I keep feeling compelled to share even though the 9/11 anniversary has passed. I had my wedding shortly after 9/11/01 so am hitting my 20th anniversary. I remember talking to our priest about changing the closing hymn at our wedding to God Bless America or a similar song. Luckily, he specifically opposed the "jingoism" and suggested Let There Be Peace on Earth, which was amazing.
On 9/11 itself, I was several states away from New York sitting in my parent's living room. The doorbell rang. I opened it and accepted two boxes (wedding presents) just as the phone rang. The caller told me to turn on the TV, which I did. I saw the tragedy unfold as I opened the wedding presents. Inside each cardboard box was a Robin's egg blue box. Each box contained a pair of crystal candlesticks. At the time it just felt strange opening Tiffany's crystal candlesticks while watching the horrific events.
Years later I looked at each pair of tall candlesticks and it hit me how symbolic they could be for the Twin Towers and - huh - Tiffany's is certainly associated with NY. Synchronicity? Strange coincidence? Message? I don't know.
So with the whole default thing going on in Congress and the other actions of Mitch trying to stop the government I was wondering if people still feel like he is destined to quit early. That and how things are progressing with the passage of various laws - especially the funding the government one and its related default, since they have to do that before October.
I still think Schumer is doing a fine job of things, especially in confirming judges which is something that is going to help things long term, but the debt crisis is a big issue. That and the whole 'moderates' among Democrats who are threatening to tank the whole Biden agenda.
@herukane For about a week in January, right after the insurrection, I thought he might quit but that window came and went and instead his wife was the one who quit. So I realized that I was seeing her decision when I was reading him, which isn't surprising that it would show up in his energy. I have not thought much about McConnell since, and I definitely haven't thought he would quit.
@lynnventura I also wish he'd go, but then there is no one from that party I can bear. You get ahead in that party by being a cruel inhumane selfish as*hole. I wish I could be more articulate than that. Maybe you or @Coyote can help me out with my words. Even my republican governor Charlie Baker is still a republican. He pretends to be a liberal when he's pushed against the wall by the Massachusetts voters, but at heart he's a republican. Some day, the name of that party will need no derogatory adjectives. Just like the Nazi Party. I still have this photo I snapped at the 2014 NYC Climate March because it fit my feelings exactly:
P.S. The good news is that with McConnell in charge or any Republican who is awful enough to lead in the Senate, they are digging the party's grave, ever so certainly.
Yeah there are no good republicans. Even the ones who aren't psychopaths are enablers. The ones who still seem more reasonable lit the fire that's consumed this country.
Sorry I can't give you better words, Jeanne. You're being too kind to them as it is. I read today that in the new book Peril when Joe Biden saw TFG's large screen TV in one of the rooms in the White House he called him a F-----g A-----e. I laughed when I read that. So deserving. I love Joe Biden.
I hope that grave fills up soon. I've been waiting since the 80s. I'n running out of time!
I'm not sure where to put this but last night, which was a somewhat bad sleeping night, I woke up at one point with a song stuck in my head. I sat there for what felt like hours (but probably wasn't) trying to figure out the song.
I googled the words I remembered and the beat and such.
I then found it.
You'll Never Walk Alone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WpGqEOCOg
After listening to it for a moment I relaxed and fell asleep peacefully.
Also, as an interesting note, I sat in my backyard yesterday surrounded by trees. I didn't super talk to them but I feel like I reached out anyway.
So to have that song and the feeling it gave me later on was all the more WOW.
We never walk alone!
Hi everyone! Life is crazy where I am (because I live in a red state that doesn't care about its people, so people are getting Covid, shutting down everything, etc.), but I keep telling myself that eventually things will turn around. Doubt I will live long enough to see it, but such is life.
Now, I don't know if anyone has done any predictions/readings on McConnell's recent ploy to shut down government again, but I would like to know your thoughts.
Basically, McConnell and company are refusing to negotiate on the budget plan at all and are daring Democrats to go it alone towards through the reconciliation process. He hopes that Democrats will (1) go through reconciliation and thus he and other Republicans can claim that the Democrats blew up the budget and added to our country's debt, or (2) Democrats will not budge, the country will go into default, and Republicans can somehow blame Democrats for the mess by claiming that Democrats can "go it alone" if they didn't want the country to go into default.
Now, my question is, will this work?
On one hand, I remember all the times that McConnell and Republicans have shut down government and caused untold suffering to their voters, only to suffer for it later. If Democrats were smart, they would counter the Republicans' little trap by saying that since Republicans were elected to work for their people anyway, they should work instead of shutting down the government every chance they get.
And if Democrats were REALLY smart, they would start flooding the airways by saying "Republicans are shutting down the government (again) and this will threaten your social security payments, veteran benefits, millions of public jobs, etc.
We all remember the last time Republicans and Trump shut down the government. Everyone remembers that pain. And because it has been their go-to weapon of choice for almost two decades now, they should feel hard-pressed to blame Democrats.
Or should they? Biden is doing a decent job, all things considering. Sure, the Afghanistan withdraw was a disaster, but I blame that country's former president for not protecting his country more than I do Biden. We can't stay in a country forever, after all (plus, it was Trump's fault as well. He negotiated with the terrorists anyway.
My common sense tells me that most Americans will put the blame on Republicans, but I also believed that America would not have Trump as President, so I no longer trust my instincts. So if anyone has a vision or reading as to whether McConnell's latest ploy will work, I am interested.