I don't know why I thought reading Heather's letter at 2 something in the Godless morning would be a good idea for my sleeplessness. Oh, well, it's done now.
Seriously, it seems clear that most of the country is, as usual, unaware of what's really going on. We (I), tend to forget the rest of the country isn't as plugged into the soci…
I don't know why I thought reading Heather's letter at 2 something in the Godless morning would be a good idea for my sleeplessness. Oh, well, it's done now.
Seriously, it seems clear that most of the country is, as usual, unaware of what's really going on. We (I), tend to forget the rest of the country isn't as plugged into the socio-political chess game as this group is, which makes it so much more hard to understand. What seems so obvious to most of us is not even on most people's radar. Sad, but true.
I have never been more worried for the fate of this country.
And hey, Joe Manchin. When you find those 10 Republicans, maybe you can find me a unicorn. Always wanted one.
Thank you, Sandra, you might as well have been me writing, what you wrote is 100% how I feel: sleepless, totally hopeless that we are the only ones who actually know or care about what’s really happening in this country as everyone else slowly slips happily ever more completely into a GOP-trump-led dictatorship, ignorantly oblivious to it happening at all. Just take that Milley/Gaetz exchange, it is just totally unbelievably frustrating to me that someone of Milley’s military stature couldn’t quickly tell that little peon he has zero conception of reality, is a total mess and embarrassment to our Congress, can’t ever talk to an officer that way, and had better keep quiet. I guess now I too sound a bit like a dictator, but wow! What is happening in this country?
I’ve always wondered why someone in Milley’s position doesn’t talk back at these hearings. “Senator, if the withdrawal from Afghanistan is your idea of an unmitigated disaster, i hope you never see one. Meanwhile, I’ve been in uniform longer than you’ve been alive, and I don’t like the way you’re talking to me, and if you don’t change your tone, I’m going to talk to you in that same way. It will be a battle of wits, and I’ll let you draw first. Where we go from here is up to you, son.” For years, I have ended comments with, Pray for the joint chiefs. They are all we’ve got right now and they hate trump and his minions, and they’ve got plans A-F, at least. Meanwhile the dems talk too much. It is all hand-wringing and poll numbers, that we should pass a bill because 59% of Americans are in favor of it, or “the majority of the American people” blah, blah, blah as though Americans are some exotic race that live far, far away in a distant galaxy. (Of course, for much of Washington, they do.)
Same, Sandra, same. And tomorrow I’m moving to the next frontier of Gilead, Florida, with my beloved but trumpite husband of 45yrs. When dt joined the GOP I left. I realize now that the party I thought I knew, my parents party of Eisenhower, had left me some time ago.
My parents too, my Dad was a Republican election judge, fact chief judge. I miss him a great deal, we lost him at 93, in 2000. He would be a Republican today, In fact He had, had it with Reagan, but he couldn't stand Clinton behavior either. I don't know about Bush 1.
I do that with some frequency, often a stray thought after posting that I want to add. But it's so easy: 1) copy text from your post; 2) delete post; 3)initiate new post or reply and paste.
My mother’s younger brother was a lifelong Republican, active in politics until he became a judge. As far as I know, his first vote for a non-Republican was a choice for Joe Biden as Vice President rather than Sarah Palin.
She was John McCain’s biggest mistake, he wanted Joe Lieberman but was talked out of it, just think about how much the world 🌎 would be different today if the 2 of them had been at the helm. Assad would be gone and there would be no Russians in Syria……
I agree with you about the two am reading. It is as if my mind wakes up hoping that this next letter will give us the guide to maintain our Democracy. Yet they continue to be filled with truth. Sad hard truth
They were putting Porn up to distract her to throw her off. I couldn’t see it. But she was as we are all accustom to. Brilliant ,Knowledgeable and Professional . What a bunch of Low Life Jerks !
My question too, he has hired a team of high powered sex crime lawyers....also, his "performance" in the hearings yesterday was a case study in arrogance and disrespect. As a Floridian, I wanted to slap him across his little punk face. He acted like an inexperienced, know-it-all adolescent lashing out at men eminently more accomplished than he will ever hope to be-- even if he takes courses in prison!!!! Such an out of control embarrassment. The mantel of Jim Jordan has fallen all over him!!! Shameful.
Keep in mind Gaetz doesn’t want to be a member of the Republican Party. He wants to be a leader in an extreme, controlling, white supremacy party where women are only used for sex. Empty Greene was the only woman he’s been seen with in the party and he’s pushed her to the side too. Who do we see him huddle with? Is he a participant in anything other than his own agenda?
He sounded like a petulant child when questions Milley.
It seems like not so long ago, both Republicans and Democrats would not have stood for a member of Congress to treat a General with such disrespect and rudeness. He should have been called down for it and the man who just wasted time talking about Newsmax should have been cut off. There should be fines or some consequence for disrupting a serious hearing.
Apparently the Rules of the Senate allow for all kinds of bad behavior without nary a consequence. If those of us out here in the “regular” work-a-day world behaved the way some of these egoists do, we’d be facing all kinds of discipline steps.
Yea exactly why isn’t he in jail, that insufferable SOB had the nerve to criticize a 4 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ General yesterday, he isn’t fit to lick the dog shit off the bottom of his shoe.
What surprised me was that our chairman of the joint chiefs didn’t walk up and physically rip his insufferable head off, I’m sure that there are plenty of officers and enlisted who have served under him that would be glad to do it for him.
I love that word— beautifully descriptive for that time. Kind of how I feel right now, Daria. I do no understand why we try to negotiate with seditionists. Heather's letter this morning makes it sound like we are just going to throw in the rope.
Why are democrats and progressives not standing up en masse, in front of these idiots and confronting them with their deceit against our country and our voting rights? What is the compound spanish word for goddamit?
The closest for dammit it I think is maldita sea. Maldición a means damn or curses. A lot of times on Spanish language tv when someone curses the Spanish caption on the screen will be: ¡Maldición!
I just wrote a response that was so clever--at least to myself. It had to do with the the English form of Maldicion: malediction. This has been cast/caste over this country since it's beginnings. Breakdown of word: male dic[k] ion. Then I went off on some tangent about "Dick" Dastardly's, "Curses! Foiled again!" This shortened version is probably better as I will not be incriminated about anything "dick" in reference to the Party of Sedition. Better to play it safe right now.
Thank you for some new words and the rabbit hole they brought this morning! Great dickstraction for a few moments. (Should I really press "post?"). Phenomenal men, be not offended!
I think I'd go to Iceland which treats women as equals. I'm in Texas now but lived in MA for a couple of decades. Quite angry about the abortion ban vigilante injustice law!
HOT much of the year but Yucatan state is safe, Mérida being one of the safest cities in the Americas. I would not recommend Quintana Roo, state, (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, etc.), higher violent crime and prices both driven by tourism.
We like it. If you're not into living in a restored colonial (or restoring a colonial) you can live well reasonably. We are not part of the expat party set so we don't spend much time hanging out in cantinas from early afternoon onwards. Like anywhere it is what you make of it.
April & May are like hell on earth. Many people head elsewhere or to the beach. Malls, cinemas even the supermarkets are go to places for families who don't have any AC. Last year was particularly difficult because malls and cinemas were mostly shut due to Covid. Supermarkets only allowed one person from a family to enter. Still today smaller shops only allow one or two people in at a time. Masks are essential as is a temperature scan.
I spent the first year and one half doing one of two things – waiting for the Letter to show up (in Facebook prior to substack), OR waking up around 2:30 a.m. to read it. I finally decided that no sleep/fractured sleep, plus the anger and anxiety I was feeling was making me crazy and miserable. At about that same time, I pulled away from obsessively reading news for hours on end. I'm healthier for it.
I have quit posting almost all of the political things on my Facebook. I cannot let those friends I thought I knew who are so out there in Q land have rent free space in my head.
Arrgh, that happened to me, too. I went hunting for a few missing friends that FB algorithms unjoined and found them spouting all sorts of absurdities.
Caray! Sounds like it’s working. You sound healthy to me Daria. I’m building up my sleep this week to be clear eyed and enthusiastic for the Women’s March, this Saturday, October 2nd.
Like so many of his fellows, I fear Manchin is mostly looking out for Number One. "Peril" does show him being a bit more give-and-take than he appears from reports, and I realize a lot of what we see is merely Kabuki theater, but at day's end, it's all about self, power and money. At least, that would be my guess.
As much as I despise Manchurian, and I do, I also have to say something about the “moderate” Republicans. The voting rights bill that Manchurian put together and expects his R colleagues to support, have pretty much everything we need to save this country, including banning gerrymandering which is already in full swing. Why in the hell are not Romney, Collins, Murkowski and the other senators who can’t face Republican voters any more so are retiring supporting this? They are so afraid of Trump and his supporters that they quit, but even now can’t stand up to protect our vote.
Collins is a right-winger in all but name, and has been for a long time. Romney, like Liz Cheney, believes it's fine to suppress voting for the sake of Republican power - they simply draw the line at violent overthrow of the government. Murkowski is a more interesting question. I'm guessing she is not going to brave the storm without evidence that she will accomplish something worth the trouble.
Manchin is an experienced politician, and a very conservative Democrat. His revisions of the voting rights act, according to Marc Elias whose opinion on this I totally trust, improved the bill. He has gone out of his way to show his constituents that he is doing his job, and that he is trying to work with Republicans. After all that, there is a very good chance he would agree to a filibuster carve-out to pass his bill, once there are a full 50 senators on board to do it.
I'm much more worried about Sinema, who has openly been raising money from business groups that oppose raising taxes to pay for the Build Back Better act (and on the side would just as soon votes be suppressed so R's can win), while saying loudly that the bill must be paid for. Getting her vote for voting rights is going to be much harder. The R's would clearly reward her for helping them...
Heather talks about how he delivers for his constituents, and how he does what so many members of Congress do not. Obviously he gets a lot of perks along the way.
While I disagree with Ramblin' Ric's blanket bitchin' (above) there is one behavior that the Repubs rely upon while Democrats can't seem to. It's GOO...Good Of the Organization, meaning they follow the leader regardless of the decision. They will come to a uniform agreement based on Daddy's decision (i.e. Trump or Mitch.) Thus, while Dems finesse and finagle, and often frustrate us, I wouldn't change the culture for a dime. Look at the depths of depravity the Repugs have fallen into, the utter abandonment of reason and compassion.
I don't know why I thought reading Heather's letter at 2 something in the Godless morning would be a good idea for my sleeplessness. Oh, well, it's done now.
Seriously, it seems clear that most of the country is, as usual, unaware of what's really going on. We (I), tend to forget the rest of the country isn't as plugged into the socio-political chess game as this group is, which makes it so much more hard to understand. What seems so obvious to most of us is not even on most people's radar. Sad, but true.
I have never been more worried for the fate of this country.
And hey, Joe Manchin. When you find those 10 Republicans, maybe you can find me a unicorn. Always wanted one.
Thank you, Sandra, you might as well have been me writing, what you wrote is 100% how I feel: sleepless, totally hopeless that we are the only ones who actually know or care about what’s really happening in this country as everyone else slowly slips happily ever more completely into a GOP-trump-led dictatorship, ignorantly oblivious to it happening at all. Just take that Milley/Gaetz exchange, it is just totally unbelievably frustrating to me that someone of Milley’s military stature couldn’t quickly tell that little peon he has zero conception of reality, is a total mess and embarrassment to our Congress, can’t ever talk to an officer that way, and had better keep quiet. I guess now I too sound a bit like a dictator, but wow! What is happening in this country?
I’ve always wondered why someone in Milley’s position doesn’t talk back at these hearings. “Senator, if the withdrawal from Afghanistan is your idea of an unmitigated disaster, i hope you never see one. Meanwhile, I’ve been in uniform longer than you’ve been alive, and I don’t like the way you’re talking to me, and if you don’t change your tone, I’m going to talk to you in that same way. It will be a battle of wits, and I’ll let you draw first. Where we go from here is up to you, son.” For years, I have ended comments with, Pray for the joint chiefs. They are all we’ve got right now and they hate trump and his minions, and they’ve got plans A-F, at least. Meanwhile the dems talk too much. It is all hand-wringing and poll numbers, that we should pass a bill because 59% of Americans are in favor of it, or “the majority of the American people” blah, blah, blah as though Americans are some exotic race that live far, far away in a distant galaxy. (Of course, for much of Washington, they do.)
See my reply to Sharon. So agree!
Same, Sandra, same. And tomorrow I’m moving to the next frontier of Gilead, Florida, with my beloved but trumpite husband of 45yrs. When dt joined the GOP I left. I realize now that the party I thought I knew, my parents party of Eisenhower, had left me some time ago.
Oh no! The Eisenhower Republican Party was my parents as well.
My parents too, my Dad was a Republican election judge, fact chief judge. I miss him a great deal, we lost him at 93, in 2000. He would be a Republican today, In fact He had, had it with Reagan, but he couldn't stand Clinton behavior either. I don't know about Bush 1.
I reread what I wrote, that should be "wouldn't !! be a Republican today". Above all my Dad had a strong belief in honesty.
(you can ‘delete’ an entry and make any correction)
I do that with some frequency, often a stray thought after posting that I want to add. But it's so easy: 1) copy text from your post; 2) delete post; 3)initiate new post or reply and paste.
My mother’s younger brother was a lifelong Republican, active in politics until he became a judge. As far as I know, his first vote for a non-Republican was a choice for Joe Biden as Vice President rather than Sarah Palin.
Smart move on your uncle's part. Could you imagine Sarah Palin as president?
She was John McCain’s biggest mistake, he wanted Joe Lieberman but was talked out of it, just think about how much the world 🌎 would be different today if the 2 of them had been at the helm. Assad would be gone and there would be no Russians in Syria……
Exactly.
Mine, too.
Mine too. I wonder what they would be today.
I agree with you about the two am reading. It is as if my mind wakes up hoping that this next letter will give us the guide to maintain our Democracy. Yet they continue to be filled with truth. Sad hard truth
Here is a link to Heather's politics chat yesterday on Facebook. It is a bit more hopeful, I think: https://www.facebook.com/100044557238708/videos/3057637791180132
They were putting Porn up to distract her to throw her off. I couldn’t see it. But she was as we are all accustom to. Brilliant ,Knowledgeable and Professional . What a bunch of Low Life Jerks !
Second that about the unicorn. It’s so funny but I’m too concerned about this to even smile. Why isn’t Gaetz in jail yet?
My question too, he has hired a team of high powered sex crime lawyers....also, his "performance" in the hearings yesterday was a case study in arrogance and disrespect. As a Floridian, I wanted to slap him across his little punk face. He acted like an inexperienced, know-it-all adolescent lashing out at men eminently more accomplished than he will ever hope to be-- even if he takes courses in prison!!!! Such an out of control embarrassment. The mantel of Jim Jordan has fallen all over him!!! Shameful.
Keep in mind Gaetz doesn’t want to be a member of the Republican Party. He wants to be a leader in an extreme, controlling, white supremacy party where women are only used for sex. Empty Greene was the only woman he’s been seen with in the party and he’s pushed her to the side too. Who do we see him huddle with? Is he a participant in anything other than his own agenda?
He sounded like a petulant child when questions Milley.
They can’t arrest him soon enough.
It seems like not so long ago, both Republicans and Democrats would not have stood for a member of Congress to treat a General with such disrespect and rudeness. He should have been called down for it and the man who just wasted time talking about Newsmax should have been cut off. There should be fines or some consequence for disrupting a serious hearing.
Apparently the Rules of the Senate allow for all kinds of bad behavior without nary a consequence. If those of us out here in the “regular” work-a-day world behaved the way some of these egoists do, we’d be facing all kinds of discipline steps.
Or a pink slip and a swift kick out the door.
Yea exactly why isn’t he in jail, that insufferable SOB had the nerve to criticize a 4 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ General yesterday, he isn’t fit to lick the dog shit off the bottom of his shoe.
What surprised me was that our chairman of the joint chiefs didn’t walk up and physically rip his insufferable head off, I’m sure that there are plenty of officers and enlisted who have served under him that would be glad to do it for him.
Dick, I think all of us should send posters of Milley’s glare to that lil’ pissant’s office. I want Milley to haunt him forever and a day.
Yes, to the unicorn! :)
I almost never read the letter in la madrugada, (the time between midnight and dawn), anymore, it's generally too upsetting. Sleep is important.
I love that word— beautifully descriptive for that time. Kind of how I feel right now, Daria. I do no understand why we try to negotiate with seditionists. Heather's letter this morning makes it sound like we are just going to throw in the rope.
Why are democrats and progressives not standing up en masse, in front of these idiots and confronting them with their deceit against our country and our voting rights? What is the compound spanish word for goddamit?
The closest for dammit it I think is maldita sea. Maldición a means damn or curses. A lot of times on Spanish language tv when someone curses the Spanish caption on the screen will be: ¡Maldición!
I just wrote a response that was so clever--at least to myself. It had to do with the the English form of Maldicion: malediction. This has been cast/caste over this country since it's beginnings. Breakdown of word: male dic[k] ion. Then I went off on some tangent about "Dick" Dastardly's, "Curses! Foiled again!" This shortened version is probably better as I will not be incriminated about anything "dick" in reference to the Party of Sedition. Better to play it safe right now.
Thank you for some new words and the rabbit hole they brought this morning! Great dickstraction for a few moments. (Should I really press "post?"). Phenomenal men, be not offended!
Oh, brava my dear Penelope! Words are so much fun. I think you should win the Clever Commenter of The day award!
Yes, it is. And so is my sanity. As I consider moving...what's it like in the Yucatan?
I think I'd go to Iceland which treats women as equals. I'm in Texas now but lived in MA for a couple of decades. Quite angry about the abortion ban vigilante injustice law!
Iceland is a good alternative though, for some, perhaps prohibitively expensive. Also, it's worth checking into residency laws.
No, I'm not leaving Texas. Except for the politics I really am happy here. Might be fun to visit Iceland though.
I have a friend who was stationed in Iceland while in the Air Force. She loved it. I would very much like to visit there as well.
HOT much of the year but Yucatan state is safe, Mérida being one of the safest cities in the Americas. I would not recommend Quintana Roo, state, (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, etc.), higher violent crime and prices both driven by tourism.
We like it. If you're not into living in a restored colonial (or restoring a colonial) you can live well reasonably. We are not part of the expat party set so we don't spend much time hanging out in cantinas from early afternoon onwards. Like anywhere it is what you make of it.
Sounds delightful except for HOT. I doubt I could convince my wife to leave here, but it certainly sounds like a good option.
April & May are like hell on earth. Many people head elsewhere or to the beach. Malls, cinemas even the supermarkets are go to places for families who don't have any AC. Last year was particularly difficult because malls and cinemas were mostly shut due to Covid. Supermarkets only allowed one person from a family to enter. Still today smaller shops only allow one or two people in at a time. Masks are essential as is a temperature scan.
I want to know also.
See reply to Pam Peterson.
Same here. Even when it gets here by a reasonable hour. I like the quiet contemplation in the morning.
I spent the first year and one half doing one of two things – waiting for the Letter to show up (in Facebook prior to substack), OR waking up around 2:30 a.m. to read it. I finally decided that no sleep/fractured sleep, plus the anger and anxiety I was feeling was making me crazy and miserable. At about that same time, I pulled away from obsessively reading news for hours on end. I'm healthier for it.
I have quit posting almost all of the political things on my Facebook. I cannot let those friends I thought I knew who are so out there in Q land have rent free space in my head.
Same here. I am astounded by the number of 'friends I had who have gone over to the "QAnon" side.
I've scaled way back.
Arrgh, that happened to me, too. I went hunting for a few missing friends that FB algorithms unjoined and found them spouting all sorts of absurdities.
Caray! Sounds like it’s working. You sound healthy to me Daria. I’m building up my sleep this week to be clear eyed and enthusiastic for the Women’s March, this Saturday, October 2nd.
United! (and not exhausted). Love!
I love that your resting up for Saturday! ❤🌷.
United! Love!
It would be interesting to know what Manchins real motives are!!?,?…..
Like so many of his fellows, I fear Manchin is mostly looking out for Number One. "Peril" does show him being a bit more give-and-take than he appears from reports, and I realize a lot of what we see is merely Kabuki theater, but at day's end, it's all about self, power and money. At least, that would be my guess.
As much as I despise Manchurian, and I do, I also have to say something about the “moderate” Republicans. The voting rights bill that Manchurian put together and expects his R colleagues to support, have pretty much everything we need to save this country, including banning gerrymandering which is already in full swing. Why in the hell are not Romney, Collins, Murkowski and the other senators who can’t face Republican voters any more so are retiring supporting this? They are so afraid of Trump and his supporters that they quit, but even now can’t stand up to protect our vote.
Collins is a right-winger in all but name, and has been for a long time. Romney, like Liz Cheney, believes it's fine to suppress voting for the sake of Republican power - they simply draw the line at violent overthrow of the government. Murkowski is a more interesting question. I'm guessing she is not going to brave the storm without evidence that she will accomplish something worth the trouble.
Bought and paid for?
Here's some info on that: https://theintercept.com/2021/06/16/joe-manchin-leaked-billionaire-donors-no-labels/
Thanks Barbara. This spotlights the problem. It's a doozie.
Manchin has to be a Republican to maintain votes from the people of West Virginia a beautiful but terribly depressed state.
Agreed! Maybe running for POTUS and thinks he can pull some of dt’s base?
$$$$$$$$$ and protecting the ability to amass a lot more of it
Ahem, the fringe benefits of being a politician in today’s U.S. of A. !!!???……
Manchin is an experienced politician, and a very conservative Democrat. His revisions of the voting rights act, according to Marc Elias whose opinion on this I totally trust, improved the bill. He has gone out of his way to show his constituents that he is doing his job, and that he is trying to work with Republicans. After all that, there is a very good chance he would agree to a filibuster carve-out to pass his bill, once there are a full 50 senators on board to do it.
I'm much more worried about Sinema, who has openly been raising money from business groups that oppose raising taxes to pay for the Build Back Better act (and on the side would just as soon votes be suppressed so R's can win), while saying loudly that the bill must be paid for. Getting her vote for voting rights is going to be much harder. The R's would clearly reward her for helping them...
And who is Joe Manchin trying to impress??? Smdh every time I hear his name.
His donors.
Heather talks about how he delivers for his constituents, and how he does what so many members of Congress do not. Obviously he gets a lot of perks along the way.
While I disagree with Ramblin' Ric's blanket bitchin' (above) there is one behavior that the Repubs rely upon while Democrats can't seem to. It's GOO...Good Of the Organization, meaning they follow the leader regardless of the decision. They will come to a uniform agreement based on Daddy's decision (i.e. Trump or Mitch.) Thus, while Dems finesse and finagle, and often frustrate us, I wouldn't change the culture for a dime. Look at the depths of depravity the Repugs have fallen into, the utter abandonment of reason and compassion.
We all need to email Manchin and let him know that the current Republican group has not one desire to work with Democrats. He's not a miracle worker.