Somehow in all this plain language and clarity, the notion that all “Muslims” are “Islamists” suddenly goes without saying. I almost missed that palmed card

I knew Platner was involved with Blackwater, but didn’t know if that connected to the West Bloomfield attack. I’ve seen so many batshit conspiracies in the last ten years it’s harder to dismiss batshit conspiracy theories, and I resent it.

Is Platner involved with that? I haven’t heard of a Blackwater connection, but there is so much we don’t know! It’s all so terrifying

I don’t hear it from Trump voters, but I do sometimes hear it from voters who stayed home instead of voting for Harris.

What evidence do you have that “even the strongest anti-abortion advocates don’t want to punish people for pregnancy loss?” It’s not an argument they lead with. But it seems to be a motivation for a small but passionate minority of anti-abortion advocates. (1)

Living in an exurb with a long daily commute by car is not exactly enjoying the wilderness. If you want to visit a state or national park, renting a car for a day or weekend or week is a lot more efficient. Or using the car you usually drive fairly short distances.

I’m old enough to remember Thatcher. If there was kindness or gentleness in her, she kept it hidden.

But you remind me of the difference between cannons carefully aimed with ill intent and LOOSE cannons.

The company that made “Up” doesn’t want its movies to introduce emotionally difficult subjects?

See also: Milton

Poe: well, mary, in all fairness
Shelley: you better not fuckin say it, edgar
Shelley: this is getting real john barthy
Poe:
Poe: i withdraw the statement
Shelley: good

Since my mom got sucked into trans-hatred a few years ago, she stopped believing children ought to be protected from same-sex predators. They tie themselves in knots

There is so much wrong here, but also it’s so deeply wrong that a person can commit a violent assault in public, and face no consequences unless the victim knows his name and presses charges against him personally. It was a crime, FFS!

I thought Republican foreign policy was horrifying WITH Henry Kissinger.

We might not like our neighbors, but we still stand up to the secret police to protect them. Yeah, that tracks.

Platner does refer to having “a lot of Jews in my extended family.” He was talking to media in October about how those relatives had seen his tattoos and not complained. I assumed stepbrother or cousins, not his wife, but whatever.

It doesn’t matter. Jews can have terrible political judgement

Is Packard’s Corner a separate vortex? It’s almost a mile away, and it’s a nightmare

Are you trying to imply that rural Maine does not have a neo-Nazi problem? I hate to break it to you, but they’re everywhere

It's like he's the only human male who understands how to attract a female and the rest of them are all pandas

I want to be clear that this is intended as high praise:

That video reminds me of some Attenborough documentary about an extremely elaborate courtship ritual of some tropical bird, caught on camera for the first time in this film

that they have kept their relationship intensely private to the point that this is how we find out is probably the best sign they might actually make it

anyway, rules are rules, here is the exact moment she fell in love

Is that “right wing” in the sense of agents provocateur? Or as “so far to the right of the socialist ideal that they can collaborate with Schumer sometimes ?”

On the other hand, getting in and out of the tub without falling can be awfully scary for somebody who is frail and mobility-impaired. Options. It’s good to have options.

I regret that I have but one like to give for this suggestion

Does anyone know of a New Orleans restaurant with outdoor seating and vegan food? Not an entirely vegan restaurant! But it must be possible to get a meal without pork, dairy, or shellfish, beer, or wine, and a restaurant with 2+ vegan options is the best way to find that.

Yeah, but if you’re going to be there for 5 minutes, those 5 minutes should be worth something.

Hogan’s Heroes was such a funny show!

I’m counting materials change in technology change, ie steel knives are different than bronze ones. And it’s not “outdated” until an alternative is invented.

I’m not getting rid of
Bound paper books.
Candles.
Silk base layers.

(I like my gas stove but will change to electric one of these days.)

A Prayer Before Doing Community Protection Work, Going To a Protest, Lobbying a Lawmaker, or Actively Bearing Witness The moment before action is the pause before a song. Here I am, ready and willing to see what’s real and speak what’s true. Remind me there’s no shame in fear so long as I don’t let it stop me. Strengthen in me the deep desire to stand up for what I know is right. Let me be like Esther bravely going before the king. May the mitzvot be my true colors. May I live up to who I aspire to be. These are the days we've got: let us rejoice and do good in them. R. Rachel Barenblat art by Steve Silbert - a golem holding a sign that says "hazak," be strong!

New at Velveteen Rabbi: one of my pieces from "In Times Like These," Bayit: Building Jewish's new Purim offering (illustrated by Steve Silbert), and a link to the whole collection so y'all can see every amazing piece that's part of this collaboration.

A tantrum is exhausting, but sometimes you have to throw it anyway. I figured this out when I was 3.