If there is a military history metaphor for where we are now, it is the summer of 1942, following the battle of Midway and just at the decision to invade Guadalcanal.
From Michigan I have a little different perspective on November's elections. As you reported earlier, our state Democratic party purposely supported an evil trumper in order to successfully kick off (and de-halo) Republican Rep. Peter Meijer from the ticket. The Republicans I know in the Grand Rapids area (okay, I don't know the DeVoses even though one of their 5 or 6 houses is in a friend's neighborhood) are not going to vote for rabid tRumpers. Add to that, a legion of wives and girlfriends who are threatening cessation of husband' and boyfriend's access to their lover's reproductive systems if the men should vote for these rabid skunks, and add the legion of proper Christian Reformed Republican women who have had one or 2 abortions, and may need another, I see and feel us moving past the Guadalcanal Moment (or, in future history books, the Kansas Moment), to victory for democracy. My neighbor is a shirttail relative of Admiral Halsey and a history buff. I will get another quote for you. Thanks as always, TC, for being point on and irreverent.
P.S. This is Michigan, where your car gets hit by a deer (yesterday, a tan blur before the thump), and the biggest concern discussed by the deputy and a passerby (who knows somebody I know) and myself is if the venison will keep without going bad in this 70° heat long enough for my hunter friend to get here and haul it to the village market where Frank will probably let us hang it for 5 days in their walk-in frig until the hunter can butcher it (and, of course, steal the back straps). The deputy offered to hoist the young buck into the back of my Subaru Outback and let me drive it there myself except a) we didn't know if my car was driveable after the collision and b) I had just detailed my car by myself, 1st time ever, for 3 1/2 hours the day before and had left the plastic mat that protects the carpet back drying in my driveway. Clearly we needed a pick up truck. But we didn't have the 15 or 20 minutes to wait until we could flag one down. So the deputy offered to drag the deer into the woods so no one would steal it before one of us could borrow a pick up and come git it. Then I climbed back in the rider side door of my car, clambered over the console and into the driver's seat (because, of course, my car door wouldn't open after the deer smashed into it), and tentatively drove a few yards, got the shimmy out of it, and drove to town to pick up the hunter so he could pick up his pick up (sorry, that's the truth). Before I took off, though, the officer gave me a claim number so my insurance would cover the cost of the repairs, and reminded me to call my insurance agent once the deer was safe. Long story short (you have to say "long story short" somewhere in your Michigan story), the hunter decreed that my trusty Subaru had caused too much internal damage to the meat to save any of it. We did take a brief moment to honor the buck's spirit (OUR hunters are respectful). Then I called the insurance folks who said, no problem, the collision folks can get the car appraised this week, although the repair folks won't get STARTED until November because of "supply chain issues" and "staff shortages" and "inflationary prices." Politics. Whateryagonnado.
A true story by a true-BLUE Michigander storyteller. The deer didn't make it out but the driver is just fine. The Subaru Outback's life on the road was temporarily suspended, but the deputy was helpful; the hunter knew the score; the insurer was ok and the fine lady Michigander goes on to fight for Democracy with friends and neighbors day after day! Some loss, plenty of mutual consideration, and in the end, All's Well that Ends Well. GO BLUE
Even without the Subaru, you've absolutely got your engine running. I took a chance to adapt your story to sing your praises. Glad you didn't mind. Whew!
Fern, you are a hoot! I am humbled by your praise and energized by your glee! We shall fight the good fight and win back democracy in November! And hopefully my car will be out of the shop before President Pete Buttigieg takes office (in 2028).
I shared this on my FB page with this message introducing it: "This reads like a Who's Who of the misbegotten. I held the vision of that bar scene in Star Wars as I also held my nose. Gop slop STINKS folks.
TC gave us a military pep talk. We are at war, so it makes sense to use military metaphors for where we are now. We know we can’t relax over a victory in Kansas, there were defeats as well. In THE TRUMPERS ARE STILL A MAJOR THREAT, TC, shook away any complacency we might have by bringing us face to face with some of our enemies and to several major battlefields.
Sometimes, I like to mix metaphors. There are TRUMPERS and there are "TRUMPETERS’. Blow those TRUMPERS out the bushes the way Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Bix Beiderbecke, Hugh Masekela, Andrea Motis, Tine Thing Helseth, Arturo Sandoval and Maurice Andre would. Yes, warriors there are women trumpeters on this list who are playing now in 2022.
Find your motivation to do battle - here, among friends, working with grassroots organizations, news stories… What about working on a pep talk; get good at it, so you recruit more pro-democracy, BLUE WAVE WARRIORS who know how to blow the enemy away!
We are Midway to victory. Grassroots to Guadalcanal…converse with all who are interested. No doomerism. Again by Ogden Nash… “The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.” Keep pressing on the door. We have the facts and historians such as TC and HCR giving us rich context.
Choose your words with intention. The University is listening. It’s not…”hope we win in November.” Its “we gain, we are victorious, we win for democracy in November and every day. Hope follows action with clear intention. Act with optimism. Hope follows bringing forth the impact of our actions. Then we can hope to forge a strong path forward into our future.
A great metaphor, TC. There are very real turning points in battles.Let us hope we are in one and fight on with new resolve. As you say so often, but much more colorfully than I, " it ain't over til the fat orange guy sings." Now is the time to turn up the heat. DeSantis is on the move. Each day doing something more political and outrageous. I want his hubris to get him so bad that even his 250 million war chest cannot save his derriere ( you would have said #*%#* ass)!!!! TY, TC.
I like the term " cleavered" that someone came up with on LFAA.....perfect fit!
Fern, you are a hoot! I am humbled by your praise and energized by your glee! We shall fight the good fight and win back democracy in November! And hopefully my car will be out of the shop before President Pete Buttigieg takes office (in 2028).
From Michigan I have a little different perspective on November's elections. As you reported earlier, our state Democratic party purposely supported an evil trumper in order to successfully kick off (and de-halo) Republican Rep. Peter Meijer from the ticket. The Republicans I know in the Grand Rapids area (okay, I don't know the DeVoses even though one of their 5 or 6 houses is in a friend's neighborhood) are not going to vote for rabid tRumpers. Add to that, a legion of wives and girlfriends who are threatening cessation of husband' and boyfriend's access to their lover's reproductive systems if the men should vote for these rabid skunks, and add the legion of proper Christian Reformed Republican women who have had one or 2 abortions, and may need another, I see and feel us moving past the Guadalcanal Moment (or, in future history books, the Kansas Moment), to victory for democracy. My neighbor is a shirttail relative of Admiral Halsey and a history buff. I will get another quote for you. Thanks as always, TC, for being point on and irreverent.
P.S. This is Michigan, where your car gets hit by a deer (yesterday, a tan blur before the thump), and the biggest concern discussed by the deputy and a passerby (who knows somebody I know) and myself is if the venison will keep without going bad in this 70° heat long enough for my hunter friend to get here and haul it to the village market where Frank will probably let us hang it for 5 days in their walk-in frig until the hunter can butcher it (and, of course, steal the back straps). The deputy offered to hoist the young buck into the back of my Subaru Outback and let me drive it there myself except a) we didn't know if my car was driveable after the collision and b) I had just detailed my car by myself, 1st time ever, for 3 1/2 hours the day before and had left the plastic mat that protects the carpet back drying in my driveway. Clearly we needed a pick up truck. But we didn't have the 15 or 20 minutes to wait until we could flag one down. So the deputy offered to drag the deer into the woods so no one would steal it before one of us could borrow a pick up and come git it. Then I climbed back in the rider side door of my car, clambered over the console and into the driver's seat (because, of course, my car door wouldn't open after the deer smashed into it), and tentatively drove a few yards, got the shimmy out of it, and drove to town to pick up the hunter so he could pick up his pick up (sorry, that's the truth). Before I took off, though, the officer gave me a claim number so my insurance would cover the cost of the repairs, and reminded me to call my insurance agent once the deer was safe. Long story short (you have to say "long story short" somewhere in your Michigan story), the hunter decreed that my trusty Subaru had caused too much internal damage to the meat to save any of it. We did take a brief moment to honor the buck's spirit (OUR hunters are respectful). Then I called the insurance folks who said, no problem, the collision folks can get the car appraised this week, although the repair folks won't get STARTED until November because of "supply chain issues" and "staff shortages" and "inflationary prices." Politics. Whateryagonnado.
A true story by a true-BLUE Michigander storyteller. The deer didn't make it out but the driver is just fine. The Subaru Outback's life on the road was temporarily suspended, but the deputy was helpful; the hunter knew the score; the insurer was ok and the fine lady Michigander goes on to fight for Democracy with friends and neighbors day after day! Some loss, plenty of mutual consideration, and in the end, All's Well that Ends Well. GO BLUE
GO BLUE!
Even without the Subaru, you've absolutely got your engine running. I took a chance to adapt your story to sing your praises. Glad you didn't mind. Whew!
To the our heroine in BLUE, MaryPat Sercu!
Fern, you are a hoot! I am humbled by your praise and energized by your glee! We shall fight the good fight and win back democracy in November! And hopefully my car will be out of the shop before President Pete Buttigieg takes office (in 2028).
We are Sisters - absolutely. I loved my Subaru Outback, best car we ever had. And you and I are attracted to the same man!! How do you like that?
Thanks Fern!
This needs more than a WOW, great story.
…and who did not use the word genitals? Go you Michigander!
The Lysistrata strategy could be a powerful tool used properly. Your comments are similarly on point and very hopeful.
I hope that you check out the music link I provided.
PS Do you have any Lysistrata tips, Dave?
I'll definitely check the link, I'm not sure what kind of tips there could be.
You are the 'trumpeter'' tonight MaryPat. Love your song and what's happening in your neck of Michigan! May it spread!
I shared this on my FB page with this message introducing it: "This reads like a Who's Who of the misbegotten. I held the vision of that bar scene in Star Wars as I also held my nose. Gop slop STINKS folks.
VOTE BLUE."
That's actually an insult to the guy who "had the death sentence in three systems." :-)
Lol!
TC gave us a military pep talk. We are at war, so it makes sense to use military metaphors for where we are now. We know we can’t relax over a victory in Kansas, there were defeats as well. In THE TRUMPERS ARE STILL A MAJOR THREAT, TC, shook away any complacency we might have by bringing us face to face with some of our enemies and to several major battlefields.
Sometimes, I like to mix metaphors. There are TRUMPERS and there are "TRUMPETERS’. Blow those TRUMPERS out the bushes the way Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Bix Beiderbecke, Hugh Masekela, Andrea Motis, Tine Thing Helseth, Arturo Sandoval and Maurice Andre would. Yes, warriors there are women trumpeters on this list who are playing now in 2022.
Find your motivation to do battle - here, among friends, working with grassroots organizations, news stories… What about working on a pep talk; get good at it, so you recruit more pro-democracy, BLUE WAVE WARRIORS who know how to blow the enemy away!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUBuzJJAeYU
That is an awesome piece of music. Thanks Fern.
I'm so glad you listened. Great musicians = Gigantic spirit.
A super group before there were supergroups.
We are Midway to victory. Grassroots to Guadalcanal…converse with all who are interested. No doomerism. Again by Ogden Nash… “The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.” Keep pressing on the door. We have the facts and historians such as TC and HCR giving us rich context.
Choose your words with intention. The University is listening. It’s not…”hope we win in November.” Its “we gain, we are victorious, we win for democracy in November and every day. Hope follows action with clear intention. Act with optimism. Hope follows bringing forth the impact of our actions. Then we can hope to forge a strong path forward into our future.
Unita. 🗽
Yep we need the Marine spirit and courage exemplified by Chesty Puller on the Canal to save our bacon again. Semper Fi.
A great metaphor, TC. There are very real turning points in battles.Let us hope we are in one and fight on with new resolve. As you say so often, but much more colorfully than I, " it ain't over til the fat orange guy sings." Now is the time to turn up the heat. DeSantis is on the move. Each day doing something more political and outrageous. I want his hubris to get him so bad that even his 250 million war chest cannot save his derriere ( you would have said #*%#* ass)!!!! TY, TC.
I like the term " cleavered" that someone came up with on LFAA.....perfect fit!
Fern, you are a hoot! I am humbled by your praise and energized by your glee! We shall fight the good fight and win back democracy in November! And hopefully my car will be out of the shop before President Pete Buttigieg takes office (in 2028).