My dear friend Dahlia Lithwick, who writes so precisely about the Supreme Court, justice, democracy, and other issues that matter, said to me this morning that we’re all running on a sugar high right now.
He discusses strategies for dealing with it. Today Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat of the Substack Lucid, held a Zoom meeting which she does weekly for paying subscribers, and she talked about what was going on. I think she is saying that the going high on the message is important. At the same time, I recall her saying it is important to counter the lies. So, being specific might be good, but the above article says that his people don't care if he lies because they don't vote for him to be truthful. So, Freedom reminds me of how Obama had the Yes We Can, and Change Vote. Her message is Freedom, so we need to tie everything to that as a theme. Democracy might be too unclear to many people. Freedom is not. Don't we all want Freedom?
Lakoff is so good and has been for so long, should be required reading for anyone with half a thoiught of entering the media. Bet Peter Baker of the Whore of Babalyon has no idea who or what he is!
Peter Baker isn't paid to be knowledgeable, he is paid to be arch and, at the same time, condescending to those women who dare to blast through the glass ceiling. He will give VP Harris all the respect he gave Sec Clinton, which is to say as little as he possibly could. He will dismiss them and be thin in his comments when he isn't nit picking about what they are doing. After all, he works for the New York Times. And he is one of several reasons why I no longer subscribe.
I also no longer subscribe to the NYT because they sicken me in their incompetence and stupidity. Any good journalism left there is not worth the over all impressions they leave. Also, as a very capable teacher, it is ingrained in me not to reward bad behavior when I don't have to. NYT publisher Sulzberger is the worst behaved of all. I would love to banish him to Russia where he can further his worship of Trump under the direct tutelage of Putin.
THANK YOU LINDA FOR THE LINK to the FrameLab article by George Lakoff. I just finished it. It was a little dense in places (at least for me) but absolutely excellent.
But Trump's supporters do not believe that the left wing supports freedom. They believe that the left wing wants to force liberal attitudes down the throat of the whole country, which they see in such things as Drag Queen story hour and forcing people to bake cakes for LGBQT weddings. They see the left wing as forcing their views upon everyone rather than offering freedom.
In my view, both sides are trying to shove their preferred cultural values down each others throats.
My take on "Drag Queen Mania" is a bit different. To be successful as a fascist, you need to find small sections of society and persuade the rest of society to hate that small section. It doesn't really matter whether they are drag queens or stamp collectors. Just so long as they are clearly identifiable. Unfortunately for many of us, philatelists carry out their nasty work in secret (all that paper licking). Meanwhile drag queens, well, not so secret. And here we are.
Most libraries have a very open format, so that it's almost certain that people who do not wish to see Drag Queen Story hour in a library will in fact see one.
I'd be OK if the Drag Queen changed inside the story room, read the story in a place where no one except those who volunteer will see him, and changed into non Drag Queen clothing leaving the story room.
It's pretty clear that the whole point of Drag Queen's story hour is to make sure that everyone has a chance to see a Drag Queen without choosing to go to a club.
It’s also perfectly OK if any private organization, such as a restaurant or a church, wants to hold a Drag Queen story hour. If you don’t want religion publicly supported in a public library, then don’t ask for drag queen story hour to be publicly supported in a public library. These are private choices.
Also, it is OK for a locality to democratically permits drag queen story hour in the public library, if it is also OK for a locality to democratically forbid it.
You will find that I am a very thorough going Federalist. I believe it is a essential part of the genius of the United States to permit local control over many, many issues.
Well, that shows whose feelings have no importance to you. Will the next group that needs admission to the library the folks who don't like wearing clothes?
Kathleen, OMG, your bigotry is showing. What in Heaven's name do you have against drag queens? Have you ever been to a drag show of any kind? If you have, you would know it is pure entertainment and is just plain fun. Why are you repeating the hate talk of people who probably don't care much for you since you are a woman, and Republicans aren't too fond of women, particularly women of child-bearing age, women with no children, women who are trans, women who are professionals (they might take a man's job), women who are independent are not stuck at home taking care of their kiddies and hubby is just like one of the kids, and women who are old or too young or OK, women who are not submissive never complaining fools. Is that who you are. I doubt it, so why are you pushing the agenda of people who want you to be that? How sad!
You just told me what pleasure drag shows give you. I think we can objectively demonstrate that very many millions of people don't feel that way.
Are you OK with either Jesus Christ or Catholic story hours in public libraries with people dressed up in costumes who are definitely not trying to influence any young people to become comfortable with their perspective?
Why is drag queen story hour 100% positive and right wing story hour or Baptist story hour or scientific racist story hour not okay?
Just asking, but when did a Federalist as you say you are move from a strong central government to preferring local control? Isn’t that anti federalist thinking?
The meaning of Federalist has definitely changed between 1800 and 2024. Believe it or not, in 1800 Thomas Jefferson described himself as a Republican. The term Democratic Party did not come into vogue until Andrew Jackson's time (1820s).
Then in 1854, a group of Whigs revived the term Republican Party to describe their new anti-slavery, big-government party. One of the big differences between the Republicans of 1854 and the Democrats of 1854 is that Republicans were willing to spend federal money on infrastructure, and the Democrats were not.
In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was a member of the **Democratic-Republican Party**, not the Democratic Party as we know it today¹²³. The Democratic-Republican Party, which was led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored maintaining power in the states, sought to limit the power of the federal government, and generally supported agrarian over commercial interests⁵. Jefferson defeated John Adams in the 1800 presidential election, becoming the first Democratic-Republican president³. The Democratic-Republican Party is different from the modern Democratic Party, which was established later in the 1820s³.
Kathleen, there it is. I was pretty sure the both-sidesism would come up here since it keeps coming up whenever the right-wing movement is called out on its bad behavior (yes, and it is usually stated something like "both sides are trying to shove their preferred social values down each other's throats"). I hope you really know that is nonsense. No one is forcing anyone to go to Drag queen or drag king story hours or to bake cakes for LGBTQ couples. However, the right-wing IS trying to keep a lot of us from voting, to let a president have the powers of a dictator to do whatever he wants to anyone he does not like. No left-wing person wants to undermine our public schools in favor of rich private corporations who want to control what our children learn. No left-wing people want posters of the ten commandments posted on classroom walls which is against our Constitution (OK, left-wing kids might enjoy checking off all the commandments Trump, their state's governor, and representatives have already broken and speculate which they will break in the future(. No left-wing person wants to impeach everyone they don't like because they just don't agree with them as they are trying to do to Kamala Harris. No Left-wing people lie incessantly and enjoy the media ignoring that in favor of denigrating a president, Biden, who has improved lives for most Americans. No left-wing politician is trying to wreck social security or Medicare or to deny struggling people Medicaid. I think you get the idea. Both sidesism is just ridiculous no matter what right-wing people believe. Those folks alas, already believe a lot of things that aren't true, and Kathleen, I know you are aware of that.
You'll have to give me specifics. When you're forcing a baker to make a cake with a message he doesn't agree with, that doesn't sound First Amendment to me.
Kathleen, that is not "forced." If a baker can't write a message on a cake he doesn't like, they shouldn't be inbusiness because all he is doing otherwise is just pushing his own beliefs. That's OK but not when you are a service business. That baker was just a whiner who wanted to make trouble and to let other people think he or she was just so holy; well, they are not, they are hateful trouble-makers and I would never do business with someone like that. There are other people who are just better people to associate with who actually live their faith, not their hate.
I thought you were a Federalist. Colorado has a public accommodation law that prohibits businesses that serve the public from denying goods and services to customers based on their religion, race, sex, disability, or other protected characteristics. The Supreme Court in Employment Division v. Smith (1990) was explicit that free exercise of religion does not provide a basis for an exemption from a general law of a state, here an anti-discrimination law. To express the view that someone should not be able to inflict injury on others, here by discrimination, is not animus against religion, the crux of the misguided SCOTUS ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop.
Well, it is my opinion that Colorado has a law limiting free speech and the free exercise of religion. Colorado has the perfect right to pass such a law, and the citizens of Colorado have a perfect right to challenge it in federal courts as restricting their First Amendment rights.
When I had a picture framing store and gallery, a priest came in one day and wanted me to frame a photo of a young man on the beach in a bikini bathing suit. The guy was not a child. Had he been a child, I might have refused to frame it. I gladly framed this photo and was duly paid. I can imagine many subjects that I would not oblige. But a priest wanting his boy toy on the wall was not one of them. And btw, I have absolutely no respect for anyone religious. I was brought up in a Catholic grade school. Ya I know, dig my name.
Trump's supporters do not know left wing from right wing, and they don't know socialism from capitalism. Those that do know are deliberately misusing language, which they have been for a long time, calling the center which the Democratic party is, the Left. Even the left of the party is left of center, not left. I know people in both the US and Germany who are The Left. They differ greatly from the Democratic party and what it stands for. However, that should have been clarified from the git-go. The longer one lets these mislabels and untruths go, the deeper entrenched they become in the public psychi. Republicans are terrible on economics. The stock market doing well is not indicative of healthy economics, it is the people doing well that do. Biden has been the absolute here on this. It has made him so dangerous to the wealthy class that they manipulated everyone into turning on Biden, and I mean long before the debate. Biden's rating should have been sky high for his work on the economy alone, but instead they have been weak. It has made me think that the thinking of the average polled American is weak. The Bots got to them before the debate did. Republicans are tough on crime, except their own and corporate crime. They also cause crime to go up with their social policies. This should be attacked. Republicans both use and exploit immigrants and at the same time disparage them. I would love to find out which things in Texas Governor Abbott's life were made or done by immigrants. I would love to see the crappy press report on that.
Thanks for the illogical mansplaining. I will sign off now because you have put me in my place and I shall deactivate my Substack account and remove all social media accounts. I am not worthy. I am not worthy. I am not worthy.
Remember, freedom can be measured by the choices that you have. The more choices available to you, the more freedom you have. When the government takes away choices it takes away freedom.
Linda, I would urge we not lose sight of the fact that MAGA, too, in large part, is centering its messaging on freedom, liberation, from its perspective, from a regulatory state, they say in most pejorative terms, is regulating our lives. My point is that definition, specifically centered on behaviors, is critical for differentiating the messaging espoused by each party.
Just how long do we have to wait until th press pulls its collective head out of its a** and starts telling the truth about just how sick he is? Or has he threatened all media too?
John, it certainly is true that our media don't seem to want to challenge Baby Donnie on anything and are trying as they did in 2016 to get their Toddler-Trump elected to an office he clearly does not deserve to have (he certainly proved that 4 years ago and more). I keep hearing it's money that is keeping the media criticizing Biden and Harris while letting ?Trump lie with impunity, nearly incessantly for more than 9 years now. It really is irresponsible of our various media, and they need to clean up their act! So, where is the media money coming from and why are we not constantly calling them out on it?
OT: Delicious...Daily Beast had this great closeup photo taken today of the Orange Felon's - *cough-cough* - "gunshot wound" on the tip of his ear...virtually little obvious other than what looked to be a v. small scab, nothing at all that looked like a chunk taken off by a high-velocity, spinning .227 bullet.
More tRump BS...I mean, he shows up at the RNC with this yuuuge Maxi-pad affixed to his ear,
then the day after he's sporting a teensy Bandaid on the tip...now even that "battle-field dressing" has gone away.
Trump’s followers like him because he is cruel and hates the same people and things they hate. They want to be like him and do what he does. IOW, they want the freedom to lash out at others and tell everyone else what to do and how to live — even if what they want to do harms all of us, even them. They care about no one but themselves, but have a mindset that rationalizes filling in a community swimming pool (so no one swims) rather than let people they view as undesirable use it — a decades old, but true story.
What gets me is that their leader, Trump, hates them too. For example, if he could, he would take away the ACA and they’re fine with it, even though in the end it hurts them. He lowered taxes, but only for the uber-rich. He grossly mismanaged the covid pandemic which led to a higher rate of deaths in red states, because his followers listened to his nonsense BS about taking horse dewormer and not following CDC guidelines and they died, thousands, needlessly. Somehow being able to spew hate and spread violence endears him to them.
Among many other things, HRC had this one right: his followers are despicable.
If the polls are any indication, there are fewer despicables than there were and Kamala Harris has energized the fence sitters to register and show up to vote. People are waking up, catching on.
I never understood the “double haters” who liked neither Trump nor Biden. For me it was always about protecting democracy and the rights of individuals — clearly, of those running only Joe Biden would do this.
No one was ever asking us to date Biden or have him over for dinner or a beer, just let him continue doing the job he has been doing well: run the country. I trust his judgment. Now Joe has endorsed Kamala. So be it.
If we can’t have Joe Biden in charge, then I’m all in for Kamala Harris. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised and downright thrilled how seamlessly the transition to Kamala has been.
Republicans don’t deserve to hold public office as long as they’re fine with denying women reproductive rights — and they’re all in on banning abortion, prohibiting IVF and denying access to contraceptives.
When women have no bodily autonomy, we do not live in a democracy. Donald Trump did this and he brags about it. Trump Project 2025 holds even more horrors in store for all of us, not just women.
Janet, they had run out of the hats when I was at the march in Philadelphia, so I took a scarf which I have had hanging on the back of my couch for all who visit me to see ever since. I can wrap it around my head and have a sign that says "Cat Woman" even though I am severely allergic to cats. My sister loved her cats as though they were her kids and they made her happy. Go Cat women!!
Ruth, I love your ingenuity! I was fortunate, one of my friends knitted hats for me and two other friends. She couldn’t make the Los Angeles March & this was her way of contributing.
Well if I must say, my recount of that wonderful day from the bus ride from CT to Washington and back is recounted in my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”
On the way back our bus stopped at a rest stop for those needing to goto the bathroom. I was in a long line of women at the men’s room. A woman up front saw me and shouted, “Oh you don’t have to wait the urinals are available.” I loved it. Even took photos and did an impromptu video interview. Then I got real bad and began shooting inside the me s room until a guy yelled at me. At that point, I returned to my bus curled up and went to sleep. That ended my day.
Hey, you were one of my 750,000 fellow marchers in DTLA! I Remember on the news that night, they said there was not even ONE arrest at the march. That was such a powerful day.
Abigail, it would be great if women all over the country who have or can make "cat/pussy" hats would take pictures of themselves and their friends wearing them and post them all over the internet, every social media platform!
As a childless male who has shared my life with cats, I have ordered a boldly colored and designed Cat shirt to wear everywhere this fall. No offense, but I have a female cat in this fight. I don’t think this is a sugar high, Joyce. I think it is just finally catching out breath for the first time in months from the miasma of fake news, press irresponsibility, fake Congress people and outrage mongers. Celebrate with unabashed joy, I say, and let's continue the fight!
And, language freak that I am, I'm embarrassed to admit that it only just now hit me where the expression "cooped up" came from. Lucky chickens to have such a loving home.
I DID NOT NOTICE the picnic table! Maybe fat old people like me should pay to spend a week as one of Joyce's chickens. I would love to speak chicken to her— buck! buck! buck!
Excellent plan, Joyce. I have heard they want to “Willie Horton” Kamala too. I expect she will overcome all. She’s an excellent prosecutor.
I too am watching the Olympics and doing a little shopping too! The opening ceremonies were the best ever. I actually watched the whole thing and had no bored feelings!
All Civil Discoursers, please take a break. This intensity can be overwhelming
It will be hard to "Willie Horton" her in this day and age. The speed with which information can be checked and disseminated makes it all that much harder. Also, Bush was not a convicted felon or an adjudicated rapist. "Willie" only works if the side pushing it is as pure as the newly fallen snow. Magas look like road slush and sewer run off.
Olympics opening was fabulous. Celine Dion......good thing I wasn't wearing mascara.
“ Magas look like road slush and sewer run off.” one of the best lines ever! Everything was masterful. I had forgotten how beautiful Paris was. Last time I was there was in 1995.
Err... I think we have the opposite problem. False information travels much faster while fact checkers are getting shut down. Actually I'm surprised the Willie Horton ad's aren't out already.
Anyway, on a related note, when can one of us put together a book of JD Vance's favorite Vegetarian Curries? Put on the cover a photo of JD in full Hindu wedding regalia. That should piss off the Magats..... :-)
Joyce, those are the most robust chickens I've ever seen. The only chicken lady who might outsource you is an elderly friend I once had who, each dusk, and with her flashlight, hunted for bugs and caterpillars for her girls.
By the way, since I am unable to handwrite postcards or canvas door-to-door, I purchased a wonderful T-shirt on Etsy last night. It simply says " 'la" in big letters. I will wear the good word instead.
Like so many mothers you aren’t appreciated. It’s your job. Right? But at least you have children and chickens that you can enjoy in whatever way you can. I love what you are doing.
Joyce, indeed it has been like a sugar high. It is so encouraging to see the voter registration numbers soaring. Enjoy some time outdoors with your sweet chickens. I hope it’s not too hot there. Love the color of your yarn. Time is marching forward fast and furious to me.
I'm not sure. There are about four sweaters I want to cast on, but I thought doing a hat might fit my attention span better right now and be easier to pack on travels. I'm going to sit down with my patterns tonight and decide. The night off sounds delicious!
I am stuck on my next project, but, never fear, there are always socks to make! I'm trying to figure out a sweater, too. I hope you enjoyed your night off!
For all those "swiftboaters" out there,
Tweet from "BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️
@mmpadellan
Donald trump says a lot of things that he later backs away from, and nobody holds him accountable for.
For instance, he said he would build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Never happened.
He said he'd have a replacement for Obamacare “in two weeks.” Never happened.
He said if he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, he'd leave America. Never happened.
And when challenged to debates earlier this year, he said “Any time, any place.” But now he's scrambling for reasons to AVOID debating Kamala Harris.
Time after time, trump just says whatever is on his diseased, demented mind, and the press fails to question it, or hold him to account.
Then his followers all clamor to explain “what he really meant to say is…” while deflecting by spinning a bunch of whataboutisms.
For a person whose followers like him because he “says what he means,” it's clear that what he says is meaningless.
For now, until the press steps up, we're going to keep calling out his cowardly bullshit to make sure everyone knows #ChickenTrump is a COWARD."
Someone shared this article with me by a linguist sharing what is going on with Trump and speech. https://www.theframelab.org/understanding-trump-again/
He discusses strategies for dealing with it. Today Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat of the Substack Lucid, held a Zoom meeting which she does weekly for paying subscribers, and she talked about what was going on. I think she is saying that the going high on the message is important. At the same time, I recall her saying it is important to counter the lies. So, being specific might be good, but the above article says that his people don't care if he lies because they don't vote for him to be truthful. So, Freedom reminds me of how Obama had the Yes We Can, and Change Vote. Her message is Freedom, so we need to tie everything to that as a theme. Democracy might be too unclear to many people. Freedom is not. Don't we all want Freedom?
Lakoff is so good and has been for so long, should be required reading for anyone with half a thoiught of entering the media. Bet Peter Baker of the Whore of Babalyon has no idea who or what he is!
Peter Baker isn't paid to be knowledgeable, he is paid to be arch and, at the same time, condescending to those women who dare to blast through the glass ceiling. He will give VP Harris all the respect he gave Sec Clinton, which is to say as little as he possibly could. He will dismiss them and be thin in his comments when he isn't nit picking about what they are doing. After all, he works for the New York Times. And he is one of several reasons why I no longer subscribe.
NYT ='s Whore of Babylon, Peter B ='s Its manservant. Neither do I and several family members have also, looked away!
MULTIPLE numbers of us have left the NYT.
He's a little worm.
I also no longer subscribe to the NYT because they sicken me in their incompetence and stupidity. Any good journalism left there is not worth the over all impressions they leave. Also, as a very capable teacher, it is ingrained in me not to reward bad behavior when I don't have to. NYT publisher Sulzberger is the worst behaved of all. I would love to banish him to Russia where he can further his worship of Trump under the direct tutelage of Putin.
Amen
THANK YOU LINDA FOR THE LINK to the FrameLab article by George Lakoff. I just finished it. It was a little dense in places (at least for me) but absolutely excellent.
But Trump's supporters do not believe that the left wing supports freedom. They believe that the left wing wants to force liberal attitudes down the throat of the whole country, which they see in such things as Drag Queen story hour and forcing people to bake cakes for LGBQT weddings. They see the left wing as forcing their views upon everyone rather than offering freedom.
In my view, both sides are trying to shove their preferred cultural values down each others throats.
The liberal attitude is, acceptance, choice and freedom.
The conservative attitude is, you're not like us, we hate you.
Drag Queen's reading to children is optional, if you don't wish to attend, it's your right.
It is NOT their right to say, "we don't like it, so you can't do it"
Using this example is funny, since it's clergy, who are raping and molesting children.
The Catholics, Southern Baptists and the Mormons, and probably more.
A company selling a product/service, and then saying "we don't serve your kind" is pure bigotry.
I'm positive a MAGA would scream if a company had a "we don't sell to Christians" policy.
OK and MAGA is forcing Christianity on all public students.
My take on "Drag Queen Mania" is a bit different. To be successful as a fascist, you need to find small sections of society and persuade the rest of society to hate that small section. It doesn't really matter whether they are drag queens or stamp collectors. Just so long as they are clearly identifiable. Unfortunately for many of us, philatelists carry out their nasty work in secret (all that paper licking). Meanwhile drag queens, well, not so secret. And here we are.
Well reasoned reply. Thanks!
Most libraries have a very open format, so that it's almost certain that people who do not wish to see Drag Queen Story hour in a library will in fact see one.
I'd be OK if the Drag Queen changed inside the story room, read the story in a place where no one except those who volunteer will see him, and changed into non Drag Queen clothing leaving the story room.
It's pretty clear that the whole point of Drag Queen's story hour is to make sure that everyone has a chance to see a Drag Queen without choosing to go to a club.
It’s also perfectly OK if any private organization, such as a restaurant or a church, wants to hold a Drag Queen story hour. If you don’t want religion publicly supported in a public library, then don’t ask for drag queen story hour to be publicly supported in a public library. These are private choices.
Also, it is OK for a locality to democratically permits drag queen story hour in the public library, if it is also OK for a locality to democratically forbid it.
You will find that I am a very thorough going Federalist. I believe it is a essential part of the genius of the United States to permit local control over many, many issues.
I'm forced to pay taxes, and churches are tax-exempt, while using public services I pay for.
Public libraries serve EVERYONE, including Drag Queens. People are FREE to leave the library if they don't want to "subjected" to Drag Queens.
IT IS NOT OK to forbid Drag Queen's from reading to children at PUBLIC libraries.
Well, that shows whose feelings have no importance to you. Will the next group that needs admission to the library the folks who don't like wearing clothes?
Kathleen, OMG, your bigotry is showing. What in Heaven's name do you have against drag queens? Have you ever been to a drag show of any kind? If you have, you would know it is pure entertainment and is just plain fun. Why are you repeating the hate talk of people who probably don't care much for you since you are a woman, and Republicans aren't too fond of women, particularly women of child-bearing age, women with no children, women who are trans, women who are professionals (they might take a man's job), women who are independent are not stuck at home taking care of their kiddies and hubby is just like one of the kids, and women who are old or too young or OK, women who are not submissive never complaining fools. Is that who you are. I doubt it, so why are you pushing the agenda of people who want you to be that? How sad!
You just told me what pleasure drag shows give you. I think we can objectively demonstrate that very many millions of people don't feel that way.
Are you OK with either Jesus Christ or Catholic story hours in public libraries with people dressed up in costumes who are definitely not trying to influence any young people to become comfortable with their perspective?
Why is drag queen story hour 100% positive and right wing story hour or Baptist story hour or scientific racist story hour not okay?
Just asking, but when did a Federalist as you say you are move from a strong central government to preferring local control? Isn’t that anti federalist thinking?
The meaning of Federalist has definitely changed between 1800 and 2024. Believe it or not, in 1800 Thomas Jefferson described himself as a Republican. The term Democratic Party did not come into vogue until Andrew Jackson's time (1820s).
Then in 1854, a group of Whigs revived the term Republican Party to describe their new anti-slavery, big-government party. One of the big differences between the Republicans of 1854 and the Democrats of 1854 is that Republicans were willing to spend federal money on infrastructure, and the Democrats were not.
In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was a member of the **Democratic-Republican Party**, not the Democratic Party as we know it today¹²³. The Democratic-Republican Party, which was led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored maintaining power in the states, sought to limit the power of the federal government, and generally supported agrarian over commercial interests⁵. Jefferson defeated John Adams in the 1800 presidential election, becoming the first Democratic-Republican president³. The Democratic-Republican Party is different from the modern Democratic Party, which was established later in the 1820s³.
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 7/26/2024
(1) United States presidential election of 1800 - Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1800.
(2) 1800 United States presidential election - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1800_United_States_presidential_election.
(3) Democratic-Republican Party - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party.
(4) U.S. Presidential Election of 1800 - Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/u-s-presidential-election-of-1800/.
(5) The election of 1800 (article) | Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-early-republic/politics-society-early-19th-c/a/election-of-1800.
Kathleen, there it is. I was pretty sure the both-sidesism would come up here since it keeps coming up whenever the right-wing movement is called out on its bad behavior (yes, and it is usually stated something like "both sides are trying to shove their preferred social values down each other's throats"). I hope you really know that is nonsense. No one is forcing anyone to go to Drag queen or drag king story hours or to bake cakes for LGBTQ couples. However, the right-wing IS trying to keep a lot of us from voting, to let a president have the powers of a dictator to do whatever he wants to anyone he does not like. No left-wing person wants to undermine our public schools in favor of rich private corporations who want to control what our children learn. No left-wing people want posters of the ten commandments posted on classroom walls which is against our Constitution (OK, left-wing kids might enjoy checking off all the commandments Trump, their state's governor, and representatives have already broken and speculate which they will break in the future(. No left-wing person wants to impeach everyone they don't like because they just don't agree with them as they are trying to do to Kamala Harris. No Left-wing people lie incessantly and enjoy the media ignoring that in favor of denigrating a president, Biden, who has improved lives for most Americans. No left-wing politician is trying to wreck social security or Medicare or to deny struggling people Medicaid. I think you get the idea. Both sidesism is just ridiculous no matter what right-wing people believe. Those folks alas, already believe a lot of things that aren't true, and Kathleen, I know you are aware of that.
Sort of like liberals are trying to "force" freedom of speech down people's throats?
You'll have to give me specifics. When you're forcing a baker to make a cake with a message he doesn't agree with, that doesn't sound First Amendment to me.
Kathleen, that is not "forced." If a baker can't write a message on a cake he doesn't like, they shouldn't be inbusiness because all he is doing otherwise is just pushing his own beliefs. That's OK but not when you are a service business. That baker was just a whiner who wanted to make trouble and to let other people think he or she was just so holy; well, they are not, they are hateful trouble-makers and I would never do business with someone like that. There are other people who are just better people to associate with who actually live their faith, not their hate.
I thought you were a Federalist. Colorado has a public accommodation law that prohibits businesses that serve the public from denying goods and services to customers based on their religion, race, sex, disability, or other protected characteristics. The Supreme Court in Employment Division v. Smith (1990) was explicit that free exercise of religion does not provide a basis for an exemption from a general law of a state, here an anti-discrimination law. To express the view that someone should not be able to inflict injury on others, here by discrimination, is not animus against religion, the crux of the misguided SCOTUS ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop.
Well, it is my opinion that Colorado has a law limiting free speech and the free exercise of religion. Colorado has the perfect right to pass such a law, and the citizens of Colorado have a perfect right to challenge it in federal courts as restricting their First Amendment rights.
When I had a picture framing store and gallery, a priest came in one day and wanted me to frame a photo of a young man on the beach in a bikini bathing suit. The guy was not a child. Had he been a child, I might have refused to frame it. I gladly framed this photo and was duly paid. I can imagine many subjects that I would not oblige. But a priest wanting his boy toy on the wall was not one of them. And btw, I have absolutely no respect for anyone religious. I was brought up in a Catholic grade school. Ya I know, dig my name.
Trump's supporters do not know left wing from right wing, and they don't know socialism from capitalism. Those that do know are deliberately misusing language, which they have been for a long time, calling the center which the Democratic party is, the Left. Even the left of the party is left of center, not left. I know people in both the US and Germany who are The Left. They differ greatly from the Democratic party and what it stands for. However, that should have been clarified from the git-go. The longer one lets these mislabels and untruths go, the deeper entrenched they become in the public psychi. Republicans are terrible on economics. The stock market doing well is not indicative of healthy economics, it is the people doing well that do. Biden has been the absolute here on this. It has made him so dangerous to the wealthy class that they manipulated everyone into turning on Biden, and I mean long before the debate. Biden's rating should have been sky high for his work on the economy alone, but instead they have been weak. It has made me think that the thinking of the average polled American is weak. The Bots got to them before the debate did. Republicans are tough on crime, except their own and corporate crime. They also cause crime to go up with their social policies. This should be attacked. Republicans both use and exploit immigrants and at the same time disparage them. I would love to find out which things in Texas Governor Abbott's life were made or done by immigrants. I would love to see the crappy press report on that.
OK, another broad-brush stereotype of Trump supporters that will make them feel unheard. Business as usual.
Thanks for the illogical mansplaining. I will sign off now because you have put me in my place and I shall deactivate my Substack account and remove all social media accounts. I am not worthy. I am not worthy. I am not worthy.
If that's what makes you square with the universe . . .
So what to DO????
Remember, freedom can be measured by the choices that you have. The more choices available to you, the more freedom you have. When the government takes away choices it takes away freedom.
Linda, I would urge we not lose sight of the fact that MAGA, too, in large part, is centering its messaging on freedom, liberation, from its perspective, from a regulatory state, they say in most pejorative terms, is regulating our lives. My point is that definition, specifically centered on behaviors, is critical for differentiating the messaging espoused by each party.
Thank you for the link. Haven't read George Lakeoff, but his analysis of society is spot on.
Just how long do we have to wait until th press pulls its collective head out of its a** and starts telling the truth about just how sick he is? Or has he threatened all media too?
John, it certainly is true that our media don't seem to want to challenge Baby Donnie on anything and are trying as they did in 2016 to get their Toddler-Trump elected to an office he clearly does not deserve to have (he certainly proved that 4 years ago and more). I keep hearing it's money that is keeping the media criticizing Biden and Harris while letting ?Trump lie with impunity, nearly incessantly for more than 9 years now. It really is irresponsible of our various media, and they need to clean up their act! So, where is the media money coming from and why are we not constantly calling them out on it?
OT: Delicious...Daily Beast had this great closeup photo taken today of the Orange Felon's - *cough-cough* - "gunshot wound" on the tip of his ear...virtually little obvious other than what looked to be a v. small scab, nothing at all that looked like a chunk taken off by a high-velocity, spinning .227 bullet.
More tRump BS...I mean, he shows up at the RNC with this yuuuge Maxi-pad affixed to his ear,
then the day after he's sporting a teensy Bandaid on the tip...now even that "battle-field dressing" has gone away.
A Purple Heart for our injured Leader!!
Please don't demean the chickens - for birds they're smarter than trump LOL
Well said. So much for the "he tells it like it is" crowd!
Trump’s followers like him because he is cruel and hates the same people and things they hate. They want to be like him and do what he does. IOW, they want the freedom to lash out at others and tell everyone else what to do and how to live — even if what they want to do harms all of us, even them. They care about no one but themselves, but have a mindset that rationalizes filling in a community swimming pool (so no one swims) rather than let people they view as undesirable use it — a decades old, but true story.
What gets me is that their leader, Trump, hates them too. For example, if he could, he would take away the ACA and they’re fine with it, even though in the end it hurts them. He lowered taxes, but only for the uber-rich. He grossly mismanaged the covid pandemic which led to a higher rate of deaths in red states, because his followers listened to his nonsense BS about taking horse dewormer and not following CDC guidelines and they died, thousands, needlessly. Somehow being able to spew hate and spread violence endears him to them.
Among many other things, HRC had this one right: his followers are despicable.
If the polls are any indication, there are fewer despicables than there were and Kamala Harris has energized the fence sitters to register and show up to vote. People are waking up, catching on.
I never understood the “double haters” who liked neither Trump nor Biden. For me it was always about protecting democracy and the rights of individuals — clearly, of those running only Joe Biden would do this.
No one was ever asking us to date Biden or have him over for dinner or a beer, just let him continue doing the job he has been doing well: run the country. I trust his judgment. Now Joe has endorsed Kamala. So be it.
If we can’t have Joe Biden in charge, then I’m all in for Kamala Harris. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised and downright thrilled how seamlessly the transition to Kamala has been.
Republicans don’t deserve to hold public office as long as they’re fine with denying women reproductive rights — and they’re all in on banning abortion, prohibiting IVF and denying access to contraceptives.
When women have no bodily autonomy, we do not live in a democracy. Donald Trump did this and he brags about it. Trump Project 2025 holds even more horrors in store for all of us, not just women.
Vote blue up and down the ballot.
Look up the definition of a hypocrite and Trump's name will be the first definition.
Remember pussy hats? Maybe we need to bring them back for Vanceʻs mysogynistic views.
I still have my hat! Time to get it out!
Me too, and I’m a guy.
Fantastic! 💖
Janet, they had run out of the hats when I was at the march in Philadelphia, so I took a scarf which I have had hanging on the back of my couch for all who visit me to see ever since. I can wrap it around my head and have a sign that says "Cat Woman" even though I am severely allergic to cats. My sister loved her cats as though they were her kids and they made her happy. Go Cat women!!
Ruth, I love your ingenuity! I was fortunate, one of my friends knitted hats for me and two other friends. She couldn’t make the Los Angeles March & this was her way of contributing.
Me too!
Me too!
I marched in the woman’s March in 2017. Yes, most were women. Oh shooks, I didn’t get a pussy hat. Darn it.
Marching was a great way to support us all! I do remember seeing lots of guys participating! 💖
Well if I must say, my recount of that wonderful day from the bus ride from CT to Washington and back is recounted in my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”
I will look for your book! I participated in CA, in DTLA! It was truly amazing! Our local light rail system was amazingly crowded!
On the way back our bus stopped at a rest stop for those needing to goto the bathroom. I was in a long line of women at the men’s room. A woman up front saw me and shouted, “Oh you don’t have to wait the urinals are available.” I loved it. Even took photos and did an impromptu video interview. Then I got real bad and began shooting inside the me s room until a guy yelled at me. At that point, I returned to my bus curled up and went to sleep. That ended my day.
Hey, you were one of my 750,000 fellow marchers in DTLA! I Remember on the news that night, they said there was not even ONE arrest at the march. That was such a powerful day.
Use mine as a tea cozy, but then I'm one of those childless cat ladies who, in the Maga world has no rights.
Time to recommission the hat.
I love that.
Wonderful idea!
Abigail, it would be great if women all over the country who have or can make "cat/pussy" hats would take pictures of themselves and their friends wearing them and post them all over the internet, every social media platform!
I have one hanging on my wall.
Where is the sex tape of Vance fc*king a couch?? How exactly did he "get off" on doing that???
#cushionpushinjdvance is trending (thanks to Colbert).
pussy grabbing...daughter lusting.....couch banging....underage rape.........what next for MAGA cult of deviants?
As a childless male who has shared my life with cats, I have ordered a boldly colored and designed Cat shirt to wear everywhere this fall. No offense, but I have a female cat in this fight. I don’t think this is a sugar high, Joyce. I think it is just finally catching out breath for the first time in months from the miasma of fake news, press irresponsibility, fake Congress people and outrage mongers. Celebrate with unabashed joy, I say, and let's continue the fight!
Well said Jim!
"miasma" = excellent choice of words.
Please share a photo of your new cat shirt!
https://www.facebook.com/61557974445045/posts/pfbid02HA6KvQDgHTsy3sRyiv9cs7Hop95y4QAi32uvoytB5yptHs8VTsYZEJqXzxSbCxjBl/?
Trump hates dogs. Vance hates cat women. Pet owners unite! https://danielsolomon.substack.com/p/pet-owners-unite
Animals hate trump.
God hates Trump
This is such a great time to be alive!
And, language freak that I am, I'm embarrassed to admit that it only just now hit me where the expression "cooped up" came from. Lucky chickens to have such a loving home.
OMG! The chickens’ picnic table - so hilarious!!!!😂
They are so cute, I can't stand it some mornings.
I DID NOT NOTICE the picnic table! Maybe fat old people like me should pay to spend a week as one of Joyce's chickens. I would love to speak chicken to her— buck! buck! buck!
Kamala broke Zoom this afternoon with the White Women call. Raised $100M. All of us are in. We know the assignment.
I was there at that event. It was absolutely AWESOME!
I was on that call. It kept disconnecting but was good. And uplifting
I think Zoom is hitting a wall with all this enthusiasm.
PERFECT colors. Knit up a storm! ( you BRAT, you)
"...my girls, who have been cooped up..." Literally!
Excellent plan, Joyce. I have heard they want to “Willie Horton” Kamala too. I expect she will overcome all. She’s an excellent prosecutor.
I too am watching the Olympics and doing a little shopping too! The opening ceremonies were the best ever. I actually watched the whole thing and had no bored feelings!
All Civil Discoursers, please take a break. This intensity can be overwhelming
It will be hard to "Willie Horton" her in this day and age. The speed with which information can be checked and disseminated makes it all that much harder. Also, Bush was not a convicted felon or an adjudicated rapist. "Willie" only works if the side pushing it is as pure as the newly fallen snow. Magas look like road slush and sewer run off.
Olympics opening was fabulous. Celine Dion......good thing I wasn't wearing mascara.
“ Magas look like road slush and sewer run off.” one of the best lines ever! Everything was masterful. I had forgotten how beautiful Paris was. Last time I was there was in 1995.
Err... I think we have the opposite problem. False information travels much faster while fact checkers are getting shut down. Actually I'm surprised the Willie Horton ad's aren't out already.
Anyway, on a related note, when can one of us put together a book of JD Vance's favorite Vegetarian Curries? Put on the cover a photo of JD in full Hindu wedding regalia. That should piss off the Magats..... :-)
Joyce, those are the most robust chickens I've ever seen. The only chicken lady who might outsource you is an elderly friend I once had who, each dusk, and with her flashlight, hunted for bugs and caterpillars for her girls.
By the way, since I am unable to handwrite postcards or canvas door-to-door, I purchased a wonderful T-shirt on Etsy last night. It simply says " 'la" in big letters. I will wear the good word instead.
I ordered one too! Can't wait to get it. Now that's one to wear to the grocery store! Will be fun to see who's bright enough to decode , la
Exactly!
Those are the luckiest chickens in the world. I would love to meet them someday.
They are super lucky, and like my kids, not particularly appreciative :)
It’s a chicken thing. Remember their antecedents 🦖🦖🦖.
Like so many mothers you aren’t appreciated. It’s your job. Right? But at least you have children and chickens that you can enjoy in whatever way you can. I love what you are doing.
😂😂
Deep down each of them appreciates you Joyce as do we!
LOL. Good one!
My wife wonders if "childless cat ladies" is a meowlogism...
Thx for the updated chick pics. Enjoy the weekend knitting and with your girls! You deserve it🙏🏼⚖️🇺🇸
Ditto!
Joyce, indeed it has been like a sugar high. It is so encouraging to see the voter registration numbers soaring. Enjoy some time outdoors with your sweet chickens. I hope it’s not too hot there. Love the color of your yarn. Time is marching forward fast and furious to me.
Whatcha knitting? I am looking for a new project....and Brat knitting sounds fun.
I'm not sure. There are about four sweaters I want to cast on, but I thought doing a hat might fit my attention span better right now and be easier to pack on travels. I'm going to sit down with my patterns tonight and decide. The night off sounds delicious!
Beautiful sweater colors for the chickens! Or scarves, at least?
I am stuck on my next project, but, never fear, there are always socks to make! I'm trying to figure out a sweater, too. I hope you enjoyed your night off!
Love you & the girls (and Dahlia). I guess we've got all the best people (and pets)
Indeed. I don't think Trump has one pet. I bet he is too afraid of the competition. Even a Rottweiler would look sweeter.
He’s a germaphobe I hear.
I inhale dog germs. Dog kisses. are CPR as far as I'm concerned.
Hey, the best and sweetest doggie I e4very had was my dear, departed Rottie,Tonka. Miss that girl every day. Best. Dog. Ever.