Open Thread 11-24-16: Confusion!
Is this love? Or confusion?
I've said more than once that politics, party politics I mean, is what those who use indelicate language would call....never mind that. I call it pointless and a waste of time. Just look at the results over the years. If you see anything that worked for us let me know because I'm drawing a blank. Most of the improvements in our society seem to have come from a reaction to events. Marches and their repression have done more good than electing anybody.
The 2008 election proved that working hard for a particular candidate only results in the dismissal of everything we want. I suspect the Republicans will find that's pretty much true, too with this carney barker they've elected. The game is played thusly: "You have issues? They're my issues, too. Let's get me elected so we can do something important!" To be followed by "thanks, now get lost while I enrich myself and my cronies."
The election of a candidate is only a feel-good panacea. Elect someone who promises to do what you want and then you have to pretend that's what he's doing. Good luck, Republicans. I think you're about to see Hillary walk, no wall built, etc.
So....
what should we do? Hey, that reminds me....
if the wood nymph left the park would Park Avenue excite her?
Would the glowworm trade his spark for the newest Dunhill lighter?
That's from "Which?" by Cole Porter. Nobody seems to know how the music goes. It was written for a show, then cut before it reached Broadway. Anyone who heard it, assuming they were at least 21 years old at the time, would be more than 108 years old now and likely wouldn't remember the tune. Oh well!
Should we abandon electoral politics? I'm going to. I know it's possible to try to change our society in different ways at the same time. I can see someone registering voters while organizing marches or shutdowns, and also forming some local community endeavor. I'd rather live a good life and hope I can be a good influence on others around me.
I mean, that could seem like an easy way out but when I look at how society not only hasn't gotten better but is actually regressing....!! I think it's time to try something different. I'm prepared to speak out though. I've got my line down..."this Trump, he's as bad as the last guy". I think by July everyone, including the right-wingers, will agree with that.
Still, it's confusing, isn't it?
You can get mixed up!
or maybe you're mixed up a slightly different way
When I was young this dude with some money took out a series of ads in the New York Times. First he ran teasers about the solution to the world's problems, then after several weeks had a full page ad that explained it all. His slogan was "every lock has a key". He was right! But nobody wanted to hear it. As I recall it was to tell all the warring nations of the world to "stop it!" They didn't. We all know it really is as simple as that but power hungry people don't come equipped with open minds, eyes or ears.
Comments
"It wasn't lust, it wasn't rape; it was just a mistake"The Kinks
I think voting is much less important than actively supporting needed changes in the country and the world. Often, voting is a distraction and drains energy away from direct action.
It's important to understand who controls the world's political economy; and what they get from this control; and how they maintain control; and what they take from you and me and the rest of the ordinary citizens of the nations; and how they appropriate the earth's resources and leave pollution in their wake.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Emma had it right a long time ago:
"If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal."
Maybe voting at the local level might have some impact. At least there, you're dealing with politicians whom you might meet face-to-face.
As for a way forward, I liked this formulation by Anis Shivani in a Counterpunch piece:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/11/24/the-coming-immigration-crisis-the...
I agree with the Counter Punch article: Thanks for posting.
We are all under constant pressure to avoid class based awareness - "America is a classless society" - remember that? - and the Ford Foundation(net worth $12Billion+) with ties to intelligence agencies and the military - rushed a promise of $100Million to the groups that operate under the umbrella of Black Lives Matter because this grouping is an identity politics, non class awareness, movement. There's a real problem, the militarization of the cops and police brutality, but American Indians, Hispanics, and poor white people, are also being killed by the cops when such action is not called for.
Those in control will do anything to avoid the deprived class from organizing as one.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I can't think of a better example.
While I admire BLM's approach on a lot of things, I'm puzzled by their insistence on making this solely about the killing of black Americans by police. Do black Americans suffer much more at the hands of police than the rest of us? Absolutely. Do other Americans, especially poor Americans, suffer also? Absolutely.
Why not frame the issue in a way so as to bring as many people along as possible?
I thought the Counterpunch piece did a nice job of laying out the mindset behind identity politics.
And our Masters smile every time they see us divide ourselves in that way.
That is a great quote, but, like so many great quotes
these days, there's no evidence for claiming to know whose quote it is.
http://www.snopes.com/mark-twain-voting-quote/ (scroll down for mention of Goldman); https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emma_Goldman
Same for "First they laugh at you....." and "the definition (or a definition) of insanity is...." No evidence that they were said or written by Ghandi or Einstein, respectively. I did, however, look into to the Ghandi quote about arms; and he did write that one in a pamphlet and/or his autobiography.
http://readwrite.typepad.com/gunsense/2015/05/if-youve-spent-anytime-in-... https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi
True enough, but there is little doubt that it expresses how
Goldman felt about electoral politics.
I don't know. I know only that
I don't want to add to all the disinformation that is out there. It is a great quote, though, no matter who originated it. So, , kudos to him or her.
All real change
come from we the people via social movements. Politicians are the guardians of the status quo and the status quo is whatever the oligarchs want it to be. Right now, the status quo is war. That is war of all types: fighting wars all over the world, police wars on the people here at home, and financial asset stripping wars.
This morning, we woke up to the sweet sound of rain. It was not a lot of rain, but it was the first rain in some time and hopefully it will help in the fight against the wild fires that have been blanketing the Carolinas. The nearest fire to us, located mostly just over the border in South Carolina, is the Pinnacle Mountain / Table Rock fire which has now consumed over 7,000 acres. Some of this fire has migrated into Transylvania County, NC where I am . Residents in the area have already been warned by emergency management officials that they may be asked to evacuate on short notice. Thankfully, the city of Brevard, where I am is not in danger.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Rain and the humidity will stop the spread of a creeping
eastern forest fire until it becomes dry again. Part of taking daily local fire weather is the weighing of the fine-fuel moisture sticks to gauge the amount of moisture in the ignitable fine fuels and taking the relative humidity.
I am glad you've gotten some rain. It doesn't help the drought but it's a big help to firefighters. I hope that they all are put out soon. I know the people of the 3 state area can use a break from the unhealthy air and the worries about fire encroaching on their neighborhoods.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Firefighters
As of yesterday, they had 250 fire fighters working on the Pinnacle Mountain / Table Rock fire. That is up from 90 one week ago. The Pinnacle Mountain fire was the result of a careless campfire. The Party Rock fire in the Lake Lure / Chimney Rock area to the east was slightly bigger but is now about 54% contained. The biggest fire was the Rock Mountain fire to the west in the Nantahala Forest. It has burned nearly 17,000 acres and is only about 30% contained. The Rock Mountain fire was suspected to be the work of an arsonist.
Smoke here in Brevard comes and goes depending upon the wind direction. This morning it is clear. We have watched it roll in and then roll out as the wind shifts. So far, it has not been real bad, thankfully.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
On the NC air quality site, there has been Code Purple
in parts of the state -"unhealthy for everyone" - the worst code. A lot more red and orange too.
It sounds like the fires are being properly staffed now and maybe some real progress can be made. It's been a long time for these fires to have been burning. I hope none of the virgin timber areas are ruined. Glad you're not in an air quality action area.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I hate to ask: air quality action area translates
to FLEE!? Especially those with asthma and COPD? That sort of action?
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Things like: No open burning; schools may be closed or the kids
not allowed outside for recess; people with breathing issues curtail outdoor activities and even consider going somewhere else where the air is clean. Make sure you have your medicine: Those sorts of things.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Air quality codes
Here is a link that explains the air quality alerts. Brevard / Transylvania County has been under a code red for over a week. Purple is the worst. However, it is not continuously code red quality here in Brevard. On Tuesday morning when my walking partner and I did our walk, the skies were clear and there was no hint of smoke in the air. That afternoon, it was heavy. This morning early after the rain, it was good. But I just went outside and I can smell smoke and see it hanging on the horizon. As I am typing this, the smoke is rolling in. It is all dependent upon the winds.
For those who are sensitive to smoke or have asthma or COPD, even a code orange could be problematic.
Edit to add: I am a pretty healthy person who regularly exercises, but I have allergies. Just walking outside for a few minutes today has my nose burning and me sneezing. I read that the communities of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock near the Party Rock fires were basically ghost towns due to the heavy smoke in the area.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
We have a deluge Oregon style
Shah is out in the river of a street right now unclogging the drain which has filled up with leaves and debris. We take turns with a neighbor doing unclogging duty and it was our turn. Portland has broken records for rain fall this fall. I wish I could send you Carolinian's some of ours.
The roofer finished putting on the new upstairs dormer roof last Saturday. This is where most of the damage was done in the 'epic' wind storm last winter which ripped off the metal roof and bashed the chimney. It's not leaking in my studio so we took the buckets out. It is leaking in Shah's office in an old unueable cemented up gas fire place that was decommissioned and sealed and cemented. It used to vent into the chimney/vent that was damaged when the metal roof blew off.
The roofer tarred and re-cemented the chimney after he put on the new roof. Apparently it is not sealed right so it's seeping rain into the fake upstairs fire place and now we have water leaking in dining room ceiling directly under the old fireplace. We called the roofer and he's out of town till Monday but seemed to know what the problem was. So that's my exciting holiday tale.
I'm surprisingly not that stressed out as what can you do? Today is the worst of this gusher of a storm so maybe the damage inside the walls won't be too bad if the roofer guy comes on Monday. At least my studio office is dry as a bone now. Oh the joys of having a 102 year old house. Your husband gg would have a field day with this DIY ongoing project.
Politically speaking I see no point in getting all worked up about the farce of an election and the Democratic party. It's a duopoly and all the hand wringing, blaming and fixing the totally broken system seems to me to be just more of the same divisive kabuki that both sides are complicit in. I agree it will take a critical mass of people globally uniting to stop the oligarchical collectivists and their puppet pols, red and blue. Too bad that a lot of people especially those that are doing okay and are comfortable under the status quo, are in such denial and so caught up in the false politics of identity along with belief in inevitable free market capitalism. Thanks for your excellent series on neoliberalism and the meritocracy. It is a war against terra for profit and power and it's interconnected. No Justice No Peace.
Hope everyone has a good day. I'm not participating in Thanksgiving or Black Friday. My family are going to their in-laws. They are coming here for dinner next weekend god willing and the creek don't rise (anymore then it has). Off to roast a nice chicken.
Shaz, I always love your comments
You tell it like it is. This one made me laugh.
Two years ago, my sister and mother came to visit. Hub was working on his addition (as if we needed it) and that meant a complicated tie in on the roof. We had a driving rainstorm that night and I woke up with my feet wet. It turned out that there was a leak and it ended up leaking into our bedroom. Such are the joys of a do it yourselfer.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
lol, the joys and tests of living with a DIYer.
Mine was also a bit OCD, always needed to overtighten bolts, etc. There would be cursing and then no talking for a time. Family learned to Stay Away then. Sad (in some ways) that he's gone. But I do think that's the first time I thought of him today. No, second, I was asked by Canadian closing attorney of my spousal status. If I had re-connected financially with someone else, there may have been more paperwork. There is enough as it is. Still looking at Dec 9 for closing, need an attorney stateside and local to verify I am me.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Good Morning, heh,
Confusing thought? Yeah...that's what I found under the category "confusions".
This one I like as a thought for Thanksgiving:
Now, how do you get new eyes? Or new view points? Or new ideas? I googled and found this, but am too lazy to read it all. Have fun.
How do people get new ideas?
Just saying, I have no idea if that is a new idea, but I read in there that:
Well, then, leave me alone, will you? I am in a creative phase right now.
Happy Thanksgiving.
https://www.euronews.com/
hey good folks of C99...
I'm up at my sister's place in the Poconos. There's a bit of snow on the ground left over from a few days ago. So nice and peaceful, a much-needed reprieve from the pace of Gotham. Just made some porridge of rolled oats with chopped date, raisins, sliced banana and assorted nuts with a liberal dusting of cinnamon on top.
Nice piece Shah. Love the story of the successive ads in the Times to try to subversively appeal to the soft, cultured readership sitting in their ivory towers. Bernie was it for me in electoral politics, although some local progressive folks have got me kind of interested in their ambition to take over the local Dem party with strong socialist ideals based on canvassing the area and taking a register of what issues are most impacting people in their daily lives (wonder where that will lead, in one of the most expensive places to live in the country? Heh...). We'll see. There's definitely an opportunity now to coalesce a strong 99% coalition of working people being fucked over and over by dysfunctional corrupt politics laid more bare than ever this year. But then there's Goin South's reminder that Emma probably had it right. It's hard to ignore her wisdom earned from a lifetime of fighting the power during some pretty intense times.
Mink Deville. Just before my time but have always been on my radar. Recently picked up the Tom Petty biography by Warren Zanes. There's a passage in it in which Petty is talking about some of the bands who are inspiring him as he's out on the road for his first tour. Says he was taken in by Mink Deville and Cheap Trick. So they are back on my radar again and I need to find something by them.
Probably many here will relate to the sentiment put forth by Christopher Hitchens, when describing his aversion to the holidays. He called it "mandatory gaiety," which I thought was a perfect description. I still like the holidays but absolutely loathe the emphasis on gorging, sloth and consumerism. Especially the faux goodwill everybody seems to be forced to find on these occasions. It's almost like an unspoken truce is declared from the usual posture of conquest and jettisoning of the conscience that is required to be a good member of the cra$$ corporate consumerist world of crony capitalism.
In such a world I'm thankful for all the warm idealism and generosity of spirit always in abundance at C99, but especially today when its genuineness shines through the glut of "mandatory gaiety."
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Hey, Hey, Hey There . . .
Lay off the gorging and the sloth why don't you! That's right . . . just back away slowly. Some of us look forward to being rolled around by others on the living room floor like beached whales after eating waaaay too much!
Yeah, I'll give you the consumerism . . .
“Truce” by gay British rocker Tom Robinson
https://tomrobinson.bandcamp.com/track/truce
https://infogalactic.com/info/Tom_Robinson
It addresses the forced appearance of harmony masking aversion to LGBT family members during the days of Christmas, but it could apply to Thanksgiving as well.
Morning Shahryar,
Agree, I'm done with electoral politics also. I've said that before. But the show will go on and those that participate will run the show, even if it is only half of us. It's pretty evident on this blog that electoral politics will rule the roost. There might be kickback against the duopoly but the same shit will happen next election.
That article is correct, new ideas concerning our political system are usually met with terms like unreasonable, unrealistic, stupid. Just a recipe for things staying the same when new ideas are rejected without rational discussion. But that's generally how humans are.
It feels different now to me, worse, relative to changing things. I can't explain it, it's not Trump, I get this feeling that there will be no changes to this political system, there won't even be an effort that way, and things will just keep getting worse for the serfs and better for the rich.
But maybe that's the way people want it. And if that's the case, that's democracy.
"done with electoral politics"
Resistance is increasingly futile. No surrender.
Your Government Wants to Militarize Social Media to Influence Your Beliefs
Geofeedia, yummy! I mean wtf is the point when all the brains become squeaky clean, who will think any different?
Trump is the King of media trolls. I think it is his media team that won the election, and they will run the country the same way. Trolling emotional reactions every step of the way on "social media". I just read an article that was basically a link to a personality pimping twit wars, as a form of protest!? Good luck millennials!
Peace
No surrender is right.
Twitter, never used it, never will. Just another way to control people, like the mass media in general.
They wouldn't do this shit if it didn't work.
I can't guess how change will come
But I think it will come. There are rumblings now in unexpected people. My feeling is that things are happening beneath the surface. There has been a lot for people to absorb and process. I think processing is what is happening now for many people.
A lot of people felt as you did about the election, and either did not vote at all, or skipped presidential part of their ballots.
Hi Granma,
I think it will come to, keep hope alive. If one looks, you can see how things take time to take shape. A buildup, slow changes in understanding. That's why I think it's important to keep pushing the envelope, keep the change train rolling.
Have a great day.
Change train, Peace train, still looking
Peace Train was Cat Stevens' song? Alter one word to change. Fits fine. Upbeat.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I hate it when this happens:
The pretending part is so exhausting, especially when your entire community is also pretending. You dare not break character or talk about the kabuki, lest you harsh someone's buzz. So, everyone is isolated together. You can't organize a shared recognition of the delusional narrative, so the object lesson of the last bait-and-switch election passes unnoticed. And, lo, it's time for next election, the most important one ever(!) So, shut up or they'll unleash a boogyman....
This time, however, a Black Swan landed, bringing disruption... and rare opportunities for those who would grab them.
"How, in a year when the Republicans nominated a scandal-plagued grifter for president and then became a party divided against itself, was it possible to lose everything?" asks Jon Nichols at The Nation.
Nichols is in the "Reform the Party" camp, but he stipulates that if the party rebuilds itself along all-too-familiar lines, the effort could fail horribly.
Americans who woke up blinking in 2016, feeling assaulted and morally outraged at the cruel hoax of President Trump, Nichols says, should be doubly outraged at a Democratic establishment "that is so disengaged, so incompetent, and so indebted to elite campaign funders that it is incapable of guarding against crisis."
Yeah. That was Zen; this is Tao.
History doesn't serve Americans very well. It never has. And that recycled vision is not going to light the way. We've seen things that cannot be unseen; heard things that have put us in a psychotic episode. Nichols has some insights that sound fresh-y, though:
But his general how-to pep-talk for rebuilding the Party? I'm not feeling it. I'm rolling with the Black Swan, now.
If I had read Jon Nichols essay even a year ago, I would have been rocked by the "progressiveness" of his views.
If he had written it a year ago, The Nation woudn't have published it.
Check it out and see what you think.
https://www.thenation.com/article/we-must-transform-the-democratic-party/
[Edited for typos.]
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
"John", not "Jon"
He's generally a good guy, and a solid Wisconsin Progressive in the authentic Bob La Follette tradition. I don't follow such things anymore, so I don't know where he went after Clinton's nomination -- I expect he went with the Must Stop Trump faction, but I can forgive that, in him or anyone else, because the truth is, we still don't know just how horrible this Trump Presidency is going to turn out to be, and I'm not going to judge others for their fear of that unknown.
My expectation is that it's going to be really, really horrible, but in a very acute sort of way that might lead to some sort of significant and meaningful remaking of American politics; whereas an HRC presidency would be just another 8 years of the world slouching towards Bethlehem -- by the end of it, everything would have gotten a lot worse, and the American (and global, likely) political system would not have taken one step away from the structure it has now.
Here's a great column Nichols wrote on November 1, 2000. It includes a quote from Fighting Bob, after his defeat in the 1924 elections. La Follette had drawn big crowds, and his poll numbers were strong -- but when it came time to vote, his support evaporated, as fearful voters abandoned his "hopeless" candidacy in favor of the LOTE.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
No argument from me on the points you make.
Nichols can think and discern. Were it not for him, I would not be reading The Nation these days. But, it's been a hot mess of late.
That said, Nichols lost his bearing over the past four months, so in the tank was he for Hillary. Every breath Trump took was a body blow to him. Poor guy. He had the occasional bright moment like his column on Chris Wallace at the third debate. I hope he gets his mojo back real soon.
I agree completely with your sensible and canny remarks about Trump. But as much as I admire your free-range thinking, and its general fairness, here we must part ways:
I am. Big time. From the day of 9/11 forward, Americans have been utterly shameful shivering fools whimpering their fears and driving the nation to a dystopian hell while surrendering their rights to anyone along the way who blustered they would kill all their "enemies" — when, in fact, they were the only ones who could stop the careening stupidity of Empire, which was the root cause of 9/11 and the rare revenge attacks that followed.
My disdain for this nation of immigrants, who so recently delighted in slaughtering the rightful owners when they were the only ones who had guns — has not found bottom, yet.
The complete disgrace of Thanksgiving always put me in a mood.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
whoa, nelly!
i was specific about the fear that i forgive -- the fear of the unknown, unpredictable, and possibly catastrophic effects of a Trump presidency.
the national gutlessness manifested in the patriot act, passed by 99 apparently gutless Senators (including Wellstone!!), is a whole different thing. it is an axiom in our culture that the biggest bullies are often the biggest cowards; after 9/11/2001, we seemed to decide, collectively, to make our entire nation a metaphorical example of that.
my recommended response to 9/11 was this: Do nothing. Mourn the dead, clean up the mess, and re-think our imperialism ("Homeland"? Really?), but other than that, no revenge, no pointless pursuit of an unattainable "justice", no lashing out at the Middle East, no ramping up of the security state at home.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Understood. n/t
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
I still have friends (but fast losing patience there) who were
Berners until the Convention and immediately hitched their wagon to the Hillary-train, best-prepared, blah, blah, first woman (hey we got a lesser Black man before, how upsetting). But they still worship that Black man and his wife, and would do anything to appreciate more. Amnesia. Now ready to upset the Constitution because of EC interference. Because we live in cities and They live in less-populous (and not nearly as exciting) areas of flyover. So their vote should count less. The olde Breadbasket of America. Good luck, all.
The 50-state strategy makes little sense because the 50 states are too regionally different. And even some of those regions, they are Takers of excess Federal funds. That is still class warfare, state-to-state. But not obvious, mostly who do not claim to see class because they have somehow risen to the top.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
yep, don't get this Obama love when he...well, you know!
I think they must love how he sounds so reasonable. His failure to act on Standing Rock is just the latest betrayal. But they love him and they love Michelle.
Happy Thanksgiving all....
The original holiday was to mourn the dead and celebrate the living - no Pilgrims, native Americans, or pumpkins included.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
i see no reason at all to connect Thanksgiving to
"The First Thanksgiving", as if nobody in northwestern european culture (or for that matter, indigenous American culture) had ever before then had a harvest festival to celebrate another year's survival.
I like TG because it can be wholly secular: you can appreciate your material well-being AND the immediate circle of humans you consider "family" or "clan" or whatever, without ever invoking the supernatural.
I like TG because it is still primarily about being together with other people, without them expecting anything from you, and without expecting anything from them. You aren't expected to "do" anything on Thanksgiving. You don't have to go to a picnic. You don't have to go to church. Go watch a parade if you want, but no bigs if you don't -- and most of those who watch a parade will watch it on TV, in the comfortable embrace of family. Nope, there won't be any fireworks, or insipid speeches.
Just a day for hanging out with the fam.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
I am cooking according to the calendar.
Every year, I find my recipe for cornbread dressing, because of the calendar.
I will have more desserts on the table than I will the entire year. The calendar.
My handyman of yore, who suffered a stroke, will join me and my brother. My current handyman, who recently got attacked by a German Shepherd and received 16 stitches on his forearm, will also come and eat. We will send them home with leftovers.
I have one more casserole to make. Good grief.
These guys either work or starve.
My brother is one sister away from HUD housing.
Electoral politics sucks. On the other hand, the positive results from social movements is to enact or repeal laws. We either get their fucking attention and get the laws changed, or the social movement effort is just wasted effort.
All roads to change lead to some politician somewhere.
Thank goodness I stocked up with beer.
Take good care, my friends.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'm thankful for people like you. [[hug]]
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
I felt that hug!
My brother's special gift is hilarious prayers. It went something like this: "Thanks, Guy, for the food, and for my sister, who paid for it and cooked it and hauled it all to my house. I am really hungry, so Amen for now."
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
This is a prayer even I can appreciate.
Jill Stein raises enough money for Wisconsin recount
Pennsylvania and Michigan to follow.
Just look at the results over the years. -- Shahryar
A number of years ago there was an effort to increase the number of Low-Level Waste Disposal Facilities nation-wide. The concept was for states to form Low-Level Waste Compacts, select a dump site, and manage their low-level radioactive waste somewhat autonomously.
I decided to get into the fight in 1987. The state committee invited me (A Nuclear Physicist with Credentials) to speak at a public hearing in a tiny hamlet in SouthWestern Nebraska. The hearing was in the high school gymnasium, and the grandstands were filled with local farmers and ranchers.
Introductions were made, and a fine array of very smart people were on display on the stage set up in the center of the basketball court. The polite applause signaled the oh so very polite attention from the oh so very polite citizens in this quiet hamlet of SouthWestern Nebraska. My name was called, as the first speaker, I was to "set the tone". So I began, "You all must be a bunch of dumb farmers."
You could have heard a pin drop. I scanned the room, every set of eyes were on me, I had their attention. I scanned the stage, my fellow speakers were stunned, and oh so very shaken. By the end of my presentation the other speakers (waste dump "ram it down their throats at any cost" promoters to the last man) wanted to string me up. All the farmers, on the other hand, really enjoyed my presentation. They really like the fact that an academic would refer to them as the experts that should be consulted rather than ignorant rubes in need of "education" to "understand" the "complexities" of all that so very "technical" "nucular" engineering. A few of the farmers told me they were wondering where I was going with that rather surprising opening line, and that several people near them had muttered some not so polite epithets. Those that spoke to me were at first concerned for my well-being.
I like to think I helped to encourage those people to kill this very ill-advised compact. Sometimes, we get results, and sometimes we hope we facilitate getting results.
That is a great story.
Your strategy was perfect.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
You'd appreciate my late uncle
a physicist who worked with Fermi in Chicago on the Manhattan project in some minor function - and once said they'd go swimming in Lake Michigan in summer. He then spent the rest of his life fighting against building nuclear power plants in California, with some success, and moved to teaching astronomy.
I'll admit that I'm a bit confused by the recount thing.
Don't know what it's supposed to accomplish.
However, doing recounts when there is evidence of chicanery is worthwhile.
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
And they didn’t mention caucus99percent? I’m insulted.
http://jackpineradicals.com/boards/topic/did-you-know-that-jpr-is-fake-n...
Thankd, Shah, and happy T-Day to all. Spirit Guides =>
Heed them!
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Nice to hear Pete. Billy Bragg has an excellent update of the
lyrics and a fine recording. It was the lead song of his EP several years ago.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
We're in the midst of fixing
our small Thanksgiving dinner. We have tried to avoid holidays with family because it is always stressful. We invited neighbors to share with us but they declined, so it is just the two of us this year. It gave my husband the opportunity to try smoking a duck. I am not sure I will like duck, but at least it is something different. I am trying out a new dish, blue cheese scalloped potatoes. They look delicious in the casserole dish but I have not yet baked it. Hub gets his green bean casserole (ugh) and I am doing roasted vegetables for me. Mrs. Smith is providing apple pie for dessert.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
A commercially-grown duck? Very fatty, look out!
Wild duck, prepared by a hunter who can cook, is delicious, except for the fear of found birdshot in the meat. One chews very slowly and gently, other wise it's dentist time. Also, perhaps TMI, swallowed birdshot does not readily flush down toilets. Personal observation.
I made skillet Mexican Cornbread, still too sweet and not spicy enough. Note-taking for a third trial later. I have not tried it slathered in salsa, yet. I had to eat some warm, with butter dripping. Fair, not great.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Yes, commercially grown duck
This is why I think it will do well on the smoker. I am not sure if I like duck. I had wild duck once and thought it was gamey. But for me, dressing, roasted veggies (carrots, parsnips, brussels sprouts, and onion), along with whole berry cranberry sauce suits me just fine.
I think the blue cheese scalloped potatoes may be the surprise hit of the dinner.
It is going to be a very rich dinner. Oh well...a little of everything and not too much of anything is the way to go.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I agree on the scalloped potatoes.
If they taste as good as they sound, put up a link to the recipe.
OTOH, c99 could sell a cookbook for fundraising! Works for churches and women's clubs.
edit for unfortunate potato typo. I did not know they could keyboard, either!
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Duck is good but its very fatty and when it's in the oven you
have to be careful that the liquid fat that collects doesn't ignite.
Happy Thanksgiving. Ours will be on Saturday when our daughter arrives.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Delayed Holiday family meals!
My nurse daughter is working today, Christmas and New Year's. A friend family has two nurses, and one firefighter. Holiday celebrations may come a week before or a week after, depending on scheduling. With sick grandchild potential at all times (6 of those, so far).
Enjoy your meal, basketball is a sports option by Saturday.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I worked Thanksgiving & Christmas days for 20 years. We
got used to celebrating on a different day when I wasn't working or on call. It was OK.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
My sister talked to our mother's neurologist (finally!)
and her new Dx is Dementia of the Lewy Body type. With luck this will result in new medications, she has been on what now look like totally inappropriate drugs, which may have worsened her symptoms. I guess I will not start worrying about familial recurrence until I start hallucinating. And now I do not see faceless marchers wearing kilts in my yard, as she has for years in hers, even when she was blind.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
The Trump camp
has done a Pelosi and taken
impeachment of Bush the Lesserinvestigation of Hillary off the table.http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/22/politics/conway-no-clinton-charges-donald-...
Again, I am impelled to quote Carlin's, "It's a big club and you ain't in it."
In my view the only change has come from fear on the part of the PTB of armed revolution, not from demonstrations and marches or from signing internet petitions or "Quick! Contact your representatives in Washington, D.C. !!111!!." I will do a blog entry about it to see if the replies change my view.
I read the transcript of the Trump interview by NYTimes
It's worse than I imagined, he is stupider than I ever suspected. His knowledge of issues is so thin. Most of the time he was bragging how he won so easily. His vocabulary is also quite limited. This is a man who doesn't read more than headlines or tweets.
The questions were good but there were very few good comments on his non-answers.
I live in Canada and everyone I know is downcast over the election of this person.
To thine own self be true.
It's time or past time to bring in citizen-journalists
They might get in a few pointed questions to these Leaders that get fawned over. And tossed softballs. No one will let us know that those are The Rules. Do not go off-script when asking a VIP a question. Otherwise, we might understand that they are not so bright. Emperor/no clothes. So there is no Free Press, except on YouTube. Give some of them access and watch the meltdowns.
As one in Canada, you may get some sales bleed-over, but you do not get the full Black Friday experience. That.is.good.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Journalists can't ask for follow-ups because Trump's
answers are meaningless. I read the NYTimes comments, many of them. The consensus is everything that Trump says is a lie. Don't listen to him but watch carefully what he does, who he appoints, that speaks volumes. That is making most people very uneasy. I'm hoping they can nail him on using his position as POTUS to promote his vast business interests. He says a President can't have conflict of interest, but there are other limits that lawyers are looking at.
We have Thanksgiving in October but some stores here are using the Black Friday thing in their ads.
To thine own self be true.