Erika Gardner's Blog

As you can see, I am late with my Musical Monday post. Oh yes, Sunday and again yesterday I sat down at my computer and started my blog. Then I deleted it and started again. And deleted it. See, I wanted to write about the murder of Alex Pretti. I wanted to somehow articulate the sheer horror and indefensible WRONGNESS of this whole situation in Minneapolis. And it’s not just the relentless authoritarian actions in Minnesota, it’s all over our country: Maine, Oregon, California, anywhere Trump feels people might see right through his B.S., where we didn’t vote for him, that we rely on science, where the Constitution still matters and has effect, where tolerance and kindness have meaning and are a priority, and where Americans remember what liberty and justice for all looks like. Minnesota is bearing the brunt for us, but the perversion of our democratic republic is happening all over the country. So, I tried to write.

Nothing came except incoherence, tears and a black depression. That sucked.

It sucked and it’s no way to live.

Side vent- I understand the people who say, “Oh, I don’t watch the news. I just can’t stand politics.” I get it. It’s frustrating, even maddening. It makes you mad. And sad. And you should be worried. You should have a reaction. I know it’s hard and I understand why you want to turn the TV off. Well, boo-hoo. Grow up. I hereby give you permission, same as I do for myself, to occasionally shut your eyes, look away, refuel, do whatever you need to in order to cope. After that, get yourself together and soldier on. Your country, our country, needs you, needs your voice, needs your vote. Things are bad. We need your help to fix this. We need your to help to course correct, to clean up the mess that this madman who some of you elected has made of our nation and the damage he is inflicting on the rest of the world. It’s time to woman up.

Where was I? Right, so I tried expressing all the sadness, outrage, grief, betrayal, and fear brought on first by Renee Good’s murder and then slammed home and underscored by the execution of Alex Pretti. It was too much. There was, and is, too much. So, I gave myself permission to grieve. I gave myself a break. And I am sharing that break with you now. In 2017 the amazing Foo Fighters invited (in their words) one badass motherfucker on stage. Rick Astley thought he was going to enjoy the concert with everyone else, until Dave Grohl flipped the script on everyone and brought him on stage to sing his 1987 iconic pop song Never Going to Give You Up.

This amazing moment is mash up of many things. First, it’s the ultimate rickroll(literally). A rickroll is a term born in 2007 where an internet prank/joke leads the audience into a rendition of Never Going to Give You Up. Having been a high school senior when the song was dominating the airwaves, I can attest that it was everywhere and the rickroll phenomenon is apt evolution of that song’s unique swagger.  Foo Fighters are another phenomenon, the phoenix that rose out of Nirvana’s ashes (frankly I prefer the later band to the first) and bring a certain joy, grit and humor to the rock landscape. This performance, and God bless Astley for just leaning into it and committing, mashes up a smooth, incredibly produced pop song with the electric guitar and exuberant growl that is Foo Fighters’ music. It’s like a Barbie through a meat grinder but the result is far more fun.

I guess what I hope from this blog is to bring a smile to your face, maybe get you to sing along in spite of yourself to this impossibly catchy diddy, and send you back out into the cruel world re-energized. Sometimes silly is just what we need to get us through the hard stuff.

Please enjoy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdkCEioCp24&list=RDIdkCEioCp24&start_radio=1

Now…get out there and do some good.

 

The post Musical (Not Quite) Monday- Foo Fighters & Rick Astley “Never Gonna Give You Up” appeared first on Erika Gardner.

I’m having a hard time letting this one go. We have all seen the videos online of Renee Good’s killing in Minneapolis. I’m going to just say at the outset there needs to be a full investigation with cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement. There are too many contradictions and I find it highly suspect that DHS can declare a shooting victim a “domestic terrorist” before they even know her name. The problem is that this is an incredibly volatile incident, with passions high from a variety of factions.

This whole situation reminds me very much of the Charlie Kirk killing. There are some clear parallels. Both killings have been treated in a highly partisan fashion. Clearly, the Right deeply mourned Kirk’s passing and the Left far less so. There were people at the time of Charlie Kirk’s shooting who suggested that by his rhetoric he brought his own death about and in his inflammatory speech he had it coming. I found and still find that thinking disgusting. I agreed with almost nothing Kirk stood for, however, I will defend with my utmost his right to say what he needed to say. Freedom of Speech is as American as apple pie and far more precious. Likewise, there are people who say that Renee Good brought about  her own death by blocking the road from ICE vehicles. I find that incredibly disgusting and inhumane as well. She is allowed to express her opinions under the First Amendment, just like Mr. Kirk. Neither of these deaths were “deserved.” Both of these murders should be punished. Both are tragedies and both left behind children who will never get to be ordinary, never be out from under the cloud that murder has cast upon their young lives. For the five kids sucked into the black hole of grief that these events have created, nothing will be the same again. There is no more ordinary.

Which brings us to this week’s song. Duran Duran, of all people, dedicated their song Ordinary World to Renee Good a few days after her shooting. I am including a link to this dedication below:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ytiJIgprU-M

Getting back to Ms. Good and Mr. Ross. Everyone has their opinions. The fact that this is even a matter up for opinion kind of drives me crazy. It’s on video. Ross had removed his gun from its holster before Good’s vehicle moved forward. He had already decided to shoot. And if he was suffering from some sort of PTSD from a near death experience involving an automobile months earlier, why the hell is he cleared to be on the streets with civilians? Again, there should be an investigation, as there is with EVERY other law enforcement shooting. I guess, at the end of the day, I think these two individuals and their differences can best be summed up by their own words. Renee Good said just before Ross killed her, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.” As he holstered his gun and Good bled out in her car Ross said, “Fucking bitch.”LyricsCame in from a rainy Thursday on the avenue
Thought I heard you talking softly
I turned on the lights, the TV, and the radio
Still I can’t escape the ghost of youWhat has happened to it all?
Crazy, some’d say
Where is the life that I recognise? (Gone away)But I won’t cry for yesterday, there’s an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world
I will learn to survivePassion or coincidence once prompted you to say
“Pride will tear us both apart”
Well, now pride’s gone out the window
‘Cross the rooftops, run away
Left me in the vacuum of my heartWhat is happening to me?
Crazy, some’d say
Where is my friend when I need you most? (Gone away)But I won’t cry for yesterday, there’s an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world
I will learn to surviveOoh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ah-ah-ah
Gone away
Oh-ohPapers in the roadside tell of suffering and greed
Fear today, forgot tomorrow
Ooh-ooh, here besides the news of holy war and holy need
Ours is just a little sorrowed talkJust blowing awayAnd I don’t cry for yesterday, there’s an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world
I will learn to surviveI will learn to survive
(Any world is my world) I will learn to survive
(Any world is my world)
(Every world is my world)
(Every world)

 

 

The post Musical Monday- “Ordinary World” by Duran Duran Dedicated to Renee appeared first on Erika Gardner.

So, it’s been a tough week newswise…again. The murders of the Reiners and the inhuman comments from the White House on said tragedy, the death of Anthony Geary, we are apparently at war with Venezuela(???), the destruction of the East Wing (I am STILL processing, thank you very much), a Trump (draft dodger) Class of Warship (???), the NON-release of the Epstein Files (law be damned apparently) and ICE is proving themselves to be the modern day SA/SS Brown Shirts…Long story short, ICE? You think you’re special? NO. You are just the next version of thug. Little tiny men with no sexual prowess or allure abusing the little tiny bit of power that you have and making everyone around you want to throw up.

…Sorry, squirrel. Anyhow, my point being, it’s been a rough week in the news. In the midst of all THAT, I almost missed this one, but BlueSky was on their game…so I did see the news that Chris Rea passed away today.

Who is Chris Rea you ask? Someone from a more civilized time. In my mind, he was a man whose voice did not match his face, whose lyrics were more a sophisticated love letter than a pop song and who is extremely easy to sing along to. Apparently he had health problems for the last decade and died today at 74 after “a short illness.” He had duets with Elton John, performed on “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” with BandAid, two decades of hits in Europe, but this song is the one that I’ll always have on my playlist and always know it’s him.

He deserves more than a footnote in a horrible week of bad news. Download this song, pour a glass of wine and sing along with Chris. Thanks, Mr. Rea- we will miss you. XOXO

 

 

A dying flame, you’re free again
Who could love and do that to you
All dressed in black, he won’t be coming back
Save your tears, you’ve got years and years
The pains of seventeen’s
Unreal they’re only dreams
Save your crying for the dayFool if you think it’s over
‘Cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it’s over
I’ll tell you why
Newborn eyes always cry with pain
At the first look at the morning sun
You’re a fool if you think it’s over
It’s just begun Miss teenage dream, such a tragic scene
he knocked your crown and ran away
First wound of pride and how you cried and cried
But save your tears you’ve got years and yearsFool if you think it’s over
‘Cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it’s over
I’ll tell you why
Newborn eyes always cry with pain
At the first look at the morning sun
You’re a fool if you think it’s over
It’s just begunI’ll buy your first good wine
We’ll have a real good time
Save your crying for the day
That may not come but anyone
Who had to pay would laugh at you and sayFool if you think it’s over
‘Cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it’s over
I’ll tell you why

The post Musical Monday- “Fool If You Think It’s Over” By Chris Rea- RIP appeared first on Erika Gardner.

I am drowning in my manuscript’s latest draft and in the holidays, so this week’s Musical Monday is the soul of brevity. Please enjoy…

This song is for every loving, impossible to keep night, the ones that you’ll remember even with your last breath. We all (if we are lucky) get that one perfect moment that we know will never be repeated, no matter how much we might wish it otherwise.

 

I am not the only traveler
Who has not repaid his debt
I’ve been searching for a trail to follow again
Take me back to the night we metAnd then I can tell myself
What the hell I’m supposed to do
And then I can tell myself
Not to ride along with youI had all and then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don’t know what I’m supposed to do
Haunted by the ghost of you
Oh, take me back to the night we metWhen the night was full of terrors
And your eyes were filled with tears
When you had not touched me yet
Oh, take me back to the night we metI had all and then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don’t know what I’m supposed to do
Haunted by the ghost of you
Take me back to the night we met

The post Musical Monday- “Take Me Back to the Night We Met” appeared first on Erika Gardner.

What does Christmas mean to you? I am a self-described moralistic heathen wandering the spiritual landscape. Christmas definitely means a great deal to me, not for religious reasons though. I think for me it speaks to the original reasons that people celebrated light in the darkest point of the year, because they had to have faith that the light would return and Spring would come. I look for the cozy fire, the sweet twinkly lights, and special times with dear friends and family. I want the warmth in the middle of winter’s chill. I also believe that Christmas, Saturnalia, Yule, whatever you call it, helps to re-center us on the importance of giving, of family, and of kindness.

It is bittersweet that I should be thinking contented Christmas thoughts and remembering anew how blessed I am in my personal life and I remember a sad fact. As I give thanks for my amazing family, for my lovely friends, and for my boyfriend, I am listening to this beautiful Christmas carol and realize that today marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon. I was eleven years old and in sixth grade. I was out furniture shopping with my parents at a local Levitz furniture store (it’s not there any more, it’s now a 24 Hour Fitness) when the news came over the radio that John Lennon had been shot and killed. I remember being really, truly confused. The only John Lennon that I knew of was a musician. He was a member of the Beatles. I liked their songs. Since when did someone shoot a musician? I thought only politicians, world leaders are targeted like this. Who would kill a person who brought the world so many beautiful gifts?

I think every generation has their, “where were you moment?” My mom knows exactly where she was when she found out that JFK had been shot. I know where I was when Princess Diana was run down, when JFK Jr.’s plane disappeared, and then where I was for 911. However, the day John Lennon was shot was the first of these grim milestones and carries with it a special kind of sadness. Lennon literally didn’t do anything to bring this about, other than do what he loved and speak truth as he saw it. He even talked to and signed an album for his soon to be murderer early in the day on his last day. Mark David Chapman would come back to Lennon’s apartment building later that day in the evening and shoot Lennon in the back in hopes of impressing actress Jodie Foster. (To this day, Foster will not discuss Chapman, not one word. She will not give that piece of human excrement one iota of the attention that he killed for. Good on her!)

I think that Lennon’s passing lends this song even more emotional weight that it otherwise would have. The lines,

“So this is Christmas, And what have you done, Another year over, And a new one just begun” 

have an added pathos. Here’s another year over. He didn’t get another year. What would his sons have given for one more year? You, me, we got the time. What did you do with the time that you were given? Did you help someone? Did you make someone’s day? Did you hug your babies? I will confess that I am still bewildered by John Lennon’s murder. All that beautiful music, silenced. Senseless.

So, this is Christmas… and what have you done, my darlings?

“A very merry Christmas, And a happy New Year, Let’s hope it’s a good one,
Without any fear.”

 

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fight

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now…

The post Musical Monday- “So This is Christmas” by John Lennon appeared first on Erika Gardner.

Today a new book was released and an author saw her vision, her dream, and all her hard work come to life in the real world, at last. Sherry Taveras spent five years on this labor of love, trying to carve out time, finding her way through the publishing world, and most of at last telling her story to the world. I volunteered to receive an advance reader’s copy (aka ARC) in exchange for an honest review on the book.

 

Family is the strongest magic of all.

Here is the official book blurb:

When Harriet Honeybee’s mother vanishes and her little brother is kidnapped, the quietest girl in school is thrown into the loudest disaster of her life. Following the only clues they left behind, Harriet stumbles through a hidden portal and into a world where seers, timekeepers, and ancient prophecies are very, very real.

There, she learns the truth she was never meant to know: the women in her family are powerful seers, guardians of the fragile line between worlds. And Harriet? She’s destined to become their next Matriarch.

Guided by her eccentric grandmother Zuzu and a circle of unlikely new friends, Harriet must unlock her own awakening magic, navigate shifting timelines, and track the people who took her family—before time runs out for all of them.

Now, for my review…I’m going to start with the challenges, the things that interfered with my enjoyment of the book and then, like Harriet herself, move on to the good stuff.

The formatting is rough and uneven, not sure if that is due to the fact that I received an advance copy or if all copies share this format. Likewise, there’s copy edit mistakes. They tend to bounce the reader out of the story. One minute you’re in awe of some magical transition between worlds and the next you’re thinking, “That should be you’re not your.” Lastly, and most importantly, this book needed a developmental editor, especially in the opening chapters. Everything with self-publishing costs a lot more than one thinks it will, so I understand if the author couldn’t swing the cost.

The beginning of the book is rough. There is a lot going on and it is confusing and hard to follow. Taveras pays the reader the compliment of assuming that they can keep up, however, I would have been okay with paring down some of the atmospheric scene building in favor of a bit more exposition. The beginning third is…muddy. That said, hang in there…it, like adolescence, gets a lot better.

Let’s talk about what the author excels at…man, what appealing characters! Harriet, Zuzu, Ruthie, Joey, the uncles, and even Griselda really draw the reader in and you feel for them. You can hear and see them. Better than that, you are rooting for them all, but especially Harriet. One of the things that I enjoy the most about Harriet (and there is a lot) is that among the many things that she is, she is a young, strong, lovely and loving black girl. I am going to do my best here to explain my emotional response to her without (I hope) offending too many sensibilities. Harriet is black, but in this book that is not ALL she is. This isn’t a fantasy novel about a black heroine. This is a fantasy novel about a heroine who is black. Does her race add to her strength, to her beauty, to her uniqueness? Absolutely. Is it her only defining characteristic? Hell no. I think that young African-American girls and boys will love and see themselves in this book’s characters, but I also think that because of Taveras’ skills in creating these lovely adolescents, so will Asian, Latino, and Caucasian kids as well. Taveras allows her characters to be quiet (in the beginning Harriet), to be impetuous (Ruthie), to fail (Zuzu and Elizabeth), to be snide (Griselda), to let us down (Benedict) and yet she has developed enough facets and complexities that by the end, we are even cheering Grizzly on.

Another area where Taveras is outstanding is in embracing the humanity, acknowledging our flaws. We are all going to have bad days. Bad things will happen in our lives. We will fail. Now, do we allow those failures, those tragedies to define us? Do we wallow in bitterness and double down on blame, anger, and regret? Or do we choose, actively choose, to rise above our worst selves? Do we choose to forgive those who would seek to wrong us? Not because they deserve it, but because we need it to move on, to live in a meaningful way. Not a spoiler, but I can say that Harriet’s greatest gift is forgiveness. Forgiving herself. Forgiving those who have wronged her. She is greater than the petty sorrows of the past. She recognizes that the road only leads forward, not back. One does not dwell, one perseveres.

Taveras champions free will and that theme runs throughout the book. Free will and family, both the kind we choose and the kind that we are born to. Harriet is faced with difficult choices and her success and survival is predicated on how she chooses, but she ALWAYS has a choice. Likewise, her friends who follow her and her family who love and seek the best for her (in their own VERY varied ways) have choices of their own. Even the establishments, whether it is the school system in our world or a similar institution across dimensions have choices on how they alternately deal with and/or support Harriet and her brother, Rico. I will say that while the book’s tagline is “Family is the strongest magic of all” I was disappointed in some family members, most of all Harriet’s father and, to a lesser degree, her mother. However, other relationships like the ones between Harriet and Rico, Helena and Magda are fully three dimensional, complex family ties. When she nails it, Taveras really nails it.

This is a solid four star debut and I am excited to see what adventures await Harriet in the future as I doubt, after this read, that we have seen all this brilliant young woman has in store for her lucky readers!

Here is where to buy the novel for yourself- just in time for the holidays!

 

The post New Author Debut- Please Welcome S.L. Taveras to the Stage appeared first on Erika Gardner.

I really enjoy unexpected personalities. You know, when you meet someone for the first time and you’re thinking, okay, your basic stay-at-home mom and it turns out they travel with an all woman ice hockey team (true story this conversation happened). I love that.

It’s the same with bands. I truly dig a genre crossing, defying definitions, type of band. I mean, their job is to entertain us, so please, entertain me. Surprise me. Ego Likeness is that band. They are this very cool amalgam of goth, rock, electronica, and New Wave. Super fun. A friend and I had tickets to see them in San Francisco but…the Pandemic. Still haven’t gotten to see them live but they are touring again, so I live in hope.

Unlike so many of the bands that I listen to, Ego Likeness are actually American (I know they sound very European). They originally hail from Maryland. Many of their members also write (children’s books, speculative fiction, among others) and have been open with their personal struggles and opinions on a varied list of topics: autism, abortion rights, selective breeding, as well as dystopian and steampunk themes. The group has been very generous in donating time and tracks to cancer research fund raising efforts.

Now Until Forever speaks to me because the way that I hear the song’s poetry is about coming to a stress point, a crossroads in one’s life and hearing the call, seeing the opportunity, and moving forward. “Code deciphered, message received.” Standing on the crossroads of your life and making a choice that will change it forever.

 

This night
While I am dreaming
Searching for you
I have a message, but you’re not sleeping
I wade through deep black waters, endless deserts
Turning my eyes away
From the criminals who seek to shame me

Chorus:
Meet me at the crossroads
Where we will come together
And nothing else will matter
From now until forever

These things
The only way I know to tell you
Whispered in the static
Screaming through the veil
Please say
The message came through
As intended
Code deciphered and received

Chorus

Repeat x 6
Code deciphered
Message received

 

Now, for those of you who might be curious about how this band sounds like live (A.) join my club, I’m still waiting to see them in concert and B.) don’t mind a longer video, I stumbled upon this gem which I think is quite fun. It’s a live mix of a few songs, starting with Now Until Forever. Please to enjoy…

 

 

The post Musical Monday- “Now Until Forever” appeared first on Erika Gardner.

I have just returned from my first writing conference in years, like pre-Pandemic years. I attended the Kauai Writers Conference in Lihue, Hawaii. It goes without saying that the scenery was ridiculously gorgeous, but that wasn’t the inspirational part. The inspiration came from being around hundreds of other writing geeks, storytellers just longing to share with the world everything our big, beautiful brains had come up with. And that’s basically it, I just want my stories to be heard. If I won the lottery tomorrow, sorry, that’s WHEN I win the lottery, I will still be doing this exactly as I am now. I dream of letting my characters live. In addition to the conference, I am at an amazing time in my life. After years of increasing unhappiness, I am me again, happy and dreaming. It’s amazing that there is a real life scenario in which you no longer feel the boot on your neck until its weight is finally off of you. I am a full-time writer now and just in the last four months of being full-time I can see the benefits, both in my craft and in my business decisions. I am dreaming up stories again and it is glorious.

In celebration of this storytelling spirit and the fire that the conference gave me, I thought that for this week’s Musical Monday I would share a haunting story. This week’s song is The Poet and The Muse by The Old Gods of Asgard or the Poets of The Fall, depending upon your viewpoint. They are, in fact, the same band. The Old Gods of Asgard are featured in the Alan Wake video games which I have not yet played, but sound amazing. (Also, why has no one made a movie out of these games???) They are a fictional heavy metal band who play gorgeous, otherworldly music which helps with the world building in the Alan Wake games. The real world version of The Old Gods of Asgard are The Poets of The Fall. Poets are an actual heavy metal/alternative band from Finland. Yes, Finland again for the win. (Seriously, we need to see what they are putting in that country’s water. It’s a nation whose heavy metal badassery is batting way out of their weight class. So many good bands! Also, sorry for the mixed metaphors there.)

Poets of the Fall are modern day troubadours. I adore them. It is not just the, forgive the obvious statement, the poetry. It’s not just the beautiful music. No, let’s call a spade a spade. Their lead singer, Marko Saaresto, has been gifted with the silkiest, most beautiful tone to his voice. It’s literally spell binding. I actually enjoy the band less when they do something harder as his voice is so amazing with a slower, more emotion/romance laden song. All the musicians are really good and their song writing is absolutely on point. I have a few all time favorites from them.

The video that I am posting from YouTube is actually the one from the Alan Wake game. For those who have played the game, it’s the backstory of Thomas’ wife, the lake and the dark power that holds them prisoner. Also, allegedly it gives the key to defeating this dark power and releasing Tom’s wife. As a fantasy writer, I may just have to play this game!

Please enjoy… and turn the volume up. Marko’s voice is truly unique.

There’s an old town wrought with mystery of
Tom The Poet and his Muse
And the magic lake which gave a life
To the words the Poet usedNow the Muse, she was his happinessAnd he rhymed about her grace
And told her stories of treasures
Deep beneath the blackened waves‘Till in the stillness of one dawnStill in its mystic crown
The Muse, she went down to the lake
And in the waves she drownedAnd now to see your love set free
You will need the Witch’s cabin key
Find the lady of the light gone mad with the night
That’s how you reshape destinyThe Poet came down to the lake
To call out to his dear
When there was no answer
He was overcome with fearHe searched in vain for his treasure lost
And too soon the night would fall
And only his own echo
Would wail back at his callAnd when he swore to bring back his love
By stories he’d create
Nightmares shifted endlessly
In the darkness of the lakeAnd now to see your love set free
You will need the Witch’s cabin key
Find the lady of the light still raving in the night
That’s how you reshape destinyIn the dead of night, she came to him
With darkness in her eyes
Wearing a mourning gown
Sweet words as her disguiseHe took her in without a word
For he saw his grave mistake
And vowed them both to silence
Deep beneath the lakeNow if it’s real or just a dream
One mystery remains
For it is said, on moonless nights
They may still haunt this placeAnd now to see your love set free
You will need the Witch’s cabin key
Find the lady of the light gone mad with the night
That’s how you reshape destinyAnd now to see your love set free
You will need the Witch’s cabin key
Find the lady of the light still raving in the night
That’s how you reshape destiny

The post Musical Monday- “The Poet and The Muse” appeared first on Erika Gardner.

Get your Kleenex ready- this one got me. This is a protest song. There has been a lot on the news about Antifa. The majority of what has been said, looking at YOU Kristi Noem, is quite simply lies. Let’s break it down.

Antifa is a more of an ideology than an organization. There is no leader of Antifa. There are individuals who identify as Antifa, or claim to. The usual crime attributed to Antifa tends to be rioting or looting at protests as opposed to shootings or bombings. In fact, law enforcement assessments have concluded that the vast majority of looting and violence during protests was actually perpetrated by general criminals and opportunists, not ideologically motivated individuals. Despite what people like Donald Trump, Stephen Miller and the aforementioned Noem have claimed there is no evidence of an organized Antifa effort. Furthermore, investigations have also revealed instances where white supremacists posed as Antifa members online to try to incite violence. Antifa=Anti Fascist. We quite literally fought the Second World War against fascism. I have two grandfathers and a step grandfather who all served in the US Navy on the side of freedom and democracy. I can’t imagine what they would say to seeing this country, that they gave so much to descending into a pit of fascist bullshit.

What are fascists you might ask? It’s an epithet that is having quite a moment these days, a term getting tossed around a lot. Fascism is a political movement which includes: ultra nationalism, an authoritarian and far-right regime usually with a dictator, and the forcible suppression of opposition. It includes the belief in a national hierarchy and the individual is expected to sacrifice their needs to the State’s. Fascism glorifies the military and violence. Often fascism includes a racial component so that there are “others” to harass, denigrate and attack. It is opposed to socialism, the freedom of speech and the press, and to democracy. One tactic to maintain control of the populace is the identification and suppression of enemies inside and outside the state (basically Us vs. Them). The cult of the leader (sound familiar?) is a defining piece of a fascist state. The leader cannot be criticized and any disagreement is viewed as treason. Rational debate and intellectual discourse are supplanted by violent actions- think shoot first and ask questions later (if ever). The father of the fascist movement was Benito Mussolini. He created the ideology and established the Italian Fascist Party in 1919.

I can remember growing up that quite often the bad guys in the movies were fascists, usually Nazis. The heroes in these same stories were fighting the fascists, or put simply Antifa. The OG Antifa actually. I am for freedom of speech, religion and the press. I am for everyone having their fair share and talking about issues rather than invading our own cities. I am about inclusion, equity, and diversity. I am for tolerance and reasonable debate. I understand that unless you are from one of the actual Native American nations, we are all immigrants.

I am Antifa.

 

 

Love is stronger than fear.

The post Musical Monday- “Call Me Antifa” Love is Stronger Than Fear appeared first on Erika Gardner.

I find that in day-to-day life one runs across few opportunities to use an awesome word like “dastardly.” It’s a great word. So when I decided to write about the five things which can harm your wine, I simply had to describe the villain as one should. There were some strong other contenders. For example, I like heinous, nefarious has a nice ring, villainous, barbarous, even diabolical, but dastardly is my favorite.

When I bring up the subject of the enemies of wine, I am talking about five conditions. These dastardly knaves are temperature, humidity, light, vibration, and odor. Each of these conditions can play a part in ruining or merely affecting your stored wines. They also affect grapes in the wine-making process, however, for today let’s just focus on bottles.

The first thing to take into account is temperature, especially high temperatures. Leaving your wine in a hot car or out in the sun on a picnic table during a summer day can quickly cook your wine. The wine may consequently taste flat, the nuances and balance thrown off, or the alcohol in the wine may be exaggerated to the taste. A dead giveaway that your wine has been overheated is a bulging, protruding or leaking cork. High heat will make the liquid expand thus pushing the cork out. Once the wine cools down and contracts a vacuum is created which pulls air into the bottle. This added gas can lead to oxidation which is a chemical reaction between the wine and the air. A red wine may turn brownish and there will be a sour, even vinegar taste. It is, in a word, unpleasant. This can happen as quickly as in an afternoon in the hot trunk of a car or more slowly by storing your bottles at too high a temperature. For the later, even if you don’t have vinegar on your hands, your wine may have experienced rapid aging, taking the flavors past their peak and straight into decline. On the opposite end of the scale, less common but still a problem is storing your wine at too low a temperature which can dry out corks, causing them to contract and once again we have air making its way into the bottle and oxidation results. Ideally, keep your bottles between between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next enemy is humidity. Low humidity can cause corks to dry out and shrink, allowing air to enter the bottle and spoil the wine through oxidation. There’s definitely a pattern here, yes?  Whereas high humidity will lead to mold and mildew which ruins the aesthetics of the label. This can ruin resale value, or simply not be what you would like to serve for your guests. Mold and mildew also bring with them bad odors and mustiness, not to mention more and more people are developing sensities to mold spores.

Our third villain is light. This one may come as a surprise, but it’s true. Extended exposure to light, especially ultraviolet rays, can damage your wine’s structure. The wine will become cloudy and develop flavors that are flat and off. This is one of the reasons that red wine bottles are dark brown or green, to help protect the wine over what is usually a much longer aging/storage time than a rosé  or a white wine (other than an oaked chardonnay which can be aged for a few years and typically is bottled in brown glass). Wine is best stored in a dark, dry place. Think closets, cellars, that sort of locale.

Next up is vibration… yep, vibration. Constant or consistent vibration can artificially speed up a wine’s aging process. This means that your wine will pass its peak more quickly. Vibration can lead to the development of sediment in the wine. This is unattractive to the appearance and an unpleasant sensation on the palate. Vibration can occur from storing your wine near speakers, a refrigerator, washer machine, etc..

Lastly, we have odors. Strong odors can definitely affect the taste (and smell) of your wine. In this case it could mean gasoline, paint or paint thinners, so don’t store your wine in your garage or workshop. Likewise strong spices, cigars or cigarette smoke aren’t a great situation to expose your wine to. If you frequently light a fire or use a wood stove, you should store your wine elsewhere.

I know, I know, it’s a lot to think about. This is the trade-off for wine’s essential nature. It is a living thing that continues to change and develop depending on what it comes into contact with. It’s like a kid, hopefully they hang out with the right crowd and don’t bring home too many nasty new traits (or smells). Good luck and Cheers!

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