"SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" --SCROTUS
(the above tweet was noted by an Associated Press analysis to be his top tweet of the first 100 days)
Yesterday was the 100th Day of President Asterisk's administration. (name stolen shamelessly from somewhere or other)
Instead of blogging about the landmark (or lack thereof) day, I thought I'd just let others -- and there were a lot of them -- speak about it. Happy Watching!
I'm beginning to like Seth Meyers a lot these days. This one is my favorite.
Stephen Colbert:
Count-down compilation from HuffPost:
Another complilation:
A countdown from Stephen Colbert:
....aaaannnnnd Spicey counting down:
Day 100 was also the day of the Annual White House Correspondents Dinner, which SCROTUS not only didn't attend, he acted like a d*ck about it:
Here is Samantha Bee on the day:
At the Real Correspondents Dinner, Hasan Minhaj was quite funny and also poignant:
It's still my prediction (as I stated earlier in this blog), that we're half-way through this mess. I predict that the Republican leadership will ask him to resign by 200 days. Keep the energy in the resistance, and we can make it happen!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
A Lot of Little Things That Would be Big Things if There Weren't so many Big Things Already
WE MUST RESIST!
We know a lot of the Big Things that SCROTUS and his cronies have done that erode our freedoms, our protections, and our security. I won't cover those here.
No, today I'm writing about some of the Little Things. These things are flying under the radar, primarily because there are so many Big Things taking the attention. We ought to pay attention to the little things, too.
The Right to Protest
The Right to Protest is literally under attack. The United Nations is concerned that at least 19 states have laws in the works that would increase the criminalization of peaceful protests, including laws that would increase punishments for certain types of activities during protests, such as wearing masks or robes during a protest or blocking traffic during a protest; making it legal to run over protesters "as long as the crash was accidental;" and making it a crime to heckle lawmakers. WTF?? Heckling lawmakers is guaranteed by the Constitution. In fact, we have a DUTY to heckle lawmakers!! Read this article from The Washington Post, Keep in touch with your state representatives and protest these types of laws from being implemented.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” ― Elie Wiesel
Energy Star
You've heard that Agent Orange wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency, cutting its budget by 30%. You may not have heard that Energy Star --the beloved program that costs so little but makes a huge impact in consumer energy savings-- is slated to be eliminated outright. Really? Why?
Altering Websites
Government websites have been dismantled or pared down. On Day 1 of the administration, the official whitewash.gov website eliminated pages on climate change, LGBQ issues, and civil rights. Within days of the inauguration, the EPA's website began to remove its scientific information. This week, there are reports that data, initially rumored to be removed, will not be taken down. Go, Brother and Sister Resisters! Incredibly, the State Department advertised Mar-A-Lago resort on its official page (since taken down). And as if to raise the middle finger to all lovers of nature, the Bureau of Land Management website replaced its banner photo from a man and boy hiking to a vein of coal ready to be mined. This has since been changed, no doubt in response to outrage by us resisters!
One of the most exciting evolutions of the resistance came about when SCROTUS started to limit the National Park Service's social media output, leading to the birth of AltNationalParkService, a group of anonymous rouge park employees speaking out on social media: Twitter and Facebook. YES! Park Rangers leading the resistance!
The Election Assistance Commission
The Election Assistance Commission, a body formed after the disastrous 2000 Election Sham, helps improve voting machines and helps resist hacking, supports election bodies and poll workers, as well as promotes voter registration and voting in general. Guess who wants to do away with the EAC? Of course, the Republicans, who do all they can to suppress voting. Grrrrr. Contact your MoCs to encourage them to vote no on H.R.634 - Election Assistance Commission Termination Act.
The National Forensic Commission
Also eliminated from the Federal Government is The National Forensic Commission, a body within the Department of Justice, which included independent scientists. It was ordered by Jeff Sessions to be dissolved this month. Now, Forensic Science is near and dear to my heart, and we need to support and promote good scientific practices for justice to prevail. It's just another casualty in the War on Science. Really troubling. These people weaken our country with every turn.
Surgeon General
You may not have heard that the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, was fired. Now a nurse, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, holds the position.
Ok, just one big thing.......
So there is one issue that is not flying under the radar, but is egregious and must be mentioned! This is an outrage, and the Resistance must rise up to prevent this from happening!
The National Park System! The Infinite and Endless Liar wants to open up our precious public lands for drilling, mining, raping! Our National Parks and National Monuments are some of the most incredible protected lands in the world. The National Parks are gems, and is is outrageous that he is considering undoing some 40 parks created over the last 20 years! Read the thorough write-up in National Geographic. Patagonia, for one, is threatening to sue if SCROTUS tries to un-do these National Parks. If you want to help, the Alt National Park Service suggests this:
In addition, consider donating to a charity that works to protect the earth. I have just donated to EarthJustice (motto: "Because the Earth needs a good lawyer"), which has a 4/4 (90%+) rating on Charity Navigator.
Thanks for reading, and keep up the resistance!
Monday, April 24, 2017
A Case For Dementia
"No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar." -- Abraham Lincoln
The organizations released the entire transcripts, no doubt because how do you edit such bizarro stuff into meaningful, intelligible quotes? You just can't. Here, see for yourself:
And one from the Time interview:
huh??
And just this morning he spoke to Dr. Peggy Annette Whitson, the NASA astronaut who holds the record for most cumulative time in space for a woman. She was on the space station, and he sat in the Oval Office with NASA astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins, who looked like she would rather be at the dentist, and Ivanka, who was there to hold his leash. It was painful to watch! He could barely read the notes that were in front of him. He sounded like a third grader (apologies to third graders everywhere). His ad-libs are just about as painful.
You can watch it here.
Others have noted Trump's difficulty reading, most hilariously by Samantha Bee:
His own doctor is no help. In a medical exam wacky in its own right, a gastroenterologist (again, Huh??) noted that the Lump of Foul Deformity who occupies the Whitewash House “will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” Read The Atlantic's excellent analysis of the obviously SCROTUS-ghost-written medical exam report.
If SCROTUS's bizarre behavior is due to Malignant Narcissism, Dementia, or something else (neurosyphilis, anyone?), it is all very alarming. We should be concerned that a man so unhinged is running the country and making dangerous foreign leaders angry.
Thank you for reading! ...and keep up the Resistance!
Earlier in this blog I outlined that SCROTUS may be suffering (well, we are all suffering...) from Malignant Narcissism. There is also a body of thought that he may be suffering from dementia.
A fellow blogger has floated the theory, and I have to say it is quite possible! The blog post is a good analysis of his discourse, comparing SCROTUS and the last President with known dementia, Reagan, and also compares SCROTUS and his younger self, in video interviews on talk shows. I would love to see follow-up research and analysis on his hypothesis.
A fellow blogger has floated the theory, and I have to say it is quite possible! The blog post is a good analysis of his discourse, comparing SCROTUS and the last President with known dementia, Reagan, and also compares SCROTUS and his younger self, in video interviews on talk shows. I would love to see follow-up research and analysis on his hypothesis.
SCROTUS does look very much like many of my patients with dementia. If I were evaluating him, my notes would indicate that his language is often disorganized and non-specific. He uses a lot of "empty" words like "thing." His utterances are often non-sensical. He becomes confabulatory. He becomes tangential. He is paranoid. He has trouble reading. His wandering the Whitewash House late at night and his 3am tweets that happen often might be because he is sundowning. He may also have some motor difficulties.
For the motor difficulties part, there isn't a lot of evidence, but there have been reports that SCROTUS is afraid of stairs and falling, and that he clutched Theresa May's hand for support due to fear. Not great evidence. But then again, motor symptoms can be more subtle than language symptoms. I'll keep my eye out for more evidence.
As for verbal evidence, well, we have a veritable plethora! Besides the above-mentioned blog post, there have been a couple of recent interviews that show his bizarre discourse. The transcripts were released in whole. It is astounding how unintelligible and bizarre his language is!
For the motor difficulties part, there isn't a lot of evidence, but there have been reports that SCROTUS is afraid of stairs and falling, and that he clutched Theresa May's hand for support due to fear. Not great evidence. But then again, motor symptoms can be more subtle than language symptoms. I'll keep my eye out for more evidence.
As for verbal evidence, well, we have a veritable plethora! Besides the above-mentioned blog post, there have been a couple of recent interviews that show his bizarre discourse. The transcripts were released in whole. It is astounding how unintelligible and bizarre his language is!
The organizations released the entire transcripts, no doubt because how do you edit such bizarro stuff into meaningful, intelligible quotes? You just can't. Here, see for yourself:
Here is the transcript from Time Magazine on March 22, 2017. The interview was about his lies, and without a trace of irony he keeps on a-lyin' (or, in the dementia world, confabulating). ...when he isn't spouting nonsense, that is. Here is the transcript from an Associated Press interview this week. It is equally as non-sensical and kooky. Go ahead, read them if you can stomach it. I'll wait here.
...
Bizarre, isn't it?
There's so much "huh?" in them, but here are a couple of my favorites. From the AP interview:
TЯUMP: But President Xi, from the time I took office, he has not, they have not been currency manipulators. Because there's a certain respect because he knew I would do something or whatever. But more importantly than him not being a currency manipulator the bigger picture, bigger than even currency manipulation, if he's helping us with North Korea, with nuclear and all of the things that go along with it, who would call, what am I going to do, say, "By the way, would you help us with North Korea? And also, you're a currency manipulator." It doesn't work that way.
AP: Right.
And one from the Time interview:
Time: But isn’t there, it strikes me there is still an issue of credibility. If the intelligence community came out and said, we have determined that so and so is the leaker here, but you are saying to me now, that you don’t believe the intelligence community when they say your tweet was wrong.
TЯUMP: I’m not saying—no, I’m not blaming. First of all, I put Mike Pompeo in. I put Senator Dan Coats in. These are great people. I think they are great people and they are going to, I have a lot of confidence in them. So hopefully things will straighten out. But I inherited a mess, I inherited a mess in so many ways. I inherited a mess in the Middle East, and a mess with North Korea, I inherited a mess with jobs, despite the statistics, you know, my statistics are even better, but they are not the real statistics because you have millions of people that can’t get a job, ok. And I inherited a mess on trade. I mean we have many, you can go up and down the ladder. But that’s the story. Hey look, in the mean time, I guess, I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m president, and you’re not. You know. Say hello to everybody OK?
Time: Thank you very much, Mr. President.
huh??
And just this morning he spoke to Dr. Peggy Annette Whitson, the NASA astronaut who holds the record for most cumulative time in space for a woman. She was on the space station, and he sat in the Oval Office with NASA astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins, who looked like she would rather be at the dentist, and Ivanka, who was there to hold his leash. It was painful to watch! He could barely read the notes that were in front of him. He sounded like a third grader (apologies to third graders everywhere). His ad-libs are just about as painful.
You can watch it here.
Others have noted Trump's difficulty reading, most hilariously by Samantha Bee:
His own doctor is no help. In a medical exam wacky in its own right, a gastroenterologist (again, Huh??) noted that the Lump of Foul Deformity who occupies the Whitewash House “will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” Read The Atlantic's excellent analysis of the obviously SCROTUS-ghost-written medical exam report.
If SCROTUS's bizarre behavior is due to Malignant Narcissism, Dementia, or something else (neurosyphilis, anyone?), it is all very alarming. We should be concerned that a man so unhinged is running the country and making dangerous foreign leaders angry.
Thank you for reading! ...and keep up the Resistance!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
What do we want? Science! When do we want it? After peer review!
“Freedom, the first-born of science” -- Thomas Jefferson
Yesterday we marched for science. Because, lately, it seems that science has lost her voice. SCROTUS has started to erase science from America, quite literally. Data has been removed from government websites. SCROTUS shows a disdain for facts, and "alternative facts" have become accepted. He has called global warming "a hoax." He wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency. The administrator of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, hates the very agency he oversees! It is getting very scary out there. We need action against the heinous war on science. Some have said that scientists shouldn't enter into politics, that science should stay neutral. But boy howdy, staying out of things could mean being driven out completely.
And so, we resist. Marches were held around the world yesterday in support of science.
Santa Barbara's March for Science was a success! There were reportedly about 3000 people attending the demonstration and march. When I got to the park, I was surprised at the wonderful turnout. Several speakers motivated the crowd, and there was even a science quiz with prizes!
We marched from De La Guerra Plaza toward Stearn's Wharf. When we had passed under the freeway overpass, we turned around and marched all the way up State Street to Alameda Park and the Earth Day celebration.
Here I am with my scientist friend Julie.
Here is some video shot by my friend and neighbor Craig Prater at the turn-around spot. Thanks for the video, Craig!
*
Here is a little video I shot during the march.
What do we do next? Stay active. Our freedom depends on it! Engage in conversation. Contact your MoCs. Tell them to reject the budget that calls for cuts to the EPA and other environmental policies. Keep doing science! Here is an excellent piece on the next steps for scientists from Scientific American. Keep up the Resistance!
Yesterday we marched for science. Because, lately, it seems that science has lost her voice. SCROTUS has started to erase science from America, quite literally. Data has been removed from government websites. SCROTUS shows a disdain for facts, and "alternative facts" have become accepted. He has called global warming "a hoax." He wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency. The administrator of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, hates the very agency he oversees! It is getting very scary out there. We need action against the heinous war on science. Some have said that scientists shouldn't enter into politics, that science should stay neutral. But boy howdy, staying out of things could mean being driven out completely.
And so, we resist. Marches were held around the world yesterday in support of science.
Santa Barbara's March for Science was a success! There were reportedly about 3000 people attending the demonstration and march. When I got to the park, I was surprised at the wonderful turnout. Several speakers motivated the crowd, and there was even a science quiz with prizes!
We marched from De La Guerra Plaza toward Stearn's Wharf. When we had passed under the freeway overpass, we turned around and marched all the way up State Street to Alameda Park and the Earth Day celebration.
Here I am with my scientist friend Julie.
Here is the other side of my sign.
*
There were lots of great signs. I captured a few. And there are more in the local Noozhawk story.
 |
| This couple had knitted brain hats! Love it! |
Here is a little video I shot during the march.
What do we do next? Stay active. Our freedom depends on it! Engage in conversation. Contact your MoCs. Tell them to reject the budget that calls for cuts to the EPA and other environmental policies. Keep doing science! Here is an excellent piece on the next steps for scientists from Scientific American. Keep up the Resistance!
Friday, April 21, 2017
This Week in Our Nightmare
"The world's not a very comfortable place if you have a nightmare to face." -- Tommy Lee Jones
The nightmare continues.
We're on Day 91. I've been getting better about being less anxious. I'm not waking up at night in a panic with thoughts about "What the hell is going on with my reality?" I'm getting better at detaching and looking at this as a project that needs to be completed. If we are outraged every moment, that is not good for us and we won't be able to complete the project. We gotta keep resisting, whenever and however we can.
But though my personal emotional state is calming a bit, the reality is: What the hell is going on with my reality??
A recap of recent events.....
It was a week of Ivanka.
She is now an Official Government Employee, working as her daddy's right-hand gal. And boy, has she been working it!
Ivanka Trump got patents from China.
Ivanka Trump thanked the president of Turkey.
Ivanka Trump influenced SCROTUS to send the missiles to Syria.
* She sat in on a state dinner with the President of China. Shortly thereafter, her company got approval from the Chinese Government for three patents for her products. She nominally has recused herself from the day-to-day operations of her company and put it in a family trust, but Come ON! Really? Ethics much?
She loves China. Her little girl is being used for China's sake too, singing the Chinese National Anthem for all in China to see on Instagram!
I'm a bargain shopper and sometimes I see Ivanka dresses (made in China) in Ross, where I often shop. I accidentally touch them sometimes. Luckily I always have the hand sanitzier on me. Ick Ick Ick! TЯUMP cooties!
* Ms. IT was also sucking up to the Turkish dictator, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and clearly CLEARLY mixing business with government. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
* Little bro Eric told the world that Ivanka urged her Daddy to strike Syria with those missiles. Obviously since her Dad's head is filled with Cheeto dust, she has to tell him what to do.
In other news....
The biggest embarrassment, and most dangerous loss of credibility for the United States, was when SCROTUS lied about sending an "Armada" toward North Korea.
Yeah, no. The USS Carl Vinson carrier group was heading the other direction. A few thousand miles away. Kind of a big deal. No one believes you, you BUFFOON! And that is a problem. Nobody knows anything. And they say a whole lot of stuff that amounts to the same.
Not only that, but he may not even know who the leader of North Korea is! He refers to Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung as "this gentleman."
Just over a week ago, Spicey made a horrible, horrible, holocaust-denying statement during his press briefing. He's an idiot. He lies. He obfuscates. He is demeaning. He should go.
At least we have Melissa.
There were plenty more embarrassing, dick-ish moves during the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Whitewash House:
* Melania had to remind him to cover his heart during the national anthem.
* He dissed a young man who asked him to sign his hat by signing it and then tossing the hat into the crowd.
;
* He continued to try to sell his base, apparently a bunch of 5-year-olds, on making 'mercia great again.
This week there were also more concerns on the serious side of things:
* This week, it was reported that ExxonMobil had sought a US Sanctions Waiver for Russia Oil Deal.
* SCROTUS signed another foolish, ill-concieved executive order, insisting on "Buy American/Hire American." It sounds so good, but reality is more complex. And, of course, it is completely hypocritical of him and his family, who manufacture much of their clothing and goods in other countries. Here is a slightly old link of the list of countries where they have manufacturers.
* And today, Jeff Sessions seemed to forget that Hawaii is one of our 50 states, with American judges who rule on law.
Thank goodness for Stephen Colbert who summed up the week's events with much more humor than I could ever muster!
And now for baby goats in pajamas. Sweet dreams!
The nightmare continues.
We're on Day 91. I've been getting better about being less anxious. I'm not waking up at night in a panic with thoughts about "What the hell is going on with my reality?" I'm getting better at detaching and looking at this as a project that needs to be completed. If we are outraged every moment, that is not good for us and we won't be able to complete the project. We gotta keep resisting, whenever and however we can.
But though my personal emotional state is calming a bit, the reality is: What the hell is going on with my reality??
A recap of recent events.....
It was a week of Ivanka.
She is now an Official Government Employee, working as her daddy's right-hand gal. And boy, has she been working it!
Ivanka Trump got patents from China.
Ivanka Trump thanked the president of Turkey.
Ivanka Trump influenced SCROTUS to send the missiles to Syria.
* She sat in on a state dinner with the President of China. Shortly thereafter, her company got approval from the Chinese Government for three patents for her products. She nominally has recused herself from the day-to-day operations of her company and put it in a family trust, but Come ON! Really? Ethics much?
She loves China. Her little girl is being used for China's sake too, singing the Chinese National Anthem for all in China to see on Instagram!
I'm a bargain shopper and sometimes I see Ivanka dresses (made in China) in Ross, where I often shop. I accidentally touch them sometimes. Luckily I always have the hand sanitzier on me. Ick Ick Ick! TЯUMP cooties!
* Ms. IT was also sucking up to the Turkish dictator, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and clearly CLEARLY mixing business with government. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Thank you Prime Minister Erdogan for joining us yesterday to celebrate the launch of #TrumpTowers Istanbul!— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) April 20, 2012
* Little bro Eric told the world that Ivanka urged her Daddy to strike Syria with those missiles. Obviously since her Dad's head is filled with Cheeto dust, she has to tell him what to do.
In other news....
The biggest embarrassment, and most dangerous loss of credibility for the United States, was when SCROTUS lied about sending an "Armada" toward North Korea.
Yeah, no. The USS Carl Vinson carrier group was heading the other direction. A few thousand miles away. Kind of a big deal. No one believes you, you BUFFOON! And that is a problem. Nobody knows anything. And they say a whole lot of stuff that amounts to the same.
Not only that, but he may not even know who the leader of North Korea is! He refers to Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung as "this gentleman."
Just over a week ago, Spicey made a horrible, horrible, holocaust-denying statement during his press briefing. He's an idiot. He lies. He obfuscates. He is demeaning. He should go.
At least we have Melissa.
There were plenty more embarrassing, dick-ish moves during the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Whitewash House:
* Melania had to remind him to cover his heart during the national anthem.
* He dissed a young man who asked him to sign his hat by signing it and then tossing the hat into the crowd.
;
* He continued to try to sell his base, apparently a bunch of 5-year-olds, on making 'mercia great again.
This week there were also more concerns on the serious side of things:
* This week, it was reported that ExxonMobil had sought a US Sanctions Waiver for Russia Oil Deal.
* SCROTUS signed another foolish, ill-concieved executive order, insisting on "Buy American/Hire American." It sounds so good, but reality is more complex. And, of course, it is completely hypocritical of him and his family, who manufacture much of their clothing and goods in other countries. Here is a slightly old link of the list of countries where they have manufacturers.
* And today, Jeff Sessions seemed to forget that Hawaii is one of our 50 states, with American judges who rule on law.
Thank goodness for Stephen Colbert who summed up the week's events with much more humor than I could ever muster!
And now for baby goats in pajamas. Sweet dreams!
Sunday, April 16, 2017
“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook." - Richard Nixon
TЯUMP must release his tax returns!
That was the theme of yesterday's Tax Day marches and rallies held around the country. And as President Nixon suggested to his opponents with regard to releasing their tax returns: (They should) "make a complete financial statement as to their financial history... And if they don’t, it will be an admission that they have something to hide."
It was a good event on a sunny Saturday. Several hundred people, many bearing signs, met at the Bankruptcy Court Building and marched to De La Guerra Park, where several people spoke to the issue. We must have financial transparency from our Presidents!
Here are photos from today's event.
Little Sister Resister and her sign:
My brotha from another motha:
I love the little girl clapping along, and the older lady joining in:
Here is a picture from a Facebook user who posted the photos publicly. That's me (lower left) in the fierce pink pussy hat. You can see the other side of my sign.
SCROTUS has made false promises about releasing his returns. We must hold him accountable for being transparent. Bills have been introduced in the House (HR 305) and the Senate (S 26) to this end. Contact your MoCs (House and Senate), and if they haven't already voiced their support for those bills, tell them to do so. Continue to push for financial transparency. He's hiding something, and we have a right to know.
SCROTUS continues to think we are being paid for our protests. .....still waiting for my check!
And by the way, you lump of foul deformity, it's not over yet. We won't stop until you are impeached. And even then, we'll keep going to undo all the damage that you have done to our beloved United States of America.
That was the theme of yesterday's Tax Day marches and rallies held around the country. And as President Nixon suggested to his opponents with regard to releasing their tax returns: (They should) "make a complete financial statement as to their financial history... And if they don’t, it will be an admission that they have something to hide."
It was a good event on a sunny Saturday. Several hundred people, many bearing signs, met at the Bankruptcy Court Building and marched to De La Guerra Park, where several people spoke to the issue. We must have financial transparency from our Presidents!
Here are photos from today's event.
Little Sister Resister and her sign:
My brotha from another motha:
I love the little girl clapping along, and the older lady joining in:
Here is a picture from a Facebook user who posted the photos publicly. That's me (lower left) in the fierce pink pussy hat. You can see the other side of my sign.
SCROTUS has made false promises about releasing his returns. We must hold him accountable for being transparent. Bills have been introduced in the House (HR 305) and the Senate (S 26) to this end. Contact your MoCs (House and Senate), and if they haven't already voiced their support for those bills, tell them to do so. Continue to push for financial transparency. He's hiding something, and we have a right to know.
SCROTUS continues to think we are being paid for our protests. .....still waiting for my check!
And by the way, you lump of foul deformity, it's not over yet. We won't stop until you are impeached. And even then, we'll keep going to undo all the damage that you have done to our beloved United States of America.
Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Baby Sister Resister
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." --John Adams
Little Sister Resister has been interested in Politics for a long time. I'm not sure when or why my interest started. I don't recall any specific childhood memories or discussions that sparked my interest. I've always had a very independent mind (read: "stubborn smarty-pants"), so I suppose my interest grew rather organically. Perhaps my siblings can illuminate any early political "stuff" for me.
I also have been a prolific letter-writer. I wrote to my mother throughout my life. She was a prolific saver-of-things, and she saved every letter I wrote to her. She returned them to me a few years ago. I put each letter into a plastic page protector and filled four binders with them. I'm so glad she saved them. It's a kick to randomly read a letter and peer into the mind of younger Little Sister Resister.
I went back to read what I wrote about the first elections that I participated in. Here is what Baby Sister Resister wrote to her mom while she was in college.
From November 3, 1982, my first-ever election:
"I voted yesterday - Yahoo! The trouble is that the people & things I voted for didn't win. (Well, some of them, anyway). It really surprised me, though. California is supposed to be such a liberal state, but both Senator & the Gov are republicans! And the Nuke Freeze Initiative barely passed, and the Bottle Bill & Hand Gun Bill didn't make it. I think this country is in trouble, If California goes that way...."
and Little Sister Resister's first General Election:
"Speaking of voting, how did you like the election? What a twerp Reagan is. It was my first Presidential election. What a horrible one to be the first. I think California is an exciting place to vote in. There are always marvelously controversial "Propositions" on the ballot. At least we don't have to listen to commercials (I never did see a political ad on TV - never saw a TV!) or get things thrust under our noses anymore."
My ballot stub from my first General Election! 
Thanks for reading!
Monday, April 10, 2017
Suffer the Little Children
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." --Nelson Mandela
I have many thoughts on the Syria situation. And none lead me to a a good spot.
The poison gas attacks were horrible, unspeakable. They definitely needed some response. I know that the pictures of suffering children affected 45. They affected us all.
A President who acts impulsively on the Tweet Toilet or in calling for acts of war is a very dangerous fellow. This situation scares me.
I'm a pacifist at heart and impulsively sending 59 Tomahawk missiles does not sit well with me. Neither does the fact that SCROTUS notified Russia before the attack but didn't consult with the US Congress. And neither does the fact that it was Russia's failure / complicity / nod-and-wink that allowed Syria to have these weapons when Russia promised to take them away.
I listened to some pundits on the radio afterwards, and I heard them say more than once when the question of the three-inch fool's attitudes and beliefs from 2013 are in conflict with his actions now: "But now he's President." As if that excused his turnaround in his professed beliefs and excused his actions that he took rather impulsively.
Yes he's "President" now. But no, Presidents do not act without considering long-term consequences. Presidents consult with the Legislative Branch, as required by the Constitution, before engaging in acts of war. Presidents strive to understand the issues.
My first thought, when he bombed the airfield, was that he didn't understand or forgot that Russia props up al-Assad. Or that Russia promised to make sure that the chemical weapons were removed. I know for sure he didn't think of the consequences or even the next step. And I don't think that he has the people around him who could help him suss that out.
And he is a hypocrite to the nth degree to think that bombing an airfield will help the children of Syria but he can still "look them in the face" and tell them they are not welcome to seek refuge in the United States. The fact that his "empathy" for the tortured Syrian babies takes the form of missiles and not welcoming them off flights to the US --- it makes me sick.
Trump, now: "No child of God should ever suffer such horror." pic.twitter.com/pRyCf3a57H — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 9, 2017
The cynic in me --and you have to be cynical in analyzing any of TЯ UMP's words and actions-- believes that he took this golden opportunity to take the focus off the bed he shares with Putin just when Congress is about to take a 2-week recess.
It surprises me a bit that so many members of Congress were OK with the attack and with him acting without consulting them. Support cut across party lines. I wasn't surprised about his spineless lap-dogs supporting it, but I was surprised by support from the Democrats, including people I respect, including my own Senator Feinstein (Senator Harris has not issued a statement) and John McCain, who has had my respect for many years. I've liked and respected him since he ran for President, and I think he has good points, not all of which I agree with, in these comments to "Face the Nation":
I heard some say, "He has smart people surrounding him and giving him advice." But not enough, in my opinion. Yes, he has some good military minds to help him. But let's be clear: he has a bare-bones staff. There are reports about the many vacancies that still exist in the State Department. It makes me nervous that the staff is bare-boned and led by an oil tycoon and not a person well-versed in foreign policy. We're going into war. We need good minds, and lots of them, to figure this out.
But it all comes back to the children. We must make it clear to our Members of Congress: No matter what happens in the escalation of the US's involvement in Syria, we must have a plan that includes humanitarian actions, including lifting the lamp for the huddled masses of Syrian refugees to take shelter here.
image used with permission
I have many thoughts on the Syria situation. And none lead me to a a good spot.
The poison gas attacks were horrible, unspeakable. They definitely needed some response. I know that the pictures of suffering children affected 45. They affected us all.
A President who acts impulsively on the Tweet Toilet or in calling for acts of war is a very dangerous fellow. This situation scares me.
I'm a pacifist at heart and impulsively sending 59 Tomahawk missiles does not sit well with me. Neither does the fact that SCROTUS notified Russia before the attack but didn't consult with the US Congress. And neither does the fact that it was Russia's failure / complicity / nod-and-wink that allowed Syria to have these weapons when Russia promised to take them away.
I listened to some pundits on the radio afterwards, and I heard them say more than once when the question of the three-inch fool's attitudes and beliefs from 2013 are in conflict with his actions now: "But now he's President." As if that excused his turnaround in his professed beliefs and excused his actions that he took rather impulsively.
Yes he's "President" now. But no, Presidents do not act without considering long-term consequences. Presidents consult with the Legislative Branch, as required by the Constitution, before engaging in acts of war. Presidents strive to understand the issues.
My first thought, when he bombed the airfield, was that he didn't understand or forgot that Russia props up al-Assad. Or that Russia promised to make sure that the chemical weapons were removed. I know for sure he didn't think of the consequences or even the next step. And I don't think that he has the people around him who could help him suss that out.
And he is a hypocrite to the nth degree to think that bombing an airfield will help the children of Syria but he can still "look them in the face" and tell them they are not welcome to seek refuge in the United States. The fact that his "empathy" for the tortured Syrian babies takes the form of missiles and not welcoming them off flights to the US --- it makes me sick.
Trump, then: "I can look at their face and say 'you can't come here.'"— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 9, 2017
Trump, now: "No child of God should ever suffer such horror." pic.twitter.com/pRyCf3a57H
Trump, now: "No child of God should ever suffer such horror." pic.twitter.com/pRyCf3a57H — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 9, 2017
The cynic in me --and you have to be cynical in analyzing any of TЯ UMP's words and actions-- believes that he took this golden opportunity to take the focus off the bed he shares with Putin just when Congress is about to take a 2-week recess.
It surprises me a bit that so many members of Congress were OK with the attack and with him acting without consulting them. Support cut across party lines. I wasn't surprised about his spineless lap-dogs supporting it, but I was surprised by support from the Democrats, including people I respect, including my own Senator Feinstein (Senator Harris has not issued a statement) and John McCain, who has had my respect for many years. I've liked and respected him since he ran for President, and I think he has good points, not all of which I agree with, in these comments to "Face the Nation":
I heard some say, "He has smart people surrounding him and giving him advice." But not enough, in my opinion. Yes, he has some good military minds to help him. But let's be clear: he has a bare-bones staff. There are reports about the many vacancies that still exist in the State Department. It makes me nervous that the staff is bare-boned and led by an oil tycoon and not a person well-versed in foreign policy. We're going into war. We need good minds, and lots of them, to figure this out.
But it all comes back to the children. We must make it clear to our Members of Congress: No matter what happens in the escalation of the US's involvement in Syria, we must have a plan that includes humanitarian actions, including lifting the lamp for the huddled masses of Syrian refugees to take shelter here.
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Saturday, April 8, 2017
Tell Them What To Do!
"Here, sir, the people govern; here they act by their immediate representatives." --Alexander Hamilton
Like many millions of other Americans, I have had the pull to communicate with my Representatives in Washington and tell them what to do. I hadn't been an uninterested bystander before this year. I thought of myself as pretty savvy and informed. And I trusted that my representatives would indeed represent me. I trusted that they were smart people who knew what to do. But I had rarely written to them before this year.
I still think they are smart people. Most of them! And I'm definitely trusting of my own Members of Congress. Here in California, I am so very lucky to have representatives on the Hill whose views align with mine. Still, I feel the pull to communicate with them, to express my concerns, and to tell them what to do.
I've outlined here on my blog many ways in which to contact your Members of Congress. My communications with my representatives have been mostly in written form. I communicate better in writing. Even if I compose just a few words, it is where I am comfortable.
One of my first acts of resistance, about a week after the January 21 Women's March, I attended a a postcard writing party organized by people involved in the Women's March. They had postcards like these printed:
It was a good crowd, and I chatted with my neighbors at the bar, sipped wine, and wrote. It felt good joining with many other concerned citizens in the first push for communication with our representatives.
I even got a second on the news! Watch quick at 1:15 on the video in the link below. I'm on the left in a black and white polka dot dress. Link: Local residents write postcards to politicians
Here are photos from the event.
Like many millions of other Americans, I have had the pull to communicate with my Representatives in Washington and tell them what to do. I hadn't been an uninterested bystander before this year. I thought of myself as pretty savvy and informed. And I trusted that my representatives would indeed represent me. I trusted that they were smart people who knew what to do. But I had rarely written to them before this year.
I still think they are smart people. Most of them! And I'm definitely trusting of my own Members of Congress. Here in California, I am so very lucky to have representatives on the Hill whose views align with mine. Still, I feel the pull to communicate with them, to express my concerns, and to tell them what to do.
I've outlined here on my blog many ways in which to contact your Members of Congress. My communications with my representatives have been mostly in written form. I communicate better in writing. Even if I compose just a few words, it is where I am comfortable.
One of my first acts of resistance, about a week after the January 21 Women's March, I attended a a postcard writing party organized by people involved in the Women's March. They had postcards like these printed:
It was a good crowd, and I chatted with my neighbors at the bar, sipped wine, and wrote. It felt good joining with many other concerned citizens in the first push for communication with our representatives.
I even got a second on the news! Watch quick at 1:15 on the video in the link below. I'm on the left in a black and white polka dot dress. Link: Local residents write postcards to politicians
Here are photos from the event.
Since then, I've been writing postcards on my own. I bought a box of animal postcards cheap. I write a few postcards a week, and sometimes they are simply to say "Thank you" to my MoCs and their staff.
I was quite gratified last week when I got a written response from Congressman Carbajal! It felt good. He is listening!
Of course, I also wrote several postcards to SCROTUS for the Ides of Trump. Organizers were hoping for 1,000,000 postcards to flood into the Whitewash House. There was never any press about it afterwards, but our own Santa Barbara Independent had an article that indicated that organizers estimated that indeed about 1,000,000 postcards were mailed to SCROTUS. I would love to hear from the USPS about the official numbers.
Postcards are my favorite, but they are slow. For more immediate communications, I have been using Resistbot to send faxes. It is a great option, especially for us phone-phobes and night-owls. Sometimes I compose a fax when I'm in laying in bed...I just text in my message and the Resistbot does the rest.
If you haven't started communicating with your Members of Congress, you should start now. Call, write, or fax. One issue at a time. They are listening. And the resistance is working. Now, go! Govern!
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