Well, for now, anyway.
I’m OK with this.
By Samantha Riedel September 11, 2024
Donald Trump’s “transgender operations” line during this week’s presidential debate is already the talking point that launched a thousand memes — but what may have sounded like word salad managed to contain the barest hint of a real, honest-to-goodness fact.
During Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris’ first and potentially only debate on Tuesday evening, Trump accused the sitting vice president of approving “transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.” Trump was ostensibly responding to a question about hydrofracking, though he veered wildly between other claims, including sensational and misleading allegations that protestors “burned down Minneapolis” in 2020. But for once, Trump’s comments about trans people weren’t entirely fabricated — although calling them “accurate” would be a stretch.
Trump’s claim about “transgender operations” can likely be traced back to a 2019 survey from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which the organization says it sent to all presidential candidates that year, CNN’s KFILE reported on Monday. In that survey, candidates were asked if they would use presidential authority to ensure that all trans people, including incarcerated people and undocumented immigrants, received “comprehensive treatment” for their transition “including all necessary surgical care.” Harris said she would do so. (snip-MORE)
Fully recovered from the effects of my multi-vacs, I took Corky out on a nice, long walk while it was cool in the morning on Thursday. Of course there were numerous species of pollen blowing around, but I was bulletproof because I use Allegra . Anyway, my sinuses have been protesting since then, but that’s a thing I’ve always had, anyway, so it is what it is. Corky was quite happy, and is looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. Yes, she told me so. (She didn’t. I just know. She’ll go on a walk any time, anywhere, no matter what else she may be doing.)
I went to the store to stock back up today, and I found a thing. It was an irresistible thing, and I love it, so I bought it. She’s a she, and her name is Millie. That’s her up above. Closer to the season, I’ll put her in the front window, but right now, we’re enjoying her in our front room. She seems to enjoy being photographed.
It’s been one heck of a week. A debate that was almost fun, some stochastic terrorism agged on and on and yet further on by Maga, and good news, too, some of which got posted. I had a few other things up to post, but the puter thought it was too hot, shut down, and lost my tabs (at least one of which must have been too busy. Time for maintenance on the puter, probably.) Anyway, I’ve got a few posts up anyway, and whatever I didn’t will either come around again, or be way outdated when I recall what they were. My apologies, but get a look at Millie, why don’t ya? 😀🦴💀
| September 15, 1915 In a letter, Turkish Minister of the Interior Mehmet Talaat Pasha explained that the real intention of sending the Armenians to the Der-el-Zor (Deir el-Zor) Desert (now in Syria) was to annihilate them. Talaat had primary responsibility for planning and implementing the Armenian Genocide. The day before, The New York Times reported that the murder of 350,000 Armenians in Turkey had already occurred.  1915, orphaned Armenian children in the open, many covering their heads from the desert sun. Location: Ottoman empire, region Syria. The Turkish Adolf Eichmann |
| September 15, 1935 The “Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor” and the “Reich Citizenship Law” were adopted by the Nazi (National Socialist German Workers’) Party Rally in Nuremberg, depriving German Jews of their citizenship. |
| September 15, 1963 During Sunday School, 15 sticks of dynamite blew apart the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four children in the basement changing room, and injuring 23 others. Prime suspects were the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Nacirema (both white supremacist organizations; Nacirema is “American” spelled backwards). A week before the bombing Governor George C. Wallace had told The New York Times that to stop integration, Alabama needed a “few first-class funerals.”  The four girls lost in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing, the ruins of the church and grieving parents This event set off racial rioting and other violence in which two African-American boys were shot to death, and became a turning point in generating broad American sympathy for the civil rights movement. A member of the church, studying on a scholarship in Paris at the time, was Birmingham High School student Angela Davis. Lives cut short…     Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Caole Robertson (14), Denise McNair (11) Read more |
| September 15, 1970 Vice President Spiro Agnew said the youth of America were being “brainwashed into a drug culture” by rock music, movies, books, and underground newspapers. Agnew Assails Songs and Films That Promote a ‘Drug Culture’  |
| September 15, 1981 A blockade started at a nuclear power plant construction site in Diablo Canyon near San Luis Obispo, California. Nearly 10,000 people tried to prevent fuel rods from being loaded into the two reactor cores. Over two weeks, 1,901 are arrested in the largest occupation of a nuclear power site in U.S. history.  Their immediate major concern was over the region being seismically active and the plant’s location near the Hosgri fault. In 2004 a 6.5 (on the Richter Scale) earthquake was centered less than 40 miles from the plant. Four other faults nearby have since been identified.  Additionally, 9.5 billion liters (2.5 billion gallons) of water needed to cool the reactors each day are discharged directly into the Pacific 11°C (20°F) warmer than the surrounding ocean water, affecting marine plant and animal life there.  Diablo canyonAs with all nuclear plants, the problem remains with storage of spent nuclear fuel that remains dangerously radioactive for more than 10,000 years. Diablo Canyon generates 110 spent fuel rod assemblies each year. There is still no satisfactory solution to this long-term storage problem. Diablo Canyon timeline |
| September 15, 1986 Veterans Duncan Murphy (World War II) and Brian Willson (Vietnam) joined Charles Liteky & George Mizo in the Fast For Life, opposing U.S. support for the terrorist contra war against Nicaragua. The contras were insurgent guerillas using violence against civilians in the countryside to bring down the newly formed Sandanista government. The contras were supported in contravention of the Boland Amendment which prohibited U.S. agencies from providing military equipment, training or support to anyone “for the purpose of overthrowing the Government of Nicaragua.”     Duncan Murphy, Brian Willson, Charles Liteky, George Mizo The Fast for Life from Brian Willson’s perspective |
| September 15, 1996 6,000 rallied and 1,033 were arrested near the Headwaters Grove in rural Carlotta, California, in protest against cutting one of the last large unlogged stands of redwood trees in the world.  Redwoods are coniferous trees (sequoia sempervivens: the genus is named for Sequoya, or George Guess, an American Indian scholar; sempervivens is ever alive in Latin) that can reach over 90m (300 ft.) over a life as long as 2000 years. |
| September 15, 1997 Sinn Fein, the political party closely allied with the goals of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), entered Northern Ireland’s peace talks for the first time. |
September 15, 2001 Four days after 9/11, Representative Barbara Lee (D-California) cast the only congressional vote against authorizing President Bush to use “all necessary and appropriate force” against anyone associated with the terrorist attacks of September 11. “I am convinced that military action will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against the United States.” Barbara Lee – Alone on the Hill |
https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistoryseptember.htm#september15
Germany is denying an assertion made by former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate Tuesday about the country’s renewable energy industry.
“You believe in things like we’re not going to frack, we’re not going to take fossil fuel, we’re not going to do things that are going to be strong, whether you like it or not,” Trump said in his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. “Germany tried that, and within one year, they were back to building normal energy plants.”
But on Wednesday, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office decided to issue a rebuttal, echoing the former president’s language.
“Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables,” the Federal Foreign Office shared on X. “And we are shutting down – not building – coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest.”
The German Foreign Office also poked at Trump for another comment he made during the debate.
“PS: We also don’t eat cats and dogs,”
https://octoberfarm.blogspot.com/2024/09/germany-laughs-at-trump-with-rest-of.html
DOKTOR ZOOM SEP 14, 2024
The presidential election has turned into a contest between a capable, smart woman who emphasizes what Americans can achieve when they work together for the common good, and a sundowning old racist creep who would be pathetic if he weren’t so dangerously close to returning to power.
In case you’re wondering what the difference looks like, compare the hate and division the old racist creep is spreading with some recent announcements from President Joe Biden’s administration, nearly all of them about programs funded by one or another of Biden’s big legislative packages. Just a little reminder of why elections matter, and of the legacy that Kamala Harris is committed to building on. For, y’know, the people.
Lots of news-go read! 🌞
I used to work with someone I thought was my friend. Over the period of our association, our positions at work changed but I always considered him a friend. To my shame, I excused and turned a blind eye to many of his abuses of me and even others. I found myself confused by his actions more often than offended, and while I did occasionally confront those excesses I more often presumed his knowledge of the issue was greater than my own and gave him my trust. Then I found out that he not only betrayed me but betrayed the company. I believe he stole- or so poorly administered- millions of dollars and that cost 30 people their livelihood. I have no excuse. I failed to be a man, to call out falsehood, abuse, theft, and the consequences will forever stain my heart.
Recently, J.D.Vance and Donald Trump, who are running for the Presidency of our country, so defiant of truth, honor and responsibility purposely purported bald-faced lies that immigrants in Springfield, OH, were stealing and eating pets.
For the sane and reasonable person, such a claim is seen as a preposterous joke. Were this actually true that would be a horrifying failure on our parts to have those in our midst who are not able to adequately feed their family. But, we are in an era where rational thought takes a back seat to self-righteousness and cult adherence. Sure enough, fools take on these words as an order to march, action words, a call to arms. The resulting bomb threats and death threats soon followed.
When Trump and his flying monkeys uttered this asinine claim it was for the selfish idea that by instigating and furthering conflict between immigrants to our country and the citizens of our country, by inspiring fear and distrust of “the other”, by causing division and confusion, they could somehow gain power for J.D., and for Trump to stay out of prison.
At one time the idea of a Presidential Debate was for candidates to present their ideas and show they were stronger than a fierce opponent’s. I guess I’m partially to blame, for in this time of meme’s and two minute sound bites it’s become more important to sling memorable insults than intelligent ideas for the coming years. And we allow it. Because it’s fun. Because it makes us “right” in our fear and hate.
Now this mud slinging and divisiveness have resulted in bomb threats, parents terrified for the safety of their children, a city on near lockdown. And for what? For a lie, told by a serial liar, for the convoluted purpose of convincing these same people that they should give him more power.
There is a special pestilence infecting my soul for the things I know I should have done and failed to do. I do not have answers. I’m not wise enough. But, the experience that comes with age and humility, with acknowledging my failures and holding hope in my successes, has taught me the value of boundaries. It has taught me that there is a frighteningly REAL COST to allowing hate. A real cost to allowing abuse. A real cost to fear. It infects the soul, it becomes acceptable, natural, and perversely normal. It is for this reason I will never again stand by and watch abuses occur while I stand in the quiet shadows.
Randy
Scottie's Playtime 