enough is enough

reclaiming the cunt (part 7)

When The Force Awakens, 7th movie in the Star Wars franchise, came out in 2015, a notable character was missing from the movie's action figures, resulting in #WheresRey outrage in social media platforms. Likewise, Black Widow and Gamora from Marvel were also missing from retail shelves. Eventually, Hasbro and Disney released the heroine action figure after all the protests, which ended up selling better than the other characters other than the villain (villains always outsell the other characters).

The phenomenon was based on the view that boys would not play with female action figures. When Sony's emails got hacked, it became evident that lead actresses were being paid at least 20% less than their male counterparts. [This statistic mirrors the gender pay gap in the U.S. as reported by American Association of University Women (AAUW).] With more protagonists of successful franchises like Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent led by women, this disparity highlights a systemic problem in the world. Coupled with this is the fact that actresses peak at 34 while actors peak at 51, further limiting leading roles for women during their "prime" career.

The irony is that Amy Pascal was the Sony Studios boss at the time of the hack. She defended her actions, "I run a business. People want to work for less money, I'll pay them less money. I don't call them up and go, can I give you some more?" However, she did note that women should not settle for less, "People shouldn't be so grateful for jobs." As noted in reclaiming the cunt (part 5), sometimes women are our own worse enemies, or viewed differently, can serve as the catalysts to change.

Wonder Woman decimated box office records as the highest grossing movie directed by a woman on opening weekend, as well as biggest opening in June for superhero and for Warner Brothers with the best reviewed superhero film on Rotten Tomatoes. While most superhero films rely on 60% of their audiences being male, Wonder Woman's opening weekend comprised 52% women and 48% men. Of the top 100 grossing films of the last 10 years, 44% were directed by women; yet, there are 23.8 male directors for every female one.

Elektra and Catwoman were both directed by men and were flops. Patty Jenkins also directed Monster, which resulted in Charlize Theron winning an Oscar and was the last feature film she had directed. Although "Aileen Wuornos" was not a lovable character, the movie allowed audiences to see her vulnerable side and better understand the drivers to her actions. Similarly, she portrayed Wonder Woman as an independent and strong superhero, with a vulnerability represented by tears when she was not able to save innocent people in a town. In business, it is often said that tears are a sign of weakness, especially in a woman (a study notes that 41% of women vs. 9% of men have cried in the workplace). Tears could be from joy, frustration, anger or passion. Women generally feel worse after crying at work while men feel better.

I am guilty for having shed tears at work. Early on, it was primarily from frustration, and while I have learned to hold it in so as not to give my "power" away, I recently let it dribble (stone skipping (part 4)) from compassion. I found myself trickling tears while watching the movie today. I was proud that they were able to portray a female superhero with the balance of strength and vulnerability that makes for a great leader.

"Zeus created man to be strong and wise and compassionate...It's not about what you deserve. It's about what you believe, and I believe in love.

...I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. And I learned that inside every one of them, there will always be both. A choice each must make for themselves. Something no hero will ever defeat. And now I know, that only love can truly save the world."

~ Diana of Themyscira, Princess of the Amazons 

full circle (part 5)

Someone with Saturn in Gemini supposedly has communication challenges as a child; however, this also is a person who works hard, and so can become successful in communication as an adult, especially if he/she chooses to face this challenge head on. Such communication challenges could be from speech impediments or feeling as if he/she is not listened to, especially in comparison to siblings. As one person described it, it could also be from an overbearing mother overshadowing and silencing the father, resulting in the person learning from that environment.

I did have a lisp that speech therapy helped address and given my situation with my mother (full circle (part 3)), I never felt that I was heard as a child, especially when my brother would bribe my sister to take his side in things. In a culture that is male dominated, my mother seemed to always blamed my father for her situation (e.g., married at an early age rather than focus on her career) although according to her, her parents had her marry so that they no longer had another mouth to feed. Because my dad was in the military and mechanical in nature while my mother was educated in university, she always made him feel less intelligent.

It was always sad and frustrating for me to see him not stand up for himself when she did that. It is also the reason why I stray away from relationships where either the man wants me to change him and/or someone I view as a doormat and who does not stand up for his own beliefs and decisions. Yet, my dad is the best MacGyver (third time's the charm). He could fix anything even with limited tools and/or parts. We used to have such an old washing machine because he could always fix it and at some point, my mother had to just tell him to stop fixing it so that we could get a more modern one with additional functionalities. 

He also used to buy scrap cars and fix them from scratch, only to then give it away to others, like the Mexicans who worked with him at the auto shop, who could not afford to buy new or even old cars. My mother recently told me how all the old folks at the temple rely on him to fix random things and would bring them in hoping he would be able to be their MacGyver as well. What I love about him is that even if someone did not compliment/appreciate him, he would compliment himself in a passive aggressive way with a twinkle in his eye that just makes one giggle, almost very childlike.

We always had a very unique banter and wit, teasing each other, complete with a dead pan delivery, that made strangers think we did not like each other. My cousin once told me that she thought for years that my dad and I did not like each other because we would almost try to outdo each other in insults of sorts. She clearly missed the gleam in our eyes and smile to each other when we did it. My mother almost always missed it when I was younger, and usually became an unwitting pawn in believing the things we said until I had to clue her in.

However, it took me many decades for me to realize that my father's interaction with my mother was not due to weakness. It was due to love and kindness. He picked his battles. She was usually the disciplinarian and out of my rebellion, I would push her buttons until she brought in my father to step in during my impetuousness (see an eye for an eye). I believe the last "spanking" I received was when as a teenager, I declared at dinner that I would never marry an Asian (I have many reasons for that view at the time), and wallop, I was flying over other chairs and almost hit my head on the fish tank. It wasn't until twenty years later that my mother disclosed to me that my parents had a long discussion after that and agreed that they will have to let go of their views on potential partners for their daughter, as my father's reaction really shook him (them). He has always known how unhappy she has been and his concessions for her views, discipline, etc. was his way of trying to minimize her unhappiness.

One of my biggest hopes is that one day he will get the chance to meet my dad, my first soulmate...the two men I admire and love the most. Both are MacGyvers in their own right.

Happy Father's Day, bô'! Thanks for teaching me the art of kindness.

reclaiming the cunt (part 6)

POTUS and his constituents seem to be taking America back through a time warp. With the collusion with Russia investigation, there appears to be a lot of effort in trying to make the investigation go away. If nothing unethical or illegal transpired, what is the harm letting it play out? Thou dost protest too much, me thinks.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris was California's attorney general before her current position. She is one of the few women on the intelligence committee that is investigating the Russian matter and potential obstruction of justice. She asked probing questions and cuts off individuals who are not directly responding to her questions in their attempt at blabbering "dog and pony show" as she has a time limit allotted to her.

Despite one man's attempt to note that "hysteria" is a neutral term, as Kristen Powers points out, the term is generally used in regards to women, and Senator Harris' other colleague who also asked probing questions was not equally judged as hysterical. It has been used to delegitimize women for centuries (face of the girl (part 2)). History has gendered the term, and means "of the womb" in Latin. In many of his rants, POTUS could be construed as "hysterical" yet at most, it is described as rambling.

In what one considered "delicious irony," when a man shot up a charity baseball game earlier this week, one of the two heroes, who is ultimately responsible for taking the "kill shot" and saving the House Majority Whip, is a married lesbian. Crystal Griner is part of the security detail for Steve Scalise who is anti-marriage equality for homosexuals and a known white nationalist, once describing himself as "David Duke without the baggage". 

While POTUS and many of the leaders are trying to divide us and dehumanize the other, it becomes more evident who is part of the faction that is taking us back in time with "pussy grabbing" or "hysterical women" and those contributing to the evolution of humankind (pussy riots), leaving the others in the dust. These women represent heroes to our young and future generations as well as hope for tomorrow.

face of the girl (part 5)

Periodically, there are stories about women who "trick" the men in their lives and get pregnant, primarily to use the baby as a mechanism for the man to stay with her. One of the acquaintances I know during my time in Vietnam just gave birth to a boy this week. She had been living with her boyfriend for over a year; however, they have had a toxic relationship, constantly arguing, when they weren't having sex. He has told friends that he is with her primarily for the sex. She stopped taking her birth control pills without his knowledge, and refused to get an abortion. Although she claimed that she was still on the pill to him and others, her close friends know otherwise.

Men are no less guilty of this. While all men would love to go "in the raw," the responsible ones will always double up even if their partners are covered, to not only prevent pregnancy but also STDs. Most are somewhere in between, but there are those that make a habit of sneakily compromising, tampering with or removing the condom. These men feel "entitled" to go "bareback" without their partners' consents...misogyny at its best. 

Women who experience this phenomenon tend to struggle with the conflict of the violation from something that was "consensual sex". A man in Switzerland was convicted of rape for such behavior. Yet, there are online forums where men "train" other men on best practices, offering support in the pursuit of nonconsensual condom removal during sex.

When this happened to me, I was left wondering if I imagined it as I generally get lost in the moment, which enhances my orgasms as I am generally in another world. I would like to say that it was just with an individual who was casual and just generally disrespectful and/or caught up in the heat of the moment, despite it happening more than once (reclaiming the cunt (part 3)), but it has also happened with someone I considered a very good friend, despite me providing them with condoms each time, clearly my communication that my boundary included condoms.

Each time when I discussed it with the partners afterwards, they rationalized it as it was somehow acceptable behavior because I was the only partner at the time and/or they had been tested. However, disrespecting someone's boundaries quickly makes a situation nonconsensual, and while it may not be the traditional form of rape, it is still rape nonetheless. Stealthing and sperm jacking are incredibly violating. Sperm jacking in the former situation is where both had consented to having unprotected sex, just not to procreation, and is still rooted in deception, regardless of whether the woman is left being a single mother or not. Stealthing though was never consensual to have unprotected sex.

I may have felt "icky" and confused/unease at the time, but now I have the vocabulary to realize that it was rape, unfortunately tainting something that was pleasurable otherwise.

pig in mud (part 2)

We treated the team to the suite at the Giants game last night. The client flew in from Portland and we had a few staff fly in from different parts of the states. None of them have ever had the treat of a box suite. Sometimes, it is easy to forget how special something is until you see it through the eyes of others. 

Although the Giants lost the game, the team had such a blast as it was a gorgeous sunny day for a game. As one person noted, it is amazing that we are such a tight knit team despite it being a "shitty" project. In my experience, it's usually the tough times that can make people stronger or tighter...it's usually all in the healthy habits of teamwork rather than some blame game.

Afterwards, they did not want the party to end, and we all went to Alchemist to continue the festivities. My "work wife's" significant other came to meet us, as he was going to help her carry leftovers home. Yes, unbeknownst to me, the team asked for "doggy bags" to totally "destroy" any food and beverage that was leftover. It reminds me of childhood when we did not have much money so cherished an experience by not leaving anything back to waste. It became a very comical team activity.

Being a pseudo introvert, I was drained by the end of the night by all the hosting. As I was trying to sneak out, one of our main client contacts caught me and emphatically asked, "You're not going to give me a hug and say goodbye?" Sometimes it is hard at my level to stay professional and keep things at arm's length, especially when there are periods where the client pushes back on our performance, but it did feel good to be embraced and let all the tension and stress of the last 9 months on a very challenging project wash away as water under a bridge.

My work wife (stone skipping (part 4)) and her significant other insisted that he walk me out despite my protests. I don't often get to spend time with him alone, and he took the opportunity to thank me for all my support for her over the years. They have been together for 1.5 years so he got to see the stresses of this project take a toll on her health and sanity. It was beautiful to see how genuine he was, but also how protective he is about her. He relayed to me his thoughts regarding next steps in their relationship including meeting parents. I smiled thinking that he was progressing without pressures (as she did not want to pressure him so avoided such topics). However, he stopped me and said that he was asking me. In hindsight, I am not quite sure if he was asking my opinion on his plans of introducing her to his parents or asking my permission as if I am someone important to get approval.

The two of them clearly love each other in very nerdy, socially awkward way, which makes it so refreshing to witness. She has clearly improved her confidence over the years, both professionally and personally, and in a way her significant other and I were part of that, so it felt a bit surreal to be thanking each other for the other's contribution to supporting her in a way that made each of our relationships that much stronger. They are two beautiful souls and as I told her that night, do not stick around too long at work, as it will naturally change her if she is to be successful. I'm so glad she's found the love of her life, and he his. Happiness is ...

fuse in fusion

Split is the second in a series by M. Night Shyamalan after Unbreakable and is loosely based on Billy Milligan, who was the first person to be acquitted of charges based on an insanity defense from multiple personality disorder. He had 24 personalities, separated into 'Desirables' and 'Undesirables'. Ironically, two of the Desirables ("Ragen" and "Adalana") committed the crimes of rapes and burglaries that resulted in his arrest. "Jason," an Undesirable, functioned as the pressure valve, releasing all the tension of the alters. "The Teacher" was neither a Desirable or Undesirable and was an amalgamation of all the alters, including having almost total recall of the thoughts and actions of the other personas.

Initially, when she chopped off her locks in March to showcase a new pixie cut, Katy Perry was reported as the latest woman who traded in old for a new look to shake off the baggage from a breakup (yours truly has done something similar). "There is something about a drastic cut that can feel cathartic after a breakup, like you are cutting off the dead weight and becoming lighter and freer," said Dr. Laura Berman. However, as part of her promotion of her new album, Witness, she has been live streaming her everyday life (Witness World Wide), including a therapy session, where she admitted having suicidal thoughts (code of silence (#sue, #secretsociety123)). Born Katheryn Hudson, she had a strict Christian upbringing with both her parents being Pentecostal pastors, and started her career as a gospel singer.

"Katheryn," the self and her inner child, was often hidden. 

"I'm really strong as Katy Perry, sometimes I'm not as strong as Katheryn Hudson. People talk about my hair, right? And they don't like it, or they wish that it was longer. I so badly want to be Katheryn Hudson that I don't even want to look like Katy Perry anymore sometimes, and that is a little bit of why I cut my hair, is because I really want to be my authentic self like a 100% on it. And so it hurts you know when I don't think I can...

Women don't have to be, or people don't have to be, just one thing you know? And like you can grow and I'm in my 30s now, and I'm not the same person I was four months ago. I think that's beautiful because of the re-education and evolution. I love growing. I love learning, and you know sometimes it's hard when people want you just to be like a time capsule of what you were...but it's just my journey I guess, I can't control anything else...

If people can see that I am just like them, then they can dream just as big...I've been writing songs about this so I wrote this one song for this record called 'Mind Maze,' how you know sometimes it's hard to navigate this world and I wonder if I just push the reset button and surrender to love and surrender to loving myself that like I would still be able to have all the things that I dream I could have as Katheryn Hudson. And I knew it would be a delicate balance. That even talks about that in the lyrics...

I want to be seen and heard but like I want to be seen and heard for real I guess and I think everyone wants to be seen and heard. Like people don't want to be seen and heard just because of the pictures they post on Instagram of the filters that they pick. Like that's not the head that lays down on the pillow...next to your partner. You don't get to filter. That's just real true intimacy. I think sometimes we hide behind all these things like Instagram and I do the same thing, I create this character but like it makes it so much harder to be real and intimate with people...

I'm a bit more nerdy than everybody thinks I am pinup, which means I'm just a goofball. I like to play a lot. I love humor. I like to make people laugh, I like to laugh myself. I love music...

I just learned how to hug. I always thought it was too intimate, like a sexual thing...someone's got to feel my boobs...I didn't realize that that's not everyone's intention. It's just a hug; it's just to connect, and I just learned that..." [sic]

Katheryn is 11 years old, and has not fully developed the skillsets to navigate adult relationships. She had to be responsible at a young age, so never really got the chance to be a child, hence her playfulness as she described above. This was so serendipitous as if I'm living a parallel universe (moments that matter (part 4), (wo)man in the mirror, hide 'n seek and full circle (part 8)), including her list of 5 attributes that she's looking for in a partner (the truth shall set you free) and her gratefulness for the relationships she's had (moments that matter (part 2), when it rains, it pours, moments that matter (part 4), standing taller and moments that matter (part 6)).

"I've had a lot of really nice ones and one of them in particular has been like a really amazing example of a man and you know, a gentleman. I had to push pause on that because I had to grow. I couldn't grow together because like two halves don't make a whole. One whole makes something. Two wholes make two. So I had to grow and you know I'm just really grateful for someone like him who mended my wings. I know you know hold a space for me so that I can grow and doesn't judge me even if I can be, I can judge. Sometimes I'm a little judgy but that's just my ego and my upbringing. Yeah, probably from some of my conditioning...

I may be single but I'm not really lonely. Of course, I'd love companionship. It would be amazing to have companionship because this is a wild ass ride I'm on. It's a roller coaster and I'd love to throw my hands up in the air with someone but it'll happen and I'm just creating that space right now for it to happen in the right way.

What I would love is just someone who has maybe done the work as well. Has dug deep, has pulled out whatever is not serving them in their life. They are a whole person, a healed person. That's what I want, but like I have to be that as well...

I can live my most authentic self...and I pulled an angel card two years ago and all the card said was 'authenticity'...

You have one choice...to be right or to be loved. Do you want to be right or do you want to be loved? I just want to be loved." [sic]

Similar to David Bowie (full circle (part 8)), Katheryn uses music and alter ego(s) to share her pain and ultimately, they both (used or) are using their personas therapeutically to understand their different parts better and being more conscious of their origins to choose and achieve authenticity. The Teacher is in all of us. It was brave for her to be so vulnerable to thousands of people. When she drew the angel card this time, it was...f r e e d o m!

pig in mud (part 1)

I used to be envious of couples, especially those that appear to be "in love" and happy. Early on, it was ALL couples; however, after being on the other side, at times, I learned that perceptions are not necessarily reality (reclaiming the cunt (part 5)). Somehow, that has morphed and I am not sure when it took over this year. I catch myself now smiling and feeling a sense of peace and love when I fortunately witness moments of sweetness.

Today I was so taken by a middle-aged couple on the bus that I almost missed my stop (and unfortunately, could not move my arms to capture the Kodak moment as it was such a calm state to enjoy in the now). She was seated while he was standing. Periodically, she would lean in and look down, resting her head against his belly. While that was cute, the beauty was when I finally looked up (as I had initially mistaken that she may be upset or hurt so watched her for a bit). Above her, he was so focused on looking down at her. His smile was absolutely radiant. It shone like the sun beaming through the clouds.

Regretfully, something smacked me out of my bliss, in time for my stop. As I was getting off the bus, the vision of her arms draped and wrapped around the middle of his leg was so comforting. As her foundation, she clearly felt secure ... and very loved by him. Happiness is ...

grateful deed

Today was our Impact Day. Since 1999, our firm dedicates a day a year when not only do we contribute funds to a number of not-for-profit organizations but also provide thousands of volunteers to make an impact and give back to the community at over 950 events across over 80 communities nationwide. This has also been replicated in various forms at a number of our international member firms.

Fifty of my colleagues and I spent the day helping to restore and protect the native habitat, such as endangered Coho Salmon, steelhead trout and California red-legged frogs, at Muir Beach in Muir Woods, that is the home of magnificent redwood trees. Muir Beach is rich in its own history as a part of the Summer of Love when "Buddha" started hosting parties including the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver at the nearby tavern. It was at the Muir Beach Acid Test in 1965 that Owsley Stanley, king of LSD, had his "freakout" from the sound of Jerry Garcia's guitar and afterwards started working for the group that he felt was "magic personified". 

Of course, having professionals who are used to computers sometimes become comical when they are put in situations of manual labor. One year, we had a team repaint lockers, and it did not occur to anyone to open the lockers when doing so rather than sealing them shut. It became more costly to pay professionals to come in to sandblast the lockers and repaint them, rather than just having them do it from the start. However, in the end, it is the thought that counts, and encourage the young generation in activism (pussy riots).

As the clouds cleared and the sun broke up the fog, the beach started to get more foot traffic. People, mostly those with children and/or dogs, took time to stop and thank us for clearing the invasive plants, including poison hemlock. It was great for our team to also get out of the office and enjoy nature, thereby making an impact on us.

hide 'n seek

With the hopes that herbal remedy would help find my inner child (face of the girl (part 3)), I was beginning to think it either was not going to help or perhaps there was no more residual blockages. With mixed feelings of relief and surprise, I discovered while processing a lucid dream during a session this weekend that somehow I either gravitated or subconsciously created relationships where I was hidden.

As an extension of the learning in the truth shall set you free, one of the things that bothered me about our last interaction was somehow knowing that he was avoiding meeting my friends. His time in my 'hood' have been limited in days and frequency when I did not have pre-scheduled plans that I would invite him along when in town, but in all the years, I have been in his 'hood' and had never been introduced to anyone or had interactions even on social media (11:11 (part 4)).

While I have been in relationships in the past where it made sense to keep them 'secret,' I had never really consciously thought that I, myself, was hidden. I had met family members and friends, including going on vacation with my partner and his best friend. Early in relationships, I enjoy the privacy of letting relationships build organically without the social pressures of the typical relationship escalator with outside parties constantly asking about status of relationships where the only parties that should be concerned are the parties themselves.

However, this pattern may have originated in childhood. Despite being the oldest, my parents, primarily my mother, would minimize my accomplishments, often taking the opportunity to boast about my siblings' achievements. When my parents' friends would ask them where I was going to college, they used to state some random college in NYC, until one of their friends educated them that New York University and Columbia University were top universities in the country, as well as the world. As noted in code of silence (#sue, #secretsociety123) and a minority of minorities, it was easy for my parents to be proud of children who followed the path that they wanted rather than being what they viewed as 'rebellious' so my achievements and my life were 'hidden' as some family shame. 

During my periods of working on 'getting comfortable in my skin' (reclaiming the cunt (part 2) and unanswered prayers), I hid my body behind clothes that didn't fully fit. As noted in at your service, the girl with the dragon tattoo and trifecta, I had/have a tendency to prefer anonymity or be behind the scenes. In some cases, it afforded me the opportunity to be free in my activities without societal judgments or pressures, similar to being private with my dates. It is a bit of dichotomy as I am an open book when discussing things, but in trying to protect my dates from pre-conceived judgments of others, I usually would talk about them by nicknames rather than actual names so that people do not readily connect them if and when they do meet. 

In the lucid dream, 'he' made it very clear that he is proud of us and wanted to be out but was only 'respecting' what he thought was my wishes to be 'hidden'. As part of our pact to be honest, I recently communicated to the man from the truth shall set you free and absolution that I felt 'off' about something. He suggested that we should change things up for a bit. Of course my response would be why I would refuse to do something that is fun...however, because our lives are busy, the times that we have been able to connect have been late at night. In so doing, we are inherently keeping things private and in that way, I can see how my behavior may be perceived as wanting to be 'hidden' even when the other party suggests otherwise. There is a balance between privacy, 'alone time together' and perceptions/behaviors that I may be enabling despite intentions. This would be a template I need to consciously decouple. 

It would seem as if the inner child wants to be found and SEEN.

hot as hell

POTUS has officially entered the United States into the race to the bottom. Of the 195 member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) who had signed the Paris Agreement to mitigate and finance greenhouse gas emissions issues by 2020, 148 member countries have ratified it.

As documented by the Environmental Protection Agency on its website, as of 2014, the United States was one of the top 4 countries emitting carbon dioxide gases, contributing approximately 15% of the carbon footprint (second to China at 30%) with the top 4 totaling over 55%. Despite pleas from CEOs from Fortune 100, including energy and tech giants, in the harm to the environment as well as creation of jobs from investment in clean technology/innovation, POTUS claims that his decision was to preserve jobs, contradicting his numerous budget cuts and diversion of funds that have continued to cut other jobs.

 

No longer viewed as a leader in the world economy, POTUS has swiftly categorized the United States in the pits with Syria and Nicaragua, the only other countries not signing the agreement. Both countries combined have less than 0.25% of the world's carbon footprint. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war for last few years, while Nicaragua felt as if the deal did not go far enough with no repercussions for countries who did not meet commitments; insufficiency of the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, and imbalance of accountability for larger countries like United States.

"We do not want to be accomplices to the death, damages and destruction that a 3C or 4C [warmer] world will represent. It's not a matter of being trouble makers. It's a matter of the developing countries surviving. Four degrees is not a survival track in the Sahel with the Sahara advancing. Four degrees is not a survival track for India or Pakistan with the glaciers melting in the Himalayas. Four degrees is not a survival track for Southeast Asia with the typhoons.

[The idea of] universal responsibility - [that] everyone is responsible - is a spin on historical responsibility, because everyone didn't create this problem. Nicaragua has 4.8 million tons of emissions a year, and that's 0.03% of [global] emissions. Do we feel responsible for having caused climate change? No, not at all. Are we doing something about it? Yes, we've gone from 25% renewable to 52% renewable since 2007, and in 2020 we'll be 90% renewable."

~ Paul Oquist, Nicaragua's representative at 2015 talks in Paris 

However, as in pussy riots and the girl with the dragon tattoo, his actions have incited action in others as many companies came out with stronger commitments to protect the environment. CEOs of Tesla (Elon Musk) and Disney (Bob Iger) stood firm in their threats to resign from various advisory councils for the White House. Mayors from 68 U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh, which POTUS cited when pulling out, and Houston, home of many oil and energy conglomerates, committed to and adopted the Paris accord. Exxon shareholders followed the lead of environmental activists and overwhelmingly voted for more disclosures on impact of climate change, thus forcing the company to address the business risk in the eventual decline in demand for fossil fuels.

Michael Bloomberg launched a coalition (United States Climate Alliance), which includes American cities, states, universities and companies, to negotiate with the United Nations to form its own National Determined Contribution (NDC) and has personally donated $15 million to UNFCCC.

"Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up - and there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us."

~ Michael Bloomberg 

It is for reasons like this that I stand by my write-in votes for Bloomberg as POTUS and Elizabeth Warren as his second in command. Luckily, it will take four years to completely withdraw, and Americans will have another opportunity to choose which side of history they want to be on.