#a budget is a moral document

[quasi-normalcy]

Just struck by the fact that, in 2018, climate scientists posted a dire warning that the Earth had just twelve years to cut greenhouse gas emissions to avoid catastrophic global heating. There were protests; demonstrations. We have now breezed through more than half of that time, with nothing to show for it but millions of more tonnes of CO2 wasted on crypto mining and AI scams. The world nears the sixth mass extinction in its entire geological history and oil production is near record highs.

Struck also by the fact that, in 2020, there were mass protests against police murders of Black people; like, mass mass protests. "Defund the police" they said. "Abolish the police." Police budgets are up. Black people still get murdered by the cops en masse.

And then, this past year, there were massive protests against the genocide in Gaza. There were occupations of university campuses, there were protests outside of the institutions that enabled the mass murder in Palestine. Macklemore did a song about it, a good one. And the genocide continues apace.

On issue after issue, you can see the same pattern. Surely the massacre of children at Sandy Hook would drive sensible gun laws! Nope. Surely outrage over the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh would drive changes in labour practices! Nope. Surely the #Occupy protests in 2011 would drive wealth redistribution! Nope. Surely the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would drive better environmental regulations. Nope. Surely the 2008 financial crash would drive regulation of the stock market. Nope. Surely the record protests against the US Invasion of Iraq would move the needle, even a little bit. Nope. Over and over and over again, we see the capitalist elite (let us be frank) raping the world, over and over and over again, we see mass outpourings of rage and disgust in the streets, and over and over and over again, we see them shrug it off, fuck their mistresses, and go golfing.

And then, some guy who may or may not be named Luigi goes and shoots an insurance CEO to death. And suddenly they can't shrug this off. Some companies back down on their plans to make health insurance in the USA even worse; we're treated to panicked editorials in elite publications talking about how celebration of the murder showcases our culture of moral decay (as if this isn't a society that has been either denying or actively celebrating the most well documented genocide in history for the last 15 months; as if there aren't near daily shootings in American schools, occurring so often that they barely even make the news anymore; as if the dead CEO hadn't presided over a company that spread misery and death for the millions as a matter of business as usual); companies beef up security, hide the names of their CEOs. There is, in short, an actual response (though it remains to be seen how it will play out in the long run, but still an actual response). Decades of mass, peaceful protest, and they just ignore it. One guy with a gun, and suddenly it's the end of the fucking world.

What lesson are we supposed to draw from this?

[aspiringbelle]

And the current administration is funneling money to the bottom two... Of course, so did their predecessors...

Excerpt from this Associated Press (AP) story:

[samwisethewitch]

How I Get the Most Out of Meat When Cooking

As someone who 1.) was 100% vegetarian for ethical/religious reasons until very recently, and 2.) recently had to reintroduce meat for vitamin deficiency reasons, limiting waste as much as possible when I cook with meat is really important to me. For one thing, I feel like I owe it to the animal that died to get as much use as possible out of its body as a way of honoring its death. For another, meat is expensive (ethically raised meat even more so) and I want to get my money's worth.

I recently bought a bunch of lamb for my family's holiday dinner, so I wanted to share my attempt to practice the Honorable Harvest in my meat consumption. This is new to me, but I wanted to document the attempt because it's been a fun learning process for me! If you want to actually learn about honorable consumption I encourage you to read the works of Robin Wall Kimmerer and other indigenous ecologists, since the Honorable Harvest is based on indigenous North American practices. (Though there are other cultural practices all over the world.)

Step One: Sourcing the Meat

I am very fortunate to have enough disposable income to buy ethically raised meat, which tends to be more expensive. This is a privilege. Other people are not able to spend this extra money on their meat, and that doesn't make me better than them. Feeding yourself is morally neutral, and a tight budget is not a moral failing. Most meat alternative products (Beyond Beef, Impossible, etc.) are also pretty expensive. If the factory-farmed meat at the supermarket is the only thing in your budget, use that.

If you DO have some extra funds, local farms are a great place to source meat. The reason we had lamb for the holidays is because a local farm recently culled their herd and had lamb on sale. In the past we've gotten beef from a relative who raises cattle. I encourage you to learn about farms in your area and what they have to offer. CSAs and farmers' markets are great places to start. You can also ask around at local restaurants about where they source their ingredients.

When I say "ethically raised meat," what I'm really talking about is pasture-raised animals. Cage-free animals may not live in cages, but they can still be kept in cramped, dirty, inhumane conditions and be sold as "cage free." Pasture-raised animals are able to graze and forage and generally wander around within a paddock. For some animals like chickens you can also look for "free range," which means the animals are unfenced and are able to wander freely. Since I don't cook meat often, I try to get free range or pasture-raised meat when I do buy it.

In some areas, you may also be able to find certified ethically slaughtered meat, which means the slaughtering process has been designed to cause as little suffering to the animal as possible. That kind of certification isn't really available where I live, but it might be for you!

And of course, hunting or fishing yourself is also an option. If you kill the animal yourself, you know exactly how it died and can take steps to limit suffering as much as possible. Hunting isn't a skillset I have, but if you do more power to you!

Step Two: Cooking the Meat

This is the easy part. Depending on the cut of meat you got and the dish you are cooking, you may need to remove bones or trim fat, but aside from that it's just following a recipe.

For our holiday lamb stew, I used this recipe. I have Celiac disease, so I subbed gluten-free flour and replaced the beer with red wine. I also added rosemary and garlic for a more Mediterranean flavor to compliment the wine.

Step Three: Organs and Bones

This is where the breakdown is for a lot of Americans. We don't cook with bones or organs very often, and we tend to throw away whatever parts of the animal we don't want. That is not honorable consumption. Part of the Honorable Harvest is using every part of the being that died to feed you.

Most organs make great stew meat. My favorite Nicaraguan beef stew is made with tongue, and my indigenous Hawaiian relatives make stew with pig feet. And while I don't like them, lots of my Southern family members love chitlins (pickled pig intestines). Lots of cultures eat organs, and you'll find plenty of delicious recipes if you look!

Bones are typically used to make stock, which can be used as a base for future soups and stews. There are lots of recipes for DIY stocks and broths, but I usually fry some onions and/or garlic, deglaze with wine, and then add the meat/bones and the water, plus salt, pepper, and herbs for flavor. Most animal bones can produce two batches of stock before they lose flavor. (For really flavorful stock, leave some meat on the bones.)

Once the stock is done, you'll still have bones to deal with. Contrary to popular belief, cooked bones are not safe for dogs to chew on. (But raw bones usually are!) Instead, I strip any remaining meat and gristle from the stock bones, give those scraps to my pups as a treat, and then use the stripped bones for something else. With a little extra processing, the bones can be used as a fertilizer in a garden, a calcium supplement for chickens, or a safe treat for dogs and/or cats.

This was my first time processing bones, but after boiling them for, like, 12 hours in water with salt and vinegar, they were soft enough to break apart with my hands. I'm going to grind them to make bone meal.

[gwydionmisha]

Don't hold your breath. Republicans are strongly idiologically opposed to the rich paying their share, anything that helps the economy, and the social safety net.

Still, a budget is a moral document.

[eugenedebs1920]

This is Banjo, AKA The Pickle Guy, (it’s a long, hilarious story but not the reason for this writing). He is the offspring of a blue heeler mother and a red heeler pop, a purple heeler of you will. From the start it was plain to see his unique personality and incredible intelligence.

He was so ready, willing and easy to train. All he wanted was a “good boy!” His little naturally occurring cotton snub tail would just wiggle and a waggle so much his whole backside would go right along with it.

Never trained him with treats really. He just wasn’t interested in them. All he wanted was to play ball (currently frisbee) and get a “good boy!” and he was satisfied.

I love the little guy with all my heart and soul. He is just amazing. So fun, and smart and funny, and empathetic, he really is just an amazing little guy!

Due to my love of him I slipped up and wanted him to experience some of the finer things in life. The first human food treat he had was a little piece of steak. I could see on his face the he was like, ‘hmm. That’s perdy darn good dad.’, and it has progressed from there.

He was always discerning with food. He would snub the guy at the liquor store when he offered Banjo a milkbone, or one of those square dog treats. Even me. If it wasn’t meat, he wasn’t interested.

As time has gone along he has become more and more interested in human food, to where his discerning tastes are no more and he wants whatever it is you’re eating. To the point where it’s bordering on an obsession.

My sweet, loving, all I need is positive affirmation from dad, little dude has become very demanding, very entitled, very obnoxious about food.

Now, that is 100% my fault. I introduced him to it. I started rewarding him with it, I gave in to his want for it. He went from not caring about it at all to thinking he deserves it always.

It started with a little piece of steak, and then he wanted a little more, then he figured out that I would give in to him being cute for it, then when that didn’t work he got more pushy about it, to now, sometimes he down right rude! He knows nothings going to happen to him as “punishment” and at worst he’ll be told to go lay down, and at best he’ll get a treat.

My introduction of the illicit behavior, and continuing lack of discipline regarding it, has exacerbated the negative behavior.

I think that’s what happened in American politics, and to the “GOP” in particular. We allowed the introduction of extreme figures in, and did not discipline their bad behavior, to where the bad behavior has been commonplace making even worse behavior appear not as atrocious as it should, and it snowballs from there.

Newt Gingrich is the introduction as someone in power perpetuating this vile, conduct unprofessional, culture war style of “governing”, and I put that in quotations because it isn’t governing whatsoever.

He failed at executing one of the top constitutional duties of congress. To fund the federal government. This was carried out over alleged disputed budget proposals but was more so about his dislike of Bill Clinton, his own failed ambitions for the presidency, and that he didn’t get to sit in the front of the plane on the way back from a foreign relations meeting.

Newt Gingrich and Ken Starr went after an affair Bill Clinton had as if he had stormed the capitol to overthrow democracy, as if Clinton had stolen classified documents and refused to return them, as if Clinton taken a 10 inch thick binder of THE MOST SECRET American intelligence information on Russia and “lost” it, they went after Clinton like he was in constant contact with our adversaries for personal reasons or as if he created fake electors to keep him in power or something.

In a moral standpoint his affair with Miss Lewinsky was inappropriate. He’s a married man, the bossest boss a boss can get and probably shouldn’t have relationships with his subordinates, married or not, and it wasn’t a good look. Lewinsky was a grown woman, there was NEVER any accusations that it wasn’t consensual. Clinton ultimately cheated on his wife with a young staffer. Is it good behavior? No. Is it a national security concern? Also no. Is it worth millions of dollars of taxpayer money and exorbitant amounts of time to look into it? Again, I gotta say no. Unethical, yes. Sleazy, yes. Rude to his wife, yes.

The outright hypocrisy from Gingrich was astounding, for he also was cheating on his wife but with multiple people, while at the same time trying to impeach the sitting president for having sexual relations with a member of his staff.

Two wrongs don’t make a right, and this whole “he did it too”, finger pointing that has befallen our political, even adult sphere lately, is unproductive and simply attempts to avoid accountability. So maybe I should just take that paragraph about Gingrich’ infidelity out, but I’m not going to 😉

I’m wracking my brain, trying to come up with anyone who hold, or held any significant position of power on the left, that is comparable to so, so many out of the Tea Party/MAGA on the right. I couldn’t come up with anyone who compares with a Matt Gaetz, or MTG, or even Jim Jordan.

My initial thought was Bernie Sanders. Yet his views on wealth inequality, healthcare and taxation aren’t extreme unless you’re a wealthy insurance provider who uses loopholes to avoid taxes. Then I thought maybe Elizabeth Warren. What would be considered extreme on her end? That credit card companies and banks shouldn’t be able to take advantage of their customers? Then Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, but it’s not like she’s proposing eliminating the department of education or gutting the EPA. She’s an intelligent, strong woman of color, and that scares the right.

So I looked it up. Who are the radical left politicians in U.S. politics. What I got was hilarious, and to be honest, kinda sad. We’re going to take a few examples from an article out of “The State”, a newspaper out of the Carolinas, “29 most liberal members of congress”

Mind you. What you’re about to read may be shocking to some. This is a bit old, written in 2016. I wonder what they would say now!?

At # 27 Mark Takano comes in with an ideology score of .13 (whatever that means), with this reasoning: Rep. Mark Takano, from California’s 41st congressional district, introduced the Social Security and Medicare Parity Act of 2015, which aimed to amend the Social Security Act to include equal treatment for those in same-sex marriages.

HOW DARE HE!?! Treating gay people that same way as all other people!? Seriously! Let’s see what other dangerous, far left ideas some of these liberal politicians have in mind.

At # 8, the Road Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse comes in to the arena with an ideology score of .07, with the reasoning as such: Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse introduced the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act. The bill, which remains in committee, planned to improve coastal infrastructure while promoting conservation efforts and ocean research.

OH MY GOD!!! How does he live with himself?!

There was a tie for the most extreme liberal on this list so we’ll go with the one who is still currently serving.

Topping the list at # 1, with an ideology score of 0.00, out of the dystopian anarchic hellscape known to most of the world as Massachusetts, which ranks number one in both education and health and is always on the top 3 of best places to live, is Elizabeth Warren. The reasoning for her position is read as: Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the most liberal senator on this list, proposed the Schedules That Work Act. The bill, which has been in a congressional committee since July 2015, seeks to provide protections for employees who request changes to their work schedules.

THAT MONSTER!!!! I mean… Wow! How do people like this sleep at night?!?!!

These are common sense ideas that work in the real world and would have a beneficial effect to millions of Americans. Yet they’re labeled as extreme. I don’t get it.

Let’s take a look at the other side.

These misunderstood heroes come from a list of Trump MAGA allies.

We’ll start off with this beacon of morality Representative Jon Stone.

Rep. Jon Stone is a disgraced former police officer running for reelection to the New Hampshire House. Stone was the subject of at least 14 internal affairs investigations, including for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl. The fervent MAGA lackey was forced to end his law enforcement career after he violently threatened to shoot fellow officers and rape the police chief’s wife and children. Stone was then fired from a subsequent job as a prison guard for homophobic remarks, though he still sits on the New Hampshire House’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. As a lawmaker, Stone pushes the most extreme aspects of the MAGA agenda, like LGBTQ+ discrimination, abortion bans, and classroom censorship.

Nothing to see there folks. Just liberals weaponizing the criminal justice system again…

Then there’s Sonny Borrelli out of Arizona.

Arizona’s Senate Republican Leader Sonny Borrelli is at the forefront of his party’s attacks on women’s rights, the democratic process, and common decency. Borrelli made national news this year when he blocked legislation to protect access to birth control before chastising women, saying scientists “invented Aspirin. Put it between your knees.” After Biden won the 2020 presidential race, Borrelli said that the election was “probably” stolen, helping him earn an endorsement from Trump in his election for County Supervisor.

Seems legit.

There’s Representative Clay Higgins, who said “regardless of the fact that David’s a homeboy and all that” when asked about his relationship with David Duke. He also tweeted this gem.

“Lol. These Haitians are wild, Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters … but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th.”

He was reprimanded several times as a law enforcement officer In Louisiana, and as a representative was recorded physically manhandling a protester on capitol grounds. He also claims there’s “no such thing as gun violence.

I could go on and on about wild, weird, inappropriate behavior for individuals holding offices of high rank.

The thing is, they got elected, once there they stepped over the line a touch, nothing happened, so they did it again, nothing happened. So now you have people worrying about underwater extra terrestrial alien bases (Bobert), liberal controlled hurricane machines (Greene) Senators on the floor telling Muslim women to “hide their head in a bag” (Kennedy LA), representatives with massive sex scandals, SCOTUS legalizing bribery, Senators fleeing their state during natural disasters, don’t get me started on the top position of power.

They receive no discipline from Republican leadership, and none from their constituents. So why not continue the bad behavior if what you get is the reward of publicity? Either nothing happens to them, or they get a treat. It’s a win one way or the other.

Just as I have spoiled my once well behaved little angel (he still is, for the most part very well behaved), we have spoiled our representation. Now, if there’s food to be had, (controversy, inappropriate behavior, racism, scandal) they will be making a spectacle of it, with plenty waiting behind them to take their place.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Robert Tracinski at The UnPopulist:

Project 2025 is a governing blueprint prepared by the Heritage Foundation, one of the right’s most prominent intellectual organs, to ensure that an incoming Trump administration can count on personnel unshakably loyal to Trump to execute an agenda that fully reflects MAGA priorities. For much of the year, Project 2025 has been a controversial campaign issue: The Biden and then Harris campaigns tried to tie Trump to this unpopular and vaguely sinister-sounding plan, while the former president repeatedly tried to disavow all knowledge. Elon Musk, who is now Trump’s second-biggest financial donor, even suggested earlier this week that “Project 2025 is just QAnon for lefties,” implying that concerns over Project 2025 are equivalent to the far-right conspiracy theory that a network of Satanist cannibal pedophiles is behind opposition to Trump.

Yet the origins of Project 2025 are all out in the open. At a Heritage Foundation dinner in April 2022, Donald Trump acknowledged the crucial role that the conservative organization would be expected to play in the years that followed: “The critical job of institutions such as Heritage is to lay the groundwork, and Heritage does such an incredible job of that. ... [T]hey’re going to ... detail plans for exactly what our movement will do ... when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America.” A year later, Heritage did just that when it published its 900-page policy document outlining a vision for a second Trump presidency. “Large portions” of that document, according to a New York Times analysis published last week, “were written by longtime Trump loyalists who were advisers to Mr. Trump during his first term.” And the connections between MAGA and Heritage go well beyond Project 2025’s origins: Trump’s pick for vice president, JD Vance, has written the foreword for Heritage President—and Project 2025’s architect—Kevin Roberts’ forthcoming book on “taking back Washington to save America.” To understand this connection, let’s establish some context.

An Administration in Exile

Donald Trump has repeatedly complained that he was prevented from doing what he really wanted in his first term. He blames the “deep state” of entrenched lower-level bureaucrats, but it was also the “shallow state”—his own direct appointees, including aides and cabinet officers—who watered down, slow-walked, and sometimes overtly resisted Trump’s urges, usually out of moral or legal concerns. For example, when Trump tried to shake down a foreign leader for political favors, he was ratted out by non-political members of the national security services who understood their loyalty to be to the United States, not to Trump personally. This led to his first impeachment.

Trump and his supporters complained bitterly about this “disloyalty” and insisted that the president should have unlimited ability to set the U.S. government’s agenda for whatever personal reason of his own. In effect, they felt he should be an elected autocrat. Russell Vought, Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget and a key figure in the development of Project 2025, summed up the problem: “We had people, appointees, that were not on board with the president’s viewpoint. ... I don’t think that will be the occurrence again.” Heritage set out to make sure the next administration would be staffed only by loyalists. In fact, this is precisely what big DC think tanks like the Heritage Foundation exist to do. They provide an administration in waiting, where political appointees in the executive branch—secretaries and under-secretaries and deputy under-secretaries—can find a refuge in exile, so to speak, while the other party is in power. Then, when it’s the incoming administration’s turn to govern, these institutions serve up a ready reserve of political appointees.

Heritage did unusually well in 2017 at placing their people within the Trump administration, and they have since adopted the goal of “institutionalizing Trumpism.”

[...]

A Punitive Agenda

What is that agenda? The sheer breadth of Heritage’s 900-page document detailing Project 2025 is possibly its best protection, since it allows Heritage’s Kevin Roberts to talk about it in vague generalities that make it sound eminently reasonable, knowing that it’s unlikely the average person will ever read any of it for himself. But the substance of Project 2025 is more insidious than has been widely reported.

[...] Let’s stipulate that even if this is Trump’s blueprint, he may not be able to implement all of it, particularly given his mercurial style of leadership. But in this regard, personnel is policy in another sense: Trump is likely to rely on Heritage people for the day-to-day running of his administration, and they will keep pursuing this agenda even when his attention wanders—because they see increasing Trump’s power as a way to increase their power. The specific abuses of government power envisioned in Project 2025 are less important than this attempt to stack the federal bureaucracy with pliant loyalists. Trump once publicly praised Heritage for the role he expected it to play in paving the way for a future Trump administration free from the constraints imposed by personnel loyal first and foremost to the Constitution. Project 2025 was instead designed to achieve Trump’s goal of making the entire apparatus of the U.S. government responsive to his personal whims. Many Trump supporters argue—conveniently forgetting small matters like Covid and Jan. 6—that his first administration was not a disaster despite all the dire warnings. To the extent that his first administration was not worse, it is because he was largely stymied in imposing his will by men of conscience. A study of how the “shallow state” of first-term Trump appointees blunted his worst urges lists one of their main motives: “appointees saw themselves as constitutional guardians or the ‘adults in the room’ who could protect the country from Trump's potentially unwise or illegal directives.” Project 2025 is an attempt to ensure there will be no such “constitutional guardians” the next time.

The regressive Project 2025 agenda from Heritage will guide a 2nd Donald Trump term, even though Trump has claimed to “disavow” it.

[paystubgeneratorfree]

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[mariacallous]

In the two years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainian children. While the total number of these deported minors is unknown, Kyiv has reported nearly 20,000. After the children are separated from their families and taken to Russia, the Russian authorities begin working to make them forget about their home country, telling them that their parents aren’t coming to get them and that Russia is their home. To learn how this system works, Meduza special correspondent Lilia Yapparova studied thousands of documents and spoke with employees from Russia’s Education Ministry, the main agency responsible for these “reeducation” measures.

Below is a summary of Meduza’s Russian-language reporting on the Kremlin’s efforts to surveil and “reeducate” Ukrainian children. A full translation is forthcoming.

Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the Russian Education Ministry has been developing a set of methods for “reeducating” Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported to Russia. The documents outlining these methods state that a “destructive ideology” is widespread among Ukrainian teenagers and that Russian teachers and social workers must “re-educate” the “rising generation” based on the “spiritual-moral values” and “historical and national-cultural traditions of the Russian Federation.” The ultimate aim is for the deported minors to “develop a Russian identity.”

At the same time, employees of Russia’s Education Ministry are genuinely scared of deported Ukrainian children. Ministry staff refer to them as “potential terrorists” who “might start to resist” the Russian authorities with support from “their Ukrainian kin.” In late 2022, the Education Ministry began preparing for potential terrorist attacks and sabotage operations specifically targeting the ministry.

Soon after the start of the full-scale invasion, Vladimir Putin issued a decree creating an agency called the Federal Center for the Development of Teenage Socialization Programs (FTs RPSP). This entity is responsible for coordinating much of the authorities’ “ideological work” with teenagers outside of schools. FTs RPSP has a strong presence in Ukraine’s occupied territories, including an “operations headquarters” in Donetsk, where it coordinates “integration programs for children from the new regions” (i.e. the occupied territories). This network of “adolescent spaces,” which frequently host “patriotic seminars” and “military sports” activities, was created “specifically for Ukrainian children” in an effort to “erase their Ukrainian past” and “create [for them] an image of friendly Mother Russia.”

Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has insisted that Russians are not allowed to adopt children from the “new regions,” claiming they can only serve as temporary foster parents or guardians. This is not true. Meduza has seen “summary reports” from the Russian Education Ministry on the “identification and placement of orphans and children left without parental care” for three quarters of 2023 and discovered documentary evidence of a program for the mass adoption of Ukrainian children.

A Kremlin-funded NGO called the Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment is slated to receive more than 1.7 billion rubles ($18.7 million) from Russia’s federal budget to open “information security centers” in Ukraine’s occupied territories. These centers’ main purpose is to surveil the online activity of Ukrainian children by “de-anonymizing” their online accounts and analyzing their comments, reposts, and “likes.” In regions of Russia where the organization has already tested its surveillance technology, it has assigned children a “destructiveness score” and an “opposition score.” The aim of these measures is to “help our agencies uncover resistance activists” in the occupied territories, according to Meduza’s sources.

Meduza has also seen documents that discuss the potential creation of a new federal agency for the “support […] of children in difficult life situations, orphans, and children left without parental care.” The agency, which some sources referred to as the “Ministry of Orphans,” is being pushed by former Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Anna Kuznetsova, whose time in the post was marked by a number of ultra-conservative statements and initiatives. The purpose of the agency, according to Meduza’s sources, would be to give Kuznetsova jurisdiction over “all Ukrainian children.” There’s also demand for such an agency from the president, according to sources close to the Kremlin.

[punkcaligula]

Thus far public debate primarily has asked: Can we be safe while defunding the police? Instead, we should ask: can we be safe without defunding the police? We cannot, for two primary reasons. First, resources are not unlimited and the resources for the social supports that will produce safety have to come from somewhere. While we technically could raise those collective resources through substantial increases in taxation, including on the richest, this approach is unlikely in our current political landscape. The reality is that our budgets are moral documents that require trade-offs. As is, we spend virtually all our safety money on police.

But the second reason would not be surmountable even through taxation or other creative allocation: policing as we know it affirmatively undermines both individual and structural approaches to producing safety. Policing generates racial inequity by force when inequity itself drives violence. Policing responds to harm with separation when safety is produced in connection. Policing inflicts violence that exacerbates long-standing cycles of individual and collective pain and trauma when healing is fundamental prevention work. And policing drives economic and social disenfranchisement through collateral consequences when the ability to meet one’s basic needs and contribute to one’s community are key protective factors against violence. The interventions that are succeeding in producing safety now are not only doing so without adequate resources, but they are also doing so despite the intrusion, interruption, and displacement of their work by police and the criminal punishment system.

Making Communities Safe, Without the Police – Amanda Alexander, Danielle Sered

[blajians]

#Mercury In #Sagittarius 11/10/23 - 12/12/23

ALL SIGNS (s/m/r)

(RISING BEING THE MOST ACCURATE)

⭐️’s : #mutablesigns #Sagittarius #Pisces #Virgo #Gemini

🔑 Sag square Pisces = idealism vs intuition .

philosophical beliefs , expansive qualities, global themes , morals vs intuitive insights getting lost in unclarity.

Realism vs optimism .

Beliefs vs Dreams = creative tension

Things are getting lost , going missing , lots of travel , missing deadlines …hella confusion .

🚨 MERCURY IS GOING RETROGRADE SOON SUIT UP 🚨

#Aries : philosophy, higher education, travel , travel delays , miss communication, weather related issues , delayed daily routines …..DELAYSSSSS PERIODT “I’ll go alone”

#Taurus : transformation…taxes , shared resources , transformation in communication , legal document, legal issues , investments , insurance, psychological work , authority issues , not clear in friendships or advice taking “inner child issues?”

⭐️ #Gemini: COMMUNICATION , astrologer , counselor , therapist , home life , family , PAST …relationships , partners , misunderstandings in relationships, communicating needs , responsibilities, reputation , moving or living situation, relatives , cutting off “is this gonna go far”

#Cancer : health , work , address health issues , breathing , subconscious, mental patterns , routines , healing , sobriety , anxiety , repair vehicle or phone “I’m gonna commit”

#Leo: creativity , romance,children , inner child , past romance , money , self esteem , resources , goals , networks , friends , risky behavior , no gains , SIKE , what you like to do , hobbies , budgeting “team work makes the dream work”

⭐️#Virgo: challenges , going home , living change , home improvements, communication challenges, domestic issues “on the move”

#Libra : COMMUNICATION, local interactions , miss communication with siblings , revise daily routines , vehicle change , phone change , work changes, documents changes , missing emails “let it go”

#Scorpio : finances and values , financial situation, budgets, joint resources, groups , goals , friends , money talk , making money , owed money , spending more , don’t go broke , careful “money moves”

⭐️#Sagittarius: optimism, chatty , getting checked , opinions, relationships, career, reputation, self expression , identity , personal goals , no unsolicited appearance advise , over or under estimate , prone to accidents with water or emotions , longing for home or purpose , impulse “women issues”

#Capricorn: subconscious, dreams , hidden issues , spiritual retreat, rest , recuperation , travel , wellness , routines , specialist , productivity, unexpected legal documents, unexpected communication, pressed , needing space , clarity , peace , blocks , anger , frustration “don’t rush the process”

#Aquarius: social connections , group activity, misunderstanding with friends , who or what is coming back ? Transformation, child hood , old , romance , support system , financial support or help , goal reassess, financial delays “trying something new”

⭐️#Pisces: Career, reputation, getting work done , overwhelmed, visibility, status , relationships, home , family , public, narratives , fired , ghosting , self sabotage, bad habits , pressure , authority figures , less active , no response is a response …good or bad “can’t live up to the opportunity”

[canichangemyblogname]

So, years ago, there was a peer at my college who wanted the school and our student government to gut the entire interior of a residential building just to install a water cooler (drinking fountain) because he believed that our predominantly white private college surrounded by mansions had bad water infrastructure and unclean water, and because he genuinely believed drinking fountains filtered the water (they don’t; they only chill the tap water). 

At one of our meetings, I gave a long presentation documenting how drinking fountains do not filter water. I brought in a contractor in to discuss the cost of a project like this. They would have to gut and entirely renovate the building. Like. They couldn’t just tack a drinking spout onto the wall. They needed the internal plumbing infrastructure to install the fountain. That means tearing down existing walls. And given hallways and entry ways would still need to be ADA compliant, they would need to completely redesign an entire floor just to fit in a fountain.

It would costs hundreds of thousands and require a gut and renovation of the building, including a redesign of the floor layout, just to install these fucking drinking fountains.

So, I included in my presentation that it would be much cheaper to buy LITERAL ACTUAL FILTERS (our student government budget was— like— $10,000) and attach them to sinks to quell fears of lead contamination. I also included 5 years of water testing reports from the surrounding city to show there is no lead in our water. Also, would you also like to hear a word from my sponsor: a sanitation engineer who works at the local water treatment plant? 

Needless to say, it was a lengthy presentation on how shortsighted this student’s plan and proposed resolution was. We couldn’t just sign the money over to his project given he needed— like— half a mil. He still got up there to rebut my argument and talked about how filters are burdensome and clunky and difficult to use & install and not perfect (dude 🙄). Also, something about people having more faith or being more comfortable with a fountain than a filter.

After my big, long presentation, I was parched. There was a drinking fountain in the next room where the water was cold. Or there was a sink in our room with cups conveniently nearby. I didn’t want to leave the room during his rebuttal of my argument and I didn’t want to miss anything, so, I walked over to the sink and poured myself a glass of tap water.

As I didn’t want to keep getting up and sitting down for water, I kept to the back of the room and proceeded to watch his speech/rebuttal while drinking my water. 

Two of my peers & gov colleagues came to me afterwards and one told me something to the effects of, “Dude, that was cold.” The other told me, “I never thought I’d agree with a liberal on fiscal responsibility.”

And I remember looking this kid— who was a sophomore at the time— in the eye and telling him that some of the most pragmatic and “fiscally responsible” approaches to budgets are progressive in nature. Those who endeavor to spend money on assistance for the people— like, say, water filters to set the community’s mind at ease— as opposed to sinking money into fantasies and projects that will never get off the ground, are often “progressive.” For example, the United States sinks money into planes that don’t fly and millions a day into Russian yachts that don’t float. Meanwhile, child poverty has soared.

I advised that he see the allocation of our monies as a moral decision and a budget as a moral promise, as we can see what a legislating body values based on what they put money into. When our legislators choose to fund bombs over pre-k, what does that tell you about what we value?

The US values war above all else.

He didn’t believe me at the time. He kinda rolled his eyes and gave me some thought-stopping cliche about “leave it to liberals to turn this into peace and love and flowers.”

And I still think about this. I wonder if those words nag at him, somewhere in the back of his mind. Or does he just remember the “cold power move” the preceded my words?

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Worth noting that we're almost two weeks into 2024, and there are still two undetermined films on this year's Disney slate...

One of them is just simply "Untitled Disney", and it's set for release September 8, 2024...

The other is the annual Thanksgiving Walt Disney Animation Studios offering.

According to some screenshot of a supposed Disney movie/series slate that was floating around a month ago, Disney took both of these movies off the calendar... But I concluded, for multiple reasons, that that screenshot was fake. As it did not resemble the kind of PDF document that Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures usually puts out when there's a change in the release schedule. The formatting was all different, and it included Disney+ shows, which these things never do.

So, I rule that the 9/6/2024 release - whatever it may be - and the 11/27/2024 WDAS movie are still on the boards. At the moment... Of course, that's always subject to change!

Disney would've kicked this year off with the Pixar space adventure ELIO in March, but that got pushed all the way back to the summer of 2025... The year instead begins with theatrical releases of the three Pixar films that went straight to Disney+ on their initial release... So the year actually begins, in terms of a NEW theatrically-released movie, with a 20th Century Studios release: Horror reboot THE FIRST OMEN. April 5th.

And earlier today, they moved their new PLANET OF THE APES movie up two weeks, to avoid duking it out with FURIOSA and GARFIELD. Plus they can get all the large-format screens to themselves for a lil' bit.

Anyways, we're in 2024 now... And we know nothing about these two movies. I'm guessing 9/6/2024 is going to be another 20th Century Studios movie, or a Searchlight movie. Sometimes "Untitled Disney" is a placeholder for that kind of movie, and September's usually the time to release one of those kinds of lower budget, more adult-oriented movies.

But we know what's been happening with WDAS' latest pictures at the box office, and who knows what morale is like over there. They too are developing shows for Disney+, like Pixar was, until Iger recently mandated cuts to Pixar after Disney+ continued to lose money for the larger company... I'd imagine WDAS might be in a similar predicament? Maybe not? But it's unusual that we don't know for sure - as in, not through leaks or word thru the trenches - what the 2024 WDAS movie is. Even STRANGE WORLD, we knew about it a year away from release... They're kinda cutting it close with this one?

Unless WDAS takes 2024 off completely, for whatever reason. I figured the very possible animation strike would affect this movie anyways. But even without a strike, their recent woes might lead to a back-to-the-drawing-board moment, as often is the case when a studio has a string of money-losers. It often leads to a week or so of everyone wondering, "What should we be doing? What kinds of movies should we be making??" And then they try that, and they see how that goes...

Anyways, should all go swimmingly, I wouldn't mind seeing the new WDAS get delayed. Especially if it's still having its kinks ironed out. Also, kind of a wild opinion, but WDAS doesn't always have to do the Thanksgiving thing, ya know? STRANGE WORLD and WISH weren't saved by that slot, neither was something like TREASURE PLANET many moons ago. WDAS did do a March release with ZOOTOPIA in 2016, and almost did that again in 2018 (at one point GIGANTIC, at another point RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET) before abandoning it... Like, a WDAS movie doesn't always have to be the summer or the holiday season. Many other animated movies have proven that, too.

Heck, WDAS movies used to show up at the randomest times of the year. Before the world of blockbuster filmmaking, during a time when the movie theater industry was a whoooole lot different.

Did you know that SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, which had its world premiere on December 21, 1937, went into general release... In February of 1938? February. Yes, cold-ass February... And still managed to become, at the time of its release, the highest-grossing film of all time? (A record swiftly usurped by GONE WITH THE WIND a little over a year later.)

PINOCCHIO, CINDERELLA, and PETER PAN were February releases, too. DUMBO and THE JUNGLE BOOK came out near Halloween in their respective release years. BAMBI was a late August release. SLEEPING BEAUTY and 101 DALMATIANS came out in late January of their release years.

Summer slots became more of a regular thing for Disney starting with THE RESCUERS in 1977, which was a June release. THE FOX AND THE HOUND originally was eying Christmas 1980, but because of the Don Bluth-led animator exodus, ended up being a July 1981 release. THE BLACK CAULDRON, similarly, was out in July 1985. THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE? July 1986.

But then once the Renaissance fired up, it was initially all about Thanksgiving. OLIVER & COMPANY, LITTLE MERMAID, RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and ALADDIN all did the holiday thing...

When THE LION KING broke all records for an animated movie in summer 1994 - the June date given to it after production problems delayed it from its original Thanksgiving 1993 slot, then Disney was all about the summer again. Barring WINNIE THE POOH (2011), the last time WDAS had a summer movie was... 2002... LILO & STITCH. From BOLT-onwards, it was almost always towards the end of the year with their movies. Again, ZOOTOPIA an exception, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON as well because of COVID-19 (it would've been Thanksgiving 2020 if nothing had happened).

Maybe it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving/Christmas all the time?

Suppose we see the new WDAS movie in, say, March 2025? And the next, maybe at another time of the year?

[gwydionmisha]

A budget is a moral document.  They are saying who matters to them and who doesn’t.

fun coronation day reminders!

via the guardian + open democracy

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE U.S. CONGRESS

NO cuts to programs for the poor, for climate, or for education in the budget!

179 so far! Help us get to 250 signers!

As a constituent, I am deeply concerned about media reports regarding House Republicans plans for the Federal Budget.

Of particular concern to me and other Americans of good conscience are the House Republican proposals to decimate Food and Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); education and job training funding; justice programs and support for the vulnerable; programs designed to impact climate change and protect clean water; and opportunities for immigrants.

I urge lawmakers not to take any actions that would allow children to go hungry, our water to become undrinkable, workers and low-income Americans to suffer, or those seeking asylum to lack opportunities.

Budgets are moral documents, and I ask that you remember the least amongst us when you are negotiating and voting on our next Federal Budget. Thanks.

▶ Created on September 8, 2023 by Jess Craven

📱 Text SIGN PPCMJZ to 50409

🤯 Liked it? Text FOLLOW JESSCRAVEN101 to 50409

[zelda-larsson]

Conflict Resolution Skills in Business

Disagreements are inevitable in any business environment. Whether between employees, management teams, or external partners, conflicts can disrupt productivity and morale if left unaddressed. Effective conflict resolution is not about avoiding disagreements—it is about handling them in a way that strengthens relationships and improves collaboration.

Michael Shvartsman shares his perspective: "A well-managed conflict is an opportunity for growth. Businesses that embrace open communication and fair resolutions create stronger, more resilient teams."

Understanding the Root of Business Conflicts.

Conflicts in business often stem from misunderstandings, competing priorities, or differences in work styles. Common sources include:

Miscommunication – Lack of clarity in expectations, roles, or responsibilities.

Resource Allocation – Disagreements over budgets, time, or workload distribution.

Personality Differences – Clashes in work approaches or leadership styles.

Business Strategy – Differing opinions on company direction or decision-making.

Recognizing the underlying issue allows businesses to address conflicts in a constructive way.

Key Conflict Resolution Strategies.

1. Active Listening and Open Communication.

Listening is the foundation of any resolution. When employees and leaders take the time to understand each other’s perspectives, solutions become easier to find.

Encourage individuals to express their concerns without interruption.

Ask clarifying questions to ensure full understanding before responding.

Restate key points to confirm that all parties are on the same page.

Michael Shvartsman emphasizes: "Effective leaders listen first. They take in all perspectives before guiding the conversation toward a resolution."

2. Addressing Issues Early.

Ignoring a conflict rarely makes it disappear. In fact, unresolved tension often escalates into bigger problems. Businesses that address conflicts at an early stage prevent unnecessary disruptions.

Managers should create an environment where employees feel comfortable voicing concerns.

Regular check-ins help identify and resolve issues before they grow.

Setting clear expectations for conflict resolution promotes a proactive approach.

3. Finding Common Ground.

The goal of resolving a conflict is to reach an agreement that benefits all parties involved.

Focus on shared goals rather than individual frustrations.

Look for solutions that align with business objectives.

Encourage a mindset of collaboration rather than competition.

Michael Shvartsman notes: "Conflict resolution isn’t about proving who is right—it’s about finding a path forward that strengthens the business."

4. Keeping Emotions in Check.

Emotions can run high in business disagreements, but reacting impulsively often makes the situation worse.

Taking a step back before responding allows for a more rational discussion.

Encouraging a professional and respectful tone helps maintain productive conversations.

Recognizing when to bring in a neutral third party can keep discussions focused.

5. Establishing Clear Resolution Processes.

Every business should have a structured approach for handling conflicts. Whether through HR policies, mediation techniques, or leadership training, a defined process ensures consistency.

Set guidelines for how conflicts should be reported and addressed.

Train employees and managers in negotiation and problem-solving techniques.

Document resolutions to create a reference for future situations.

The Long-Term Benefits of Strong Conflict Resolution.

Businesses that develop strong conflict resolution skills experience:

Stronger teamwork and collaboration – Employees work better together when issues are resolved fairly.

Higher employee satisfaction – A workplace that values fair treatment leads to greater job satisfaction.

Improved decision-making – Open discussions encourage better ideas and innovative solutions.

Michael Shvartsman advises: "A business that handles conflicts well builds trust among employees, customers, and stakeholders. It creates an environment where people feel heard and valued."

[rich4a1]

Jason Palmer THE CROSS OVER LIVE IN BROOKLYN

JASON PALMER THE CROSS OVER LIVE IN BROOKLYN GiantStep Arts Jason Palmer, trumpet/composer; Mark Turner, tenor Saxophone; Larry Grenadier, bass; Marcus Gilmore, drums. On Disc #1 or a two-disc set, Jason Palmer opens with a tune called “Budgets Are Moral Documents” (B.A.M.D.) with trumpet only.  Palmer has become the signature artist for the impressive Giant Step Arts label. Jason Palmer has been…