From Glasgow, Scotland: Trump is a Pure Fanny

A snapshot from the protest in Glasgow, Scotland

By Rob Huggett 

If you ask anyone [from Scotland] their thoughts, their first reaction is usually a laugh or at least a smile. I mean, how could the U.S. have voted for THAT guy?! The guy from The Apprentice, the guy from Home Alone 2, the guy who looks like that--as president?! But then the initial smile fades, as if the realization of what has actually happened sinks in, and the conversation usually turns a little darker as we start to wonder what the hell is going to happen over the next four years. 

Throughout his campaign, and even after he won the election, there was always this expectation that he wouldn’t actually follow through on any of the policies he threw around. He wasn’t actually going to build a wall between the US and Mexico, he couldn’t just put a blanket ban on all Muslims entering the states, surely he wouldn’t put a stop to the so-called Obamacare. Once he got in office, his policies would become diluted, or conveniently forgotten about like so many other politicians before him. It’s a well worn path; promise the voters what they want to hear, get into office then give them a watered down version, just enough to keep them happy and not severe enough to upset too many of those who didn’t vote for you. 

With Trump, it now appears that he is actually going to go ahead with some of the most divisive, hate filled and frankly, racist policies that anyone has heard of for a long time. And not only that, but this is in America, the so-called land of the free. 

I heard that there was a planned protest in Glasgow, where I live, against Trump’s ban on Muslims entering the U.S. I walked down to the meeting point after work. At least 800 people all stood around as various speakers took to the mic to give their thoughts on Trump and his policies. Unfortunately, I was a little too far away I be able to hear what was being said clearly, but from all the signs and banners which were being waved around, they certainly were not being complementary about the new president. The atmosphere though was one of hope and positivity. People were cheered as they made their speeches and in typical Glasgow humour, someone had brought their dog along wearing a t-shirt with ‘I wouldn’t dump on Trump if he was on fire,’ written down the back. 

Of all the policies which Trump has promised, it is perhaps this ban and extreme vetting of Muslims which has struck a chord with the people of Glasgow the most. Glasgow has traditionally being the most left leaning and welcoming city in Scotland. There is a proud history of immigrants being made welcome here going back generations to Irish peasants fleeing poverty, Italian families at the end of the 19th century and many Hindu and Muslim families in the 1960s and 1970s. Glasgow was also one of the first cities in the UK to welcome refugees from war torn Syria last year. They even welcomed this Englishman with open arms eight years ago! There is a saying which has been coined by the local Council and tourism board which has been used extensively over the past few years to promote Glasgow as a place to visit; ‘People Make Glasgow’, and it is so true--all people. So when we hear how the new president wants to put a blanket ban on Muslims entering the country, then we get a little upset. 

Further afield, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, has issued a petition over the weekend calling on the Prime Minister to rescind the invitation she made to Trump last week and to deny him a state visit. At the time of writing there were over 1.5 million signatures and this was growing all the time. Although I want Donald Trump nowhere near this country, I would be a little uncomfortable with the hypocrisy of denying someone entry to the UK because of their own immigration policies. I say let him come over and let’s make it as uncomfortable for him as possible throughout his stay. Show him that it is not just the people of America who are unhappy with him. 

It is not all anti-Trump though over here, though. I was scrolling through Facebook earlier this evening and saw a Facebook Live post by the right wing ‘political’ party UKIP, which was asking whether or not we should welcome Trump to the UK. You may recall their leader Nigel Farage was paraded by Donald Trump at some of his rallies leading up to the election. Although I think Donald slightly exaggerated Farage’s standing in the UK political spectrum, (having failed on at least three occasions to be even voted as an MP for his own constituency.) Unsurprisingly, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of allowing him to visit. What was most upsetting though was some of the comments on the page from people who clearly don’t see any problem with banning an entire group of people from entering the country because of their religious beliefs. “Wish he was in charge over here”, “Someone has to stand up to the Muslims”, “He is only saying it like it is” were some of the more legible comments. 

What this has shown me, though, is that there is still not only a huge gulf between those who are for and against Trump, but also that there are many, many thousands--maybe even millions--of people who think he is perfectly within his right to do some of the things that he is doing. They fail to see the racism, xenophobia, hatred, sexism and bigotry of what he is saying and see his policies as a legitimate way to solve a problem which doesn’t really exist. All the bombast and jingoism about how he can make America great again, echoes the rhetoric of Nigel Farage who talks about turning back the clock in the UK to a time when everything was great. And even though these are hollow and vague statements, it still manages to capture the beliefs of so many people that it cannot and should not be ignored. 

Going back to how I started this piece, I mentioned how there is always a hint of the absurd and comedy about this whole affair. People will joke about his hair, his permanently tanned features, his small hands, etc. And while I accept that comedy and politics go hand in hand, and he should rightly be ridiculed for some of the things he is saying and doing, this should not allow people to take their eyes off the fact that this guy is the president of the world’s only super power. This guy has the nuclear codes. This guy thinks climate change is made up. This guy believes that women are below him. This guy thinks that torture should be brought back. This guy thinks all Muslims are terrorists in waiting. And he is now in charge. 

So when I see protests like the one I attended tonight in Glasgow, and see coverage on the news of other cities in the UK doing the same, and I see the millions of people in America taking to the streets to make their voices heard, it gives me hope for the future. Keep it up America, we are with you all the way.

Why Religion & Science Are Compatible

Image Credit: The Odyssey Online 

Over the last several years, the relationship between religion and science has grown more adversarial. Lately it’s become especially polarized, and I’ve often pondered why. I was recently listening to talk by Manly P. Hall, wherein he talked about the relationship between Darwinism and creationism. Hall didn’t believe that science should be at war with religion—a sentiment echoed by the Catholic Church for many generations, and upheld by our current Pope. I cannot say that I have been particularly kind to religion in this regard, but the talk I listened to bent my ear in a new way…

In the forefront of my mind was global warming and how the scientific community has spoken at length about the realities facing our world. The time is ripe for us to do something about it. Global warming is a real danger to us, and I’m here to tell you—yes you!—Christian, Muslim, Jew, or Buddhist, or any other person for that matter: there is a philosophical basis for uniting the science of global warming with the religious ideals. They are not opposed. 

 If you are religious, global warming should be important to you. 

We are stewards of the earth as people, but also, or even especially as children of God. If we believe that God granted us this earth we should also be invested in taking care of it. If you believe that God makes miracles, what about you? Are we not ALL miracles in God’s eyes? Could it be that we the people we have waited for? If God gave us the ability to discover and reason through science, isn’t science, therefore, another form of divine intervention?

For some, it may be a radical suggestion. I know some people believe God will help save us from catastrophe (like global warming) but if He endowed us with our own answers and the ability to fix this ourselves, isn’t that the same thing? Wouldn’t that be His will as well? If you put your faith in God, doesn’t he also put his faith in you, and for that matter, our fellow men and women? And if that is the case, cannot we not put our faith in science meant to help the world?

Something my mother used to say to me when I was a child was, “Science can give us a lot of answers, but there are always mysteries.” Indeed, we live in a mysterious world, and the older I get, the more mysterious it seems. Hall speaks about how neither science nor religion can fully answer this question: how-- and more importantly WHY-- did we come to be as a human species? Both can speculate, and both can guess. But these are only hypotheses. Will there be such time when we can truly come to know our purpose as human beings (either through religion and/or science?) I don’t know. One thing that I know for certain is I hope my children and grandchildren are here to see it if indeed we ever can.

If we want the answers to our true purpose, we may have to survive a few more thousand years—and in order to do that, we may have to place our faith in one another. That is so say, perhaps religion and science only work when they are seen as two keys to the same door—one cannot fully realize itself without the other in that way that we can make intellectual decisions, but the heart accounts for a lot as well. Or, as my friend Derek Dutton says, "Science and religion are completely compatible, but mutually exclusive. Don't use religion to explain science and don't use science to deny religion."

Science doesn’t have to deny religion and religion doesn’t have to deny science. Maybe the best question we can ask ourselves is whether either one is ultimately bringing about benevolent outcomes. If I ask myself whether or not the things we could do to help our planet’s temperature regulate are good for humanity, I have to conclude, “yes.” And if that prolongs life here on earth, I have to assume that’s good for religion as well.

What do you think?

The Next Four Years {A Parenting Perspective in an Age of Political Upheaval}

When I heard that Donald Trump was going to be our President, I was not happy. In fact, I was devastated. One of the first things that went through my head, as I am sure it did for many of you who feel as I do, was "Gee, I hope the next four years go by really quickly." And then, that thought circled back and stabbed in me in the heart as I sat there, looking down at my daughter who is two and a half.

The truth is that I am not happy about our political climate. I am worried about the fact that approximately 27% of our country elected a man who 100% of us have to live with. There will be changes-- perhaps not all of them bad--but the way things are looking right now, it seems like we're in for a needlessly wild ride. Our institutions of democracy and decorum are under attack. Our press is being hogtied. And to top it off, our world representative is a thin-skinned tweeter-in-chief. The stage is set.

And yet, as worried and plausibly frightened as I am, I don't really want the next four years to fly by. I have one child. One beautiful, crazy, and very bright child, that I am having a lot of fun raising. I want to savor those moments and be able to enjoy them. I don't want to wish them away because once they are gone, they are only memories.

I know that we have to fight. I understand that it's going to be important to be abreast of the politics that are happening. But we also can't forget to LOVE. How we love is perhaps even more important than how we fight. I know that I've been a little here and there with my blog these days, but I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know what they can expect of me the next four years....

Expect some more good food. Listen, I know these past years I haven't cranked out as many recipes. But I have been cooking, I swear. I have been dairy free for a number of years now (due to lactose intolerance) and I am working on more Italian-American recipes that don't include cheese. It's been a little rough. But, when I am not coming up with new recipes on here, you can also see old posts that I will push out on my Facebook Page.

Expect more political posts. It's going to happen. I am invigorated in ways I never have been before, and I am going to need to talk about the way that effects me as a person, what we can do, and the ways in which I see the important lessons this brings up as a parent. HOWEVER, I promise to be KIND in the process. We all get fired up about this stuff, but we are all entitled to our beliefs. I intend to be accountable to this promise of remaining respectful and kind, and I hope you will too!

Expect the truth. I am truth teller. It don't care if we talking about my unabashed love of cheap sprinkle cheese or women's rights. I'm gonna be hitting you with the truth, no holds barred, no bullshit.

Expect joy! Listen, I don't care how bad things get, I have to live in a place of joy, and I hope that this is something that we can all do together. Don't surrender your happiness. Watch your babies grow and revel in it. Eat great food. Enjoy the company of others. Share IT! I say this (mostly) as a reminder to myself. I want to really embrace life, and not feel so addicted to the issues. There is a time for everything, even especially joy.

Expect action. I'm not going to exclusively be busy sitting behind my computer and telling y'all a bunch of rhetoric. I do hope the things I share will be useful, practical, and perhaps even thought-provoking. But for the love of god, I am sick of talk without the walk. I'm going on the ground in my community and helping in any way I can. Whether my friend has a baby and I bring her meals, or I working toward passing a referendum in the local school district--I'm getting in the game! Batter UP!

WHAT I ASK OF YOU: 

If you're steppin' in what I'm putting down, here is what I ask of you. Be passionate. Create your own guiding list like this (hell, share it with us, if you want to!) Engage in meaningful conversations with the people around you, especially if you have different opinions. Be respectful of others and when you interact online, be kind. Be thoughtful.

Send me topics you want to see discussed (especially if you think that your views might be different than mine!) Send me recipes you would like to see cooked. Tell me what is important to you! I want to know because as Malala says, "I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it's not, it is the story of many girls." We always share commonalities, whether we acknowledge it or not.

Let's Talk: Potty Charts

I swore that I would never be the type of parent who posted on social media when my daughter, The Bird, learned to use the bathroom. I kept that promise. And look, I get it, you're all proud and stuff, but just....no. But that doesn't mean that I didn't go through all the trials and tribulations of what parents go through when they are potty training. When your kid does finally get it, it almost feels like you wanna shout it from the rooftops (or Facebook, as it were in this digital age.)

Anyway, it took us several charts to get where we wanted to go, potty-wise. And you know, there are print outs, and suggestions, but at a certain point, I had to make up my own that worked for me and my kiddo. So, I wanted to share those charts with you and tell you a little bit about what worked and didn't work for us. We waited until after her second birthday to potty train, and I want to be clear that you've got to gage if your child is ready.

Here's what I have learned about potty training: FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION AS A PARENT.

Here's what I have learned about being a parent: FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION AS A PARENT. 

I know, I know. It's the age-old lesson we're constantly re-learning, but I'm serious. These charts I'm posting, this advice I'm doling, it's not the end all, be all. There's a lot of advice out there, but it doesn't always apply. All that being said, here's the charts and here's what worked for us!

First Chart, as you can see above, was super simple. 

What worked:

1) CHARACTERS. Oh mah gawd did characters motivate her. 

Characters on the chart, characters on the underpants. CHARACTERS, PEOPLE! 

We would say, "Hey you gotta keep Elmo dry." We really tipped the scales when we got Dorey underpants. Considering she's a fish, and we told our gal to keep her dry, you can tell that potty training is some looney business, but hey, whatever works. 

2) Fancy-ass stickers. Those jewels? Toddler crack. 

3) Prizes. We had physical prizes (lots of cheap figurines and toy cars) but what usually took the day was the ice cream prizes. And I know, some people are against food as prizes or rewards, but I'm not those people, so... 

Chart two, shown above got a little more sophisticated as we got deeper into potty training territory. 

What worked: 

1) Ditching pull ups all together (well, not during nap time and nighttime, but during the day). It was big girl undies all the way. Were there accidents? DUH. But you know what, kids like to succeed, so it was fewer than you might think. 

2) Poop was a prize every time for a while. (Yep, I just wrote that. Ugh.) Look, it must be said...kids will learn to pee in the potty long before they will be poop masters. So, just hang with it and bring wipes everywhere. 

3) Not being attached to a timeline. You guys, this chart was up a looooooong time. Because some areas took longer than others. We didn't apply pressure because you know, kids DO potty train eventually, but they have to be able to do it on their own developmental schedule. 

4) Talking up those prizes. We were shameless. 

Third (and final) chart. (Not pictured) We switched from Elmo to Daniel Tiger in the blink of an eye. But, you know, CHARACTERS. 

What worked: 

1) Half-way point markers. 

2) Taking prizes down to a bare-ass minimum. Earn it, kid! 

3) Changing the chart to fit out (new, ever-changing) needs. (i.e.- brush your teeth, dammit!)

4) Not pictured here: THE TRAVEL POTTY. Ermagerd, this thing is magic. It folds up and you can take it anywhere, from Grandma's house to the grocery store to the zoo. Hell, we took it on a trip to NYC with us! I highly recommend a travel potty to save everyone from a (pardon my french) shit storm. 

By the end of this chart, she wasn't as jazzed on the charts anymore, which I took as a sign that she really didn't need them any longer. Three charts, and probably about 2 months total and we were solid on the potty training.  Everyone will train in their own time, so you shouldn't use my kid as the measure. Some will be faster, and some slower. But overall, if you are looking for a graduated chart system and some tips, I hope you have found this helpful. If you have any tips or pictures of your own to share of charts that have been helpful, I hope you will share them here for others as well. 

Happy potty training everyone! Hahahahaha.