Did you watch the interview? Bernie wasn't even remotely suggesting that abortion isn't an important issue, just that the Republicans are going after the economy and there is a LOT of worthwhile counter-information that would help neutralise the Republican push.
I just saw a truly wierd email from Connor Burns, MP. Yes, it seems to actually be from a British Member of Parliament. The message expresses best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and was sent 24th December 2020.
Soooo curious. Why not send via USPS + Royal Post a copy of the message to Connor Burns, MP himself, asking if it was really him? Could be a fun way to connect across the Pond.
Why Pat Leahy Voted Against the Iraq War [Click] “In short, the senator was tipped off to secret intelligence reports during the Iraq War debate by a pair of joggers in the park.”
Very interesting that the newsy note was penned by Garrett Graff. His father, Chris Graff, is legendary in Vermont journalism, having served as the state's Associated Press chief for many years, hosted a poignant weekly TV news show here, and having been the principal interviewer of Howard Dean and so many others. Garrett comes by it honestly. Side note: Chris has sailed with Wil at times and is a real salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. I'll have to ask Wil if Garrett has also sailed.
I'm trying to figure out how I came down with a cold last night when I haven't been anywhere except for a couple very brief and N95-masked trips to the store.
Even so, I have done so little this past week and more that I figure it was probably a doorknob I touched somewhere like at the post office. Time to replenish my supply of Lysol wipes for the vehicles!
My uncle was in the SeaBees during WWII. He told a couple of funny stories, but only once did he ever tell me about a battle he was in--the first time they landed under a crossfire (60% casualties). It was understood without it being said that one did not ask about such things, and I was very young then. Over the years I looked and looked for a story of a SeaBee landing that corresponded to his story, and finally I found it: Iwo Jima [https://amerisurv.com/2022/05/16/seabees-marine-engineers-their-mysteries-on-iwo-jima/]. The only thing missing was that he said after they crossed the beach they gained the shelter of the trees, and the only photos of the landing I had seen did not show trees. So I googled Iwo Jima images and found several showing trees (later with all their branches, twigs, and leaves stripped away).
My Uncle Walter survived Iwo Jima. He was 18 at the time and there's quite the family story that goes with it.
One day, my Aunt Mimi, who was one of the younger siblings in the household and I think in Elementary or early Junior High at this point, started screaming and holding her arm. They took her to the hospital and she had xrays, but nothing was found to be wrong. A month later they got the word that Walter had been wounded at Iwo Jima...having taken shrapnel in his arm. Same arm and they think same time. So, there's the Scottish side of the family...!
Stranger things have happened . . . BTW, the psychic tendencies of Scots from the Hebrides is an element of the Darkover stories.
As an aside, I read in the article linked above that one Marine platoon took 98% casualties during the course of the battle. And the old carpenter who rebuilt Miyoko's home was one of the Japanese survivors.
That is so cool that one of the Japanese survivors built Miyoko's home! It's such a small planet. We really could do better at making peace with one another. When you remember as you drive along that in every house you pass are people whose lives are filled with joys and sorrows, questions and hopes, it seems amazingly complex. Then someone shows us a photo of Earth as a planet and it's all so tiny, really.
I credit my Celtic roots at having been professionally tested (during clinical pastoral education ~ chaplain training) and hearing that I am an "off the charts intuitive."
"(UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY) – Statement From The Office Of Senator Patrick Leahy Senator Leahy spent an uneventful night in the hospital last night for tests and observation. He was discharged today (Friday), and he and Marcelle plan to fly to Vermont Saturday morning for a full schedule of planned events in the days ahead. Patrick and Marcelle are deeply grateful for the expressions of concern and support that they have received since last night."
No ballot yet, but two or three more political flyers. The Republican politicians seem to vary from right wing to frankly lunatic, but they are trying to increase turnout of their partisans. I must hand it to Republicans like Leon Panetta who stayed right where they were on the political spectrum and changed parties when the GOP shifted too far to the right.
I don't want to tempt the fates...but this time of year I tend to feel something akin to "survivor guilt" that Vermont has been so "steady as she goes" in the political sphere. Leahy is retiring; Peter Welch will become our Senator; and Becca Balint will become our Representative in Congress. All polls, pollsters and expectations are aligned on that. We are extremely likely to maintain our representation of Bernie and Dems. Yet, being Vermont, we are likely to keep our Republican Governor. I wish we had a fine Indy or Dem to run against him, but the pickings there are fairly slim this year. So I anticipate that he will continue...but at least he's a liberal sort of Republican, or at least moderate...who did not vote for DT. Of course, electing a Republican for Governor we are assured to have a Democrat for Lt. Gov. In fact, back when Republican Governor Snelling died in office here, it was Lt. Gov Howard Dean who was sworn in. If you go back far enough, though, this was a chiefly Republican state. So, there's still hope for the nation.
Illinois was very much a purple state until the early 200s. I've always felt it was GW Bush who killed the Illinois Republican party. He gave the evangelicals and right-wingers the idea they should be in charge and when primary voters continued to chose moderate establishment candidates the right revolted. The party has never recoverd.
By retreating to avoid being overrun or cut off, the Russian forces in the Kherson area are likely trapping themselves in a pocket from which they cannot escape, and where they cannot be supplied. Reminiscent of what happened to the Wehrmacht at Stalingrad. (Which, by the way, was caused by Hitler overruling his generals--like Putin overruling his generals. Well, I look forward to tomorrow's news on the situation; if the current reports are even half true, that is very good.
Speaking of emails, as of 8:30 I had received 340 today, the overwhelming majority political fundraising. I'm giving up the attempt to even simply file all these items.
Wow! Will gets a hundred or so, while I get one or two. I have diligently gotten off all lists except those for my own Congressional delegation. I feel I can decide all on my own when and how much to donate. LOL.
Whenever I have to fill in a phone number for some outfit I don't want to hear from, I give them my business phone, which doesn't work for text messages. Hence a lot of rings and pickups by my answering machine that don't get a response. I never could see the point of text messages.
Jake Tapper interviews Bernie Sanders about what the Democrats need to focus on before the election (and it's not abortion)
ReplyDeleteOh, so now that women have finally figured out that "abortion" is about male supremacy, we don't want to talk about it anymore.
DeleteDid you watch the interview? Bernie wasn't even remotely suggesting that abortion isn't an important issue, just that the Republicans are going after the economy and there is a LOT of worthwhile counter-information that would help neutralise the Republican push.
DeleteThe photo I posted is from our road.
ReplyDeleteI just saw a truly wierd email from Connor Burns, MP. Yes, it seems to actually be from a British Member of Parliament. The message expresses best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and was sent 24th December 2020.
ReplyDeleteThat certainl IS strange.
DeleteAny chance it's a scam?
DeleteAbsolutley nothing to suggest a scam. No click-to-reply or anything like that.
DeleteSoooo curious. Why not send via USPS + Royal Post a copy of the message to Connor Burns, MP himself, asking if it was really him? Could be a fun way to connect across the Pond.
DeleteGeorge Friedman: Russia Is Doomed And Warfare is Changed Forever [Click]
ReplyDeleteWhy Pat Leahy Voted Against the Iraq War [Click] “In short, the senator was tipped off to secret intelligence reports during the Iraq War debate by a pair of joggers in the park.”
ReplyDeleteVery interesting that the newsy note was penned by Garrett Graff. His father, Chris Graff, is legendary in Vermont journalism, having served as the state's Associated Press chief for many years, hosted a poignant weekly TV news show here, and having been the principal interviewer of Howard Dean and so many others. Garrett comes by it honestly. Side note: Chris has sailed with Wil at times and is a real salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. I'll have to ask Wil if Garrett has also sailed.
DeleteI recognized the name, but didn't place it.
DeleteYup! Wil says he has sailed with both of them. It's been awhile; probably back in Garrett's college days.
DeleteI'm trying to figure out how I came down with a cold last night when I haven't been anywhere except for a couple very brief and N95-masked trips to the store.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the incubation periods for various cold viruses are themselves various.
DeleteEven so, I have done so little this past week and more that I figure it was probably a doorknob I touched somewhere like at the post office. Time to replenish my supply of Lysol wipes for the vehicles!
DeleteMy uncle was in the SeaBees during WWII. He told a couple of funny stories, but only once did he ever tell me about a battle he was in--the first time they landed under a crossfire (60% casualties). It was understood without it being said that one did not ask about such things, and I was very young then. Over the years I looked and looked for a story of a SeaBee landing that corresponded to his story, and finally I found it: Iwo Jima [https://amerisurv.com/2022/05/16/seabees-marine-engineers-their-mysteries-on-iwo-jima/]. The only thing missing was that he said after they crossed the beach they gained the shelter of the trees, and the only photos of the landing I had seen did not show trees. So I googled Iwo Jima images and found several showing trees (later with all their branches, twigs, and leaves stripped away).
ReplyDeleteWow! So good to have found that link to him.
DeleteMy Uncle Walter survived Iwo Jima. He was 18 at the time and there's quite the family story that goes with it.
One day, my Aunt Mimi, who was one of the younger siblings in the household and I think in Elementary or early Junior High at this point, started screaming and holding her arm. They took her to the hospital and she had xrays, but nothing was found to be wrong. A month later they got the word that Walter had been wounded at Iwo Jima...having taken shrapnel in his arm. Same arm and they think same time. So, there's the Scottish side of the family...!
Stranger things have happened . . .
DeleteBTW, the psychic tendencies of Scots from the Hebrides is an element of the Darkover stories.
As an aside, I read in the article linked above that one Marine platoon took 98% casualties during the course of the battle. And the old carpenter who rebuilt Miyoko's home was one of the Japanese survivors.
That is so cool that one of the Japanese survivors built Miyoko's home! It's such a small planet. We really could do better at making peace with one another. When you remember as you drive along that in every house you pass are people whose lives are filled with joys and sorrows, questions and hopes, it seems amazingly complex. Then someone shows us a photo of Earth as a planet and it's all so tiny, really.
DeleteI credit my Celtic roots at having been professionally tested (during clinical pastoral education ~ chaplain training) and hearing that I am an "off the charts intuitive."
DeleteIntuitive, HA! Psychic is a lot more fun!
Delete"(UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY) – Statement From The Office Of Senator Patrick Leahy
ReplyDeleteSenator Leahy spent an uneventful night in the hospital last night for tests and observation. He was discharged today (Friday), and he and Marcelle plan to fly to Vermont Saturday morning for a full schedule of planned events in the days ahead. Patrick and Marcelle are deeply grateful for the expressions of concern and support that they have received since last night."
No ballot yet, but two or three more political flyers. The Republican politicians seem to vary from right wing to frankly lunatic, but they are trying to increase turnout of their partisans. I must hand it to Republicans like Leon Panetta who stayed right where they were on the political spectrum and changed parties when the GOP shifted too far to the right.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to tempt the fates...but this time of year I tend to feel something akin to "survivor guilt" that Vermont has been so "steady as she goes" in the political sphere. Leahy is retiring; Peter Welch will become our Senator; and Becca Balint will become our Representative in Congress. All polls, pollsters and expectations are aligned on that. We are extremely likely to maintain our representation of Bernie and Dems. Yet, being Vermont, we are likely to keep our Republican Governor. I wish we had a fine Indy or Dem to run against him, but the pickings there are fairly slim this year. So I anticipate that he will continue...but at least he's a liberal sort of Republican, or at least moderate...who did not vote for DT. Of course, electing a Republican for Governor we are assured to have a Democrat for Lt. Gov. In fact, back when Republican Governor Snelling died in office here, it was Lt. Gov Howard Dean who was sworn in. If you go back far enough, though, this was a chiefly Republican state. So, there's still hope for the nation.
DeleteIllinois was very much a purple state until the early 200s. I've always felt it was GW Bush who killed the Illinois Republican party. He gave the evangelicals and right-wingers the idea they should be in charge and when primary voters continued to chose moderate establishment candidates the right revolted. The party has never recoverd.
DeleteWhile continuing to push the Russians back slowly in the East, the Ukrainians are reported to have launched a huge assault in the Kherson region. [Click] Not yet confirmed, but the report appears credible. Russian troops pulling back fast to avoid being overrun or cut off, and Russian-appointed officials have fled south of the Dnieper (into Crimea?).
ReplyDeleteBy retreating to avoid being overrun or cut off, the Russian forces in the Kherson area are likely trapping themselves in a pocket from which they cannot escape, and where they cannot be supplied. Reminiscent of what happened to the Wehrmacht at Stalingrad. (Which, by the way, was caused by Hitler overruling his generals--like Putin overruling his generals. Well, I look forward to tomorrow's news on the situation; if the current reports are even half true, that is very good.
DeleteSpeaking of emails, as of 8:30 I had received 340 today, the overwhelming majority political fundraising. I'm giving up the attempt to even simply file all these items.
ReplyDeleteWow! Will gets a hundred or so, while I get one or two. I have diligently gotten off all lists except those for my own Congressional delegation. I feel I can decide all on my own when and how much to donate. LOL.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhenever I have to fill in a phone number for some outfit I don't want to hear from, I give them my business phone, which doesn't work for text messages. Hence a lot of rings and pickups by my answering machine that don't get a response. I never could see the point of text messages.
Delete