Heartbreaking indeed. It could have been a better outcome had it not been bungled from the beginning.
So many spineless grifters in the Republican Party. Actually, it’s not the RP anymore is it? I’m not sure, but I think it’s past the tipping point. I hope I’m wrong. I’d like to be wrong about this.
That answer by Mr. Garland reminded me of another hearing where LT. Colonel Vindman said, “here, right matters.”
Certainly the Vindmans, and Fiona Hill and Marie Yovanovich too. But not ceremonial or honorary positions; ones with real responsibilities commensurate with their proven talents and dedication.
All of them were treated shabbily by a would-be tin pot dictator. The case of the Vindmans is especially reminiscent of Mafia Dons who would reap retribution on the entire family if one person defied him.
The Vindmans were such honorable citizens. When our mafia don (that’s his new nickname) even went out of his way to hurt them further— that’s when I got the depth of his vengeful depravity.
The ignorance of Repugs is vast compared to these dedicated patriots and professionals. Remember the hearing when one who pretended to know military jargon saying that he knows Lt Cols are always called Colonel? Vindman: "I am a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army."
Liz, I think you have hit the nail on the head with the term "vengeful depravity". The man is basically evil and totally without empathy. He only thinks about what will benefit him and his family.
In that sense, he is no better than the men he befriended, like Putin, MBS, Kim Jong Un, Bolsonaro and Erdogan. These were the men he admired, while he insulted Trudeau, Merkel and Macron.
I think you're right on RP being on the other side of the tipping point. I wonder if the RP can even legally be a political party if it is promoting insurrection and violence. We'll find out in the next few months whether it will remain a party or would better be classified as a domestic terrorist organization. The Republican Party has some some fissures which may break them into three parties -- the party of DT and white supremacists, the anti-Trump party, and perhaps a more traditional moderate conservative party.
The big money evil which is enmeshed throughout the Republicans won’t go away so while I do feel we’re in a kind of tipping point now, we just can’t allow any complacency— the midterm elections will be here so quickly.
It will be interesting. Look at what this "right wing" fellow thinks... Watch what you wish for... thinkshttps://greenwald.substack.com/p/house-democrats-targeting-right-wing
I agree with TDPR on the need for two strong, (decent), parties. I hope that they can drain their swamp and put the “grand” back in their party. I do worry that they’re beyond doing that.
I'm at a loss to write anything that touches on the deaths of half a million unfinished lives. My dear cousin Johnny was one of the first, last April. The words of Shakespeare, Keats, Auden surprisingly don't capture the full mourning and grief of the survivors; his widow, father, sister, sons. Maybe Joan Didion comes the closest. And any of the many war writings (Robert Graves; Gallipoli) describe the horror of a death and the needless avoidable waste of humans.
In addition to the loss of 500,000 people, the emotional loss is compounded by the experience of family members who could not be present to provide advocacy and comfort for a peaceful passing of their loved one, who could not say goodbye, who were cast into financial hardship, who suffered illness themselves or the terrifying fear of becoming ill...and then there's the heartbreak of parents who lost a child, of children who lost a parent...
May we all find ways to offer comfort for the survivors.
And for those whose uncounted death during the epidemic was "collateral damage", unaffected other than by the solitude imposed preventing either normal curative/preventive treatment and/or normal family interaction necessary to keep the sputtering flame of life alight.
The light is visible but the tunnel itself is long, very long. America and the world must learn to live with Covid-19, for decades, maybe centuries, as we did with the bubonic plague and smallpox.
It is also unclear how many "long-haulers" are among us who will suffer long-term effects. We are just beginning to understand that the number of people affected by COVID---family, friends, community---is ultimately exponential.
Long-hauler cases are among the most distressing aspects of Covid-19. It is a Newly Emerging Disease (NED), and more protean than most. So many variables, so little clinical history to work from. Covid seems to mutate incredibly fast, perhaps even more than malaria, the longtime champion of disease mutation. The world must learn to live with Covid even after the pandemic subsides into, hopefully, epidemic then endemic status.
I love ❤️ the sentiment here. Your words underscore the depth of your heart. Ellie I think however that many of us have difficulty with dealing with death. How do we find ways to help the survivors in a society that treats death as horrific and the survivors as possibly tainted. We don’t celebrate the end of life we avoid it. How do we find ways to help? I don’t even know anyone who died . I don’t know who survived. How do we help, when we act like it never happened, when we all expect each other to just move on?
Comforting the bereaved is simple really, but, takes emotional courage. Open your heart and listen. There is nothing to fix or get over, just be present and share memories. Having someone to weep and laugh with is everything. Grief can be so unbearably lonely.
Jennifer your loss for words is the beginning of a truly important conversation. Thank you for sharing your heartbreak. Hugs to you. Thank you and bless you!
Jennifer, I am so sorry for your loss, and your entire family. And it didn’t have to be this way. The sadness is so overwhelming that there’s no room in me for anger at those who refused to see and act. I wish I could do something to ease the pain, I will pray for you.
Visions of War: Dreams of Peace, Furey & Van Devanter, eds. is an anthology of poetry by women who served in Vietnam as nurses. Their work highlights the after-effects of working among preventable horrors created by human greed, ignorance, stupidity and rapacity. Serving the greater good in war or pandemic leaves care-givers with scars that never go away, memories that continue to bring pain.
Testament of Youth is one of my favorite books. The movie is good too. I saw the house in Chelsea where she wrote the book. No one else on my walking tour knew who she was, sadly. Thanks for the reference to the books, I will look them up to read. That Era is ever present in the UK. Thanks !
I first discovered Vera Brittain watching the 1979 BBC/PBS series on TOY. It made a strong impression then, and in the 2000s I began assigning it in history courses. It's still on the sylly for every relevant course.
I like the film and series about equally, but think Kit Harington is much better as Roland Leighton. A reviewer wrote that "he shows far more emotional range than he does as John Snow in Game of Thrones." Ironically, it drew my attention to GOT and I became a huge fan.
When Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked him to explain why he wanted to give up a lifetime appointment as a judge to take the job of attorney general to fight “hate and discrimination in American history,” Garland answered:
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution. The country took us in and protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back. And this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back. And so, I want very much to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become. I’ll do my best to try to be that kind of attorney general.”
The negativity now is becoming like spit in the wind. I even think tRump’s CPAC appearance might taste like milk starting to turn. I hope that many Republicans are tired of it now, too.
Merrick Garland, like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, is hard-working and just.
Despite his rep for rousing the crowd, Trumpsky's campaign events are regularly disasters. The Tulsa super-spreader event; the first debate with Biden; the Texas sunken-flotilla farce; and most of all the Jan 6 insurrection -- these do not inspire confidence that the next one will be a success. I say odds are about even that he bvggers up CPAC somehow. He's living on borrowed time anyway, and his time is coming.
Yes it is! And the juxtaposition of the long awaited rollout of substantial doses of vaccines are happening in sync with the layers of paint peeling away from the house that Trump built. Such a happy tune!
And the pathos of the ringing of the bells at the National Cathedral was a somber backdrop to the grace and dignity of Merrit Garland while SCOTUS brushed the crumbs of Donald Trump off their table made me well up with tears. I think we are going to be all right.
Thank you Heather for leading us through the darkness.
And what's funny is that I ended up responding to a post in my inbox and also used the word crumbs in reference to the Republican party (this time in Oregon).
We can be very sure that his appearance will feature attacks on each of these individuals as well as any Republicans that have come out in opposition to his stupid rants. There will not be any sensible proposals for the party to rally around, just nasty comments for them to thrive on. Oh, he will talk about the sanctity of life too. While supporting the death penalty and Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. The crowd will be entertained. They love loser45!
How is it that 65% of Republicans disapprove of the current handling of the corona virus crisis? The only thing to be upset about is “my team lost because America won.” It seems clear to me that Biden is fighting for Americans and Republicans are fighting for the red team.
That was my "wait . . what?" moment in this letter as well! I mean: the last year, until January 21st, was nothing but death and dying--corpses piling up in portable freezers outside morgues for pete's sake--but that is OKAY for 65% of the people who vote for so-called Republicans??? This really crystallizes the incredible delusional thinking of millions of people living in the USA.
A partisan FB friend wrote “where is the uproar over passing 500,00l deaths under Biden?” It’s their loyal to trump that refuses to acknowledge any progress JRB makes. Trump is their delusion.
My turn to say “wait, what?!?!?” They can’t seriously be saying that Biden is responsible for those 500,001+ deaths??? The vast, vast majority of which started and happened under djt!
Yes they will turn every truth into a lie and vice versa. This sickness is profoundly upsetting and destabilizing. Will it change? If so, how? How can we as a country go on like this? It is a constant threat to democracy and to the collective mental health.
I know that "purse" insanity was a typo, but perhaps such insanity is acutally affected by the amount of money in one's purse. A Freudian slip? Have you read about the number of January 6 arrested invaders of the Capitol who have serious personal financial problems?
The members of the red team don’t seem to believe that we can come together to solve problems like Covid. Nor do they perceive that the zero sum game defeats the majority of us because there can only be one winner.
The republican party is into extreme projection, blaming every fault of theirs on democrats, or anyone convenient. They've been doing this to varying degrees for decades, but it went into extreme overdrive with Trump, a malignant narcissist. Narcissists are convinced they can do no wrong, and are better than anyone else at everything, which describes Trump to a tee. Now the republican cult appears to have absorbed Trump's narcissistic personality.
So heart wrenching yet somehow reassuring to listen to President Biden speak last night about the terrible losses our country has suffered from this virus. Leadership in action after such a long absence is comforting.
Yet only 34% of republicans ‘approve’ of President Biden’s handling of the virus. It makes one wonder what they would prefer? More unchecked rampant illness and death? Mind boggling. This, added to the utter ridiculousness of the continued republican insistence on their litany of lies, serves to dim what hope I have tried to nurture since the inauguration. The prospect of djt being their “presumptive 2024 nominee” and having control of the party, as Heather states, is terrifying. He is openly stating that he wants revenge. If he does manage to get elected we are in for horrors that none could imagine. Yet, it could happen. We must remember this and act accordingly, each to their own ability, or we will truly be lost.
I am currently reading The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. Not even halfway through it yet but I can see the seriousness of this climate change crisis in ways I had not previously understood it - and I thought I understood it fairly well. This is a must read. In the context of climate change, all of this drama with djt is just that, drama. But becomes much more terrifyingly clear that he must. not. be. re-elected. We are already in serious trouble. If we don’t keep democrats in control we are doomed. That is not hyperbole. Read the book and you will understand that. I really don’t want to be a doomsayer but, here I am. Sorry to rain on anyone’s parade but I feel I must speak the truth that I see.
For a continued dive, I can recommend "The Ministry For the Future" Kim Stanley (Kim Stanley Robinson) a wild and desperate ride of possible solutions, and/or "The Overstory"(Richard Powers) which is one of the most earth-loving beautiful systems of stories and people working to explore and care for forests in unique and extreme ways. Not to suggest these are comforting. They're not. But as for broadening an understanding, they are superb. I just ordered "...Uninhabitable..." Thanks for the recommendation.
I can appreciate that the two books you mention are meaningful for you and, likely, many others and have read several reviews of each of them. The difference is that both of those are works of fiction and The Uninhabitable Earth is about facts. Scientific, documented, proven fact. Unfortunately, even though these novels may be uplifting they are still fiction and our future will be determined by fact.
May I suggest, our future will be determined by our immagination and our curiosity. Fiction, especially science fiction, helps us imagine a different world (even though too much of it is dystopian with the exception of some Steampunk).
I think if you read "The Ministry For the Future" you will find it is a unique blend of statistical facts, economic extrapolations, and fictional narration. In fact, it is noted for combining facts and ideas of our future somewhat seamlessly. The Pulitzer Prize winning "The Overstory", which is indeed a work of fiction, is heavily inspired by the life and work of forest ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard and her "facts," which were sadly contested as a "fiction" when she first presented them. The power of facts is certainly uncontested, especially with regard to the environment. But fiction plays so cunningly with facts that it reminds me that fiction is astonishingly deep and fascinating and also serves a purpose.
Have you seen Bill Gates new book? He was on PBS last night. "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need". I just purchased it.
Watch the Netflix film, David Attenborough's "a Life on Our Planet." He shows the effects of climate change in his lifetime. Also, "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert. Politics today is kind of like Rome burning while Nero fiddles.
I’ve watched Attenborough’s documentary - it brought me to tears. Will somewhat reluctantly add The Sixth Extinction to my list. Reluctantly because I don’t know how much more heartbreak I can take. I am slow reading Uninhabitable for the same reason - it is a devastating but very necessary read.
May I suggest Kolbert’s most recent book, Under A White Sky? Sixth Extinction is deeply penetrating. The book I recommend is less than a year old and brings one up to date with where we stand with global warming I.e. that we are past the point where reducing our carbon footprint and into the stage where geo-engineering (things like blasting chemicals into the sky to block the full effect of the sun) may be the last great gamble our species can take.
It’s a grim subject, but she writes in a non-polemical way. Quite riveting.
She’s also interviewed on the book on Ezra Klein’s podcast. That would give you a good introduction.
I just listened to the Ezra Klein podcast interview- it was great and I will definitely add White Sky to my list, probably ahead of Sixth Extinction now. I was quite struck by the discussion about how “natural” biological interventions have often had unexpected and unwanted results - I have been aware of this for years and have never understood why we, as a species, cannot seem to grasp this concept. Bioengineering and geoengineering scare the heck out of me. I fervently believe that we need to work in harmony with nature and follow nature’s rules and laws rather than the other way around - regenerative agriculture being a good example.
Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely check this out - more current information on this is, in my humble opinion, more useful. I am, in part, reading these to make some major life decisions about my personal future so am looking for the most current info I can find. Thanks!
Over the last four years, I've read more political/historical non-fiction than I had in the decades since grad school. I'm now taking a break by reading back to back trashy thrillers. I feel like I've been trapped inside the Mel Brooks' film, High Anxiety, for 4+ years (and not in a good way) and the movie just won't end. I keep thinking the credits are about to roll, and then there's another story about T****'s political future.
There’s a wonderful sculpture in Germany showing the heads of “world leaders” up to their necks in water. Of course they are only heads and necks, so you are looking down on them!
I agree. Even though I am on the opposing side I find myself still looking for reasons to keep Trump in my news cycle. Fiddling. It is an addiction that is an absolute waste of valuable time. I have noticed that the news outlets are addicted too. They keep putting a trump item on the front page every day. It sells papers. If the uneducated think they have a lot to complain about now wait a few years. They will have a lot more to complain about but democrats will be less to blame than they would like.
There are a few books on sequestering carbon in soil with regenerative agriculture. I would recommend ‘The Soil Will Save Us’ by Kristin Ohlson as the most readable. The movie ‘Kiss the Ground’ also gives you a brief overview of this concept.
Bill Gates owns large swaths of farmland and I wish he would try regenerative agriculture on it. I wish he would try this low tech solution and broadcast its useful place in the healing of the planet. It could be started today and tech solutions are a few years away.
Virginia, I absolutely agree with you. I don't pay much attention to Bill Gates. He is so tech oriented he is blind to the kind of ground and community based solutions that are right in front of us. Tech solutions inevitably lead to unintended consequences that generally cannot be reversed. In my profession, which had to do with helping communities and agriculture shift to sustainable ways of solving problems, I saw people do amazing things with simple techniques that can be adapted to varying conditions.
Tricia, I spent a large part of my career as an environmental analyst and planner doing just that. And working with scientists, researchers, activists, entire communities, agencies on not only climate issues- soil preservation, ecosystem rebuilding, watershed restoration, just about anything that those communities cared about and wanted to make right.
Bill Gates came to a meeting in the watershed he lived in once (it was in my territory). That was nice, and it was thoughtful that he recognized that his presence would short-circuit the work the community as a whole was doing. So he went to Africa, where he is doing things that may or may not be helpful. I'm sorry I don't view him as a hero as you seem to. To me, he's just another guy with a lot of money who is trying to influence how things are done.
I worked (and still volunteer with) ordinary people who are the actual heroes in creating change. There are people and communities like this all over the world. They're just not rich, and they don't write books, so they don't get the press. Too bad. We could learn a lot from them.
He's a bit too enthusiastic about "green" nuclear for my taste. Rather than looking for ways to reduce our desire to consume vast amounts of energy, he is clinging to powering a high tech future that is likely to increase consumption (she writes her much prized high tech laptop).
However, I do respect that he is at least using his money and that of other wealthy contributors to the Gates Foundation to try to benefit humanity and the planet. I'll take Gates over Bezos any day.
Yes! I’ve been following Gates philanthropy and his buying up farmlands in US. His new book addresses climate change, sustainable farming, etc. I absolutely trust that Gates is going to use his farmlands to fight climate change in US. His work is amazing and just wow what he’s done with his wealth. A good human in my opinion.
I’ve seen Kiss the Ground and will definitely look into The Soil Will Save Us. The book that I found particularly good is Growing a Revolution by David R. Montgomery. Well worth the read and highly recommended.
we've lost 4 years in the climate change fight to djt and the news media will not let it go...I'm trying to find ways to let the news networks know they need to turn the page but not having a whole lot of luck finding addresses or phone numbers.
Good for you, Linda. You have an important point and the news media needs to hear it. It's not just news networks. They get their ideas from local and regional papers, magazines, etc. Start by writing to reporters at those outlets directly who are covering issues like this. Pick a reporter whose writing you like and let them know exactly the concern you expressed about the media needing to "turn the page". Then find another.
Don't give up. Give them some examples where you feel the media missed the point. Ask them to write something that can offset that kind of coverage.
And to see some great examples of this kind of coverage, I suggest "Yes!" magazine, a quarterly with a positive but challenging outlook. Available online free, but also have a print version at low cost. They just want to get the word out. Their latest issue (content available online) is magnificent:
What an Ecological Civilization Looks Like
Spring 2021 | The "Ecological Civilization" Issue.
Thank you Annie for the web site, I've been discouraged and this is the kind of info I need to help make the case. I appreciate you sharing it with me....
If you want to understand why only 34% of Republicans approve of President Biden, just make a trip over to Fox news. I'm amazed that there are even 34%.
Try to look at the poll you referenced this way. Assuming only a 50/50 split between the 2 major parties, with Democrats nearly 100% onboard, doesn't that look like at least 67% voter approval? Good enough for me, if it keeps the dregs of the GOP out of power.
If we can keep the GOP from destroying gains in voting rights, it'll be cool. Frankly, I'm delighted that as many as 34% of declared GOPers approve of Biden's COVID action.
Okay, I do know that these percentages are not spread evenly around the country, and that there is real danger for the midterms if GA, AZ, et al. have their way with voter suppression - but I wanted to feel a little bit of foolish optimism for a few moments.
This post is a bit long – and odd, I know. But HR-1 has been much on my mind of late and I decided to see what the other side was up to. And they are quite busy. What follows below is from the American Conservative Union (minus a photo of Nancy Pelosi tearing up DT’s State of Union speech).
The ACU is also the sponsor of the annual CPAC meeting that starts later this week. As I was looking at the website, I came across the list of speakers. It read like a Who’s Who of the “Let’s screw over the voters caucus” – a related, but separate wing of the “Let’s riot in the Capitol, assault the police, and hang elected officials who disagree with DT’s lies about the 2020 election knitting circle”.
This CPAC distinguishes itself as the first and hopefully last congress of its sort that has assembled such a collection of anti-democratic, current & former elected and appointment officials. CPAC is always a riotous display of demagoguery, but this time the riotous aspect is a bit more pronounced. That they would invite DJT is beyond my admittedly limited comprehension. I know there are reasons – but it is difficult even at this late date, to believe we, as a species, have sunk so very low.
That said, I’ve included below their pitch to defeat HR-1 (The “For the People” voting rights act) as well as a partial list of CPAC 2021 speakers.
If ever there was a time to organize support for a piece of legislation, this is that time. Call your Senators, Representatives, friends & neighbors and tell them to get behind this bill. I spoke with my Representative’s office yesterday. I will reach out to my Senators today. This is worth employing the nuclear option because without fundamental change, we could be looking at red ties in the halls of Congress for a long, long time.
“TELL CONGRESS: OPPOSE H.R. 1!
Right now, Radical Leftists in Congress are pushing a bill to demolish the foundations of our democracy, and it’s time for everyone to speak out!
In the ironically named “For the People Act”, essential state safeguards that protect the electoral process would be stripped away through federal mandate. The bill would nationalize and make permanent the very Left-wing schemes that sabotaged the 2020 presidential election. To name some of the worst provisions in the bill:
• Same day voter registration would become mandatory.
• The controversial vote by mail system, which is highly susceptible to massive fraud, would be expanded.
• Ineligible voters would not be prosecuted for being illegally registered in voter rolls.
• Certain citizens would be automatically registered to vote if they provide certain information to state and federal agencies including being enrolled in food stamps or interacting with the DMV.
• Washington, D.C. would be put on the path to statehood.
• Donor privacy would be eradicated, welcoming intimidation of anyone who wants to participate in our democracy.
These policies would essentially open the floodgates to even more election fraud and would solidify the Radical Left’s hold on power. Malpractice would no longer be occurring in a handful of states: It would be common practice from coast to coast. The repercussions would be catastrophic for decades, and we as Americans cannot allow these blanket attacks on our democratic values to pass. Tell your Representative in Congress to oppose H.R. 1!”
(Source: American Conservative Union)
2021 CPAC February 25 – 28
Partial List of Speakers
Donald J. Trump
Michael R. Pompeo
Ben Carson
KT McFarland - Former Trump Deputy National Security Advisor
Gov. Ron DeSantis
Andrew Wheeler - Former Administrator of EPA
Gov. Scott Walker - President, Young America's Foundation
Sarah Huckabee Sanders - Former White House Press Secretary
Russell Vought - Former Director of OMB
Larry Kudlow - Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
Amb. David Friedman - Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Amb. Richard Grenell -Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany
Donald Trump Jr. - Executive Vice President, The Trump Organization
Matthew Whitaker - Former U.S. Acting Attorney General
Pam Bondi - Former Florida Attorney General
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Sen. Tom Cotton
Sen. Ted Cruz
Sen. Bill Hagerty
Sen. Josh Hawley
Sen. James Lankford
Sen. Mike Lee
Sen. Cynthia Lummis
Sen. Rick Scott
Rep. Jodey Arrington
Rep. Andy Biggs
Rep. Lauren Boebert
Rep. Ken Buck*
Rep. Ted Budd
Rep. Michael Burgess
Rep. Jim Banks
Rep. Mo Brooks
Rep. Kat Cammack
Rep. Madison Cawthorn
Rep. Ben Cline
Rep. Warren Davidson
Rep. Byron Donalds
Rep. Michelle Fischbach
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Rep. Russ Fulcher
Rep. Matt Gaetz
Rep. Mark Green
Rep. Paul Gosar
Rep. Yvette Herrell
Rep. Jody Hice
Rep. Darrell Issa
Rep. Ronny Jackson
Rep. Mike Kelly
Rep. Mike Johnson
Rep. Jim Jordan
Leader Kevin McCarthy
Rep. Tom McClintock*
Rep. Ralph Norman
Rep. Devin Nunes
Rep. Burgess Owens
Rep. Chip Roy*
Rep. Scott Perry
Rep. Greg Steube
Rep. Roger Williams
Bernard Kerik Former Police Commissioner, New York City
Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas
Michael Whatley Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
Rep. Fiona McFarland Florida House of Representatives
*Denotes Members of the House of Representatives who did not vote to reject 2020 Electoral College Votes.
As you know, HR-1 is “my” focus along with 2022 mid-term races in GA and PA. Thank you for this post, which balances all the congrats and sighs of relief at the SCOTUS ruling. Not saying I’m not happy about it, but Americans who believe in democracy need to stay focused on countering Conservative moves to destroy it. ❤️🤍💙
As far as SCOTUS is concerned, there are a couple cases coming up next week and very possibly destroy the 1965 Voting Rights act. Please read: https://www.vox.com/22286213/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-arizona-brnovich-democratic-national-committee-republican-party An excerpt from that article about John Roberts: "a young Justice Department lawyer named John Roberts. Roberts wrote more than two dozens memos opposing the 1982 voting rights law, one of which claimed it was “not only constitutionally suspect, but also contrary to the most fundamental tenants [sic] of the legislative process on which the laws of this country are based.”
Yes.. one of the must important bills to get passed and the filibuster needs to go. My elected officials are the worst of the worst so please double up your calls to the Democrats to do what it takes to get this passed. Without it, no amount of goodwill this administration may win will make a difference if people can’t vote.
I have a state representative who is a Republican. It's an extra challenge to come up with carefully thought out messages to convey to him. His staff is excellent and acts quite polite and receptive on the phone, but commits to nothing.
Nonetheless, I repeat that I am Bob Stromberg from Round Lake and I am a constituent of <title> <name>. Then I state my concerns and I make a personal, authentic, maybe passionate expression of my feelings about the matter.
For example, I feel less safe with weak gun control laws on the books in my state. I don't know what my neighbor might be thinking about doing with his/her powerful weapons.
Another example: We have a proposed bill in the NYS legislature (A1115, Paulin/ S309, Myrie) to tighten up the requirements for voting machines. I am sure my Republican representative wants to prevent a hacker from altering a ballot in the machine after the voter has approved and "cast" it. Please support this bill and, indeed, become a co-sponsor.
Short, understandable, carefully written (spoken).
If I don't get a positive response, I'll write again in a few weeks to remind him/her about my opinion, and ask them to please consider taking action to support a hack-free election process.
It's actually fun, I think, to rewrite my thoughts and put a new "cast" on them.
I applaud you Bob. I do call mine but there is no one that answers a phone and they are of the T cult so i don’t see my opinions going anywhere... until there are more people who are more like us than there are of their voting base. And I don’t know how to get to that point except to replicate Stacey Abram’s work here in FL and to educate educate educate. BTW... I just read an interesting article in The NY Times about a guy who moved from NY to VT where the gun laws are less restrictive. He set up a tactical training camp on 30 acres in Pawlet where he and his militia friends train with assault rifles and practice home invasions and car jackings. He has terrified his neighbors and it has become a major issue in a formerly quiet little town..so you may have a little more sanity in your state among your Republican leadership than some others of us. I have neighbors in FL who can practice shooting their guns and rifles in their back yards and we live on 1 and a quarter acre rectangular lots. What craziness is that?
Hey Pamsy and Bob, please keep calling and don't get discouraged. Even with canned or no responses, Congressional offices keep track of constituent contacts and classify them according to content. Your voices are heard whether they admit it or not.
I have several reps (Democrats) whose voice mailboxes are full. I just called one of them, then had to go on his web site and send an email using his contact form.
Yes, it can feel like you are whistling in the wind. But I remind myself that at least the staff will hear/see your messages, and maybe some of it will stick.
Today in her Facebook Live talk Heather said it takes what, 7? tries to escape an abusive relationship.
So, I say, repeated messages that make sense and are clear and unambiguous.
Remember, you're not really trying to convince 'em. Just express your thoughts and wishes for good governance.
I recall surprising things said in my hearing years, decades, ago, that only slowly began to make sense. He (or she) said X, and I didn't get it then but I begin to get it now.
Marriage equality.
Climate change vs. global warming.
For myself... I was first alerted to passive voice and told never to use it. Never ever use passive voice!
Then I read about the 5 times it makes sense in "The Careful Writer" by Theodore Bernstein.
Hm. The University of Toronto Writing Centre mentions 6 times:
The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. [We don’t know who made them.]
2. The actor is irrelevant:
An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. [We are not interested in who is building it.]
3. You want to be vague about who is responsible:
Mistakes were made. [Common in bureaucratic writing!]
4. You are talking about a general truth:
Rules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.]
5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:
Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.
6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:
The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.
I spoke with my brother, conservative and rigid in his thinking, and without mentioning the Big Lie, told him about how hard it is to falsify a paper ballot. Well, large numbers of them. I reminded him of how I signed in, marked my ballot, and put it into the scanner, where it was scanned and tabulated and dumped into a locked bin inside the scanner.
The saved ballots are available for hand counting if questions arise.
This is just straight exposition. He's polite. He listened. He has a B.S. in Physics from 'way back. I think I have a track record of never misleading, and never trying to tell him what to think.
To clarify and update the Pawlet issue: Keep in mind that in VT "towns" are usually 30-40 square miles of various kinds of land. This is not an urban area, though there are a number of adjacent properties along the road leading to the "camp". The village isn't far, but does not border the camp- it's a fair drive.
The camp owner makes his living "training clients to use firearms safely". The firearms just happen to be assault rifles. It had been a quiet area, but living next to a firing range (especially with guns that size) has ruptured that. And the neighborly atmosphere has certainly evaporated.
He has been operating without a permit (never applied for one), and has not paid property taxes and other town fees for a couple of years or more. The town cited him for zoning infractions but he ignored it. The town sought assistance from state police, who were reluctant to become involved in what they saw as a local land use issue. The town also brought lawsuits against the landowner (still pending, so far as I know).
Um, then the state learned that the FBI had been investigating this camp (along with similar camps around the country) for some time. This was prior to Jan 6. The Governor okayed using the Nat Guard as enforcers, and a judge issued a temporary injunction closing the camp down. Think everyone was on their way to WaDC by then.
The latest bit of fun news: The camp owner decided to run for the select board, and asked "supporters" to show up armed at March 2 Town Meeting (when local elections take place in VT). Man is, to put it mildly, unpleasant. His ex-wife has a restraining order against him, and so does at least one neighbor near the camp who has received direct threats.
However, as it turns out, town meeting will be held online the evening of Mar 1 (because Covid), with ballot voting on the 2nd. BTW, this has become common in VT in recent years, because March weather here pretty much sucks. Covid just made it more common. Looks like this guy's party is turning into a dud. Sure hope so.
Thanks, MaryPat. I live a good distance away- there are about 8 or 9 towns between me and there. And glad to say that people like him are not common here. Or actually anywhere, when you think about it. It's just that when they gather together, bad stuff seems to happen.
I have been reading all the information you posted about HR-1, including the podcast from yesterday. This "counter-narrative" that the Republicans are pushing is truly frightening. I have not felt this fearful since right after the election, when I had a momentary "high" about Biden being elected. Without a conviction, or even a censure, Trump and his minions are emboldened and able to spew the vicious lies that you have captured. Passing HR-1 is critical, but boy, is it a heavy lift. And for me in Florida, it is impossible. Just look at the names of all the Floridians who are on the panel for CPAC. My internal weather report continues to be cloudier and cloudier.
Sad that 3 of the people who voted to accept the electoral vote count are on the list - also how comfortable would anyone feel when they have to have that pointed out? Why go?
" As I was looking at the website, I came across the list of speakers. It read like a Who’s Who of the “Let’s screw over the voters caucus”
I do enjoy your subtle tongue-in-cheek humor in the way you capture the essence of what is going on, Mr. Dooley. You both bend my mind and make me think beyond the tendency to simply go "Oh shit, not again". I knew about this meeting (been listening and reading, just not up to writing recently), but your synopsis is an excellent summary of what these people are up to.
However, I do take issue with this:
"... it is difficult even at this late date, to believe we, as a species, have sunk so very low."
We, as a species, have not sunk that low. Certain members of our species have, and you have done a bang-up job of listing many of their names. They are dangerous, yes. But they are representative only of a portion of human beings who are addicted to power at any cost.
At the same time, the majority of the rest of humankind,all over the world, are doing their very best to survive and to help others to survive. They are standing up for democracy and equity and fairness. I don't think they will give up. Doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
I am among them, along with my neighbors, my various communities, including this one, and enough politicians to make this work if we work together to stand visibly together and keep speaking up.
That language was not precise and should have reflected upon those of our species who have failed to evolve … or words to that effect. Thank you for paying attention – I appreciate your comment. I love language and strive to use it effectively. Comments like yours force those of us who believe words matter, to pay closer attention when employing them.
While the news shows that the adults are back behind the wheel of the car, your letters peel back the layers to show that for all intents and purposes, the Republican party continues to drift to the extreme, and it's love affair with the former president continues with little evidence of waning.
Evidence of this is the insistence of people like Governor Ron DeSantis, who will not even acknowledge the memories of 30,000 Floridians and 500,000 Americans whose lives have been taken by Covid, but wants to lower the flags to honor the arrogant and pompous Rush Limbaugh, a man who built a fortune peddling hate and lies.
The dichotomy cannot be clearer. Thanks for your daily illuminations. Keep up the good work!
When we ask, as many people have today, how could our loss in the pandemic be so huge and growing, A clear answer could be found in the questioning by Retrumplicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee of Merrick Garland. They may be competing as possible candidates for president in 2024, but may as likely be be competing to qualify as the best Donald Trump clone. More than 500,000 gone! Recalled by the president tonight in the ceremony meant to focus us and offer comfort to the families of those who died.
Judge Garland offered a wonderful response to a question today: "When Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked him to explain why he wanted to give up a lifetime appointment as a judge to take the job of attorney general to fight “hate and discrimination in American history,” Garland answered:
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution. The country took us in and protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back. And this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back. And so, I want very much to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become. I’ll do my best to try to be that kind of attorney general.”"
He gave this answer haltingly, choking back tears as he responded.
Trump made $1.6 billion on his business - all of which lost business all four years, and *really* lost business the past year with the pandemic when nobody was golfing or staying in hotels - and the moon is made of English Cheddar Cheese.
He'll really look like the "presumptive nominee" in 2024 as a convicted felon for major tax, insurance and banking fraud. Not to mention voting fraud. It's hard to run a political campaign from an 8x10 at Sing-Sing.
And he knows it's coming - you can smell the stink of the panther sweat of terror on that "statement." But the Evolutionary U-turns at CPAC will applaud him for defrauding them.
I think that Panthers' Union will send their spokescat out of the jungle to object to the comparison and the association with such a low order of feral beasts as the Trumps....perhaps the Jackels' Union would be up for the challenge? Otherwise how far do they have to go down the food chain of carrion species to find their mirror image?
TCinLA & Stuart, this morning, right out of the gate, you’ve put a smile on my face. Carrion it is. Not predator or hunter though, just a bone picker feasting on another’s kill. The former Pres. never does his own work.
Are they carniverous? I don't see Trump getting into a vegetarian diet after cheeseburgers! He needs to destroy people to feed his "trumped-up" image of himself and prevent him falling headlong into the abyss of his unconscious.....and into a straitjacket.
Not really but by demonstrating such flexible multi-tasking they prove themselves to much superior to Trump etc. The only area in which Trump equals them is perhaps in the slime he leaves on anything he touches.
Ah, yes...but are they not usefull in breaking down the "dung"? I rather thought that they would be all over Trump and his attendant collection of human waste products doing their recycling job.
Is that gross revenue? Net profit? What does that number mean? His assets must have taken a serious hit making even more debt at risk for lenders. Golf clubs must be bleeding cash. Bankrupt by 2025.
It's a good question. As by principle the Trump organizations make losses to avoid taxes and this is for the 4 years.....so this is not as big a figure for 4 years earnings....and perhaps they don't think that they'll be around long enough to pay taxes on it. However the reports coming out say that it is unclear what it actrually means as it doesn't necessarily mean profit to Trump....lots of smoke and mirrors here to ward off pesky creditors wanting to be repaid now rather than after bankruptcy! It includes significant sums credited to the Florida hideout and even his European properties which are reportedly haemorraging cash violently and widespread transfers of election donations to his businesses. We'll see! My guess is that it is all accounting fantasies that will bit by bit come out in the wash.
Sad day for America, I have a hard time imagining that number and the problem is, so do a lot of people.
That is why it's so easy for so many to not care about wearing a mask or social distance because it's just a number. How can we make these people "real" to those who don't care? I don't have the answer to that, but I feel we need to.
I want to point out that my foster mother passed last year from cancer and we really haven't been able to mourn her passing as a family. My foster sister is having a really hard time dealing with that and it keeps her from being able to move on like she normally would.
That is another aspect of the whole botched response to covid. Lots of people who have lost someone who also didn't get to say goodbye to loved ones or have a funeral.
Or people like my friend whose mother is in a nursing home due to a stroke but can't see her, can't help her in her recovery and has to worry about her all the time.
There is a lot of heartbreak going on in our country (world) right now so I'm trying to be more understanding with people because I don't know what they are going through or the burdens they are carrying.
Marcy, CNN had a special last night ...a kind of memorial "service" for many of the victims. Put faces and names to the numbers and gave family members the time to tell us about their lost loved one. It was very moving and incredibly emotionally draining but necessary for grieving. In between the eulogies they had prayers and reflections on death and dying and grief and the absolute necessity to find ways to mourn. I am not sure how many saw it but such an important acknowledgement of all those represented by the White House candles. In the absence of our usual rituals it filled a gap.
I'm sorry for your losses last year, Beth. My daughter in law lost her father to colon cancer April 3 and her core family was together at his passing and for the week following, but they could not hold services either, which was heartbreaking for them. It does make it difficult to accept and go forward. My DIL wanted to hear stories from other people about her dad, with whom she was very close.
Beth, every Friday the PBS channel "eulogizes" five people who have died from the virus - its so sad, but also has to be a comfort for the ones left behind. They use pictures & videos & tell a short description of the lives of the ones who passed. It has to be a comfort to hear & see that. More stations should be doing that. It would help, somewhat, to get past the loss.
Yes, showing the human being - not the numbers. Five Hundred Thousand human beings. And far too many would be alive if not for the former occupant of the WH.
Yes, my husband and I watch, and cry, through this every week. It's become something of a ritual for us. It would help also, to show that these are individuals whose lives mattered, as all lives do, to many others. Yet, here in NH, our Republican Speaker of the House died at home, alone, of Covid-19 one week after he was elected Speaker at an outdoor ceremony. He was apparently greatly loved by his GOP peers, but still they refuse to wear masks, and one faction of them went so far as to attempt to impeach the Republican governor for enacting (finally, after he was re-elected in November) a mask mandate. Go figure.
Beth, you can still do that. Maybe you and your daughter and law can interview and record then transcribe memories of each of the people whose stories you want to preserve. They probably need to say those stories too. Take photos, or if you are able and have the skills, video them. Collect mementos that represent him and take photos of each of them, with a little story that explains their meaning. (For my brother we took photos of his favorite places to fish, and included the pole in each of them.)
We've lost one way of grieving, but we can create others.
Again, thank you for tonight’s calm reporting of really important moments in this, Our Democracy. It’s wonderful to go to bed and believe our country can overcome the most disheartening four years of my 76.
You know that the CPAC meeting will be maskless and become the next super spreader. Can't imagine those present will acknowledge the 500,00 deaths along with the countless families and friends left to mourn. And you can be sure some of the number dead are Rethuglicans. And, it's being held in FL so all those folks will be enjoying dinner out...maskless and no social distancing. Makes me sick when I think about all those currently struggling with the virus, or struggling with the impact of the virus. And we need to remember that the impact is not just those family and friends who continue to mourn, but all the millions who are economically impacted....lost jobs, closed businesses, etc. Even when we can assume that we're heading towards "herd immunity" with the vaccines, there's still a long road for us all to heal from the overall trauma of Covid-19.
Another group that will need remembering the impacted by this Covid response: Medical personnel, from the top tier doctors to the orderlies cleaning up the virus ridden messes. The toll taken on the medical profession is staggering.
They will acknowledge covid and blame it all on Biden, including the 450,000+ Americans who died while their ingloriious leader was occupying the white house. For dessert, they will blame the failure of non-weatherized natural gas systems in Texas on the Green New Deal.
Ah, yes. The revisionist history. Hopefully we will continue to remind the revisionists that their "inglorious leader" is actually responsible for 450,000 deaths and more because of his inability to do anything.
I take a moment to turn my head to take in our President’s acknowledgment of the deaths from the pandemic and all those who have been affected. I remember In October doing a video for S Gideon reflecting on the deaths of almost 200,000 people in the US and the huge losses for so many. Now 500,000! I realize how my denial and feeling numb is part of how I make it through this horrific time. It will take a long time to heal from this trauma. I am so thankful we have a President who is willing to acknowledge the loss.
To hear Merrick Garland ‘s reason why he wants to be Attorney General is another moment which allows me to breathe. There are people who are honorable and take seriously their role of leadership in this country. Thank you Heather to help me put in context what is happening.
I can't help but wonder if the push back from the certain GOP members regarding Garland is because they are guilty of what he promised he will investigate and prosecute with the insurrection of the Capitol. Funny how transparency can be so damning and insightful.
A half million souls lost to a mismanaged crisis absolutely breaks my heart.
Heartbreaking indeed. It could have been a better outcome had it not been bungled from the beginning.
So many spineless grifters in the Republican Party. Actually, it’s not the RP anymore is it? I’m not sure, but I think it’s past the tipping point. I hope I’m wrong. I’d like to be wrong about this.
That answer by Mr. Garland reminded me of another hearing where LT. Colonel Vindman said, “here, right matters.”
Thank you Professor.
My thoughts exactly on Garland’s quote. The words of an admirable patriot, just like Vindman.
I would like to see BOTH Vindman brothers given posts to reflect their honesty and integrity and remove the Trump stigma.
Certainly the Vindmans, and Fiona Hill and Marie Yovanovich too. But not ceremonial or honorary positions; ones with real responsibilities commensurate with their proven talents and dedication.
All of them were treated shabbily by a would-be tin pot dictator. The case of the Vindmans is especially reminiscent of Mafia Dons who would reap retribution on the entire family if one person defied him.
The Vindmans were such honorable citizens. When our mafia don (that’s his new nickname) even went out of his way to hurt them further— that’s when I got the depth of his vengeful depravity.
The ignorance of Repugs is vast compared to these dedicated patriots and professionals. Remember the hearing when one who pretended to know military jargon saying that he knows Lt Cols are always called Colonel? Vindman: "I am a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army."
Liz, I think you have hit the nail on the head with the term "vengeful depravity". The man is basically evil and totally without empathy. He only thinks about what will benefit him and his family.
In that sense, he is no better than the men he befriended, like Putin, MBS, Kim Jong Un, Bolsonaro and Erdogan. These were the men he admired, while he insulted Trudeau, Merkel and Macron.
tRump’s response “I wouldn’t have had to act that way if Vindman had only deified me.”
For sure— they’re brilliant each in their on way— maybe our go could take this on.
The Vindmans are heroes as are Hill and Yovanovich!
I agree —those brothers should be given some honorary posts.
Put back to work... fast.
My thoughts
Yes, put it right.
I agree with you. They should be reactivated somehow.
agree. am bit surprised that they have not been appointed by now
I wonder if the Biden administration can undo the Drumpf/ vindman debacle.
You cannot undo it, but you can make it clear that the promotions for both brothers should be reinstated.
And back pay awarded.
I think you're right on RP being on the other side of the tipping point. I wonder if the RP can even legally be a political party if it is promoting insurrection and violence. We'll find out in the next few months whether it will remain a party or would better be classified as a domestic terrorist organization. The Republican Party has some some fissures which may break them into three parties -- the party of DT and white supremacists, the anti-Trump party, and perhaps a more traditional moderate conservative party.
The big money evil which is enmeshed throughout the Republicans won’t go away so while I do feel we’re in a kind of tipping point now, we just can’t allow any complacency— the midterm elections will be here so quickly.
Follow the money. That's where they will go. What does big money want? But, you know the answer to that already.
Right —big money wants big power and they usually get along fine.
It will be interesting. Look at what this "right wing" fellow thinks... Watch what you wish for... thinkshttps://greenwald.substack.com/p/house-democrats-targeting-right-wing
That was exactly what I thought of. Still think Col.Vindman deserves a place in this administration! Another honorable man - imagine!
The RIP Party? Rest in peace...
I agree with TDPR on the need for two strong, (decent), parties. I hope that they can drain their swamp and put the “grand” back in their party. I do worry that they’re beyond doing that.
Right always matters.
I'm at a loss to write anything that touches on the deaths of half a million unfinished lives. My dear cousin Johnny was one of the first, last April. The words of Shakespeare, Keats, Auden surprisingly don't capture the full mourning and grief of the survivors; his widow, father, sister, sons. Maybe Joan Didion comes the closest. And any of the many war writings (Robert Graves; Gallipoli) describe the horror of a death and the needless avoidable waste of humans.
Half a million.
In addition to the loss of 500,000 people, the emotional loss is compounded by the experience of family members who could not be present to provide advocacy and comfort for a peaceful passing of their loved one, who could not say goodbye, who were cast into financial hardship, who suffered illness themselves or the terrifying fear of becoming ill...and then there's the heartbreak of parents who lost a child, of children who lost a parent...
May we all find ways to offer comfort for the survivors.
And for those whose uncounted death during the epidemic was "collateral damage", unaffected other than by the solitude imposed preventing either normal curative/preventive treatment and/or normal family interaction necessary to keep the sputtering flame of life alight.
And for the thousands more on the horizon. It’s so not over yet.
coming also from the economic and social dislocation that will come after the epidemic subsides.
The light at the end of the tunnel may be showing. Now we need to find out how long of a respite we could be granted.
The light is visible but the tunnel itself is long, very long. America and the world must learn to live with Covid-19, for decades, maybe centuries, as we did with the bubonic plague and smallpox.
It is also unclear how many "long-haulers" are among us who will suffer long-term effects. We are just beginning to understand that the number of people affected by COVID---family, friends, community---is ultimately exponential.
Long-hauler cases are among the most distressing aspects of Covid-19. It is a Newly Emerging Disease (NED), and more protean than most. So many variables, so little clinical history to work from. Covid seems to mutate incredibly fast, perhaps even more than malaria, the longtime champion of disease mutation. The world must learn to live with Covid even after the pandemic subsides into, hopefully, epidemic then endemic status.
There's a good article in the NYT this morning about the difficulties presented by the disease. https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2?abVariantId=0&campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210223&instance_id=27427&nl=the-morning&productCode=NN®i_id=12991959&segment_id=52225&te=1&uri=nyt%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter%2Fadeead50-51d2-58c4-ae7a-c2d3299c909d&user_id=fedad1a4423b6478c4ca19e1319935b6
I love ❤️ the sentiment here. Your words underscore the depth of your heart. Ellie I think however that many of us have difficulty with dealing with death. How do we find ways to help the survivors in a society that treats death as horrific and the survivors as possibly tainted. We don’t celebrate the end of life we avoid it. How do we find ways to help? I don’t even know anyone who died . I don’t know who survived. How do we help, when we act like it never happened, when we all expect each other to just move on?
Comforting the bereaved is simple really, but, takes emotional courage. Open your heart and listen. There is nothing to fix or get over, just be present and share memories. Having someone to weep and laugh with is everything. Grief can be so unbearably lonely.
Yes, Diane. Absolutely right, all you say.
Amen
Yes.... such a cruel departure from life.
Blessings, Jennifer. We ache for you and your family.
I don't have words enough to express how very sorry I am for your family's loss. I'm so sorry.
So true— each death continuing to reverberate since it’s only been a year.
Jennifer your loss for words is the beginning of a truly important conversation. Thank you for sharing your heartbreak. Hugs to you. Thank you and bless you!
Jennifer, I am so sorry for your loss, and your entire family. And it didn’t have to be this way. The sadness is so overwhelming that there’s no room in me for anger at those who refused to see and act. I wish I could do something to ease the pain, I will pray for you.
Jennifer, I am so sorry for your loss and your family's loss.
Two great works by women on and from the WW1 era:
V Brittain, Testamant of Youth
K Porter, Pale Horse, Pale Rider
Visions of War: Dreams of Peace, Furey & Van Devanter, eds. is an anthology of poetry by women who served in Vietnam as nurses. Their work highlights the after-effects of working among preventable horrors created by human greed, ignorance, stupidity and rapacity. Serving the greater good in war or pandemic leaves care-givers with scars that never go away, memories that continue to bring pain.
Testament of Youth is one of my favorite books. The movie is good too. I saw the house in Chelsea where she wrote the book. No one else on my walking tour knew who she was, sadly. Thanks for the reference to the books, I will look them up to read. That Era is ever present in the UK. Thanks !
I first discovered Vera Brittain watching the 1979 BBC/PBS series on TOY. It made a strong impression then, and in the 2000s I began assigning it in history courses. It's still on the sylly for every relevant course.
I like the film and series about equally, but think Kit Harington is much better as Roland Leighton. A reviewer wrote that "he shows far more emotional range than he does as John Snow in Game of Thrones." Ironically, it drew my attention to GOT and I became a huge fan.
💔 Auden and Didion grabbed me. 🙏🏻❤️🤍💙
When Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked him to explain why he wanted to give up a lifetime appointment as a judge to take the job of attorney general to fight “hate and discrimination in American history,” Garland answered:
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution. The country took us in and protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back. And this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back. And so, I want very much to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become. I’ll do my best to try to be that kind of attorney general.”
Silently choking back tears...
That was a most moving moment. Honest emotion coming from an honest man.
Don't choke them back, let them flow in honor of a good and decent man.
I could barely watch that. Repubs didn't deserve to hear the eloquency and pain of his answer.
He seems like a genuinely decent person. What a huge change from the past four years.
The negativity now is becoming like spit in the wind. I even think tRump’s CPAC appearance might taste like milk starting to turn. I hope that many Republicans are tired of it now, too.
Merrick Garland, like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, is hard-working and just.
Despite his rep for rousing the crowd, Trumpsky's campaign events are regularly disasters. The Tulsa super-spreader event; the first debate with Biden; the Texas sunken-flotilla farce; and most of all the Jan 6 insurrection -- these do not inspire confidence that the next one will be a success. I say odds are about even that he bvggers up CPAC somehow. He's living on borrowed time anyway, and his time is coming.
Yes it is! And the juxtaposition of the long awaited rollout of substantial doses of vaccines are happening in sync with the layers of paint peeling away from the house that Trump built. Such a happy tune!
And the pathos of the ringing of the bells at the National Cathedral was a somber backdrop to the grace and dignity of Merrit Garland while SCOTUS brushed the crumbs of Donald Trump off their table made me well up with tears. I think we are going to be all right.
Thank you Heather for leading us through the darkness.
The crumbs of Trumpsky. Yes!!!
TPJ are you referring to Hawley, Lindsey, Jordan, Cruz etc... as the crumbs?
All honor and credit to Cynthia, who uses the term just above here. She refers to the SC brushing off Trumpsky, but yes, you ID a very crummy bunch.
And what's funny is that I ended up responding to a post in my inbox and also used the word crumbs in reference to the Republican party (this time in Oregon).
Tik-Tok was coming from the crocodile waiting to devour Captain Hook!
Well played!
" like milk starting to turn"....love it!!
Please let tRump’s words sour in the mouths of his followers.
And rot their teeth... eww, I am sorry, that erupted from my mouth, bypassing my upbringing completely!
My upbringing has been bypassed half a century ago.
Love you!!!
You are forgiven, C.
Lol!
We can be very sure that his appearance will feature attacks on each of these individuals as well as any Republicans that have come out in opposition to his stupid rants. There will not be any sensible proposals for the party to rally around, just nasty comments for them to thrive on. Oh, he will talk about the sanctity of life too. While supporting the death penalty and Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. The crowd will be entertained. They love loser45!
Boy, am I grateful that you're still writing these!
I second that, still my go to place for concise, truthful information and connection of all the dots.
How is it that 65% of Republicans disapprove of the current handling of the corona virus crisis? The only thing to be upset about is “my team lost because America won.” It seems clear to me that Biden is fighting for Americans and Republicans are fighting for the red team.
That was my "wait . . what?" moment in this letter as well! I mean: the last year, until January 21st, was nothing but death and dying--corpses piling up in portable freezers outside morgues for pete's sake--but that is OKAY for 65% of the people who vote for so-called Republicans??? This really crystallizes the incredible delusional thinking of millions of people living in the USA.
A partisan FB friend wrote “where is the uproar over passing 500,00l deaths under Biden?” It’s their loyal to trump that refuses to acknowledge any progress JRB makes. Trump is their delusion.
My turn to say “wait, what?!?!?” They can’t seriously be saying that Biden is responsible for those 500,001+ deaths??? The vast, vast majority of which started and happened under djt!
Yes they will turn every truth into a lie and vice versa. This sickness is profoundly upsetting and destabilizing. Will it change? If so, how? How can we as a country go on like this? It is a constant threat to democracy and to the collective mental health.
This is why I struggle to have hope. It’s purse insanity that they could believe this.
I know that "purse" insanity was a typo, but perhaps such insanity is acutally affected by the amount of money in one's purse. A Freudian slip? Have you read about the number of January 6 arrested invaders of the Capitol who have serious personal financial problems?
But Karen, why do you tie your fate together with this group? Yes, they live in the same continent/country, but are separate and different.
The members of the red team don’t seem to believe that we can come together to solve problems like Covid. Nor do they perceive that the zero sum game defeats the majority of us because there can only be one winner.
The republican party is into extreme projection, blaming every fault of theirs on democrats, or anyone convenient. They've been doing this to varying degrees for decades, but it went into extreme overdrive with Trump, a malignant narcissist. Narcissists are convinced they can do no wrong, and are better than anyone else at everything, which describes Trump to a tee. Now the republican cult appears to have absorbed Trump's narcissistic personality.
Their continuing adoration of tRump just boggles my mind. I do not comprehend how they think.
Yeah?! They all should have a consultation with a psychiatrist.
Right?! But would they go? Unlikely.
of course not...
Their drug
A psychiatrist, Dr Justin Frank , has come up with what's wrong with Trump lovers. It's called Grievance Addiction. Here's that article: https://www.salon.com/2021/02/12/dr-justin-frank-on-the-trial-for-trump-capitol-riot-was-a-source-of-incredible-pleasure/
Exactly!
So heart wrenching yet somehow reassuring to listen to President Biden speak last night about the terrible losses our country has suffered from this virus. Leadership in action after such a long absence is comforting.
Yet only 34% of republicans ‘approve’ of President Biden’s handling of the virus. It makes one wonder what they would prefer? More unchecked rampant illness and death? Mind boggling. This, added to the utter ridiculousness of the continued republican insistence on their litany of lies, serves to dim what hope I have tried to nurture since the inauguration. The prospect of djt being their “presumptive 2024 nominee” and having control of the party, as Heather states, is terrifying. He is openly stating that he wants revenge. If he does manage to get elected we are in for horrors that none could imagine. Yet, it could happen. We must remember this and act accordingly, each to their own ability, or we will truly be lost.
I am currently reading The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. Not even halfway through it yet but I can see the seriousness of this climate change crisis in ways I had not previously understood it - and I thought I understood it fairly well. This is a must read. In the context of climate change, all of this drama with djt is just that, drama. But becomes much more terrifyingly clear that he must. not. be. re-elected. We are already in serious trouble. If we don’t keep democrats in control we are doomed. That is not hyperbole. Read the book and you will understand that. I really don’t want to be a doomsayer but, here I am. Sorry to rain on anyone’s parade but I feel I must speak the truth that I see.
For a continued dive, I can recommend "The Ministry For the Future" Kim Stanley (Kim Stanley Robinson) a wild and desperate ride of possible solutions, and/or "The Overstory"(Richard Powers) which is one of the most earth-loving beautiful systems of stories and people working to explore and care for forests in unique and extreme ways. Not to suggest these are comforting. They're not. But as for broadening an understanding, they are superb. I just ordered "...Uninhabitable..." Thanks for the recommendation.
"The Overstory" was one of my favorite books of the year.
Absolutely, maybe the decade!
Agreed, although “The Goldfinch” is also high on my list.
Good point!
I can appreciate that the two books you mention are meaningful for you and, likely, many others and have read several reviews of each of them. The difference is that both of those are works of fiction and The Uninhabitable Earth is about facts. Scientific, documented, proven fact. Unfortunately, even though these novels may be uplifting they are still fiction and our future will be determined by fact.
May I suggest, our future will be determined by our immagination and our curiosity. Fiction, especially science fiction, helps us imagine a different world (even though too much of it is dystopian with the exception of some Steampunk).
All recommendations welcome.
True. Some of our current technologies were developed as a result of Star Trek. Thanks for the reminder!
Which ones come from Star Trek? If the transporter is perfected and patented, I'm spending way too much on commuting and travel!
I was thinking of something I read a long time ago about how the idea for cell phones grew out of the fictional “communicators” on Star Trek.
I think if you read "The Ministry For the Future" you will find it is a unique blend of statistical facts, economic extrapolations, and fictional narration. In fact, it is noted for combining facts and ideas of our future somewhat seamlessly. The Pulitzer Prize winning "The Overstory", which is indeed a work of fiction, is heavily inspired by the life and work of forest ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard and her "facts," which were sadly contested as a "fiction" when she first presented them. The power of facts is certainly uncontested, especially with regard to the environment. But fiction plays so cunningly with facts that it reminds me that fiction is astonishingly deep and fascinating and also serves a purpose.
Have you seen Bill Gates new book? He was on PBS last night. "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need". I just purchased it.
Loved the Overstory... That too is a great listen
Yes!
Yes on ‘Overstory’!
Watch the Netflix film, David Attenborough's "a Life on Our Planet." He shows the effects of climate change in his lifetime. Also, "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert. Politics today is kind of like Rome burning while Nero fiddles.
I’ve watched Attenborough’s documentary - it brought me to tears. Will somewhat reluctantly add The Sixth Extinction to my list. Reluctantly because I don’t know how much more heartbreak I can take. I am slow reading Uninhabitable for the same reason - it is a devastating but very necessary read.
May I suggest Kolbert’s most recent book, Under A White Sky? Sixth Extinction is deeply penetrating. The book I recommend is less than a year old and brings one up to date with where we stand with global warming I.e. that we are past the point where reducing our carbon footprint and into the stage where geo-engineering (things like blasting chemicals into the sky to block the full effect of the sun) may be the last great gamble our species can take.
It’s a grim subject, but she writes in a non-polemical way. Quite riveting.
She’s also interviewed on the book on Ezra Klein’s podcast. That would give you a good introduction.
I just listened to the Ezra Klein podcast interview- it was great and I will definitely add White Sky to my list, probably ahead of Sixth Extinction now. I was quite struck by the discussion about how “natural” biological interventions have often had unexpected and unwanted results - I have been aware of this for years and have never understood why we, as a species, cannot seem to grasp this concept. Bioengineering and geoengineering scare the heck out of me. I fervently believe that we need to work in harmony with nature and follow nature’s rules and laws rather than the other way around - regenerative agriculture being a good example.
Be careful about messing with the sun.
Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely check this out - more current information on this is, in my humble opinion, more useful. I am, in part, reading these to make some major life decisions about my personal future so am looking for the most current info I can find. Thanks!
Over the last four years, I've read more political/historical non-fiction than I had in the decades since grad school. I'm now taking a break by reading back to back trashy thrillers. I feel like I've been trapped inside the Mel Brooks' film, High Anxiety, for 4+ years (and not in a good way) and the movie just won't end. I keep thinking the credits are about to roll, and then there's another story about T****'s political future.
Oh, I totally get that.
There’s a wonderful sculpture in Germany showing the heads of “world leaders” up to their necks in water. Of course they are only heads and necks, so you are looking down on them!
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/2f43bm/politicians_discussing_global_warming_sculpture/
Oh yes! I have seen this! Brilliant!
Too funny! I didn’t see your comment when I was posting mine! Added benefit of ‘listening’ vs ‘reading’ Sir David’s book is hearing his narration!
I'm an avid listener...
It’s the only way I could read as much as I do! I only sit still when I am asleep!
I agree. Even though I am on the opposing side I find myself still looking for reasons to keep Trump in my news cycle. Fiddling. It is an addiction that is an absolute waste of valuable time. I have noticed that the news outlets are addicted too. They keep putting a trump item on the front page every day. It sells papers. If the uneducated think they have a lot to complain about now wait a few years. They will have a lot more to complain about but democrats will be less to blame than they would like.
There are a few books on sequestering carbon in soil with regenerative agriculture. I would recommend ‘The Soil Will Save Us’ by Kristin Ohlson as the most readable. The movie ‘Kiss the Ground’ also gives you a brief overview of this concept.
Bill Gates owns large swaths of farmland and I wish he would try regenerative agriculture on it. I wish he would try this low tech solution and broadcast its useful place in the healing of the planet. It could be started today and tech solutions are a few years away.
Virginia, I absolutely agree with you. I don't pay much attention to Bill Gates. He is so tech oriented he is blind to the kind of ground and community based solutions that are right in front of us. Tech solutions inevitably lead to unintended consequences that generally cannot be reversed. In my profession, which had to do with helping communities and agriculture shift to sustainable ways of solving problems, I saw people do amazing things with simple techniques that can be adapted to varying conditions.
Please look at his new climate crisis book and the work he’s been doing, and will continue to do, on the ground with humanity.
Tricia, I spent a large part of my career as an environmental analyst and planner doing just that. And working with scientists, researchers, activists, entire communities, agencies on not only climate issues- soil preservation, ecosystem rebuilding, watershed restoration, just about anything that those communities cared about and wanted to make right.
Bill Gates came to a meeting in the watershed he lived in once (it was in my territory). That was nice, and it was thoughtful that he recognized that his presence would short-circuit the work the community as a whole was doing. So he went to Africa, where he is doing things that may or may not be helpful. I'm sorry I don't view him as a hero as you seem to. To me, he's just another guy with a lot of money who is trying to influence how things are done.
I worked (and still volunteer with) ordinary people who are the actual heroes in creating change. There are people and communities like this all over the world. They're just not rich, and they don't write books, so they don't get the press. Too bad. We could learn a lot from them.
He's a bit too enthusiastic about "green" nuclear for my taste. Rather than looking for ways to reduce our desire to consume vast amounts of energy, he is clinging to powering a high tech future that is likely to increase consumption (she writes her much prized high tech laptop).
However, I do respect that he is at least using his money and that of other wealthy contributors to the Gates Foundation to try to benefit humanity and the planet. I'll take Gates over Bezos any day.
Yes! I’ve been following Gates philanthropy and his buying up farmlands in US. His new book addresses climate change, sustainable farming, etc. I absolutely trust that Gates is going to use his farmlands to fight climate change in US. His work is amazing and just wow what he’s done with his wealth. A good human in my opinion.
I’ve seen Kiss the Ground and will definitely look into The Soil Will Save Us. The book that I found particularly good is Growing a Revolution by David R. Montgomery. Well worth the read and highly recommended.
That is a good one!
we've lost 4 years in the climate change fight to djt and the news media will not let it go...I'm trying to find ways to let the news networks know they need to turn the page but not having a whole lot of luck finding addresses or phone numbers.
Good for you, Linda. You have an important point and the news media needs to hear it. It's not just news networks. They get their ideas from local and regional papers, magazines, etc. Start by writing to reporters at those outlets directly who are covering issues like this. Pick a reporter whose writing you like and let them know exactly the concern you expressed about the media needing to "turn the page". Then find another.
Don't give up. Give them some examples where you feel the media missed the point. Ask them to write something that can offset that kind of coverage.
And to see some great examples of this kind of coverage, I suggest "Yes!" magazine, a quarterly with a positive but challenging outlook. Available online free, but also have a print version at low cost. They just want to get the word out. Their latest issue (content available online) is magnificent:
What an Ecological Civilization Looks Like
Spring 2021 | The "Ecological Civilization" Issue.
https://www.yesmagazine.org/
Thank you Annie for the web site, I've been discouraged and this is the kind of info I need to help make the case. I appreciate you sharing it with me....
If you want to understand why only 34% of Republicans approve of President Biden, just make a trip over to Fox news. I'm amazed that there are even 34%.
I have the best TV in the world. It doesn't get Fox.
Mine doesn't either, lol. My computer does, but I check it very rarely.
Way to go, Annie.
How do you ‘not get Fox?’
Try to look at the poll you referenced this way. Assuming only a 50/50 split between the 2 major parties, with Democrats nearly 100% onboard, doesn't that look like at least 67% voter approval? Good enough for me, if it keeps the dregs of the GOP out of power.
If we can keep the GOP from destroying gains in voting rights, it'll be cool. Frankly, I'm delighted that as many as 34% of declared GOPers approve of Biden's COVID action.
Okay, I do know that these percentages are not spread evenly around the country, and that there is real danger for the midterms if GA, AZ, et al. have their way with voter suppression - but I wanted to feel a little bit of foolish optimism for a few moments.
Thanks! I am going to read it! Last year I read Sir David Attenborough’s fabulous book ‘Lifeon our Planet’ Should be required reading!
This post is a bit long – and odd, I know. But HR-1 has been much on my mind of late and I decided to see what the other side was up to. And they are quite busy. What follows below is from the American Conservative Union (minus a photo of Nancy Pelosi tearing up DT’s State of Union speech).
The ACU is also the sponsor of the annual CPAC meeting that starts later this week. As I was looking at the website, I came across the list of speakers. It read like a Who’s Who of the “Let’s screw over the voters caucus” – a related, but separate wing of the “Let’s riot in the Capitol, assault the police, and hang elected officials who disagree with DT’s lies about the 2020 election knitting circle”.
This CPAC distinguishes itself as the first and hopefully last congress of its sort that has assembled such a collection of anti-democratic, current & former elected and appointment officials. CPAC is always a riotous display of demagoguery, but this time the riotous aspect is a bit more pronounced. That they would invite DJT is beyond my admittedly limited comprehension. I know there are reasons – but it is difficult even at this late date, to believe we, as a species, have sunk so very low.
That said, I’ve included below their pitch to defeat HR-1 (The “For the People” voting rights act) as well as a partial list of CPAC 2021 speakers.
If ever there was a time to organize support for a piece of legislation, this is that time. Call your Senators, Representatives, friends & neighbors and tell them to get behind this bill. I spoke with my Representative’s office yesterday. I will reach out to my Senators today. This is worth employing the nuclear option because without fundamental change, we could be looking at red ties in the halls of Congress for a long, long time.
“TELL CONGRESS: OPPOSE H.R. 1!
Right now, Radical Leftists in Congress are pushing a bill to demolish the foundations of our democracy, and it’s time for everyone to speak out!
In the ironically named “For the People Act”, essential state safeguards that protect the electoral process would be stripped away through federal mandate. The bill would nationalize and make permanent the very Left-wing schemes that sabotaged the 2020 presidential election. To name some of the worst provisions in the bill:
• Same day voter registration would become mandatory.
• The controversial vote by mail system, which is highly susceptible to massive fraud, would be expanded.
• Ineligible voters would not be prosecuted for being illegally registered in voter rolls.
• Certain citizens would be automatically registered to vote if they provide certain information to state and federal agencies including being enrolled in food stamps or interacting with the DMV.
• Washington, D.C. would be put on the path to statehood.
• Donor privacy would be eradicated, welcoming intimidation of anyone who wants to participate in our democracy.
These policies would essentially open the floodgates to even more election fraud and would solidify the Radical Left’s hold on power. Malpractice would no longer be occurring in a handful of states: It would be common practice from coast to coast. The repercussions would be catastrophic for decades, and we as Americans cannot allow these blanket attacks on our democratic values to pass. Tell your Representative in Congress to oppose H.R. 1!”
(Source: American Conservative Union)
2021 CPAC February 25 – 28
Partial List of Speakers
Donald J. Trump
Michael R. Pompeo
Ben Carson
KT McFarland - Former Trump Deputy National Security Advisor
Gov. Ron DeSantis
Andrew Wheeler - Former Administrator of EPA
Gov. Scott Walker - President, Young America's Foundation
Sarah Huckabee Sanders - Former White House Press Secretary
Russell Vought - Former Director of OMB
Larry Kudlow - Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
Amb. David Friedman - Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Amb. Richard Grenell -Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany
Donald Trump Jr. - Executive Vice President, The Trump Organization
Matthew Whitaker - Former U.S. Acting Attorney General
Pam Bondi - Former Florida Attorney General
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Sen. Tom Cotton
Sen. Ted Cruz
Sen. Bill Hagerty
Sen. Josh Hawley
Sen. James Lankford
Sen. Mike Lee
Sen. Cynthia Lummis
Sen. Rick Scott
Rep. Jodey Arrington
Rep. Andy Biggs
Rep. Lauren Boebert
Rep. Ken Buck*
Rep. Ted Budd
Rep. Michael Burgess
Rep. Jim Banks
Rep. Mo Brooks
Rep. Kat Cammack
Rep. Madison Cawthorn
Rep. Ben Cline
Rep. Warren Davidson
Rep. Byron Donalds
Rep. Michelle Fischbach
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Rep. Russ Fulcher
Rep. Matt Gaetz
Rep. Mark Green
Rep. Paul Gosar
Rep. Yvette Herrell
Rep. Jody Hice
Rep. Darrell Issa
Rep. Ronny Jackson
Rep. Mike Kelly
Rep. Mike Johnson
Rep. Jim Jordan
Leader Kevin McCarthy
Rep. Tom McClintock*
Rep. Ralph Norman
Rep. Devin Nunes
Rep. Burgess Owens
Rep. Chip Roy*
Rep. Scott Perry
Rep. Greg Steube
Rep. Roger Williams
Bernard Kerik Former Police Commissioner, New York City
Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas
Michael Whatley Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
Rep. Fiona McFarland Florida House of Representatives
*Denotes Members of the House of Representatives who did not vote to reject 2020 Electoral College Votes.
As you know, HR-1 is “my” focus along with 2022 mid-term races in GA and PA. Thank you for this post, which balances all the congrats and sighs of relief at the SCOTUS ruling. Not saying I’m not happy about it, but Americans who believe in democracy need to stay focused on countering Conservative moves to destroy it. ❤️🤍💙
As far as SCOTUS is concerned, there are a couple cases coming up next week and very possibly destroy the 1965 Voting Rights act. Please read: https://www.vox.com/22286213/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-arizona-brnovich-democratic-national-committee-republican-party An excerpt from that article about John Roberts: "a young Justice Department lawyer named John Roberts. Roberts wrote more than two dozens memos opposing the 1982 voting rights law, one of which claimed it was “not only constitutionally suspect, but also contrary to the most fundamental tenants [sic] of the legislative process on which the laws of this country are based.”
Thank you for this, R Dooley. Another reason HRC’s comments section is so important
Yes.. one of the must important bills to get passed and the filibuster needs to go. My elected officials are the worst of the worst so please double up your calls to the Democrats to do what it takes to get this passed. Without it, no amount of goodwill this administration may win will make a difference if people can’t vote.
I have a state representative who is a Republican. It's an extra challenge to come up with carefully thought out messages to convey to him. His staff is excellent and acts quite polite and receptive on the phone, but commits to nothing.
Nonetheless, I repeat that I am Bob Stromberg from Round Lake and I am a constituent of <title> <name>. Then I state my concerns and I make a personal, authentic, maybe passionate expression of my feelings about the matter.
For example, I feel less safe with weak gun control laws on the books in my state. I don't know what my neighbor might be thinking about doing with his/her powerful weapons.
Another example: We have a proposed bill in the NYS legislature (A1115, Paulin/ S309, Myrie) to tighten up the requirements for voting machines. I am sure my Republican representative wants to prevent a hacker from altering a ballot in the machine after the voter has approved and "cast" it. Please support this bill and, indeed, become a co-sponsor.
Short, understandable, carefully written (spoken).
If I don't get a positive response, I'll write again in a few weeks to remind him/her about my opinion, and ask them to please consider taking action to support a hack-free election process.
It's actually fun, I think, to rewrite my thoughts and put a new "cast" on them.
I applaud you Bob. I do call mine but there is no one that answers a phone and they are of the T cult so i don’t see my opinions going anywhere... until there are more people who are more like us than there are of their voting base. And I don’t know how to get to that point except to replicate Stacey Abram’s work here in FL and to educate educate educate. BTW... I just read an interesting article in The NY Times about a guy who moved from NY to VT where the gun laws are less restrictive. He set up a tactical training camp on 30 acres in Pawlet where he and his militia friends train with assault rifles and practice home invasions and car jackings. He has terrified his neighbors and it has become a major issue in a formerly quiet little town..so you may have a little more sanity in your state among your Republican leadership than some others of us. I have neighbors in FL who can practice shooting their guns and rifles in their back yards and we live on 1 and a quarter acre rectangular lots. What craziness is that?
Hey Pamsy and Bob, please keep calling and don't get discouraged. Even with canned or no responses, Congressional offices keep track of constituent contacts and classify them according to content. Your voices are heard whether they admit it or not.
I have several reps (Democrats) whose voice mailboxes are full. I just called one of them, then had to go on his web site and send an email using his contact form.
Yes, it can feel like you are whistling in the wind. But I remind myself that at least the staff will hear/see your messages, and maybe some of it will stick.
Today in her Facebook Live talk Heather said it takes what, 7? tries to escape an abusive relationship.
So, I say, repeated messages that make sense and are clear and unambiguous.
Remember, you're not really trying to convince 'em. Just express your thoughts and wishes for good governance.
I recall surprising things said in my hearing years, decades, ago, that only slowly began to make sense. He (or she) said X, and I didn't get it then but I begin to get it now.
Marriage equality.
Climate change vs. global warming.
For myself... I was first alerted to passive voice and told never to use it. Never ever use passive voice!
Then I read about the 5 times it makes sense in "The Careful Writer" by Theodore Bernstein.
Hm. The University of Toronto Writing Centre mentions 6 times:
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/passive-voice/
1. The actor is unknown:
The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. [We don’t know who made them.]
2. The actor is irrelevant:
An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. [We are not interested in who is building it.]
3. You want to be vague about who is responsible:
Mistakes were made. [Common in bureaucratic writing!]
4. You are talking about a general truth:
Rules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.]
5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:
Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.
6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:
The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.
I spoke with my brother, conservative and rigid in his thinking, and without mentioning the Big Lie, told him about how hard it is to falsify a paper ballot. Well, large numbers of them. I reminded him of how I signed in, marked my ballot, and put it into the scanner, where it was scanned and tabulated and dumped into a locked bin inside the scanner.
The saved ballots are available for hand counting if questions arise.
This is just straight exposition. He's polite. He listened. He has a B.S. in Physics from 'way back. I think I have a track record of never misleading, and never trying to tell him what to think.
He'll have to move towards good sense on his own.
Freedom!
Meanwhile his two grown children are on our side!
To clarify and update the Pawlet issue: Keep in mind that in VT "towns" are usually 30-40 square miles of various kinds of land. This is not an urban area, though there are a number of adjacent properties along the road leading to the "camp". The village isn't far, but does not border the camp- it's a fair drive.
The camp owner makes his living "training clients to use firearms safely". The firearms just happen to be assault rifles. It had been a quiet area, but living next to a firing range (especially with guns that size) has ruptured that. And the neighborly atmosphere has certainly evaporated.
He has been operating without a permit (never applied for one), and has not paid property taxes and other town fees for a couple of years or more. The town cited him for zoning infractions but he ignored it. The town sought assistance from state police, who were reluctant to become involved in what they saw as a local land use issue. The town also brought lawsuits against the landowner (still pending, so far as I know).
Um, then the state learned that the FBI had been investigating this camp (along with similar camps around the country) for some time. This was prior to Jan 6. The Governor okayed using the Nat Guard as enforcers, and a judge issued a temporary injunction closing the camp down. Think everyone was on their way to WaDC by then.
The latest bit of fun news: The camp owner decided to run for the select board, and asked "supporters" to show up armed at March 2 Town Meeting (when local elections take place in VT). Man is, to put it mildly, unpleasant. His ex-wife has a restraining order against him, and so does at least one neighbor near the camp who has received direct threats.
However, as it turns out, town meeting will be held online the evening of Mar 1 (because Covid), with ballot voting on the 2nd. BTW, this has become common in VT in recent years, because March weather here pretty much sucks. Covid just made it more common. Looks like this guy's party is turning into a dud. Sure hope so.
Stay Safe.
Thanks, MaryPat. I live a good distance away- there are about 8 or 9 towns between me and there. And glad to say that people like him are not common here. Or actually anywhere, when you think about it. It's just that when they gather together, bad stuff seems to happen.
I have been reading all the information you posted about HR-1, including the podcast from yesterday. This "counter-narrative" that the Republicans are pushing is truly frightening. I have not felt this fearful since right after the election, when I had a momentary "high" about Biden being elected. Without a conviction, or even a censure, Trump and his minions are emboldened and able to spew the vicious lies that you have captured. Passing HR-1 is critical, but boy, is it a heavy lift. And for me in Florida, it is impossible. Just look at the names of all the Floridians who are on the panel for CPAC. My internal weather report continues to be cloudier and cloudier.
I know - it is daunting. We could perhaps discuss possible strategies to confront this in a breakout group during our next meeting. What do you think?
Think that is a very good idea!
Shall I propose it for the next agenda, or do you wish to do it?
I'm working on the agenda so I will do it. Thanks!
Off to listen to HCR. Good night.
You guys meet? And have an agenda?
Yes. If you are interested, you can contact me here: adpropono@gmail.com
Sad that 3 of the people who voted to accept the electoral vote count are on the list - also how comfortable would anyone feel when they have to have that pointed out? Why go?
Just to clarify - I added the asterisks and voting information for our information here on Substack. They are not part of the CPAC list of speakers.
But I assume they will be attending CPAC? Whether they speak or not.
That is my understanding - they are listed on CPAC's agenda for the event.
Guess theyre making up for doing the right thing.
They are listed on the agenda how? In the body? Or as attendees?
As speakers.
Well, I hope there is enough profit in it for them to make up for the probabl harassment that will be handed to them.
The next group of Nuremburg defendants.
" As I was looking at the website, I came across the list of speakers. It read like a Who’s Who of the “Let’s screw over the voters caucus”
I do enjoy your subtle tongue-in-cheek humor in the way you capture the essence of what is going on, Mr. Dooley. You both bend my mind and make me think beyond the tendency to simply go "Oh shit, not again". I knew about this meeting (been listening and reading, just not up to writing recently), but your synopsis is an excellent summary of what these people are up to.
However, I do take issue with this:
"... it is difficult even at this late date, to believe we, as a species, have sunk so very low."
We, as a species, have not sunk that low. Certain members of our species have, and you have done a bang-up job of listing many of their names. They are dangerous, yes. But they are representative only of a portion of human beings who are addicted to power at any cost.
At the same time, the majority of the rest of humankind,all over the world, are doing their very best to survive and to help others to survive. They are standing up for democracy and equity and fairness. I don't think they will give up. Doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
I am among them, along with my neighbors, my various communities, including this one, and enough politicians to make this work if we work together to stand visibly together and keep speaking up.
I think you are among us, too.
You’re right.
That language was not precise and should have reflected upon those of our species who have failed to evolve … or words to that effect. Thank you for paying attention – I appreciate your comment. I love language and strive to use it effectively. Comments like yours force those of us who believe words matter, to pay closer attention when employing them.
Whoa! I am trying to take screenshots of your post... want to go through it later !
Cynthia, you can read it stock still on sub-stack after. I gave up a long time ago trying to read moving text!
Thank you! Whew!
While the news shows that the adults are back behind the wheel of the car, your letters peel back the layers to show that for all intents and purposes, the Republican party continues to drift to the extreme, and it's love affair with the former president continues with little evidence of waning.
Evidence of this is the insistence of people like Governor Ron DeSantis, who will not even acknowledge the memories of 30,000 Floridians and 500,000 Americans whose lives have been taken by Covid, but wants to lower the flags to honor the arrogant and pompous Rush Limbaugh, a man who built a fortune peddling hate and lies.
The dichotomy cannot be clearer. Thanks for your daily illuminations. Keep up the good work!
When we ask, as many people have today, how could our loss in the pandemic be so huge and growing, A clear answer could be found in the questioning by Retrumplicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee of Merrick Garland. They may be competing as possible candidates for president in 2024, but may as likely be be competing to qualify as the best Donald Trump clone. More than 500,000 gone! Recalled by the president tonight in the ceremony meant to focus us and offer comfort to the families of those who died.
Judge Garland offered a wonderful response to a question today: "When Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked him to explain why he wanted to give up a lifetime appointment as a judge to take the job of attorney general to fight “hate and discrimination in American history,” Garland answered:
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution. The country took us in and protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back. And this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back. And so, I want very much to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become. I’ll do my best to try to be that kind of attorney general.”"
He gave this answer haltingly, choking back tears as he responded.
Any true humility these days is deeply affecting.
"Deeply affecting" and deeply appreciated, refreshing!
I was deeply moved watching his reply, we are very lucky 🍀,we are going to have an honorable human being for an attorney general.
I cried too when I heard him say that. I felt that our country had come back to decency.
Trump made $1.6 billion on his business - all of which lost business all four years, and *really* lost business the past year with the pandemic when nobody was golfing or staying in hotels - and the moon is made of English Cheddar Cheese.
He'll really look like the "presumptive nominee" in 2024 as a convicted felon for major tax, insurance and banking fraud. Not to mention voting fraud. It's hard to run a political campaign from an 8x10 at Sing-Sing.
And he knows it's coming - you can smell the stink of the panther sweat of terror on that "statement." But the Evolutionary U-turns at CPAC will applaud him for defrauding them.
"Evolutionary U-turns"...I love it!
Too funny Jennifer.
I think that Panthers' Union will send their spokescat out of the jungle to object to the comparison and the association with such a low order of feral beasts as the Trumps....perhaps the Jackels' Union would be up for the challenge? Otherwise how far do they have to go down the food chain of carrion species to find their mirror image?
TCinLA & Stuart, this morning, right out of the gate, you’ve put a smile on my face. Carrion it is. Not predator or hunter though, just a bone picker feasting on another’s kill. The former Pres. never does his own work.
Slugs perhaps?
I'm going for slugs also. Let's throw some salt on him and watch him disintegrate into a puddle of snot.
Back to witches here as salt would be used to purify against evil emanations. Quite appropriate.
Are they carniverous? I don't see Trump getting into a vegetarian diet after cheeseburgers! He needs to destroy people to feed his "trumped-up" image of himself and prevent him falling headlong into the abyss of his unconscious.....and into a straitjacket.
I find slugs in my yard swarming over dog feces -- as well as cucumbers, et al. Does that make them omniverous?
Not really but by demonstrating such flexible multi-tasking they prove themselves to much superior to Trump etc. The only area in which Trump equals them is perhaps in the slime he leaves on anything he touches.
Dung beetles?
Ah, yes...but are they not usefull in breaking down the "dung"? I rather thought that they would be all over Trump and his attendant collection of human waste products doing their recycling job.
Slime mold
Is that gross revenue? Net profit? What does that number mean? His assets must have taken a serious hit making even more debt at risk for lenders. Golf clubs must be bleeding cash. Bankrupt by 2025.
It's a good question. As by principle the Trump organizations make losses to avoid taxes and this is for the 4 years.....so this is not as big a figure for 4 years earnings....and perhaps they don't think that they'll be around long enough to pay taxes on it. However the reports coming out say that it is unclear what it actrually means as it doesn't necessarily mean profit to Trump....lots of smoke and mirrors here to ward off pesky creditors wanting to be repaid now rather than after bankruptcy! It includes significant sums credited to the Florida hideout and even his European properties which are reportedly haemorraging cash violently and widespread transfers of election donations to his businesses. We'll see! My guess is that it is all accounting fantasies that will bit by bit come out in the wash.
An elaborate shell game. It’ll be interesting to see Vance deconstruct it.
👍🏻🙏🏻 Hope springs eternal. The $1.6 B surprised me. Not sure why. ❤️🤍💙
I can’t even follow the logic here. It smells like tRump has been mixing his money with excrement.
Sad day for America, I have a hard time imagining that number and the problem is, so do a lot of people.
That is why it's so easy for so many to not care about wearing a mask or social distance because it's just a number. How can we make these people "real" to those who don't care? I don't have the answer to that, but I feel we need to.
I want to point out that my foster mother passed last year from cancer and we really haven't been able to mourn her passing as a family. My foster sister is having a really hard time dealing with that and it keeps her from being able to move on like she normally would.
That is another aspect of the whole botched response to covid. Lots of people who have lost someone who also didn't get to say goodbye to loved ones or have a funeral.
Or people like my friend whose mother is in a nursing home due to a stroke but can't see her, can't help her in her recovery and has to worry about her all the time.
There is a lot of heartbreak going on in our country (world) right now so I'm trying to be more understanding with people because I don't know what they are going through or the burdens they are carrying.
Biden acknowledged in his speech last night that individuals who were someone’s loved one died...not just numbers.
If only death were not such a taboo for us. We need many conversations about it.
Marcy, CNN had a special last night ...a kind of memorial "service" for many of the victims. Put faces and names to the numbers and gave family members the time to tell us about their lost loved one. It was very moving and incredibly emotionally draining but necessary for grieving. In between the eulogies they had prayers and reflections on death and dying and grief and the absolute necessity to find ways to mourn. I am not sure how many saw it but such an important acknowledgement of all those represented by the White House candles. In the absence of our usual rituals it filled a gap.
I'm sorry for your losses last year, Beth. My daughter in law lost her father to colon cancer April 3 and her core family was together at his passing and for the week following, but they could not hold services either, which was heartbreaking for them. It does make it difficult to accept and go forward. My DIL wanted to hear stories from other people about her dad, with whom she was very close.
Beth, every Friday the PBS channel "eulogizes" five people who have died from the virus - its so sad, but also has to be a comfort for the ones left behind. They use pictures & videos & tell a short description of the lives of the ones who passed. It has to be a comfort to hear & see that. More stations should be doing that. It would help, somewhat, to get past the loss.
Focusing on their lives rather than their deaths is the right approach.
Yes, showing the human being - not the numbers. Five Hundred Thousand human beings. And far too many would be alive if not for the former occupant of the WH.
The people they highlight are chosen well. Lives well lived with many who loved them. I find myself thinking, "I wish we could have been friends."
Exactly.
Nichole Wallace on MSNBC @ 4-6pm M-F closes EVERY show with her "Lives Well Lived" segment profiling someone who passed due to COVID.
Yes, my husband and I watch, and cry, through this every week. It's become something of a ritual for us. It would help also, to show that these are individuals whose lives mattered, as all lives do, to many others. Yet, here in NH, our Republican Speaker of the House died at home, alone, of Covid-19 one week after he was elected Speaker at an outdoor ceremony. He was apparently greatly loved by his GOP peers, but still they refuse to wear masks, and one faction of them went so far as to attempt to impeach the Republican governor for enacting (finally, after he was re-elected in November) a mask mandate. Go figure.
I cry also but I think for the families who lose someone - its a good thing for us and others to feel something.
I live in NH too-Sununu is NOT what he comes across as, a nice guy. He doesn't do things that help we Granite Staters.
Beth, you can still do that. Maybe you and your daughter and law can interview and record then transcribe memories of each of the people whose stories you want to preserve. They probably need to say those stories too. Take photos, or if you are able and have the skills, video them. Collect mementos that represent him and take photos of each of them, with a little story that explains their meaning. (For my brother we took photos of his favorite places to fish, and included the pole in each of them.)
We've lost one way of grieving, but we can create others.
Again, thank you for tonight’s calm reporting of really important moments in this, Our Democracy. It’s wonderful to go to bed and believe our country can overcome the most disheartening four years of my 76.
And my 71...democracy has prevailed.
You know that the CPAC meeting will be maskless and become the next super spreader. Can't imagine those present will acknowledge the 500,00 deaths along with the countless families and friends left to mourn. And you can be sure some of the number dead are Rethuglicans. And, it's being held in FL so all those folks will be enjoying dinner out...maskless and no social distancing. Makes me sick when I think about all those currently struggling with the virus, or struggling with the impact of the virus. And we need to remember that the impact is not just those family and friends who continue to mourn, but all the millions who are economically impacted....lost jobs, closed businesses, etc. Even when we can assume that we're heading towards "herd immunity" with the vaccines, there's still a long road for us all to heal from the overall trauma of Covid-19.
Another group that will need remembering the impacted by this Covid response: Medical personnel, from the top tier doctors to the orderlies cleaning up the virus ridden messes. The toll taken on the medical profession is staggering.
They will acknowledge covid and blame it all on Biden, including the 450,000+ Americans who died while their ingloriious leader was occupying the white house. For dessert, they will blame the failure of non-weatherized natural gas systems in Texas on the Green New Deal.
Ah, yes. The revisionist history. Hopefully we will continue to remind the revisionists that their "inglorious leader" is actually responsible for 450,000 deaths and more because of his inability to do anything.
I take a moment to turn my head to take in our President’s acknowledgment of the deaths from the pandemic and all those who have been affected. I remember In October doing a video for S Gideon reflecting on the deaths of almost 200,000 people in the US and the huge losses for so many. Now 500,000! I realize how my denial and feeling numb is part of how I make it through this horrific time. It will take a long time to heal from this trauma. I am so thankful we have a President who is willing to acknowledge the loss.
To hear Merrick Garland ‘s reason why he wants to be Attorney General is another moment which allows me to breathe. There are people who are honorable and take seriously their role of leadership in this country. Thank you Heather to help me put in context what is happening.
Thank you Heather.
I can't help but wonder if the push back from the certain GOP members regarding Garland is because they are guilty of what he promised he will investigate and prosecute with the insurrection of the Capitol. Funny how transparency can be so damning and insightful.
A half million souls lost to a mismanaged crisis absolutely breaks my heart.
Be safe, be well.