The question on every Democrat’s mind this past week has been: how in the actual fuck did we manage to lose to that cognitively-impaired looney old guy spewing hate and lunacy?
Thanks, TC. Sometimes even the best of us are wrong. And they show their true colors when they admit it. My hat's off to you. Looking forward to your upcoming posts.
Thank you! I don't need an endless loop of "we are doomed" and the continual repetition of how bad it is and how bad it is going to be. I am not an idiot, and I would bet most if not all of us; who are reeling from the election know how bad it is going to be. What I would like is less doom and more information on actionable strategies both macro and micro. And another thing, all this people who are posting about leaving the USA (and I was guilty of Googling "where to flee from America), perhaps are not taking into consideration that this could happen anywhere. America isn't unique in flirting with/electing strongmen. We aren't even unique in the arc of history. So, for me it is stay, resist, fight and hope.
The people fantasizing about leaving the country include both drama queens and privileged types who are fine with leaving the rest of us to deal with whatever comes next. They're what Tom Paine was referring to when he wrote about "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots."
Some of those thinking about fleeing remember the jews who survived by leaving Europe. If I was in a marginal group & could leave, I'd think really hard about it.
I understand what you are saying. I have a couple of things that make it challenging for me. I am disabled, and I hate that word; I like to say differently abled, but I am ambulatory, and while it is physically related, I worked hard to make it out of the wheelchair, walk again, and go through surgery here and there! So, it's difficult for me to think about resisting, as in our marching, fighting, and other things. I hope I don't have to do that. And I am single and don't have a bodyguard on standby. My cat doesn't seem up to the task! Okay, so I slipped a joke in. I've got to laugh to keep from crying. I could be targeted as a member of another group, but I don't have a tattoo on my forehead and not sure how that would work anyway. So, moving away crosses my mind, but who am I kidding? I have good days (mostly), but when I have bad physical pain days and walk a bit like a crab several paces, then no, it's probably too complicated. I will have to figure out ways to offer support. I guess I could be handy with first aid, cooking, feeding, sheltering, and things like that. Now I sound like it's going to be a war zone.
Take heart in knowing that Trump is already surrounding himself and filling administrative positions with extremists, dullards, and egomaniacs. And one good sign is that John Thune rather than Elon's preferred Rick Scott was elected Senate Leader. Thune's conservative but he's not nuts. Rubio is raw ambition and will distance himself from the minefield that's shaping up.
We can do small things like infiltrating X and conservative sites where we can make comments and then run without engaging with the snarlers and droolers. We can write actual letters to our reps. We can find ways to use fear that will be legit and not manufactured as the magas have done because 2025 is a threat to us all.
It is already a war zone, and having been in several, the war is going to escalate in intensity soon. Prepare. Find your allies now. Know who is around you and know where they stand.
The wind was blowing our way. The only signal this was a tight race came from the polls. Donations, crowds, volunteers, organizations, endorsements it all was in our court. The opposition did everything to loose badly and here we are today. Three devout Christian conservative Republican neighbors sheepishly told us they cannot vote for the opposition. I thought many other conservatives will be saying the same. Trump staffers and cabinet members came out against him. For the old liberals we are cheated out of our last good years. Darn. I have blocked out the news and trying to find scraps of life that may keep my brain from fretting over global warming, Ukraine, women's health, infrastructure progress and Kamala's most excellent future plans for those in the US who are not oligarchs. Exercising and walking outdoors everyday even if only for five minutes is very helpful. Sienfeld and Johnny Carson YouTube work wonders.
Quite a bit of research says exposure to nature and the outdoors promotes healing at all levels, so that's a good approach. It also helps walk off the ice cream for breakfast approach to self comfort...
Thank you for admitting this, TC. I was doubtful last week but read what you have to say because I trust you more than the mainstream media. Unfortunately The NY Times, et al., have handed him a mandate with their giant headlines about his Sweeping Win, etc. People remember that and forget about the actual numbers. BTW I am cancelling my subscription to the NY Times and am giving the money to better causes. And I’ll keep reading and subscribing to TAFM.
I dropped the NYT after 2016 and my WaPo sub is running out. I'm continuing with the Guardian and supplementing it with other media and Substacks that cover areas I'm especially interested in. It works pretty well!
Low-information voters killed us. Wrong-information voters killed us. I've said before and will say again that many Americans want to believe stories, not facts, and that's why we ended up where we are. I've watched many campaigns since 1980 and few, if any, ran a better campaign than Kamala Harris and her team. But as the line goes from Star Trek, you can do everything right, and still lose.
I've been watching with baleful amusement the buyer's remorse posts highlighted in the Reddit group, r/LeopardsAteMyFace. The amount of stupidity and incredulity is off the charts, sadly.
The Harris campaign reminds me of the movie project my friend Michael took on in the early 90s. As he told me, "It's gonna be perfect." And as it moved along, it was. He was johnny-on-the-spot to option new best-selling mystery writing sensation Walter Mosley's "Devil in a Blue Dress." And then he got Denzel Washington to commit to playing Easy Rawlins. And then he got the right screenwriter to do the adaptation. And the right director. And then he made the genius move of bringing on the unknown Don Cheadle to be Mouse. And the first studio he went to took one look and said "This is A-OK!!!" and they signed the deal and green-lighted it in a week. When I got invited to a pre-release screening, all I could think was it was the best adaptation of a novel I really liked that I'd ever seen. Afterwards I told Michael, "It's perfect." The studio gave the coming release good publicity and it got an October release at the head of the Oscar-wannabe line.
And when I went to see it in the theater, me and the other 20 people in the place had a good time watching it. And things didn't get better.
And nowadays you will find Devil In A Blue Dress listed among Denzel's best performances. It's still "perfect."
Our business has always been a crap shoot. Some people win more than not, talent at what you do plays a big part, how you are positioned in the payoff structure plays another big part, but in the end you have to sell tickets, and that’s where the crap shoot occurs. Denzel is a big draw and probably had enough in the front end to make either of us rich for the rest of our lives, but it would probably take something like that for him to block out that much of his time for that production. I thought Kamala did a great job, I did everything I could to help her get elected, I have never been so committed to any political candidate, my county, Dekalb voted 85% for her, she still lost GA. I too have been reading and listening for the last week, I have lived off and on in GA since 1964, so I had a front row seat to the civil rights struggle, there are people here who would never vote for her, no matter how much her ideas would help them, I thought that we had turned a corner, her rallies certainly looked like it, sadly I was wrong. It’s going to take a while longer, it will happen or we will cease to be the country I love, not perfect, but working on it. At 78 I hope I live to see it. 🙏
Methinks the buyer's remorse has not even begun to hit the stride it will when some home truths start hitting so long as they don't also buy into "it's because of the Dems".
The one thing I do not like about those boo hoo stories is when the reason is just that their family or friends are mad at them or they aren't invited to Thanksgiving. The reason is two fold: For one, I've looked at the absolutely despicable grind their ass in our faces posts and gloating, and thought "if we had won there would have been joy and rejoicing but not this type of ugliness" because that's not who we are. The increase in hate and spite after a win seems counter intuitive to me - shouldn't they be Happy? Their type of happy seems... angry, so I get the need to step away from those people and that type, but those are the ones we most need to reach for mid terms When We Can finally stomach it. The other thing is how on earth is it they cared this much about what their friends and family felt and thought of them at least, yet these conversations had not already taken place with enough intensity to cause them to realize how their friends and family would feel at this point? Lots of somebodies failed to communicate things that were quite crucial.
Well, yeah, but he is an extreme case, he isn't someone anyone (including his mom) is going to be able to reach, and they've been having this conversation publicly for awhile now so we know she has tried (and tried and tried).
There's actually a lot more of that going on than just Jesse Waters. Many people are changing plans for the holidays because of politics. It's sad, but it's there. I'm fortunate that my sisters and BILs are all Democrats; our problem is that we are so far-flung getting together for holidays is impractical!
Families aren't necessarily great at communicating. Or being close to one another. Some cling to the idea that they should operate as a unit. Personally I have met exactly one family that seemed to have a healthy relationship for all. The rest of us are just people trying to get by, doing our best.
Well Tom, Jeff did not disapoint this morning. He even showed the clown costumes in all their full color glory. As batshit crazy becomes the "New Normal" for the Gold Orifice Party, we can watch in glee, stark terror or deep resolve. It's our choice.
I might also recommend the new to me Substack "WW III" It goes deep into the Russian social media cyber war. A factor that no one dug deep enough into or countered.
Wait... Jeff? Who? I'll check out the WW III Substack too... I have more coming in now than I can begin to sample, but by trying many free over time then winnowing I'll get it to a better spread.
Ah. I get his but haven't looked at it yet. Trying to plow through some less familiar since I seem to have picked up enough of a herd to need to make some decisions. Will be sure to read.
Hey, I see you there feeling sorry for yourself. Me too, if I'm honest. Sitting here with my problems spread out on the kitchen table like yesterday's mail. But let me tell you something that might help put things in perspective.
Right now, Biden's walking through the White House, getting ready to welcome Trump through those big doors. Think about that for a minute. Whatever's got us down today probably doesn't hold a candle to that particular challenge.
For four years, he's been doing the hard work of putting things back together, whether people bothered to notice or not. Like fixing a broken fence while the neighbors complain about the hammering. And every morning, he and Harris show up, roll up their sleeves, and get to work for us anyway.
So maybe next time we're tempted to throw ourselves a pity party, we might remember that. If they can face their daily stack of troubles without flinching, we can probably handle whatever's on our plate today.
Time to get up from the table. The coffee's getting cold anyway.
Thanks for acknowledging this, TC. Nov. 5 was nowhere close to a blowout, but we're going to have to fight hard to make sure it doesn't become a disaster. Meanwhile -- let's give credit to Harris, Walz, their surrogates, and everyone who pitched in at any level, because what they achieved in just over 100 days is astonishing and inspiring. Here's hoping that competence and energy can be channeled into the Democratic Party apparatus because we're going to need it for the midterms and for 2028.
Yep. He got about a million votes more than in 2020. 40 times that became eligible to vote since just 2022. All that fear just stoked his base to get out and vote--few others seem to have succumbed to it. More seem to have succumbed to that vague feeling haunting so many who aren't active misogynists or racists--that somehow a woman, or a black, or a black woman isn't quite up to snuff in a position of power. It's the same feeling that perpetuates the glass ceiling and the lower pay for equal work and the mansplaining or interrupting that goes on all the time in a woman's professional job experience.
In our enlightened society, women are competent to HIRE, but rarely competent to LEAD.
Thanks for the pep talk TC. I've followed a somewhat similar path, but now I'm prepared and ready to resist. Currently, I'm taking my time to respond to a friend who called me out for my "cruel and downright hurtful remarks" for anyone that disagrees with me about presidential candidates. I have very good points to make in response, primarily about the cruelty that has been and will continue to be shown towards trans people, like my kids.
Here is the response I came up with to send to my friend:
Dear Friend, I appreciate that you felt you could express your feelings to me and allow me the opportunity to respond. I struggle to understand why my posts were “cruel”. My intention was to call out what I believe to be an avalanche of lies and disinformation put out by Trump and his allies during the campaign. My mistake was in believing that most people would recognize those egregious lies and vote against him. I was wrong. It turns out that millions of people – not you, perhaps – believed those lies or simply agreed with all the things he wants to do.
I don’t know how you voted, and I have no desire to know. You’re my friend, and that is not conditional on political views. It never has been, and it never will be.
I am upset that Trump has been reelected. I hope you’ve read Project 2025 and Agenda 47. One of Trump’s first priorities is to strip the rights and protections currently in place for Transgender people and youth. This could result in decorated military members being dishonorably discharged and denied the benefits they’ve earned. It will make it harder or impossible for trans people to rent a home, to get a job, or to access appropriate healthcare. It puts them at even greater risk of suicide or being beaten or killed on the street, while they’re walking to… visit a museum.
So, using your reference, I ask you? Is there “Room for Everyone” in Trump’s America? Is there room for my child, who is studying to be a Physician Assistant, to provide trans healthcare? Is there room for their spouse, who teaches Financial Literacy to Special Ed HS seniors, including autistic, queer and trans youth? MY KIDS ARE TRANS, and they just want to hike in state parks, visit museums, square dance, and explore new recipes in the kitchen of their home. Why do I have to feel terrified every day for their safety? Well, I do, because Trump is going to be President.
If you find my words hurtful, maybe you should explore in your own heart why that is. Because I intend to continue speaking out. For the sake of my kids, I can’t do otherwise.
This calls to mind the "conversion" of the Cheneys as they learned to accept that one of their own was a lesbian. Sometimes the key to the conversion is love. Generous spirited love is not what the control freaks on the right are known for, but perhaps some of those magas social evolution will come in time. For instance, I am seeing an increasing number of grandparents wheeling their mixed race and sometimes handicapped grandkids around in strollers. And I have known some whose sharp bigotry was dulled by a toddler or two.
I'm going to bake an apple loaf today and will not declare the outcome until the last crumb is eaten or thrown away. Out of curiosity I decided I need to know the difference between fluid and dry ounces as too much dry will lead to, well, a flatter dry loaf and too much apple (how many cups are in 2 apples) affects the time to bake and moisture in the finished product. The last loaf I made was delicious, but too much apple, though it held up well over several days of munching the edges and center and finally topping the last bite with whipping cream (was out of Marscapone). Minor moral here: We are in a trial and error period of the autopsy, I mean baking, seeking first blame and then promising options before the batter is ready. All takes time and some planning and start-over. No matter what, I will have to mix and then bake for at least 40 minutes, probably longer, as I do like apple taste when one overdoes the chopping two large instead of small apples. TC, we are all just preparing the loaf, it needs time to bake, and then collegial taste testing by good and honest guests like you.
Ah - apple bread! I used to make it often - havent baked in ages. The thought of how good that tasted might be the push I needed.
Also, reading the actual common sense here regarding the "huge clean sweep" election makes me feel better - I didnt pay too much attention to exactly how close it was. Just that doofus & his entourage were elected!
Now I have to get busy & actually buy flour etc etc & make some good stuff.
Thank you. We are definitely in constitutional crisis mode, but we still have political presence and tools. And are far more aware awake and ready for the bullshit than we were in 2016. We didn’t want this, we are having this, and we are battle tested. ALLONS-Y!
Exactly!! So many people are forgetting this. After 2016 we had to improvise and invent from scratch. This time we've got the infrastructure in place and eight years of experience to build on.
Not to brag and I got into a screaming match with brother, Tom ( he was all in on Harris) last week that I am not blaming the D's for this. Once I started reading the demographics I learned that 53% of white women voters voted for that motherfucker. Other numbers were a surprise except for white men. Of course. They went for sepsis 65+%.
Dems ain't perfect. Zeus knows I've been voting for them for 50 years. They don't deserve the unmitigated hate thrown at them.
Another reason I can't sleep at night: trump is as dumb as a rock with an ego to match his stupidity
He's not lasting the term. He looks like shit, etc. What worries me is trump's synchophants will cater to him. It's when Vance becomes potus will the Millers and the Bannons really take over. Trump plays nazi, those fuckers are nazis
I think he'll be gone in a year via the 25th Amendment because he can't manage a crisis of any kind, and should one develop his psychophants know his limitations and it will allow them to seize the power they all want anyway. And Trump is nothing if not the catalyst for a world crisis.
None of us were at our best last week. I suspect they Trump’s dilemma is that he can choose to be a plutocrat or a populist will be his doom. He’s got plenty enough rope to hang himself. I’ll be really surprised if his popularity hasn’t tanked by June.
To put it mildly Jeff has a way with words and he never ceases to amaze and amuse me.
I am proud to say and glad that I have ridden myself of the corporate media. It seems not too many remember the avid support the NYT gave to the Iraq War insisting there were weapons of mass destruction. They had to eat, choke on, and apologize for this relentless support though lacking all support. Info on this can be found on fair.org.
On the plus side I am proud of what I’ve learned from Kamala and Tim and so many who were part of this Democratic program. I also join the many who have turned off the know-it-alls who flood the corporate media. Amazing how little one needs to know to call yourself a journalist.
Keep up the good work, Tom. We need more voices like yours!
Thanks, TC. Sometimes even the best of us are wrong. And they show their true colors when they admit it. My hat's off to you. Looking forward to your upcoming posts.
Thank you! I don't need an endless loop of "we are doomed" and the continual repetition of how bad it is and how bad it is going to be. I am not an idiot, and I would bet most if not all of us; who are reeling from the election know how bad it is going to be. What I would like is less doom and more information on actionable strategies both macro and micro. And another thing, all this people who are posting about leaving the USA (and I was guilty of Googling "where to flee from America), perhaps are not taking into consideration that this could happen anywhere. America isn't unique in flirting with/electing strongmen. We aren't even unique in the arc of history. So, for me it is stay, resist, fight and hope.
The people fantasizing about leaving the country include both drama queens and privileged types who are fine with leaving the rest of us to deal with whatever comes next. They're what Tom Paine was referring to when he wrote about "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots."
Some of those thinking about fleeing remember the jews who survived by leaving Europe. If I was in a marginal group & could leave, I'd think really hard about it.
I understand what you are saying. I have a couple of things that make it challenging for me. I am disabled, and I hate that word; I like to say differently abled, but I am ambulatory, and while it is physically related, I worked hard to make it out of the wheelchair, walk again, and go through surgery here and there! So, it's difficult for me to think about resisting, as in our marching, fighting, and other things. I hope I don't have to do that. And I am single and don't have a bodyguard on standby. My cat doesn't seem up to the task! Okay, so I slipped a joke in. I've got to laugh to keep from crying. I could be targeted as a member of another group, but I don't have a tattoo on my forehead and not sure how that would work anyway. So, moving away crosses my mind, but who am I kidding? I have good days (mostly), but when I have bad physical pain days and walk a bit like a crab several paces, then no, it's probably too complicated. I will have to figure out ways to offer support. I guess I could be handy with first aid, cooking, feeding, sheltering, and things like that. Now I sound like it's going to be a war zone.
Everyone is only asked to do what they are able to do
Educating yourself by reading TCinLA is a form of resistance to trumpism. All the best, Kathy.
Take heart in knowing that Trump is already surrounding himself and filling administrative positions with extremists, dullards, and egomaniacs. And one good sign is that John Thune rather than Elon's preferred Rick Scott was elected Senate Leader. Thune's conservative but he's not nuts. Rubio is raw ambition and will distance himself from the minefield that's shaping up.
We can do small things like infiltrating X and conservative sites where we can make comments and then run without engaging with the snarlers and droolers. We can write actual letters to our reps. We can find ways to use fear that will be legit and not manufactured as the magas have done because 2025 is a threat to us all.
It is already a war zone, and having been in several, the war is going to escalate in intensity soon. Prepare. Find your allies now. Know who is around you and know where they stand.
Kathy, we may see a war zone.
Leaving for the unknown seems like a bad plan unless you already know a place and speak the language and understand that society works
The wind was blowing our way. The only signal this was a tight race came from the polls. Donations, crowds, volunteers, organizations, endorsements it all was in our court. The opposition did everything to loose badly and here we are today. Three devout Christian conservative Republican neighbors sheepishly told us they cannot vote for the opposition. I thought many other conservatives will be saying the same. Trump staffers and cabinet members came out against him. For the old liberals we are cheated out of our last good years. Darn. I have blocked out the news and trying to find scraps of life that may keep my brain from fretting over global warming, Ukraine, women's health, infrastructure progress and Kamala's most excellent future plans for those in the US who are not oligarchs. Exercising and walking outdoors everyday even if only for five minutes is very helpful. Sienfeld and Johnny Carson YouTube work wonders.
Quite a bit of research says exposure to nature and the outdoors promotes healing at all levels, so that's a good approach. It also helps walk off the ice cream for breakfast approach to self comfort...
Best response since November 5!
Yeah, eating the whole thing at once feels good until your body says WTF did you just do to me.
LMAO.
Re-reading old romance novels beats the "news" these days.
I started that when the cable and internet went out after Helene blew through. I’m on my third, and looking for another. 👍🏻😉
Thank you for admitting this, TC. I was doubtful last week but read what you have to say because I trust you more than the mainstream media. Unfortunately The NY Times, et al., have handed him a mandate with their giant headlines about his Sweeping Win, etc. People remember that and forget about the actual numbers. BTW I am cancelling my subscription to the NY Times and am giving the money to better causes. And I’ll keep reading and subscribing to TAFM.
Thank you, Lia. One thing I have (finally) learned is that you can admit to a screwup early or late. Early is easier and better.
I always think that admitting is better than "leaning in." Shows character. And wisdom.
Don’t you know that’s true Tom, early is easier and better. 🙏
I dropped the NYT after 2016 and my WaPo sub is running out. I'm continuing with the Guardian and supplementing it with other media and Substacks that cover areas I'm especially interested in. It works pretty well!
Me too 😁. So much better.
Susanna, I dropped WaPo over a year ago. It’s sad that we can’t trust the media for fair, un- sensationalistic coverage!
Trump was going to get his revenge against the "fake news," but he may not have to since they seem to like defeating themselves.
Low-information voters killed us. Wrong-information voters killed us. I've said before and will say again that many Americans want to believe stories, not facts, and that's why we ended up where we are. I've watched many campaigns since 1980 and few, if any, ran a better campaign than Kamala Harris and her team. But as the line goes from Star Trek, you can do everything right, and still lose.
I've been watching with baleful amusement the buyer's remorse posts highlighted in the Reddit group, r/LeopardsAteMyFace. The amount of stupidity and incredulity is off the charts, sadly.
The Harris campaign reminds me of the movie project my friend Michael took on in the early 90s. As he told me, "It's gonna be perfect." And as it moved along, it was. He was johnny-on-the-spot to option new best-selling mystery writing sensation Walter Mosley's "Devil in a Blue Dress." And then he got Denzel Washington to commit to playing Easy Rawlins. And then he got the right screenwriter to do the adaptation. And the right director. And then he made the genius move of bringing on the unknown Don Cheadle to be Mouse. And the first studio he went to took one look and said "This is A-OK!!!" and they signed the deal and green-lighted it in a week. When I got invited to a pre-release screening, all I could think was it was the best adaptation of a novel I really liked that I'd ever seen. Afterwards I told Michael, "It's perfect." The studio gave the coming release good publicity and it got an October release at the head of the Oscar-wannabe line.
And when I went to see it in the theater, me and the other 20 people in the place had a good time watching it. And things didn't get better.
And nowadays you will find Devil In A Blue Dress listed among Denzel's best performances. It's still "perfect."
Oh, and Michael's next project was "Jumanji."
Nobody. Knows. Anything.
Our business has always been a crap shoot. Some people win more than not, talent at what you do plays a big part, how you are positioned in the payoff structure plays another big part, but in the end you have to sell tickets, and that’s where the crap shoot occurs. Denzel is a big draw and probably had enough in the front end to make either of us rich for the rest of our lives, but it would probably take something like that for him to block out that much of his time for that production. I thought Kamala did a great job, I did everything I could to help her get elected, I have never been so committed to any political candidate, my county, Dekalb voted 85% for her, she still lost GA. I too have been reading and listening for the last week, I have lived off and on in GA since 1964, so I had a front row seat to the civil rights struggle, there are people here who would never vote for her, no matter how much her ideas would help them, I thought that we had turned a corner, her rallies certainly looked like it, sadly I was wrong. It’s going to take a while longer, it will happen or we will cease to be the country I love, not perfect, but working on it. At 78 I hope I live to see it. 🙏
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Methinks the buyer's remorse has not even begun to hit the stride it will when some home truths start hitting so long as they don't also buy into "it's because of the Dems".
The one thing I do not like about those boo hoo stories is when the reason is just that their family or friends are mad at them or they aren't invited to Thanksgiving. The reason is two fold: For one, I've looked at the absolutely despicable grind their ass in our faces posts and gloating, and thought "if we had won there would have been joy and rejoicing but not this type of ugliness" because that's not who we are. The increase in hate and spite after a win seems counter intuitive to me - shouldn't they be Happy? Their type of happy seems... angry, so I get the need to step away from those people and that type, but those are the ones we most need to reach for mid terms When We Can finally stomach it. The other thing is how on earth is it they cared this much about what their friends and family felt and thought of them at least, yet these conversations had not already taken place with enough intensity to cause them to realize how their friends and family would feel at this point? Lots of somebodies failed to communicate things that were quite crucial.
Jesse Watters announced this week that his Kamala-supporting mother told him he and his wife are not welcome for Thanksgiving.
Good for her!!
Well, yeah, but he is an extreme case, he isn't someone anyone (including his mom) is going to be able to reach, and they've been having this conversation publicly for awhile now so we know she has tried (and tried and tried).
There's actually a lot more of that going on than just Jesse Waters. Many people are changing plans for the holidays because of politics. It's sad, but it's there. I'm fortunate that my sisters and BILs are all Democrats; our problem is that we are so far-flung getting together for holidays is impractical!
Families aren't necessarily great at communicating. Or being close to one another. Some cling to the idea that they should operate as a unit. Personally I have met exactly one family that seemed to have a healthy relationship for all. The rest of us are just people trying to get by, doing our best.
LAMF should go down in history
Well Tom, Jeff did not disapoint this morning. He even showed the clown costumes in all their full color glory. As batshit crazy becomes the "New Normal" for the Gold Orifice Party, we can watch in glee, stark terror or deep resolve. It's our choice.
I might also recommend the new to me Substack "WW III" It goes deep into the Russian social media cyber war. A factor that no one dug deep enough into or countered.
Ransom, the disinformation that was fed like a firehose to a willing and eager audience is something to be studied.
Ransom, who is the writer? It is not pulling up on my Substack search.
Wait... Jeff? Who? I'll check out the WW III Substack too... I have more coming in now than I can begin to sample, but by trying many free over time then winnowing I'll get it to a better spread.
Jeff Tiedreich. Excellent guy, but be aware he uses "motherfucker" the way a sailor does.
Ah. I get his but haven't looked at it yet. Trying to plow through some less familiar since I seem to have picked up enough of a herd to need to make some decisions. Will be sure to read.
Hey, I see you there feeling sorry for yourself. Me too, if I'm honest. Sitting here with my problems spread out on the kitchen table like yesterday's mail. But let me tell you something that might help put things in perspective.
Right now, Biden's walking through the White House, getting ready to welcome Trump through those big doors. Think about that for a minute. Whatever's got us down today probably doesn't hold a candle to that particular challenge.
For four years, he's been doing the hard work of putting things back together, whether people bothered to notice or not. Like fixing a broken fence while the neighbors complain about the hammering. And every morning, he and Harris show up, roll up their sleeves, and get to work for us anyway.
So maybe next time we're tempted to throw ourselves a pity party, we might remember that. If they can face their daily stack of troubles without flinching, we can probably handle whatever's on our plate today.
Time to get up from the table. The coffee's getting cold anyway.
Thanks for acknowledging this, TC. Nov. 5 was nowhere close to a blowout, but we're going to have to fight hard to make sure it doesn't become a disaster. Meanwhile -- let's give credit to Harris, Walz, their surrogates, and everyone who pitched in at any level, because what they achieved in just over 100 days is astonishing and inspiring. Here's hoping that competence and energy can be channeled into the Democratic Party apparatus because we're going to need it for the midterms and for 2028.
Love how genuine you are,TC. Thank you!
I’m averse to the doom and gloom loop and the blame game is far above my pay grade. You’re one of those who inspires me to keep fighting.
Although I would have liked “Trump Will Try To Do Every F$&cking Thing He Said” instead of “No Hope For Optimism”. Your Editor😜
Good choice. See what happens when you pull your head out of that place?
Yep. He got about a million votes more than in 2020. 40 times that became eligible to vote since just 2022. All that fear just stoked his base to get out and vote--few others seem to have succumbed to it. More seem to have succumbed to that vague feeling haunting so many who aren't active misogynists or racists--that somehow a woman, or a black, or a black woman isn't quite up to snuff in a position of power. It's the same feeling that perpetuates the glass ceiling and the lower pay for equal work and the mansplaining or interrupting that goes on all the time in a woman's professional job experience.
In our enlightened society, women are competent to HIRE, but rarely competent to LEAD.
Thanks for the pep talk TC. I've followed a somewhat similar path, but now I'm prepared and ready to resist. Currently, I'm taking my time to respond to a friend who called me out for my "cruel and downright hurtful remarks" for anyone that disagrees with me about presidential candidates. I have very good points to make in response, primarily about the cruelty that has been and will continue to be shown towards trans people, like my kids.
Here is the response I came up with to send to my friend:
Dear Friend, I appreciate that you felt you could express your feelings to me and allow me the opportunity to respond. I struggle to understand why my posts were “cruel”. My intention was to call out what I believe to be an avalanche of lies and disinformation put out by Trump and his allies during the campaign. My mistake was in believing that most people would recognize those egregious lies and vote against him. I was wrong. It turns out that millions of people – not you, perhaps – believed those lies or simply agreed with all the things he wants to do.
I don’t know how you voted, and I have no desire to know. You’re my friend, and that is not conditional on political views. It never has been, and it never will be.
I am upset that Trump has been reelected. I hope you’ve read Project 2025 and Agenda 47. One of Trump’s first priorities is to strip the rights and protections currently in place for Transgender people and youth. This could result in decorated military members being dishonorably discharged and denied the benefits they’ve earned. It will make it harder or impossible for trans people to rent a home, to get a job, or to access appropriate healthcare. It puts them at even greater risk of suicide or being beaten or killed on the street, while they’re walking to… visit a museum.
So, using your reference, I ask you? Is there “Room for Everyone” in Trump’s America? Is there room for my child, who is studying to be a Physician Assistant, to provide trans healthcare? Is there room for their spouse, who teaches Financial Literacy to Special Ed HS seniors, including autistic, queer and trans youth? MY KIDS ARE TRANS, and they just want to hike in state parks, visit museums, square dance, and explore new recipes in the kitchen of their home. Why do I have to feel terrified every day for their safety? Well, I do, because Trump is going to be President.
If you find my words hurtful, maybe you should explore in your own heart why that is. Because I intend to continue speaking out. For the sake of my kids, I can’t do otherwise.
Please take good care my friend.
This calls to mind the "conversion" of the Cheneys as they learned to accept that one of their own was a lesbian. Sometimes the key to the conversion is love. Generous spirited love is not what the control freaks on the right are known for, but perhaps some of those magas social evolution will come in time. For instance, I am seeing an increasing number of grandparents wheeling their mixed race and sometimes handicapped grandkids around in strollers. And I have known some whose sharp bigotry was dulled by a toddler or two.
I'm going to bake an apple loaf today and will not declare the outcome until the last crumb is eaten or thrown away. Out of curiosity I decided I need to know the difference between fluid and dry ounces as too much dry will lead to, well, a flatter dry loaf and too much apple (how many cups are in 2 apples) affects the time to bake and moisture in the finished product. The last loaf I made was delicious, but too much apple, though it held up well over several days of munching the edges and center and finally topping the last bite with whipping cream (was out of Marscapone). Minor moral here: We are in a trial and error period of the autopsy, I mean baking, seeking first blame and then promising options before the batter is ready. All takes time and some planning and start-over. No matter what, I will have to mix and then bake for at least 40 minutes, probably longer, as I do like apple taste when one overdoes the chopping two large instead of small apples. TC, we are all just preparing the loaf, it needs time to bake, and then collegial taste testing by good and honest guests like you.
Ah - apple bread! I used to make it often - havent baked in ages. The thought of how good that tasted might be the push I needed.
Also, reading the actual common sense here regarding the "huge clean sweep" election makes me feel better - I didnt pay too much attention to exactly how close it was. Just that doofus & his entourage were elected!
Now I have to get busy & actually buy flour etc etc & make some good stuff.
Yum. About to slam together. A new recipe, so new challenges. Be sane.
Thank you. We are definitely in constitutional crisis mode, but we still have political presence and tools. And are far more aware awake and ready for the bullshit than we were in 2016. We didn’t want this, we are having this, and we are battle tested. ALLONS-Y!
Exactly!! So many people are forgetting this. After 2016 we had to improvise and invent from scratch. This time we've got the infrastructure in place and eight years of experience to build on.
Not to brag and I got into a screaming match with brother, Tom ( he was all in on Harris) last week that I am not blaming the D's for this. Once I started reading the demographics I learned that 53% of white women voters voted for that motherfucker. Other numbers were a surprise except for white men. Of course. They went for sepsis 65+%.
Dems ain't perfect. Zeus knows I've been voting for them for 50 years. They don't deserve the unmitigated hate thrown at them.
Another reason I can't sleep at night: trump is as dumb as a rock with an ego to match his stupidity
He's not lasting the term. He looks like shit, etc. What worries me is trump's synchophants will cater to him. It's when Vance becomes potus will the Millers and the Bannons really take over. Trump plays nazi, those fuckers are nazis
I think he'll be gone in a year via the 25th Amendment because he can't manage a crisis of any kind, and should one develop his psychophants know his limitations and it will allow them to seize the power they all want anyway. And Trump is nothing if not the catalyst for a world crisis.
I'm hoping that since they insist on doing the analysis by group, they include the new votes coming in from CA etc.
None of us were at our best last week. I suspect they Trump’s dilemma is that he can choose to be a plutocrat or a populist will be his doom. He’s got plenty enough rope to hang himself. I’ll be really surprised if his popularity hasn’t tanked by June.
That's my estimate too. Give the chaos enough time.
Resistance is probably futile, but patience may well pay off bigger than a Harris win might have.
To put it mildly Jeff has a way with words and he never ceases to amaze and amuse me.
I am proud to say and glad that I have ridden myself of the corporate media. It seems not too many remember the avid support the NYT gave to the Iraq War insisting there were weapons of mass destruction. They had to eat, choke on, and apologize for this relentless support though lacking all support. Info on this can be found on fair.org.
On the plus side I am proud of what I’ve learned from Kamala and Tim and so many who were part of this Democratic program. I also join the many who have turned off the know-it-alls who flood the corporate media. Amazing how little one needs to know to call yourself a journalist.
Tht's why the over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable low achieving white boys flock to the DC Press Corpse.