Greetings, Village. I didn’t expect to be posting a blog today but this is happening now and I’m thrilled with our Minority Leader. So x-posted from DK.
Greetings, Village. It’s Day 293 of the Resistance and time for your final Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
I usually include a link to WhatTheFuckJustHappenedToday.com. I think after all this time you can find it for yourselves now.
As for what the fuck just happened on Monday, November 6th, something bad. Something unconscionable. Something evil. If every act of kindness is an act of #Resistance, then every act of cruelty helps the Republican agenda.
Unfortunately my MIL is still in the hospital in ICU and I have run out of time, energy and positive intent to meet all my obligations, so I am surrendering my Wednesday posting slot to whomever may wish to pick it up. If I may, I will support the community as best I can with recs and the occasional comment but for now that will likely be in thought and spirit rather than in text and pixels.
I haven’t come empty handed though. These are lyrics to a song I wrote in 1991, when I was one third of an all female rock band. Perhaps there will be something somewhere in it for you.
Cat and other memes will, of course, precede, and follow.
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 286 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
I’m afraid yours truly has hit the proverbial wall in terms of energy, and coherency. Family member is still in the hospital, back in ICU as of last night. So I beg your forgiveness for this extremely basic anchor post for your Wednesday #Resistance meet and discuss thread. Hopefully next week I will be able to offer something more interesting, but in the meantime, there are certainly enough developments to keep the conversation going – or give yourselves a free day to relax and exchange personal news and tidbits of interest.
You know I’m now and always #StillWithYou.
Michelle and I are thinking of the victims of today's attack in NYC and everyone who keeps us safe. New Yorkers are as tough as they come.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 1, 2017
New York's resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, & the responders who saved lives.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 1, 2017
The tragedy in NYC is that 8 people are dead. New Yorkers don’t have an hysterical fear of Muslims so no one bother marketing that here.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) October 31, 2017
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 279 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
In one week it will be November first, and we will be sadly out of the season of Halloween. I pondered what to use as my thought object for today’s post and decided I could not miss the chance to draw your attention to yet one other thing associated with Halloween. Sometimes considered a monster, predominantly characterized as evil, yet perhaps the single most enduring image and standard Halloween costume for little girls, older girls and women of all ages… no, not a princess.
You already know I am talking about the original Nasty Woman. The Witch.
I will not attempt to explore the archetype, idea and character of The Witch in any satisfying way, but merely to evoke her in your imagination, and let that magical process do most of the rest of the work.
After all, Imagination is the bedrock component of spellwork and witchcraft, along with secrecy, and intent.
Although witches have been slightly rehabilitated and a serious attempt has been made to reclaim The Witch in the name of feminine empowerment, after centuries of relentless effort on the part of those who present her as a monster, this image cannot be undone in a mere few decades. It is possible that it will not be undone until such time as women are no longer considered chiefly objects, servants, and of less worth than their male counterparts by none but a pathetic minority. However that time is not yet nigh.
Until women are seen by the majority of people as full human beings, The Witch will be a convenient image of ugliness, evil, the feminine become threatening, poisonous and castrating.
At the same time, for the same duration, however, The Witch will be the original figure of feminine Resistance. Independent, powerful, wise, and a channel for the forces of the natural world.
The Witch takes a pot for cooking and it becomes a cauldron for the mixing of remedies, and spells. The Witch takes a broom, the emblem of servitude, and with it, she flies.
So this Halloween season, take a moment of thought for The Witch. You might know one. You might be one. In fact, in the present climate it’s quite possible you may someday soon find that you need one.
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 271 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
I’ve already shared with you my love for vintage horror movies, especially at this time of year. Monsters such as Dracula and the Frankenstein monster are so iconic and can represent so many things from aspects of the human psyche to quirks of our culture.
There is one type of movie monster that has undergone an extreme transformation from its early form, and has become an all-year-round phenomena in the current pop culture and media landscape: Zombies.
Television shows like The Walking Dead and its spin-off Fear the Walking Dead embody the newer kind of zombie, which has its inception in the George Romero film Night of the Living Dead. They are mindless walking corpses that hunger for the flesh of the living… brains are supposed to be especially tasty for them.
But the truth is, I have very little interest in modern type zombies. I’m certain they say something about modern culture and what we fear – that is true of all monster archetypes – but I have always been nostalgically fascinated by the classic Zombie, whose origins are not from some unknown plague, escaped government experiment or mysterious radioactive contamination from a space probe. The classic zombie is a creation of the bokor or magic practitioner for hire, or someone else with the skills to create them.
True zombies do not mass attack and eat people. They are merely slaves without will, doing whatever they are ordered to do. That might not seem as scary as hoards of ravenous flesh eating ghouls but it is a subtler, and in my view more chilling kind of horror. To become such a creature you would have been targeted, poisoned, and your soul stolen. Thus, you live on, a kind of twilight existence under the control of another, to work endlessly in fields or mills or doing whatever evil your master sends you to do, without choice. The ultimate labor force, the ultimate slave.
The film credited as being the first Zombie movie ever made is a special favorite of mine. It is definitely an acquired taste, that is my warning, but if you have an interest for something old, and odd, and in my view incredibly revealing about the backstory of a culture, you might keep your eyes open for it: White Zombie, released in 1932. It tends to show up on broadcast channels this time of year, though often late, late at night. as befits its cult status.
There is no pretense in this 1932 movie to racial equality, and stereotypes abound, but since we know that we are not, as some have asserted, a post-racial society even now, viewing with awareness may be educational.
In the older, true zombie films of which White Zombie is the progenitor, most of the victims of zombification are folk of color, native to the setting. Since the white film producers were making movies for a white audience, they are uniformly about the ‘unusual’ circumstances wherein white people either become victims of a voodoo curse, or in some other way encounter the phenomenon.
Walking Dead type zombies, ghouls, as George Romero preferred to identify them, can be any race but especially at first, most of the grotesquely made-up extras in most shots seem to be Caucasian. The poor hero of Night of the Walking Dead is a black man, and that in itself is an interesting choice worth exploring, but not here.
Here, we recognize that a certain percentage of our American population have taken the bokor’s poison voluntarily, losing their souls and surrendering their will to the direction of whomever can hold them enthralled, to ignore their own well being, and even to do evil acts.
Beaumont: Zombies!
Legendre: Yes. They are my servants. Did you think we could do it alone? In their lifetime they were my enemies. Ledot, the witch doctor. Once my master. Secrets I tortured out of him. Von Gelder, the swine. Swollen with riches. He fought against my spells until the last. In him I have a struggling type.
His Excellence, Richard. Once minister of the interior. Scarpia, Brigand Chief. Marcquis, Captain of Gendarmerie. And this—this is Chauvin. The high executioner—who almost executed me! I took them just as we will take this one.
Beaumont: But what if they regain their souls?
Legendre: They would tear me to pieces. But that, my friend, shall never be.
Quotes from the script, courtesy of PallorPublishing.com
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
This group promotes ‘ex-gay’ torture. Trump is speaking there today. https://t.co/CAcXWqiyWQ
— LGBTQ Nation (@lgbtqnation) October 17, 2017
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 264 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
On Sunday Republican Senator Bob Corker went on the record questioning the current WH occupant’s competency. While most of us have been doing so all along, not to mention Secretary Hillary Clinton flat out warning what was coming during the campaign if her opponent were elected, the Republicans, especially those still serving in elected office have been careful to keep criticism of the bundle of ego in chief off the record and behind closed doors/muffling hands/fake coughs etc.
Sen. Corker however stopped short of accepting any responsibility whatsoever for the scary creature now threatening possible nuclear bombardment on North Korea.
He is their Monster. They are all enabling him as they greedily try to scrape whatever they can get out of the erratic yet systematic wrecking of the United States Federal Government. They opposed him during their own primary, or some of them did, yet he is their Monster – assembled from the worst severed parts of their “Conservative” policies, their race-baiting and voter-suppressing campaign tactics, and their secret authoritarian, white supremacist and totalitarian dreams.
Enjoy your moment in the spotlight, Senator. Meanwhile, the #Resistance will keep fighting for hope, for those who are being harmed, and for a better future.
And, no, we won’t forget how we got here. Never.
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
Life at last! Salutations from the other side
I can see that you’re the devil’s pride
Do you realize that all of you donated something horrible you hated that is part of you
I’m your nightmares comin’ true I am your crime
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 258 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
I love October. I love Halloween. I embrace many aspects of the season and the holiday, but one of the things I enjoy and look forward to the most is the TV programming. When it comes to horror, I far prefer old school. Universal, and Hammer.
The classic Monsters as most people know are Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. There are a few others who are sometimes included in the tally, such as the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Mummy. But everyone agrees on the Big Three.
Each of these characters has come to represent some aspect of human nature, and some of those associations have shifted over time. Vampires glitter, werewolves are heroes, man-made men are now almost within the reach of science.
But if we keep to the originals, the Wolf Man was always the figure most filled with pathos. Cursed. A man who doesn’t choose to be evil.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where evil does not manifest within known confines any longer. I suspect it never really did, but the illusion of safety and civility have now been shattered.
It takes a silver bullet to save us from the beast. But what will save us from the gun?
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
Actor Lon Chaney Jr. taking a break during filming of Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 251 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
Our fellow citizens and fellow humans in Puerto Rico are desperate and suffering, and our Resident is tweeting about football players taking a knee in protest of police violence. Our country is in the throes of a terrible struggle with its soul and identity, and the struggle is real, and it continues.
We continue the Good Fight, and #Resist with all the energy we can gather as we assist each other to persist.
Somewhere, Robert Mueller continues his work.
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
Breaking News: Mitch McConnell conceded defeat on the latest GOP plan to repeal Obamacare, scrapping a planned vote https://t.co/dfJ6rzpyeD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 26, 2017
Now let's return to regular order – hearings, open debate and amendments. https://t.co/NlTmMn79cX
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) September 26, 2017
Humanitarian crisis in #PuertoRico. Our neighbors are in dire need. Here are some ways to help: https://t.co/9k1rbbvXBE
— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) September 26, 2017
Heading to the floor to urge my colleagues to work together to help Puerto Rico rebuild & recover just as we would anywhere else in America.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 26, 2017
Trump administration denies Puerto Rico's request to waive the Jones Act, which it did for Harvey and Irma. https://t.co/dm2tcMfm2x pic.twitter.com/2O69ESjABV
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) September 26, 2017
We're expanding our efforts to help Puerto Rico & the USVI, where our fellow Americans need us right now. Join us at https://t.co/o5oCWOtiJS https://t.co/L2xArjc9N7
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 26, 2017
President Trump, Sec. Mattis, and DOD should send the Navy, including the USNS Comfort, to Puerto Rico now. These are American citizens. https://t.co/J2FVg4II0n
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 24, 2017
Clinton pressed Trump to deploy hospital ship Comfort to Puerto Rico. Now it’s on the way. https://t.co/t13bfx5iUP
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 26, 2017
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 244 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
If today’s banner looks familiar, it’s because I decided to re-use an old one. Two reasons: one, I’m swamped and tired, and two, we are right back at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, also known as Durin’s Bridge, ALSO known as THE REPEAL AND “REPLACE(HAHA)” OF OBAMACARE.
This time it’s called #GrahamCassidy.
You known what is going on, you know what is needed. If anyone is confused, comment and someone will help you out.
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
#GOP SCUM! Once agaiN Health Care is on the block! Call your representatives and tell them to keep their selfish hands off your OBAMACARE!
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) September 20, 2017
Republicans have made it clear they don't care about bipartisanship or people affected. It's ACA repeal or nothing. https://t.co/wvpNk09Mss
— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) September 19, 2017
CALL CALL CALL. Do not let up. Kill the bill before it kills us. #GrahamCassidy https://t.co/XkQNK3Tmtx
— HawaiiDelilah (@HawaiiDelilah) September 20, 2017
#GrahamCassidy is just another name for kicking people off their insurance.
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) September 19, 2017
#GrahamCassidy includes an age tax on seniors & lets states waive protections for maternity, newborn & preventive care, hospitalization 1/2
— Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) September 19, 2017
The ability to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions is back in full force under #GrahamCassidy https://t.co/DpFvHQTGj9
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 19, 2017
This is why I need you to join our effort to stop the partisan #GrahamCassidy repeal plan. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/tWStCcYVEe
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) September 19, 2017
We need all hands on deck to save the ACA!
Tell your reps to vote NO on the #GrahamCassidy bill.
Share & call today!
(202) 224-3121 pic.twitter.com/l00L7jvOgP
— Women's March (@womensmarch) September 19, 2017
Hearing from activist friends that Senate phone lines aren't being slammed like they were w/ prior healthcare atrocities. Get in there y'all https://t.co/UZKvslxSMJ
— Dana Stevens (@thehighsign) September 18, 2017
Don’t let Gandalf’s sacrifice be in vain!!!!
Greetings, Village Meese. It’s Day 237 of the Resistance and time for another Get Over the Hump post and discussion thread.
Books! Books are cool. Some books are good, some are bad, some are funny, some are silly, some are serious, some are boring.
I know about books! I worked for 10 years at a public library! First, I shelved them, then I checked them out to people, then I supervised the circulation desk of a branch library.
I was surrounded on all sides by books!
Before that, I read a lot of books. Book were my friends, educated me, kept me company when I was lonely (and I was lonely a lot), fed my imagination and gave me comfort.
So I’m down with books.
Nowadays, I read digital format. I love being able to carry 50 books around in a small tablet form. I used to carry thick paperbacks around everywhere but that was quite a while ago. Hardbacks rarely, since I’ve generally had to watch my spending. Also, they are arm and shoulder breakers.
Books can carry all kinds of information, and some of that information is very useful and helpful to the Resistance.
Today, let’s share our favorite Resistance related books!
And now for your regularly scheduled randomness.
You know who cares what Hillary Clinton has to say?
The girl that will become the first female President of the United States.
— Frederick Douglass (@HITEXECUTIVE) September 11, 2017
The moment you get @HillaryClinton 's new book- & you realize you're in the book. Ana you are so loved. #WhatHappened #GoodReads #lovewins pic.twitter.com/d1OIp1hN3p
— Nelba Márquez-Greene (@Nelba_MG) September 12, 2017
No one's doing anything this morning but reading #WhatHappened or waiting in line to see Hillary.
Sorry, haters.pic.twitter.com/3IOo6mLCNd— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) September 12, 2017
Already a line for @HillaryClinton book signing ( that's tomorrow). ❤️🇺🇸#WhatHappened @GradyKeefe @joysecuban pic.twitter.com/bPnfzBZ4k8
— GregHale1 (@GregHale1) September 12, 2017
When @HillaryClinton sends you pizza… https://t.co/RJdXSR5Pan
— Grady Keefe (@GradyKeefe) September 12, 2017
Enjoy! See you all tomorrow! 🍕🤗💪 https://t.co/2wJN2NJGWu
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 12, 2017
The People's President. pic.twitter.com/7ejzqHINrn
— HRC In The Wild 📚 (@HRCintheWild) September 12, 2017
