Breathing Room: Giving and Giving Up
[NB: check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]
We could all use a little breathing room, some space in which to back up, slow down, and look around.
While many of us aren’t particularly religious, this breathing room has been inspired by religion. This past Wednesday was the first day of the Christian Lenten season. Some Christian sects observe Lent with additional prayers and/or with forgoing pleasurable goods and services. Some Christian sects instruct adherents to give up red meat and to fast on certain days during Lent, ex. Catholics avoid meat on Fridays.
This year the Islamic faith community observes Ramadan from March 1 through March 29, overlapping with Lent for several weeks in recognition of the revelation of Islamic scriptures. Observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, offer more prayers, and engage in more charitable acts.
I’m not particularly religious, but I observe Lent having been raised in the Catholic faith. This frustrated my kids when they were little. “If you’re not a regular Catholic any longer, why do we have to give up stuff?” they’d ask.
I explained for multiple reasons:
— This is what our maternal forebears did going back hundreds of years, as far back as the 16th century. Perhaps even further, to when they lived in what was known as Poitou. This puts you in touch with history and tradition of some of your people.
— This is one of the few times privileged people are conscious of the act of going without; it’s still privilege to choose to do so, but in doing so we should be aware of those who are forced to go without. Our Catholic forebears were exhorted by their faith to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) We go without as others do during Lent to learn empathy with those who have no choice but to live without.
— Living with a parent who has diabetes and heart disease, going without is a protective act. We have a personal reason to give up red meat and other rich foods while learning how to eat healthier; in doing so we learn skills for a healthier future. This isn’t giving up but a form of giving to each other.
— And now it’s become a matter of health for the planet. Giving up red meat and other forms of discretionary consumption reduces our carbon footprint. This is what we should learn to do during each Lenten season in order to extend this as a lifetime habit.
This year my Lenten observation includes giving up retail consumption. I will not buy goods or services which are not essential, and when I must buy the essential it will not be from businesses embracing fascist ideology.
Support the current administration by eliminating pursuit of social justice through diverse hiring and contracting, inclusive and equitable operations? I will not buy from them, and I will learn how to replace them.
There are economic protests underway, some advocating the boycott of companies that have rejected DEI to submit to the current regime’s bigotry. The NAACP published an advisory list of companies that have eliminated DEI programs and others that have continued to embrace them.
The People’s Union USA organized a February 28th “economic blackout” aimed at certain large retailers; participating consumers’ purchasing abstention may not have made a dent. But the boycott didn’t end there; they are continuing their boycott of multiple large corporations for at least two months, including Amazon and its subsidiaries from March 7-14. They ask that participants make no Amazon purchases, no Whole Foods, no Prime orders during that period.
Some faith groups have also begun a consumer fast from purchasing. Target Corporation in particular has been the subject of abstention beginning February 1 in Target’s home state of Minnesota because of its reversal on DEI.
“Black people, on average, spend $12 million a day at Target,” [New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s senior pastor Jamal-Harrison] Bryant said. “The fact of the matter is that Target made a pledge to our community after the killing of George Floyd of $2 billion into Black business and when the administration changed, they disavowed as if it never happened. The pledge was never made under DEI or affirmative action. It was out of decency and to humanity. To walk away from it is insult to injury.”
It’s important to remember that choosing to abstain from purchasing is an exercise in privilege which many more Americans can’t share after losing their jobs because of the Trump-Musk administration’s sloppy execution of Project 2025/Agenda 47. Recently unemployed may need to curtail spending due to loss of income and uncertainty about future employment prospects. This is not a little thing for some families when it comes to choosing where to shop; Target may have been convenient for diaper purchases on the way to/from work, for example. Entirely different calculus may be needed for those essential purchases.
Being empathetic and anti-fascist may not be easy for those of us with the privilege to choose where to shop. Looking for something as basic as a hair brush or grooming products may require entirely new approaches to shopping, and learning more about local businesses. Perhaps it’s a good thing to embrace this stretch out of the groove of habit; it could mean the difference between a small local business succeeding or failing. It could mean escaping enshittification foisted on us by Big Box retail.
What are you doing this spring to reject and repel fascism? This is an open thread.
For years, Target had been our “pick up a gift, bag, and card” on our way to family celebrations. No more.
The alternative in my area appears to be Kohls, but they’re in financial difficulties, not sure how long they’ll be around.
[Welcome back to emptywheel. Please use the SAME USERNAME and email address each time you comment so that community members get to know you. You attempted to publish this comment as “Ginny” triggering auto-moderation; it has been edited to reflect your established username. Please check your browser’s cache and autofill; future comments may not publish if username does not match. /~Rayne]
I don’t know anything about Kohl’s wrt politics, but shopping there instead of Target makes it more likely they’ll survive and provide competition.
I have wondered for a very long time why JC Penney’s and Sears didn’t use their long-established distribution system to create a viable competitor to Amazon instead of trying to chase Target and Macy’s. Here’s yet another opportunity; will they seize the moment? *smh*
Kohl’s has stuck to a DEI policy and is considered a good replacement for Target, for many items.
That’s good to know about Kohl’s. Thanks.
In my area, they’re next door to each other, in the same shopping center. (It’s on a busy street, and hard to get to from where I am.)
This may not be a feasible option for you but just in case – especially for celebrations, I’ve been working to learn and interact with small, independent, ethically run (as far as I can research) business, some local, some on line. Ordering books from Powell’s Books, or going to local co-op bookstore that also has cards and small gifts (Flyleaf Books! So grateful to have found them recently). Buying direct from makers, or local stores that curate from sustainable sources. Giving kids donation cards to aggregators like GlobalGiving (our kid got one from an auntie and fell hard for the HeroRats of APOPO). Extra effort that I have the privilege to do.
More on the “pro” side than the “against”, I adjusted my memberships in the regional NPR and PBS systems from annual to monthly. Most of that was paid for by dropping Netflix, which I wasn’t really using that much.
It’s better for the public broadcasters if they have more stable income streams. How know what those the P2025 and DOGE asshats have in mind for them.
NPR receives 1% of their funding from the government. They will survive. You local station is most likely the one that needs the support.
I understand that, and the two “local” public broadcast entities are exactly who I give to.
In Southern Oregon and Northern California Jefferson Public Radio is the “local” NPR entity which, due to topography and population density, must be regional. It consists of mix of 25 FM and AM stations, and 34 FM translators. Southern Oregon PBS broadcasts from two primary transmitters and 10 translators.
It should be noted that Project 2025 advocates for the complete defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, justifying it by stating:
“Defunding CPB would by no means cause NPR or PBS—or other public broadcasters that benefit from CPB funding, including the even-further-to-the Left Pacifica Radio and American Public Media—to file for bankruptcy. The membership model that the CPB uses, along with the funding from corporations and foundations that it also receives, would allow these broadcasters to continue to thrive.”
“NPR and PBS stations are in reality no longer noncommercial, as they run ads in everything but name for their sponsors. They are also noneducational. The next President should instruct the FCC to exclude the stations affiliated with PBS and NPR from the NCE denomination and the privileges that come with it.”
That whole section of Project 2025 is worth a read.
See also: https://cpb.org/funding/
Yes, that section of Project 2025 IS worth the read. Now that we’re living in it, I would suggest that all of you at least attempt to slog through the whole thing; much of this will feel creepily familiar.
As for NPR, my local station features some excellent programs but the national stuff feels more and more like a pretentious attempt to out-CNN with the normalization and both-sidesing. I. Just. Can’t. Anymore.
TY, Rayne, for this thoughtful appraisal of the good aspects of religion in our lives. Like you and Marcy (from her comment on Nicole’s show last Friday) I’m an ex-Catholic, my Dad only having decided not to be ordained a Franciscan friar because the call to defend our civilization against German Nazis and Japanese Imperialists was stronger. He never lost his passion for the Faith, though.
In the same vein as your secularization of Lent, I’m using a secularized tithe rule: at least 10% of my SS check each month goes to Dems in various forms, and several of the legal orgs that take donations who are taking the American Fascist-Imperialist Party to court — as well as ProPublica, of course. I just checked and the % is more like 15 at the moment.
I and my wife are also spending time with a trans friend, just shooting pool on her fine table at her house, helping out with some construction issues (she’s got a fused spine and other serious physical shit, and getting contractors is almost impossible), and just letting her know that she’s
important to us, and we’re available if she needs us, as she’s pretty isolated and her dad who she was close to just died. Just doing “Christian” shit, without a prayer book or hymnal involved, or expectation of anything in return other than hanging with a pal and trying to make combination shots in 8-ball.
I don’t know how my dad would look at that relationship, but I do know that he went from being an Ike and Nixon supporter to stumping for Tom Foley in the last election before Gingrich took the Speakership from him (it was said that Dad’s endorsement kept Tom in a job that year).
Along those lines, I also sent Marcy’s suggestion to Catholics in last week’s Friday with Nicole video (40:00 to 43:20) to my very observant Sister and Brother in Law who are very active, especially BiL who was a CO during Nam, and Sis who ran (secular)Committee for Children for years. They will not-unlikely do something with that.
Oh, and also pestering Susan Collins like a small demon in a Bosch painting.
Called Susan Collins’ office many times asking if she is “concerned” about:
SSA cancelling contract allowing parents to sign up newborns at the hospital.
WH meeting with Zelenskyy she said, “critical time for Ukraine.”
Political payback to Governor Mills.
The coup, she said, “I’m very concerned about the impact on the state of Maine, on everything from national parks to biomedical research. So this is a big problem.”
Firing of federal employees, she said, “I think it’s pretty clear that this violates Article One of the Constitution. You would see lawsuits if the actions continue, a lot of these issues are going to end up in court.”
Asked when will Republicans have the moral strength to stand up to bully Trump? When? Still waiting for a Republican to step forward.
I’m wondering what the contemporary equivalent is for a white feather delivered to Republican members.
I fear it would be interpreted as an actual threat to said member.
Thank you for that list. Well compiled. It would be great to get a group of people to leave that message in full on her contact portals, to make sure that it’s felt as well as logged. I’m in a ME group, I’ll fwd it to a guy who has a good send list and who’s been pushing this kind of thing ’round heah’. Maybe he could couch it seriously in an appeal to the Senator’s conscience, and ask her to consider how history will judge her. Get everybody to verbally recite that same comment. I’ll run it up that flagpole.
A Margaret Chase Smith anecdote or two thrown in wouldn’t hurt in that regard, either. Side by side comparison, b.c. she interned for Chase Smith. The crew she’s adhered to makes Joe McCarthy look moderately sane. And the sandlot expertise of these guys this year, combined with almost universal baseline animosity among them; it’s like a Mad Max prequel, a decade or so before Thunderdome.
Commentary like that is also appreciated by the Senator, I’m sure!
Great post, Rayne.
Having moved to a new community within my large city — I’m beginning to get involved with our neighborhood’s fledgling community hub. The mission of the hub is to be there for the community in the case of disasters — natural or otherwise. We’re having our first meeting this afternoon.
When my father passed I inherited an ungainly stock portfolio — I’m culling down the companies that don’t align with my beliefs. The latest to go was Target and some oil industry-adjacent stocks. I’m also paying more attention to our local politicians — city council, school board, judges, etc. I attend the public meetings when I can.
All this is very small, but I think this is where my attention needs to be — focused locally.
I’m taking the same approach as Tracy Lynn and working locally. We moved to WV from Colorado 13 years ago, and have gradually established ourselves in a small town here. The town council members are burned out and most of them are not running for reelection. I can run unopposed and get on the council this June.
After being very bullheaded and resisting most of my ideas, they have become a lot more open since I have been able to help the town with their water source problems. I’m in a unique position where the locals are out of ideas and are ready to listen to an “outsider”. West Virginia has a lot of problems, but a few well-placed activists could make a big difference here.
Move to WV and bring your friends! It’s time to make WV blue again.
United States National Radio Quiet Zone intrigues me. Just might join you in W.V. if I live long enough to get off my ass.
That must be some burnout if you can get on the council unopposed and congratulations on wearing them down.
“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else.” I hope this Churchill observation continues, but the damn waiting to get to the right thing is frustrating.
Thanks for this post, Rayne.
1. I’ve gotten involved with a new, local chapter of Indivisible.org here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our name is the Lake Superior Regional Indivisible (LSRI), and it’s really rocking and rolling. I love the national organization’s spirit, strategy and inspiring ideas and many helpful resources.
2. My wife and I attend local township meetings, which have been fractious and interesting.
3. I try to make 5 phone calls a day (and mostly succeed) to senators and members of Congress. http://www.5calls.org has a great app to help with this.
4. I made a bunch of postcards to send out on March 15th for The Ides of Trump Postcard campaign. Get on board, everyone. Write a postcard to the Orange King Baby and tell him EXACTLY what you think of him. Sharpen your wit and your pens. Mail them on March 15th. Mail as many as you can. I had 300 of my own design printed locally and have been giving them out to all my friends and allied organizations. Go to Card Campaign for Democracy for a downloadable card you can print at home. https://cc4democracy.com/2025-cards/card-5-ides-of-trump or design your own.
5. I joined Card Campaign for Democracy (see above) and am printing and leaving democracy-affirming, informative cards in interesting places.
5. Participated in a Town Hall Meeting WITHOUT Congressman Jack Bergman in Escanaba, Michigan last Thursday evening. He’s our piece of sh*t Republican Congressman. He hasn’t had a town hall meeting since 2017. WTF? No, I’m not kidding. That’s over 8 years! He and his staff were invited to ours last week. None showed. People addressed their comments to an empty chair, which was given 10 seconds for a response. Word got to Rachel Maddow somehow, and she mentioned us on her show a night ago.
https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20250308_050000_The_Rachel_Maddow_Show/start/741/end/801?q=bergman
6. I regularly write letters to my representatives. It’s therapeutic. But they say calling is better. Who really knows? I try to do both.
7. I draw Anti-Trump cartoons and post them regularly on my website and on social media.
8. I contribute financially to Empty Wheel (if you’re not doing so already, why NOT?). I also send $$$ to the ACLU, Indivisible.org, The Guardian, and Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE is a treasure trove of VITAL public health info. They have a free weekly newsletter). More financial contributions are in our family’s pipeline; we just have to decide where are very limited dollars are spent most effectively…
9. I attended a spectacular Women’s Day Rally yesterday in a nearby city that had a great turnout and wonderfully brave speakers. My favorite signs: “Keep your Ideology out of my Biology” and “Girls Just Want to Have FUNdamental rights.” It was a deeply moving and inspiring event.
10. I’ve been involved with VoteForward.org since 2019. We write letters to registered Democratic voters giving them crucial information on how/where to register and vote, and write a few sentences about why voting is important to us. Right now, I’m writing to voters in Wisconsin, where a very important, high stakes state supreme court race is taking place in April.
10. I hang very tight with my many anti-fascist, hilarious & loving friends and family.
11. It’s great to be retired and to be able to really put the time in for all this. Action is a powerful antidote to anxiety. It’s not the ONLY one, but it’s a powerful one. This is an all-hands on deck moment in our country, as you all know. We need to make noise and good trouble… LOTS of it. And you know what? The fascists are paying attention. They’re scared. Yes, they’re obviously scared of Drumpf and Musk, but they are quickly becoming scared of all of US! Example: our P.O.S. M.O.C. Jack Bergman got the message from our Town Hall meeting. Two days after we held it, he showed up back home at some benign photo-op drop-in visits, and this was while the House was in session! He’s obviously rattled. So: Make noise! Then make some more! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Find joy every day. And don’t give up. There are LOTS more of us than there are of them.
Shop at Costco and local businesses. I’ve never bought anything via Amazon and never will.
Are you by any chance related to a George Leroy Tirebiter?
Yes indeed. I Am also friends with Pastor Rod, Mudhead, and a few others. Shoes for Industry, compadre!
See you at the pep rally this afternoon! Principal Poop is giving a major address to the students, I understand.
While I almost never eat at chain restaurants, if you must, most cater to the fascist party. Two exclusively donate (100%) to the Democratic party, Chipotle and Shake Shack. Starbucks is about 80% blue. Sonic and In and Out are some of the worst, almost exclusively fascist. Burger King and McDonalds are also terrible.
And how much influence does that have on them?
Not much. I remember a concerted effort a few years ago to boycott Chick fil-A, which did get noticed. It is far more important to go to eating establishments in your neighborhood that are locally owned. We have several near us that we walk to and know the owners, who are often there. Good food, too. It makes a huge difference to them. Our local tavern, Kings Corner (very English), is owned by two Indian guys, who also own, Lilly’s, the best Indian restaurant within 50 miles and J’Town Market, a bodega that is extremely popular with the school kids.
Nearly every eating establishment in my area is part of a chain. Few are independent or local. (I don’t patronize CfA. Or Carl’s.)
I have still never eaten anything from Chick-fil-A. I won’t until they dig themselves out of the hole they dug.
Ditto Barilla, Sargento, Land O’Lakes products. I don’t miss them at all, and I definitely don’t miss their bigotry.
Agree re: local small business food!
Also agree Chick-fil-A super deep in self-created hole.
Way back when in med/grad school, was living in Domino’s headquarters territory. Owner bragged how he was directly tons of profits to anti abortion organizations including ones into lying, endangering etc. Had to cut that out of the cheap eats rotation.
Reply to Ciel babe
March 9, 2025 at 9:32 pm
Ah, yes, the pizza Nazis. I haven’t eaten Domino’s in about 30 years and Papa John’s in ~25 years. Nope, nope, nope.
I’d rather spend a couple hours and make my own pizza with a raised dough crust than give them a bloody cent.
We have 14-15 locally owned restaurants or eateries walking distance from my house. Our town prohibits drive through restaurants. Best zoning code ever. We’re a small town surrounded by Philly suburbs, just outside the city.
Steak N’Shake went full Nazi.
https://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/red-meat-steak-n-shake-goes-nazi
Probably just a coincidence the USDA shut down 2 critical food safety advisory committees including one handling foodborne pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.
https://foodsafetytech.com/news_article/usda-terminates-national-advisory-committee-on-microbiological-criteria-for-foods-nacmcf-and-national-advisory-committee-on-meat-and-poultry-inspection-nacmpi/
“In Sight It Must Be Right”
Ditto Hobby Lobby and Uline packaging.
ditto ditto
Jockey (underwear, etc.)
I’ve got a letter to editor submitted, pending publication, in support of recently axed trans rights. Came at it from one of the main points of Christianity: don’t be an asshole to people. But used nicer language than that. I paraphrased Christ.
I’m not particularly religious either, but Christ gave a lot of good advice.
—
Off Topic, but “I Never Lie and am Always Right” above just reminded me of Valpo basketball this weekend.
Their guard, his name is All Wright. And he’s got a brother named Always Wright.
Dad got the idea for the names from a friend. Mom must of had the same great sense of humor. I’m still laughing. God bless ’em!
My mom was a Valpo U. grad, and I graduated from Chesterton HS. Thanks for that memory!
Rockfarmer, did you delete a post or is the one stuck in the bin one which should have published? I can’t tell if there’s an auto-moderation trigger apart from the links you used.
Yes, Rayne, it looks like my post is stuck. It was probably because I put a few links in it, which I have never done before, and probably did incorrectly. It was a long post, too, which I apologize for, as well. Sorry to make your job harder. You don’t have to publish it, if it violates some EW standards I was unaware of. Thank you for all you do.
You rock, Rockfarmer!
Lots of good stuff in your now unstuck post. Thanks.
Thanks, Fiesty! Let’s keep the pressure on!
Thank you Rayne. We are a consumer society. I have purged stuff within the last year to charity, libraries, schools, friends, family and sold items. Cleaning on the outside is cleaning on the inside. Being semi-retired, purchase only the essentials, conscious of where I buy items. Costco is my go to for big items.
Being more mindful of my community and how I can help. We have a large number of federal employees in my neighborhood. Yesterday, the high school had a Resource Fair open to residents in 4 counties to access vital services for: employment assistance, mental health support, housing information, food aid and information on federal worker’s rights which was held yesterday.
To reject and repel fascism, I call Republicans on the hill almost daily reminding them we are a democracy not an autocracy. Or question their quotes disrespecting federal employees. Pointed out congress violates oath of office by abdicating their duties. Convenient for congress to deny accountability of this hateful and abusive destruction to federal employees and our institutions. I remind them their job is to answer to the people they work for, not a dictator. Also ask as federal employees, will Musk be cutting their staff in half. I end with “abuse, hate, and cruelty are not family values.”
Rayne thanks for that effective articulation of the value of observing Lent.
During Trump part uno, my Protestant neighbor mentioned that he and his wife and teen had decided to observe Lent – he himself had cut out reading the news. I took this to my Catholic mom and her reaction did not disappoint: she lost it in a hilariously sarcastic way. Boiled down to: Lent is supposed to be reflecting on your discomfort, doing something that is a challenge and then growing from that – cutting out the news is a present to yourself! Gargh! That’s what all the other weeks of the year are about!
Many friends and some family in federal workforce, have been calling “my fav fed of the day” on the regular just to check in, express support. Appreciate MsJennyMD’s more general and actionable version of this – inspiring.
Your mom is AWESOME!!!!
We have switched to small local chain grocery stores for the majority of our shopping. Now that the weather is improving, we plan to hit the farmers markets, also. The farmers are struggling with a frightened work force not showing up.
For other shopping, I have been very happy with the smaller makers on Etsy. I just got my son a t-shirt for one of his birthday presents that says “Gulf of Mexico est. 1550”. He has taken great glee in wearing that.
I am donating to Ukrainian organizations, World Central Kitchen and, as always, public radio/television in the Bay Area.
The thing I am doing for us, well, for my peace of mind actually, is stocking dried proteins, dried eggs, rice, water and toilet paper. I am seeing unexpected holes on the grocery store shelves, and I am not going to get caught again.
We have downloaded all of the student loan and Social Security information. I am slowly stockpiling a larger than usual cash reserve, along with extra months worth of prescriptions and other things we need on a daily basis. I call this the umbrella policy. If I do all of this we won’t need it. If I don’t I will be kicking myself.
I am quite sure my name is mud in several Representatives offices. They hear from me when I do not see or hear from them on any of the social media platforms. Speak up, or get out of the way. I expect resistance, or I will work to get you out of office.
I found a small amount of piece-of-mind in downloading /documenting not only SSA information, but all bank and other financial account information (account numbers, usernames, holdings, balances, etc.). It is comforting to have when my mind goes to those dark worse-case scenarios.
I’ve really felt the need to get off my butt since Trump took over, so in addition to chain boycotts I’ve joined a local offshoot of Indivisible and have participated in a few of their organized actions, including daily calls to congresspeople and a weekly local Tesla Takedown and several other marches; I’ll continue with these.
I’ve also had to re-think and clarify what I’ve always considered self-evident truths, due to some unexpected interactions with people close to me that make me realize how many people swim in an ocean of dis- and misinformation about government and what it does, and WHY it exists in the first place.
Imagine trying to explain the concept of the common good to someone brought up to think that privatizing ANY public resource was necessary and desirable, because it was just ‘better,’ you know, “just because business is more efficient!”
This has also made me realize what a black box our national government is to most people, who have no clue at all what federal workers do, so why NOT fire a few thousand of them?
Which has led me to the work of Anat Shenker-Osorio, who carefully structures language (when she consults with e.g. political campaigns) to lead with benefits rather than “policy” and consciously shapes her message structure both to bypass conservative framing entirely, and to find common ground and persuade from there. And I’m thinking if I can learn to use that languaging in my everyday interactions, I can at least be making a difference that sorely needs to be made.
I also think that some version of the messaging her firm does for campaigns needs to happen on a local, personal level around the country as well, over and above the typical “tis-taint / tis-taint” interactions I sometimes fall into. So, how can I bring that about, I ask myself. That’s something I’m working on as a kind of project, possibly in my local Indivisible group. (I’ve been thinking about possibly reinvigorating the ’teach-ins’ and/or ’truth squads’ I used to hear about in the sixties, to carry that progressive messaging forward. I’m still thinking through the details, but it’s definitely taking me out of my normal “live and let live” attitude on the subject.)
The language idea is really smart.
Yeah, I think it’s essential; I’d recommend the interview George Lakoff did with Tavis Smiley years ago on Youtube for the neurological basis of how people perceive what’s being said to them–it contradicts a lot of what I always thought “rational” discourse ought to look like, in order to be effective. The added urgency is we need every vote we can get for ’26, if there IS a ’26, and we can’t afford to leave a single vote on the table just because of ineffective languaging.
The best thing I know is to listen to what someone tells you. Then repeat it back to them and ask, “Is that what you said”?
I know. It sounds stupid. You might be surprised.
So, good read – thanks all.
And yes, agree with the ‘stockpiling’ and keeping a bit larger pile of cashish handy – just in case. Plus we have curtailed most discretionary spending and redirected savings to IRAs and Share Term Certificates at the Credit Union. A bit lower interest but safe from market fluctuations.
Unfortunately we appear to have a sign on our backs that says ‘kick me’ – another cat is in our lives. Some unconscionable bastard dropped a fine boi at a very busy gas station/mini mart right off the local expressway. Line of thought being ‘someone will take him?’ – guess it worked.
He was being fed junk food left and right and taking water from puddles in the asphalt. A tree-trimming subcontractor for the local electric utility parks trucks in the back lot there, boyo was sleeping in a large traffic cone laying on its side. That is when he wasn’t being shooed away with the feet of those who treated him as throwaway and all but invisible. Lovely.
But he was a trooper – friendly and affectionate – I got in the habit of stopping by every morning with kibble and some small bit of wet cat food. This was right before those two awful cold snaps happened in January. Took a crate and some roast pork one Sunday, and 30 minutes later back at the house with the boi.
His name is Honey Badger (no original narration by Randall) and is about a year old. Pinstripe tux – georgeous. We believe someone loved him but could not take him when they moved – a working theory. His diet was whacked and it took several weeks of regular food and daily clean water before his stool and urine got right. Took him to the mountains to get fixed at the Vet, no FIV and the whole clinic fell in love with him – advised that he was up for adoption – they put him on the list while we fostered him.
He adapted quickly – but there was absolutely no quarter from Ginormous Gorky Head – “the nerve – another male cat in my house?” So Honey Badger has been living in the basement where the pet door gets him outside at will at night, and a stout mesh screen added to the door at the top of the basement stairs. Hoping that will allow familiarization in the colony.
Adopted him out just over two weeks ago – left on Sunday the 23rd with a young couple, friends of ours son and his girlfriend. Sent him out with a care package of food, supplies and best wishes. Tremendous relief knowing he was in good hands and found a new forever home. Until the following Wednesday.
Got a frantic call from Mrs. Benji – the couple called her freaking out – Honey Badger was cold, stiff and had labored breathing. WTAF. Immediate trip to a local vet – pancreatitis and elevated blood sugar – diagnosis: juvenile diabetes. He was 10 days there on IV and various meds but made a great recovery – picked him back up last Friday and have learned to give him his 2 unit insulin injection 2wice a day.
The young couple cannot afford a special needs kitteh – both time and money wise. So here we are – hoping to find someone that understands his needs and can manage him. As I collected him there is no way in hell I will abandon him – he stays until the right situation comes along.
Kind of a longer post (sorry Rayne) but I needed to tell the story of Honey Badger. Especially since I am a recovering catholic and this is the season of hope – and the need to tell of a good thing happening to counter the current shit show we are living here and now. A happy ending – small but important to my life.
Rayne – you have my actual email address – if any member of the community is looking for a really great companion animal I can make it happen.
Good job, thanks for looking after Honey Badger, and I hope you guys find the right forever home.
thank you, Rayne and EW people, for reminding what it means to be human.
we are up against a lot and i have no meaningful words to contribute.
as i was cultivating my own garden yesterday, the Beatles came along and strengthened me —
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Thanks for this, Rayne.
Since January (during our state legislative session), I’ve been doing a lot of support work for my organization. We’re connected with some really good bills this year, and although nothing’s made it to the Governor’s desk yet, most of them are still standing, so there’s still hope.
Creatively, I’ve written a few protest songs, but I’m still tapping the usual veins for the bulk of my lyrics.
Now I can see that my life as a consumer is badly in need of adjustment, so my wife and I are going to have a conversation.
* Sending donations to groups doing legal work
* Writing my reps re. issues they DO have power over
* Talking friends down from the doom loop, giving suggestions for active work
* Supporting community groups – a new one is a local farmers market that has started a mobile farmer market truck to take fresh produce into more remote areas of the county. incredible idea.
In this small isolated community I have been surprised that our now weekly protests have grown to about 200 people. Other than being a morale booster I’m not sure what beneficial effect it has. Last Saturday there was a threat of mass shooting directed at our protest by a local young man on social media. It was reported to the County Sheriff. We are a small, predominantly blue island in a large red ocean. Is there some benefit, other than morale, I am not recognizing?
Yes, several in fact:
1) the expanded definition of “morale,” by which all of us all around the country and the world are able to get a boost from every small cadre (love that word) pushing the Overton Window leftward, and toward the exclusion of fascism, in all its forms, from it (where it used to reside). Individual stories of standing against this rolling coup can, collectively (another good one), push that window in our direction.
Also there’s an “event window” in times like these, whereby a intensity needs to be met with intensity. I think that’s imperative at this point, and going forward for a long time. IOW, we should get used to constant activism, which is what this post points toward.
“What are you doing this spring to reject and repel fascism?”
1. Disseminating accurate and pertinent information without becoming annoying.
2. Contacting my Congresscritters sparingly. They’re all Democrats. They know what they should be doing and sometimes they are doing it.
3. Shoring up morale among friends and acquaintances who need a boost.
4. Paying daily attention to the news while avoiding doom-scrolling.
5. Attending local political gatherings (“showing the flag”).
6. Not panicking — while sometimes quick and focused action is called for, panic is never an effective approach to anything.
7. Getting enough rest and exercise and a good diet.
Something about Lent that occurred to me. The time of its observance, though it varies a little from year to year, coincides largely with the end of winter in the Northern hemisphere. What, if any, connection may there be between that time of year when, during the olden days, food reserves were at their annual lowest, and the observance of a lengthy period of some sort of fasting?
Lent and Easter are co-opted religious observations with a much more complex origin.
See https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/opar-2020-0109/html for example.
RIP Kevin Drum (learned via TPM) – a respected center-left blogger from the early days, succumbed to cancer at age 66. I remember his work at Washington Monthly, succeeded in that post by Ed Kilgore (now at NY Magazine).
I started reading him back in the early days of W. He even responded to a random email I sent (which I appreciated then, and which I will treasure always) asking him about dexamethazone side effects.
WaMo remembrance
Like many other Canadians, I am boycotting US products and US-owned companies, as well as Canadian (and other) companies (e.g. Lululemon) that don’t reflect democratic values. I won’t visit the US again anytime soon, if ever – a wrenching decision as my only child and nearly all of my oldest and dearest friends, who like me are getting on, live there. I’ve written to both my federal and provincial representatives in support of countertariffs, forging stronger trade relationships with other democratic countries, scrapping the Safe Third Country Agreement, and sharply increasing our humanitarian and refugee immigration intake. I’m not a congregant, but I am helping the refugee sponsorship committee at my local Anglican church to prepare for the next family’s arrival. I send modest monthly donations to a struggling Planned Parenthood clinic in a red state and a free clinic in OR. My USan friends know that they can call on me if they know anyone who can’t (or is afraid to) access appropriate reproductive care in the US to get that care here. I’ve also become a go-to for USan friends whose kids/grandkids are considering Canadian universities, and if any come to my city, I’ll help them get settled and be available for ongoing support. I stay informed. I vote in every election – local, provincial, federal.
It isn’t much, I know, but it isn’t nothing, either.
I am so sad reading your post. We did not want this. We love Canada and especially the Canadian people.
Don’t let Trump and his cronies keep you from your family members. They probably hate that this is happening too.
I’m retired, current income is SS and a few thousand a year in dividends, royalties, and farm rent. so I can’t spend a lot, but have contributed to some of the law firms fighting these cases and to the AP.
Since our congressional delegation is hiding from us in ND, there is a group of people, including fired VA people and govt scientists, working on organizing our own town halls in larger cities here. Interestingly, the group has more Republicans than progressives, plus a good portion of independents. Part of the plan is to develop a package of brief videos of people saying how they are affected to give the delegation. They have met with one senator who historically has kept his head down but was a moderate in state office.
I forgot to add emailing my (GOP) legislators. I’ve tried to frame concerns in terms they can relate to–like my son’s small business has contracts with an Indian reservation, and (not much in the news about this) they have had funds cut off–these aren’t even necessarily appropriations in the usual sense, these are contracts with a sovereign nation. Business waiting payment for work done in November.
I can’t boycott much because I don’t buy much.
I don’t know if you guys saw Trump’s “Have fun!” message to farmers on Truth Social:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
We aren’t able to consume all the farm products grown in states like ND, and planting avocado groves MIGHT be a bit sketchy. My brother (farmer, Trump voter although doesn’t pay much attention to politics) said his wheat is down 10%. He’s also retired from his off-farm job and his 401k is also down 10%.
Thanks for this, Rayne. I’m late to the party, I’ve been thinking this sort of post would be helpful. For XCatholics like I am, the value of ritual and the change of seasons/appropriated Pagan holidays are worthwhile to contemplate.
I appreciate your thoughts, and all the dialog. My life has been overwhelming lately, hoping to get it back soon.
I’m going to work on training materials for anti-surveillance and digital tracking for regular people. I started writing these a while ago, and put it down when everything in the world (and my health) got a bit crazy, but it’s a good time to get back to them. I don’t know if I’ll be able to train people in person anytime soon, but at least I can get the materials in some kind of usable condition. I know privacy is a threat to fascism given how much they try to violate it. My purchasing isn’t really an issue, we’ve been trying to avoid all things Amazon (etc.) for ages. But maybe I should also try to document ways of not giving money to the companies who are bending the knee these days.
I’m also going to keep on supporting immigrants whenever and wherever I can.
re Boebert:
I’ve seen very few pimps and none of them had a cane. Makes you wonder where Boebert sees them. On second thought I’d rather not know. What she does as a side hustle is her own business.
So long as she isn’t engaging in her “side hustle” in front of children at a family-friendly event. Jeebus, why her district elected her is beyond me but I guess they feel pwning the libs is more important than ethical, moral representation.
And why is Keith Self so obsessed with Sarah McBride’s genitalia? Creepy.
She’s watching too many bad movies where pimps (always black guys in white suits) have canes and big cars. She doesn’t see the ones in real life.
RFKjr is telling people that getting measles is safer than the vaccine.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/12/2309675/-RFK-Jr-tells-Fox-News-audience-to-get-measles-not-the-vaccine
I’m going to try to get that shot – I’ve never had rubella that I know of, and it’s 68 years since I had measles.
He’s just a fountain of wisdom, ain’t he?
Not all smokers get cancer.
Not all drunk drivers kill someone.
And not all people with brain worms die from them.
He’s really unqualified for any position.
I can’t remember if I got the measles vax so my dr. ordered blood test. If needed I’ll get that and pneumonia vax (recommended if over 50 years old).
I’ve gotten the pneumonia and RSV shots.
Apparently The Felon Guy’s sales pitch for President Musk’s electric doodah floats was LITERALLY a sales pitch – he was reading it from their materials, including prices.
And, as someone wanted to know, where are they going to charge it if he buys one? He’s ordered all the chargers removed from government property, presumably including the WH. (Maybe he’s going to turn that tennis court into a walled charging facility.)
ETA: The latest UgliTruk problem: guy thought he was in drive, was actually in reverse, and backed into Ventura Harbor. He got out okay, but the thing was 8 ft under before they got to it.
https://www.sfgate.com/centralcalifornia/article/tesla-cybertruck-backs-water-california-harbor-20218196.php
Damn! Just when I was about to buy a $100,000 Tesla Trump goes and crashes my 401k.
Sorry, Elon!
Given Schumer’s apparent capitulation and moral weakness, the looting and destruction of our government will continue. There will be small claw-backs of illegal actions by the judiciary, perhaps moderate victories for the rule of law. Eventually, our constitutional rights will be diminished. Re-reading Eric Hoffer’s “The True Believers”, it seems it will be the ones who lose the most who push – back the most. That’s why I wanted a shutdown. The pain has to be widely felt by those who lose the most. I had jury duty the other day and discussed this with a fellow jurist (a lawyer). He thought that our descent could only be stopped if putative Trump supporters felt the squeeze and considered their stake in the game instead of the rhetorical shit that they consume daily. To be blunt, nothing will change until the rubes get kicked in the balls hard and repeatedly. This won’t happen until their “ox gets gored” by a month or two of shutdown. No farm subsidies, no school lunches, no student loans, no mortgage insurance, no social security, no flood insurance, no Medicaid and Medicare, no HUD block grants, and, especially, no VA benefits.