Posts
Monday, February 03, 2025
Rebecca Solnit: Meditations in an Emergency
"This new society is offensive to an elite who perceive enough for the many as deprivation of the few, who are driven by a mindset of scarcity, a hungry-ghost insatiability for power and wealth. By an inability to perceive how their own moral, spiritual, and emotional poverty is inseparable from the brutality of the unequal society they want to impose to aggrandize that power and material wealth. Who perceive the centuries of affirmative action for white men as meritocracy and the steps to grant more equal access as unfairness. Who while being beneficiaries of unearned privilege imagine themselves as naturally superior even while demonstrating their clownish mediocrity again and again. Who furiously deny the truth that is not only moral but scientific that everything is connected to everything else, which is why they take the facts of climate change as an insult to their notion of freedom as the ability to do whatever they want without consequences."
Sunday, February 02, 2025
Understanding T****/Musk ‘Shock and Awe’
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/understanding-trump-musk-shock-and-awe
The central point in my post yesterday was trying to balance two facts: First, voters made a decision last November to shut Democrats out of all but a series of powers on the margins within the federal government. There’s no hyper-exertion or Mike Pence “if he has courage” that undoes that fact. Second, an effective opposition needs to provide the public not only with some sense of “hope” but also the outlines of a plan. Given point one that plan doesn’t need to be and probably can’t be terribly detailed. But a basic sense of we are now here and we’re going to get there. And here are the tools we’re going to get from A to B. And we are going to get to B and it’s going to take all of us to get there. See yesterday’s post for more on this.
There’s a separate and pretty critical part of this equation I want to discuss.
Going into this storm incoming Trump administration officials were freely using “shock and awe” as their operative framework, slogan, metaphor for their first days in office. This has obviously been part of the public lexicon since the Gulf War, something everyone has free rhetorical access to as a general marker of flash-bang, balls-to-the-wall behavior. But we should actually remember what the meaning of that phrase is. “Shock and awe” is principally a psychological operation, the idea being to strike with a kind of overwhelming force that not only does direct damage but more importantly triggers a crisis of cohesion, operational ability and morale in an adversary. So, panic, factionalization, despair, paralysis. As you can see, it’s kind of working. When we see no clear or coherent response, infighting, dooming and more, those aren’t just bad things, certainly things no opposition has time for. They’re the specific intended effort of a particular kind of strategy.
This doesn’t justify a lackluster response from elected Democrats in Washington. And it of course doesn’t make any less damaging some people’s counsel of despair, which is to focus their energy on attacking other Democrats for either causing or not reacting properly to the current crisis. (One point here: it’s important to distinguish in this moment between constructive if harsh criticism and the high-octane, destructive acting out, though distinguishing them in the rush of the moment isn’t always easy.) The point is that you do “shock and awe” when you don’t actually have the power to pull the job off. You’re trying for a rapid-fire dramatic effect that gets your opponent to collapse or stand down. The psychological shock value is the additional weapon that fills the gap between your power and your intended goal. And understanding that is a critical, really the critical first step to combating it.
This stuff isn’t an illusion. It’s happening. It’s real. But you do “shock and awe” when you don’t actually have the power to make it stick. Otherwise there’s no need for the drama. You just do it. So recognizing that shock and confusion and not falling for it is essential to combating it.
STATE CAPTURE
Patrick Oertel: In South Africa we have a name for it" STATE CAPTURE" What happens when the president's billionaire business pals are allowed to influence the Presidents decision making, enabling them to take over running the country.
Rick Wilson
Post Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social 1/ OK, Democratic members of Congress in the US Senate. It’s time for some tough love. I am aware your pollsters and consultants tell you things like “the American people want us to work together” and “ focus on prescription drug prices in the economy.” February 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM 930 reposts 283 quotes 3.5K likes Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
2/ They're wrong. You're in a war with people who are determined not to destroy the government, but to replace it with a weird alliance of oligarchs, kleptocrats, and religious fanatics. You have no good-faith partners on the other side of the table. Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
3/ They will always put Trump over America. They will always lie. They will always play on your naive good faith. They will always fuck you. America needs a party of fighting Democrats now. Stop talking policy and start saying, "Fuck you." What's that look like? Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
4/ Maximum resistance. Johnson's House number is so narrow that one DUI costs him the majority. Never give him a vote even if it causes short-term pain in your district. Block everything. Slow every process. "Oh, no," you cry, "The media will say mean things about us obstructing progress." Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
5/ Stop being naive. They call you communist satanist pedophiles every day. FIDO: Fuck It. Drive On. Stoke MAGA rivalries in the House. Elevate Greene and the loons as the definition of the GOP. Have the DCCC invest in some real oppo, not your usual weak-dick content. (Hint: Cawthorn is right.) Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
6/ In the Senate (God save us), be like Mitch McConnell if HE was in the minority. Maneuver. Obstruct. Delay. Use the rules to stop everything you can. Guilt the hell out of Collins, Murkowski, Langford, Tillis, and anyone else you can. (This is a tall order for which I have little hope.) Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
7/ For both House and Senate, as well as massive Dem superPACs (looking at you, Future Forward) START SUING. I'm not a lawyer, obvi, but any moron can see that Trump's unconstitutional and illegal actions not only deserve but DEMAND court challenges. Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
8/ The Republicans have sacrificed the legitimacy of Congress on the altar of obeisance to Trump. They've abrogated the power and role of a co-equal branch of government. Y'all might want to do any and everything you can to save it before its too late. Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 1h
/9 So endeth the lesson. Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 59m /9b Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
A Few Thoughts on Messages and Morale By Josh Marshall | February 1, 2025 11:18 a.m. Start your day with TPM. Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter
Over the last few days, as I’ve struggled with everyone else to stay on top of all this, I’ve tried to balance two things. One of those is trying to keep people focused on what an opposition can actually do and what it can’t. The other is that you can’t simply be, in effect, yelling at people who are bewildered and scared. I saw a DNC member who was at that cattle call Thursday saying how weird it was hearing elected officials talking like these were normal times when actually the house is burning down around everyone. So, how to reconcile primal screams and concrete plans, and, in the midst of that, try to make some progress on thinking outside the box? How to counteract and defeat performative displays of powerlessness?
The overarching thing that is missing from what Democratic leaders in Washington are saying right now is a clear statement that this is bad, that it’s likely to get worse for a while. But we don’t accept this; we have power too. We’re going to fight this in the courts; we’re going to gum up the works in Congress; and more than anything we’re going to fight this in the court of public opinion. And we’re going to win. And to do that we need all of you to be on our side. And as we claw back power we’re going to repair the damage and hold the people who broke everything accountable and build something better.
I guess what I’m saying here is that people need a road map that is frank about how bad this is and has at least the outline of a plan to battle back. The whole point of this kind of shock and awe, slash and burn is to disorient and demoralize people. And people need a lifeline to get through that.
One of the big things I’ve seen over recent days is people being really upset that this or that Democrat voted for this or that relatively (everything is relative) innocuous nominee. For me, I just can’t get that worked up about what amount to purely symbolic “yes” or “no” votes for a Sean Duffy or a Kristi Noem. But I also see that to a lot of people those votes send a signal of business as usual. And that’s totally in conflict with any sense of a crisis that you’re focused on battling back against and winning.
Adam Schiff was on Bluesky or Twitter last night announcing the new Saturday Night Massacre of prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on the January 6th cases, denouncing it as illegal. And he was greeted not with a surge of outrage at the Trump administration but outrage against him. “And what are you going to do about it? I bet you’re going to fire off a sternly worded press release.” This is the real the jam in which Democrats find themselves. They can’t talk about what’s happening without their own supporters lashing out at them since lashing out at the Trump administration doesn’t do anything or seems not to.
But you really do need to lay out a blueprint. Not to get all sentimental and mawkish and, yes, a bit corny, but I think back to Winston Churchill taking over the prime ministership with the fall of France in June 1940. (I admitted in advance it was corny; but seriously, bear with me.) He really didn’t have anything he could do other than try not to lose. The only plan was to hold on, not lose or to try to lose as little as possible and try to get the Americans into the fight. And in reality, though we can look at it differently in retrospect, there was every reason to think Great Britain would lose, or at least be forced into a humiliating, subservient peace. The U.S. ambassador (who, remember, was John Kennedy’s dad, freakshow RFK Jr.’s grandfather) was saying “these guys are totally going to lose.” And it was hard to argue with that as a matter of probabilities or logical arguments. But Churchill had a clear message: 1) We’re never going to give up. Literally, never. 2) We’re going to battle back with these tools. And 3) Finally, we’re going to win.
In other words, a path back — even over the obstacles of uncertainty, odds and maybe even logic. We’re going to get from here to there. And we’re really not hearing that yet from Democratic leaders in Washington. And the truth is, the odds are wildly better for them than they were for the British in the Fall of 1940. And making that case is required above and beyond making whatever the right moves are on the ground. Not doing it is sowing demoralization and sending a lot of people the message that Democratic leadership in Washington doesn’t recognize the gravity of the situation.
NOTE: As I have for 25 years, I welcome your responses, which you can send to talk (at) talkingpointsmemo dot com. If you’re a government worker or any one else who has sensitive or confidential information to share about what’s happening inside the federal government you can reach me via encrypted mail at joshtpm (at) protonmail dot com or via Signal at joshtpm dot 99. Please only use these encrypted channels for confidential communication.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-few-thoughts-on-messages-and-morale
Saturday, February 01, 2025
Sammi “siren” Sadicario
https://boldjourney.com/meet-sammi-siren-sadicario/
https://www.youtube.com/sammisadicario
1. Learning to Feel My Voice Instead of Just Hearing It
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is the importance of feeling my voice, not just hearing it. So many people ask me, “Can anyone learn to sing?” My answer is always yes—they’re just out of tune. Retuning yourself isn’t just about singing; it transforms your mental health, financial stability, relationships, and overall sense of empowerment. It leads to deeper family connections, fewer arguments, and more alignment in life.For me, this truth revealed itself after a traumatic car accident. To process the fear and trauma, I went home and danced to release the trapped energy in my body. Then Vienna by Billy Joel came on the radio, and something shifted. For the first time, I stopped just hearing my voice—I felt it. I began to sing and was perfectly in tune, feeling the resonance in the room and the vibration in my body. That moment changed everything. I gained massive control over my voice while experiencing complete freedom. This is the level of connection I wish for everyone: a voice that vibrates with empowerment, clarity, and confidence.
How I do it: I start by connecting with my body. I practice humming or singing, focusing on how it feels rather than how it sounds. I build awareness of the energy my voice creates in a room. Singing isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection.
2. The Skill of Empowered Self-Talk
Your words create your reality. One of the most transformative skills I’ve developed is the ability to turn negative thoughts into empowering ones. I teach a method that uses the words you speak to shift your mindset: Change your words, change your life. Practicing this has made me happier, more confident, and more harmonious in my relationships.Empowered self-talk is a game-changer. It helps me quiet my inner critic, communicate with authenticity, and lead with kindness. This skill has helped me reduce conflict, attract better opportunities, and become a magnet for the life I want. The way I speak to myself determines the energy I bring into every room, every conversation, and every decision.
How I do It: When I notice a negative thought, I reframe it into something constructive. For example, instead of saying, “I’ll never figure this out,” I’ll tell myself, “I’m learning as I go.” I focus on the words I speak to myself, knowing they hold the power to shape my reality.
3. Taking Imperfect Action
Whether on stage or in life, I’ve learned that the most impactful moments happen when I let go of perfection and trust the flow. This has been true in my singing, my speaking, and even in my relationships. Some of my greatest breakthroughs came from taking messy, imperfect action—and allowing myself to be seen anyway.When I’m tuned into myself and the energy of play, I lead with empathy, confidence, and charisma. I don’t try to control the moment; instead, I focus on feeling it and responding authentically. This is where true connection happens.
How I do it: I stop waiting to feel “ready.” I start with what I have and allow myself to take imperfect action. Whether it’s speaking up in a meeting, sharing my art, or having a tough conversation, I trust myself to figure it out as I go. Messy action is better than no action, and it’s often the only way I grow.
Bonus: Resilience
Underlying all of these skills is the foundation of resilience. Life will test you—through failures, challenges, and unexpected setbacks. The ability to rise again, to recalibrate, and to stay committed to your growth is what sets you apart. I’ve fallen on my face (in public, and one time in front of 900 people) countless times. I laugh it off, and keep going.What I do for myself: I celebrate small wins, forgive myself when I stumble, and always return to the practices that ground me—whether it’s singing, journaling, or dancing through life. Resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about always getting back up.
Isaiah Frizzelle
https://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-isaiah-frizzelle/
More than anything, just check on your people. Check on your strong friends, check on the person that always seems to be happy… It’s not difficult to give a damn about others and I can’t stress it enough.
The effort of valuing someone now versus later goes a long way and it’s a world of difference having good people in your life while being good to the people in your life; Energy is currency and community is everything.
We don’t NEED a ton of people in our lives we just need a few that mean a ton.
Friday, January 31, 2025
Stress
can increase your sensitivity to allergens and kick your allergic
response into high gear. Reflect on whether your stress levels are
higher than usual. If you’ve been more stressed than usual, try to lower your stress levels using tools like meditation, therapy, or exercise.
Nelson Cruz
Nelson Cruz Events: I'm a producer of stellar event experiences, DJ's and everything fun. Full service event entertainment. (212) 289-0843 nelsoncruzentertainment@gmail.com
I feel this way about Swimming
“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they'll go to any length to live longer. But don't think that's the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you're going to while away the years, it's far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive then in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole. I believe many runners would agree”
― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Cedar Fever
Yes, it's possible to experience an upset stomach or intestinal discomfort from cedar fever (an allergy to mountain cedar pollen) because allergies can sometimes manifest gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, due to the histamine release triggered by the immune response; essentially, your body's reaction to the pollen can affect your digestive system as well.
When your body reacts to allergens like cedar pollen, it releases histamine, which can cause muscle contractions in the digestive tract, leading to stomach upset.
While typical cedar fever symptoms include runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, and a sore throat, some people may also experience mild stomach discomfort, nausea, or diarrhea.
Thursday, January 30, 2025
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown
Nobody writes back once Christmas is Over
This family trait pisses me off every year. Do we really need birthdays and holidays to care about each other? What about regular days?
Keeping the Kitchen Rolling
I woke up thinking about Caroline Kennedy and her courage.
I pressure cooked a bowl of chick peas that I had soaked overnight.
I read about diverticulitis and kidney stones to help a friend.
I shaped the 12 sourdough rolls in baby loaf pans. They are baking now. 8 more baby loaves! 20 total.
I hard boiled a half dozen eggs.
Now I'm pressure cooking wheat berries and basmati brown rice mixed.
The chick peas will be made into a bucket of hummus by pureeing the cooked chick peas, fresh lemon juice fresh garlic and sesame tahini. We live on it.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Josh Marshall Calm Amidst the Storm
Find what you can actually do that’s not begging or meaningless and then do it.”
There is palpably an appetite for someone to be the opposition to all of this. And what works as an opposition is knowing where the footholds of power actually are and using those aggressively and to the hilt. There’s is nothing to be gained by begging Republicans to do this or that. You attack them for supporting what’s happening. Raise the stakes. Gaining credibility as an opposition means demonstrating you know how to do it, that you can land wounds, catch your opponents off guard, leave them confused or force them to come to you. Results.
As we discussed Monday, early 21st century American politics is all about this theater of performative power. A resolved calm and knowing the limited levers of power and using them to their maximum extent is power. It signals power. It also drives press narratives as the White House or Trump or whoever else has to react to that power. This is where we are.
Cedar Fever is Early this Year
I've been suffering with it since January 20. https://www.kleenex.com/en-us/pollen-count
Subscribe to Recalls: The FDA and the US Dept. of Agriculture
AS A REMINDER: The FDA and the US Dept. of Agriculture are not allowed to announce any recalls or traceback studies on ANY food or foodborne illnesses due to the Trump administration’s health communications blackout on all federal organizations. You can find it directly here at this link: fsis.usda.gov/recalls
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Pierogi Classes at KRAKOW DELI Krakow Deli hosts periodic pierogi-making classes. They sell out fast, but stay tuned for announcements of new classes on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/KrakowDeliBakerySmokehouse/
https://tourblackstone.com/event/pierogi-cooking-class-with-polish-food-tasting/7712/
Pierogi Cooking Class with Polish Food Tasting
- Dates:
- 1/26/2025, 2/2/2025, 2/23/2025
executive order misstates facts about sex and gender, scientists say
Definition likely to encounter intensive problems in enacting it in the courts and in law
President Trump’s executive order recognizing only two sexes — male and female — includes language that is biologically inaccurate and erases trans, nonbinary, and intersex people from federal recognition, according to experts.
The order, signed last week, defines a female as “a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.” Male, according to the order, means ”a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell."
While it’s true that humans are capable of producing just two types of reproductive cells — eggs and sperm, the former thousands of times larger than the latter — the expression of human sexual traits goes well beyond reproductive cells and is anything but binary, said Sarah Richardson, a historian of science at Harvard who specializes in women, gender, and sexuality.
When describing the diversity of human sexual traits, some biologists refer to the “3Gs”: genes, gonads, and genitals, said Meredith Reiches, a founding member of the Harvard GenderSci Lab.
The only G determined at conception are genes, which in this context refers to sex chromosomes. The vast majority of human embryos are conceived with either XX or XY chromosomes, associated with females and males, respectively. However, in rare cases, people can possess other combinations.
For example, 47,XYY syndrome, also known as Jacobs syndrome, is associated with above-average height and an increased risk of learning disabilities. Another example, 47,XXY syndrome, also known as Klinefelter syndrome, is linked to infertility and underdeveloped, poorly functioning testes, among other symptoms, said Reiches.
“Biologists tend to think of biological sex as more of a recipe with various parts to it. Often, those parts exist in ways that are consistent with popular understandings of male or female, but you also have variation,” said Reiches.
Gonads are organs, such as ovaries and testes, that produce reproductive cells. Humans may possess one or the other, or, in rare cases, both.
“Just because you know what’s going on with someone’s genes doesn’t necessarily mean you can predict what their gonads or external genitalia will look like,” said Reiches.
For example, those with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome possess XY chromosomes, but because their bodies don’t respond to androgens (hormones associated with male development), they’re born with female genitalia, are usually assigned female at birth, and raised as girls. However, they also typically possess internal testes and cannot menstruate or become pregnant.
Complicating things further, the testes of individuals with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome don’t produce sperm in most cases. Since these people’s bodies do not produce any reproductive cells, Reiches asks: Where do they fall within Trump’s narrow sexual binary? What prisons, single-sex schools, shelters, sports teams, and gender-specific government services do these individuals have a right to?
Richardson said she was unsurprised by this executive order’s redefinition of the sexes because it follows a years-long trend on the right to mask retaliation against the advancement of trans rights behind the façade of “biological truth,” in the words of the executive order.
“This definition is likely to encounter intensive problems in enacting it in the courts and in law due to its incommensurability with medical and scientific knowledge and practice,” said Richardson.
While the vast majority of people do identify with the sex assigned to them at birth, an estimated 2 percent of the country, or more than 6 million Americans, do not fall within these binary definitions, according to interACT, an intersex advocacy organization.
“Under a Trump-style executive order, folks in this situation would be assigned a sex that has nothing to do with how they’ve lived their lives, how they understand themselves, or how the medical establishment has understood them,” said Reiches.
Nathan Metcalf can be reached at nathan.metcalf@globe.com. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/28/metro/gender-at-conception-trump/
It’s Easier To Break Than To Build
We talk a lot about the structural imbalances in American politics, but perhaps the most consequential disparity arises from the Trump right’s fundamental commitment to breaking shit. We’ve seen it unfold in spades this week, as promises to destroy as much as they can as quickly as they can begin to be kept.
It’s not new to Trump. It’s been an essential element of the conservative project for decades now, reflected in anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist’s famous line about shrinking the federal government until it was small enough to drown in a bathtub.
When destruction is the point and there is no responsibility or accountability for building, creating, or even administering, all manner of democratic norms and civic consensus start to fall apart. Perhaps in the long term the consequences of the destruction will exact a political price, but in the meantime, the performative transgression is its own reward.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/the-trump-ii-destruction-is-already-in-full-swing
ICE Cannot Access RI Public School AG Warns
Can ICE go into public schools in Rhode Island? Here's what we know.
Tom MooneyProvidence Journal
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s attorney general and education commissioner on Monday issued guidance to schools if confronted with federal immigration officials seeking access to any students.
While federal immigration enforcement policies are changing with President Donald Trump now in office, “basic legal and constitutional principles have not,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a shared statement with Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.
“While we do not yet know if federal authorities will conduct operations targeting Rhode Island schools, this guidance is intended to assist schools, teachers, and administrators in protecting the rights of every student.”
Victor Morente, a spokesman for the education department, said Monday that “we have heard of concerns from parents, teachers, and school leaders" about potential ICE activity at schools.
Can ICE go into schools in Rhode Island?
Neronha said that while federal immigration officials “have signaled that they no longer view schools as off-limits for even routine enforcement actions” the law prohibits them from accessing “non-public areas of schools, including classrooms and hallways, without a judicial warrant issued by a federal district or magistrate judge, based on a finding of probable cause.”
Further, Rhode Island law requires schools to implement safety protocols to ensure that only authorized individuals are permitted access to non-public areas of the school.
Therefore, schools may prohibit all unauthorized visitors, “including federal law enforcement officers without a judicial warrant or court order, from entering non-public school areas, except in the event of a genuine public safety emergency.”
If school officials are presented with a valid federal court warrant, school personnel “must comply with the requests of federal immigration authorities as set out in the warrant.”
They should also notify the chief school administrator and/or their legal counsel “to verify the terms and requirements of the warrant.”
Neronha said ICE administrative warrants “do not by themselves” authorize immigration officials to access non-public areas of a school or to search school records.
Such administrative warrants “cannot compel school personnel to assist with the apprehension of a person identified in an administrative warrant. Nor are they sufficient “to mandate disclosure of student information that is otherwise protected by state and federal law.”
Similarly, a “notice to appear” that seeks to start formal removal proceedings against an individual before an immigration court “does not require school employees to take any action or grant an immigration enforcement officer any special power to induce cooperation.”
And “administrative subpoenas” are not court orders and do not require immediate compliance, Neronha said.
“School policies should require personnel to immediately alert administrators about the service of an administrative subpoena to allow for consultation with legal counsel and notification of parents/guardians.
What student information can ICE access?
Because students are entitled to enroll in public school regardless of their immigration status or the status of their parents, “schools are generally not required under federal or state law to collect citizenship or immigration status information.”
Neronha said school officials should not interfere or obstruct law enforcement officials in the lawful exercise of their authority, but they must do so “in conformance with the requirements of the Fourth Amendment and other federal and state laws."
Neronha and Infante-Green said their offices will continue to work together with the public schools and “state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure adherence to these principles and to promote a safe and nurturing educational environment for all of our students.”
Questions related to this guidance should be referred to the Office of the Attorney General at 401-274-4400.
Monday, January 27, 2025
“But here’s the important thing when it comes to art.
“But here’s the important thing when it comes to art. This is what
I’ve learned: The art is greater than you and your feelings. You have to
serve it. It is not you…Whatever you’re creating may come from within
you and your life, but then…it walks away and affects other people you
don’t know and have never met. That’s the beauty of it.”
― Malinda Lo, A Scatter of Light
“Thomas Jefferson thought that the United States ought to have a
revolution every generation so that democracy could periodically purge
itself of contaminants. He meant political revolutions; we have watered
down his advice and created a succession of “lifestyle” revolutions
instead. Just at the point when a radical innovation or movement might
begin to elicit significant discussion within our social order, it makes
the cover of Time and receives testimonials from one or two Hollywood
stars. Thus elevated into harmlessness, it is soon discarded, leaving
little more than a vague, residual stain on our cultural fashions.”
Perls in 1923 Born July 8, 1893 Berlin, German Empire Died March 14, 1970 (aged 76) Chicago, Illinois, US Known for Coining term: Gestalt Therapy Spouse Laura Perls Scientific career Fields Psychiatry, psychotherapy
Fritz Perls | |
|---|---|
 Perls in 1923 | |
| Born | July 8, 1893 Berlin, German Empire |
| Died | March 14, 1970 (aged 76) |
| Known for | Coining term: Gestalt Therapy |
| Spouse | Laura Perls |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychiatry, psychotherapy |
Friedrich Salomon Perls (July 8, 1893 – March 14, 1970), better known as Fritz Perls, was a German-born psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and psychotherapist. Perls coined the term "Gestalt therapy" to identify the form of psychotherapy that he developed with his wife, Laura Perls, in the 1940s and 1950s. Perls became associated with the Esalen Institute in 1964 and lived there until 1969.
The core of the Gestalt therapy process is enhanced awareness of sensation, perception, bodily feelings, emotion, and behavior, in the present moment. Relationship is emphasized, along with contact between the self, its environment, and the other.
Life
Fritz Perls was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1893. He grew up in the bohemian scene in Berlin, participated in Expressionism and Dadaism, and experienced the turning of the artistic avant-garde toward the revolutionary left. Deployment to the front line, the trauma of war, antisemitism, intimidation, escape, and the Holocaust are further key sources of biographical influence.
He was expected to practice law, following his distinguished uncle Herman Staub, but instead he studied medicine. Perls joined the German Army during World War I and spent time in the trenches. After the war in 1918 he returned to his medical studies graduating two years later, specializing in neuropsychiatry as a medical doctor, and then became an assistant to Kurt Goldstein, who worked with brain injured soldiers. Perls gravitated toward psychoanalysis.
In 1927, Perls became a member of Wilhelm Reich's technical seminars in Vienna. Reich's concept of character analysis influenced Perls to a large extent.[1]: 205ff And in 1930 Reich became Perls' supervising senior analyst in Berlin.[2]
In 1930, Perls married Laura Perls (born Lore Posner) and they had two children together, Renate and Stephen. In 1933, soon after the Hitler regime came to power, being of Jewish descent and because of their anti-fascist political activities in the time before,[1]: 292 Perls, Laura, and their eldest child Renate fled to the Netherlands, and one year later they emigrated to South Africa, where Perls started a psychoanalytic training institute. In 1936 he had a brief and unsatisfactory meeting with Freud.[1]: 211
In 1942, Perls joined the South African army, and he served as an army psychiatrist with the rank of captain until 1946. While in South Africa, Perls was influenced by the "holism" of Jan Smuts. During this period Fritz Perls co-wrote his first book, Ego, Hunger, and Aggression (published in 1942 and re-published in 1947). Laura Perls wrote two chapters of the book, although when it was re-published in the United States she was not given any recognition for her work.[3]
Fritz and Laura Perls left South Africa in 1946 and ended up in New York City, where Fritz Perls worked briefly with Karen Horney, and Wilhelm Reich. After living through a peripatetic episode, during which he lived in Montreal and served as a cruise ship psychiatrist, Perls finally settled in Manhattan. Perls wrote his second book with the assistance of New York intellectual and author, Paul Goodman, who drafted the theoretical second part of the book based upon Perls' hand-written notes. Perls and Goodman were influenced by the work of Kurt Lewin and Otto Rank. Along with the experiential first part, written with Ralph Hefferline, the book was entitled Gestalt Therapy and published in 1951.
Thereafter, Fritz and Laura Perls started the first Gestalt Institute in their Manhattan apartment. Fritz Perls began traveling throughout the United States in order to conduct Gestalt workshops and training.[4]
In 1960 Fritz Perls left Laura Perls behind in Manhattan and moved to Los Angeles, where he practiced in conjunction with Jim Simkin. He started to offer workshops at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, in 1963. Perls became interested in Zen during this period, and incorporated the idea of mini-satori (a brief awakening) into his practice. He also traveled to Japan, where he stayed in a Zen monastery.
Eventually, he settled at Esalen, and even built a house on the grounds. One of his students at Esalen was Dick Price, who developed Gestalt Practice, based in large part upon what he learned from Perls.[5] At Esalen, Perls collaborated with Ida Rolf, founder of Rolfing, to address the relationship between the mind and the body.[2][6]
Perls has been widely cited outside the realm of psychotherapy for a quotation often described as the "Gestalt prayer":
I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
and you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I,
and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.— Fritz Perls, Gestalt Therapy Verbatim, 1969
In 1969 Perls left Esalen and started a Gestalt community at Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, Canada. There, he hosted eight educational films on his gestalt therapy, which were directed by Stanley Fox for Aquarian Productions, a film production company started by Perls associate Norman Hirt.[7][8][9]
Fritz Perls died of heart failure in Chicago, on March 14, 1970, after heart surgery at the Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital.[10]
Reception
Perls' approach to therapy was included in criticism by Jeffrey Masson,[12] a psychoanalyst who feuded with journalists[13] and with the psychoanalytic community generally over his controversial theories disputing the effectiveness of psychotherapy.[14] Masson said that Perls was sexist, as well as physically and emotionally abusive towards women in his private life.[12] Masson quoted Perls from his autobiography, In and Out the Garbage Pail, where Perls wrote:[2]
Once I was called to a group to calm down a girl who attacked everyone in the group physically. The group members tried to hold her and to calm her down. In vain. Again and again she got up and fought. When I came in she charged with her head down into my belly and nearly knocked me over: Then I let her have it until I had her on the floor. Up she came again. And then a third time. I got her down again and said, gasping: "I've beaten up more than one bitch in my life." Then she got up, threw her arms around me: "Fritz, I love you." Apparently she finally got what, all her life, she was asking for.
And there are thousands of women like her in the States. Provoking and tantalizing, bitching, irritating their husbands and never getting their spanking. You don't have to be a Parisian prostitute to need that so as to respect your man. A Polish saying is: "My husband lost interest in me, he never beats me any more."
Therapist Barry Stevens, who met Fritz Perls for the first time in 1967, described a different impression of him. She wrote: "... I know that Fritz doesn't like his arrogance, and along with it, he has such a beautiful humility."[15]: 26 And later she said: "Fritz is almost always a very warm and gentle old gentleman now."[15]: 186
Stevens also described another incident from a group therapy session: "... Fritz Perls asked us all a question and waited for answers. ... I said nothing. He said 'Barry?' 'I'm blank," I said. He nodded and went on to someone or something else. How nice to have my blankness easily accepted."[16]
Erving Polster, psychologist and Gestalt therapist, founding faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland in 1953, said about Fritz Perls: “From Fritz I got the realization that a person could have incredible range in characteristics. I could experience Fritz as the most cutting and as the most tender of all people.”[17]
Selected publications
- Perls, F., Ego, Hunger and Aggression (1942, 1947) ISBN 0-939266-18-0
- Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P., Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality (1951) ISBN 0-939266-24-5
- Perls, F., Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (1969) ISBN 0-911226-02-8.
- Perls, F., In and Out the Garbage Pail (1969) ISBN 0-553-20253-7
- Perls, F., The Gestalt Approach and Eye Witness to Therapy (1973) ISBN 0-8314-0034-X
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Nate White
British Writer Pens The Best Description Of T**** I’ve Read
· Apr. 24th, 2020 at 11:38 AM
“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.
And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.
So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.
This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.
And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Pistachio Wars
Rowan Wernham, Yasha Levine
/ New Zealand, United States
/ 2024
/ 75 mins
/ English
World Premiere
Festival Winner
** Won a Doc Edge award for Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker and a special mention with Best NZ Feature **
A road trip into the dark heart of the American Dream.
Journalist
Yasha Levine follows a lead on a water sale between a farmer and a
small desert town and discovers a hidden side to California's healthy
snack industry.
At the centre of the story are the Resnicks, billionaires with the flashiest mansion in Beverly Hills and a monopoly on the pistachio trade. They've taken control of California's water: draining rivers, building plantations in the middle of a desert, leaving a trail of environmental collapse. Towns ravaged by drought, farms built on oil fields, mass extinction, a water heist straight from the plot of Chinatown, and… war with Iran?
Seasoning my Cast Iron Frying pans
Place in 300 degree oven oiled and upside down in the oven on the rack for an hour.
The Truth about Carbohydrates from the Cleveland Clinic
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates
Carbohydrates — fiber, starches and sugars — are essential food nutrients. Your body turns carbs into glucose (blood sugar) to give you the energy you need to function. Complex carbs in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods are less likely to spike blood sugar than simple carbs (sugars).
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates (carbs) are a type of macronutrient found in certain foods and drinks. Sugars, starches and fiber are carbohydrates.
Other macronutrients include fat and protein. Your body needs balanced macronutrients to stay healthy.
What do carbohydrates do?
Carbs are your body’s main source of fuel. They give you the energy you need to function. Here’s how the process works:
- When you eat carbs, your digestive system begins to break them down.
- Your bloodstream absorbs the carbs (now called glucose or blood sugar).
- Your body releases insulin, which directs the glucose to your cells for energy.
- If you have extra glucose, your body will store it in your muscles or liver. Once you max out glucose storage in those places, your body converts extra glucose to fat.
The amount of carbs you consume affects your blood sugar. Taking in a lot of carbs can raise blood sugar levels. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can put you at risk for diabetes. Some people who don’t consume enough carbs have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Simple carbohydrates vs. complex carbohydrates: What’s the difference?
A food’s chemical structure — and how quickly your body digests it — determines whether a carb is complex or simple. It takes your body longer to break down complex carbs, so they’re less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar. They also contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that your body needs.
Simple carbs, on the other hand, digest quickly. So, they tend to spike your blood sugar. Too many simple carbs can contribute to weight gain. They can also increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.
Are simple carbs bad for you?
It might be tempting to think of carbs as “good” or “bad.” Simple carbs aren’t “bad” — but they don’t nourish your body the way complex carbs do. The best rule of thumb is to eat plenty of nutrient-rich complex carbs and eat simple carbs in moderation. Ask your healthcare provider for personalized nutrition recommendations.
What are the different types of carbohydrates?
Foods and drinks can have three types of carbohydrates:
- Fiber.
- Starches.
- Sugars.
Fiber and starches are complex carbs, while sugars are simple carbs. You might also see the words, “total carbohydrates” on a food’s nutrient label. This refers to a combination of all three carb types.
Fiber
Plant-based foods — like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products — contain fiber. Animal products, including dairy products and meats, have no fiber.
Fiber is a complex healthy carbohydrate with two types — soluble and insoluble. Your body can’t break down fiber well, but soluble fiber can dissolve in water whereas insoluble fiber can’t. Corn is an example of insoluble fiber. Soluble and insoluble fiber pass through the intestines, stimulating and aiding digestion. Fiber also regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and keeps you feeling full longer.
Experts recommend that adults consume 25 to 30 grams (g) of fiber every day. Most people get half that amount.
High-fiber foods include:
- Beans and legumes, like black beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, peanuts and pinto beans.
- Fruits, especially those with edible skins (apples and peaches) or seeds (berries).
- Nuts and seeds, including almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- Whole-grain products, like brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, cereal and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
- Vegetables, like corn, broccoli, brussels sprouts and squash.
Starches
Starches are complex carbohydrates that also give your body vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). It takes your body longer to break down complex carbohydrates. As a result, blood sugar levels remain stable, and fullness lasts longer. Many starches (but not all) fit this category.
You can find starchy carbohydrates in:
- Beans and legumes, like black beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans and kidney beans.
- Fruits, like apples, berries and melons.
- Whole-grain products, like brown rice, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
- Vegetables, like corn, peas and potatoes.
Sugars
Sugars are a type of simple carbohydrate. Your body breaks down simple carbohydrates quickly. As a result, blood sugar levels rise — and then drop — quickly. After eating sugary foods, you may notice a burst of energy, followed by tiredness.
There are two types of sugars:
- Naturally occurring sugars, like those found in milk and fresh fruits.
- Added sugars, like those found in sweets, canned fruit, juice and soda. Sweets include things like cookies, candy bars and ice cream.
Sugar goes by many names. On food labels, you may see sugar listed as:
- Agave nectar.
- Cane syrup or corn syrup.
- Dextrose, fructose or sucrose.
- Honey.
- Molasses.
- Sugar.
Limiting sugar is essential to keep your blood sugar levels in the healthy range. Plus, sugary foods and drinks are often higher in calories which can contribute to weight gain. Limit refined foods and foods that contain added sugar, like white flour, desserts, candy, juices, fruit drinks, soda pop and sweetened beverages. The American Heart Association recommends:
- No more than 25 g (6 teaspoons or 100 calories) per day of added sugar for most people assigned female at birth (AFAB).
- No more than 36 g (9 teaspoons or 150 calories) per day of added sugar for most people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
What’s the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates?
There isn’t a set amount of recommended daily carbs. Your age, sex, medical conditions, activity level and weight goals all affect the amount that’s right for you. Counting carbs helps some people with diabetes manage their blood sugar.
For most people, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a healthy plate approach. You should fill:
- Half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
- One-quarter of your plate with whole grains.
- One-quarter of your plate with protein (meat, fish, beans, eggs or dairy).
Is a low- or no-carb meal plan healthy?
Some people cut their carb intake to promote weight loss. And some healthcare providers recommend the keto diet for epilepsy and other medical conditions.
These restrictions can be hard to follow over a long time. Some carb-restrictive meal plans include large amounts of animal fat and oils. These foods can increase your risk of heart disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before cutting carbs or making major changes to the foods you eat.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your body needs carbohydrates to stay healthy and work properly. The secret is to choose complex carbs more often than simple carbs. Your best bet is to choose mostly nutrient-dense foods with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Limit foods that have added sugars. Your healthcare provider can help determine the right amount of carbs for your needs.
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