A good letter today. Aside from the dark humor in the last paragraph, I am struck by this. Nothing matters right now more than the Voting Rights Bills. Nothing is more of a priority. Without fair and inclusive elections the misinformed minority will win. And the Earth will lose. If we are to address the Climate Crisis, Democrats and Independents who respect science must carry the day in every election. The Republicans have become something out of Dr. Strangelove. It's as if Peter Sellers was in Congress. (Although he did make a pretty good "President").
Chuck Schumer should make monumental history by carving out a way to remove the filibuster for the Voting Rights Acts. Only with real democracy can we make true progress on saving the planet. What could be more important?
Yesterday, my rain gauge registered 1.7 inches of rain, only the second time in three months there was enough rain to actually register. Agriculture is still the number one industry in Minnesota but this year’s drought means yields will be bad/non existent for those without big irrigation rigs-which many small to medium farms cannot afford. I saw ample evidence over the weekend of corn, soy beans and even fields of hops and barley that will provide little more than silage for livestock-provided the livestock has survived the endless heat, humidity and pest problems this weather pattern has produced. Don’t get me started on how many people have died during recent heat waves or because of respiratory or heart problems from smoke particulates from wildfires. The only good news here is that remnants of Henri will visit soon and tamp down the raging forest fires in the BWCA-I hope. My asthma is driving me nuts- and I have ample access to medical care? Oh wait, not at the moment. COVID!
The planet will survive regardless what happens in Congress but life as we understand it will not. I second your idea Bill, that Schumer needs to find a way to pass the Voting Rights Act. Without that, we cannot make progress nor work on the truly pressing problems we face. Thank you highlighting this.
One more note: during the last week, as the military has worked to evacuate Americans and Afghans from a war zone, no one has yet died. From the media frenzy, you would think hundreds, maybe thousands had been killed or maimed but the answer is none (so far). But how many Americans have died of COVID? Because of power hungry Republicans? Voting rights must be protected. Otherwise, these “pro-life” bastards will kill even more Americans. !&$#!
Sheila B, my fellow Minnesotan, you hit so many important points here! I hadn’t thought about how many, if any people have died in the Afghanistan crisis. Yet, I have seen posts and news stories of health care workers burning out, of COVID cases and hospital caseloads hitting highs worse than at any time in the pandemic. The blatant disregard for the science, the data, and the risk to the lives of their constituents by members of the current GOP is criminal. And continues to surprise me! Even though I should know better than to think any of them will have an epiphany.
It is mind boggling to me too but at least Walz/Flanagan follow the science! The media are doing a crap job, period. Creating drama where little exists and ignoring real trauma. I can just hear my Journalism advisor from the U of MN screaming from the beyond, “Back to work getting out the vote!” Yes sir. We the people. All of us this time!
Humans differ in the way we react to vaccines and Covid. One size does not fit all. Please stop demonizing people with whom you disagree. It makes you look stupid.
Are you against masks? Can you explain that stance? They are inexpensive and they save lives. I have a huge problem with anti-maskers who ignore science and data. They want to expose my children to their unvaccinated, unmasked children, who are daily exposed to their unvaccinated, unmasked selves. Anti-maskers make zero sense to me. If you are opposed to vaccines then you should be adamantly in favor of masks to protect yourself.
The Imperial Press Corpse: "But his truthfulness!" Ouside of about ten reporters, the rest of the otherwise-unemployables would serve us better as burger flippers (assuming they had the physical dexterity)
My understanding is that at least one person died after clinging to a plane that took off. At least one other person was trampled on and died(all from NPR). The problem isn’t how many have died trying to get out, but the fact that the Taliban is not unified in allowing safe passage. They have started to kill Afghanis. They suggested on NPR that they don’t want them to leave since they know how to do things to keep government going. That makes some sense to
me.
Look, Trump was a horrible president and I wake up every morning so relieved that he is no longer in charge. I have no doubt that he is deeply at fault for the chaos in Afghanistan. But this doesn’t mean that Biden may not have made some wrong calls. I only hope that we don’t see negative consequences in 2022.
You are correct Patricia. And as of earlier today, as many as 20 people are reported to have died at Kabul airport (I missed the fact that the Afghan who clung to the wheels of the plane died day one - my mistake) My point still stands - how many hundreds have died of COVID? Here where vaccines are free and readily available? As for Biden making mistakes, I’ll ask you to remember that Trump did not allow for the peaceful transfer of power and did not provide daily national security updates in a timely or acceptable manner. Trump negotiated with the Taliban. I suspect the Saudis helped because of Kushner’s and Trump’s cozy inside relationships that also did not follow national security protocols. Did Biden make bad decisions? How the hell could we know given the machinations of the previous administration? The good news is that if he did screw up, he’ll own it. The adults are back in charge- for how long is the question.
Did you see the woman and her baby who were beaten to death? As a nasty, power-hungry Republican, I believe you have failed to look at reality, science, and compassion.
How dare you demonize Republicans when Democrats are consolidating power so they can rule as the only party allowed in the U.S.
Excuse me, I think you have this place mis-identified as the Fleeceblock page were drooling morons like you congregate. I think it's called MAGA Wold - where the sky is green and the grass is blue. This is Reality world, a place you're obviously unfamiliar with.
Come now. If we don't mend our fences, some other idiot is going to get elected who wants to keep building the wall. Without civility, there is only "ization" and that doesn't make any sense.
One has to admit that Dems are incredibly bad at controlling the narrative, whereas Repubes excel at that. All we need to keep driving home is that the current GOP worldview is completely incompatible with a humane, inclusive, functioning society. "Okay, voter, do you want corporatocracy or democracy? You choose."
You couldn’t be more right on, Bill, if we don’t get voting rights right, we’re not going to have a country. The idea of these known nothings running the country is beyond comprehension. Just take a look 👀 at the maga crowds, how many of them are in the 1% that the huge tax cut benefits the most, probably less than that 1%. The intelligence level in that crowd is a clear demonstration that our education system has failed to educate a great many people, if that isn’t the case, then why in the world would so many vote against their own economic interests. Those people have no idea how to separate fact from fiction, truth from outright lies. The Democrats have some culpability here, the teachers unions are overwhelmingly Democratic and they are the ones that have educated those same people. How can they get through high school, and from the looks of them, that’s as far as they got in the education system, without being able to see where the truth lies. There is such a thing as the truth. WTF 🤬
I find it incredulous how many screaming maniacal mothers showing up at school board meetings. Putting the health of their own kids on the line, for WHAT? Oh yeah, their CHOICE!
Lynn, I agree! I want to be at one of those meetings and ask the anti-mask parents, “do you make your kids where seat belts? Or do you object because they should be free to move about the vehicle while the car is in motion? Masks are like safety belts. It’s not just about your driving or other drivers, it’s that plus the road conditions and the weather and the auto mechanics. Safetybelts save lives. Masks save lives. The science and the data prove that masks save lives.” Some of the screaming parents sound insane to me.
What I ask them is “why are you yelling with your child by your side? Is that how you want your child’s teacher to speak?
Calm the “f” down. Yelling like that adds 10 years to your face.”Honestly, it is not until the last sentence that there is a moment of pause on their part.
If there is one thing I learned clearly in 35 years of teaching the little ones is that when a parent disses or complains about a teacher in front of their child, it creates a real problem in the relationship of that child in relation to school. Feel what you want, but keep it from your child. Most of them adore their teachers, and to cause chaos is to harm your child.
Totally agree. I would not continue a conference with students or younger ones in the room if the meeting got contentious and parent was choosing to rant.
My dad died in Mississippi last century, so IDK if he would be an anti-masker, but it is likely. My last visit with him in 1987, he was driving his pickup truck and I was looking for the passenger side seat belt that was tucked away. He saw this & told me I didn't need to put it on because MISSISSIPPI DIDN'T HAVE A MANDATORY SEAT BELT LAW. So, I was supposed to be comfortable riding with a man driving with a pig valve and pacemaker in his heart?
Tough memory, Rob. I feel for you. We may at least smile thinly that some of us have them as memories of a past, and were (somehow) able to escape the local cultures not of our choosing in which we were embedded for a time. I've been trying to understand my own journey and appreciate the key people and events that carried me into my present mindset. Is there anything about such experiences that can be generalized? If there is, perhaps it can be somehow taught.
Oh, but it's too much control as one of my ex-classmates in Indiana told me yesterday. I expect she watches Fox because I don't know how anyone could be tuned in to nightly news elsewhere and see all the full ICUs, the medical personnel begging people to get vaccinated and telling of their anger and exhaustion, and the data on how the it's mostly the unvaccinated who are filling the hospitals....and dying. Our governor just expanded the mandate on masks yesterday and sure enough, there was a post on Next-door about dictatorship within hours. I deleted it because I don't want to debate every internet medical "expert."
I always find the connection to trumpism in these so called protests. Usually in comments on FB posts and our local paper. Push them enough, and they blurt out their alliance with our ex president.
As a school librarian for 22 years, I always started my online research unit with “I could create a website stating that the moon is made of green cheese, citing “studies” that support my claim. There is no law or rule against my doing that.” I would go on to talk about sources, currency, etc. I also cautioned them about choosing only the top three or so hits in a search, with a discussion of how Google chooses the first ones to appear. Most teachers have done what they can, but between the reach of social media and a significant lazy streak among many students, it’s like pushing a boulder uphill.
A significant factor has been the growing lack of respect for teachers, including a lack of support from parents. In the mix is the onslaught of massive standardized testing and the constant blame of only the teachers for the poor scores. We don’t hear blame of the parents for not insisting homework be done or that the student behave in class. We don’t hear blame on all the cutbacks in funding for public education or the poor quality of textbooks that cater to Texas. As the cost of testing has climbed, more of school budgets are paying for that (and all the computers needed now that they’re online), less is available for support staff like librarians and counselors, or field trips or science kits. With the testing focus on language arts and math, science and history have gotten lost at the elementary level, so students go to middle school without a basic foundation.
And now, at the beginning of the school year, news broadcasters are lamenting the shortage of teachers. Who wants to take a job where you’re underpaid for the level of education required, and also blamed for student failures and half the problems in society?
The dark humor in the last paragraph got me off to a good start today. Since Biden’s success in the 2020 election, my righteous indignation response has cooled to a “so there!” I hope the victims of Covid working to invalidate the election results will recover enough to have an epiphany and pay attention to more constructive business.
Those that dont vaccinate or mask. Those that dont believe there is a climate crisis. Those who dont want all eligible voters to vote. You guess which party they may belong to.
I’m so glad the military is moving so quickly and that the infrastructure bill has passed. I hope the Senate passes it too. So much effort by the Biden Administration seems to get lost in the mess that is our media these days.
Despite Biden Administration’s extraordinary efforts and with all that needs to be fixed in America, I am ashamed to feel frustrated with past and present government that seems to be ignoring my generation - or at least it seems that way from my point of view.
Ronald Reagan’s economic framework began a few years before I graduated high school and I’ve been stuck in its results ever since.
I sink lower and lower in the economic class system every year despite being a college graduate and a hard worker. I’ve worked hard for over 25 years for the same company, but I can never retire because I could never put more than minimum into 401k and still pay my bills. Salary increases get lost in the rising cost of healthcare (and at least a certain amount of employer selfishness). I haven’t had so much as a cost of living increase in almost nine years.
I don’t want or need a handout, but I wish:
-that there was a way to have decent & affordable living in my area (safe enough that I can get from my car to my door without fear, no cockroaches or mold, and my “kitchen” includes a normal sized refrigerator & oven which are at least more than 20 feet away from my bed), because I see living in a van in my future. Single people, particularly women, get punished financially if we don’t earn 100,000/yr, we’re considered low income in the housing world. Minimum monthly rent in my area is at least $2,000/mo (not including parking, maintenance, or utilities) and I can’t even get close to that. I’d move out of state, but my field requires living near airports which usually has expensive cost of living no matter which state. I’d consider changing careers, but I am middle aged and would surely go down in pay.
-that there was a way to retire and not get stuck living on the streets.
-that there was a way to get out of credit card debt without having to live in a van before it’s necessary for a couple of years.
There are a lot of people around my age dealing with the same things and it’s a serious problem that I don’t see being acknowledged. I’m afraid the Reagan’s Rejects group within Generation X is doomed. I just don’t want us to become an expensive problem the government (and taxpayers, God forbid) have to deal with when maybe some smart people can help work on things with taxes, employers, and housing developers, etc to help turn this around.
I am really sorry for dumping my worries here when so many others in America and around the world are suffering terribly.
I’ve gone for therapy (still paying off the bills) only to find out I don’t suffer from Depression although I do get depressed. I have anxiety, more than anything else, but medication is out of the question.
I considered Debt consolidation but found it is a death knell in this economic environment and has been to some degree since before the pandemic.
I tried to see if I could live with family until I pay down debt to a manageable level (about a year), but situations made it not possible.
I used to work two jobs until I acquired chemical sensitivities.
So I just keep getting up and putting one foot in front of the other and working at things.
But like I said, this isn’t only about me. There are lots of us in same situation and I’m hoping it gets recognized and addressed to avoid a larger crisis in the future.
Depression and anxiety are valid responses to a depressing situation that creates anxiety about the outcome. People who don't get depressed and anxious nowadays probably aren't paying attention.
The problem, Diane, isn't that Lisa needs financial-planning help. It's much sadder than that. It's that a quadrant of the baby-boomer generation (my people) has gotten us in such an economic predicament that the "trickle-down" consequences are already painfully apparent in the lives of the millennials. Greed and avarice, which burst on the scene with the sainted/tainted Ronald Reagan, have made life impossibly difficult for many of our own children and nieces and nephews. College debt, costly health care, end of pensions, blood-sucking corporations, miserly employers -- the younger people don't stand a chance. We really need to help them fix this mess.
Many, possibly most of us Boomers are also hanging by a thread. I do not adhere to the overly simplistic and totally inaccurate Blame from the Millennials meme. (I doubt that many Millenials do either.) It is the Reaganomics fans, Milton Friedman uber-capitalists, and self-serving wealthy (almost all are white males) of all ages who squarely have produced this sad, life-denying phenomenon.
And forget subsidize senior housing. You can put your name into most of them and get lucky if they call you within 10 to 15 years. There is not enough housing for this generation moving forward. Cold stop.
SLWeston, I completely agree we have a structural problem that individuals alone can’t repair. I was in no way blaming her.
I’ve lived in deep poverty. My only child developed type I diabetes when she was two. Living on minimum wage as a single parent with no medical insurance was a nightmare. Getting her medical care through county assistance programs was a full time job. My own severe asthma was another barrier to health insurance.
We only survived through the kindness and help of friends. One paid for my real estate license and mentored me that first year. Another helped me buy a reliable used car. It changed our lives and I’ve done my best to pay in forward.
My hope was that Lisa might find such help in her circle of friends. I’ve walked in her shoes and feel her pain.
Wow, Diane, does THAT ever anchor your comment in rich context. Thank you for sharing that. I so appreciate and admire your having had the dignity and humility to accept help from your friends, to build your life on it, and then resolve to share that kindness as best you can.
Stories like yours just thrill me, Diane. Isn't this just how communities, how life should work? Making connections, helping each other, honoring the help we've received by passing it on? You have made my day.
Do I feel a committee coming on? I’m not a leader but I’m a great follower! Should we sit back on our thumbs and just let this happen to us and other generations or is it time to open our mouth’s and make our voices heard?
I have a sister in the same rut. Working in child care, barely making $33K/year, 52 yrs old, grown son in college, divorced, husband reneged on alimony years ago and she cannot afford to fight him, no way up and few options out. She found a small one bedroom for $975/month in a dicey neighborhood. She is making it. But would love to have some to save for her future and for her son.
I am so glad that you wrote this, Lisa. Squeaky wheels on serious issues need to be heard. If not for the grace of something all of us could be in the same position. I have been thinking as I help older friends look at senior housing and how ridiculously expensive it is. I loved visiting my grandmother's expensive senior community in Irvine, CA and wished I could live there. I was too young and the costs were exorbitant. Why can't we create or extend Habitat for Humanity to build build communities tiny houses with communal areas for our aging population and for low-income persons? The smaller footprint is essential for to cope with inequality and and low pay and will help with climate crisis. Or converting the rising defunct malls and business buildings into senior and low income housing. Corporations that make profits that stink to high heaven whilst their employees have to live on food stamps and/or Medicaid is truly unconscionable. They need to pay a living wages that promote dignity as their workers age. Corporate America has run amuck and failed our people. They have swung too far on the capitalist pendulum greedily drooling for more. We need to demand social responsibility on corporations that make obscene profits at the cost of our society. Take all those gigantic political donations and lobbyist payrolls and invest in our people and communities instead.
Lisa, I do think, until my fantasy is realized, it is good to pool money with other people to share housing. I do not agree it is good to live in a van, unless you are healthy, live in a warm climate and can migrate with the seasons. You may need to contact a social worker who can help you with things like Section 8 housing or programs in your area to help people in your situation. Take heart and keep sharing your plight with people in your area. Our little village here in VT has two living places for those who cannot afford much housing. They have to qualify and include veterans, people on disability, and low income people who appear to be mostly middle aged to elderly. We also just built another apartment complex for young families because available, affordable housing and jobs here are compromised. Wishing you success-- you had the guts to write here, that indicates you are willing to reach out, which I encourage you to do locally and wish you the very best.
Habitat For Humanity is very compelling. I think of the Carters. But it's an inefficient and expensive way to provide housing. The benefits of high quality, industrially produced modular and manufactured homes using the benefits automobiles have from quality control, small tolerances which make better fits, and a much lower price than if every auto was built in your driveway by volunteers. There are a LOT of people to house.
Yes, just an expansion of the idea of HFH using more efficient means for multi-housing. There is also a huge wave of more affordable tiny houses or apartments, using recycled materials such old buses, 18-wheeler pods, and trailers. A lot of young and retiring people are creating homes on wheels in very imaginative and very cheap ways. We need to use our imagination to make this happen. I wish I had more time and financing to work on things like this. Saving our democracy is at the forefront at the moment...
It would be sooo easy and efficient for the government to throw box houses up, rows and rows of them, for people who’s financial situation is slipping away ( that’d be me). So so easy. They do it in natural disasters inside of a week. But no they won’t because theyre too focused raking in the dough from big pharma and there vaccines. It’s far more lucrative for them than building reasonable housing for people who are 1 foot from the street.🥾
Great ideas. It’s sadly not possible in our lifetime, but I have hope for future.
FYI: It is rarely possible for chemically sensitive individuals to share living quarters (which is why van is in my future). The chemically sensitive community all have varying levels of sensitivity and varying chemical triggers. Most are too sensitive to work outside the home and some literally cannot even live inside a home.
Many of us tried to pair up, but learned the hard way that one of the hazards is if one party seriously declines and can’t work, the other person sharing a space is going to be responsible for all costs and for nursing roommate back to good health if it is possible.
Everyone in the community live so precariously that we fear sharing space with others. Non-chemically sensitive individuals generally can’t understand the illness and can’t live the necessary way needed to share space with chemically sensitive person.
This is a really difficult situation for a specific population's needs. I am so sorry-- a van does sound like the right thing for you. I lived in a vanagon and on boats for a couple of years. I loved it and the freedom. The whole world can be be your front yard. And there are campgrounds that are not expensive to rent space in. Sharing showering facilities might be problematic for your chemical sensitivities.
I think you are much more informed about your situation and are teaching me that I do not know a lot about the home life and aging of chemically sensitive individuals. Thanks for writing the community here.
I have also lived in my Vanagon for months at a time. While I do well in such a situation, I cringe to think of the impact it may have on other less adapted types.
Just the smell of dryer sheets makes me literally sick, that and perfume, scented cleaning products etc. That so many people don’t know yet that all of these things are basically poison and sit in the brain and the liver is beyond me. Shame on these companies, shame on the government for not banning these horrible chemicals. People, you are selling your children up for horrible diseases in their lifetime if you keep putting clothing on them that you use dryer sheets with. This is not a joke. One scientist said that wearing clothing with dryer sheets and centered laundry detergents on them is actually worse than smoking cigarettes.
People don’t realize how bad many of the ingredients are. Plus, an ingredient is only tested in a particular amount under certain circumstances. The test doesn’t account for when person uses multiple products containing that ingredient. For example, testing for a common fragrance ingredient, won’t account for 70 people wearing 12 scented items containing that ingredient all stuck in an office for 7-10 hours a day, 5 days a week etc, year after year.
Buyers just assume they’re safe, but really, they’re sneakily classified as GRAS/GENERALLY Recognized As Safe, (for most and only under the specific circumstances used for testing).
There’s a decent App called Think Dirty - you scan a cleaning / body care product bar code and if it’s in their database, the ingredients pop up with ratings. And if you click on the ingredients, it tells you a lot about it like what it does and how it affects the body.
We’ve all seen the misinformation/disinformation campaigns and the political game playing. They got a lot of tactics from Advertising & Marketing practices.
Look what Trump, Death Santis, MTG, et al have done for themselves and their political party, do people really think manufacturers lie, cheat, or endanger any less? Advertising & Marketing hides a lot of sins.
Thank you. It is embarrassing to be in such a position and admit it, but I only brought it up because it’s likely going to have greater impact on America in the next 10-25 years.
Lisa, risking vulnerability to tell your story is an act of courage. And sometimes it even helps us to see our own stories more clearly. You are a survivor against terrible odds. Thank you.
Why does a Roommate have to be a woman ? I had a Roommate for 20 yrs that was a guy who just happen to not know how to clean house, or cook, or do laundry or anything else he really just didn’t like to do. I paid $250.00 a month rent . As it turned out we became best friends. He dated , I dated .We had each others backs on everything. If you have an agency that hooks up roommates, does background checks etc. And you mentioned you live close to an Airport.You just might be what a single Pilot is looking for. 2. Not sure who you work for or how you are to request a raise ? But Do It ! The worst that can happen is a denial. 3. Take a day off, go to public and private ( A good charity is the Catholic Charity ) but check your area for any Gov help and charity, $ you can save on food put on that CC payment. We have a ‘Sharing Center here ‘ they will often pay some or all of high electric or water bills. Catholic Charities often will also. There is food pantries also. 4 The best medication for anxiety is simply Breathing. Ever notice women who are big belly PG and they are standing and rubbing the sides of their belly’s in circles. That is not just a thing PG woman do. It has a purpose. It calms the baby and the CB mom. The good news is you don’t NEED to be PG to do it and men can do it also. Just let it all hang out baby and just Breath. We women think we have to hold our belly’s in . I took a friend to get help here once. There was a long line. Everyone was anxious , moody, irritable. So I got everyone in line to do it. They were laughing, smiling and calm in minutes. When it was my friends turn at the counter the worker looked at me and said “ Thank you , can you stay all day ?”. True story. We make ourselves anxious. We can make ourselves Unanxious as well. Try it ! So now you have things to do.❤️🦋
I don’t care if person is male, female, or transitioning. Roommate is highly unlikely for me as most cannot comply with needs of chemically sensitive individual.
I only go to places if I have to. Substitute covid germs for problem chemicals and you might see why leaving safe space other than to work or get groceries is a problem.
The biggest difference between germs and chemicals for me is that catching covid upon exposure is not guaranteed but exposure to problem chemicals both causes immediate reactions and cumulative ones, which can have more serious impact later. Cumulative chemical burden is like cumulative financial debt, one wrong move and you can go down hill for a lonnnnng time.
Okay so that’s out. But make contact with any /all types of organizations . My mom always said “The squeaky wheel gets the grease .”Maybe the Sensitivity thing can work in your favor with you’re Dr.s help.
This is true. I live my life avoiding those toxic chemicals. I can’t even be near people who use dryer sheets on the clothing because they make me sick.
Why we need the Reconciliation Bill to be as full packed as possible. We're sick of "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness being reserved for the most among us. Providing for the general welfare should not be limited to a luck few but instead include everyone.
I hear ya sister!! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I came from a middle-class family (Back in the day when middle class meant you were average). When I got divorced my husband decided he didn’t need to pay me child support so I supported both of my children working sometimes three jobs. I am now 71 years old and still working with no end in sight. I enjoy working but I don’t enjoy stressing Thinking about being 80 and 85 and 90 and 95 and still having to work. I feel like the guy swimming away from jaws in the movie hoping he would make it to the pier before the worst happened. It’s not the American dream my folks grew up believing in. It’s a nightmare to be in this dynamic never knowing when the other shoe will drop.
I’m so sorry. I wish you all the best plus winning lotto.
I’m praying my brains stay functional enough not to get pushed out of my job and i can see myself crawling across my job’s icy parking lot in winter so I don’t break a hip.
Furthermore, I wish no one ever had to get old, sick, injured, or die. I think Heaven should just send a fancy letter telling someone they have 6 months on their current plain of existence, that transportation will be arranged, no need to pack, and provide a list of suggested people to with whom we should make amends.
The letter should include the reminder to write a will and, ideally, set up a trust. Both will minimize the pain and unneeded expenses of handling the deceased estate. A simple handwritten will with signature & date on each page would serve the purpose equally well (holographic will).
My good friend has been dealing with the sudden death of a cousin who died intestate. She would normally be the primary inheritor but probate court requires (at least in California) a kinship search to determine if there are other relatives within a defined kinship relationship with whom the $3,000,000+ estate must be shared. A big chunk of that estate is going to the probate process (attorneys, court documents, etc.).
I’ve had all that stuff taken care of as a single woman since I was in my 40s and I keep upgrading it all the time. I have a friend who I keep telling she needs to get a will and she just says I don’t have anything that’s fine my son will know what to do. And I say he won’t have the space to grieve the loss of you because he’s going to be dealing with paperwork for months if not years. But she doesn’t listen.
Sad. Somehow she needs to understand the actual $$$ costs for probate of an intestate deceased. Not only will any value of her small estate be eaten up by the process and attorneys but it may well affect her own son's financial resources. All she needs to do is handwrite, sign and date a simple statement that all she owns goes to her son (or divided among siblings if there are others). Costs only pen & paper. Sign and date (each page if more than one). Holographic wills (a will in the handwriting of the deceased), my attorney told me, are just as legal as a will drawn up by an attorney.
I am 87 and, in the Congo, put my life on the line for my country. This was when various Great Society laws were passed, including Medicare and the 1965 Voting Rights. The 1970s and early 1982s were a dismal decade of the Rust Belt, staccato recessions, unemployment of over 10%, and interest rates of 20%. I applaud the bipartisan, sensible tax reform law of 1986 and the upturn under Clinton, despite the newt (Gingrich).
What has greatly distressed me subsequently is how the Republicans have steadfastly pursued policies that favor big corporations and the wealthiest citizens, while seeking to block benefits that would serve the needs of the ‘99%. The Federalist Society has contributed to the increasingly retrograde court justices, especially in the Supreme Court. The Big Lie, ‘false facts,’ and systemic reduction of voting rights are hallmarks of the erosion of the America that I would like my grandchildren would inherit.
President Biden has a limited window of opportunity with his infrastructure bill and the $3.5trillion proposed investment in human infrastructure. If the Democrats can’t quit their bickering and press the pedal to the metal, 2013 could see us bemoaning this lost opportunity.
While the traditional infrastructure has been crumbling slowly for 60 years, it's easy to see and straight-forward to fix. The soft (human) infrastructure is even more important and in more dire need of repair. That the moderate, no call them what they are, conservative Democrats would try to rathole the big bill incites me to want to riot.
Having the triad of Biden-Pelosi-Progressive Caucus on the same page gives me tingles and memories of LBJ's Great Society and FDR's New Deal.
You're absolutely right Keith, this is their last and only shot. If they take it and succeed we could see a radical transformation across the country. If they don't it's going to be hell.
So true, and now evictions are ramping up. I just got a call soliciting me, and no doubt many other Realtors, to sign up to handle coming foreclosures. Somehow, this doesn’t feel good.
The house my father purchased in 1951 for 13K began to increase in value in the 80’s, when it was worth $80K. By the early 90’s it was worth $200K. It is now worth $500K. My father put $50 down on his house. Today you would have to put $125K down. Part of all this is because of Changes to banking laws, part of it to the rather new notion that the American dream means owning your own home, doIng whatever it takes to pay for the house. The price of land has gone up so much that unless a builder puts up a big expensive house he can’t make enough money to pay for the land. Small houses can’t pay for themselves. Rents have gone up accordingly. We would need a new version of the GI bill to produce decent, affordable houses, gov’t purchasing land at a low price so that small houses would be profitable. These would be entirely new communities, new versions of Levittown. They might take advantage of new building methods, off site modular construction, etc., to lower costs. You need a visionary and a state that is losing population to pull this off. There are also floor plans designed for housemates, not families.
It would give rise to more tenements, I think. Too much greed and not enough space in the most likely areas that can do this.
I think if America had a National Healthcare system, so many people wouldn’t have to live on top of each other to work at jobs which offer benefits. Businesses also might not need to be location dependent.
Affordable housing for single, middle class people and low income families could then be spread out into every community rather than mainly densely populated areas.
You've touched on the truth, Kara. The issue isn't more affordable housing. It's housing, period. All housing should be affordable and a human right, rather than carving out the needy. Let's face it, this is a quintessential American issue, which is strongly rooted in racism. "White flight" resulted in suburbia, while fear of the poor and needy divided whites from one another, too. We have a bad case of escapism from one another. I once lived in Costa Rica (now filled with enclaves of wealthy white retirees) where upper-middle-class homes commingled with humble one and two-bedroom wooden "casitas" to comprise small neighborhoods. CR is not free from social issues by a long shot, but there weren't the false divisions and ever-increasing housing prices just to get to preferential racial and economic segregation.
I would have done that years ago, but I suffer from chemical sensitivities and fragrance chemicals (which are in everything targeted at women) are a bad trigger for me. I get systemic reactions and there is no treatment other than avoidance.
That’s what I would love to do. Buy a big old house somewhere sorta remote, Gardner and try to become as self sufficient as possible. At least we would all have each other because living alone at 71 years old does not give me the warm fuzzies. If anyone is interested let me know! I’m not kidding!
My GenZ daughter has informed me that, instead of speaking of "climate change", we should be referring to "the climate crisis". Given the state of things, I'd say the young people have it right.
They are remarkably prescient. My 12 and 14 y/o granddaughters are always setting the papa straight on the issues. It's one positive from their faces too often buried in their phones. A lot of it comes from good YouTube. I'm constantly amazed with their ability to sift out the wheat from the chaff. Gives me hope.
Yes, here in State College PA the are handling the pandemic better than the adults. They wear their little masks so the pandemic can be over and they can get back to inperson learning. I feel for the dear children in TX , FL, and other states who really can’t handle wearing a mask in school. Our kids will also likely get vaccinated when available. So simple to do the right thing. We’re facing a perfect storm in so many ways now, all or most preventable. A big issue for me
With me, Christine, it is my 5 grandchildren, from 11 to 21 years old. Last week they gave me a pretty much HCR explanation of what they see going on in the US and around the world, ending with how they think things will work out. Their conclusion based on news they hear, school studies, international gaming friends: Very rocky and uncomfortable for quite awhile, then "everything will be ok". I say, I will take it!
Meanwhile, back on the ranch - not to change the subject - just redirect our attention to reality on the ground so easily obscured by all these other critical concerns ...:
Right now, the U.S. Senate is reviewing HR 1374, a law that would give federal funding to states to protect so-called “critical infrastructure” — like pipelines. The federal government must protect its people, not give states the license and money to further criminalize water protectors. Defend our First Amendment rights to protest and speak truth to power. Tell your senators: Vote NO on HR 1374!
Today, water protectors from Standing Rock are still being prosecuted, and — in the troubling cases of Ruby Montoya and Jessica Reznicek — they’re still being labeled as terrorists. Because we cannot allow this dangerous precedent to be used against more people who care for our Grandmother Earth, we’re going to help defend Ruby. Our struggle against the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) didn’t end at Standing Rock in 2017, and it won’t be over until every water protector in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system is liberated.
In 2017, Ruby and Jessica engaged in a direct action that damaged an empty section of DAPL’s pipe. Jessica was recently found guilty, given a “terrorism enhancement,” and sentenced to eight years in prison. Ruby’s fate now hangs in the balance as her trial approaches. With litigation support from Lakota Law and the National Lawyers Guild, Ruby is going to fight. Her next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 1.
As Ruby says in this new video produced by our team, humanity is going through a reckoning. In the future, no one will fondly remember the names of corporations that represented the status quo; instead, many people will only wish they had fought harder to protect life on this planet. Nobody who takes a stand to stop extractive destruction should ever be charged with a felony, much less be labeled a terrorist.
Ruby told me that Jessica has never even held a weapon in her hands, and at one point she was considering entering a monastery. And Ruby is a Waldorf School teacher, who vividly remembers kids in her classes crying and losing sleep because Australia and the Amazon were on fire. Ruby’s resistance, like my own back in 2017 that earned me a felony charge, has been motivated only by a desire to give the next generations a destiny they can believe in.
Nothing any of us did comes close to a level of governmental coercion necessary to justify a terrorism enhancement. It’s fallacious to suggest we have that type of power. If the government is being coerced by anyone, it’s the fossil fuel barons who buy politicians to protect their profits. Ruby was invited by an Indigenous community to protect water and help safeguard sacred lands. She showed up. Now, we will have her back, just like she had ours. Please stay tuned as we continue to fight to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.
I have some sense of how most of us humans have forever wanted be fruitful and multiply by aggression, moving into “new” lands, extracting resources from the ground ( people, trees, water) then progressing to under the ground (mining) and finally deep under ground (fossil fuels). Will the frontier of extraction be clean air? Yes Progress was made, wealth and power too, with economic and social benefits for workers ( if not enslaved), technology advances, etc. but at what cost?
Sometimes I feel progress is not so great after all. Never said that aloud let alone shared online because it sounded misanthropic. But this HCR forum feels safely like kindred spirits.
Thanks to the courageous women who intend to protect the Earth, like we Judeo—Christians were instructed to do in the Torah and Old Testament.
A great deal depends on how one defines "growth" and "progress". Even "profit" has a variety of definitions not all of which are adverse to improved quality of life.
The GOP ALL voting against voting rights infuriates me.
May the evacuations from Afghanistan continue, and may people start to realize that when people start wars, ending those wars is unlikely to be neat and tidy. Maybe if the end were factored into the original decision, fewer wars would be waged.
All of this adds up tp show government can "Git 'er done". Like everything it's up to the media to just report the reality of the situation ad not the meme du jour.
It should be a felony to mess with voting rights in a democracy, or mess with our post office and terrorize our election systems and Capitol. So why are these repubs still in office still obstructing democracy? How the heck can anyone create bills to mess with voter's right? That should be against the law across this land. I thought we had certain "inalienable rights" as citizens. WTFetch?
“Another demonstration of that security came today when two Representatives, Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Seth Moulton (D-MA), took it upon themselves to fly to Kabul, unannounced ("’to conduct oversight on the mission to evacuate Americans and our allies,’" Moulton’s office said).”
I would not say this was a demonstration of “security” but showboating put on by Moulton and Meier that was totally irresponsible. Thank God Moulton’s presidential aspirations and attempt to oust Nancy Pelosi as speaker were crushed early. IMO, he is woefully unqualified to the task as a representative. Just another disappointing “politician” grandstanding for personal recognition.
The only reason I would wish Moulton was my Rep, would be to vote for a challenger. I'm disgusted by his behavior. Not only is he grandstanding in Afghanistan and utilizing transportation and security resources needed by others, but he's also not in his seat doing the job he was elected to do.
Yes, he is not doing his job. He’s a jackass! Back on the home front, 89% of the $46.5 billion emergency rental assistance program has not been allocated! What the hell is he doing running off to Afghanistan?! And, now there are all sorts explosions at the airport - certainly not unexpected!
“Regardless of what they discussed, it seems to me a sign that the U.S. feels secure enough about the safety of Kabul to risk sending the country’s top spy there for a parley.”
“Each of these major news items shows a remarkably effective political party, especially since the Democrats are accomplishing as much as they are while—with the exception of a handful of Republicans willing to sign on to the bipartisan infrastructure package—Republicans are doing all they can simply to stop the Democrats.”
Great points. Also the most succinct update I’ve seen on the Arizona cyber ninja fiasco.
I agree with you but even this morning the major news organizations are reporting the “disaster” in Kabul. I had to mute Ian Panel on Good Morning America” today. All he could relay was doom and gloom. I’m disgusted.
The airlift removing Americans and Afghans who worked for them from Afghanistan will go down in history as one of the most successful such operations carried out by any government, anywhere. Opponents of President Biden and the Democratic (not Democrat) administration will call it a failure, but that it definitely is not. That is just grist for the mills of lies one hears on Fox News, Newsmax and on social media.
Several points come to mind which cause me to think of it that way, in my opinion.
(1) Although it is unspoken, the Taliban recognizes our ability to bomb the crap out of their forces anytime that we wish and they do not need that to happen. They want to devote their energies to establishing some sort of Islamic government in Afghanistan and bombs falling on them at this point is not in their interest. Neither would foreign economic sanctions, particularly in finances, be conducive to their setting up a government. We, of course, will have no love for whatever government they establish, but it will be better than the corrupt excuse for a government which evaporated as soon as it found out that the United States would no longer be its crutch or wheelchair, and which begged us not to leave sooner and start evacuations earlier. At least we know where the Taliban is coming from. And they know what we are capable of.
(2) The Taliban has two prime enemies, and right now, the United States is not one of them. In fact, we can be helpful to them in dealing with these two enemies. They fear opposition from those inculcated with America’s democratic ideas over the past twenty years. Leadership to rally around to oppose the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan would come from that group. They recognize that the United States is removing as many of these Afghans as possible from the country, taking away the leadership of possible opponents to their rule. In that sense, they approve of the continuing airlift. You won’t hear about it, but it may quietly continue after any announced deadline. It is in their interest to not have these ‘dangerous’ people remaining in Afghanistan.
(3) There is another group they fear. It is ISIS-K, an Iraqi based terrorist group which is far more extreme, and bloodier, than the Taliban. They have established roots in Afghanistan and would be more than willing to use that country as a base from which to launch terrorism against the West, particularly the United States. In doing so, they would overthrow and replace whatever government the Taliban establishes, by violent means if necessary. I don’t expect there to be any publicity about it, but in my opinion, the United States might be helpful to the Taliban in destroying, or at least defanging, ISIS-K in Afghanistan. In that sense, we would be allies against a common foe. As it has been said, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' At least temporarily.
Keep an eye open for sentences or so which might slip into news reports which touch upon these points.
David Leonhardt, who writes the NYT's "The Morning" newsletter today discussed whether the evacuation could have been less "messy." After quoting several experts, he concluded that "a clean solution probably did not exist." So, enough already with the whining. At last count 70,000+ have been evacuated without an American death. And, as Heather pointed out previously, we only rescued 7,000 in the fall of Saigon, to which this episode is being compared (ad nauseum).
Concerned that the Taliban is reportedly blocking exit of physicians, engineers, and other educated Afghanis. They fear a "brain drain" of the country's brightest who would be helpful in establishing their new regime. I haven't been able to research whether or not this is true.
I want votes to mean something. I want the rights of the citizens of this country to not be trampled by a minority who can filibuster those rights away. Am I asking too much?
You are not asking for too much, Pam. We are asking for too little. In fact, no citizen should have to ask at all for their right to vote. Or for that. vote to count.
Pam, I guess I need a toadstool, too. I agree with a7i… the more I read about the history of voting and the suppression of such, the more displeased I become.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Yesterday I tried to provide a link of MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's The Last Word, only to find that it soon became "unavailable." Our friend Nancy Wilson (Tokyo, Japan) sent this YouTube link. Thank you, Nancy! Slide over to about minute 15:15 for the coverage on Afghanistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0faolARWBo
Morning Lynell, morning all. As long as the coffee is good. One of the most profound cultural changes in America in my adult life is reflected in advent of Expresso machines in even the smallest town. What a relief. A growing openness to the world outside.
And good bread! When we first moved to Columbus from Ann Arbor, we couldn’t find decent bread, olive oil, pasta, or cheese. Now, our neighborhood Kroger carries them all. And we have a local baker who makes bread remarkably like good Roman bread. My husband, who as an Italian is a coffee snob, has his home and work La Pavoni espresso stations and finding good beans is easy now.
Our discovery of the Jura coffee machine had upsides and downsides. It is a marvelous machine that has served us exceedingly well for 13 years. The major upside was that we no longer felt compelled to race outside for a cappuccino or mocha. (Our savings could justify our initial capital investment.) The downside is that, instead of luxuriating in bed for an additional 15 minutes, we tend to jump up and dash to the machine. So far there is no clear evidence that this has caused sleep deprivation.
Morning, Stuart!! I discovered Expresso while on a wonderful road trip through France years ago. "Yuk," I said upon returning home to the poor excuse for coffee we Yanks are subjected to!
When I worked in the City for a few years in the 80s a local italian coffee/tea retailer told me the he kept "the good stuff" under the counter as the English never wanted to pay for it. Same goes for America, I fear...and over and above that you don't drink the "good stuff" by the bucket load with much too much water all day long. God knows, but i don't want to know, what they do to the poor coffee bean to get instant maxwell house!
Thanks so much for these links!! I’m so disgusted with the media’s naive/sensation-seeking reporting on the withdrawal as Biden’s failure. O’Donnell speaks with clarity and good sense. We have a truthful and open White House and one only needs to follow the streamed Press Briefings and read President Biden’s statements and speeches to get the facts (which end up getting confirmed by HCR).
Yes, and I really appreciate that the Biden/Harris administration spokes people remain calm. They are taking the "heat" that they knew come. It is so refreshing to see people elected to an office who proceed to do what is right (or as close as they can figure out) instead of worrying and acting non stop as if they are just running for office again. I believe it will pay off greatly.
Morning, Daria!! Heard a rumor several days ago about Yucatan being in the hurricane's path. I immediately thought of you. I trust you and yours are okay?
Hey, Lynell! We are well. Yes, we did have a bit of strong wind, rain and a bit superficial damage. Other areas of the city and the Peninsula saw much worse. There is another system heading our way so we're keeping a close eye on the forecast.
I hardly hear anything about the Yucatan and frequency of hurricanes, so don't know how prevalent it is in your area. My husband keeps tabs on hurricane happenings through his home country Antigua, in the West Indies. When it's bad, he tries to keep tabs on his closer relatives to make sure they're okay. I'm a landlubber myself, but in his younger days he rode many a hurricane out aboard sailing ships that he worked on!
There are so many things happening these days--many thanks HCR for continuing well beyond your 100-day-after-inauguration suggestion to provide us with your concise and sensible presentation of the daily news dump. I am especially grateful knowing what kinds of chaos the new semester has to be bringing into your world.
Here in deranged Missouri, the should-be-disbarred "attorney" general Eric Sch[m]itt has initiated a reverse class action lawsuit (I didn't even know these existed) against school districts with mask mandates, similar to the one he is waging against KC and Jackson County on the basis that mask mandates are "arbitrary and capricious." So nice to know that he is willing to risk the death, lifetime morbidity, and grave illness of untold numbers of children in order to advance his political career. The local press is FINALLY starting to present his revolting pandering to the trumpistas as a political ploy. I hope he gets slapped with fines by the court for wasting their time and gets personally countersued for endangering the welfare of children. Intellectually I know that there are deeply stupid and corrupt people all over the place and that their sociopathologies mean their extreme egotism drives everything they do, but emotionally I still find myself stunned by the blatant exploitation of others in which these guys are willing to engage in order to promote themselves.
Linda, there should be a class for us, to sue him. We could ask the court to just send him to his room until he can make sense about the human costs. But seriously, Missouri students over all, no matter who their parents voted for, do not deserve this.
“An ‘audit’ of the 2020 election in Arizona has been plagued with irregularities, errors, and problems: it was supposed to announce its ‘results’ this week—three months behind schedule—but three of the five leaders from the Cyber Ninjas conducting the audit are sick with Covid.”
I had to chuckle. I guess I am a terrible person. I don’t think I used to be that way.
I am losing empathy for the anti-vaxxers, except for those who are ineligible for the vaccine. My heart aches for the children who will suffer because of these adults.
Janet, here in Floriduh, first responders in the Tampa Bay Area, are refusing to get vaccinated. In Pinellas County 27% of one agency is vaccinated. They are the ones that need to take care of people and yet they are putting these very patients at risk. Because our governor DeathSantis refuses to make any protections mandatory, the chiefs in these agencies have no way to force their staff to get vaccinated. My heart aches for the children of course, it also for all the other innocents who are at risk due to this idiocy.
Janet, I have never had anything but disgust for the people opposed to vaccines for reasons they can't substantiate and that they tell me I can’t research because the research is not available to me.
Someone I know proudly displays her stance with her “NO-VAXX” license plate. She won’t wear a mask, either.
What doesn't get reported enough is that the non-crazy, responsible Republican Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County, where the recount is taking place, have to have personal security because of the threats they receive because of their opposition to this recount.
Personal opinion here, that while the content of your post is so humanistic, how you present yourself with a bot name and avatar gets in my way. Am I missing something?
Wouldn't it be nice if constituents could "vote" on major legislation, which their Rep's and Senators would be legally bound to abide by? There is such a disconnect between political agendas and the will of the people that barely resembles democracy.
I proposed that once to one of our Senators (not a current one) and got a very snippy letter back about how elected representatives know better than the people what needs to be done. He was a democrat, and I never voted for him again.
I'm sorry. It is son wrong. But I loved your last sentence
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For sharing all of the accomplishments of this administration with one hand tied behind its back by a group who has completely lost its way and is clinging to a past that no longer is wanted by a majority of Americans. You swelled my heart. I'm going to out and work in my garden.🌷🌺🌹
Gailee.... I confess, i laughed out loud at the last sentence of this letter. When we are living in bizzarro world, I suppose we take our comic relief where we can find it. Enjoy working in the garden today!
I had a friend (one of my several editor friends) text me a screen grab of a headline: "Arizona GOP audit delayed after Cyber Ninjas members contract COVID-19" and her comment of "One of those headlines that if I'd seen it a year ago would have thought it gibberish".
That sums up todays Republiqan party in a nutshell. Gibberish.
"Progressives refused to agree to the bipartisan bill until they were assured it would not replace the larger package."
This single sentence describes why America has moved to a state where it can do nothing but sponsor war (because the Executive branch has taken over that role and does whatever it wants, which, is basically whatever Raytheon wants), approve huge budgets for military contractors (because Democrats and Republicans alike are on the take from those entities making it bipartisan). and cut taxes on the rich and corporations (because both parties are dependent on campaign contributions to stay in Washington).
In the same time that United States of America prosecuted the now lost Afghanistan war, accomplishing only the killing of 240,000 innocent Afghanistan citizens, China has built super high speed, modern, gleaming, electrical rail systems and electric trains between AND in progressively concentric circles, around, each mid size and large city in China. Yes, between 2001 and now. During that time, America, in California, built one mile of new high speed rail line. One single mile for $2.8 Billion. We also let Amtrak slowly decay.
Now? China can cheaply and effectively maintain those high speed rail lines (rail is MUCH cheaper to maintain that an 8 lane highway), and move people to work and home again rapidly and at low cost AND with a low impact to the environment.
In the United States? We cannot even agree to rebuild the obviously failing infrastructure we have.
I hate to float this idea, but, maybe all that stuff we were raised to believe about how awesome our American system is? Maybe that is just bunk.
Maybe our system, because of the outsized role of rich corporations and rich folks in general, from the beginning, in supporting representatives, was and is just doomed to fail?
Even the first Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, depended in significant part on money from John Hancock, a wealthy rum runner in Boston. He helped fund that first continental congress, by retaining John Adams as his lawyer, so he could keep up his illegal (from the British perspective) rum running business without paying tax to (to the British).
Think about it. The entire country of the United States was founded on and for the principal of lowno taxes for rich people.
Thomas Jefferson kindly put a nice, beautiful, language wrapper around that concept. So, it was a bit hidden from view. But, John Hancock got what he wanted. He never paid any tax on his rum running into Boston Harbor after the Revolutionary War.
Maybe bending to the will of rich people is a fundamental flaw in the American system from the get go?
Maybe it was only during FDR and Eisenhower's echo administration that America actually functioned for something besides the rich?
But, I think, even then, only because even the rich had become poor during the depression.
You mention Raytheon and who really gets a seat at the table. In Vermont our ears are blasted most days by the twenty F-35’s that are based at the civilian airport here. Does this have anything to do with national security. No, it has everything to do with our senior senator putting his hands on the scales when basing decisions were made. I am disappointed in myself for not listening to the few prophets who spoke out against the F-35’s coming here. They are the patriots.
My father worked for HRB / Singer/ Raytheon on infrared reconnaissance for the military.
He learned the power ot it as a P51 fighter pilot during the thank God final days of WWII. I’m pacifist - tending yet respect the military which has defended our nation, and may have saved us from the recent coup attempt.
They do certain things so well and acted according to their mission when we needed it most:
January 6, 2021. Meanwhile, tiny HRB was sold to bigger companies that didn’t seem to care about their employees even close to their focus on the bottom line . I didn’t realize how Raytheon has become so fundamental to the military industrial complex - I wasn’t paying attention.
My father was a true patriot and lifelong Republican. Different world now.
No, Senator Leahy. Senator Sanders is not our senior senator but once the basing decision was made he didn’t speak against it. Basically he said we’ve paid for them and they have to go somewhere.
Just wondering how much is going to be hidden in these funding bills. Wish that there were term limits for lobbyists and elected officials.
It is reassuring to see Biden and the Democrats stay focus on infrastructure, and voter rights which will support our Democracy. Both of those bills are about building our nation for all. Reagan’s trickle down theory has fed the top 1%. It is shameful to have so many children live in poverty while we witness the men who benefit from these tax cuts finance trips to outer space.
A good letter today. Aside from the dark humor in the last paragraph, I am struck by this. Nothing matters right now more than the Voting Rights Bills. Nothing is more of a priority. Without fair and inclusive elections the misinformed minority will win. And the Earth will lose. If we are to address the Climate Crisis, Democrats and Independents who respect science must carry the day in every election. The Republicans have become something out of Dr. Strangelove. It's as if Peter Sellers was in Congress. (Although he did make a pretty good "President").
Chuck Schumer should make monumental history by carving out a way to remove the filibuster for the Voting Rights Acts. Only with real democracy can we make true progress on saving the planet. What could be more important?
Yesterday, my rain gauge registered 1.7 inches of rain, only the second time in three months there was enough rain to actually register. Agriculture is still the number one industry in Minnesota but this year’s drought means yields will be bad/non existent for those without big irrigation rigs-which many small to medium farms cannot afford. I saw ample evidence over the weekend of corn, soy beans and even fields of hops and barley that will provide little more than silage for livestock-provided the livestock has survived the endless heat, humidity and pest problems this weather pattern has produced. Don’t get me started on how many people have died during recent heat waves or because of respiratory or heart problems from smoke particulates from wildfires. The only good news here is that remnants of Henri will visit soon and tamp down the raging forest fires in the BWCA-I hope. My asthma is driving me nuts- and I have ample access to medical care? Oh wait, not at the moment. COVID!
The planet will survive regardless what happens in Congress but life as we understand it will not. I second your idea Bill, that Schumer needs to find a way to pass the Voting Rights Act. Without that, we cannot make progress nor work on the truly pressing problems we face. Thank you highlighting this.
One more note: during the last week, as the military has worked to evacuate Americans and Afghans from a war zone, no one has yet died. From the media frenzy, you would think hundreds, maybe thousands had been killed or maimed but the answer is none (so far). But how many Americans have died of COVID? Because of power hungry Republicans? Voting rights must be protected. Otherwise, these “pro-life” bastards will kill even more Americans. !&$#!
Sheila B, my fellow Minnesotan, you hit so many important points here! I hadn’t thought about how many, if any people have died in the Afghanistan crisis. Yet, I have seen posts and news stories of health care workers burning out, of COVID cases and hospital caseloads hitting highs worse than at any time in the pandemic. The blatant disregard for the science, the data, and the risk to the lives of their constituents by members of the current GOP is criminal. And continues to surprise me! Even though I should know better than to think any of them will have an epiphany.
It is mind boggling to me too but at least Walz/Flanagan follow the science! The media are doing a crap job, period. Creating drama where little exists and ignoring real trauma. I can just hear my Journalism advisor from the U of MN screaming from the beyond, “Back to work getting out the vote!” Yes sir. We the people. All of us this time!
Humans differ in the way we react to vaccines and Covid. One size does not fit all. Please stop demonizing people with whom you disagree. It makes you look stupid.
Are you against masks? Can you explain that stance? They are inexpensive and they save lives. I have a huge problem with anti-maskers who ignore science and data. They want to expose my children to their unvaccinated, unmasked children, who are daily exposed to their unvaccinated, unmasked selves. Anti-maskers make zero sense to me. If you are opposed to vaccines then you should be adamantly in favor of masks to protect yourself.
The Imperial Press Corpse: "But his truthfulness!" Ouside of about ten reporters, the rest of the otherwise-unemployables would serve us better as burger flippers (assuming they had the physical dexterity)
Not that he can in any way be considered a reporter but your comment gave me a vision of Tucker, bow tie and all, flipping burgers. Still laughing….
Tuckems would last 5 min at Mickey D’s.
(F)ucker Carlson is definitely one of the "otherwise unemployables."
Could be made into a reality show!
My understanding is that at least one person died after clinging to a plane that took off. At least one other person was trampled on and died(all from NPR). The problem isn’t how many have died trying to get out, but the fact that the Taliban is not unified in allowing safe passage. They have started to kill Afghanis. They suggested on NPR that they don’t want them to leave since they know how to do things to keep government going. That makes some sense to
me.
Look, Trump was a horrible president and I wake up every morning so relieved that he is no longer in charge. I have no doubt that he is deeply at fault for the chaos in Afghanistan. But this doesn’t mean that Biden may not have made some wrong calls. I only hope that we don’t see negative consequences in 2022.
You are correct Patricia. And as of earlier today, as many as 20 people are reported to have died at Kabul airport (I missed the fact that the Afghan who clung to the wheels of the plane died day one - my mistake) My point still stands - how many hundreds have died of COVID? Here where vaccines are free and readily available? As for Biden making mistakes, I’ll ask you to remember that Trump did not allow for the peaceful transfer of power and did not provide daily national security updates in a timely or acceptable manner. Trump negotiated with the Taliban. I suspect the Saudis helped because of Kushner’s and Trump’s cozy inside relationships that also did not follow national security protocols. Did Biden make bad decisions? How the hell could we know given the machinations of the previous administration? The good news is that if he did screw up, he’ll own it. The adults are back in charge- for how long is the question.
Did you see the woman and her baby who were beaten to death? As a nasty, power-hungry Republican, I believe you have failed to look at reality, science, and compassion.
How dare you demonize Republicans when Democrats are consolidating power so they can rule as the only party allowed in the U.S.
Excuse me, I think you have this place mis-identified as the Fleeceblock page were drooling morons like you congregate. I think it's called MAGA Wold - where the sky is green and the grass is blue. This is Reality world, a place you're obviously unfamiliar with.
Come now. If we don't mend our fences, some other idiot is going to get elected who wants to keep building the wall. Without civility, there is only "ization" and that doesn't make any sense.
One has to admit that Dems are incredibly bad at controlling the narrative, whereas Repubes excel at that. All we need to keep driving home is that the current GOP worldview is completely incompatible with a humane, inclusive, functioning society. "Okay, voter, do you want corporatocracy or democracy? You choose."
By voting against all legislation the Democrats pass, the Republicans are causing their party’s own demise .
How are “they,” the Democrats, consolidating power?
You couldn’t be more right on, Bill, if we don’t get voting rights right, we’re not going to have a country. The idea of these known nothings running the country is beyond comprehension. Just take a look 👀 at the maga crowds, how many of them are in the 1% that the huge tax cut benefits the most, probably less than that 1%. The intelligence level in that crowd is a clear demonstration that our education system has failed to educate a great many people, if that isn’t the case, then why in the world would so many vote against their own economic interests. Those people have no idea how to separate fact from fiction, truth from outright lies. The Democrats have some culpability here, the teachers unions are overwhelmingly Democratic and they are the ones that have educated those same people. How can they get through high school, and from the looks of them, that’s as far as they got in the education system, without being able to see where the truth lies. There is such a thing as the truth. WTF 🤬
I find it incredulous how many screaming maniacal mothers showing up at school board meetings. Putting the health of their own kids on the line, for WHAT? Oh yeah, their CHOICE!
Lynn, I agree! I want to be at one of those meetings and ask the anti-mask parents, “do you make your kids where seat belts? Or do you object because they should be free to move about the vehicle while the car is in motion? Masks are like safety belts. It’s not just about your driving or other drivers, it’s that plus the road conditions and the weather and the auto mechanics. Safetybelts save lives. Masks save lives. The science and the data prove that masks save lives.” Some of the screaming parents sound insane to me.
Or they scream that God will provide while wearing glasses that make their statement null and void.
What I ask them is “why are you yelling with your child by your side? Is that how you want your child’s teacher to speak?
Calm the “f” down. Yelling like that adds 10 years to your face.”Honestly, it is not until the last sentence that there is a moment of pause on their part.
If there is one thing I learned clearly in 35 years of teaching the little ones is that when a parent disses or complains about a teacher in front of their child, it creates a real problem in the relationship of that child in relation to school. Feel what you want, but keep it from your child. Most of them adore their teachers, and to cause chaos is to harm your child.
Totally agree. I would not continue a conference with students or younger ones in the room if the meeting got contentious and parent was choosing to rant.
My dad died in Mississippi last century, so IDK if he would be an anti-masker, but it is likely. My last visit with him in 1987, he was driving his pickup truck and I was looking for the passenger side seat belt that was tucked away. He saw this & told me I didn't need to put it on because MISSISSIPPI DIDN'T HAVE A MANDATORY SEAT BELT LAW. So, I was supposed to be comfortable riding with a man driving with a pig valve and pacemaker in his heart?
You can't fix stupid.
Tough memory, Rob. I feel for you. We may at least smile thinly that some of us have them as memories of a past, and were (somehow) able to escape the local cultures not of our choosing in which we were embedded for a time. I've been trying to understand my own journey and appreciate the key people and events that carried me into my present mindset. Is there anything about such experiences that can be generalized? If there is, perhaps it can be somehow taught.
Idiotic, imbecillic, deranged, maniacal was my best adjective I could think of....but, sad also comes to mind.
Oh, but it's too much control as one of my ex-classmates in Indiana told me yesterday. I expect she watches Fox because I don't know how anyone could be tuned in to nightly news elsewhere and see all the full ICUs, the medical personnel begging people to get vaccinated and telling of their anger and exhaustion, and the data on how the it's mostly the unvaccinated who are filling the hospitals....and dying. Our governor just expanded the mandate on masks yesterday and sure enough, there was a post on Next-door about dictatorship within hours. I deleted it because I don't want to debate every internet medical "expert."
Fox News enthusiasts don't like their news, but are addicted to their opinion writers and commentators. That says everything.
I always find the connection to trumpism in these so called protests. Usually in comments on FB posts and our local paper. Push them enough, and they blurt out their alliance with our ex president.
As a school librarian for 22 years, I always started my online research unit with “I could create a website stating that the moon is made of green cheese, citing “studies” that support my claim. There is no law or rule against my doing that.” I would go on to talk about sources, currency, etc. I also cautioned them about choosing only the top three or so hits in a search, with a discussion of how Google chooses the first ones to appear. Most teachers have done what they can, but between the reach of social media and a significant lazy streak among many students, it’s like pushing a boulder uphill.
A significant factor has been the growing lack of respect for teachers, including a lack of support from parents. In the mix is the onslaught of massive standardized testing and the constant blame of only the teachers for the poor scores. We don’t hear blame of the parents for not insisting homework be done or that the student behave in class. We don’t hear blame on all the cutbacks in funding for public education or the poor quality of textbooks that cater to Texas. As the cost of testing has climbed, more of school budgets are paying for that (and all the computers needed now that they’re online), less is available for support staff like librarians and counselors, or field trips or science kits. With the testing focus on language arts and math, science and history have gotten lost at the elementary level, so students go to middle school without a basic foundation.
And now, at the beginning of the school year, news broadcasters are lamenting the shortage of teachers. Who wants to take a job where you’re underpaid for the level of education required, and also blamed for student failures and half the problems in society?
Perhaps not so much the teacher’s unions as the school boards who decide the curriculum.
The dark humor in the last paragraph was priceless imo.
Herman Cain “There is no pandemic”.
Pandemic “There is no Herman Cain”.
Love this! Thanks for the belly laugh. (Sad how much I enjoy macabre humor these days…
Since I live in 'fraudizona' I found it quite a chuckle.
I read the term "fraudit" applied to the Ninja's efforts the other day.
You are spot on, Bill. And not one Republican voted for the voting rights bill, not even Chaney or Kissinger.
Yes, really sad, and unfortunately, telling. I thought they favored democracy.
Sad!
Agree agree agree, I could not agree more, Bill Alstrom.
The dark humor in the last paragraph got me off to a good start today. Since Biden’s success in the 2020 election, my righteous indignation response has cooled to a “so there!” I hope the victims of Covid working to invalidate the election results will recover enough to have an epiphany and pay attention to more constructive business.
Who is the misinformed minority? Perhaps they are not Democrats?
Those that dont vaccinate or mask. Those that dont believe there is a climate crisis. Those who dont want all eligible voters to vote. You guess which party they may belong to.
I think you are right. The importance of BEING THERE is important.
Just to answer your rhetorical question, Bill: NOTHING! The nation and a form of government is at the edge of an abyss.
Nothing.
I’m so glad the military is moving so quickly and that the infrastructure bill has passed. I hope the Senate passes it too. So much effort by the Biden Administration seems to get lost in the mess that is our media these days.
Despite Biden Administration’s extraordinary efforts and with all that needs to be fixed in America, I am ashamed to feel frustrated with past and present government that seems to be ignoring my generation - or at least it seems that way from my point of view.
Ronald Reagan’s economic framework began a few years before I graduated high school and I’ve been stuck in its results ever since.
I sink lower and lower in the economic class system every year despite being a college graduate and a hard worker. I’ve worked hard for over 25 years for the same company, but I can never retire because I could never put more than minimum into 401k and still pay my bills. Salary increases get lost in the rising cost of healthcare (and at least a certain amount of employer selfishness). I haven’t had so much as a cost of living increase in almost nine years.
I don’t want or need a handout, but I wish:
-that there was a way to have decent & affordable living in my area (safe enough that I can get from my car to my door without fear, no cockroaches or mold, and my “kitchen” includes a normal sized refrigerator & oven which are at least more than 20 feet away from my bed), because I see living in a van in my future. Single people, particularly women, get punished financially if we don’t earn 100,000/yr, we’re considered low income in the housing world. Minimum monthly rent in my area is at least $2,000/mo (not including parking, maintenance, or utilities) and I can’t even get close to that. I’d move out of state, but my field requires living near airports which usually has expensive cost of living no matter which state. I’d consider changing careers, but I am middle aged and would surely go down in pay.
-that there was a way to retire and not get stuck living on the streets.
-that there was a way to get out of credit card debt without having to live in a van before it’s necessary for a couple of years.
There are a lot of people around my age dealing with the same things and it’s a serious problem that I don’t see being acknowledged. I’m afraid the Reagan’s Rejects group within Generation X is doomed. I just don’t want us to become an expensive problem the government (and taxpayers, God forbid) have to deal with when maybe some smart people can help work on things with taxes, employers, and housing developers, etc to help turn this around.
I am really sorry for dumping my worries here when so many others in America and around the world are suffering terribly.
Lisa, this sounds like a terrible trap and you’re too buried in it to see a way out. It also sounds like depression, which is another trap.
Perhaps you could enlist the guidance of a wise friend to help develop a plan to free yourself from this situation and move forward.
Just the act of reaching out and looking at other perspectives often breaks the log jam just enough to find some maneuvering room.
My heart goes out to you.
Believe me, I’ve done that.
I’ve gone for therapy (still paying off the bills) only to find out I don’t suffer from Depression although I do get depressed. I have anxiety, more than anything else, but medication is out of the question.
I considered Debt consolidation but found it is a death knell in this economic environment and has been to some degree since before the pandemic.
I tried to see if I could live with family until I pay down debt to a manageable level (about a year), but situations made it not possible.
I used to work two jobs until I acquired chemical sensitivities.
So I just keep getting up and putting one foot in front of the other and working at things.
But like I said, this isn’t only about me. There are lots of us in same situation and I’m hoping it gets recognized and addressed to avoid a larger crisis in the future.
Depression and anxiety are valid responses to a depressing situation that creates anxiety about the outcome. People who don't get depressed and anxious nowadays probably aren't paying attention.
You’re right.
I’m so sorry you’re struggling. And yes, many others, especially women, are in your shoes.
My heart really goes out to you. Sending so much good juju your way even though it won't change policy and what you really need is cash. Take care.
Sending equal amounts of good juju back at you 😀
Is your huge debt load due to student loans repayment? Sorry if I am being personal and don't answer if it is offensive.
Car loan, student loan, & credit card.
Thank you for your story. It has struck a nerve.
The problem, Diane, isn't that Lisa needs financial-planning help. It's much sadder than that. It's that a quadrant of the baby-boomer generation (my people) has gotten us in such an economic predicament that the "trickle-down" consequences are already painfully apparent in the lives of the millennials. Greed and avarice, which burst on the scene with the sainted/tainted Ronald Reagan, have made life impossibly difficult for many of our own children and nieces and nephews. College debt, costly health care, end of pensions, blood-sucking corporations, miserly employers -- the younger people don't stand a chance. We really need to help them fix this mess.
(That's enough. No more coffee for me!)
Many, possibly most of us Boomers are also hanging by a thread. I do not adhere to the overly simplistic and totally inaccurate Blame from the Millennials meme. (I doubt that many Millenials do either.) It is the Reaganomics fans, Milton Friedman uber-capitalists, and self-serving wealthy (almost all are white males) of all ages who squarely have produced this sad, life-denying phenomenon.
And forget subsidize senior housing. You can put your name into most of them and get lucky if they call you within 10 to 15 years. There is not enough housing for this generation moving forward. Cold stop.
SLWeston, I completely agree we have a structural problem that individuals alone can’t repair. I was in no way blaming her.
I’ve lived in deep poverty. My only child developed type I diabetes when she was two. Living on minimum wage as a single parent with no medical insurance was a nightmare. Getting her medical care through county assistance programs was a full time job. My own severe asthma was another barrier to health insurance.
We only survived through the kindness and help of friends. One paid for my real estate license and mentored me that first year. Another helped me buy a reliable used car. It changed our lives and I’ve done my best to pay in forward.
My hope was that Lisa might find such help in her circle of friends. I’ve walked in her shoes and feel her pain.
Wow, Diane, does THAT ever anchor your comment in rich context. Thank you for sharing that. I so appreciate and admire your having had the dignity and humility to accept help from your friends, to build your life on it, and then resolve to share that kindness as best you can.
Stories like yours just thrill me, Diane. Isn't this just how communities, how life should work? Making connections, helping each other, honoring the help we've received by passing it on? You have made my day.
Thank you for your kind words. Without the love and kindness of one another, this life would make no sense.
Do I feel a committee coming on? I’m not a leader but I’m a great follower! Should we sit back on our thumbs and just let this happen to us and other generations or is it time to open our mouth’s and make our voices heard?
I’m for the latter myself.
There is no “other plan”. There are no solutions. I’m living it and I know.
I’m sure there are other plans, but I think they’re mainly unlikely, unpalatable, or illegal :)
I have a sister in the same rut. Working in child care, barely making $33K/year, 52 yrs old, grown son in college, divorced, husband reneged on alimony years ago and she cannot afford to fight him, no way up and few options out. She found a small one bedroom for $975/month in a dicey neighborhood. She is making it. But would love to have some to save for her future and for her son.
I hear you. 🙏🏼
I wish your sister the best of luck.
Thank you, Lisa. I wish you well, too!
I am so glad that you wrote this, Lisa. Squeaky wheels on serious issues need to be heard. If not for the grace of something all of us could be in the same position. I have been thinking as I help older friends look at senior housing and how ridiculously expensive it is. I loved visiting my grandmother's expensive senior community in Irvine, CA and wished I could live there. I was too young and the costs were exorbitant. Why can't we create or extend Habitat for Humanity to build build communities tiny houses with communal areas for our aging population and for low-income persons? The smaller footprint is essential for to cope with inequality and and low pay and will help with climate crisis. Or converting the rising defunct malls and business buildings into senior and low income housing. Corporations that make profits that stink to high heaven whilst their employees have to live on food stamps and/or Medicaid is truly unconscionable. They need to pay a living wages that promote dignity as their workers age. Corporate America has run amuck and failed our people. They have swung too far on the capitalist pendulum greedily drooling for more. We need to demand social responsibility on corporations that make obscene profits at the cost of our society. Take all those gigantic political donations and lobbyist payrolls and invest in our people and communities instead.
Lisa, I do think, until my fantasy is realized, it is good to pool money with other people to share housing. I do not agree it is good to live in a van, unless you are healthy, live in a warm climate and can migrate with the seasons. You may need to contact a social worker who can help you with things like Section 8 housing or programs in your area to help people in your situation. Take heart and keep sharing your plight with people in your area. Our little village here in VT has two living places for those who cannot afford much housing. They have to qualify and include veterans, people on disability, and low income people who appear to be mostly middle aged to elderly. We also just built another apartment complex for young families because available, affordable housing and jobs here are compromised. Wishing you success-- you had the guts to write here, that indicates you are willing to reach out, which I encourage you to do locally and wish you the very best.
Habitat For Humanity is very compelling. I think of the Carters. But it's an inefficient and expensive way to provide housing. The benefits of high quality, industrially produced modular and manufactured homes using the benefits automobiles have from quality control, small tolerances which make better fits, and a much lower price than if every auto was built in your driveway by volunteers. There are a LOT of people to house.
I wish all states make arrangements to allow people to live in their vehicles legally until better solutions are possible for all.
Lisa. It’s not just that they live in their vehicles. They poop and pee in neighbors yards, a tremendous health risk for humans and dogs.
I agree, which is why states need to make arrangements for legal vehicle-living. Sanitation and safety needs would be part of that.
Yes, just an expansion of the idea of HFH using more efficient means for multi-housing. There is also a huge wave of more affordable tiny houses or apartments, using recycled materials such old buses, 18-wheeler pods, and trailers. A lot of young and retiring people are creating homes on wheels in very imaginative and very cheap ways. We need to use our imagination to make this happen. I wish I had more time and financing to work on things like this. Saving our democracy is at the forefront at the moment...
Yes. Save our democracy. SB1, and fighting gerrymandering.
It would be sooo easy and efficient for the government to throw box houses up, rows and rows of them, for people who’s financial situation is slipping away ( that’d be me). So so easy. They do it in natural disasters inside of a week. But no they won’t because theyre too focused raking in the dough from big pharma and there vaccines. It’s far more lucrative for them than building reasonable housing for people who are 1 foot from the street.🥾
Wait. What?! Who’s “raking in the dough from big pharma and there vaccines,” Elaine???
Sounds like you might be getting your intel from Hugh Hewitt. You’re not related to him, are you?
Great ideas. It’s sadly not possible in our lifetime, but I have hope for future.
FYI: It is rarely possible for chemically sensitive individuals to share living quarters (which is why van is in my future). The chemically sensitive community all have varying levels of sensitivity and varying chemical triggers. Most are too sensitive to work outside the home and some literally cannot even live inside a home.
Many of us tried to pair up, but learned the hard way that one of the hazards is if one party seriously declines and can’t work, the other person sharing a space is going to be responsible for all costs and for nursing roommate back to good health if it is possible.
Everyone in the community live so precariously that we fear sharing space with others. Non-chemically sensitive individuals generally can’t understand the illness and can’t live the necessary way needed to share space with chemically sensitive person.
This is a really difficult situation for a specific population's needs. I am so sorry-- a van does sound like the right thing for you. I lived in a vanagon and on boats for a couple of years. I loved it and the freedom. The whole world can be be your front yard. And there are campgrounds that are not expensive to rent space in. Sharing showering facilities might be problematic for your chemical sensitivities.
I think you are much more informed about your situation and are teaching me that I do not know a lot about the home life and aging of chemically sensitive individuals. Thanks for writing the community here.
I have also lived in my Vanagon for months at a time. While I do well in such a situation, I cringe to think of the impact it may have on other less adapted types.
Just the smell of dryer sheets makes me literally sick, that and perfume, scented cleaning products etc. That so many people don’t know yet that all of these things are basically poison and sit in the brain and the liver is beyond me. Shame on these companies, shame on the government for not banning these horrible chemicals. People, you are selling your children up for horrible diseases in their lifetime if you keep putting clothing on them that you use dryer sheets with. This is not a joke. One scientist said that wearing clothing with dryer sheets and centered laundry detergents on them is actually worse than smoking cigarettes.
Oh and don’t let me go on about plug-ins and scented candles. They are the worst!
People don’t realize how bad many of the ingredients are. Plus, an ingredient is only tested in a particular amount under certain circumstances. The test doesn’t account for when person uses multiple products containing that ingredient. For example, testing for a common fragrance ingredient, won’t account for 70 people wearing 12 scented items containing that ingredient all stuck in an office for 7-10 hours a day, 5 days a week etc, year after year.
Buyers just assume they’re safe, but really, they’re sneakily classified as GRAS/GENERALLY Recognized As Safe, (for most and only under the specific circumstances used for testing).
There’s a decent App called Think Dirty - you scan a cleaning / body care product bar code and if it’s in their database, the ingredients pop up with ratings. And if you click on the ingredients, it tells you a lot about it like what it does and how it affects the body.
We’ve all seen the misinformation/disinformation campaigns and the political game playing. They got a lot of tactics from Advertising & Marketing practices.
Look what Trump, Death Santis, MTG, et al have done for themselves and their political party, do people really think manufacturers lie, cheat, or endanger any less? Advertising & Marketing hides a lot of sins.
Isn’t Medicaid helpful?
Lisa, thank you for your honest post. I am angered and saddened by the dilemma you are in. You are in my thoughts.
Thank you. It is embarrassing to be in such a position and admit it, but I only brought it up because it’s likely going to have greater impact on America in the next 10-25 years.
Don't be embarrassed. Speaking out is self-advocacy. You may be able to connect with individuals in a similar situation and find resolution.
Lisa, risking vulnerability to tell your story is an act of courage. And sometimes it even helps us to see our own stories more clearly. You are a survivor against terrible odds. Thank you.
An extremely important perspective. Thank you for writing. Take care.
Yes. The legacy of Republican deficit spending on stupid wars has made you poor through currency destruction.
I doubt it will get better.
I’m afraid you’re right…
Why does a Roommate have to be a woman ? I had a Roommate for 20 yrs that was a guy who just happen to not know how to clean house, or cook, or do laundry or anything else he really just didn’t like to do. I paid $250.00 a month rent . As it turned out we became best friends. He dated , I dated .We had each others backs on everything. If you have an agency that hooks up roommates, does background checks etc. And you mentioned you live close to an Airport.You just might be what a single Pilot is looking for. 2. Not sure who you work for or how you are to request a raise ? But Do It ! The worst that can happen is a denial. 3. Take a day off, go to public and private ( A good charity is the Catholic Charity ) but check your area for any Gov help and charity, $ you can save on food put on that CC payment. We have a ‘Sharing Center here ‘ they will often pay some or all of high electric or water bills. Catholic Charities often will also. There is food pantries also. 4 The best medication for anxiety is simply Breathing. Ever notice women who are big belly PG and they are standing and rubbing the sides of their belly’s in circles. That is not just a thing PG woman do. It has a purpose. It calms the baby and the CB mom. The good news is you don’t NEED to be PG to do it and men can do it also. Just let it all hang out baby and just Breath. We women think we have to hold our belly’s in . I took a friend to get help here once. There was a long line. Everyone was anxious , moody, irritable. So I got everyone in line to do it. They were laughing, smiling and calm in minutes. When it was my friends turn at the counter the worker looked at me and said “ Thank you , can you stay all day ?”. True story. We make ourselves anxious. We can make ourselves Unanxious as well. Try it ! So now you have things to do.❤️🦋
I don’t care if person is male, female, or transitioning. Roommate is highly unlikely for me as most cannot comply with needs of chemically sensitive individual.
I only go to places if I have to. Substitute covid germs for problem chemicals and you might see why leaving safe space other than to work or get groceries is a problem.
The biggest difference between germs and chemicals for me is that catching covid upon exposure is not guaranteed but exposure to problem chemicals both causes immediate reactions and cumulative ones, which can have more serious impact later. Cumulative chemical burden is like cumulative financial debt, one wrong move and you can go down hill for a lonnnnng time.
Okay so that’s out. But make contact with any /all types of organizations . My mom always said “The squeaky wheel gets the grease .”Maybe the Sensitivity thing can work in your favor with you’re Dr.s help.
This is true. I live my life avoiding those toxic chemicals. I can’t even be near people who use dryer sheets on the clothing because they make me sick.
Dryer sheets are the devil. I used to be able to take walks outside years ago. No more. Praying for change.
Best of luck to you.
Lisa, I pray for all women in your situation. If not for a fortunate change of circumstances in my life, your story would be mine as well.
Why we need the Reconciliation Bill to be as full packed as possible. We're sick of "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness being reserved for the most among us. Providing for the general welfare should not be limited to a luck few but instead include everyone.
I hear ya sister!! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I came from a middle-class family (Back in the day when middle class meant you were average). When I got divorced my husband decided he didn’t need to pay me child support so I supported both of my children working sometimes three jobs. I am now 71 years old and still working with no end in sight. I enjoy working but I don’t enjoy stressing Thinking about being 80 and 85 and 90 and 95 and still having to work. I feel like the guy swimming away from jaws in the movie hoping he would make it to the pier before the worst happened. It’s not the American dream my folks grew up believing in. It’s a nightmare to be in this dynamic never knowing when the other shoe will drop.
I’m so sorry. I wish you all the best plus winning lotto.
I’m praying my brains stay functional enough not to get pushed out of my job and i can see myself crawling across my job’s icy parking lot in winter so I don’t break a hip.
Furthermore, I wish no one ever had to get old, sick, injured, or die. I think Heaven should just send a fancy letter telling someone they have 6 months on their current plain of existence, that transportation will be arranged, no need to pack, and provide a list of suggested people to with whom we should make amends.
The letter should include the reminder to write a will and, ideally, set up a trust. Both will minimize the pain and unneeded expenses of handling the deceased estate. A simple handwritten will with signature & date on each page would serve the purpose equally well (holographic will).
My good friend has been dealing with the sudden death of a cousin who died intestate. She would normally be the primary inheritor but probate court requires (at least in California) a kinship search to determine if there are other relatives within a defined kinship relationship with whom the $3,000,000+ estate must be shared. A big chunk of that estate is going to the probate process (attorneys, court documents, etc.).
I’ve had all that stuff taken care of as a single woman since I was in my 40s and I keep upgrading it all the time. I have a friend who I keep telling she needs to get a will and she just says I don’t have anything that’s fine my son will know what to do. And I say he won’t have the space to grieve the loss of you because he’s going to be dealing with paperwork for months if not years. But she doesn’t listen.
Sad. Somehow she needs to understand the actual $$$ costs for probate of an intestate deceased. Not only will any value of her small estate be eaten up by the process and attorneys but it may well affect her own son's financial resources. All she needs to do is handwrite, sign and date a simple statement that all she owns goes to her son (or divided among siblings if there are others). Costs only pen & paper. Sign and date (each page if more than one). Holographic wills (a will in the handwriting of the deceased), my attorney told me, are just as legal as a will drawn up by an attorney.
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I am 87 and, in the Congo, put my life on the line for my country. This was when various Great Society laws were passed, including Medicare and the 1965 Voting Rights. The 1970s and early 1982s were a dismal decade of the Rust Belt, staccato recessions, unemployment of over 10%, and interest rates of 20%. I applaud the bipartisan, sensible tax reform law of 1986 and the upturn under Clinton, despite the newt (Gingrich).
What has greatly distressed me subsequently is how the Republicans have steadfastly pursued policies that favor big corporations and the wealthiest citizens, while seeking to block benefits that would serve the needs of the ‘99%. The Federalist Society has contributed to the increasingly retrograde court justices, especially in the Supreme Court. The Big Lie, ‘false facts,’ and systemic reduction of voting rights are hallmarks of the erosion of the America that I would like my grandchildren would inherit.
President Biden has a limited window of opportunity with his infrastructure bill and the $3.5trillion proposed investment in human infrastructure. If the Democrats can’t quit their bickering and press the pedal to the metal, 2013 could see us bemoaning this lost opportunity.
While the traditional infrastructure has been crumbling slowly for 60 years, it's easy to see and straight-forward to fix. The soft (human) infrastructure is even more important and in more dire need of repair. That the moderate, no call them what they are, conservative Democrats would try to rathole the big bill incites me to want to riot.
Having the triad of Biden-Pelosi-Progressive Caucus on the same page gives me tingles and memories of LBJ's Great Society and FDR's New Deal.
You're absolutely right Keith, this is their last and only shot. If they take it and succeed we could see a radical transformation across the country. If they don't it's going to be hell.
Linda Greenly-Finch
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❤️❤️❤️ I wonder if you can find a group of women in similar positions and combine forces, sharing the burden of housing cost?
Great. Roomates at 50. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I'd rather live in a van down by the river.
But seriously, affordable housing should not be this difficult. There's just not enough of it to go around.
So true, and now evictions are ramping up. I just got a call soliciting me, and no doubt many other Realtors, to sign up to handle coming foreclosures. Somehow, this doesn’t feel good.
The house my father purchased in 1951 for 13K began to increase in value in the 80’s, when it was worth $80K. By the early 90’s it was worth $200K. It is now worth $500K. My father put $50 down on his house. Today you would have to put $125K down. Part of all this is because of Changes to banking laws, part of it to the rather new notion that the American dream means owning your own home, doIng whatever it takes to pay for the house. The price of land has gone up so much that unless a builder puts up a big expensive house he can’t make enough money to pay for the land. Small houses can’t pay for themselves. Rents have gone up accordingly. We would need a new version of the GI bill to produce decent, affordable houses, gov’t purchasing land at a low price so that small houses would be profitable. These would be entirely new communities, new versions of Levittown. They might take advantage of new building methods, off site modular construction, etc., to lower costs. You need a visionary and a state that is losing population to pull this off. There are also floor plans designed for housemates, not families.
It would give rise to more tenements, I think. Too much greed and not enough space in the most likely areas that can do this.
I think if America had a National Healthcare system, so many people wouldn’t have to live on top of each other to work at jobs which offer benefits. Businesses also might not need to be location dependent.
Affordable housing for single, middle class people and low income families could then be spread out into every community rather than mainly densely populated areas.
You've touched on the truth, Kara. The issue isn't more affordable housing. It's housing, period. All housing should be affordable and a human right, rather than carving out the needy. Let's face it, this is a quintessential American issue, which is strongly rooted in racism. "White flight" resulted in suburbia, while fear of the poor and needy divided whites from one another, too. We have a bad case of escapism from one another. I once lived in Costa Rica (now filled with enclaves of wealthy white retirees) where upper-middle-class homes commingled with humble one and two-bedroom wooden "casitas" to comprise small neighborhoods. CR is not free from social issues by a long shot, but there weren't the false divisions and ever-increasing housing prices just to get to preferential racial and economic segregation.
I would have done that years ago, but I suffer from chemical sensitivities and fragrance chemicals (which are in everything targeted at women) are a bad trigger for me. I get systemic reactions and there is no treatment other than avoidance.
That’s what I would love to do. Buy a big old house somewhere sorta remote, Gardner and try to become as self sufficient as possible. At least we would all have each other because living alone at 71 years old does not give me the warm fuzzies. If anyone is interested let me know! I’m not kidding!
My GenZ daughter has informed me that, instead of speaking of "climate change", we should be referring to "the climate crisis". Given the state of things, I'd say the young people have it right.
They are remarkably prescient. My 12 and 14 y/o granddaughters are always setting the papa straight on the issues. It's one positive from their faces too often buried in their phones. A lot of it comes from good YouTube. I'm constantly amazed with their ability to sift out the wheat from the chaff. Gives me hope.
My 11 y/o granddaughter informed me on what products are animal-tested. She knew by brand name.
Hooray for her!!
Wish you could loan her out to us uninformed folks!
Interesting that they have acquired some “child wisdom” so early. Our children constantly amaze me.
Linda Greenly- Finch
Yes, here in State College PA the are handling the pandemic better than the adults. They wear their little masks so the pandemic can be over and they can get back to inperson learning. I feel for the dear children in TX , FL, and other states who really can’t handle wearing a mask in school. Our kids will also likely get vaccinated when available. So simple to do the right thing. We’re facing a perfect storm in so many ways now, all or most preventable. A big issue for me
With me, Christine, it is my 5 grandchildren, from 11 to 21 years old. Last week they gave me a pretty much HCR explanation of what they see going on in the US and around the world, ending with how they think things will work out. Their conclusion based on news they hear, school studies, international gaming friends: Very rocky and uncomfortable for quite awhile, then "everything will be ok". I say, I will take it!
Sounds like a good idea for a country that responds well to the word "crisis" and is comfortable with a war mentality.
Meanwhile, back on the ranch - not to change the subject - just redirect our attention to reality on the ground so easily obscured by all these other critical concerns ...:
Right now, the U.S. Senate is reviewing HR 1374, a law that would give federal funding to states to protect so-called “critical infrastructure” — like pipelines. The federal government must protect its people, not give states the license and money to further criminalize water protectors. Defend our First Amendment rights to protest and speak truth to power. Tell your senators: Vote NO on HR 1374!
https://action.lakotalaw.org/action/hr-1374
Today, water protectors from Standing Rock are still being prosecuted, and — in the troubling cases of Ruby Montoya and Jessica Reznicek — they’re still being labeled as terrorists. Because we cannot allow this dangerous precedent to be used against more people who care for our Grandmother Earth, we’re going to help defend Ruby. Our struggle against the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) didn’t end at Standing Rock in 2017, and it won’t be over until every water protector in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system is liberated.
In 2017, Ruby and Jessica engaged in a direct action that damaged an empty section of DAPL’s pipe. Jessica was recently found guilty, given a “terrorism enhancement,” and sentenced to eight years in prison. Ruby’s fate now hangs in the balance as her trial approaches. With litigation support from Lakota Law and the National Lawyers Guild, Ruby is going to fight. Her next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 1.
As Ruby says in this new video produced by our team, humanity is going through a reckoning. In the future, no one will fondly remember the names of corporations that represented the status quo; instead, many people will only wish they had fought harder to protect life on this planet. Nobody who takes a stand to stop extractive destruction should ever be charged with a felony, much less be labeled a terrorist.
Ruby told me that Jessica has never even held a weapon in her hands, and at one point she was considering entering a monastery. And Ruby is a Waldorf School teacher, who vividly remembers kids in her classes crying and losing sleep because Australia and the Amazon were on fire. Ruby’s resistance, like my own back in 2017 that earned me a felony charge, has been motivated only by a desire to give the next generations a destiny they can believe in.
Nothing any of us did comes close to a level of governmental coercion necessary to justify a terrorism enhancement. It’s fallacious to suggest we have that type of power. If the government is being coerced by anyone, it’s the fossil fuel barons who buy politicians to protect their profits. Ruby was invited by an Indigenous community to protect water and help safeguard sacred lands. She showed up. Now, we will have her back, just like she had ours. Please stay tuned as we continue to fight to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.
https://lakotalaw.org/resources/chase-ruby-interview
Wopila tanka — thank you for standing for justice!
Chase iron Eyes
Co-Director and Lead Counsel
via the Lakota People’s Law Project
https://lakotalaw.org
Linda Greenly-Finch
❤️
I have some sense of how most of us humans have forever wanted be fruitful and multiply by aggression, moving into “new” lands, extracting resources from the ground ( people, trees, water) then progressing to under the ground (mining) and finally deep under ground (fossil fuels). Will the frontier of extraction be clean air? Yes Progress was made, wealth and power too, with economic and social benefits for workers ( if not enslaved), technology advances, etc. but at what cost?
Sometimes I feel progress is not so great after all. Never said that aloud let alone shared online because it sounded misanthropic. But this HCR forum feels safely like kindred spirits.
Thanks to the courageous women who intend to protect the Earth, like we Judeo—Christians were instructed to do in the Torah and Old Testament.
I say God Bless You.
A great deal depends on how one defines "growth" and "progress". Even "profit" has a variety of definitions not all of which are adverse to improved quality of life.
Thank you for sharing, I could not agree more and have been following and donating to this cause since 2017. What else can we do?
Sending love, hugs and $$ to water protectors everywhere. Thank you for all that you do. Mni waconi. Water is Life.
Well said.
The GOP ALL voting against voting rights infuriates me.
May the evacuations from Afghanistan continue, and may people start to realize that when people start wars, ending those wars is unlikely to be neat and tidy. Maybe if the end were factored into the original decision, fewer wars would be waged.
All of this adds up tp show government can "Git 'er done". Like everything it's up to the media to just report the reality of the situation ad not the meme du jour.
It should be a felony to mess with voting rights in a democracy, or mess with our post office and terrorize our election systems and Capitol. So why are these repubs still in office still obstructing democracy? How the heck can anyone create bills to mess with voter's right? That should be against the law across this land. I thought we had certain "inalienable rights" as citizens. WTFetch?
“Another demonstration of that security came today when two Representatives, Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Seth Moulton (D-MA), took it upon themselves to fly to Kabul, unannounced ("’to conduct oversight on the mission to evacuate Americans and our allies,’" Moulton’s office said).”
I would not say this was a demonstration of “security” but showboating put on by Moulton and Meier that was totally irresponsible. Thank God Moulton’s presidential aspirations and attempt to oust Nancy Pelosi as speaker were crushed early. IMO, he is woefully unqualified to the task as a representative. Just another disappointing “politician” grandstanding for personal recognition.
Thank you.!
The only reason I would wish Moulton was my Rep, would be to vote for a challenger. I'm disgusted by his behavior. Not only is he grandstanding in Afghanistan and utilizing transportation and security resources needed by others, but he's also not in his seat doing the job he was elected to do.
Yes, he is not doing his job. He’s a jackass! Back on the home front, 89% of the $46.5 billion emergency rental assistance program has not been allocated! What the hell is he doing running off to Afghanistan?! And, now there are all sorts explosions at the airport - certainly not unexpected!
“Regardless of what they discussed, it seems to me a sign that the U.S. feels secure enough about the safety of Kabul to risk sending the country’s top spy there for a parley.”
“Each of these major news items shows a remarkably effective political party, especially since the Democrats are accomplishing as much as they are while—with the exception of a handful of Republicans willing to sign on to the bipartisan infrastructure package—Republicans are doing all they can simply to stop the Democrats.”
Great points. Also the most succinct update I’ve seen on the Arizona cyber ninja fiasco.
Thanks, Dr Richardson, for your clarity.
I agree with you but even this morning the major news organizations are reporting the “disaster” in Kabul. I had to mute Ian Panel on Good Morning America” today. All he could relay was doom and gloom. I’m disgusted.
The airlift removing Americans and Afghans who worked for them from Afghanistan will go down in history as one of the most successful such operations carried out by any government, anywhere. Opponents of President Biden and the Democratic (not Democrat) administration will call it a failure, but that it definitely is not. That is just grist for the mills of lies one hears on Fox News, Newsmax and on social media.
Several points come to mind which cause me to think of it that way, in my opinion.
(1) Although it is unspoken, the Taliban recognizes our ability to bomb the crap out of their forces anytime that we wish and they do not need that to happen. They want to devote their energies to establishing some sort of Islamic government in Afghanistan and bombs falling on them at this point is not in their interest. Neither would foreign economic sanctions, particularly in finances, be conducive to their setting up a government. We, of course, will have no love for whatever government they establish, but it will be better than the corrupt excuse for a government which evaporated as soon as it found out that the United States would no longer be its crutch or wheelchair, and which begged us not to leave sooner and start evacuations earlier. At least we know where the Taliban is coming from. And they know what we are capable of.
(2) The Taliban has two prime enemies, and right now, the United States is not one of them. In fact, we can be helpful to them in dealing with these two enemies. They fear opposition from those inculcated with America’s democratic ideas over the past twenty years. Leadership to rally around to oppose the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan would come from that group. They recognize that the United States is removing as many of these Afghans as possible from the country, taking away the leadership of possible opponents to their rule. In that sense, they approve of the continuing airlift. You won’t hear about it, but it may quietly continue after any announced deadline. It is in their interest to not have these ‘dangerous’ people remaining in Afghanistan.
(3) There is another group they fear. It is ISIS-K, an Iraqi based terrorist group which is far more extreme, and bloodier, than the Taliban. They have established roots in Afghanistan and would be more than willing to use that country as a base from which to launch terrorism against the West, particularly the United States. In doing so, they would overthrow and replace whatever government the Taliban establishes, by violent means if necessary. I don’t expect there to be any publicity about it, but in my opinion, the United States might be helpful to the Taliban in destroying, or at least defanging, ISIS-K in Afghanistan. In that sense, we would be allies against a common foe. As it has been said, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' At least temporarily.
Keep an eye open for sentences or so which might slip into news reports which touch upon these points.
David Leonhardt, who writes the NYT's "The Morning" newsletter today discussed whether the evacuation could have been less "messy." After quoting several experts, he concluded that "a clean solution probably did not exist." So, enough already with the whining. At last count 70,000+ have been evacuated without an American death. And, as Heather pointed out previously, we only rescued 7,000 in the fall of Saigon, to which this episode is being compared (ad nauseum).
Helpful perspective. Thanks!
Much to consider. Thank you!
Concerned that the Taliban is reportedly blocking exit of physicians, engineers, and other educated Afghanis. They fear a "brain drain" of the country's brightest who would be helpful in establishing their new regime. I haven't been able to research whether or not this is true.
Probably true, but again probably, only a temporary measure. China, and possibley Cuba, might be a source for such talent for them in the future.
I want votes to mean something. I want the rights of the citizens of this country to not be trampled by a minority who can filibuster those rights away. Am I asking too much?
You are not asking for too much, Pam. We are asking for too little. In fact, no citizen should have to ask at all for their right to vote. Or for that. vote to count.
It may be if you want to live in a Republic. We are not nor ever have been a pure Democracy
Troll, I believe we here live in a democracy, and will continue to believe so. Go back to your toadstool, please.
Actually, the a7i3n post is fairly accurate independent of any beliefs otherwise.
Pam, I guess I need a toadstool, too. I agree with a7i… the more I read about the history of voting and the suppression of such, the more displeased I become.
We don’t. Not kidding.
Would we be better off letting a few of these states go off on their own (or together)?
You can provide citations that DC is not a troll? I think a number of folks here would love to see those. 😂
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Yesterday I tried to provide a link of MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's The Last Word, only to find that it soon became "unavailable." Our friend Nancy Wilson (Tokyo, Japan) sent this YouTube link. Thank you, Nancy! Slide over to about minute 15:15 for the coverage on Afghanistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0faolARWBo
Also, thanks to our friend Gina, here is the full transcript. The coverage on Afghanistan begins at 22:20:37: https://www.msnbc.com/transcripts/transcript-last-word-lawrence-o-donnell-8-23-21-n1277511
My Biden/Harris coffee mug has served me well these past several months. I think I'll keep it.
Morning Lynell, morning all. As long as the coffee is good. One of the most profound cultural changes in America in my adult life is reflected in advent of Expresso machines in even the smallest town. What a relief. A growing openness to the world outside.
And good bread! When we first moved to Columbus from Ann Arbor, we couldn’t find decent bread, olive oil, pasta, or cheese. Now, our neighborhood Kroger carries them all. And we have a local baker who makes bread remarkably like good Roman bread. My husband, who as an Italian is a coffee snob, has his home and work La Pavoni espresso stations and finding good beans is easy now.
That's because you got spoiled by Zingerman's!
Oh Zingerman’s! We got sandwiches there last week on our way up north! Bliss. High calorie cholesterol laden bliss.
Alls I can say, Kathy, is "tutti a tavola a mangiare!" Everyone at the table to eat!"
My mother in law always said “tutti a tavola” ❤️
My aunts just said "Mangiare!" and then in English said, "Whatsamatta for you?"
Our discovery of the Jura coffee machine had upsides and downsides. It is a marvelous machine that has served us exceedingly well for 13 years. The major upside was that we no longer felt compelled to race outside for a cappuccino or mocha. (Our savings could justify our initial capital investment.) The downside is that, instead of luxuriating in bed for an additional 15 minutes, we tend to jump up and dash to the machine. So far there is no clear evidence that this has caused sleep deprivation.
Morning, Stuart!! I discovered Expresso while on a wonderful road trip through France years ago. "Yuk," I said upon returning home to the poor excuse for coffee we Yanks are subjected to!
When I worked in the City for a few years in the 80s a local italian coffee/tea retailer told me the he kept "the good stuff" under the counter as the English never wanted to pay for it. Same goes for America, I fear...and over and above that you don't drink the "good stuff" by the bucket load with much too much water all day long. God knows, but i don't want to know, what they do to the poor coffee bean to get instant maxwell house!
LOL, Stuart!
Ha! 💯%, Stuart.
Thanks so much for these links!! I’m so disgusted with the media’s naive/sensation-seeking reporting on the withdrawal as Biden’s failure. O’Donnell speaks with clarity and good sense. We have a truthful and open White House and one only needs to follow the streamed Press Briefings and read President Biden’s statements and speeches to get the facts (which end up getting confirmed by HCR).
Yes, and I really appreciate that the Biden/Harris administration spokes people remain calm. They are taking the "heat" that they knew come. It is so refreshing to see people elected to an office who proceed to do what is right (or as close as they can figure out) instead of worrying and acting non stop as if they are just running for office again. I believe it will pay off greatly.
or, could I say "bigly"....:)
Good morning Lynell. Thank you! Busy times!
Morning, Christine!! Trying to keep up with it all!
Good morning Lynell & all! Thanks for the links!
Morning, Daria!! Heard a rumor several days ago about Yucatan being in the hurricane's path. I immediately thought of you. I trust you and yours are okay?
Hey, Lynell! We are well. Yes, we did have a bit of strong wind, rain and a bit superficial damage. Other areas of the city and the Peninsula saw much worse. There is another system heading our way so we're keeping a close eye on the forecast.
I hardly hear anything about the Yucatan and frequency of hurricanes, so don't know how prevalent it is in your area. My husband keeps tabs on hurricane happenings through his home country Antigua, in the West Indies. When it's bad, he tries to keep tabs on his closer relatives to make sure they're okay. I'm a landlubber myself, but in his younger days he rode many a hurricane out aboard sailing ships that he worked on!
Youtube link removed
There's something fishy going on. I don't know why this episode is being deleted. If I find out, I'll let you know.
The written transcript is there but not video. Unfortunate. I watched this morning. That was a stellar broadcast.
I checked it before posting and it was fine. Now, poof. At least the transcript is still available.😒😒
Hi folks -- try this link from MSNBC...
https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/lawrence-on-what-is-realistically-possible-in-an-evacuation-from-afghanistan-119315013510
There are so many things happening these days--many thanks HCR for continuing well beyond your 100-day-after-inauguration suggestion to provide us with your concise and sensible presentation of the daily news dump. I am especially grateful knowing what kinds of chaos the new semester has to be bringing into your world.
Here in deranged Missouri, the should-be-disbarred "attorney" general Eric Sch[m]itt has initiated a reverse class action lawsuit (I didn't even know these existed) against school districts with mask mandates, similar to the one he is waging against KC and Jackson County on the basis that mask mandates are "arbitrary and capricious." So nice to know that he is willing to risk the death, lifetime morbidity, and grave illness of untold numbers of children in order to advance his political career. The local press is FINALLY starting to present his revolting pandering to the trumpistas as a political ploy. I hope he gets slapped with fines by the court for wasting their time and gets personally countersued for endangering the welfare of children. Intellectually I know that there are deeply stupid and corrupt people all over the place and that their sociopathologies mean their extreme egotism drives everything they do, but emotionally I still find myself stunned by the blatant exploitation of others in which these guys are willing to engage in order to promote themselves.
You hit that nail on the head! What a horrible state we live in. Not as vocal maybe as Florida and Texas but just as evil.
Linda, there should be a class for us, to sue him. We could ask the court to just send him to his room until he can make sense about the human costs. But seriously, Missouri students over all, no matter who their parents voted for, do not deserve this.
Republicans disgust me.
“An ‘audit’ of the 2020 election in Arizona has been plagued with irregularities, errors, and problems: it was supposed to announce its ‘results’ this week—three months behind schedule—but three of the five leaders from the Cyber Ninjas conducting the audit are sick with Covid.”
I had to chuckle. I guess I am a terrible person. I don’t think I used to be that way.
I am losing empathy for the anti-vaxxers, except for those who are ineligible for the vaccine. My heart aches for the children who will suffer because of these adults.
Janet, here in Floriduh, first responders in the Tampa Bay Area, are refusing to get vaccinated. In Pinellas County 27% of one agency is vaccinated. They are the ones that need to take care of people and yet they are putting these very patients at risk. Because our governor DeathSantis refuses to make any protections mandatory, the chiefs in these agencies have no way to force their staff to get vaccinated. My heart aches for the children of course, it also for all the other innocents who are at risk due to this idiocy.
Janet, I have never had anything but disgust for the people opposed to vaccines for reasons they can't substantiate and that they tell me I can’t research because the research is not available to me.
Someone I know proudly displays her stance with her “NO-VAXX” license plate. She won’t wear a mask, either.
Chuckle? I'm outright laughing! And no, Sara, you are not a terrible old person!
I’m still chuckling 🤭. Thank god for Darwin, our species will self correct if given enough time.
What doesn't get reported enough is that the non-crazy, responsible Republican Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County, where the recount is taking place, have to have personal security because of the threats they receive because of their opposition to this recount.
Rather ironic, don't you think?
Personal opinion here, that while the content of your post is so humanistic, how you present yourself with a bot name and avatar gets in my way. Am I missing something?
The irony! Thanks for clarifying!
Wouldn't it be nice if constituents could "vote" on major legislation, which their Rep's and Senators would be legally bound to abide by? There is such a disconnect between political agendas and the will of the people that barely resembles democracy.
Randy, I'm liking that idea. The technology is here. What stands in the way? Fear of those in power of losing their power I suspect.
I proposed that once to one of our Senators (not a current one) and got a very snippy letter back about how elected representatives know better than the people what needs to be done. He was a democrat, and I never voted for him again.
I'm sorry. It is son wrong. But I loved your last sentence
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For sharing all of the accomplishments of this administration with one hand tied behind its back by a group who has completely lost its way and is clinging to a past that no longer is wanted by a majority of Americans. You swelled my heart. I'm going to out and work in my garden.🌷🌺🌹
So wrong. Not son wrong.
Gailee.... I confess, i laughed out loud at the last sentence of this letter. When we are living in bizzarro world, I suppose we take our comic relief where we can find it. Enjoy working in the garden today!
I had a friend (one of my several editor friends) text me a screen grab of a headline: "Arizona GOP audit delayed after Cyber Ninjas members contract COVID-19" and her comment of "One of those headlines that if I'd seen it a year ago would have thought it gibberish".
That sums up todays Republiqan party in a nutshell. Gibberish.
It crossed my mind to wonder if they really have Covid or it's just another delaying tactic.
"Progressives refused to agree to the bipartisan bill until they were assured it would not replace the larger package."
This single sentence describes why America has moved to a state where it can do nothing but sponsor war (because the Executive branch has taken over that role and does whatever it wants, which, is basically whatever Raytheon wants), approve huge budgets for military contractors (because Democrats and Republicans alike are on the take from those entities making it bipartisan). and cut taxes on the rich and corporations (because both parties are dependent on campaign contributions to stay in Washington).
In the same time that United States of America prosecuted the now lost Afghanistan war, accomplishing only the killing of 240,000 innocent Afghanistan citizens, China has built super high speed, modern, gleaming, electrical rail systems and electric trains between AND in progressively concentric circles, around, each mid size and large city in China. Yes, between 2001 and now. During that time, America, in California, built one mile of new high speed rail line. One single mile for $2.8 Billion. We also let Amtrak slowly decay.
Now? China can cheaply and effectively maintain those high speed rail lines (rail is MUCH cheaper to maintain that an 8 lane highway), and move people to work and home again rapidly and at low cost AND with a low impact to the environment.
In the United States? We cannot even agree to rebuild the obviously failing infrastructure we have.
I hate to float this idea, but, maybe all that stuff we were raised to believe about how awesome our American system is? Maybe that is just bunk.
Maybe our system, because of the outsized role of rich corporations and rich folks in general, from the beginning, in supporting representatives, was and is just doomed to fail?
Even the first Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, depended in significant part on money from John Hancock, a wealthy rum runner in Boston. He helped fund that first continental congress, by retaining John Adams as his lawyer, so he could keep up his illegal (from the British perspective) rum running business without paying tax to (to the British).
Think about it. The entire country of the United States was founded on and for the principal of lowno taxes for rich people.
Thomas Jefferson kindly put a nice, beautiful, language wrapper around that concept. So, it was a bit hidden from view. But, John Hancock got what he wanted. He never paid any tax on his rum running into Boston Harbor after the Revolutionary War.
Maybe bending to the will of rich people is a fundamental flaw in the American system from the get go?
Maybe it was only during FDR and Eisenhower's echo administration that America actually functioned for something besides the rich?
But, I think, even then, only because even the rich had become poor during the depression.
You mention Raytheon and who really gets a seat at the table. In Vermont our ears are blasted most days by the twenty F-35’s that are based at the civilian airport here. Does this have anything to do with national security. No, it has everything to do with our senior senator putting his hands on the scales when basing decisions were made. I am disappointed in myself for not listening to the few prophets who spoke out against the F-35’s coming here. They are the patriots.
Yes. Democrats and Republicans are bipartisan supporters of the ridiculously outsized military programs and spending.
Why? Both Dem and Pub enriched themselves in the bribes and “lobby” money.
Linda Greenly-Finch
❤️
My father worked for HRB / Singer/ Raytheon on infrared reconnaissance for the military.
He learned the power ot it as a P51 fighter pilot during the thank God final days of WWII. I’m pacifist - tending yet respect the military which has defended our nation, and may have saved us from the recent coup attempt.
They do certain things so well and acted according to their mission when we needed it most:
January 6, 2021. Meanwhile, tiny HRB was sold to bigger companies that didn’t seem to care about their employees even close to their focus on the bottom line . I didn’t realize how Raytheon has become so fundamental to the military industrial complex - I wasn’t paying attention.
My father was a true patriot and lifelong Republican. Different world now.
I feel for you in Vermont.
You mean your self-professed "socialist" former mayor of Burlington? How nicely capitalistic of him!
No, Senator Leahy. Senator Sanders is not our senior senator but once the basing decision was made he didn’t speak against it. Basically he said we’ve paid for them and they have to go somewhere.
Just wondering how much is going to be hidden in these funding bills. Wish that there were term limits for lobbyists and elected officials.
Thanks John! I had no idea that the almost-octogenarian was your "junior" senator!
It is reassuring to see Biden and the Democrats stay focus on infrastructure, and voter rights which will support our Democracy. Both of those bills are about building our nation for all. Reagan’s trickle down theory has fed the top 1%. It is shameful to have so many children live in poverty while we witness the men who benefit from these tax cuts finance trips to outer space.