#American Principles

[arianasuchi]

America's Election Handbook 2024

"America's Election Handbook 2024" offers a sharp analysis of the U.S. political party system, highlighting contrasts between major party positions and challenging the necessity and consequences of strict party loyalties. It delves into the evolving ideologies of political parties and critiques the minimal involvement of grassroots movements in decision-making processes, a factor it links to the growing divide in American politics. The book advocates for open-minded dialogue and consensus in governance, reflecting the democratic ideals of the Founding Fathers. With a blend of proposals and factual analyses, it aims to stimulate more inclusive and representative discussions on governance. A key aspect of the book is its examination of the principles of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, drawing parallels between their original visions and today's political landscape. "America's Election Handbook 2024" is dedicated to bridging political gaps. It serves as a comprehensive resource for voters, facilitating an understanding of party positions, encouraging well-informed discourse, and promoting solutions based on compromise. The handbook seeks to heal societal divisions and guide American society towards greater unity and cooperation. website link: charlespattonbooks.com

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Justin Horowitz at MMFA:

Project 2025 advisory board members have attacked or outright called for the end of no-fault divorce, the option to dissolve a marriage without having to prove wrongdoing by a partner. Research highlighted by CNN found “no-fault divorce correlates with a reduction in female suicides and a reduction in intimate partner violence,” including “an 8 to 16% decrease in female suicides after states enacted no-fault divorce laws.” Project 2025 is backed by a nearly-900 page policy book called Mandate for Leadership, which extensively outlines potential approaches to governance for the next Republican administration, including replacing federal employees with extremists and Trump loyalists and attacking LGBTQ rights, abortion, and contraception. The Heritage Foundation’s proposals have a track record of success — the first Trump administration implemented 64% of Mandate’s policy recommendations. Project 2025 is also supported by a coalition of over 100 conservative organizations, many of which have spent years promoting critiques of no-fault divorce as “destructive” for society — or even blaming it for enabling a “culture of death.” According to a Media Matters review, at least 22 Project 2025 advisory board members have made similar comments targeting, restricting, or eliminating no-fault divorce. Additionally, MAGA and far-right media figures have pushed for the removal of no-fault divorce laws across the country, and several local Republican parties in Texas, Nebraska, and Louisiana have called for the dissolution of no-fault divorce in some capacity.

Project 2025 partner organizations, including the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, and The Heritage Foundation, have called for significant restrictions or an outright ban on no-fault divorce.

[greencheekconure27]

American tankies and other useful idiots: "USA controls all world politics and is responsible for literally all the evil in the world"

Also American tankies: "Yeah it doesn't matter if we elect a mad fascist dictator with history of rape and selling state secrets or a normal competent person.This will have zero influence on global politics. Stick it to The Man, don't vote! That'll show them!"

[thesobsister]

Elections are funny things, ain't they? Sometimes, the "demos" in "democracy" says, hey, wouldn't it be cool if we just drove off this precipice at high speed? And then they do it.

So, first of all, a shout-out to all those folks who just had to vote third-party or didn't even vote at all due to their very principled stance; if these chucklefucks didn't learn how "they're both the same!" didn't make sense back in 2016, well, boy howdy, are they in for a lesson now. As a result of their (in)activity and the general electorate's unwillingness to pick a Black woman over a white dumpster fire, we will be going through a period of trial. How bad it'll be and how long it'll last, we don't know, but it'll have two important effects, I think.

First, it'll disabuse the few remaining innocent souls of the notion that Providence is guiding the fortunes of the United States. It is not. Providence is a city in Rhode Island, not a Magic Pixie Dream Girl who talks us out of our worst ideas and keeps us moving up up up. "American exceptionalism" is founded, to a great extent, on this notion, and the sooner we shove a head of garlic in its mouth and stake it through the heart, the better. There's nothing keeping the U.S. from running off the rails, yet pretending that the Almighty has an Extra-Special Plan for this country means that any dumbfuckery is tolerated because it'll all Turn Out Right in the end. Reader, it has not.

Second, the upcoming administration will likely leave the country an expanse of smoking ruins from the rocky coast of Maine to the sun-washed shores of Californ-i-ay. I expect that, for a variety of reasons, the incoming president may not serve his full term, thereby setting up the early ascent of his vice-president, the candidate the far right really wanted. This, likely, will not end well. My fervent hope is that, after the unpleasantness that will almost certainly ensue between now and this period's end—and it may be longer than four or eight years; we had to deal with Reagan-Bush for 12 years, and that seems like a walk in the park compared to the situation facing us at the moment— we will have learned enough to rebuild in a way that speaks to our society's real needs.

So, grid your lions, folks, help each other out, and lean on those you trust. Let's get through this together.

[qqueenofhades]

This is gonna be a controversial post on Tumblr Dot Com, but I like Joe Biden.

[obstinatecondolement]

Just discovered that it is against postal regulations in my country to send obscene or indecent materials in the post, under which they include books. This was right under the bit about not sending pathogens or biological matter through the post! I thought this was supposed to be a free democratic country smh.

[junkartie]

I start foaming at the mouth when i see tourists being like “aha this local tried to scam me by charging me ONE WHOLE DOLLAR for their homemade dessert. Psh. I paid them 30 cents.” Like you will tip your servers 25% because your ass government wont pay them themselves but draw the line at poor people in poor countries charging you 50 cents more than they charge locals. While they are still giving you their products for an EXTREMELY cheap price. Die

[littleapocalypsekitten]

As someone who is American and still watches actual broadcast television (news, Guy Fieri...) and am suffering through another election year... I am sick to death of hearing the term "illegals." Absolutely SICK. TO. DEATH. Like, okay, I know that the southern border has issues. It's pretty much our modern day Ellis Island, with many people there escaping...some of the same kinds of issues - and others. There are people there waiting to be vetted, seeking aslyum or work. And, indeed, there are a lot of people who hop the border illegally. I used to live in Arizona, in farm country. People without legal paperwork who could be exploited were a staple of the farming industry there...unfortunately. I lost an opportunity for a job at a restaurant once because I "didn't speak enough Spanish" - code for "Our restaurant is employing people under the table for beneath minimum wage and without benefits that we can threaten to report and have deported if they speak up wanting basic workers' rights." (I came away from that particular encounter not mad at immigrants for "stealin' mah jerb!" but mad at the company / restaurant for abusive corporate practices...go fig. Guess I think differently). Even here in Pennsylvania, I've had chance encounters with people who had no papers. (People who just want to work and take care of their children). Anyway, yeah, there are processing issues and people who don't go through the legal channels because our government makes it next to impossible. But every GOD. DAMNED. TIME. I hear the term "illegals" I want to tear my hair out! Or hit people with fish! It's not only used for people who are going through the LEGAL channels (It's code for "Hispanic" basically, or just "non-white"), even people who haven't? It's a dehumanising term. That's what I take it as. "Illegals" is a term purposefully used to make people sound like something...other than people. And so I find the MAGA commercials insulting both to my intelligence and dignity. It's like, why don't you go all the way, MAGA? Why not use the really horrible slang-term I heard waaaaay, waaaay too much in my white-person childhood around Arizona redneck white people? Why not tweak your commercials and start whining about "wetbacks?" I mean, you might as well, since you term everyone "illegals." You expect us to think of people as not human. It's too late for me. I've worked with too many "illegals" in my life to think like that.

[ettadunham]

sometimes i remember the hunger games and how nobody actually paid attention to what was in those books

[jkpng]

prized possession btw

[devynconstance]

How to Get Straight Stitches when Sewing

The first thing you should look at when it comes to getting straight lines while sewing is your seam allowance. This is the distance between the edge of the fabric and where the thread sews the two pieces of fabric together. For commercial patterns (store bought patterns) the most common seam allowance to have is 5/8" which has to do with the guide plate on most sewing machines.

This is the guide plate.

And this is the 5/8" guide line that those sewing patterns what you to follow

So for example, when your sewing, you want the edge of the fabric to stay against this line as evenly as possible to keep the seam straight which would look like this.

This can be hard for beginners, especially when going around a curve so some people prefer the help of a sewing guide. The most common one ive seen is a magnet that will sticks directly to the guide plate and looks like this.

If you are using indie patterns (digital downloads from independent pattern makers) the seam allowance might be different. If such a seam allowance is smaller than 5/8" the pressure foot has notches as additional guides.

They're also good for making multiple lines in a row without having to remeasure every time (for example if you were doing something like shiring which is the stretchy back panel on this dress).

It's also an option to use the edge of the pressure foot as a guide which is my prefered method when making my own patterns.

Another option for getting straight sewing lines is to mark the sewing line directly onto your fabric. I prefer a heat erasable pen such as this one. (Please remember to test this on scrap fabric first not all erasable pens actually work)

But there are many other options to pick from such as tailors chalk or a tailors pencil just to name a few.

Use a ruler to measure in from the edge of the fabric and mark the seam allowance and connect the dots to get a solid easily seen line to follow. Now when it's under the machine the needle should follow this line and you won't have to worry about keeping track of which guide line you were supposed to be following.

I also recommend drawing the line directly onto the fabric if you are hand stitching the seam instead of using a machine since there is no machine guides to follow in that instance.

Further tips from my friend thats learning right now

- it's almost easier to keep the fabric straight when sewing at a medium speed. Too fast or slow and the fabric wants to move around a lot under the machine.

- It's best to keep in mind that certain fabrics (such as anything silky or stretchy) are a lot harder to sew then say a cotton, linen, or flannel becuase they move around a lot more or they stretch out funny while you're sewing. Doesn't mean to avoid them, just know that it will require more patience and learning.

- Iron your seams. If your seams still aren't coming out right, it might not be that they're uneven, it might just be that they're unironed. It makes a huge difference even if it sucks sometimes.

- don't push the fabric under the sewing machine, there's feeders that will pull the fabric in for you so all you have to worry about is keeping the fabric lined up and straight while sewing.

- use matching thread (or a light grey thread, seams to blend in with most colors). A little wobble in the seam is not a big deal and most of the time won't be noticed if using a thread color that matches the material. The only time an uneven seam might be really noticeable is if you have multiple lines close together like you would see on a corset with boning channels where the lines are a visual staple of the garment.

Other than that it really comes down to practice and time. If anyone has any further tips they want to add please feel free and if anyone has any questions or wants anything further explained please let me know. Its been a few years since i was a beginner so i could be forgetting something and I know it's a lot of information all at once.

Happy sewing everyone!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

John Knefel at MMFA:

Several right-wing organizations known mostly for opposing abortion, immigration, and trans rights are also involved in supporting and funding election denial groups, a sign of the issue’s centrality to the MAGA movement.

Following former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020 and subsequent attempts to remain in power, a complicated and sprawling web of organizations emerged to sow doubt about future elections and spread debunked and baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud. Stringing these overlapping efforts together is the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, an umbrella organization connecting state and national election denial efforts with the broader right-wing policy ecosystem. These groups also significantly overlap with Project 2025, an effort organized by The Heritage Foundation to provide the next Republican presidential administration with staffing and policy recommendations.  Even as early as March 2021, mere months after Trump’s multifaceted effort to reverse the 2020 election, socially conservative groups began pouring money into election denial initiatives. That trend has only accelerated in the intervening years, with a host of anti-civil rights groups — often euphemistically characterized as engaged in the “culture wars” — having expanded their operations to include so-called election integrity.

These groups include the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the anti-trans American Principles Project, a fund run by Hobby Lobby founder David Green, and high-profile right-wing charities National Christian Charitable Foundation and Christian Community Foundation, among others.  One of the primary myths that the election denial movement has spread this cycle concerns noncitizen voting, which experts agree is exceedingly rare. This manufactured scandal synthesizes two key pillars of the MAGA movement — demonizing immigrants and claiming that elections are rigged against right-wing candidates. The partners listed in the Only Citizens Vote Coalition include anti-immigrant groups the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Immigration Accountability Project, illustrating how election denial groups have incorporated nativism into their movement. Both FAIR and IAP have strong links to the Tanton network, named after John Tanton, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center refers to as the “the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement.”

Right-wing anti-civil rights organizations are going all-in on pushing the nonexistent “noncitizen voter” canard.

[noneedforbloodpressure]

Hey, just for the record vandalizing Synagogues/Jewish schools/Jewish community centers or boycotting Jewish businesses just because they’re Jewish not only doesn’t help Palestinians and isn’t activism, but rather looks an awful lot like nazi Germany. In other words, it’s just antisemitic.

Stop harassing Jewish people and go do something to actually help Palestinians. Donate (I’ve talked about ANERA, World Central Kitchen, and the Palestine Red Crescent Society before). Protest at government offices and pressure policy makers. Boycott war profiteers and defense contractors (Lockheed Martin and Boeing, for examples) or companies that have otherwise provided support to the Israeli government and/or military (see, for example, why Google and Amazon are on the BDS pressure targets list). Raise awareness and emphasize Palestinian humanity – and for the love of all things holy stop portraying Palestinian and Jewish safety as diametrically opposed.  

[mangocheesecakes]

all of you vote blue no matter who americans deserve the president you're going to get (either trump or biden will be just the same, they both will trample on your precious "rights" anyway) but by god Palestinians don't deserve to suffer the terrible consequences of your so-called democracy. It's so nauseating seeing people with a complete lack of conscience/morals/empathy insist that after everything that's been happening for the past 9+ months, somehow, they still could not come up with a reason NOT to vote for genocide joe.

[callixton]

rocking back & forth trying to be normal abt the way people talk abt bsi i am going crazyyy........ there is critique to be had but people's full disengagement from anything else the story has to offer or attempt to reconcile its intent with its execution makes my head blow up. bc i don't think they actually understand its intent. or themes. which is crazy bc personally i think the bioshock series hits you over the head with what it's going for even if it doesn't always get it right. like i do not know how much i can emphasize that the point was not centrism. that was a mistake in execution. i literally cannot think of another mainstream game that comes anywhere close to confronting america's history and flaws-inherent-in-its-founding head-on the way infinite does.

also i DO think a lot of my reaction comes out of playing if before the original series and therefore not having the expectation that it's a 'choices matter' game (which. it's sort of barely in the gameplay in the original but i do understand it's in the text) and also the themes of it are very up my alley! arguably much more than the original! but i don't think that's an excuse for every audience member being unable to engage with a new game and world on its own terms

[poughkeepsies]

living in the US is like I will exist in public spaces but if anyone raises their voice above a polite indoor voice I am always ready willing and able to slip into a panic attack