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GNR for Friday, January 24, 2025: Let's make that guy unpopular [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-01-24
Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
This week has been tough. We are entering a time when we are giving power to lies and to hatred.
I know it’s tough to see the path forward. And I can’t guarantee that there is a path forward. But people who are smarter and braver than I have seen ways to move ahead.
Their plans really are dark, but many of them are also dumb, in the sense that they don’t make sense. So many of them cannot succeed.
Here are some quick hits.
Stay involved. Yeah, that’s tough. I want to look away too, but by taking simple actions you can make a difference. Keep contacting your representatives, both in DC and at home.
Support causes that will fight. Send money if you can. Also, spread their news with clicks and conversation.
Slow them down. Oppose and block at every turn.
Make tRump unpopular. Doing this weakens him. And it should not be that difficult. The GOP made a lot out of Biden is old and eggs cost too much. Well, tRump is older than Biden was at the beginning of his term and tRump has no policies that are going to bring down inflation. And a host of other problems, like he’s a convicted felon.
Divide the GOP from each other. They are a coalition based on contradictory promises, so there’s plenty to work with.
Keep telling the truth and showing love.
Make sure to pace yourselves in this marathon and to practice self-care.
Now, come on in, dear gnusies.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, and the chaos. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country and the planet from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know.
Remember:
💜 Although they lie all the time, reality matters. And our goals — based on reality — are more popular.
💙 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, make sure to protect yourself, your family and your friends, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
🗽 Reports on Resisters 🗽
Jessica Craven from Chop Wood, Carry Water was really inspiring this week. I’ve got bits from her Jan 21 2025 entry, titled Breathe. Act. Rest. Repeat.
I won’t take time to rehash the many outrages already visited upon us by the new Trump Presidency. Of them, I am sure, you’re well aware. What I will do is offer you a few reminders. They’re not meant to be a panacea—nothing can sugarcoat the dangerous moment we’re in—but I do hope they help take the edge off of the worst of your anxiety. First, remember that Trump’s flurry of Executive Orders were meant to dishearten, dismay, and overwhelm you—to provoke “shock and awe.” Don’t give him (or his team) the satisfaction. Remember, EO’s provide red meat for Trump’s base, but we know from recent history that they’re not always enforceable. Many will be held up in litigation for years, and some—like the birthright citizenship order—will almost certainly be deemed unconstitutional. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be upset by them, but it’s easier to tolerate the distress when we remember that not all of these orders will actually come to pass.
And here it is being blocked already:
x TODAY - Federal judge BLOCKS Trump order violating Constitution on birthright citizenship Reagan-appointed judge: “I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case whether the question presented was as clear." The fights are coming. And we will WIN. — Tristan Snell (@tristansnell.bsky.social) 2025-01-24T03:20:41.524Z
More from CNN Tierney Sneed
A federal judge said Thursday that President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship was “blatantly unconstitutional” and issued a temporary restraining order to block it. Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee who sits in Seattle, granted the request by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states for the emergency order halting implementation of the policy for the next 14 days while there are more briefings in the legal challenge.
Democracy Docket is one of the best fighters. They have a new area devoted to holding tRump accountable.
Earlier this week, we launched a new content vertical dedicated to reporting on the Trump administration’s anti-democratic actions and the pro-democracy litigation fighting back. Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage and send any tips to
[email protected].
💪 Get Ready to Fight 💪
This week we’re wrapping up Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny, with the last two lessons
Lesson 19: Be a Patriot: Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.
This means living up to America’s ideals, and demanding that America live up to its ideals (starting with allowing people to vote and then accurately counting the votes). Snyder distinguishes between nationalists as those defending their nation no matter what (even when it’s run by someone like Kim Jong Un) and patriots who love their country (pay taxes, are kind to vets) but who demand that it be better and try to make it so.
*
Lesson 20: Be as Courageous as You Can: If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.
Sometimes we really need to be brave and it is tough. But Snyder talks about the courage he has seen in small forms. Like making eye contact. Or being the person to stand up, to point out the problems and the lies, to defend the weak.
If a wannabe tyrant sees that people are ready to take risks, he may choose not to take tyrannical risks. If we show courage before, then perhaps the attacks will not come or be less.
*
Of course, I am thinking of General Patton and the famous line about war: The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
More from Jessica Craven and her email of 1/21
Third, remember, as Dan Pfeiffer reminded us yet again this morning, that Trump’s policies are deeply unpopular. Americans elected him by a slim margin because they wanted cheaper eggs. Not a single EO Trump announced yesterday will meaningfully accomplish that goal. Mass deportations will achieve the opposite. So will tariffs. Ending birthright citizenship is unpopular. Pardoning the January 6 rioters is deeply, deeply so. Trump is assuming he can do whatever he wants and maintain Americans’ support. He is wrong. Fourth, never underestimate Trumpworld’s propensity for self-destruction. Some of the work of ridding ourselves of these crooks will be done without our lifting a finger. Vivek Ramaswamy, for example, is already gone. Others will soon follow. Remember, the average lifespan of a Trump appointee is “one Scaramucci.” Bannon has sworn to destroy Musk. Musk seems hellbent on destroying himself. Enmities and grudges abound. Internecine battles will be the order of the day. To some extent we can trust in this band of brigands to destroy itself. Of course, bad actors can and will be replaced, but some of the worst offenders will swiftly leave the scene. We can rely on it.
As Jessica Craven says, many of tRump’s policies are unpopular. What we need to do is to make them even more unpopular.
How to Stop Trump in One Stupid Chart Jonathan V. Last The Bulwark at Substack
I gave you the stupidest possible headline today, but only because I couldn’t think of a less dumb way to say the most obvious thing in the world. Stopping Trump’s war on America isn’t like solving Fermat’s Last Theorem. It’s actually quite simple. ✂️ At -1.6 unfavorable, Trump is a juggernaut. At -18 unfavorable, Trump is weak. Pushing him to -18 is Democrats’ job. Their entire job. In fact, I’m not sure that anything else they do over the next year even matters. ✂️ You will note that over the course of eight years Donald Trump has been at his current level of relative popularity only twice. The normal state of affairs for Trump has been a net unfavorable level of roughly -13. Which means that we’re not trying to argue people into buying sunscreen during a blizzard. People don’t like the guy. They’re used to not liking the guy.
If tRump’s popularity goes down, then he will have a hard time passing things. SCOTUS will be less obedient.
Last has lots of things to push in order to make tRump’s popularity go down.
🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚
More from Jessica Craven’s 1/21 substack entry:
Second, on climate specifically, remember how much power states have. While Trump has withdrawn from the Paris agreement, states can and will continue transitioning to clean energy—some more and some less, for sure, but the direction the country—and the world— is going in is clear. Clean energy is cheaper. It’s abundant. And it’s popular. Trump can posture as much as he wants, but he can only do so much to slow the inevitable. Remember, much of the money for Inflation Reduction Act programs is already out the door. The projects being funded are largely bringing jobs and economic stimulus to red states. Trump can try to stop them, but doing so will be politically costly. Meanwhile Blue states can and will work to make up the losses we suffer on a federal level.
Pima County Arizona Democrats prepare to fight (from an email). Pima County is on the border.
Sheriff: We elected a Democratic Sheriff, who said publicly on local news, that he has no intention of helping the federal government round up families and place them in migrant camps, or worse separate them altogether. Sheriff Nanos: “The federal taxpayer dollars that go to Border Patrol and Customs, and (the Department of Homeland Security), those are federal dollars to complete their mission. I get county taxpayer dollars to complete my mission. If they look at that as resistance or obstruction, or whatever it is, I can’t help them there … but we will not be doing immigration enforcement.” Pima County Attorney: PCDP helped Pima County Attorney and Democrat, Laura Conover hold her seat. She told local media that: "unconstitutional directives will be challenged in court." “I will work with our police chief to make sure that our focus remains on protecting and serving Tucsonans. Here in Tucson, we know how to stand up and fight against hate and racist laws. Part of our history is coming together with our faith leaders and other organizations to protect children and families from separation. I am unwavering in my commitment to this fight.” South Tucson Mayor, Roxanna Valenzuela: "I'm not worried about legal action against myself or other elected officials. My priority is ensuring a safer environment for our community and providing them with the resources they need to overcome these uncertain times." Tucson City Council: We held a Democratic supermajority on our city’s council. The Democrats in these seats also have no interest in helping Trump’s Border Czar traumatize children and parents. Board of Supervisors: We maintained a Democratic majority on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor and Chair of the Board, Rex Scott: “I think they ought to get back to the drawing board and work on dealing with matters associated with immigration policy that have needed to be addressed for decades, and not worry about coming after local officials who are dealing with the fact that the federal government has, for decades, failed to address necessary changes to immigration policy."
The last partial week of posts at the White House Briefing Room. Alas, the links no longer work so you only get to read the headlines.
💜 Unity? 💜
More from Jessica Craven’s 1/21 substack entry.
Fifth, there’s us. And really, this is the most important part. As Robert Hubbell often says, “we’re not potted plants.” Quite the contrary. We are a force to be reckoned with. We have agency, intelligence, courage, strength, and vast numbers on our side. We have the artists. We have the educated. We have the decent majority. We have money. We have the moral high ground. We have a vast network of seasoned activists who know how to fight and have shown themselves willing to do so. We have democracy movements the world over rooting for us. We have some incredible elected officials. We have a ton of experience winning tough fights. Most importantly, we have each other. This is going to be a slog, folks. I wish it weren’t our reality—I really do. But it is, and it’s important for us to see the danger with clear eyes. That means not underestimating the threat, yes. But it also means not overestimating it. Trump and his team are formidable, but they’re not superhuman. They’re beatable. Their greed makes them clumsy. They have blind spots. We will find them and exploit them. We are up to the job. We have to be.
President Biden’s remarks on the cease-fire White House Briefing Room, link no longer works
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. And it’s a very good afternoon, because at long last, I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. For more than 15 months of conflict that began with Hezbollah’s [Hamas’s] brutal massacre on October the 7th; more than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people; and more than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza, fighting in Gaza will stop and soon the hostages will return home to their families. The elements of this deal were what I laid out in detail this past May, which was embraced by countries around the world and endorsed overwhelmingly by the U.N. Security Council. The deal is structured in three phases. Phase one will last six weeks. It includes a full and complete ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and — and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded. And I’m proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in phase one as well. And the vice president and I cannot wait to welcome them home. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. And during phase one, the Palestinians can also return to their neighborhoods in all the areas of Gaza, and the surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin, and the innocent people can have a greater access to these vital supplies. You know, during the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get phase two, which is a permanent end of the war. Let me say that again: a permanent end of the war. There are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two, but the plan says if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue, as long as the negotiations continue. I’ve spoken to the amir of Kuwait [Qatar] and the president of Egypt, and we have pledged to make sure the negotiations will keep moving forward for as long as it takes. Then, when phase two begins, there will be an exchange of — for a release of the remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and all remaining Israeli forces will be withdrawn from Gaza and the temporary ceasefire will become permanent. And finally, phase three. Any final remains of hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin. This — this is the ceasefire agreement I introduced last spring. Today, Hamas and Israel have agreed to that ceasefire agreement and the whole — ending the war. You know, those of you have followed the negotiations can attest, the road to this deal has not been easy. I’ve worked in foreign policy for decades. This is one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced. And we reached this point because — because of the pressure that Israel built on Hamas, backed by the United States. Hamas’s longtime leader, Sinwar, was killed. Hamas’s strongest supporter, Iran, launched attacks in Israel. And those attacks failed after my administration organized a coalition of nations to stop them. And after I ordered the U.S. ships and planes to come to Israel’s defense, we also shaped Israel’s strong and calibrated response, destroying Iran’s air defenses but avoiding an escalatory cycle of an all-out war. The United States also organized a coalition of 20 countries to stand up to attacks by the Houthis, including their missile attacks in Israel. Then Hezbollah, another of Hamas’s strongest backers, was significantly weakened on the battlefield and its leadership was destroyed. With our support, Israel s- — Israel negotiated a ceasefire with them. And after that, Lebanon finally elected a new president who’s not — who’s not beholden to Hezbollah, and he can begin a new chapter for the Lebanese people. All told, these developments in the region, which the United States helped to shape, changed the equation. And so, now the terror network that once protected and sustained Hamas is far weaker. Iran is weaker. Iran is weaker than it’s been in decades. Hezbollah is badly degraded. And after more than 15 months of war, Hamas’s senior leaders are dead, thousands of Hamas fighters are dead, and the military formations have been destroyed. With nowhere to turn, Hamas finally agreed to releasing hostages. You know, there was no other way for this war to end than with a hostage deal, and I’m deeply satisfied this day has come — finally come for the sake of the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war. The Palestinian people have gone through hell. Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. In this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild. They can look to a future without Hamas in power. You know, the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Many peacemakers helped make this deal happen, including an extraordinary team of American diplomats who have worked nonstop for months to get this done. Secretary Blinken led the effort. Secretary Jake Sullivan — not — National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Bill Burns, Jon Finer, Brett McGurk, Amos Hochstein, and the vice president worked relentlessly as we worked to deliver this deal. I’d also note this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration. In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team. This has been time of real turmoil in the Middle East, but as I prepare to leave office, our friends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there’s a genuine opportunities for a new future. In Lebanon, there’s an opportunity for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah; in Syria, a future free from the tyranny of Assad; and for the Palestinian people, a credible — a credible pathway to a state of their own; and for the region, a future of normalization, integration of Israel and all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia. At the G20 in Delhi in September ’23, I rallied key countries behind a vision of an economic corridor from India across the Middle East to Europe. That vision can now become a reality. There are risks as well, including ISIS and Iran, even in a badly weakened state, but — but we’re handing off the — to the next team a real opportunity for a better future for the Middle East. I hope they will take it. Let me close with this. My f- — my friend for years in the United States Senate, former Senator George Mitchell, who did so much to forge peace in Northern Ireland, once said di- — about diplomacy — said it is a “700 days of failure and 1 day of success.” “Seven hundred days of failure and one day of success.” Well, we’ve had many difficult days since Hamas began its terrible war. We’ve encountered roadblocks and setbacks, but we’ve not given up. And now, after more than 40- — 400 days of struggle, a day of success has arrived. God bless all the hostages and their families. May God protect the troops of all those who work for peace. Q Mr. President, how can you see the future of Gaza now — as you are saying, the implementation of this deal will be in the hands of the next administration and, basically, they will shape the future of Gaza. So, how do you see this future? And also, how much credit do you give to give to the Trump team for this deal? Trump is already taking credit for it. THE PRESIDENT: Well, you know, this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May — exact — and — and we got the world to endorse it. Secondly, it’s America’s support for Israel that helped them badly weaken Hamas and its backers and create the conditions for this deal. And thirdly, I knew this deal would have to be implemented by the next team, so I told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice, because that’s what American presidents do.
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
Tax-exempt organization complaint referrals. 13909. You can fill this out for the NRA and lots of other organizations. How about if some of us white folk go into some of the MAGA churches and video record what they’re saying?
Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threatening our democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the state and federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you can support and contact these organizations:
ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union
Democracy Docket — founded by Marc Elias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election.
Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams
🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 Run for something. If you want to run for something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They also like money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even if you’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others.
🔎 Want to check out what’s going on with campaign contributions? Check out this diary. 👀
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
The Pathetic Billionaires’ Club Paul Krugman Substack
But what’s truly extraordinary is the way billionaires have been abasing themselves before Donald Trump, a spectacle highlighted by Ann Telnaes’s now-famous cartoon — the one Jeff Bezos spiked, causing her to quit the Washington Post: PS: I strongly urge everyone to show Ann Telnaes some love by reading her Substack, getting a paid subscription if you can afford it. Why is this self-owning by billionaires so extraordinary? Well, ask yourself: What’s the point of being rich? Past a certain level of wealth, it can’t really be about material things. I very much doubt that billionaires have a significantly higher quality of life than mere multimillionaires. To the extent that there’s a valid reason for accumulating a very large fortune, I’d say that it involves freedom, the ability to live your life more or less however you want. Indeed, one definition of true wealth is having “fuck you money” — enough money to walk away from unpleasant situations or distasteful individuals without suffering a big decline in your living standards. And some very wealthy men — most obviously Mark Cuban, but I’d at least tentatively include Bill Gates and Warren Buffett — do seem to exhibit the kind of independence wealth gives you if you choose to exercise it. The likes of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, however, surely have that kind of money, yet they’re prostrating themselves before Trump. They aren’t stupid; they have to know what kind of person Trump is and understand — whether or not they admit it to themselves — the humiliating nature of their behavior. So why do they do it? The answer, I believe, is that many (not all!) rich men are extraordinarily insecure. I’ve seen this phenomenon many times, although I can only speculate about what causes it. My best guess is that a billionaire, having climbed to incredible heights, realizes that he’s still an ordinary human being who puts his pants on one leg at a time, and asks, “Is this all there is?”
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
President Biden protects the truth tellers:
Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy. Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties. In certain cases, some have even been threatened with criminal prosecutions, including General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, and the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions. General Milley served our nation for more than 40 years, serving in multiple command and leadership posts and deploying to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he guided our Armed Forces through complex global security threats and strengthened our existing alliances while forging new ones. For more than half a century, Dr. Fauci served our country. He saved countless lives by managing the government’s response to pressing health crises, including HIV/AIDS, as well as the Ebola and Zika viruses. During his tenure as my Chief Medical Advisor, he helped the country tackle a once-in-a-century pandemic. The United States is safer and healthier because of him. On January 6, 2021, American democracy was tested when a mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn a fair and free election by force and violence. In light of the significance of that day, Congress established the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol to investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances, and causes of the insurrection. The Select Committee fulfilled this mission with integrity and a commitment to discovering the truth. Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions. I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances. That is why I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee. The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
Teen rescuer rides scared horse out of the fires Andy Corbley Good News Network
Dozens of stories and videos have come out showing heroic actions taken across Los Angeles County where 5 separate wildfires recently broke out in a single short period and burned thousands of homes down. With the fires originating in the canyon systems north of the city, Kalyna Fedorowycz, a 16-year-old equestrian, was faced with a frightening ordeal as she and the other hands at a stable had to load the horses up into trailers and get them out of the path of the fire. Famously ‘spookable,’ there was inevitably one horse that just wouldn’t get onto the transport. Fedorowycz, not willing to leave the black mare behind, led the animal 14 miles along the road in front of the horse transport, sometimes riding, sometimes walking, sometimes jogging, but all the while coaxing the recalcitrant horse along.
🌻 Personal Self Care 🌻
Plan a treat for yourself every day. Please: not too much sugar or alcohol. I want as many of us to be as healthy as possible, both physically and emotionally. A treat for yourself — remembering to do the things you love — reminds you that life is worth living.
Find some corner that you can make better. It doesn’t have to be something civic, although that’s good too. Make sure you have family and friends and community. And, of course, this community is important, too.
I also want you to take precautions. Do you have a current passport? Can you stock up on essentials with respect to food, water, toilet paper, medicines, supplements and so on? If you cannot, can you find those who can help you? If you have stuff to spare, can you help others?
My own little treats for myself this week: listening to more music that I like.
Please, include ideas in the comments, both treats you like or you think others will like, or ideas on how to batten the hatches for the coming storm.
📎 Odds & Ends & Funnies 📎
Laughter is the best medicine. Well, it may not be the best, but it’s actually pretty good for you. I’m not really good at finding funnies, but I will post them when I find them.
This struck me as so apt:
A high school in East London gets students to put away their phones and sees test scores soar Andy Corbley Good News Network
A high school in East London where teachers have convinced students to delete social media accounts and hand in their phones is seeing test scores soar. Cumberland Community School in London’s Newham is ranked among the most consistently improving institutions year over year in the whole of the UK. The percentage of students who achieved a GPA of 3.0 and above in their English and math exams is also well above the national average. It seems undeniably the result of an initiative started back in 2023 during the end-of-year exam period when teachers convinced students to give up TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for two months. ✂️ “The social media ban was a game changer for us because all of a sudden our students were 100% focused on revising for their exams,” said Principle Ekhlas Rahman. “The [2023] cohort that stuck to it throughout the revision and exam period did significantly better than they were predicted. We did it again this last year and the results were similar.”
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), a trilogy about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction: Hunters of the Feather, Scavengers of Mind and Familiars of the Flock (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — such as The Meryton Murders — and others based on history and Greek mythology, such as Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages.
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And some other ideas:
Do Nott Obey in Advance
Defend Institutions
Beware the One-Party System
Take Responsibility for the Face of the World
Remember Professional Ethics
Be Wary of Paramilitaries
Be Reflective if You Must Own a Gun
Stand Out (this means, speak up, even when others do not)
Be Kind to Our Language
Believe in Truth
Investigate
Make Eye Contact and Small Talk
Practice Corporeal Politics
Establish a Private Life
Contribute to Good Causes
Learn from Peers in Other Countries
Listen for Dangerous Words
Be Calm When the Unthinkable Arrives
Be a Patriot
Be as Courageous as You Can
🌻
💙 President Joseph R. Biden: “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.” 💙
Sir Winston Churchill: When you’re going through hell, keep going.
🌹 🌹 🌹
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