Phone banking is not in my comfort zone, but I decided to step out of that zone and, in the last week (too late for postcards) do so with Fair Fight. These are targeted call lists, and I have found the call recipients to be appreciative and even inspiring. Also, these are mostly landlines, so no opportunity to text.
Nov 30, 2022·edited Nov 30, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Bernie Sanders seemed to have a certain air of confidence when he told Chris Hayes tonight not to count out the health care reform for the railroad unions passing the senate. Perhaps everyone saying it won't overcome a filibuster is like everyone repeating the "common wisdom" that the coming Red Tsunami was going to wipe out Democrats?
Musk is about to get a baseball bat smacked in his face, and it could be literally. Tesla dropped value again today and car sales are approaching a 20% loss, as they are no longer the Official Cars of Rich White Lib'ruls. Space-X has a problem in controls, which may turn into a bigger problem. All good since Bad News For Elon = good news for the rest of us. He's already shed $30 billion in paper net worth, and when the Twitter loans come due in March, he may just find his golden touch has tuned to shit. People he doesn't want to cross are now shorting the stock of his companies because they want to hurt him.
And Apple is contemplating kicking Twitter out of the App Store, which would be the kiss of death to him. And there isn't a damn thing he can do about it.
+1 to not letting up on the effort to elect Warnock. I just returned from a visit to Atlanta. While I was there a friend showed me 2 handwritten postcards she had received encouraging her to vote. When I mentioned to another woman that I had been writing postcards and letters, she said, "oh, I got one of those postcards. I liked it. I wondered if a real volunteer had written it. And yeah, I voted."
I was very happy about the jury’s verdicts against Rhodes and the others. Didn’t realize he had 5 children. They despise him as he abused them and their mother for many years. His son calls him “Stuart” not dad. Their mother and the kids escaped with one pet from a remote cabin. They are now free from his threats which gives me a lot of satisfaction. They are all pigs! My hope is that Jack Smith and the DOJ nails all of their asses to the wall where they belong. Real justice is when Trump, his kids, his associates, and Congress members all get indictments and serve prison time.
Re: Supreme Court. If Roberts is really interested in preserving the legitimacy of the Supreme Court he can resign. Biden appoints a new Chief Justice who can clean up the ethical issues. True Christians would recognize this self-sacrifice. "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it."
We are making incremental progress, but we are also seeing some not so incremental setbacks. Though we dodged a bullet in the midterms, yes, maybe even did better than that, Stewart Rhodes will go to jail, and Kevin McCarthy found it within his shallow heart to condemn Fuentes and Ye, but not The Godfather himself, we are still seeing the far right make creepy inroads into the political landscape. They are in the House, in Florida, and are shielded by 99% of Republicans. Clearly they are speaking the quiet part out loud for a lot of people, and those people are enough to abet or create actual physical danger for many of us. As much as I wish I could relax, and certainly felt enormous relief after Nov 8, I do not feel we are at all out of the woods. The Jewish Community ("Don't say The Jews", Dave Chapelle) is, alas, the proverbial canary in the coal mine, and knows all too well what this current atmosphere could portend.
In France there is a law against hate speech, which came about because of their complicity in WWII. I believe Germany has similar "limits" on free speech for obvious reasons. Ye, Fuentes, Trump and their ilk would have been condemned, made to pay fines, and possibly limited in their public activities. Perhaps this flies in the face of the American way, but on the other hand, it's beginning to seem like a welcome safeguard. It is not that difficult to recognize hate speech for what it is, distinct from regular and diverse political opinions.
Nov 30, 2022·edited Nov 30, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I've long admired and detested the right's mastery of false equivalencies. So here's one to ponder: As Jim Jordan sharpens his pencils to investigate Hunter Biden, I'd think that he'd think that Jared Kushner accepting $2bn from the Saudis is ripe for investigation. Talk about being out in the open with people whose support of the US is at best squishy? But have lots of money? Saying nothing about the Twin Towers.
I continue to firmly support our Democratic leaders in Congress and the Biden administration. I am proud that following the outstanding leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House, we are about to elevate by voice acclimation vote the first black man, Hakeem Jeffries, to Speaker. Those firsts by strong and unified Party votes stand in strong contrast to the disarray and chaos within the Republican Party.
Democrats have proven in the last two years that even with a thin majority they are able to govern effectively for the American people. It remains to be seen if Republicans can do likewise. The prospects of effective governance by Republicans seem slim in the shadow of Republican chaos, but I remain confident that even as a minority party, Democrats are capable of uniting in a bipartisan way with responsible Republicans to keep the ship of state on course despite the storms we are likely to face.
Recent events and legislation passed and pending provide hope for progress despite threats. My wish for us all as we enter the holiday season is taken from the refrain that has echoed in this season for over two thousand years - Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All.
Merry Christmas and a best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
I received a letter this morning, from my friend Margriet K. She wrote inside it this quotation and then later something else. 'Existing is drinking yourself without being thirsty / Exister, c'est ça: se boire sans soif.'
'To return to Sartres quote, true, existing is drinking yourself without being thirsty, but living is being thirsty.'
Maybe those like Musk have lost the thirst. Some things have no meaning and soul gets sad. I have seen this myself, in life. I wish more families would intervene when they see such need and I hope he gets the help he needs.
There is a kind of dog, (also in our letters) that herds by leaning against your lower legs. I felt this one August in Provence, my host's dog a young Pyrenées named Dusty (sur le Soleil de Mont Ventoux) leaned against my legs during the intitial tour by my lovely host, and I felt the most amazing calmness. This makes me curious about the nerves in the lower legs and if they are attached somehow to the heart. My friend also writes about 'naive curiousity'. She is a writer and artist in the Netherlands. She had the same experience with two dogs....who were hearding sheep alone and they met in a walk.
Roberts sits in the chair, but the Federalists and the mega billionaire libertarian money people OWN the 6 corrupt voters occupying seats on the ‘stench court’!
Twitter! What a despicable use of the internet! Freedom of speech yet they hide behind obnoxious ‘handles’! Boycott advertisers on Twitter!
The response by Chief Justice Roberts to the letter from Sen. Whitehouse, as pointed out by Ruth Marcus of the WaPo was truly disgusting. But it is also totally in line with the volume of evidence of a captured and corrupt Supreme Court laid out in the recently released book 'The Scheme' by Sen. Whitehouse. This book should be on the must read list for all who care about justice at our highest court.
"Musk’s behavior is not normal....a decline in Musk’s ability to exercise self-restraint—a sign of a brewing personal crisis that begs for intervention by family members and friends." Red flag law? Seriously, though, there seems to be quite a few personal crises brewing these days that are affecting the country writ large - Musk, Trump, Walker, Rhodes, Flynn, Lake, etc. Kanye is a pathetic mess.
Nov 30, 2022·edited Nov 30, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Regarding the conviction of the Oath Keepers, it is a win for the DOJ and the country, however it is not going to diminish the group or discourage its members. By itself this is a publicity win for their cause. Martyrs make heroes. Dying for a cause, writing letters and books from prison, hunger strikers, standing in the path of a tank,...are all heroic acts if done for what one believes in. It affirms how righteous and how brave they are. In my reading about the trial, the defendants never said they were mistaken and wrong. They stood by their beliefs and argued that it wasn't a crime.
It isn't arrests of leaders that will bring these groups down. It is important that they do not appear brave and committed to a cause as they go to prison.
If every American worker deserves paid time off for medical appointments and illnesses, the choice is easy. The very profitable rail carriers can certainly afford to provide it. Fighting on behalf of the rail workers is what’s not easy. Is Biden taking the easy way out by asking the workers to take it on the chin?
The media, and the public-at-large, are FINALLY paying attention to the fact that Herschel Walker is a legal resident and voter in Texas. That means something, even to those who personally dislike Raphael Warnock. The law is paramount, even in the reddest parts of the Deep South.
Phone banking is not in my comfort zone, but I decided to step out of that zone and, in the last week (too late for postcards) do so with Fair Fight. These are targeted call lists, and I have found the call recipients to be appreciative and even inspiring. Also, these are mostly landlines, so no opportunity to text.
These are happening every night—here’s a sample link (for tonight). Use this link to sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/543401/?referring_vol=44135&rname=Cathy×lot=3797963&share_medium=email_link&share_context=email_1
Bernie Sanders seemed to have a certain air of confidence when he told Chris Hayes tonight not to count out the health care reform for the railroad unions passing the senate. Perhaps everyone saying it won't overcome a filibuster is like everyone repeating the "common wisdom" that the coming Red Tsunami was going to wipe out Democrats?
Musk is about to get a baseball bat smacked in his face, and it could be literally. Tesla dropped value again today and car sales are approaching a 20% loss, as they are no longer the Official Cars of Rich White Lib'ruls. Space-X has a problem in controls, which may turn into a bigger problem. All good since Bad News For Elon = good news for the rest of us. He's already shed $30 billion in paper net worth, and when the Twitter loans come due in March, he may just find his golden touch has tuned to shit. People he doesn't want to cross are now shorting the stock of his companies because they want to hurt him.
And Apple is contemplating kicking Twitter out of the App Store, which would be the kiss of death to him. And there isn't a damn thing he can do about it.
+1 to not letting up on the effort to elect Warnock. I just returned from a visit to Atlanta. While I was there a friend showed me 2 handwritten postcards she had received encouraging her to vote. When I mentioned to another woman that I had been writing postcards and letters, she said, "oh, I got one of those postcards. I liked it. I wondered if a real volunteer had written it. And yeah, I voted."
Keep it up.
I was very happy about the jury’s verdicts against Rhodes and the others. Didn’t realize he had 5 children. They despise him as he abused them and their mother for many years. His son calls him “Stuart” not dad. Their mother and the kids escaped with one pet from a remote cabin. They are now free from his threats which gives me a lot of satisfaction. They are all pigs! My hope is that Jack Smith and the DOJ nails all of their asses to the wall where they belong. Real justice is when Trump, his kids, his associates, and Congress members all get indictments and serve prison time.
Re: Supreme Court. If Roberts is really interested in preserving the legitimacy of the Supreme Court he can resign. Biden appoints a new Chief Justice who can clean up the ethical issues. True Christians would recognize this self-sacrifice. "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it."
We are making incremental progress, but we are also seeing some not so incremental setbacks. Though we dodged a bullet in the midterms, yes, maybe even did better than that, Stewart Rhodes will go to jail, and Kevin McCarthy found it within his shallow heart to condemn Fuentes and Ye, but not The Godfather himself, we are still seeing the far right make creepy inroads into the political landscape. They are in the House, in Florida, and are shielded by 99% of Republicans. Clearly they are speaking the quiet part out loud for a lot of people, and those people are enough to abet or create actual physical danger for many of us. As much as I wish I could relax, and certainly felt enormous relief after Nov 8, I do not feel we are at all out of the woods. The Jewish Community ("Don't say The Jews", Dave Chapelle) is, alas, the proverbial canary in the coal mine, and knows all too well what this current atmosphere could portend.
In France there is a law against hate speech, which came about because of their complicity in WWII. I believe Germany has similar "limits" on free speech for obvious reasons. Ye, Fuentes, Trump and their ilk would have been condemned, made to pay fines, and possibly limited in their public activities. Perhaps this flies in the face of the American way, but on the other hand, it's beginning to seem like a welcome safeguard. It is not that difficult to recognize hate speech for what it is, distinct from regular and diverse political opinions.
I've long admired and detested the right's mastery of false equivalencies. So here's one to ponder: As Jim Jordan sharpens his pencils to investigate Hunter Biden, I'd think that he'd think that Jared Kushner accepting $2bn from the Saudis is ripe for investigation. Talk about being out in the open with people whose support of the US is at best squishy? But have lots of money? Saying nothing about the Twin Towers.
there are so many moving parts to actual news these days!
we are between midterm elections and the Georgia runoff election.
At least there appears to be some awareness the current radical extremism of the MAGA GOP is out of step with the majority of people.
there seems to be a glimmer of light -
* repudiation of TFG's claim his Secret Service detail allows any unsavory character to waltz into lunch with him not knowing who that person is
* convictions (!) of seditionists using their own words and real-time communications
* Jack Smith preparing to launch "real" investigations into the "Big Lie" about the 2020 Election,
January 6, 2021 Capitol attack to interfere with the Electoral College certification,
and "handling" of classified documents.
Hope to finally affirm no one is above the law.
I continue to firmly support our Democratic leaders in Congress and the Biden administration. I am proud that following the outstanding leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House, we are about to elevate by voice acclimation vote the first black man, Hakeem Jeffries, to Speaker. Those firsts by strong and unified Party votes stand in strong contrast to the disarray and chaos within the Republican Party.
Democrats have proven in the last two years that even with a thin majority they are able to govern effectively for the American people. It remains to be seen if Republicans can do likewise. The prospects of effective governance by Republicans seem slim in the shadow of Republican chaos, but I remain confident that even as a minority party, Democrats are capable of uniting in a bipartisan way with responsible Republicans to keep the ship of state on course despite the storms we are likely to face.
Recent events and legislation passed and pending provide hope for progress despite threats. My wish for us all as we enter the holiday season is taken from the refrain that has echoed in this season for over two thousand years - Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All.
Merry Christmas and a best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
I received a letter this morning, from my friend Margriet K. She wrote inside it this quotation and then later something else. 'Existing is drinking yourself without being thirsty / Exister, c'est ça: se boire sans soif.'
'To return to Sartres quote, true, existing is drinking yourself without being thirsty, but living is being thirsty.'
Maybe those like Musk have lost the thirst. Some things have no meaning and soul gets sad. I have seen this myself, in life. I wish more families would intervene when they see such need and I hope he gets the help he needs.
There is a kind of dog, (also in our letters) that herds by leaning against your lower legs. I felt this one August in Provence, my host's dog a young Pyrenées named Dusty (sur le Soleil de Mont Ventoux) leaned against my legs during the intitial tour by my lovely host, and I felt the most amazing calmness. This makes me curious about the nerves in the lower legs and if they are attached somehow to the heart. My friend also writes about 'naive curiousity'. She is a writer and artist in the Netherlands. She had the same experience with two dogs....who were hearding sheep alone and they met in a walk.
Roberts sits in the chair, but the Federalists and the mega billionaire libertarian money people OWN the 6 corrupt voters occupying seats on the ‘stench court’!
Twitter! What a despicable use of the internet! Freedom of speech yet they hide behind obnoxious ‘handles’! Boycott advertisers on Twitter!
The response by Chief Justice Roberts to the letter from Sen. Whitehouse, as pointed out by Ruth Marcus of the WaPo was truly disgusting. But it is also totally in line with the volume of evidence of a captured and corrupt Supreme Court laid out in the recently released book 'The Scheme' by Sen. Whitehouse. This book should be on the must read list for all who care about justice at our highest court.
"Musk’s behavior is not normal....a decline in Musk’s ability to exercise self-restraint—a sign of a brewing personal crisis that begs for intervention by family members and friends." Red flag law? Seriously, though, there seems to be quite a few personal crises brewing these days that are affecting the country writ large - Musk, Trump, Walker, Rhodes, Flynn, Lake, etc. Kanye is a pathetic mess.
Question: Who hires the SCOTUS counsel?
Regarding the conviction of the Oath Keepers, it is a win for the DOJ and the country, however it is not going to diminish the group or discourage its members. By itself this is a publicity win for their cause. Martyrs make heroes. Dying for a cause, writing letters and books from prison, hunger strikers, standing in the path of a tank,...are all heroic acts if done for what one believes in. It affirms how righteous and how brave they are. In my reading about the trial, the defendants never said they were mistaken and wrong. They stood by their beliefs and argued that it wasn't a crime.
It isn't arrests of leaders that will bring these groups down. It is important that they do not appear brave and committed to a cause as they go to prison.
If every American worker deserves paid time off for medical appointments and illnesses, the choice is easy. The very profitable rail carriers can certainly afford to provide it. Fighting on behalf of the rail workers is what’s not easy. Is Biden taking the easy way out by asking the workers to take it on the chin?
The media, and the public-at-large, are FINALLY paying attention to the fact that Herschel Walker is a legal resident and voter in Texas. That means something, even to those who personally dislike Raphael Warnock. The law is paramount, even in the reddest parts of the Deep South.