June 30, 2015

See, there's another good one. We need as many of these as possible.

And not just for the marriage equality issue, either.

The neat thing about a graphic like this is it really kills with the vast chunk of humanity that processes information visually. Nice bright colors and the whole beautiful rainbow thing from nature and all that. BUT ALSO the message. It's short and clever. Which means it's easier to burn into the brain. You'll be able to remember it next time the conversation steers toward this topic. I came up with one bit of blah-blah-blah a few days back while yakking with a neighbor and he cited it as being clever and something he'll have to remember cuz he liked it! "That's very good!" - he said. Well, that's very good because it's MEMORABLE. And when stuff sticks in the memory it's easier to haul out and share - and get extra points for cleverness. People like that. Makes 'em feel smart and and clever and with it, when they can repeat something they heard that was clever. And it must have been good because they REMEMBERED it. It stuck in their mind. Makes 'em feel smart and slick and cool and on-top-of-it-all. People like to feel smart.

People like to be amused. They like someone who makes them laugh. I can't tell you how many comedians I interviewed when I was still working and covering Hollywood - who told me they were led toward comedy because it was a great way to avoid getting beaten up on the playground. The neighborhood bullies would tell the wimp or nerd who'd wisecracked well - "y'know - you're okay!" And then you don't get beaten up anymore! People will be favorably predisposed when something is catchy and clever.

People like gimmicks. Pet rocks. Pop Rocks! Rubik's Cubes. Sudoku. Smilies. Cool or unusual band merch. Special Ben & Jerry's flavors. The Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers" album because the album cover close-up of the crotch of a guy in blue jeans had a workable zipper! Gimmicks. We've got a few of 'em ourselves for my kid's band, and the fans LOVE 'em! Catchy - like riffs in music that you just cannot get outta your head. The chorus everybody can still remember and they go home singing after they saw the new hit musical.

People don't like being wrong. There's the pride thing. Nobody wants to admit it - it's the rare physical or mental or emotional adult who will. Most people are too chicken to admit it. But heck, I can remember back after Watergate - you couldn't pay anyone to admit they'd voted for Nixon. But you know damn well enough people swallowed his shit and voted for him to put him in the White House instead of A) Hubert Humphrey, or four years after that, George McGovern. Hell, look how relentlessly and to what ridiculous extent are the attempts to rewrite the recent history of bush/cheney before our very eyes!

This kinda thing plays well to all those human weaknesses and inclinations, seems to me. And the more of these we have, that are applicable to every and any issue, the better. Because you never know which one is gonna resonate with somebody and just CLINCH that issue for them, or clarify it so perfectly that it's easy to remember and talk about in conversation. That makes it easier to persuade others if the occasion arises, and makes you feel (and look) smart at the same time.

Mind games! Recognize them. Play 'em well. That'll be another little wall of resistance that you may very well finally cut through. That'll be another vote you may well gain for the good guys.

June 30, 2015

Welcome to DU, HuskyOffset!

Glad you're here! I always like saying an opening hello in a humorous thread. Everybody's always in a good mood, and usually RUTHLESSLY clever! Stuff like this unites us all! I figured out that there are a few universal languages that everybody can speak pretty to some extent, and without a translator. One is math. Another would be the arts (music/drawing/etc). Another would be food. Another would be laughter.

June 30, 2015

"I’ll have the Scalia is a Douche, please.”

Felt good!

"I’ll have the Scalia is a Douche, please.” And another Scalia is a Douche order to go, please!

That felt good! The next time His Imperiousness throws some smart-ass "bite me" gesture from on high, we could order a few servings of the Scalia is a Douche and return the favor! And of course, the ultimate gesture arises a few hours after having dined, because digestion is complete and we then proceed to shit him back out. Please do consider that a metaphorical salute, antonin dear. It physically demonstrates what we'd like to do about you in the Supreme Court. And do have a nice day!

June 30, 2015

Magnificent! LOVE this quote from Bree Newsome:

"The history of the South is also in many ways complex and full of inconvenient truths. But in order to move into the future we must reckon with the past."

We HAVE to face the past - NOW - and learn from it in the present so we do not repeat it in the future.

June 30, 2015

Dems are FINALLY waking up about it.

http://dlcc.org/news/dlcc-launches-advantage-2020-key-success-next-round-redistricting-70-million-plus-effort

What the hell took 'em so long???

June 30, 2015

SO satisfying. Just SO satisfying!

I was bracing for the worst, too. All the way around - last week. MAN what a great little three-photo series! This whole thread is just tremendously satisfying.

June 29, 2015

Suh-WEEEEEET!

June 29, 2015

The dog didn't like it either. Yap yap yap!!! So I was thoroughly enjoying that, until BANG!!!!

Then I laughed so hard that my son heard it across the house and started asking my husband if I was okay!

A keeper. For absolute sure.



Oh... Dear God... I'm cryin'...

June 29, 2015

There's also this: ADVANTAGE 2020 - that the Dems FINALLY woke up and decided to put together.

http://dlcc.org/news/dlcc-launches-advantage-2020-key-success-next-round-redistricting-70-million-plus-effort

They're FINALLY focusing on where the root of the problem is. You have to dig down as you would in a garden, and pull the weeds out by the roots. So what we need to do in this case is to MAKE SURE that we take back as many state legislatures and governors' mansions as possible by the year 2020. Work up to it in 2016 and 2018 but the target is 2020 - by which date, hopefully, our side will have notched some very beneficial victories.

The decade mark - the "Zero Year" - 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, 2030, etc - THAT IS WHEN THE CENSUS IS TAKEN. Every ten years. And when the census is taken, what do they do with it? Besides all the studies of the changing demographics, the census determines Congressional representation. Where the population has moved. Where there are more people and where there's more representation needed. Where the populations in some districts are shrinking, and therefore Congressional representation will follow accordingly, and where the population is growing, necessitating changes in the Congressional districts to respond accordingly. Now, if partisans in the legislature want to make sure to put their collective thumb on the scale, every ten years, there is redistricting, to respond and adjust to what the census just determined about population changes. The bad guys, who always want to get around the rules and try to rig the game to slam dunk a victory for their side, will use this opportunity to redraw the districts to make sure the voting results from those districts will slant securely toward them.

So we have to fight this TWO WAYS. Take back the turf of those who will decide the redistricting, AND make sure that there are independent commissions on this - THAT ARE REALLY, TRULY, HONESTLY, and GENUINELY INDEPENDENT.

June 29, 2015

Welcome to DU, djnicadress!

Glad you're here! That is a good question. One thing is certain, underneath it all. Our opponents are of the mindset that - if they don't like the way something's set up, or settled law is established, they will go to the ENDS OF THE EARTH to find a way to get around it.

Shit - I remember that little girl in the bush/cheney justice department, monica goodling, SAYING THAT. When she had to testify in Congress about making baldly political appointments, vettings, and firings of state attorneys, which they were doing on steroids. She'd been recruited as a fresh new "law school" graduate from one of the religious schools - I forget if it was Liberty "University" or Regent "University", where rosy-cheeked, dewy-eyed young grads with their brand new law decrees were being stovepipes directly into that Justice Department. And she SAID they were looking for ways "to get around" whatever laws or regulations or restrictions were preventing them from packing the department with political paisans.

These folks are ALWAYS looking for a work-around. A reach-around. ANY way to manipulate, fuck with, or stretch completely outta shape, whatever the guidelines or laws or regulations or restrictions are - that prevent them from doing whatever the fuck they want, IN ORDER TO FURTHER THEIR AGENDA. They're ALWAYS looking for ways to sneak. Because, at its most basic, what they want or advocate is usually quite counter to the will of the majority, or the laws of the land, or the regulations or restrictions or limits that are put in place to curb greed or short-sightedness or prejudice of some sort. They're ALWAYS looking to tilt the playing field. Why? Because they know they can't win on a level playing field. They know they don't get their way when they have to follow - and strictly adhere to - the rules, laws, regulations, restrictions, limitations, or guidelines.

Please keep something very important in mind when observing that side of the aisle. Because it's a deep-down-in-the-bone-marrow fundamental about these adversaries of ours:
These are the original "NOBODY tells ME what to do!" people. This is WHO THEY ARE. Like Monica Lewinsky once put it, during some interview back in the day - recounting her memories of being two years old (repeat - TWO YEARS OLD) and sticking out her little dimpled chin and stamping her chubby little foot and yelling at her mom "NO ONE IS THE BOSS OF ME!"