Time for Shutdown 2.0

Recently, 150 public health experts called on the federal government to shut down all non-essential businesses across the nation. Listen to and follow these scientists' and doctors' advice. It is long past time for Shutdown 2.0.
Actually we never had a real national shutdown, just as we have never had a national mask mandate. We did have a brief slow-down-to-contain phase. This failed to contain the virus because we could not contain our desire to get back to normal life. But life is not normal and we cannot simply wish normality into being.
We must contain the virus and that means accepting a truth bomb. All but essential workers need to stay home for an extended period. We need to dial way back on our social and work activities. This is how other countries have managed the virus and it has worked fairly well. They have flare-ups but they are manageable.
This shutdown needs to be comprehensive and simultaneous. It does little good to shut down some states and not others; to have bars open in one state but open next door. Folks will just go next door. This needs to be federal and include restrictions on interstate travel.
Reopening schools is a hot topic right now. How can we do it safely? Right now, we can't. Just can't.
But take the short term pain right now of closing for a month and in-person school may become possible. Otherwise, we condemn ourselves and our fellow Americans to many months of climbing death tolls, exhausted healthcare workers, many thousands of people with long term post-Covid health problems, a devastated economy, and millions of destitute unemployed people. Is this really what we want? Why would anyone want this?
An extended shutdown, painful as it sounds, is the fastest, cheapest, least disruptive way to handle Covid and open the door to a post-Covid (or at least contained Covid) future.
The federal government and states' governors need to do what is right for the American people - and the economy. Follow the example of other industrialized countries who had the good sense to shut down early in their outbreaks, provide income for citizens to keep food on the table and bills paid, enforce the lockdown and then slowly, carefully emerge. Many of these nations are reaping the rewards of their national sacrifice by reopening schools, lifting gathering limits, relaunching sports.
All this requires qualities that are, to put it kindly, not seen in abundance in our federal government just now, qualities like empathy, compassion, logic, courage. The current plan of having no plan cannot be allowed to continue. We tried to skip the hard part and just go back to pre-Covid life.
It will likely take a lot of us joining our voices with those 150 experts to demand our government do the right thing, shutting down the country to shut down Covid.

No substitute for logic in school opening debate

I have been a substitute teacher in my school district for several years. Let me drop a truth bomb on you about how a Trump-wished full re-opening would work.

It won't.

It's that simple. Not much is certain or simple these days but that is. Remember the old physics adage about the irresistible force and the immovable object? Except *3 is not the irresistible force he thinks he is. He cannot wish Covid-19 away. None of us can. The virus must be tamed, which will take effective leadership, science, lots of money, public-spiritedness, smarts, and creativity. Add pain and determination. Only then can we all, including schools, get back to something like normal.

Here are just a few of the logistical issues related to staffing - Schools would have to massively increase faculty, janitorial staff, and bus drivers. Classes would need to be *much* smaller. I have subbed classes with 30 students in a room. That won't work. It won't be safe for students or faculty.

Who is going to teach these much smaller classes and where? We will get to the "where" a bit later. It is hard for some schools to attract and keep enough good teachers in the best of times. Now many teachers nearing retirement age or who have health problems will not want to return to the classroom. Who will take their place?

Subs like myself often fill in not just for teachers out a day or two for illness or a meeting, but longer term until the school can find a new certified permanent teacher for that spot. There are not enough of us to go around on a good day, due to low pay and utter lack of respect from students. Many of us are older and we do not want to expose ourselves to Covid any more than our permanent counterparts. I doubt we will be able to fill the staffing void even if we are brave enough to set foot on campus, which I, for one, am not.

Janitorial staff will be another personnel issue. I don't think I have ever served on a campus that had sufficient janitorial staffing to keep a school even moderately clean, with restroom supplies stocked. And that was before Covid turned us all into germaphobes. Many more cleaners will be needed to constantly decontaminate surfaces and keep restrooms and handwashing stations stocked.

Transporting kids to school, whether on staggered days or shifts throughout the day will require a lot of bus drivers. We can't have kids crammed together on busses for two hours and that is how long the ride takes for some. We will need many more drivers and more busses, as well as mechanics to keep those busses going as these overused machines often break down. We will also need crews just to decontaminate the buses between sets of riders.

Physical space is another issue. Where will these smaller classes be held? Schools in my district don't have empty rooms. I have seen classrooms jerry rigged in hallways because schools don't have the space they need. I have conducted classes out in the "portables" that many campuses have because they cannot afford to add on permanent space. I have seen dyslexia teachers have to take her materials around the school all day to teach her students in whatever classroom *is* vacant at that time due to its regular occupants being PE or at lunch. Getting students safely from one room to another between classes will be another major issue. Keep them all together in one classroom all day? They get antsy after 30 minutes. This would also limit/remove enrichment activities like art, which typically has its own room.

Where is the money for increased staffing and hazard mitigation going to come from? School budgets were beyond tight before Covid. Now districts will have far less money and many more expenses. How is that math going to work?

In short, school is going to have to be hybrid online/onsite if it is onsite at all. Our districts are going to need much more financial support, regardless of how education is delivered in the fall.

Projected evolution of Donald Trump's public statements on Murder Hornets

Based on his response to Covid-19, here is how I expect Donald Trump's thinking to evolve (devolve) regarding the threat of murder hornets.

These so-called killy-things people are talking about do not exist. They are made up! It's just the Democrats and the lying fake news media trying to make me look bad. Whoever heard of big bees that can kill people? It's stupid. Stop talking about it.

Those flying bite things people are talking about do exist and I've always said they exist. Just check the record. But they're just like little gnats or something. No big deal. I had Jared Google them. Stop overreacting. Stop worrying.

I've been telling people all along these bugs are big. They are in fact bigger than a usual bug and a bit worrisome but it's OK. My wall will keep them out of this country. Mark my words. You're welcome America. Now say "thank you."

So a few of those stingy things somehow made it over the wall. Or avoided the wall on our southern border by coming in from the north and from Canada. Who knew they were so smart? But not to worry. They aren't going to hurt Americans. Be assured of that.

Now these Murder Hornets are a problem, as I have been warning everyone and no one would listen. They sting and it hurts. It even deaths some people. These are not "let's play fetch" insects. They are not pretty little "smell the flower" things. They are death things and death is bad. But don't worry. I have my best people on it. These bugs will disappear suddenly. Just go "whish" and they are away. Won't that be nice? Any day now. Until then, the honeybees can take care of themselves.

As I've said all along these bugs are an ongoing problem. They will be with us awhile. But are they *real* bugs? Like from nature bugs? My advisers are telling me they could actually be little, tiny drones sent to spy on us *and* attack us. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? No, I don't have "proof!" Why would I need "proof?" I am telling you they are drones!

So bug spray is apparently not doing much against the bugs, which Mother Nature made because she hates me. She is such a nasty woman. So, just thinking out loud here. Just spit-ballin'. Repellant does not work. How about a flamethrower? Yeah! let's have people try that. Just aim a flamethrower at your arm or wherever the hornets (or should I say whore-nets) sting. Problem solved. You are welcome, America. Now say "thank you."

By the way, I'm dismantling my murder hornet task force now that we have swarms over every major city and town in America. Great job, everyone! Bye now.

It's come to this - toilet paper care packages

In the "did not see that one coming" department - I found myself in the surreal position this morning of Priority Mailing four rolls of toilet paper to a desperate and dear friend in Austin.
Some people are hoarding massive amounts of "butt wipes" as they panic over the Corona virus. Not sure what the thinking is on that one. I'd be more concerned about ensuring I have enough consumables for the other end of my digestive system first but whatever. We all have different priorities.
Meanwhile the rest of us are tsk-tsking the TP hoarders and feeling all morally superior and witty as heck as we post TP shortage memes on the Internet. So, no shortage of silliness, which is good. We need silliness to get through this crisis. Like roll around laughing silliness. Get it, roll, toilet paper?
So, anyway, I had the following conversation with a good-humored postal clerk this morning.
Me: (in stage whisper while handing over package.) It's toilet paper. A friend in Austin cannot find any for love or money. It's come to this!
Him: (chuckling, then clearing his throat dramatically and assuming a loud, mock serious tone) I see, ma'am, you are sending off very important documents today.
Me: (matching his tone and nodding sagely) Yes, yes sir, I am indeed mailing crucially important documents today.)
Him: This comes with $50 insurance, do you need more?
(brief back and forth convo on retail vs. street/black market value of my shipment ensues in which I learn with some disappointment that I can only ensure for the retail rather than street value so no, I do not need extra insurance.) Sigh.
Him: And you are of course sending this overnight express certified?
Me: (looking at the regular and priority mail prices which are both - gulp - $8.70) Er... Can this go media mail?
Him: Is anything written on it?
Me: (reluctantly) no.
Other postal clerk chimes in: Write "only use three squares" on it!
Third clerk: But they often open media mail packages and if it's not media mail, they send it back.
My clerk: That would be very bad for your friend awaiting these important documents.
Me: OK. Priority.
My clerk: Cash back? In a pinch, that be used as TP and cheaper than what you are spending to send this package.
Me: Sold!
(Am handed $10 bill plus a receipt. I pointedly test receipt for softness as further potential TP substitute. Kinda Sears catelogish but that was good enough for our grand parents so I make a "that'll do" face.) Beats the corn cob or three shells options.
End scene...
But back to the hoarders and their reasoning. Perhaps they are actually the cleverest/shrewdest of us. Mayhaps TP rolls will become alternative currency in future weeks/months, like cigarettes in prison.
Stay silly. Stay safe. Don't hoard.

Elizabeth Warren - the lady persisteth

So now it's a horse race between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, according to pundits and pollsters. This is the emerging story line after Biden's big showing in South Carolina followed closely by the"bending the knee" ritual from former candidates Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Beto O'Rourke.
Why are some folks trying to erase Elizabeth Warren from the Democratic field? Why is it suddenly an "old guy vs. old guy" scenario? Both Biden and Sanders have their share of baggage and flaws, including advanced age. Neither of them looks like the best Democratic candidate still standing, IMHO.
I cast my early vote for Elizabeth Warren and stand by it. I hope she racks up a serious delegate count on this Super Tuesday and that she persists beyond today rather then pledge fielty to Crown Prince Joe.
I understand the desire to get closure quickly on this bruising nomination process, to end the jousting already. However, it seems too many of the Powers That Be in the Democratic Party are running right over Warren into the seemingly safe arms of "Uncle Joe" to protect the Establishment from the horrors of that radical Bernie Sanders.
"Safe" isn't going to rally the electoral troops.
"Safe" isn't going to beat Trump in November.
Warren has a plan. She has persisted. This is not the time for her to fall on her sword. She can and should be the last one standing in this messy process. Warren has her own path, well researched and thought out. It happens to lie somewhere between the "safe" choice of Biden and the "go for broke" option of Sanders. The Via Media (middle way).
Yes, there is the whole "candidate with lady parts and are we ready for that" thing.
We are. We totally are. We are ready for smart, compassionate female leadership in the White House. And we need it badly.
So what to do with Joe and Bernie? I doubt Joe wants another VP term. Been there. Done that. Lost the T-shirt. Picked up a Medal of Freedom. Maybe a cabinet post related to his strongest issue?
How about Vice President Bernie Sanders? A sweet lemon offering, perhaps? Give him a wide portfolio. Real wide. Think Jared Kushner but with scruples and charisma. Let Sanders push for his progressive agenda and nudge Warren a bit left while she holds him from going over-the-edge left.
And where is Mike Bloomberg in all this? Hopefully handing his sword and support to Lady Warren. Somehow that leads me to the idyllic image of would-be Emperor Trump being forced to hand the keys to the kingdom over to Elizabeth Warren. Sounds like a Happily Ever After to me.

Trump acquitted, now what? Slog and sing

Did everybody get their primal screams in last night? Walls kicked? Beer cried in? Good.
We had to know that trump's acquittal was coming, especially after the Republicans chose to disallow witnesses in the impeachment trial. After that bit of news, all this dog-loving teetotaler wanted was a stiff drink and an endless loop of cute kitten videos. So now what do we do?
Many of us are despairing, too exhausted for outrage. Mueller, impeachment, and trump still stands. The federal government's apparatus has thus far failed to end this train wreck of a presidency. Guess that leaves us, with our throats raw from primal screaming, foot sore from wall-kicking, and a helluva hangover from all that beer we cried in. There is no cavalry thundering to democracy's rescue. We are the cavalry and we are tired. We are demoralized.
We have to keep going, folks. It won't be easy. In fact, trump likely feels more enabled, empowered, and indestructible than ever. Rather than swing wildly at the king, I suggest we pick our policy battles carefully. Trump has been known to back down on his worst actions, at least temporarily, when the public screams loudly enough. So we scream for justice. And we march. And we shame.
We ignore the noise as best we can, and trump is great at noise.
We get wonky (or wonkier) about environmental protection, immigration, voter suppression, election security, racial injustice, gun reform, women's reproductive rights, criminal justice reform, etc., etc., etc. Pick an issue or issues. Engage elected representatives at every level. Pester the daylights out of them. Educate people around you. Actively support candidates for office who share your values.
I naively thought when trump took office that this administration could not possibly last for more than a few months. Something would happen. Something would end this nightmare. That something evades and disappoints us. We are the cavalry. We are the something.
Trump and his ilk are here for the foreseeable future. It is up to all of us to mitigate the damage as best we can while working positively for a better future beyond the foreseeable.
It will be a slog. Self-care will continue to be key. Do little things where you can see a result. Form connections with people deemed "other" in these divisive times. Engage with grace, with humor, with truth. Stay engaged but also know when to disengage.
Hold fast to friends. Check on each other. Breathe. Walk around your neighborhood, greeting every person and pet you encounter. Listen to and sing along with favorite songs from your youth. Color.
Slog and sing.
And for heaven's sake keep the kitten videos coming.

We need nerds in this public health emergency

America needs nerds to help us and the world battle the coronavirus. Unfortunately that requires a nerdy, public service infrastructure, which Donald Trump and Co. have intentionally dismantled. Whether it is climate change or public health, this administration continues to install industry lobbyists to key posts rather than qualified and dedicated public servants. Meanwhile, the world burns and deadly diseases spread.
Our nation should be a leader in global emergencies like this, marching out an army of folks in lab coats with pocket protectors and experience facing down deadly pathogens around the world, from Ebola to SARS. But this is Trump's America where the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention face funding cuts. In Trump's America, science is suspect, lobbyists rule, and qualified epidemiologists are an endangered species. The administration has also diverted public health funds to his border wall, yes the wall which could not stand up to a gust of wind.
This sobering article from The Guardian describes why America simply is not prepared to effectively combat the corona crisis due to funding and staff cuts. Safeguards established after the Ebola scare have been dismantled. For example, we used to have a "global health czar" to coordinate between agencies and other nations in a pandemic such as we are now facing. Former national security adviser John Bolton decided to ax that position as unneeded for national security.
So who is leading the charge, such as it is? One is Dr. Robert Redfield. Yes, at least he is a doctor. However, this virologist is best known for his "abstinence only" approach to the AIDS epidemic. He replaced Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald in 2018. She lost her post after her investment in tobacco stock. The administration's public face for the coronavirus crisis is Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. His greatest hits include dramatically raising insulin prices while heading pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly U.S. branch. He also took considerable heat last year for his agency's treatment of immigrant children separated from their parents. Not exactly reassuring.
The coronavirus is already in this country, in multiple cities. The disease is spreading rapidly in China, with a ten-fold increase in confirmed cases in just one week.
Another danger - racism against people of Chinese descent. This is already happening. Given Trump's xenophobia and undisguised racial hatred, we cannot count on the administration to combat this contagion any more than the actual coronavirus. Already, most non-citizens traveling from China will be barred entry to the United States as of yesterday (Jan. 31.) Xenophobia against anyone who even looks Chinese has already been documented in Canada and the United States, specifically Toronto and San Francisco.
Call your members of Congress. Insist our federal government bring back the nerds and public health funding. Demand an end to lobbyists and unqualified people in agencies like the CDC and NIH. We need a robust public health infrastructure more than ever and a repudiation of xenophobic hysteria.

Remove jurors who violate their oath

An open letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

Dear Justice Roberts,
I hope you would agree that juror misconduct is a serious issue which challenges the integrity of our judicial system. When jurors, for example, violate their oath to give impartial justice, such jurors *must* be removed from court proceedings. Is this not the legal standard?
At least two jurors in the Trump impeachment trial over which you are presiding have frequently and flagrantly violated their oath by posting pro-Trump, pro-acquittal messages and videos on their social media pages throughout the trial. These are my state's senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. I have heard and/or seen evidence of other GOP senators violating the standards you set forth, such as no cellphones and no reading material, however I am going to focus on Cruz' and Cornyn's misconduct. I follow both senators on social media and have been appalled at how both have been dismissive of the prosecution while fawning over the defense.
Numerous constituents, including myself, informed Cruz and Cornyn, in comments attached to such posts, that they were violating their oath as impartial jurors and needed to stop. They persist.
Justice Roberts, our democracy is on the line. We must have jurors who understand and follow their duty to be independent and impartial jurors. We need jurors who respect you and the impeachment proceedings much more than Cruz and Cornyn have shown.
We also, frankly, need a chief justice who will hold senators to account for their behavior. Cruz, Cornyn, and any other senators who refuse to abide by their oaths should be removed from the jury.
Thank you for your attention.

Don't overlook Puerto Rico earthquakes

Rachel Maddow made (as usual) an excellent point at the beginning of her show tonight about how we must hone our skill to follow and respond to multiple stories simultaneously. She was speaking of the upcoming impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump and the military crisis between us and Iran, intentionally started by one Donald J. Trump. Yet another story unfolded throughout the day which also deserves our attention. Puerto Rico is suffering a series of earthquakes and is still not over the devastation of 2017's Hurricane Maria. The island also has a huge bond debt which makes paying for emergency needs and repairs even more difficult.

I fear the earthquakes will get little attention and that Puerto Ricans will not get the help they need for two reasons besides the national trumpian distractions above. One, the natural disaster getting most of the world's attention right now is the wildfires in Australia. These are catastrophic and heart-breaking. We have all seen the images of burned koalas and terrified joeys (baby kangaroos.) Celebrities and regular people are pitching in money, meals, and even mittens to help the Australian people and wonderfully diverse wildlife. As they should. Yet that leaves little room in public spotlight for Puerto Rico's unfolding series of natural disasters. After all, it is hard to compete with koalas as an Instagram-able icon. Still, this image from Punta Ventana (Window Point) shows the destruction of a Puerto Rican landmark.

The second reason I fear Puerto Rico won't get needed aid is the Trump administration's deplorable record in this area. Remember when he threw paper towels in a post-hurricane visit to San Juan and then could not stop (still can't) insulting San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto? Or the spa day federal medical personnel gave themselves while thousands of Puerto Ricans were hurt, sick, and dying after the hurricane? Good times. One reason the island is still struggling to recover after Maria is the Department of Housing and Urban Development intentionally left Puerto Rico out of funds dispersal that Congress mandated. Also the difference between how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deals with mainland natural disasters vs. its Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico response is infuriating, as this study analysis shows.

FEMA's initial response to this week's earthquakes sadly does not show much hope for improvement this time around. Puerto Rico's Gov. Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency for her island and requested FEMA also declare one, as this would open opportunities for federal funding. FEMA is "considering" the request. Considering?! The emergency is ongoing. In mainland natural disasters, such declarations are virtually automatic. Sometimes an emergency is declared even before the disaster strikes, as when a hurricane looms offshore.

Puerto Rico is an American territory. They are us. The island struggles with debt, compounded natural disasters, and a president who acts cruelly to their needs and their leaders. They deserve better than to be overlooked in a time of duelling crises. Want to help? Charity Navigator presents this list of trustworthy groups working toward disaster recovery in Puerto Rico.
Update Jan. 9, 2020 from CNN. Federal disaster declaration has been granted.

Stop accepting gun culture ubiquity

Gun culture is everywhere. That needs to change if we want mass shootings to end in this country. If we want our children to live through their school years. If we want to go to places of worship without being shot at or attend a music festival and come home alive. If we want to drive on our nation's highways without bullets through our car windows. Or a holiday football watch party at a friend's house. If we want to go to the store or the movies.
Speaking of movies, I went to see "Little Women" the other day. In addition to the usual local ads for tire change places and day spas, was an ad for a gun shop. They were not promoting handguns and hunting rifles. They filled the screen with assault weapons and silencers. Seriously.
Then there are the gun shows, one held just a few weeks ago in my fairly small town. I know because of the billboard advertising it literally cast a shadow over the high school where I often substitute teach. Far too many schools - Sandy Hook, Parkland, Santa Fe, Savanah State, Columbine, Virginia Tech,  Jonesboro, just to name a few, have had deadly shootings on their campuses. Savanah State has had two. Security Baron's website includes this chart on school shootings from 1999 to 2019. What startles me most is how many of these I had forgotten or was learning about for the first time. And I thought I kept up with these things.
So what do we do?
Contacting elected representatives may seem like a lost cause as so many of them are beholden to the National Rifle Association. It is important, though, to continually remind Electeds that their duty is to their living constituents, not the death industry.
We can also make feelings known to businesses and organizations on either side of the gun issue.
Here is the text from an e-mail I just sent the owners of my local theater:

"Hello,
I was disturbed by an on-screen ad for a local gun shop's assault weapons and silencers before a recent "Little Women" showing at your Bastrop location. This is normalizing the death/gun culture and has no place in a family entertainment center. Usually your theaters have ads for innocuous local businesses like gift shops, car repair places, or a day spa. Focus on these, please. Promoting weapons of use only to mass murderers is harmful to my community and the culture at large. It is a (pardon the phrase) "trigger" to survivors of gun violence. It makes purchasing such weapons seem as banal and harmless as changing one's tires or getting a mani/pedi. It can also implant or encourage a mass murder fantasy in especially disturbed/angry members of your audience.
I like going to the movies. I do so for escape from the darkness around us all, such as mass shootings.
Please be mindful of who you sell ads to and what they promote.
Sincerely....."

We can also support and encourage businesses who stand up to the gun lobby, such as Dick's Sporting Goods, whose owner decided after the Parkland shooting to stop selling guns. His business is thriving.
We do not have to just accept gun culture and the death it brings daily. We can and must call it out, fight against it, and stand with those who reject and renounce it.

Rodney Reed gets a stay of execution

Rodney Reed, his family, and supporters are breathing easier tonight as the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ordered a stay of execution in his case. Reed had been scheduled for execution Nov. 20 for the rape and murder of Stacey Stites in 1996.

Earlier in the day the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended that Gov. Gregg Abbott issue a stay of execution. Those of us who have been following the case thought it was up to Abbott to do the right thing and allow time for exculpatory evidence to finally be evaluated. Speakers at a Thursday night vigil on Reed's behalf prayed for Abbott to have a restless night so God could work on his conscience. Apparently the divine found the Pardons and Paroles folks easier to work with and quicker to convince to take action.

Reed was convicted 22 years ago and has steadfastly maintained his innocence. His family, including his mother Sandra and brother Rodrick have been tireless, vocal, and charismatic in pleading his case to the public. They have rallied supporters from Bastrop's county courthouse to the Texas Governor's Mansion to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The photo below shows Sandra and Rodrick Reed holding hands while community members pray for them during a recent rally at the Bastrop County Courthouse. Note the Innocence Project bag Sandra is holding. This organization has taken on Reed's case. You can read about their ongoing efforts on his behalf here. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Jarnagin)

Numerous celebrities and politicians have joined the cause to spare Reed's life in recent weeks. They include Oprah, Beyonce', and Kim Kardashian West, who according to this TMZ article was with Reed when he learned his execution had been stayed. This Texas Monthly article gives background about Reed's case and the many people in show business and government who want him to get a new trial. This includes, somewhat surprisingly, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and state Rep. John Cyrier, both Republican. Cyrier represents Bastrop County. Numerous Democratic officeholders have also called on the governor to spare Reed's life.

I am not in pop music or politics but I have opposed the death penalty for as long as I can remember. It is cruel. It is biased toward the poor, people of color, and those with intellectual impairment. Reed is black. He was convicted by an all-white jury. I want the death penalty to end in this country and I have hope that will happen. Until then the fight is case by case with hope for more reprieves like today's, more prayerful rallies, and more unexpected allies around each corner.

An interesting day for the Donald

What a 24 hours 45 has had. This morning he crowed about how our military, with help from the Kurds even after we abandoned them, cornered ISIS leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi in Syria. Al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and several children. Trump took malevolent glee in reciting (and perhaps making up) gory and humiliating detail about the ISIS leader's last moments. It really was nauseating to listen to. Yes, the world is better off without this terrorist but gloating over anyone's death is unseemly and may endanger many now that ISIS prisoners have escaped their Kurdish prison guards. They will want revenge for their leader's humiliation.
Trump loves to compare himself to his predecessor Barack Obama so of course he tried to make the case today that al-Baghdadi's death was a bigger deal than Osama bin Laden's. Then trump falsely claimed he had called for bin Laden's death in a 2000 book. We can also compare how trump treats such a grave moment to how Obama did, as the Washington Post's David Nakamura does in this opinion piece.
There also appears to be some doubt as to whether trump watched the raid as it happened. The timeline suggests he may have been playing golf and a former White House photographer has suggested the War Room photo of trump and some generals may have been staged after the fact. This would not surprise me in the least.
Hours later, trump and his closest sycophants attended Game 5 of the World Series. The crowd booed trump. Loudly. Then they chanted "Lock him up." So.... not exactly a victory lap. Team owners reportedly asked game officials to *not* sit trump next to them. This splendidly named New York Times piece gives the details of trump's humiliation. Add to that the protest signs reading "Veterans for impeachment" that sprung up just behind home plate when trump was introduced in the third inning.
Was he expecting to be feted as the conquering hero? Perhaps. But he got a dose of what Americans who do not attend his rallies or watch Fox News think of him. I doubt he will be going out "to the old ball game" again anytime soon. If you have not seen/heard his horrendous 2001 rendition of that ballpark classic, here you go.
The Tweet of the day goes to Patton Oswalt who summed up 45's day thusly: "Imagine being so hated that on the day you announce that the leader of ISIS has been killed on your orders a stadium full of baseball fans still boos you."
Trump is that hated and for good reason. Yes, a terrorist leader is dead. That is good. But this country is still stuck with a president fixated on his own ego rather than the nation's best interests. He's had more than three strikes and too many fouls to count. Time to call him "Out!"

They tried to shut her up; she still spoke

We were treated this week to another Capitol Hill theater of the absurd episode as the GOP bends itself into pretzels trying to shield Donald Trump from accountability over Ukraine. More importantly, we are also being treated to brave public servants defying 45 and his congressional enablers. People like Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper
who spoke for three hours yesterday about 45 denying Congressionally approved aid to Ukraine until they coughed up imaginary dirt on the Biden family. 
Why just three hours when other key witnesses like Ambassador William Taylor have testified for nine or more hours? This New Yorker piece details why his testimony this week was so damning and damaging for trump.
Thirty plus Republican members of Congress, who have clearly been consuming waaayyy too much orange Kool-Aid, broke protocol and federal law to protest and delay Cooper's testimony. Because she was going to speak on national security issues, her testimony was set for a secure setting. Enter, stage right, what appeared for all the world to be a gay men's choir (as a Facebook friend put it) blocking the hall and demanding entrance into the secure room. With cellphones. And ordering junk food on said cellphones. Also, half of the protesting politicians had clearance to attend one or more of the three committees set to hear Cooper's testimony.
So Ms. Cooper had to wait five hours while the choir boys insisted on transparency by violating secure space in which Ms. Cooper was attempting to provide Congress with, wait for it, transparency. So far she has been the only Pentagon witness. The Pentagon tried to stop her from testifying and they have thus far refused to hand over requested military documents.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Coopers and Taylors in public service. Because of their speaking out, Congress and the American people are learning the depths of trump's self-serving depravity. As for the trumpets in the House? They need to be shown the door.

Citizenship test as written by Trump

The Trump administration is planning to revise the written civics test immigrants must take to earn citizenship. My first thought: Oh no. Second thought: Comedy gold. So here is what I think the new citizenship test might look like, as written by Donald Trump.

So you want to be an American, huh? Well first you gotta answer a few questions, my questions written by me and we’ll decide if we want you.

1.    Do you swear eternal loyalty to me, the greatest, bestest, intelligentest president ever?

Yes – continue

No – Get the f--- outta my country!

2.    Are ya white? Like your freckles get sunburned if you go out for 5 minutes without a sun bonnet, that white? ‘Cause that’s what we want around here. Or orange. Orange works, too.

Yes – continue

No – Get the f--- outta my country!

3.    Name three Trump properties. Use the space below.

4.    What is my golf handicap?

5.    Can you talk English good?

Yes – continue

No – Get the f--- outta my country!

6.    Can you talk in other languages?

Yes – Get the f--- outta my country!

No – OK then

7.    Who is the smartest, handsomest, decidingest president ever?

That’s right, me! And “decidingest” is too a word because I SAY IT IS!

8.    Who is responsible for all that is wrong in this country that I have not had a chance to fix yet? Stuff like bad roads, earthquakes, and bad cable reception.

I will give you a hint, because that’s how great I am. Here’s your hint: B.O. Like “body odor.” ‘Cause he stinks! Get it? Am I not clever? It’s Obama. What a failure. Sad.

9.    Do my hands look small?

Yes – Get the f--- out of my country!

No – OK then.

10.  How much will you give to my re-election campaign?

That’s it. Pencils down. Pick up your pen and checkbook. Let’s see what we have here….

No time for lawn chairs

I get that a lot of us are feeling especially Fourth-of-July-y this year. We have a sadistic, narcissistic tyrant in the White House, foisted upon us by a hostile foreign power. We have children and families enduring unspeakable hardships at our southern border as they seek to claim the refuge and liberty our nation was established to provide. It is easy to feel helpless and overcome. But let's not.

I agree this is not the time for sparklers. This is not the time for flag waving or Yankee Doodle-Dandy-ing. This is not the time for setting out lawn chairs along a parade route to watch others pass by for our entertainment. Nor does it feel right to stare gap-jawed at a fireworks display put on by our government.

Rather, this is the time to embrace and live our nation's proud history of noisy, active democracy. Our forebears raised hell and raised up a new kind of nation in the 1770s. They left us a legacy of freedom, of rebelling when needed, of speaking truth to power, of giving no quarter to tyranny. They gave us the right to vote.

So, no passive celebrating our nation's symbols this July 4th. Instead, let us all actively engage in our nation's founding ideals. We have the freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances. Let's use it. We have the right to peacefully assemble. Use it. We have the right to speak freely. Use it.
Instead of sparklers, Let's light candles to show our support for refugees and others whose rights the government is violating.

Instead of waving flags, let's carry banners and signs that show our progressive stances. Let's *be* the parade as we march for freedom and liberty. And let's set off rhetorical fireworks that all may see and hear we reject the inhumanity and dictatorial tendencies of the current administration.

That is how we honor America's birthday, by acting on the ideals which gave birth to our country.

Two truly awful bills make Texas news

Trying to articulate a response to recent Texas legislative nonsense such as SB9 (no car rides to polls) and HB896 (kill abortion seekers, providers). Not to mention SR535 in which our esteemed legislators on the gop side of the aisle guzzle deeply of Trumpian Kool-Aid. "Why yes sir, Mr. President, sir there is indeed a crisis at our southern border! We gotta keep them brown folks out!"

"Dude, seriously?! WTAF?" is all I have so far. Oh, and a primal scream followed by a string of profanities that would make Gordon Ramsey blush.

After a restorative nap and further research and writing, I learned that
 Hughes, author of the "everybody needs to get their own separate way to the polls" bill, also authored SB1585, whose summary description reads: "Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water of this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities."
A public hearing will ensue. I vote we carpool (assuming that is still legal) to the Capitol and say collectively, "Hell, no! Do not pollute Texas water!"

Text of the postcard I am mailing to state Sen. Bryan Hughes:
"Dear Senator Hughes,
It appears from you 'election integrity' bill that you are unclear about how our democracy works or what it should look like.
Democracy is a team sport and sacred, joyous duty.
You and your ilk seem intent on suppressing people's right to vote, especially the poor and those of color, in short, anyone but reliably Republican voters who can each drive themselves in their Lexuses to the polls.
I can drive myself to the polls, too. In the coming election/s I intend to bring as many friends and neighbors with me as possible: friends of color, friends who cannot afford a vehicle, friends who want to celebrate democracy together.
Respectfully....."
Please feel free to borrow, adapt, etc. if you care to. I had more to say but ran out of room on the postcard.

So.... been doing a bit of research on the author of HB896, the "death penalty for abortion" bill. He is State Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington. He first introduced his bill in 2017 and was put under "state protection" for "death threats."

This "family values" conservative Republican has been married five times, twice to his first wife and has had a restraining order put against him. Surprise, surprise, he does not take kindly to marriage equality. To him, ye may hitch, unhitch, and rehitch to thy heart's content. Just so long as one of ye'll is an inner, the other an outtie, if you catch my drift.

He is a big NRA fan. 

His Google rating is 1.7 out of 5.

In 2017, he was opposed by a transgender Democratic man named Finnigan "Finn" Jones. Sadly, I do not see any reference (yet!) to anyone opposing him for 2020. Tinderholt has been in office since 2015, four years too long, already.

His district office contact info is:
4381 W. Green Oaks Blvd., Ste. 107
Arlington, TX 76016
(817) 478-5000
and at the Capitol: Capitol Office:
E2.508
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0624
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-8386
Offered on the offhand chance anyone wants to express an opinion about his bill...

Fortunately, the bill is going nowhere. Texas Rep. Jeff Leach, Republican chair of the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, told the Dallas Morning News he would not let the bill get through his committee. Whew.

We progressives of Texas and elsewhere must remain vigilant, however, as state and federal legislators keep searching for new and creative ways to suppress voting and deny women reproductive choice.

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Air conditioning needed for survival in Texas prisons

Slowly roasting alive should not be part of the punishment doled out to Texas prisoners, but all too often it is as many state-run correctional facilities lack air conditioning. This means summer temperatures frequently hit 100 degrees or higher in the cell blocks. Night brings little relief as concrete retains heat.

SB321 in the Texas Senate would solve this issue by requiring Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities maintain a temperature between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. County lockups already have to meet this requirement. State Senator Jose' Menendez, D-San Antonio, introduced the bill. The House version is HB936.

This article from the Marshall Project spells out the problems many Texas prisoners and guards face.
At least 24 prisoners have died from heat-related illnesses in the past 20 years, according to research from the Texas Observer. Ten alone died during a heat wave in 2011. And summers have not gotten any cooler since then.

What would this act of decency cost? Some Texas officials put the price at $1 billion. However, this article from the Texas Tribune explains how previous AC installation costs have been significantly less than initial estimates.

Even lower and more realistic cost estimates may be a hard sell for fiscal conservatives. I have three responses. 1. This is not coddling; this is basic humanity in a harsh environment. 2. Wrongful death lawsuits will continue to cost Texas taxpayers until this issue is corrected. 3. Renewable energy like solar power can greatly mitigate those costs.

Prisons in several states are seeing the benefits of solar energy. One example is St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake, VA where solar power saves them $35,000 a year. It is little surprise that progressive California leads in this. The state saves tens of millions of dollars per year thanks to solar panels in at least four prisons. These panels did not cost the state's taxpayers a dime as utility company Sun Edison Corp. paid for the installation and sells the resulting energy to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at a discount.

I am not seeing a downside to this approach. Also, couldn't prisoner trustees be trained to do some solar panel installation and maintenance? This would not only save on construction and labor costs but also provide job training for a post-incarceration career.

Prolonged exposure to excessive heat can cause serious health issues, including coma and death for the most severe cases. Lesser but still significant symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke include nausea, vomiting, disorientation, confusion, and fainting. Such symptoms not only stress prisoners both physically and psychologically, but also make correctional officers' jobs even more dangerous and unpleasant. Is that inmate fake fainting to catch a CO offguard or is it a genuine medical emergency? Is that inmate intentionally being insubordinate or is she disoriented?

Lots of concrete and asphalt, poor air quality and a stagnant environment increase the likelihood of heat stroke. This describes Texas prisons. Certain health issues also make people more prone to heat stroke. Such factors include being over 50, mental health problems, being over or underweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, and sickle cell anemia. Many Texas prisoners, whose health care needs are seldom sufficiently met, suffer from at least one of these issues.

We are warned as the weather warms about the danger of locking pets and children in small, stifling spaces, e.g. cars, during the summer. Texas' inmates and COs face similar dangers and it is long past time Texas does the humane thing by ensuring all our correctional facilities can maintain a tolerable temperature between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Support SB321 and HB936.
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Congress should follow New Zealand's example on massacre response

The root of gun violence is guns.
Duh.
The simplest and most logical solution to gun violence is to limit access to the deadliest of weapons, such as semi-automatic assault-style weapons like the AR-15. This is the weapon of choice for mass shooters. It does not need to be in the hands of civilians. Period.
Australia figured this out. After a mass school shooting, the nation banned assault rifles. No more mass shootings.
New Zealand just figured it out, too. Hours after gunmen murdered 50 people at two Christchurch mosques, the nation's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Attorney General David Parker announced gun reform legislation, including a semi-automatic weapons ban. Similar legislation has been proposed and rejected before. Not this time.
That is how moral people in authority act in a national crisis.
Not with "thoughts and prayers."
Not with "Now, now, let's not rush to conclusions."
Not with talk of "hardening targets."
Decisive action.
We in America need some long-overdue decisive action from our legislators.
We have suffered too many mass shootings, too many to even count. High schools, college campuses, churches, daycare centers, night clubs, outdoor music festivals, and movie theaters are among the facilities targeted in recent years. The gunman is typically white, male, and armed to the teeth.
Our so-called leaders want us to be afraid of those from outside our country and outside our ethnic demographic, anything and anyone except the actual problem: guns.
In this country, guns are sacred. Our political officials too often value gun rights and NRA dollars over people's lives. That must change.
We must no longer tolerate a "do nothing" Congress on this issue.
It is not a matter of if but when and where the next massacre will happen on American soil. And it does not matter to some who the victims are. They can be children. They can be teenagers. They can be gay. They can be African-American church goers. They can be country music fans. "They" will not convince the American government to end the slaughters.
Only we altogether as the American people can and we must band together now. We must continue to push for gun reform until it happens. We can point to New Zealand as an example of a government that takes needed action. This can be done.
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Bibles, boobs, and John Hancocks

I am a bit of an autograph hound myself so I can understand the MAGA crowd wanting 45's John Hancock. But on your Bible?? On your bosom? Hell, no. That is just wrong on so many counts.

So who was John Hancock and why is his name still American slang for a signature? We late Baby Boomers who grew up in the 1970s with the Bicentennial and Schoolhouse Rock can recite his story in our sleep. Hancock led the First Continental Congress. As such, he was first to sign America's Declaration of Independence. He and the other signatories pledged "their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" to the cause of liberty from Britain and its tyrannical, mentally unstable ruler (sound like anybody we know?) King George. That signature was a solemn vow to high ideals and and marked the individual for instant death for treason should he be captured by the British.

I have gotten famous musicians to sign their albums and CD covers, and authors to sign their books. I once traded (nerd alert) prizes won at a charity Monopoly marathon with another player. All the various merch I'd won for being first to land on this or that property square for one prize that had evaded me and whose worth was beyond reckoning - an autographed copy of Nicholle Nichols' first autobiography. She played Lt. Uhura on Star Trek. I do not get to many Trekkie conventions so I figured this was as close as I would even get to meeting this incredible woman who has done so much to break down ethnic and gender barriers in TV and science fiction.

Whatever is being signed should have direct relevance or be neutral. An example of that latter: a friend once served coffee to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. Knowing I am a big fan, she got him to sign what she had on hand for me, a paper napkin. I still have that memento. Would I have rather gotten the autograph by meeting Tyler myself? Sure. But having a friend who knows me that well and serving as a proxy is also great.

Speaking of "proxy 'graphs" I once got members of Pink Floyd to sign a blank sheet of paper for a co-worker who was a huge Floyd fan. I had an autographed picture of the band and was feeling a bit guilty for wanting to keep it rather than give it to my colleague. Anyhow, the drummer even drew big cartoony letters to spell out "Pink Floyd" for said co-worker on that sheet of paper. But that encounter is a long story. Involves a hot air balloon. And migas.

Autograph giving and receiving has an aesthetic, an ethic. For example, only the author or subject of a book should sign that book. I would not ask Nicholle Nichols to sign Star Wars memorabilia or Steven Tyler to sign a Boston album. That is just not cool. Use a neutral stand-in. One final autograph anecdote regarding preparedness and persistence. I once got Ronnie Wood (a Face and then a Stone) to sign a solo album. My thinking: an obscure solo album displays a higher level of fandom than just showing up with the latest Rolling Stones best-selling album. My strategy - waving it at him from the front row of a Dallas solo concert until he finally surrendered his John Hancock between songs.

Newsflash: Donald J. Trump did not write the Bible. Hell, he did not even write "The Art of the Deal." So I join those aghast that the Donald is signing Christianity's sacred foundational text. Get him to sign a MAGA hat for heaven's sake. His hateful policies and rhetoric go against everything the Bible stands for. You know, all that "justice for poor, mercy for the weak, kindness to the stranger" stuff. IMHO those autograph seekers should be opening their Bibles for contemplative reading and not for a maniacal megalomaniac to write on. That is sacrilege.

Writing one's name on something implies ownership, "property of ..." "product of ...." A human being is never the property or product of another human being. I have never understood the practice of women getting rock stars and Hollywood heartthrobs to autograph their breasts. Exchanging one's dignity and bodily autonomy for a moment of fake intimacy with fame? No thanks. A mega rock star might be able to get away with this. An "elected" official should know better than to submit to such optics and the autograph seeker should have more self-worth.

(Here's a piece of paper, Steven. Please sign this piece of paper.....)

The only place I want to see DJT's John Hancock is on a letter of resignation. I would trade a lot for such a document to exist.
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Beto, please run - against John Cornyn

So it is now mid-March and Beto O'Rourke has yet to officially state his intention of running for president, though the popular ex-congressman from El Paso is widely expected to join the already crowded Democratic 2020 field.
I had a Beto sign in my yard last year when he ran against (and was narrowly defeated by) Texas junior Republican Senator Ted Cruz. I even "door knocked" on Beto's behalf. I think Beto is a man of intelligence, charisma, deep moral conviction, and character. He should be in Washington's halls of power.
I hope Beto does not run for president this time, however. That field is already brimming with intelligent women and men of integrity, any one of whom would be an excellent nominee.
Beto's services are urgently needed in the U.S. Senate. John Cornyn, the senior Republican senator from Texas, is up for re-election. As with Cruz, Cornyn's rhetoric and legislative "priorities" clearly show he does not have America's and Texas' best interests at heart. Cornyn continues to provide legislative cover from the Trump administration's misdeeds and immoralities while steadfastly refusing to meet with or engage constituents.
So I am going to plead with Beto O'Rourke. Please, please run for John Cornyn's Senate seat. You have the apparatus in place for an effective state-wide campaign and thousands of eager volunteers waiting to help. (Yours truly included). You came closer than anyone thought possible to unseating Cruz last year. Use that momentum to push through to a 2020 victory in the Senate. Yes, a few other Democrats are mulling a run against Cornyn, according to this Texas Tribune article. They include MJ Hegar, Joaquin Castro, Wendy Davis, and Joseph Kopser. Cornyn reportedly not nervous about any of these. He is nervous about you.
This election cycle is hardly your last chance to run for our nation's highest office. After a term or two in the Senate you would be even more of a powerhouse presidential candidate and you would have provided much-needed ethical leadership as a senator from the great state of Texas.
At least think about it. We'd be so f-ing proud of you.