Bigly
I know I said I’d never write another poem, but how often do you get to collaborate with a Pulitzer winner? _____ Portrait: Paul Szep Words: @Doc
Read moreCategory Archives: Politics/Law/Government
Culture-jamming the populists
It’s not about facts. It’s not about reason. It’s about a caricature of the enemy. And you’re the enemy. Our friend Jennie just shared this one: How to Culture Jam a Populist in Four Easy Steps. It walks through several really important bits of advice and concludes thusly: But if you want to be part of the solution, the road ahead is clear:
Read moreDear Liberals: you don't vote in your economic best interests, either
Bottom line: almost ALL Americans vote against their best interests. For years progressives have been hammering conservatives – specifically social conservatives – who “vote against their own interests.” As in, poor working people who vote for the wealthy GOP interests that are the reason they’re poor, and whose policies insure they will remain that way. I have certainly been among this crowd
Read moreWomen's March: Seneca Falls – more from Lisa Wright
S&R’s Lisa Wright participated in yesterday’s Seneca Falls Women’s March and sent back a remarkable catalogue of photos. Those weren’t all she shot, though. This morning we invite you to review the rest of the set over at Lisa’s Instagram site.
Read morePoem for the Trump Inaugural: "The Turning"
These truths we hold to be self-evident… The Turning – Samhain 1991 1. In this dry land crickets fear to chirp for waste of moisture. Rattlers bleach their bones, listless in the summer scald. 2. I don’t want to say too much for fear of being misconstrued or maybe for fear of being understood all too clearly so here’s your
Read moreIf Trump gets to decide what's fake news, then journalism is dead – and so is the Republic
Today’s press conference makes clear why the American press must stand up and be reckoned with. Have a quick look at today’s national disgrace. No, not Trump, although he is certainly every inch a disgrace.
Read moreThe LL Bean/Trump row: time for (another) free speech lesson
You have the right to speak. You have no right not to be disagreed with. Let’s start with a brief quiz. Bob says X. Fred says no, X is wrong. Has Fred: a) infringed Bob’s free speech rights, or b) engaged in free speech the way the Framers intended? Answer below, in case you don’t understand how freedom works. This isn’t
Read moreRural elites: I've had it with the arrogance of ignorance (and its promoters)
The only thing worse than the willfully ignorant is the legion of apologists enabling them. Since the election – before, really – we’ve heard a lot of talk about how all those urban liberal elites need to stop being so arrogant and start listening to very real concerns of real Americans in rural flyover values America. We have more recently begun
Read moreThe 2016 Asshole of the Year is … 2016 itself
2016 isn’t a person or a monster, but the collective assholery of all we experienced transcends the normal rules. Here’s to you, 2016 – and good riddance. And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Read moreRemembering 2016: the year when everyone died
No, famous people won’t stop dying on January 1. But we lost too many bright lights this year and we hope that 2017 will be better. Here’s a list of noteworthy people who died in 2016. For the past several months a lot of us have been saying we can’t wait for this damned year to be over. 2016 gave us
Read moreNew Year Resolutions, pt 1: aim high and shoot straight
I resolve to be more honest and direct in confronting ignorance and hatred. Part 1 of a series When I was a little boy, my grandparents read me the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30). They had a particularly Southern Baptist working class interpretation of what it meant. If you had a gift, the Lord intended you to use it
Read moreALL OF THE ABOVE: The REAL reason(s) Clinton lost the election
Analyzing Clinton’s loss: can we PLEASE let go of our compulsive binary either/or thinking? Ever since the stunning outcome of the election several weeks ago we have been subjected to one analysis after another as to why Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. Dozens and Dozens. Hell, make that hundreds and hundreds, probably. I’m seeing more of these stories in my
Read moreWTF is the NC GOP up to with the attempted “Bathroom Bill” repeal?
The people who passed HB2 now want to unpass it because they hate teh queers, love the money and fear the people. [Note: Please forgive the snark in this post. I’m in one of those moods, but despite the tone this is a wholly factual analysis.] The yahoos who run my native state of North Carolina have been a marvel to
Read moreElection Day. #HopeTuesday. TunesDay.
Three videos for Election Day. Who do we want to be? Some years ago Sean Kelly of The Samples penned what has to be the election day anthem. It acknowledges what we all know, it notes the reasons we have to abandon hope, and still it insists that we carry on. It’s Election Day 2016. What choice will you make about
Read moreDogs and fracking and beer is food – Denver deserves better than Mayor Michael Hancock
I asked Michael Hancock a straight question and got a dishonest answer. Then there’s his kneepads and chapstick service for the frackers… I recently sent an inquiry to the office of Denver mayor Mike Hancock asking about his position about the city’s recent crackdown on dogs being allowed in tasting rooms. We mile-highers love taking the pups to our favorite microbreweries, but
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lullaby pit 