“On Tuesday, I commented on Scottie’s Playtime that I believe we create what we focus on. I believe focusing so much on those who want to divide us the people to gain from the division we give them the power they think they deserve.
That’s why I feel that music, poetry & stories with a vision for a better world are so important.” (snip-go listen to Bob Marley, and read the provenance of “One Love”!)
The above song was-maybe Dixie Chicked?-in my area, as I heard it for the first time last night on Bee’s blog. It’s good, and it should have been on the radio, but somehow, it just wasn’t. Interesting, no?
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Here is my own choice for this post. Peace & love! ✌ 🫶
WNV linked each of these. Here are the original pages with snippets.
After No Kings, It’s Time to Escalate by Eric Blanc
We need bigger—and more disruptive—nonviolent campaigns that can go viral and peel away Trump’s pillars of support Read on Substack
American democracy is on the ropes. Trump and his billionaire backers are doing everything possible to transform our country into an authoritarian state like Hungary or Russia, where the trappings of institutional democracy mask brazen autocratic rule.
Our president’s sinking popularity numbers might not matter so much if his administration is either able to ignore electoral results or to distort the electoral map so badly that there’s almost no way to vote Republicans out.
Far too many Democrats and union leaders naively hoped that the courts would save us. But the Supreme Court has given a green light to Trump’s power grab, and it appears poised to overturn Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the last major legal roadblock to prevent Republicans from disenfranchising millions of Democrats and Black voters across the South.
Are we cooked? Trump would certainly like us to believe he’s unstoppable. Faced with the administration’s relentless offensive against immigrants, free speech, public services, and majoritarian rule, it’s normal to sometimes succumb to despair. But there’s no need to throw in the towel — and there are concrete next steps we can all take to win back the country through nonviolent resistance. As Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president Stacy Davis Gates reminds us, Trumpism “won’t be stopped just in the courts or at the ballot box.” (snip-there is MORE on the page linked at “Read on Substack” above)
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The introvert’s guide to fighting for democracy by Protect Democracy
Six ways to protect democracy — without attending a protest Read on Substack
If you’re reading this, you’re concerned about our democracy’s slide into authoritarianism — and you want to do something about it. Wahoo! You’ve taken the first and most difficult step: committing to action.
Now come the fun parts.
I want to be really clear on a couple things to start out. First, there is no one-size-fits-all best way to exercise your First Amendment rights of speech and association. Every successful social movement has employed a wide variety of tactics and repeatedly adjusted to respond to facts on the ground. Opt for action over agonizing about optimal tactics.
Second, be realistic. We are all busy. Reflect on the commitments you can actually sustain with room to grow. It is far better to regularly move the ball forward on a smaller effort than to dive into and never complete an ambitious one.
Third, be unique! You have unique talents, skills, and passions. Let those guide your advocacy. Focus on projects that bring you joy, things you actually look forward to engaging with week after week. Lean into the comparative skills and expertise you bring to the movement.
With all that in mind, here’s a short list of six ways everyone can protect democracy — even (especially) if going to a protest or some other more public form of engagement isn’t for you.
1. Check in with your local library
Local libraries are the backbone of an informed democratic citizenry, and they provide crucial resources for underserved communities. But their funding is under attack by the administration, which has cut critical funds nationwide.
So, give the library in your neighborhood a call. See how they are doing in relation to funding cuts and if there are ways you can support them. Do they take book donations? Need volunteers? See if there are teach-in or reading groups you can join — or even lead. Offer to help curate pro-democracy reading lists for various ages. Many libraries are open to suggestions for books to add to the collection — here are some recommendations from our team.
2. Fill the gaps left by government programs
Taking care of one another is essential movement building. Check in on your food pantry and community kitchen — many of which have faced funding cuts — to see how you can help. (snip-MORE at the page linked above: “Read on Substack”)
Tze-gu-juni, also known as Huera, was a woman whom Geronimo called “The Bravest of Apache Women.” She was a woman of intensely powerful inner strength who survived captivity, a trek across the desert, and mountain lion attack to serve her tribe as a shaman.
Tze-gu-juni was born around 1847. As a child, she survived a lightning strike that killed her mother and sister. She seems to have lived an otherwise peaceful life until October 14, 1880, the day of the Battle of Tres Castillos, the battle that killed Chiricahua Chief Vittorio and ended Vittorio’s War, a war Vittorio waged against U.S. and Mexican Army soldiers in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Tze-gu-juni was captured along with approximately seventy other women and children and taken to Mexico City, where she was enslaved and given the name ‘Huera’.
During her captivity, Tze-gu-juni became fluent in Spanish and secured a role as a translator at an Apache reservation in Arizona. She and about five others planned an escape and fled into the desert. They had one knife and one blanket and would have to walk for approximately 1300 miles to reach safety. They foraged for food and water in the desert.
The land near San Carlos Reservation
Along the way, Tze-gu-juni was attacked by a mountain lion. She tightened the blanket around her neck which saved her, and fought off the mountain lion. She was badly wounded but managed to reach San Carlos Reservation, where Geronimo and Tze-gu-juni’s future husband, Mangas, were living. Her hands and face were scarred for the rest of her life and she had limited use of her hands thereafter. (snip-MORE; go read it!)
Tze-gu-juni, Image from History.net, provenance unknown
These are among the truest words ever spoken. From Momsrising’s blog, here are resources: we should share them far and wide so that people can at least get by. I write letters and make phone calls with Momsrising; this is good and vital information. And, you don’t have to be a mom to use, share, or help anyone with this info! It’s for all. -A
We moms shouldn’t have to hold the nation together on empty.
Yet here we are in the middle of a government shutdown that has thrown families into chaos. SNAP benefits are being cut; air traffic controllers,
We moms shouldn’t have to hold the nation together on empty.
Yet here we are in the middle of a government shutdown that has thrown families into chaos. SNAP benefits are being cut; air traffic controllers, military school teachers, families in several states are losing child care as Head Start centers start to close; and other federal employees are facing another missed paycheck (while still showing up every day, keeping our country running!). WIC is barely hanging on by thread, and rising costs are pushing families past the brink.
Moms are holding it all together and we see you!!
We see your strength. We see your exhaustion. And we know that love shouldn’t have to come with this kind of struggle.
While the Trump Administration continues to play politics with families’ livelihoods, we want to make sure you have support right now while we keep up the fight.
While the challenge is simple and explained in Bee’s posts, all one need do is either reblog/post on your own blog, answer in comments, or go to Bee’s, and tell us of the peace song you particularly love, or want to hear. Link it if you can. That’s all! Let’s ripple world peace all across the universe! 🕊 ☮ ✌
Personal note: I got sick and very depressed. Was only out of bed for 4 to 6 hours only. So much bad happened in a short period of time that I couldn’t deal. I plan to do a video someday on it. But everything from being on the gurney with iv’s in my hand only to learn they couldn’t do my cataract surgery to the car engine seizing and then the van needing 2 grand in repairs. That was enough but Ron did not measure the placement of the bathroom project water lines, so things did not fit. It all had to be redone and so we changed where things were going. But just as I started to feel better and had more energy I went to fix a problem on my computers. I reset the video one thinking I had the extended updates for a year. But resetting it wiped that out. So for the last few days I have learned about Linux systems and tried to install them. The first one Ubuntu installed but I couldn’t get the line commands to work. The second installed and worked but faulted out. Every attempt to install one since has failed. I am wiping and then reactivating the hard drive to see if that will work. If not I will have to add a new processing chip and or motherboard to the list of things I can’t afford but need. That is why I have not been around much. Best wishes to all and hugs to those that want them.
Here in the USA, we mourn our loved ones when they pass with funeral services and wearing dark solemn clothing. It’s usually a sad time in our families when we have to say goodbye to grandpa forever. Different cultures grieve and treat death differently with traditions that have been around for centuries.
One culture that has created a unique and interesting way to face death and the deceased is Mexico. Mexico is colorful, noisy, and lots of fun. The people, the food, and the celebrations are bright, loud, and unequaled. So when it comes to death, in true Mexican style, Mexicans celebrate with color, food, and music.
Day of the Dead is a 2-day celebration where it is believed that the passageway between the real world and the spirit world is open so our deceased loved ones can come back to visit us. What do we do when grandpa comes back from the land of the dead? We make his favorite meal and we offer him his favorite drink. We sing, dance, and rejoice before he heads back to the underworld for another year.
When Is Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. It is sometimes confused with Halloween because of the symbolic skulls but is not related at all.
It is said that on November 1st the children who have passed come back to visit and celebrate as angelitos and on the following day, November 2nd, it’s the adults (Difuntos) turn to show up for the festivities.
Family members prepare for several weeks in advance for the tradition by creating altars, decorating burial sites, and cooking specific Day of the Dead food. (snip-MORE)
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Day of the Dead Traditions
Ofrendas
In the weeks leading up to the holiday, Mexican families will begin to decorate their homes for the holiday. The centerpiece will be the Ofrenda, or Altar de Muertos, a display meant to commemorate the lives of loved ones. This tradition can be traced back to the Aztecs, who would place offerings for the dead, including food and flowers, on tree stumps on their days of remembrance.
The traditional Ofrenda is divided into various levels to represent the various stages of life and death. There can be two levels, representing heaven and Earth, three levels, representing heaven, Earth, and the underworld, or seven levels, representing the seven stages souls have to cross to reach eternal rest. It is decorated with purple and orange, the traditional colors of the holiday, and often adorned with papel picado, a popular Mexican paper craft that is made up of ornate cut-outs. The papel picado used for the holiday will feature specific images and motifs associated with Day of the Dead, such as sugar skulls and dancing skeletons. Traditional Mexican oilcloths are commonly used to drape the surface of the Ofrenda. (snip-MORE)
Calavera: Sugar Skull
Skull Imagery in Mexico and its History
Skull imagery has a long history dating back to the traditions of pre-Columbian civilizations. The Aztecs had several festivals of remembrance where they would worship the Goddess Mictecacihuatl, ruler of the afterlife and keeper of the dead. Mictecacihuatl was often represented as a skeleton, adorned with a crown of flowers and skulls. For many pre-Columbian cultures, human skulls or skull motifs were used as decoration on walls as a sacrificial offering to the gods. These are commonly referred to by the Nahuatl term Tzompantli. Some of these, such as the Mayan Chichen Itzá Tzompantli in Yucatán, and the Aztec Huey Tzompantli in Mexico City, remain to this day and can be viewed by visitors.
Another motif that may have influenced calavera imagery as we know it today is likely a type of European art known as Danse Macabre. These paintings and engravings, often featuring dancing skeletons, were meant to represent the inevitability of death and were used as decorations in churches across Europe. It is probable that the Danse Macabre motifs were brought over by Spanish missionaries and later fused with Indigenous skull imagery. (snip-MORE)
I remember the 80s: my gay and trans friends threw the very most fun parties while keeping everyone safe, played the best dance music, and had the very best costumes!
Are you really gay if straight people can recognize your Halloween costume? The real indicator of someone’s sexual orientation is whether they go to a party as something recognizable — or whether they go as Chappell Roan in the crowd at Governors Ball. Why would you go as a sexy cat when you could be a transgender mouse — or a reference to an obscure arthouse movie only you and your mutuals have seen?
In all seriousness, I am a little torn on the practice of wearing incredibly obscure gay Halloween costumes: maybe there are better ways to communicate your niche interests than forcing everyone at the function to ask “…and what are you again?” But on the other hand, who does it really hurt when your friends dress up like George Santos’ alleged drag persona Kitara Ravache and the fishing rod with legs from Toy Story? Sure, maybe it turns all of us into the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme when we recognize each other’s fits, but it’s fine! We only get so many Halloweens in our lives, we might as well take some big swings!
Indeed, in the end, there is a certain beauty in our community’s intense love of obscure pop cultural moments and artifacts. So why not use the year’s spookiest holiday as an excuse to get hyperspecific? Forget witches and ghosts: find the deepest rabbit hole you know and leap to the bottom of it! And if you’re wanting for inspiration, we here at Them have curated a bevy of ideas, ranging from Barack Obama’s nonbinary friend to the concept of twink death. Enjoy all the confused looks on your way to the party. — Samantha Allen
No matter gay straight or bi, lesbian, transgender mice.
As we established here at Them dot us, after Trump’s deranged claim about “transgender mice,” mice are indeed pretty damn transgender. If you want to be silly and gay, there luckily is an abundance of trans-coded mice to choose from. Some of our favorites include Pinky and the Brain from Animaniacs, labor union darling Scabby the Rat, and of course Remy from Ratatouille. — Quispe López
Lea Michele from the Cursed Glee Mash-Up of “Let’s Have a Kiki” and “Turkey Lurkey Time”
Get a jump start on Thanksgiving with this horrible pull from the TV archives. Put on a red dress, a brunette wig, and if anyone wonders who you are, just raise a finger to the sky and sing “It’s turkey lurkey time.” Confused expressions? That’s part of the experience. — Samantha Allen
Scottie's Playtime 