The Dissent We Witness

Man is about to be an automaton;  he is identifiable only in the computer.  As a person of worth and creativity, as a being with an infinite potential, he retreats and battles the forces that make him inhuman.  The dissent we witness is a reaffirmation of faith in man;  it is protest against living under rules and prejudices and attitudes that produce the extremes of wealth and poverty and that make us dedicated to the destruction of people through arms, bombs, and gases, and that prepare us to think alike and be submissive objects for the regime of the computer.
—    William O. Douglas
Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
[Resistance / dissent is – probably – already futile…    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	End The Filibuster
2021	Be Creative, Question Assumptions
	By No Means
2020	I’ll Eat To That (Gemütlichkeit)
	To The Front
2019	#ContinueToResist
	Except Willful Ignorance And Prideful Stupidity
2018	More Executive Time For #DumbDonald
2017	Watched The Inauguration
	Two Geniuses
2016	Come Dance And Laugh With Me
2015	Looks Good To Me
2014	Desire For The Sea
2013	The Fierce Urgency Of NOW
	Happy Inauguration Day!
2012	One Path
	Sorrow And Joy
	The Seven Year View
2011	Emergent Practicality

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The Darkness Of 6 January 2021

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights we designed to get the government off the backs of the people — all the people.  Those great documents guarantee to us all the rights to personal and spiritual self-fulfillment.  But that guarantee is not self-executing.  As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression.  In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged.  And it is in such a twilight that we all must be most aware of the change in the air — however slight — lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.
—     William O. Douglas
[Thinking back to the riot at the Capitol Building and the attempted coup by disgraced / former President Trump and his followers, I am reminded that “civilization” (like our liberties) is in a constant struggle with the “jungle” and the jungle never gives up in its struggle to reclaim whatever has been lost.  It is up to each American to support / promote our democracy and Constitutional Republic.  Trump remains an announced candidate for 2024.  The darkness remains at the edge of democracy.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Defeated: So Far (Anyway)
2021	Elections Have Consequences
	It’s Cold Way Down There
2020	Fearless Security
2019	I Prefer A Neat Single Malt
2018	Seeking Finer Fruits
2017	Something That Is Absolute
2016	Animate And Encourage
	Out Of Time
2015	In Time
2014	Robust Interconnectivity
2013	What Have We Here?
2012	Tributaries And Eddies
	An Honest Politician
2011	Penultimate

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Says The Rich

Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.
—    Warren Buffett
[For most of the last 60 years, all we’ve heard from the Republicans is: “Lower taxes on the rich and require everyone to work for their social safety net “benefits” and America will be a “better” place.”  How’s that worked out for the middle and working class American?    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Most Likely Beast
	Memories To Last A Lifetime
2020	Meet Unexpected Success
	Sweet Love
2019	Curing With Salt
2018	A Politician With Skills
	And / Or A Genuine Smile
2017	A Lone, Brave Voice…
2016	Job Security
2015	For I Have Always Lived Violently
2014	We Stand !! (I Stand With George)
	Additional Requirements
2013	In The Present Day
2012	Feeling It
2011	Stretching Science

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Honesty In Business

I realize that a lot of people feel that speaking out against unions is almost:  ‘Un-American.’  I remind them:  not all of America is unionized — in fact, the vast majority of Americans are not — and glad about it.
Some people fear that if the unions were to vanish, the labor situation would return to the way it was in the beginning, with child labor and sweatshops.  I agree with them.  Large employers do tend toward unscrupulous behavior when nobody is looking over their shoulder.
So, what the bottom line here?  I would like to see more honesty in business — at both ends of the table.  Honesty in U.S. business appears to be at its lowest ebb in history.
There are a number of reasons for that.  When political leaders do not demonstrate honesty, when people lie constantly in the media — everybody gets used to “The Big Lie” as a way of life.  At that point, honesty becomes a quaintly outmoded concept — nobody wants to be honest anymore, because if they are, they might finish last.
I would say that today, dishonesty is the rule, and honesty the exception.  It could be, statistically, that more people are honest than dishonest, but the few that really control things are not honest, and that tips the balance.
—     Frank Zappa
From his book:  “The Real Frank Zappa Book“
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On This Day In:
2021	Momentary Offering
	Happy Noise
2020	No Crumbs
	Too Many Detectives On This Case
	A New Day Is Coming
2019	Or In This Case – What’s Wrong
2018	Just Passing Through
2017	True Torture
	Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !!
2016	Overtaken
2015	Alone Praying
2014	A Full Man
2013	Off Defending The Universe
	Taking Precautions
2012	Never, Never, Never
2011	Testing 1, 2, 3

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MAGA’s And The Big Lie About The 2020 Election

For what a man would like to be true, that he more readily believes.
—     Francis Bacon
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On This Day In:
2021	These Days Rather Loosely Held
	Harvest Time
2020	Why I’m Happy
	The Wind In My Face
2019	I Think Impeachment Is Another Test #45 Has Already Failed
2018	Second Chances – Rice, Now Trees
	And Then You Have To Start Training Again
2017	Small Hands, Small Grasp
2016	Two Murrow’s
	Election + 1 Week
2015	Not Mine, Anyway
2015	South By South East
2013	Don’tcha
2012	I Hear A Distant Thunder
2011	A Poison Tree

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Voting / Election Day, America!

My rule is always to do the business of the day in the day.
—     Arthur Wellesley Wellington
[If you haven’t already voted early, please vote today.  The Democracy you save, may be ours!    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Closer To Understanding
	On My Knees
2020	Profit From Ongoing Disintegration
	I’m A Dreamer
2019	Even When We Have A Criminal / Dangerous / Incompetent President
2018	But It Keeps Trying
	Blue Wave, But Not Blue Tsunami
2017	The Promise At Risk
2016	Or As Will Come In Time
2015	It Is Another Beautiful Day At The Red Pony Bar And Continual Soiree…
2014	Days And Years
2013	Currency And Transport
2012	Something Which Did Not Exist Before
2011	True Magic

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Make It So

What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.
—     U.S. Representative John Lewis
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On This Day In:
2021	A Simple Choice, Really
	Waaaay Before The Movie
2020	I Just Want To Stay Happy
	Fading…
2019	Show Righteousness, Not Fear
2018	Sounds Like Politics, Too
2017	Resist More
	Conservatives Are Not The Enemy
2016	Two Weeks To Go…
2015	Remembering
2014	The Creeping Death Of Civilization
	Orange October (X) – A Blue Morning Turns Into An Orange Evening
2013	License Problem
2012	Giants Win Game 2 Of The 2012 World Series 2 To 0!!!
	Adage, n.
	Questions Women Should Ask Before Voting…
2011	What Are You Looking At?

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A General Guideline For Voting In The 2022 Mid-Terms

How can you tell if you should be voting Democrat or Republican:
Vote Republican if you hire exterminators to kill bugs in your house.
Vote Democrat if you step on the bugs.
Vote Democrat if you buy books which have been banned somewhere.
Vote Republican if you form censorship committees and read the books as a group.
Vote Democrat if you eat the fish and game you catch or hunt.
Vote Republican if you hang them on a wall.
Vote Republican if you keep your bedroom shades drawn (although there is little reason you need to).
Vote Democrat if you ought to but don’t.
—    From “An Incomplete Education“, by Judy Jones and William Wilson
[The above quote was posted several years ago, but I’ve recently re-read it, so I’m re-posting it.  I would add:
Vote Democrat if you believe America should be a representative democracy based on the votes of a majority of the American public.
Vote Republican if you believe a theocratic minority (mostly hypocritical) should be able to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of America.
—    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Press On
	Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This
2020	AMA
	Still Shiny
2019	Things That Go Bump In The Night
	Hoping I’m Careful
2018	I Must Be Truly Wise
2017	My Sensei
2016	The Worst Sin
2015	Rules Of Thumb
2014	A Prayer
	Orange October (IX) – Giants Lose Game 2 In Bullpen Collapse
2013	Complacent Reality
2012	Two-minute Sex
	Just Staring, Why?
2011	A World Of Difference

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…A Decent Human Being Or A Successful President

Hubris itself will not let you be an artist.
—    Larry Wall
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On This Day In:
2021	Better To Lie, Get Rich And Destroy Your Country
	Love Is All There Is
2020	You Remind Me Of Someone
	When I Grow Up I Want To…
2019	Running History, But I Don’t Expect Many To Match It…
	It’s Probably Easier When You Live Alone
2018	25 Days Until The November Election
	Old And Young
2017	Universal Soul Sounds
2016	Not Rivals
2015	Dead Sure
2014	Are You Educated?
2013	For Myself
2012	And When I’m Gone…
2011	Complete Conviction

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Only More Democracy & Honest Elections Can Keep America “Great”

Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.
—     George Santayana
[You cannot “Make America Great Again” by restricting the voting rights of those who don’t agree with you or redistricting representative government to promote minority rule over a majority vote.  The “way” to win elections is with better policies and ideas for promoting the general welfare.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Of Course The Term “Value” Is Undefined
	Waiting
2020	I Hadn’t Thought Of That
	Keep Looking!
2019	Knocking On Impeachment’s Door
2018	Do You Remember?
2017	Choose Life
	My Response To President Trump’s Threat To NBC
2016	We, Us, All
2015	No Less
2014	Life Advice (50)
	Orange October (IV) – Giants Win Game 1 Of NLCS!
2013	Running To
2012	Suddenly
2011	Liberal Washington
2010	Giants Advance To NLCS!!

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Why Does ANY Conservative Still Support #45TheTraitor?

There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river.  We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.
—    Bishop Desmond Tutu
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On This Day In:
2021	The Mirror Would Know
	Mamasaydobeddyalong
2020	Why #45 Is Always Crying
	Watching #45 Hold A Rally
2019	I Think Reading Books Is A Good Place To Start
2018	And Pay In Full
2017	If Only
2016	Equal Justice
2015	Not Enough
2014	Are You Even Listening?
2013	Namaste
2012	Looking Up
2011	Et Tu Brute?

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Count And Be Heard!

Voting is your chance to be heard!
If you are registered:  VOTE in November!!  And tell your eligible family, friends and neighbors to do the same.
Vote by mail, by drop-box, or in-person;  vote early or vote on election day.
If you are not currently registered, see if your state will still let you register.  If not, see if they will let you register and vote on the same day.
Take the time to learn about your local issues / candidates and vote down ticket as well as for your Congressional House District Representative (or Senator if they are running).
Your vote ONLY counts IF you (they) actually cast your (their) vote.     —     kmab
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On This Day In:
2021	Practically Worthless In Every Way
	It Never Was
	Frustrating Incentive
2020	You Too?
	Six Degrees
2019	A Branching Stream
	Day 9: One Day At A Time
2018	Pity The Nation (Part 2)
	Day 1: Redux
2017	Good Blogs, Too
2016	My Prediction For #AmnestyDon
2015	Worth A Try
2014	I’m Feeling It
2013	May I Have A Little More, Please?
2012	Increasing Doubt
2011	You Can’t Touch This

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Guard Rails: Feeling Gravity’s Pull

When you look at all of these people, breaking all of these laws, all over the country, thinking that they live in a world that’s not only a post-fact world, but a post-law world, and they really believed because Donald Trump always seemed to get away with breaking the law.  That they could just break the law.  And now we’re seeing that actually, they’re all feeling gravity’s pull.  That this was not a vacation from history.  This is not a vacation from criminality.
…
I think for millions and millions of Americans that probably don’t even like what Joe Biden is doing right now, this is a relief, this is a relief that actually in America, if you break the law, you still — there are consequences.
But I think it’s a relief for a lot of independents, a lot of swing voters, a lot of people who aren’t a member of either tribe, that, my God, laws still matter in this country, and these people are getting rolled up by authorities for going out of their way to breaking the law, whether it was battering and abusing cops on Jan. 6, trying to beat them to death with American flags, or whether it’s, you know, and it’s not just criminal, it’s also civil.  If you lie about election workers, you’re going to pay the consequences, like there are actually guard rails in America’s democracy, even if Donald Trump tried to convince millions of Americans that there were not.
—     Joe Scarborough
Co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe“
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On This Day In:
2021	Practically Worthless In Every Way
	It Never Was
	Frustrating Incentive
2020	You Too?
	Six Degrees
2019	A Branching Stream
	Day 9: One Day At A Time
2018	Pity The Nation (Part 2)
	Day 1: Redux
2017	Good Blogs, Too
2016	My Prediction For #AmnestyDon
2015	Worth A Try
2014	I’m Feeling It
2013	May I Have A Little More, Please?
2012	Increasing Doubt
2011	You Can’t Touch This

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#45: Guilty As Sin And Still The Biggest Loser

We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.
—     Blaise Pascal
[The sooner #45 is charged and brought to trial, the safer the country will be.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Helping Refugees
	2016 A.D.
2020	Imagine That!
	Call Me Sometime
	Before It’s Gone
2019	Imagine If…
2018	How Many Now?
	Day 29: Tied (By The Time You Read This)
2017	Earn The Gift
2016	Still Loud
2015	Surprise! No Evidence
2014	Real Ideals
2013	A Happiness Weapon
2012	An Eagle Has Departed
	Ummm
	And In My Prayers
2011	Welcome Doubt
2010	Talk, Talk, Talk…
	Every Day At Least
	Democratic Suicide
	Pleasurable Reading
	Loose Joy
	Do, Er, Write – Whatever
	This Glorious Company
	Relax With A Good Book
	Neither Vice Nor Weakness
	That’s Rich!
	Man Will Prevail!!!
	Frankly Speaking to Arizona
	Brother By Another Mother

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Getting Into Good Trouble

Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.
—     U.S. Representative John Lewis
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On This Day In:
2021	Universal Vibrations
	Stitched With Love
2020	Weakness In The Oval Office
	Doo Wop (1961)
2019	A Temporary Surrender
2018	I Am Spartacus
	The Privilege Of Milking
	Day 20: Relief
2017	Try Not To Run Short, Too
2016	I Feel The Same (Thankful)
2015	It Couldn’t Hurt
2014	Sir, I Have Reasoned It Out!
2013	What Are We Becoming?
2012	Miracles
2011	“W” Finds A Nut!
2010	No Strain At All, But I’m Not Sure About Stress…
	An Evening at the Pavilion…

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