October 24, 2017

That was . . . weird.

We've seen a number of videos of incidents where Trump is skittish or flinching or just plain jumpy. This morning, when he and McConnell were strolling down the hall, neither one of them batted an eyelash at the tossed Russian flags. Damned if it didn't look rehearsed, or at least expected. Not saying it was staged, just noting their non-reactions.

Edited to add: Note that Trump sees the flags and gives a thumbs up.

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October 24, 2017

portrait

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October 23, 2017

He's talking about us!

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October 23, 2017

Hell of a pic to wake up to

This is on the front page of our newspaper today. It made me gasp when I saw it, I can only imagine the gut-blow to real survivors and their families. A very dear friend has already written to the editors; that friend and his wife are the remnants of two families lost to the reality that fuels this young man's fantasies. A link to the article is below the pic.



http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/news-briefs/piece-by-piece-lasalle-man-invests-time-money-to-create-detailed-spooky-costume/


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October 23, 2017

chill

I’m reading Winter of the World, the second book in Ken Follet’s "Century" trilogy. The storyline is set in the 1930s, but could easily have been taken from reports of events taking place in 2017. It’s more than a little chilling in places, especially when some of the ugliest dialogue is echoed by current republican and White House voices.

Small wonder that Santayana's quote keeps running through my mind...


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October 21, 2017

Time

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October 20, 2017

Was Sarah Huckabee-Sanders in a coma?

At White House presser, she just whined that "this president has faced unprecedented obstruction of his nominees". Was she in a coma during Obama's eight years in office?


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October 20, 2017

It IS Obama's fault.

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October 19, 2017

Best

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October 19, 2017

What do YOU do?

found on Facebook

“I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one side and a female symbol on the other. Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they've been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, 'I stay out of prison.' This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, 'Nothing. I don't think about it.'

Then I ask women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.

Here are some of their answers: Hold my keys as a potential weapon. Look in the back seat of the car before getting in. Carry a cell phone. Don't go jogging at night. Lock all the windows when I sleep, even on hot summer nights. Be careful not to drink too much. Don't put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured. Own a big dog. Carry Mace or pepper spray. Have an unlisted phone number. Have a man's voice on my answering machine. Park in well-lit areas. Don't use parking garages. Don't get on elevators with only one man, or with a group of men. Vary my route home from work. Watch what I wear. Don't use highway rest areas. Use a home alarm system. Don't wear headphones when jogging. Avoid forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime. Don't take a first-floor apartment. Go out in groups. Own a firearm. Meet men on first dates in public places. Make sure to have a car or cab fare. Don't make eye contact with men on the street. Make assertive eye contact with men on the street.

― Jackson Katz, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help”

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For the record: Me too.



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