Author: Bruce Halen

https://youtu.be/8W-lVRQQGtI?si=U6J_hUR9hNFgLz5s

Robert Reich's Five Point Plan for the 2026 Election

Looking for entertainment for your next birthday party, anniversary or Bar Mitzvah?

Step right up and watch the best magician of all time, he can make the toilet paper disappear from your hand in mid wipe. He can change the weather with one swipe of his sharpie, he can pull aircraft carriers out of his ass and make them appear off the coast of Venezuela.

What else can he do?

He can make voters go puff in the night, he can make guns out of gummy worms, he can make people with brown skin vanish into thin air. Try topping that?

He can wave his magic wand and “puff!” there goes there goes free and fair elections. Watch how he make buildings disappear right in front of your eyes and convince you that they are still there.

Oh, and there’s more! He can make invisible, non-existent money appear in the bank accounts of some people, just not yours. He can take away your health care somehow make the savings appear in his pocket.

He’s a master of disguise. The guy seen hanging out with child abuser Jeffrey Epstein is not really him. The writing on those birthday cards? He can convince you that it’s not his?

You wonder how crimes and criminals can just disappear? The Trump Justice Department is the place. One snap of his fingers and away they go.

Wanna see something really amazing? He can make history disappear. Yes, he can make things that have already happened just vaporize before your eyes.

If you want to see laws disappear, he can rub his nose and his Supreme Court can make it look like they never existed.

Not only can he make money disappear from your wallet, he can make it appear in the accounts of politicians that need a job and vote the Right way. The Supreme Court can also make laws appear out of nowhere. And, they can make a mega Billion dollar corporation look like a living breathing Homo sapien person.

And his best trick of all. He can make truth disappear simply by opening his mouth or typing words into a device.

So, book him now for your next event. Just go to POTUS.

____________________________

Did Donald J. Trump says this:

“In everything we do, my administration will be inspired by a strong pursuit of excellence and unrelenting success.  We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God.”

Click on the POTUS link above to win a prize.

On the Bright Side

From Robert Reich

For more than seven months, Donald Trump has run roughshod over the Constitution and the rule of law. Congress, universities, law firms, and countless other institutions that should know better have rolled over rather than fight back.

But now something is changing. I know the signs. Donald Trump’s grip on power is slipping.

In just the last week:

*Seven universities rejected Trump’s extortion compact, which offered preferential treatment for federal funds in exchange for a pledge to support Trump’s agenda.
*More than a dozen airports rejected Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s illegal propaganda video attacking Democrats for the government shutdown.
*30 news outlets refused to sign Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s media loyalty oath.
*Then, last Saturday, more than 7 million of us poured into the streets for No Kings protests all over the country.

Now we need to ramp up our efforts to resist Trump’s authoritarian takeover, but we need your help. We’ve spent the last several months testing the most effective and persuasive messages, and some of our most recent videos are moving people by as much as sixteen points in scientific A/B tests.

Now we need to get those videos in front of as many people as possible, and that’s why I’m asking you to start a monthly donation to help expand our efforts, educate the public, and stop Trump’s authoritarian power grab.

______________________________

If I want to totally forget baseball all I have to do is listen to the news. If I want to forget about the news all I have to do is shut off my devices and go outside.

https://youtu.be/8W-lVRQQGtI?si=U6J_hUR9hNFgLz5s

Robert Reich's Five Point Plan for the 2026 Election

You gotta love reality. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) appears to have maybe found a piece of it as it relates to immigration. Greene, who owns a construction company, is having an epiphany experience that seems to be based on her own experiences with the the 47 Administration’s scorched earth policy on immigration policy.

Joe Rogan, a highly influential podcaster catering to young men, also seems to have experienced a little bit of the world outside of MAGA. Rogan agrees with Trump on many things, but he has reconsidered his support for 47’s immigration policy.

Democrats have no influence on the MAGA base. But, people on the inside do have an influence, a sizable one. If Rogan’s audience and Greene’s audience get a glimpse of what is happening on Earth One, they can’t help but question what is actually going on to Americans.

The Americans that are being ripped off busses, taken from their residences in the dark of night, the children that are being separated from their parents, are some of the things that are actually happening in the world outside the MAGA InfoSphere.

Data from I.C.E. shows that the Administration is not just arresting criminals. FYI, the most current data is not available due to the government shutdown as noted on the I.C.E. website. A report from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), 71.5% of detainees have no criminal convictions. That’s detainees not arrests. These are people being illegally held by the government.

I’m happy that influential personalities and officials on the political Right are starting to catch a glimpse of the actual real world and respond accordingly. I hope the trend continues.

On the Bright Side

Once again, I highlight Texas State Rep. James Talerico who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. He is a Christian in the truest sense. He is a man of God and a man of the people. Take a good look at him and listen to what he has to say. He seems to be a good man and a good human being with good intentions and he used to be a middle school teacher.

If you haven’t already listened to it, listen here to his extensive interview with Joe Rogan and get to know who he is.

If you learn of other young people running for public office that should be highlighted, please send me their names and I’ll give them a shoutout.. Thanks.

And remember…

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

My initial thoughts were to not publish this post, but I changed my mind and here it is.  BH

I’m feeling like I should be a little more out “in the world” than I have been this year. I have had multiple opportunities to exercise my privilege in the past nine months, but given the state of affairs, I feel like I should be more engaged in the communities where I can make a difference.

Maybe I’m being too hard on myself. I throw myself into my singing groups with intentional wholeheartedness. I donate platelets at Stanford Blood Center. I make signs and attend peaceful protests. Occasionally I write my thoughts in this space.

I stay engaged in current events by reading the San Jose Mercury News and the Washington Post. My wife fills in the blanks with summaries from the New York Times. I listen to NPR and watch public television. I exercise daily, read daily affirmations and, with my wife, donate to causes of our choice that reflect our belief in the goodness of humanity.

My health is good. I hit the occasional good golf shot. I’m trying to be a better Stoic. I’m heavily involved in church activities like the choir, the Environmental Justice Committee and the Tech Team.

It sounds like enough. I probably missed a few things, but I can’t help but think that a 69 year-old retired Science teacher in good health should be doing more than I am doing for my communities. For now I’ll be content on musing about what else I could be doing. In the meantime I’ll just be happy.

I got a little off my intended topic there. But, I guess it needed to be expressed.

________________________

Since we shifted our TV service over to You Tube Tv, I have watched more YouTube videos. Mostly videos about geology, baseball and WW ll.

I know my brain is still healthy because I continue to follow a non-linear need to connect events and news items that don’t appear to have any real connectivity with each other.

For example, The Battle of the Bulge where a German counter-offensive caused the American lines to bend and bulge at the crossroads town of Bastogne, Belgium. German forces were attempting to cut off the allied supply lines by re-taking the Port city of Antwerp.

It almost worked. The key to German success was speed. They needed to break through the American line before reinforcements could relieve the beleaguered soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. The Americans were running low on food, ammunition, medical supplies and warm clothing.

Two things stopped the German advance. The weather improved so that allied planes could provide air support. The second thing was the arrival of Gen. George S. Patton and his Third Army. Once Patton arrived, the Germans knew that the battle was lost and, for all intents and purposes, so was the war in Europe. Had Patton not arrived in time, the war could have taken a very different turn.

The reason I bring up Patton and the Battle of the Bulge is that it seems eerily similar to the efforts of Russel Vought, The Heritage Foundation and the Republican Party to assault the Democratic line of defense with the forces of anti-democracy.

Like the German forces in WW ll at the Battle of the Bulge, the aforementioned forces are attempting to break through the lines of Democracy before reinforcements arrive to save the day. I don’t see our modern day Patton yet, but I feel like we are the besieged 101st Airborne Division trying to hold the line on Democracy until those reinforcements arrive.

One more WW ll story that I think applies today is the story of the M-18 Hellcat, a tank in it’s own right, but a tank designed to outrun and avoid face-to-face combat. It became know as the tank destroyer. Germany had designed it’s tanks to be heavy and virtually indestructible. The German Panther and Tiger tanks were hard to beat in a head-to-head fight.

Enter the Hellcat. The hellcat was lightly armored yet well armed enough to inflict great damage on the superior German tanks by using their speed and mobility to flank the enemy and get close enough to fire before the German tank commanders could turn their gun turrets around to fire on the Hellcats.

Speed and agility weren’t the only tools of the Hellcat. They were equipped with radios that allowed them to communicate with each other and work in teams to surprise and inflict substantial damage while limiting damage to themselves. When Hellcats were destroyed, they were easier to reproduce and inflict more losses on the enemy than losses of the Hellcats.

The story of the Hellcat also applies today. Clearly the foes of Democracy have much more fire power than the pro Democracy forces. They can’t be fought head-to-head. Our battles to come need to be fought in a hit-and-run fashion. I hope these battles to come are more figurative than literal. But the tactics employed by the U.S. Army in WW ll could come in handy in today’s out-of-balance political standoff.

My hope is that we can listen to each other, but if that doesn’t work then consider the above Plan B.

_______________________________________

The story of the Battle of the Bulge and the Hellcat converge to create an appropriate analogy for this moment. Hostile forces waging all out war against the Democratic institutions that stand their way.

This time our version of General Patton coming to the rescue is actually us. We can relieve our besieged institutions by keeping the pressure on to release the full Epstein Files held by the Justice Department and the FBI. We can be like the Hellcat and keep up a hit-and-run campaign until we bring the big powerful forces back down to our level.

Then, we can start the work of restoring humanity back to the United States of America.

On the Bright Side

There are voices of reason out there. In my last post I introduced Texas State Rep. James Talerico who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. He is a Christian in the truest sense. He is a man of God and a man of the people. Take a good look at him and listen to what he has to say. He seems to be a good man and a good human being with good intentions and he used to be a middle school teacher.

If you haven’t already listened to it, listen here to his extensive interview with Joe Rogan and get to know who he is.

And remember…

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

I drafted a post a couple of days ago. Usually I trust my streaming brain, but I took a pause on this one because my two analogies were drawn from WW ll and the tone, although not intended, just sounded too militaristic. We need to avoid that tone whenever possible. It’s always possible. So I avoided it.

And then I changed my mind. I’m publishing both of them.

_______________________________________

So instead I opted to wait for the next inspiration which came largely from a guest sermon this past Sunday from a Buddhist minister. The topic was compassionate action.

After Unitarian Universalism, the religious practice that I most closely identify with is Buddhism.

Buddhism is a religion without a creator God or a non-theistic religion. It’s core belie is that suffering exists in the world. The end of the cycle of death and rebirth (reincarnation) is achieving enlightenment or Nirvana. Nirvana is achieved by following the Eightfold Path of the Buddha..

I go to church, the Unitarian Universalist Church in particular, because it allows me to explore my religious beliefs through the examination of a variety of source traditions. So, unlike when I was a kid, I go to church to learn. I’m all ears.

My learning from this service was to have compassion for people who have different beliefs from mine AND to be a person of action.

Now, how to apply this learning to the current state of global affairs and domestic politics in the U.S.A. Any thoughts?

Stoicism has taught me to concern myself with things that I can control. My character, my emotions, my treatment of others. Unitarian Universalism has taught me the importance of listening. Buddhism is teaching me about action.

Where should my action in the world be focused and how can it be leveraged to do greater good? A friend sent me this video and it reinforced in me the idea that small actions can make a big impact.

Never underestimate what posting a yard sign, going to a demonstration, making a small financial contribution, reading or listening to trusted news sources or having conversations can do to bring about positive change in the world. Do what you can do.

It makes a difference.

On the Bright Side

There are voices of reason out there. In my last post I introduced Texas State Rep. James Talerico who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. He is a Christian in the truest sense. He is a man of God and a man of the people. Take a good look at him and listen to what he has to say. He seems to be a good man and a good human being with good intentions and he used to be a middle school teacher.

If you haven’t already listened to it, listen here to his extensive interview with Joe Rogan and get to know who he is.

And remember…

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

Dear Mr. President,

I am confused. You have made several Executive orders that have included promises that you are making to us. Sir, how do you feel you are doing? There’s seems to be a wide range of opinions on how your promises are trickling down to us down here.

Promises that you have made to the American People:

Let's start with The White House, the place you live says that you have accomplished compared to what you promised during your re-election campaign and in the first few months of you second term.  With all due respect, sir, Number 7 is a bold faced lie.

And the gospel according to your Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt says "you are having fun" while accomplishing all of your promises and more.  This is back a couple of months ago.

Here's what a few other folks think about your promises and the progress that has been made on attaining those goals.  PolitiFact, the AP, CNN, AllSides,  your old pal Rachel Maddow over at your favorite network, MSNBC.

Impacts that you have had on the American People
You said that you would bring down prices on goods and services, lower our taxes, "drain the swamp" of corruption, rid America of the scourge of law breaking and violent immigrants, bring peace to the Middle East and Ukraine, bring retribution to your political enemies, make America safer, reduce crime, and make Americans healthier  Did I miss anything? It feels like I must have missed something.  You've been very busy this year.

I admire your success on the golf course. I wish I could be as good as you are. You have truly mastered the game Mr. President. I hit a few good shots every round, but they are overshadowed by a larger number of mediocre shots and a short game that is inconsistent but, I must say, improving.

Congratulations Sir.

Get rid of the gold. It’s a bad look. It reminds your fellow Americans just how big a difference that there is between rich people like you (congratulations on accumulating all that money). You must be very proud. You are so good at making money that you have made it a religious practice among your followers.

You’ve figured out how to turn water into wine or hay into gold. The Crypto Currency thing is brilliant sir. Where there is no wealth, just say there is and “POOF,” there is money right out of thin air. How do you do that Sir? Can we be granted the ability to create something out of nothing? It is a work of pure genius.

I’d like to tell you a little about myself, but you already know all this stuff, at least Peter Thiel does over at Palantir. He knows everything about me, my family, my friends, my not so friends. The whole D.O.G.E. smoke and mirrors trick was awesome. I actually thought that you were intent to have Elon cut spending by raiding federal agencies. What you were oh so cleverly doing was gathering personal data on each of us so that you could get to know us better. I’m very flattered Sir.

I have more to say, but I know that your time is precious and valuable. Golf balls to hit, tweets to compose and send, enemies to hunt down and punish. You are a very busy man.

Mr. President, thanks yoiu for for time and have a great day,

Kindest regards,

Bruce

On the Bright Side

Meet James Talarico. Talarico announced today that he is running for the U.S. Senate from Texas. Even if you’re not into church, I suggest that you watch this 18 minute sermon that he gave at his church as a guest lay minister on the subject of White Nationalism. He has the creds to talk truth to power.

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

I’m not an expert on anything. I appreciate your attentiveness to someone who is an expert on nothing with an opinion on nearly everything. Selecting a topic to write about relating to the state of affairs in the U.S.A. in the Summer of 2025 is something like hitting a locust with a BB. So many choices, so much chaos.

So, the most difficult part of journaling during this time is selecting a topic by which you can offer an account of what is going on in a large enough context to make it readable, understandable and relevant. It can be weeks or even months between my writings simply because I need time to formulate my thoughts and then compile them in a way that might be helpful to you and me.

Today, the topic is Science. My thesis is that science is being systematically dismantled to appease the Eschatology of the farthest to the right religious believers behind the Trump Administration who believe that they can make Biblical prophecy come true. Something tells me that God is not going to take too kindly to having “His” work done for “him” by mortal “men.” That is a much bigger topic that I am by no means prepared to address in this medium.

The systematic attack on education, science, democratic government, the environment, women, acceptance of diversity, and truth and anything else that I might have missed, is based on the work of the Heritage Foundation and their work on Project 2025.

My experience as a middle school Science teacher and attention to science over the past 40 years gives me a little incite into the work of science and what scientists do . I have a respect for the way science works.

I confess to being baffled at the Trump Administration attack on Science. Eight months of Executive Orders say one thing and do almost across the board exactly the opposite. The best explanation that I can muster is that it is part of the overall Project 2025 plan to render democracy unworkable and replace it with some new world order revolving around the narrow beliefs of an increasingly smaller yet influential right wing Christian movement to facilitate the end days as prophesized in the Bible’s Book of Revelation.

Science is data driven and fact based. Data and facts are part of the foundation of civil society. Data and facts are inconvenient truths to those bent on rewriting history and creating their own narrow narrative of the future.

Stand up for Science.

On the Bright Side

If you are in the San Francisco area, consider joining the 17 x 17K Rally along El Camino Real between Santa Clara and Menlo Park on September 1 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  Here's a link with more information.

Cover from a Thank You note from the Carter Center.

I long to return to the day when service and giving to others was the message from the White House.

Peace.

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

I wrestle with this question. I am, by nature, an information geek. Translated that means I’m a news geek. Translated further that means I am a politics geek.

Information, factual information, is the basis for a healthy society. The emergence of right wing special interest disinformation (fake news) has complicated the fact finding process.

There are two factors behind this disinformation. The first is the intentional spreading of false and misleading information for political purposes. The second is the amplification of the first using technology. Social media and Artificial Intelligence spread the fake news to a large number of people creating an environment of doubt and distrust..

Once fake news is out there, it is very difficult to counter. Attorney Barb McQuade (Sisters-in-Law podcast) comprehensively addresses disinformation in her book “Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.”

So, what is a self proclaimed news junkie to do to invest the time needed to be informed and to be confident that the information that you are getting is factual? Listen to McQuade discuss her thoughts on the subject.

My point is to not give up on the news. That’s what the rich and powerful right wing elites want you to do. Listen to McQuade, seek out electronic fact checkers like Snopes and stay in the game.

On the Bright Side…

Some signs awaiting the opportunity to use them:

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

The Toto song “Love Isn’t Always On Time” popped into my head this morning. There’s a lot in the song that is superfluous, but the message of the chorus and the edgy tone on the guitar communicates my mood these days. Edgy and defiant with love to round off the sharp edges.

I felt the edge when I listened to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrogantly reply to a question from Senator Ron Widen during a hearing of the Senate Budget Committee. Love isn’t always on time.

The Administration announced cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s research funding. Love isn’t always on time.

Apparently the president would rather write his pictures than draw them. This is the person in charge of the most powerful nation on Earth. Love isn’t always on time.

Trump support of Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal policy in Gaza. Love isn’t always on time.

Saturday Night Live parodies of the president. You’ve gotta love it.

A summary of presidential Executive Orders since January 20. Love isn’t always on time.

ICE detentions. Love isn’t always on time.

The party that claims that it is pro-Life yet seeks to deny health care to a pregnant woman seeking a medically necessary abortion? How pro-Life is that? Love isn’t always on time.

I finally got around to reading George Packer’s piece in the July issue of the The Atlantic magazine on J.D. Vance. That’s one messed up elite dude. Love isn’t always on time.

On the Bright Side

How to make a sturdy, rain-proof protest sign


Felicity Shoulders


My Science March sign, using the same technique/materials.
I woke up the day before the Women’s March and felt a need to make a sign. I’d never done this before though, and the online resources I immediately found were pretty vague: “attach handle”, for instance. The whole reason I was googling was to find out what makes a good handle, guys!
Also, the forecast for Portland was rain. Loads of rain. (You can tell photos of our Women’s March from others by the high incidence of umbrellas!) So, I set out to make a rain-proof protest sign, and my improvised solution worked very well. Many marchers asked about my materials, so I thought I’d share my process. My sign went completely undamaged by the torrential rain, and is so sturdy it is ready for another march (or three, or a dozen, whatever it takes) at a moment’s notice.
Actually, this morning I made another sign (a little less fussily than the one shown in progress, and a bit of tape short of weatherproof) and it took 35 minutes:

The other side of this sign is more serious. Like a mullet: business in front, party in the back.
Reusable, not recycled
This uses plastic, bought for the purpose. If you want a biodegradable or recycled sign, this is not your huckleberry. I recommend choosing a slogan you’re going to want to use multiple times. You can also flip the plastic pieces to the other side to repurpose the sign, or I suppose attach a changeable paper sign to this sturdy plastic one.
Danger: contains a stick
Some jurisdictions apparently ban the use of wood supports on signs, and some protests ask that participants not include sticks. I’ll update this with a link if I find a roundup of local laws, but check your jurisdiction and your protest’s guidelines to make sure this sign is allowed.

What you need
* 		2 corrugated plastic sign blanks (I used 20x24)
* 		DecoColor paint markers, broad tip
* 		1 round dowel rod, 48" long and 1" diameeter
* 		4 wood screws, 1/2"
* 		clear packing tape
* 		power drill (with a fine drill bit and a screwdriver bit)
* 		eye protection
* 		gaffer tape (optional, for extra grip and comfort on handle)
Alternatives: If you don’t have a power drill, you could punch holes in your plastic signs and cable-tie them tightly to the dowel, or use a staple gun powerful enough to staple into the wood.
W
here to get it
Plastic blanks — I got these in the hardware section of my local superstore, in a display with ‘garage sale’ and ‘for sale by owner’ signs. Hardware/home supply stores seem a good bet.
Online — You can also search for ‘corrugated plastic sign blank’ on Amazon, though many of their options are large packs (say, of 25) you might share with friends.

DecoColor Opaque Paint Markers — tried and true against rain
DecoColor paint markers — At least here in Oregon, paint markers have to be locked up so taggers won’t shoplift them, and only art supply stores generally want to deal with that headache. Some very nice employees at my local Blick’s Art Materials helped me test different brands of paint markers for how well they stick on plastic and stand up to water. Sharpie oil-based and Krink paint markers are water-resistant, but DecoColors are, as advertised, seriously weatherproof.
Online — They are much cheaper from Blick’s than from Amazon. Scroll down for all the colors. You want broad tips, and will wish they were even broader.
1" dowel: Same hardware section, in the paint aisle. The 48" length was perfect for a 24"-tall sign. Mine was labeled simply ‘hardwood’, and it didn’t split around the screws at all.
Online: Home stores have them too.

Wood screws, gaffer tape, etc. are all available in hardware stores or hardware sections.
What you do
0. Decide on your slogan and, if you’re fussy, lay it out and rough it in with pencil. I made a mockup of my sign in a word processor and printed it: this let me fold the paper in half to see the center line, and helped me figure out where to draw pencil lines to keep my words straight. (Told you, fussy!)

Drawing my sign with my mockup handy.
1. Draw your signs in a well ventilated space. These pens do stink!

Two signs, done. I didn’t fill in the pattern on the second ‘dream’ because it was late already!
2. Attach your signs to your dowel. Use eye protection, and stagger the screws on either side of the dowel so they aren’t in any danger of meeting or splitting the rod. First, immobilize your dowel and drill a guide hole (I used the smallest bit handy, 1/16 inch) through sign and dowel both. Then swap out the bit and drive the screw through both. I put one screw toward the top and one toward the bottom. Flip the sign and repeat.
3. Tape the sides of the signs together with your clear packing tape. This makes them less likely to snag on your fellow marchers or yourself, a little more aerodynamic when it’s windy, and just generally sturdier.
4. Gaffer-tape the handle if desired. My dowel seemed well sanded, but the cloth of gaffer tape is just more pleasant to hold onto, and gave a great grip for my textured gloves (which I recommend wearing, especially in Oregon in winter.) The two spots I randomly chose ended up being great places for a two-handed hold, though of course I held and waved it plenty of ways.

My finished sign, with gaffer tape grips
Now you have a protest sign sturdy enough to last you a lot of marches, so you can be equipped at a moment’s appalled notice. May the Force be with you.
TL;DR: DecoColor Opaque Marker Pens are seriously waterproof and work on plastic corrugated signs you can find at the hardware store.

Kudos to California Attorney General Rob Bonta in using the tool available to him to resist the regime in Washington.  He has filed or signed onto 34 lawsuits against the gfgfsj Administration.

Winston Churchill Quotes:

"Never, never, never give in!"
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"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to    continue that counts."
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"You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks."
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"Fear is a reaction.  Courage is a decision."
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"A Nation that forgets it's past has no future."
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"The POSITIVE THINKER sees the INVISIBLE, feels the INTANGIBLE, and achieves the IMPOSSIBLE."
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"If you're going through hell, keep going."
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And one from Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."