Wake County is the second most populous county in NC. Yesterday I canvassed for my first time in Wake. There were 5 of us at our time slot and only one person had done it before. Karen and I partnered up. The majority of the people didn’t answer the door. Two were Rs. But the people who said they were voting Dem were so nice and the conversations terrific. My favorite wan 87 year old woman who said “oh, we need a woman in the White House “.
Hi Robert. Can you add this to your daily engagements for your readers? All three of my adult children moved in the past year and three of my four nephews did as well. Three partners also moved. So nine voters in my extended family of 15 need to update their voter registration. We are a pure blue voting family and I just sent out the link of vote.gov on our family chat to assure no votes are carelessly left at old addresses.
I am in the middle of moving out of SF, north to a small town. I went on-line to USPS, changed my address there, and their site allowed me to up-date my voting registration. So that's another option.
Robert writes: "It is a tragedy that amid an ongoing disaster recovery and presidential campaign one candidate would spread lies about the recovery to advance his political interests. That fact highlights the stark choice we face in November and the urgency of our task." This is so true. We know someone who we otherwise thought was a normal person who is spreading the FEMA lies. This has shaken us. He's here in CT and should know better. It shows how pernicious this Bannon/Russia disinformation machine is. We, collectively, need to figure out how to immunize ourselves from disinformation peddled by the megaphones provided by Musk, Mercer, and Putin. Repealing Citizens United would be a good place to start.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), with access to almost all government election data, will not say that Trump legally lost the election in 2020, so Speaker Mike is either an unscrupulous, biased lawmaker man or a deceitful lying lawmaker man who wants to feed false, misleading Trump propaganda declarations to the public to incite chaos the upcoming 2024 Election.
Let's unite and elect Honest, Trustworthy leaders into our government, rejecting the deceitful narratives of the Republican party.
Also, have you heard him using his powerful position as Speaker of the House and third in line for the presidency of the United States of America, to blast lying headlines about a "massive failure" in FEMA's response to Helene? I think it takes the definition of unscrupulous to new levels. (Although I suppose trying to overturn the U.S. government is up there...)
Missed that one. Did hear that Biden wants Congress to get its butt back in DC and get more money for FEMA, and Johnson refused. I really, really, really want Mar-a-Lago to get destroyed by the new hurricane. The US might actually find more of those missing files that he stole in the cleanup. But I'm not like Trump who can direct hurricanes with a sharpie.
He'll be the first with his hand out demanding that he be taken care of before anyone else. A comment I saw a few days ago said that while we've seen donations from other rich folks like Dolly for hurricane victims, no one's seen a check from the self-styled billionaire.
I agree with you and Robert re Andrea Mitchell. No one is excluding anybody’s vote. BUT, if Mitchell thinks Trump’s billionaire supporters and MAGA men are simply waiting for more financial details or press conferences, then she needs to RETIRE.
Like it or not, business men (and women) are part of we the people and they run the gamut from 'money grubbing' greedy to concerned and generous. This isn't a moment to exclude anybody's votes - we need them all.
You are right of course that there are many generous business men and women, however, I am sure that she was not mentioning that group and they don't need winning over. Maybe it is up to them to talk reason in the greedy, but I doubt it. Regulation is the only way, I think.
My brother is one of those selfish businessmen. He's got it great already with his lakeside home, his huge boat and Maserati, but he doesn't even care enough to fight for the future of his soon to be 16 year old daughter. I find it disgusting and I am baffled as to how we came from the same parents. We would be much better off without his vote, but alas, we must fight on to cancel it out.
My brother too. I mentioned this weekend how great the economy is doing, inflation down to 2.5%, stock market booming. Dead silence. As though he didn't "believe" me. As though any report of positive numbers is some kind of conspiracy or hoax. @!#*&!!
Infuriating! So sorry to hear you have this issue as well Christina. Earlier this year at a time when the stock market hit record highs we had to have a meeting to notarize some paperwork for my Mom. My brother is big into the stock market and when someone mentioned how well the stock market was doing at that time he said it's "doing so well it's scary!" OMG! If 45 was in office he would say it was "unsurpassed" and "trump did it", but because Joe was in office at that time, it was "scary". People like him are programmed and I don't think there is any possibility in saving them.
sometimes it's more than baffling how siblings come from the same parents. I'm in the same boat, except I'm more successful than he (Republican) and he's soooooo jealous.
Glad tidings from North Central Texas. My Latino neighbors across the street just installed a BIG Harris/Walz yard sign. It goes nicely with my smaller and earlier Collin Allred sign. Maybe the tide is turning on Cancun Cruz.
The sight of Liz Cheney raising arms with Kamala Harris said it all. Ah, if women ruled the world. They say that the expression "Women and children first" when the ship is sinking is because women will be better at protecting the children to carry on. What woman has led her country into war, or tortured prisoners, or raped and pillaged. Let's hope this is the Year of the Woman! Their courage can save us!
Look up Keb’ Mo’ and his song ‘Put a Woman in Charge’. You will love it. I’m guessing Kamala avoids it so she’s not pigeon-holed as a woman candidate and I get that but it inspires and motivates me. Recently Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a clip of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” on his wonderful substack newsletter. It too motivates me which is much needed to stay active in the current political morass.
The official video for Keb' Mo's "Put a Woman in Charge" is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FciQeRGYFlw. An ad will probably start at first, but you can skip it in a few seconds. This song quickly became my theme song for this year! I play it often for inspiration.
Yes, I know the Keb Mo' song. I love it!!! Indeed, he's so right! Liz Cheney is such a great example of how women approach conflict, and Kamala Harris to welcoming her into her fold!
I think Harris is so wise not to focus on gender. It's obvious she's a woman; no need to keep yapping about it. People who vote along gender lines will just do it. My wish is that we ignore gender and pay attention only to what's important and who has capacity.
Well, there was Margaret Thatcher who led Britain into war with Argentina. Oh , and Hillary Clinton was anything but a “dove.” I wish all women leaders were enlightened but that’s far from the case.
… all of which means that people should be careful about sexist generalizations, even generalizations that are popular with people whose views are left-of-center politically.
I don't think it's a generalization to say that women leaders are not the warriors that men are. I'm happy to be proved wrong. Name me the female Hitlers, Stalins, Mussolinis.
You may be right, but in general, women have not had the same opportunities as men.
Two examples come to my mind: Catherine the Great, of Russia, oversaw extensive military actions that extended the geographic reach of her empire. And then there was Elizabeth I of Britain, who successfully and famously defended the Isles from Spain; no weakling, she.
Please don't elevate women to impossible heights. I've seen women in managerial roles who were worse than the men. And the women SS guards in the concentration camps were every bit as murderous, as cruel, as their male counterparts. And the papers are filled with stories about children abused by their mothers. Women are just as human as the men, and capable of the same evil that men are.
Why does everything put on line have to turn into such preachiness. No body’s saying any body’s better than anyone else. Some things are just fun and can lift one’s spirits.
I was responding to a comment that said if women were in charge, there would be no wars, no tortures, etc. And I've seen that type of comment before on a variety of sites. The point being - no, having a woman in office does not mean there won't be a war, that a woman wouldn't automatically not hurt a prisoner, etc. What matters is the woman or man's character, not their gender.
Both you and Heather write about the effect that all of these GOP lies are having on the response to the hurricane crisis. Heather also talks about how so many lies can simply wear people down until they just don’t pay attention anymore. My husband and I canvassed in New York 19 this weekend and ran into an 80 year old woman who fit that description perfectly. We talked to her gently and quietly, and by the end of our conversation, she was reassured, a bit energized and promising to vote for Riley. There is no question that talking one on one with people makes a difference.
Re: "The only thing the Times failed to do was use the word “lie” to describe Trump's statements. Instead, it described his statements as “fantastical” and “outlandish” and “without regard for the truth.”
That actually might be a good thing. The public's been so polarized by the word LIE, ("I'm not lying, YOU'RE lying!") that to utilize a replacement might effectively break the cycle.
Robert and readers. Two Trump voters recently told me they will vote again for Trump because he is a businessman. No changing their minds AND HEARTS. There people are neither curious or courageous.
Do they not know that he's serially run businesses into the ground so that bankruptcy is their only path to re-organization? Do they not see the parallels between running highly leveraged real estate developments and what he did to our national budget in his 4 years? He may be a businessman, but any fair reading of his business history reveals a lousy businessman.
"Persuadable" voters who need government benefits slit their own throats (euphemistically) by voting Republican.
Your lesson plan: teach them via social media. Repeat "don't slit your own throat," "not suckers or losers," "Trump hates dogs" daily for the next 30 days as comments.
What attracts them to Trump is none of the things they say. What attracts them to "strongmen" like Trump (and dictators like him and Putin) is his willingness to say the terrible things they think and his willingness to come down hard on the powerless. He represents their hidden hatefulness, which they love - and his business suit and tie allows them to latch onto some "normal" aspect and claim it is what motivates them to support him.
An earlier post here suggested a clinical explanation for these die-hard loyalists: as weak, repressed, fearful people, they automatically rally to the bully who is threatening them, in an atavistic belief that if they abase themselves to the bully, he will protect them. Only the bully never does.
They do not seem to be very knowledgeable about Trump's lamentable record in his own businesses, do they? Why would a competent business person even entertain the notion that Trump with his long list of business losses would be a suitable candidate or leader????
I guess all those failed businesses, his bankruptcies, his suits against people he refused to pay, his 34 fraud convictions are all part of being a businessman. Or do they just block all of those out?
I was wondering when you’d get to my favorite nebula! Now that autumn is here, with winter at its heels, the constellation Orion will command the night sky. Thanks, Robert.
When I first saw Robert's photo of the Orion Nebula, I was reminded of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Use your imagination and you can almost see those two fingers touching. What an astonishing, uplifting image.
Please explain something to me as I am a great believer in the mystery and beauty of the universe beyond, but are these photos colorized to enhance the awe? If they are truly the colors in the image what makes them colored tthat way?. So often too I see them as colors of the womb and in this one I see a rather agrressive little gremlin-to-be acting out, lol!
Astrophotography technique is very different with faint objects. Long shutter times, or multiple photographs over time merged together bring out the details our eyes can't see, and which cameras with fast shutter speeds can't register. Computer processing, which Mr Hubbell uses on occasion (to remove Starlink satellite trails, for example) enables us to not only enhance the captured images, but also do science. The Webb telescope, as an extreme example, uses computer power to generate the amazing images we see.
Correct, Derek! I process the final stacked photo in Light Room for general adjustments to exposure and contrast. I then port over to Photoshop, remove the stars (StarXterminator), touch up the nebula's exposure, add back the stars and send back to Light Room. A very primitive process, but I don't have time to use programs like Siril etc.
The Webb Telescope and the Hubbell Telescope capture images at wavelengths the human eye cannot detect. The colors in NASA’s images were generated by humans; without them, we would see nothing.
The replies below are very helpful. Many nebulae are colorful because they have ionized gases like oxygen (blue) and sulfur (yellow), which combine in different gradients to create a variety of colors. Orion is particularly colorful.
Still, there is a great deal of judgment involved in processing astro photos (and a lot of expensive equipment). I am a "low end" astro photographer, so my photos are generally less colorful and refined than those of professional astrophotographers. If you do a web search of Orion photos, you will see that astronomers interpret the gas clouds in many different colors. I don't have that ability or equipment.
So, the final photo I published looks very much like the photo I captured except that I decreased the exposure of the cental star cluster (it was too bright) and increased the exposure of the trailing gas clouds on the far right. Otherwise, the photo you see is what I captured.
Morning All and thank you , Robert! The thing that stands out is the collective mental deterioration so many Americans have right now. They make and allow Trump. It’s as if their brains have an invasive worm that clouds reason and assessment. The FEMA disinformation is among the worst. Musk has the worm. Many in the press have the worm., People who, like little children with a new toy, fly drones above disasters, thinking “they alone can fix it” have the worm. This is not a political issue. We seem to be locked at age 5 and unable to mature. It’s a deterioration in our very species. I’m sad and terrified about it.
But…there are also so many people who don’t have the worm and Robert is utterly correct. We must reach them in this country before Nov 5th and get them to vote. Reticent voters need some love and attention. It can be solved by showing up to them. And while I just LOVED the story of Mecklenberg and its awesome that folks are helping out, let’s get to every Dem or left-leaning NOP in every tiny, purple or red town in this country and help them to vote, too. And if you’re afraid to door knock, I urge you to just try it a few times…go to only Democrats. Door knocking busts through the social media problem because humans respond best to other live humans. Mostly, door knocking is sweet and makes us feel good. Most people are nice and grateful. And the few who aren’t, build the self-love muscles in the canvasser. Mine are so much stronger for the handful of grumps I have met at doors. Now I remember mostly the gratitude…and the higher voter turnout. Please, please try it if you have not done so before. Better turnout also exists in every tiny backyard in America.
As an extreme introvert, I can’t even fathom people being welcoming to door knockers showing up unannounced, much less having effective conversations that change anyone’s mind. I believe you, it’s just far outside of my personal constitution.
That's why I have been writing postcards. It's something I can do in my home and a bonus is that I am using decades worth of vacation photos to get them out of my house 🏠. Win win 🙂
Robert, thanks for posting the FEMA links for battling disinformation. As Milton approaches Florida with massive evacuations, we’ll be battling another storm of disinfo.Here is what’s happening:
DeSantis “is abandoning Operation Blue Ridge, leaving the recovery mission in what he calls “Florida North” to the locals.”
Trying to do more and worry less ! 🌀 Pennsylvania needs help with ballot curing.Voters welcome these calls to fix an error with their ballot. Opportunities available tonight +.
Master Shantideva, a Buddhist master, says: "If you can do something about it, do it, and don't worry. If you can't do anything about it, don't worry."
The image of the Orion Nebula took my breath away! Thank you, Robert, for the beautiful image and all your hard work every day. This Durham, NCian is so grateful to you and Jess Craven for getting our sister county Meck to finally deliver.
Dear Hubbell Community Friends. I am a regular reader of the Today’s Edition and the comments but I don’t post very much. I live in a retirement community in Asheville and we are fine with most utilities and internet restored. I am humbled by Robert’s and your comments and support for our area. We were without communication for 5 days and I am just now beginning to see some of the devastation (creating some survivor’s guilt, I admit). Now that our retirement community has resolved most of the problems internally, the administration is now helping other retirement communities with laundry and picking up trash and has continually provided unbelievable help to our employees who have been affected by the hurricane (even bringing in a gas tanker truck so employees can have gas to go back and forth home and here).
We used to live in Boone and all the affected areas in Watauga and Buncombe Counties (both strong blue areas) have been part of my life forever. I am active in our community helping to provide residents with information regarding registration and absentee ballots. I am thrilled and proud of the Mecklenburg Dems for the extraordinary effort for GOTV there. Our party chair is in touch with Drew Kromer and is gathering a group of volunteers to go to Mecklenburg to help. I was glad to read that Robert and Jill are going to be there too! I am uplifted and energized by the tremendous outpouring of support for the Harris-Walz campaign here and around the country. I am feeling positive for the outcome of the election. Thanks to you all and especially to Robert and Jill!
Hi, Nancy. Thanks for sharing your experience near Asheville. Glad to hear of the progress on internet, laundry etc. Keep up the good work informing your fellow residents how to vote!! Stay safe!
Wake County is the second most populous county in NC. Yesterday I canvassed for my first time in Wake. There were 5 of us at our time slot and only one person had done it before. Karen and I partnered up. The majority of the people didn’t answer the door. Two were Rs. But the people who said they were voting Dem were so nice and the conversations terrific. My favorite wan 87 year old woman who said “oh, we need a woman in the White House “.
Wake is a big county. Get more help.
💙 this, Annette !! 🏃🏻♀️
Hi Robert. Can you add this to your daily engagements for your readers? All three of my adult children moved in the past year and three of my four nephews did as well. Three partners also moved. So nine voters in my extended family of 15 need to update their voter registration. We are a pure blue voting family and I just sent out the link of vote.gov on our family chat to assure no votes are carelessly left at old addresses.
I am in the middle of moving out of SF, north to a small town. I went on-line to USPS, changed my address there, and their site allowed me to up-date my voting registration. So that's another option.
Try this. https://voterizer.org/
Pass it on. Today is the last day to register in Florida.
If any of them live in Texas, TODAY is the last day to register: October 7th.
Andrea Mitchell, then explain this: 88 Top Executives, Including Ripple’s Chris Larsen, Endorse Kamala Harris for President. https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2024/09/88-top-executives-including-ripples-chris-larsen-endorse-kamala-harris-for-president/
Good point!!
Mitchell is far too connected to the ossified business/media world to be objective. She's been married to Alan Greenspan since 1997.
Tl Mills, ahh, context paints a picture, huh?
It sure does...always look at context.
And viewers of MSNBC have been calling for her removal for a LOOOONG time.
Robert writes: "It is a tragedy that amid an ongoing disaster recovery and presidential campaign one candidate would spread lies about the recovery to advance his political interests. That fact highlights the stark choice we face in November and the urgency of our task." This is so true. We know someone who we otherwise thought was a normal person who is spreading the FEMA lies. This has shaken us. He's here in CT and should know better. It shows how pernicious this Bannon/Russia disinformation machine is. We, collectively, need to figure out how to immunize ourselves from disinformation peddled by the megaphones provided by Musk, Mercer, and Putin. Repealing Citizens United would be a good place to start.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), with access to almost all government election data, will not say that Trump legally lost the election in 2020, so Speaker Mike is either an unscrupulous, biased lawmaker man or a deceitful lying lawmaker man who wants to feed false, misleading Trump propaganda declarations to the public to incite chaos the upcoming 2024 Election.
Let's unite and elect Honest, Trustworthy leaders into our government, rejecting the deceitful narratives of the Republican party.
VOTE HARRIS-WALZ, VOTE BLUE
Johnson was one of the first instigators for overturning the election in 2020. https://apnews.com/article/congress-house-speaker-2024-election-certification-8cd7c5a9e6ae69635bbb4624cc78e5c5 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/mike-johnson-2020-election-overturn.html https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/mike-johnson-now-most-powerful-election-denier-washington
Also, have you heard him using his powerful position as Speaker of the House and third in line for the presidency of the United States of America, to blast lying headlines about a "massive failure" in FEMA's response to Helene? I think it takes the definition of unscrupulous to new levels. (Although I suppose trying to overturn the U.S. government is up there...)
Missed that one. Did hear that Biden wants Congress to get its butt back in DC and get more money for FEMA, and Johnson refused. I really, really, really want Mar-a-Lago to get destroyed by the new hurricane. The US might actually find more of those missing files that he stole in the cleanup. But I'm not like Trump who can direct hurricanes with a sharpie.
Yes, Mar-a-Lago can be washed away for all we care. Then let him get in line for FEMA assistance :)
He'll be the first with his hand out demanding that he be taken care of before anyone else. A comment I saw a few days ago said that while we've seen donations from other rich folks like Dolly for hurricane victims, no one's seen a check from the self-styled billionaire.
so true on all counts.
Edson, my only objection is that Mike Johnson is BOTH an unscrupulous, biased lawmaker man AND a deceitful lying lawmaker man
Win over business men?! She means money gobbling, risky investment lovers, who are not one second of their lives serious about us, the people.
I agree with you and Robert re Andrea Mitchell. No one is excluding anybody’s vote. BUT, if Mitchell thinks Trump’s billionaire supporters and MAGA men are simply waiting for more financial details or press conferences, then she needs to RETIRE.
She needs to retire. Period.
By her husband, Ayn Rand acolyte who undermined our economy based on bullshit., ye shall know her. https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877351_1877350_1877331,00.html
Thank you for posting this info. My education continues.
I know. 😉 I commented similarly elsewhere.
I've thought for years that Andrea Mitchell should retire.
Like it or not, business men (and women) are part of we the people and they run the gamut from 'money grubbing' greedy to concerned and generous. This isn't a moment to exclude anybody's votes - we need them all.
You are right of course that there are many generous business men and women, however, I am sure that she was not mentioning that group and they don't need winning over. Maybe it is up to them to talk reason in the greedy, but I doubt it. Regulation is the only way, I think.
My brother is one of those selfish businessmen. He's got it great already with his lakeside home, his huge boat and Maserati, but he doesn't even care enough to fight for the future of his soon to be 16 year old daughter. I find it disgusting and I am baffled as to how we came from the same parents. We would be much better off without his vote, but alas, we must fight on to cancel it out.
Sorry Lynn, to read this. It is the picture of our divided world. You're so right in saying we must fight on.
My brother too. I mentioned this weekend how great the economy is doing, inflation down to 2.5%, stock market booming. Dead silence. As though he didn't "believe" me. As though any report of positive numbers is some kind of conspiracy or hoax. @!#*&!!
Infuriating! So sorry to hear you have this issue as well Christina. Earlier this year at a time when the stock market hit record highs we had to have a meeting to notarize some paperwork for my Mom. My brother is big into the stock market and when someone mentioned how well the stock market was doing at that time he said it's "doing so well it's scary!" OMG! If 45 was in office he would say it was "unsurpassed" and "trump did it", but because Joe was in office at that time, it was "scary". People like him are programmed and I don't think there is any possibility in saving them.
sometimes it's more than baffling how siblings come from the same parents. I'm in the same boat, except I'm more successful than he (Republican) and he's soooooo jealous.
Glad tidings from North Central Texas. My Latino neighbors across the street just installed a BIG Harris/Walz yard sign. It goes nicely with my smaller and earlier Collin Allred sign. Maybe the tide is turning on Cancun Cruz.
Oh, we hope so! Sent money to the Allred campaign. Ted can go back to Mexico and stay this time!!
The sight of Liz Cheney raising arms with Kamala Harris said it all. Ah, if women ruled the world. They say that the expression "Women and children first" when the ship is sinking is because women will be better at protecting the children to carry on. What woman has led her country into war, or tortured prisoners, or raped and pillaged. Let's hope this is the Year of the Woman! Their courage can save us!
Look up Keb’ Mo’ and his song ‘Put a Woman in Charge’. You will love it. I’m guessing Kamala avoids it so she’s not pigeon-holed as a woman candidate and I get that but it inspires and motivates me. Recently Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a clip of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” on his wonderful substack newsletter. It too motivates me which is much needed to stay active in the current political morass.
The official video for Keb' Mo's "Put a Woman in Charge" is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FciQeRGYFlw. An ad will probably start at first, but you can skip it in a few seconds. This song quickly became my theme song for this year! I play it often for inspiration.
Yes, I know the Keb Mo' song. I love it!!! Indeed, he's so right! Liz Cheney is such a great example of how women approach conflict, and Kamala Harris to welcoming her into her fold!
I think Harris is so wise not to focus on gender. It's obvious she's a woman; no need to keep yapping about it. People who vote along gender lines will just do it. My wish is that we ignore gender and pay attention only to what's important and who has capacity.
Well, there was Margaret Thatcher who led Britain into war with Argentina. Oh , and Hillary Clinton was anything but a “dove.” I wish all women leaders were enlightened but that’s far from the case.
Okay. A few squeak by. And then there's MTG, of course, posing with her assault rifles. :-)
… all of which means that people should be careful about sexist generalizations, even generalizations that are popular with people whose views are left-of-center politically.
I don't think it's a generalization to say that women leaders are not the warriors that men are. I'm happy to be proved wrong. Name me the female Hitlers, Stalins, Mussolinis.
You may be right, but in general, women have not had the same opportunities as men.
Two examples come to my mind: Catherine the Great, of Russia, oversaw extensive military actions that extended the geographic reach of her empire. And then there was Elizabeth I of Britain, who successfully and famously defended the Isles from Spain; no weakling, she.
Liz Cheney's speech was one for the ages. And Kamala Harris has done an amazing job with this year's Democratic campaign.
Please don't elevate women to impossible heights. I've seen women in managerial roles who were worse than the men. And the women SS guards in the concentration camps were every bit as murderous, as cruel, as their male counterparts. And the papers are filled with stories about children abused by their mothers. Women are just as human as the men, and capable of the same evil that men are.
Why does everything put on line have to turn into such preachiness. No body’s saying any body’s better than anyone else. Some things are just fun and can lift one’s spirits.
So?
I was responding to a comment that said if women were in charge, there would be no wars, no tortures, etc. And I've seen that type of comment before on a variety of sites. The point being - no, having a woman in office does not mean there won't be a war, that a woman wouldn't automatically not hurt a prisoner, etc. What matters is the woman or man's character, not their gender.
Both you and Heather write about the effect that all of these GOP lies are having on the response to the hurricane crisis. Heather also talks about how so many lies can simply wear people down until they just don’t pay attention anymore. My husband and I canvassed in New York 19 this weekend and ran into an 80 year old woman who fit that description perfectly. We talked to her gently and quietly, and by the end of our conversation, she was reassured, a bit energized and promising to vote for Riley. There is no question that talking one on one with people makes a difference.
Re: "The only thing the Times failed to do was use the word “lie” to describe Trump's statements. Instead, it described his statements as “fantastical” and “outlandish” and “without regard for the truth.”
That actually might be a good thing. The public's been so polarized by the word LIE, ("I'm not lying, YOU'RE lying!") that to utilize a replacement might effectively break the cycle.
Good point.
Robert and readers. Two Trump voters recently told me they will vote again for Trump because he is a businessman. No changing their minds AND HEARTS. There people are neither curious or courageous.
Do they not know that he's serially run businesses into the ground so that bankruptcy is their only path to re-organization? Do they not see the parallels between running highly leveraged real estate developments and what he did to our national budget in his 4 years? He may be a businessman, but any fair reading of his business history reveals a lousy businessman.
They know the informatio but cannot move to the next step of admitting to themselves that he is a liar and cheat. That's where courage will take them.
"Persuadable" voters who need government benefits slit their own throats (euphemistically) by voting Republican.
Your lesson plan: teach them via social media. Repeat "don't slit your own throat," "not suckers or losers," "Trump hates dogs" daily for the next 30 days as comments.
Thx to the show the apprentice. Meh.
You say, whaaat?
What attracts them to Trump is none of the things they say. What attracts them to "strongmen" like Trump (and dictators like him and Putin) is his willingness to say the terrible things they think and his willingness to come down hard on the powerless. He represents their hidden hatefulness, which they love - and his business suit and tie allows them to latch onto some "normal" aspect and claim it is what motivates them to support him.
Yep!
An earlier post here suggested a clinical explanation for these die-hard loyalists: as weak, repressed, fearful people, they automatically rally to the bully who is threatening them, in an atavistic belief that if they abase themselves to the bully, he will protect them. Only the bully never does.
It’s all in the “hate”. Too many haters out there.
⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️
They do not seem to be very knowledgeable about Trump's lamentable record in his own businesses, do they? Why would a competent business person even entertain the notion that Trump with his long list of business losses would be a suitable candidate or leader????
It's what they can lose. Stock markets are at an all time high. Trump investors are going broke.
BTW, most normal people will not vote for a traitor.
'cos they saw him on TV. So it must be true.
I guess all those failed businesses, his bankruptcies, his suits against people he refused to pay, his 34 fraud convictions are all part of being a businessman. Or do they just block all of those out?
Yeah...if only they knew: Trump isn't a businessman, he only played one on TV.
I was wondering when you’d get to my favorite nebula! Now that autumn is here, with winter at its heels, the constellation Orion will command the night sky. Thanks, Robert.
When I first saw Robert's photo of the Orion Nebula, I was reminded of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Use your imagination and you can almost see those two fingers touching. What an astonishing, uplifting image.
Oh, I had to stay up very late to get that photo! But it was worth it! It will another month at least before Orion is visible at a decent hour!
Please explain something to me as I am a great believer in the mystery and beauty of the universe beyond, but are these photos colorized to enhance the awe? If they are truly the colors in the image what makes them colored tthat way?. So often too I see them as colors of the womb and in this one I see a rather agrressive little gremlin-to-be acting out, lol!
Astrophotography technique is very different with faint objects. Long shutter times, or multiple photographs over time merged together bring out the details our eyes can't see, and which cameras with fast shutter speeds can't register. Computer processing, which Mr Hubbell uses on occasion (to remove Starlink satellite trails, for example) enables us to not only enhance the captured images, but also do science. The Webb telescope, as an extreme example, uses computer power to generate the amazing images we see.
Correct, Derek! I process the final stacked photo in Light Room for general adjustments to exposure and contrast. I then port over to Photoshop, remove the stars (StarXterminator), touch up the nebula's exposure, add back the stars and send back to Light Room. A very primitive process, but I don't have time to use programs like Siril etc.
For the astrophotography fans: Hubble Space Telescope - The Best Images From Over Two Decades In Orbit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kHSO6K2hNs
The Webb Telescope and the Hubbell Telescope capture images at wavelengths the human eye cannot detect. The colors in NASA’s images were generated by humans; without them, we would see nothing.
The replies below are very helpful. Many nebulae are colorful because they have ionized gases like oxygen (blue) and sulfur (yellow), which combine in different gradients to create a variety of colors. Orion is particularly colorful.
Still, there is a great deal of judgment involved in processing astro photos (and a lot of expensive equipment). I am a "low end" astro photographer, so my photos are generally less colorful and refined than those of professional astrophotographers. If you do a web search of Orion photos, you will see that astronomers interpret the gas clouds in many different colors. I don't have that ability or equipment.
So, the final photo I published looks very much like the photo I captured except that I decreased the exposure of the cental star cluster (it was too bright) and increased the exposure of the trailing gas clouds on the far right. Otherwise, the photo you see is what I captured.
Orion is the only constellation I can still see in my light-polluted sky. Thanks for this beautiful image, Robert.
Morning All and thank you , Robert! The thing that stands out is the collective mental deterioration so many Americans have right now. They make and allow Trump. It’s as if their brains have an invasive worm that clouds reason and assessment. The FEMA disinformation is among the worst. Musk has the worm. Many in the press have the worm., People who, like little children with a new toy, fly drones above disasters, thinking “they alone can fix it” have the worm. This is not a political issue. We seem to be locked at age 5 and unable to mature. It’s a deterioration in our very species. I’m sad and terrified about it.
But…there are also so many people who don’t have the worm and Robert is utterly correct. We must reach them in this country before Nov 5th and get them to vote. Reticent voters need some love and attention. It can be solved by showing up to them. And while I just LOVED the story of Mecklenberg and its awesome that folks are helping out, let’s get to every Dem or left-leaning NOP in every tiny, purple or red town in this country and help them to vote, too. And if you’re afraid to door knock, I urge you to just try it a few times…go to only Democrats. Door knocking busts through the social media problem because humans respond best to other live humans. Mostly, door knocking is sweet and makes us feel good. Most people are nice and grateful. And the few who aren’t, build the self-love muscles in the canvasser. Mine are so much stronger for the handful of grumps I have met at doors. Now I remember mostly the gratitude…and the higher voter turnout. Please, please try it if you have not done so before. Better turnout also exists in every tiny backyard in America.
As an extreme introvert, I can’t even fathom people being welcoming to door knockers showing up unannounced, much less having effective conversations that change anyone’s mind. I believe you, it’s just far outside of my personal constitution.
That's why I have been writing postcards. It's something I can do in my home and a bonus is that I am using decades worth of vacation photos to get them out of my house 🏠. Win win 🙂
Ditto. I don't answer the phone either.
Robert, thanks for posting the FEMA links for battling disinformation. As Milton approaches Florida with massive evacuations, we’ll be battling another storm of disinfo.Here is what’s happening:
DeSantis “is abandoning Operation Blue Ridge, leaving the recovery mission in what he calls “Florida North” to the locals.”
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/699922-desantis-blue-ridge-over/
“DeSantis orders no suspensions, no limits on gun sales during storm.”
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/06/florida-desantis-hurricane-milton-guns/?share=6sdpialcsnido0ariewd
Trying to do more and worry less ! 🌀 Pennsylvania needs help with ballot curing.Voters welcome these calls to fix an error with their ballot. Opportunities available tonight +.
https://www.mobilize.us/2024yesshecancampaign/event/676131/
Master Shantideva, a Buddhist master, says: "If you can do something about it, do it, and don't worry. If you can't do anything about it, don't worry."
The image of the Orion Nebula took my breath away! Thank you, Robert, for the beautiful image and all your hard work every day. This Durham, NCian is so grateful to you and Jess Craven for getting our sister county Meck to finally deliver.
Dear Hubbell Community Friends. I am a regular reader of the Today’s Edition and the comments but I don’t post very much. I live in a retirement community in Asheville and we are fine with most utilities and internet restored. I am humbled by Robert’s and your comments and support for our area. We were without communication for 5 days and I am just now beginning to see some of the devastation (creating some survivor’s guilt, I admit). Now that our retirement community has resolved most of the problems internally, the administration is now helping other retirement communities with laundry and picking up trash and has continually provided unbelievable help to our employees who have been affected by the hurricane (even bringing in a gas tanker truck so employees can have gas to go back and forth home and here).
We used to live in Boone and all the affected areas in Watauga and Buncombe Counties (both strong blue areas) have been part of my life forever. I am active in our community helping to provide residents with information regarding registration and absentee ballots. I am thrilled and proud of the Mecklenburg Dems for the extraordinary effort for GOTV there. Our party chair is in touch with Drew Kromer and is gathering a group of volunteers to go to Mecklenburg to help. I was glad to read that Robert and Jill are going to be there too! I am uplifted and energized by the tremendous outpouring of support for the Harris-Walz campaign here and around the country. I am feeling positive for the outcome of the election. Thanks to you all and especially to Robert and Jill!
Hi, Nancy. Thanks for sharing your experience near Asheville. Glad to hear of the progress on internet, laundry etc. Keep up the good work informing your fellow residents how to vote!! Stay safe!