Talking It Out

Another week. The GOP wants to take our healthcare away. Again... Anyway, some news items you may or may not have seen... A cancer patient desperately needs a stem-cell transplant to save her life. Luckily, her sister is a 100% match and is willing to donate. The bad news: the U.S. won't grant her sister a visa to come here (from Vietnam) to undergo the procedure . This is long but worth the read:  My White Friend Asked Me on Facebook to Explain White Privilege. I Decided to Be Honest. And in a similar vein:  A Black Physician Pulled a 26-hour Shift Helping People and Saving Lives. But On His Way To His Car This Happened. How to combat this institutionalized racism? How about a Facebook group that'll respond for people of color?  (I love the name: White Nonsense Roundup. You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter .) Apparently, the push to "reform" healthcare is motivated by $400 million . Naturally. Mueller seems to be treating 45 like a mob boss . Seems...

Another week. More links. Slate  did a fun quiz. Is the headline from Breitbart  or a 1920s KKK newspaper? This one was tricky. I managed a 12/16, but many of those were lucky guesses. (Let me know how you did in the comments.) Most people in a new survey said the best response to Donald Trump’s actions while president would be to impeach him or otherwise remove him from office.  (via Newsweek ) Crops are rotting in the fields in California due to a shortage of migrant workers to harvest them. We were warned about this. Did we listen? Why are some Democrats opposed to the Medicare-for-all bill? Money.  "Election integrity" commission. Snort.  Someone forgot to say the proper things after Mexico's earthquake. (Are we really surprised?) So, Mexico withdrew it's pledge for aid.  A reminder in light of @sarahhuckabee 's Un-American "firing offense" remark: Donald Trump IS a White Supremacist pic.twitter.com/fk6S3LtcR2 — Keith Olbermann (@...

Oy! Is it impeach-o'clock yet? I mean seriously? What's it going to take? What's that final straw? Some news you may or may not have seen this week... The New Yorker found Jared Kushner's Harvard admissions essay . (Not really...) "The thing that happened to Davino Watson, American citizen, when he was locked up in prison for 1,273 days awaiting deportation amounts to an 'entirely common state of affairs,' according to two United States Court of Appeals judges riding the Second Circuit." The closest analogy to today's antifa isn't Eastern European history, but British anti-fascist right before and after WWII.. . (via a tweet from @JackSmithIV. The whole tweet thread is worth a read .) What happens when a red state needs to ask for federal money? (via The Washington Post ) Quite right, Abby. pic.twitter.com/PsiiuRzt3C — Luke (@Randombob18) September 3, 2017 And finally, I know Keith Olbermann is a rather polarizing figure, bu...

A couple videos provided without comment. First, from Newsroom ... And second, from The West Wing ... These clips were the topic of a conversation a while ago, and as I just now got around to watching them, I felt they belonged in a slightly bigger conversation. I'm sure you've seen them before. Enjoy.

In lieu of the Friday news links, I'm going to share with you a Twitter thread that went viral the other day: 1. I can always appreciate a genuine inquiry regarding #NotAllWhitePeople & #NotAllMen ; join me as I take a more creative route to explain. https://t.co/fxzZJTrn6U — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 2. Imaging 13 kids (weird number, I know, but it'll make sense soon enough): 10 of them wear white t-shirts; 3 of them, brown tees. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 3. Everyday, the "white tee" kids get to leave class early to attend lunch ahead of everyone else; the "brown tee" kids follow afterwards. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 4. Unfortunately, like clockwork, the 3 brown tee kids are bullied by 6 of the 10 white tee kids waiting for them & steal their lunch money. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 5. So, naturally, the brown tee ...

He's a local guy, born in the Bronx to a German Jewish immigrant father who fled the Nazis for a better life in America, and an American Jewish mother whose family hailed from England.  He was raised here on Long Island, in Hicksville.    He's been quite successful in his professional life, but he never forgot where he comes from. For awhile he used the name William Martin, but you might know him better as Billy Joel. Anyone who knows me knows that i have been a Billy Joel fan since at least 1977 -- The Stranger dominated the charts during my junior year in high school -- but what has earned my declaration of undying love? This:   Billly Joel Dons Jewish Star Against Neo-Nazis . Yes, Billy Joel, apolitical Billy Joel, made a simple but very profound statement during his Madison Square Garden concert on August 21, 2017. Jews throughout Nazi-occupied Europe were compelled to wear yellow stars to signify their faith and culture during the Holocaust. ...

You know what everyone's been talking about this week. A few takes you might not have seen: When bad things happen, you can either complain or do something. And sometimes doing something can be giving back to organizations that do good. After Charlottesville, someone on Twitter did a thread about organizations doing good there. Here's a link to a blog post with that same information . The Washington Post  did a piece on how all this might look if this were being reported in another country . Chilling. There was a president who knew how to tweet about the weekend's events . Not the current one, of course... A blog post from someone who is fed up . (Aren't we all? Give it a read. It's worth your time.) This was a great tweet thread that went viral (in case you haven't already seen it). Something to think about if these people are marching in your town: Nazis coming to town? Here's a positive and creative response. #Resist pic.twitter.com/gcrHa...

Have you seen the VICE video? If not, take 22 minutes...

One of the first posts on this blog was my comment about the  ACLU .  I spoke about neo-Nazis and their desire to march through the streets of Skokie, IL in 1977. My ideals were sorely tested yesterday, as White Supremacists marched through the streets of Charlottesville, VA, wreaking havoc with their hate, spreading fear, advocating violence. Yes, they have a right to express their views.  And the rest of us have the right to condemn those views. But what happened in Charlottesville goes well beyond "free speech" and "peaceful protest". Fear-mongering, intimidation tactics, violence, terrorism, murder.  Criminal acts that are  not protected by our Constitution.   It scared me to see how many of them showed up for this rally.  How much hate exists in this country today.  How emboldened the bigots and fear-mongerers have become, What used to exists in the shadowy outskirts of the political spectrum is moving  has moved to ...

Assuming that we're still around come Friday, here are a few news links you might have missed: As of July 21st, a list of 45's lies (from the New York Times ). Would 45 let you immigrate to the U.S.? Take the quiz to find out. (I couldn't. I only got a 20, and I'd need a 30 minimum.) A psychological analysis of 45's supporters probably won't surprise you. "Authoritarian personality syndrome—a well-studied and globally-prevalent condition—is a state of mind that is characterized by belief in total and complete obedience to one’s authority." (In case you're still trying to grasp how some people are still supporting him.) “He’s the opposite of Teddy Roosevelt. He speaks loudly and carries a small stick.”  Diplomats laughing at Trump over leaked Mexico transcript article worth it for that quote alone. 45 may have elevated his threat from mere bluster to a specific vow to start a nuclear holocaust in part because of his love of this one pe...

Apologies about missing last week. Computer issues made it impossible to get online. (The computer's been fading for a while, so its demise wasn't a surprise.) So, things have been happening. Here are some articles that you might not have seen... A man filed suit against four members of Congress, alleging that their display of the rainbow-colored Pride Flag is a religious display . (His lawsuit demands the court declare homosexuality to be a religion. I'm not kidding.) " The White House, Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency have dovetailed to engineer a dizzying reversal of clean air and water regulations implemented by Barack Obama’s administration ." Just in case you thought he was getting nothing done. Something that would have made it into last week's link post if last week's link post had gone live: One big issue in healthcare is delivery . Looking at this problem might help strengthen the ACA. An interesting read:  Dear Secular...

A few stories you may or may not have seen this week: What did you do for the 4th of July? Donald Trump Jr. doesn’t think liberals should celebrate . Twitter responded... Apparently the House of Representatives has a "no sleeveless" dress code for women . In the summer. In Washington, D.C. On the 4th, NPR Tweeted out the Declaration of Independence line by line. " Trump backers (seemingly unaware of the source document) accused the media organization of playing partisan politics and attacking the president. " One Twitter poster responded that perhaps NPR should tweet out War of the Worlds next. I'm sure you already saw New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the beach that he closed to everyone else ... The Republican party asked for Obamacare "horror stories" on Twitter. They did not get what they expected . A FDA-registered food safety laboratory tested iconic American food for residues of the weed killer glyphosate (aka Monsanto’s Rou...

Distracted? A certain someone's Twitter feed went a bit nutso over the holiday weekend. And everyone seems to be talking about it. Well, more like yelling about it. And screaming. And #25thAmendmentNow has been trending. But all of this has got me wondering. Is he crazy? Is he deranged? Or is he playing a long con game? Think about it. What are we not talking about right now? We're focused on the crazy. So, what do they not want us paying attention to? I have a few ideas. If you have others, please share them. We need to get daylight on all of the things that are getting shoved into the shade of the crazy tweets. First, the newly renamed BCRA. I hear talk that McConnell is making deals over the recess so that tentative nays become yeas . Now's the time to call your senators and make sure they know how much you hate this bill. The travel ban went into effect last week. SCOTUS allowed parts to go into effect . Mueller and the #TrumpRussia investigations . Are t...

A few things we've seen on the Internet this week: Get the feeling that the government has been filled by supervillains? Turns out we've seen some of these tactics in comic books already . (via io9 ) There's a reason rural, Christian white America won't change , and we won't be able to convince them otherwise.  Think it's just the patriarchy that wants to push women back into the dark ages? Nope. There are plenty of women who think this is a good idea.  5 things parents need to know about the #WealthCare bill.  195 members of Congress have filed a lawsuit against 45 . Rep. Alan Lowenthal said, "The suit alleges that the President, by retaining interests in his business organization, has violated constitutional restrictions on taking gifts and benefits from foreign leaders. According to the Constitution’s ‘emolument clause,’ the President must seek Congressional approval to receive such gifts. If the President won’t follow the Constitutio...

So, Jared Kushner's meeting with Abbas was "tense", and when he gives his report to his father-in-law, Trump may decide to abandon Mideast peace talks. I'm shocked, just shocked, I tell you.  I mean, who knew that peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians could be so difficult to achieve? (Um, Hillary Clinton knew...a First Lady who was present when Ehud Barak and Yassir Arafat were brought together at the White House...a Secretary of State who negotiated a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas...but I digress.) Fifty years after the Six Day War,  the West Bank situation is reaching critical mass.  There are only two options:  create a Palestinian State on the West Bank, or grant the inhabitants of the West Bank full Israeli citizenship, But the Palestinian population of the West Bank, as well as the Israeli Arab population, is large, and growing.  The Arab population will eventually outnumber the Jewish population, and Israel as a uniquely Jewish s...

In case you missed it... Science has a new explanation for homosexuality. It's a way to keep a family strong . If you've been on Twitter lately, you already know this is the case. 45 hasn't been tweeting about attacks against Muslims . The FBI won't say that 45 is not a Russian agent . Oops. The Republican party "accidentally" leaked info for for a whole bunch of voters . And before the text of the health care bill leaked (spoiler: it's worse than we thought), McConnell hid the bill in his mouth . (This one's from The Onion , because we need a laugh right about now.) The administration is trying to create instability in the insurance market by delaying payments so that ACA insurers may have to raise rates . Have a Democratic Senator (like me) and have no reason to call them? Now you do. Ask them to withhold consent and filibuster by amendment . What stories have we missed this week?

I've been neglecting this blog since April. Not because there aren't things to say. I think it's because it's all been coming at us fast and furious, and it's hard to boil down feelings to just one topic. So, today I thought I'd post this video I stumbled across about three weeks ago. I meant to post it before now, but, well... It kind of explains a lot, don't you think? I found this via the Huffington Post . Check it out to find links to the Dunning-Kruger effect and Salience Bias.

Have you heard? The Senate is getting ready to vote on Trumpcare. TIMELINE: The Senate GOP's plan is to pass this bill FAST—by June 30. Enough time to fight, no time to spare. Here are the steps. 2/ — Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017 I'm here to give this a signal boost. I am lucky enough to live in a state with two Democratic Senators, and both have been fighting this atrocity. But their support is not enough. We need those of you who live in states with Senators who think tax breaks for millionaires are more important than access to affordable health care to call and #resist. Do you live in Alaska, West Virginia, Nevada, Arizona, Maine, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Colorado, South Carolina, Arkansas, or Pennsylvania? You can help. Call your Senator(s)! Daily. Not sure what to say? Would you rather tweet at them or contact them on Facebook? Check out the Trumpcare Toolkit . Reminder: Amidst this Russia investigation, Republicans are still trying to take awa...

What is Liberty, anyway? Probably something to do with being free has popped into your mind at just the thought of that question but, politically speaking, liberty and freedom are not quite the same thing. Let me give you an example: Let's say you're driving down the highway, speed limit: 65. You're a little behind schedule and, after doing some quick calculations... Wait, who am I kidding? No one does the math to figure out if speeding is actually going to save them any time. [Like the other day when some dude on a motorcycle came weaving through tight traffic at something around 80 mph only to have me pull up next to him at the exit I was taking. So yeah, he save a LOT of time by almost causing two accidents (that I saw) as he zipped between cars.] You're running late, so you step on the gas and punch your car up to 80. Are you free to do that? Well, obviously; you just did it, right? And this is where it can be confusing, I suppose, because, while you are free to do ...

Okay, so, we're talking about the  Declaration of Independence  and how it laid the foundations for what came after it. It itself is not a legal document, but we refer to it as a foundational piece of our history, our ideals, and, yes, our government. Last week, we were talking about the  pursuit  of Happiness, and how we, culturally, have messed that all up, but, really, you should just go back and read last week's post. This week, let's move on a bit and, by doing that, go back to our first principle: Life. Let's look again at the Declaration: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of those ends, it is the ...