden/Harris administration can work to defeat the virus. Former vice president Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee for president and Sen. Kamala Harris is his chosen vp candidate.

“Donald Trump is coming to our town, to our community, to distract Georgians from his failed policies to address this public health problem,” said Ben Amis, chairman of the Floyd County Democratic Party, in a virtual news conference. “Over 360,000 Georgians have been infected by COVID-19, and nearly 8,000 have died during this pandemic, and he has no plan. He is here to distract from the fact that there is nothing he is going to do, nothing he has done to help our community, to help our state, to help our country battle this public health crisis.”

Rome resident Jessie Reed spoke about her family’s struggles with multiple cases of COVID that affected several members of her family, most severely her husband. He is a “long hauler” who has spent three months experiencing fatigue and other symptoms.
“He has gone from completely healthy to unable to function,” she said.

Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis criticized the Trump campaign’s decision to hold a rally in Rome, citing Floyd County’s COVID-19 cases:
“We can’t take another reckless Trump visit, or another four years of his administration’s failures. Floyd County is already seeing spikes in covid-19 infection rates, and we continue to lose loved ones to the virus that could have been contained if Donald Trump had not failed us.
Our schools here in the city of Rome have moved completely virtual, with over 600 students, staff and faculty in quarantine due to the Trump administration’s failed leadership in protecting them. In two days, we are going to kick Donald Trump out of office, and replace him with Joe Biden, who will take this crisis seriously.”

Gleaning Facebook: Shayne

This is Shayne Goldberg performing ‘If I Were a Rich Man’ . Shayne, when I knew him, was a talented, kind, joyful youngster of 9 & 10 in my fourth grade class. He died of Covid in July at only 23. How I mourn this terrible loss daily and ache for his loving mother and friends.

This morning his mother wrote of her experience with a rude maskless customer and an equally rude and maskless employee at a local business.

230,000 Americans have died from the pandemic people. Each of those was a son or daughter, or a mom or dad, or a brother or sister, or friend of someone. Each is a real person not some doctor’s exaggeration.

I don’t often use expletives but imagine your favorite here: wear a $”$@#% mask, wash your $”$@#% hands, keep your $”$@#% distance!

News Clip: Virtual Response to Trump Visit

From the Rome News-Tribune, November 1, 2020

-----------------------------

State, local Democrats offer virtual response to Trump visit, centered on COVID-19 concerns

• By Blake Silvers BSilvers@RN-T.com
 
• Nov 1, 2020

State and local Democrats hold a virtual response Sunday to President Donald Trump’s campaign rally schedule for Rome later that night.

 With President Donald Trump picking Rome as one of his final campaign stops of the 2020 election season, local Democrats met Sunday to offer a response.

The meeting was originally planned as an in-person rally in front of Rome City Hall but security concerns prompted the event to be moved into a virtual format.

“It’s one of the unfortunate situations we face due to Donald Trump’s failed leadership,” said Wendy Davis, a Rome city commissioner and member of the Democratic National Committee.

“We had reason to believe there might be people looking for trouble today. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re going to deescalate,” Davis said.

In cooperation with the Democratic Party of Georgia, local and state party officials virtually hosted locals who shared personal stories of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them.

Terrell Shaw called each of America’s COVID-19 cases an “individual human tragedy,” partially blaming Donald Trump for the extent of the outbreak.

“If (the president) had provided the leadership that any of our great presidents would have provided in a situations like this, those numbers would have been much, much lower,” Shaw said.

Shaw said he thinks a Biden administration can work to defeat the virus. Former vice president Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee for president and Sen. Kamala Harris is his chosen vp candidate.

“They’re going try to get us all together to defeat this thing,” Shaw said. “I’m so glad that we in Georgia are in a position to make Joe Biden the president of the United States.”

Another Roman, Jessie Reed, told how her family has been affected both physically and economically by the pandemic.

“We keep waiting for some kind of relief or leadership, but it never comes,” said Reed, whose entire immediate family — she, her husband and her child — contracted COVID-19. She said her husband is still not healthy enough to work full time.

“Every time I hear (the president) downplay the virus, or mention the 99% survival rate, it feels like a slap in the face,” Reed said. “President Trump has absolutely failed us in every way.”

Ben Amis, a vice chair in the Floyd County Democratic Party, said Trump’s rally at the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport Sunday night brought concern about the further spread of COVID-19.

“I’m certainly concerned,” Amis said. “Our local healthcare workers have been working overtime and our schools have been doing their best.”

Davis echoed Amis’ concerns, and said she thinks the president’s campaign will be surprised by the amount of support Biden will receive in Georgia.

“We’ve all been touched by (the pandemic),” Davis said. “He can come here, where he thinks he can run the table on is, but he’s going to find out that a lot of everyday Georgians want better.”

Democratic Public Service Commission candidate Daniel Blackman wrapped up the the list of scheduled speakers. He addressed the party’s concerns over what he called the Trump administration’s “relentless assault” on the Affordable Care Act.

“Stop your attacks on the Affordable Care Act and the protections of the 1.4 million Georgians living with preexisting conditions,” Blackman said, adding “We know that Donald Trump won’t listen. We’ve seen it time and time again. He has failed to deliver the relief to millions of struggling Americans. We can’t just argue that something doesn’t work without putting a plan in place. Everything is on the line in this election.”

Floyd Democrats will hold sign waving events at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Broad Street to wrap up the campaign season, Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m.

“We’re here, we’re loud, we’re proud,” said Davis.

• Zoom screenshot