#and yes i know there's protesting boycotting etc

[splatoon-countdown]

Today (February 18th) to the 25th, I will not be posting countdowns or countdown art.

Remember January 21st, the beginning of a week-long global strike? We are doing that again. Yes, we. If you do not even try to participate in any way at all, you are complicit in genocide. It is understandable if you cannot skip school or work, but there's nothing stopping you from sharing more posts about Palestine on your blog. "But, Side Order releases in that timeframe! And there's a Splatfest going on!" I know. But something like that shouldn't stop you from trying to support people suffering from a genocide any way you can. You can play the game, obviously- but try to focus on Palestine, and DON'T post about it during the strike. It's just a video game. You can wait. Skip school and work if you can. Don't buy anything, don't stimulate the economy at all. Only buy what is necessary for survival (✅: toilet paper, food, medicine, etc. 🚫: video games, fast food, merch, etc. If you don't need it, don't get it.), and ESPECIALLY don't buy anything being boycotted. https://bdsmovement.net/ is a great resource for seeing what people are boycotting, and I will reblog information posts the whole week. Participate in protests near you. Donate to Palestinians and Palestinian support funds. Make yourself heard. Visibly support Palestine.

[space-specs]

Your Guide To Voting in 2024

Yes, you may feel like everything is horrible and hopeless, and you don't want to vote. I'm here to not do that, and give you tips and info on why. Ultimately, I do not care what you actually vote only that you try to go and fill out something.

Make Sure You Are Registered to Vote

Check your registration status. This site has a drop down to select your state, which will link you to the website to check and see if you're registered.

Not registered? Go here. This site will tell you how to get registered in your state and will link you directly to the online registration if your state offers it.

Make sure you have a government issued photo ID. Driver's license, state ID, passport, etc. Many states require to you to present some form of ID to vote. Find out what counts in your state (and exceptions and provisional ballot rules) here.

Know you'll have difficulty making it to the ballot box? Check the rules for voting by mail/absentee voting in your state and see if you qualify.

Look up your sample ballot ahead of time! Lots of places provide a sample ballot which allows you to see what all the issues are ahead of time. Since this will vary by local elections, the best way to this is to look up "[your county name] sample ballot", possibly with the year tacked on to the end of the search. This may not be available until closer to election day, but it is a great way to get prepared for voting.

Other Voting Tips

This is where I get into the bit where it matters more to me that you vote than who you vote for. This is a personal principle of mine: everyone has the right to vote regardless of if I agree with what you choose to do with that vote.

You do not have to fill out every box on the ballot. You can leave some blank! Don't want to vote on President this year? Fine! Only want to vote on President and don't want to research other issues? Also fine. In fact, you can turn in a completely blank ballot if you want, and that is a political action, too. (Tip: parties note a blank box on issues because it indicates to them you were dissatisfied with your options)

You can bring notes with you! Too many issues to keep track of? Write yourself a note, print out a sample ballot and fill it out in advance to copy over, finding a voting guide and print it. As long as it is ON PAPER, you can bring it with you. (I verified this is universally allowed here)

Don't know where to start on research? The sample ballot is a great place to start just looking up candidates, but I also recommend checking out your local chapter of League of Women Voters. They put out a voters guides for each election that list pros and cons to various issues on the ballot.

The most important and most neglected elections are your local ones. Real grassroots change might be possible in your city, if you pay attention. Too overwhelmed by all this? Pick a few local issues to focus on, like the school board or city council. My city passed a trans-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance in a red state because people rallied around a handful of progressive city council members that swayed the vote. Even if everything feels hopeless, you make things better for yourself and your loved ones by actively engaging in your local politics.

Remember it's voting AND not voting OR. I know a lot of people are extremely dissatisfied with their options for this year's election, especially at the national level. Don't stop doing what you're doing. Don't stop protesting and boycotting and donating and talking about the things that matter to you. Get involved in your community. Find ways to make a difference. But also, go vote. Please.

Thank you for reading this. I hope something in here was helpful for you, and if it was, please consider reblogging this so that others can find it as well. If I've forgotten anything important, I welcome any helpful additions and will do my best to reblog those or add them to the original post as needed!

[mielwriting]

I'm all for the support/boycott of Hoyoverse over the Natlan issue but... When does it end? What's the end goal of all of this? For Hoyo to say "We screwed up" and to make the skin tones of the Natlan playable characters darker? And that brings up the quest of HOW dark should each character be. What's the "correct" skin tone?

(I know this post is about fictional characters but I did talk more about real-life horrors in this post. Be warned).

Yes, the goal IS for Hoyo to make the Natlan’s characters skin tones darker. And also for their clothes and accessories to look more culturally accurate and less like a Spirit Halloween (though I realize whole new character designs are much harder than just making the skin darker. Especially in the 6 week deadline).

That said. My country is facing a very real threat to democracy in 4 months, and millions will die if Trump is elected.

And that’s just MY country. Many countries around the globe have seen a spike in wannabe-autocrats becoming leaders (Italy, India, Philippines, Argentina, etc). Not to mention the worldwide trend of Islamophobia.

Most recently, there’s the student-led protests in Bangladesh that aren’t getting enough attention.

Representation is important. I firmly believe in the power of stories and their ability to carry hope to those who need it. That’s a message I believe Genshin Impact’s story echoes.

Part of why I get so much hope from seeing Genshin Impact’s popularity is that my minority groups are represented in the game more than in other stories I’ve seen (Queer and Neurodivergent). I am speaking from a place of bias.

But in the end, I have bigger issues to focus on and am in dire need of some escapism. Having spaces where you can ignore the real world’s problems and relax is an essential part of your health. Traumatizing ourselves “in solidarity” helps no one.

So I will not be boycotting Hoyo or sending in bad reviews. I would rather devote that energy and passion to writing speeches convincing people to vote for Biden instead of throwing away their voice for a protest vote.

As we learned in 2016, there are plenty of psyops to combat on this website. I plan to do my part to help my country remain a democracy past January 2025.

[still-in-a-party-hat]

im sorry but i dont really understand your comment about the 'hamas hamas alle joden aan het gas; chant. this has nothing to do with any of the events, nor was it heard to be chanted or even reported. ajax fans would NEVER sing this, so it is incredibly unlikely that this chant was heard in the city of Amsterdam. I do not understand why it is mentioned here?

The information youre giving is extremely colored and incredibily harmful. pro palestinian protests generally do not use this chant, these are a handful of antiemitic rioters that disturb the entire situation, and these are the ones that attacked the maccabi supporters. it has to be mentioned peaceful protests have been going on on dam square and the police cracked down on them in extremely aggressive ways. these were illegal protests, yes but they were PEACEFUL.

the entire point is that amsterdam/the netherlands should have NEVER accepted to host this match, and the extreme hypocrisy of boycotting Russia but then letting Israhelli clubs enter the country without any problems is so blatant and painful.

mayor halsema even admitted to wanting to cancel the football match because the maccabi supporters were causing EXTREME distruption (and are generally known to be aggressive in the past), chanting about letting the IDF kill the arabs, tearing down flags, and as we all know by know, attacking a morrocan taxi driver etc. However, they did not cancel the match because the supporters were already here so they were literally scared tensions would rise from the side of the maccabi supporters..

we all have to admit that the violence against the maccabi supporters was wrong, and it was painful to watch these videos. but saying it was unprecedented and one sided, and painting the situation as completely coming out of nowhere is just plainly wrong.

i understand why you feel the need to mention that ajax is a jewish club but at the same time i do not see what difference it makes. the antimsemitic chants you mention are not related to any of the events that occurred.

Being a Dutch Jew, here is some information about the violence in Amsterdam that is either common knowledge in the Netherlands, or is from some sources in Dutch that might not be commonly available for an international audience.

First of all about hooliganism, Amsterdam's football club Ajax is known as a 'joodenclub', a 'jewclub', because Amsterdam used to have a large jewish minority, many of whom were supporters of the club, and because several Dutch Jews were members of the team at one point. Ajax supporters take pride in this name. Because of this, there is a good relationship between Ajax and Macabbi, and the match was considered at low risk for football related violence and supporters of both teams mixed freely on the train back to the city center. In fact, only a pro-palestine protest was moved away from the stadium, because the police had recieved information that 'harde kern' Ajax hooligans were planning to stop that demonstration.

On that note, I have seen mixed information on what the Macabbi supporters were singing, but regardless, because Ajax is known as a jewclub, a common chant among the fans of opposing Dutch teams is "Hamas, hamas, alle joden aan het gas," or "Hamas, hamas, all the jews to the gas." Yes, a chant heard at pro-palestine protest is originally from Dutch football. Authorities have been cracking down on it in recent years, but a cursory google found people being arrested over it as recently as may 2023. Somehow, jews have never attacked random supporters of opposing teams at matches where this was chanted. Any Dutch person trying to justify things would be well aware of this.

About media coverage, I get my news about Amsterdam from Het Parool, a left-of-center, Amsterdam-based newspaper, that grew out of a WWII resistance paper. This is the current (about 16:30 Dutch time) front page of the newspaper website. In it the violence is described as an 'antisemitische klopjacht' an antisemitic manhunt. Most articles about it are paywalled, but firefox screenreader mode can bypass it.

Finally, I recognised a lot of the terminology in intenational news coverage from yesterday's press conference by Mayor Halsema (the woman in the picture above), which was also shown live by the dutch public bradcaster. In it an AP reporter asks in Dutch about Macabbi provocations, and they partially quote the police chief's answer, but not Mayor Halsma who came in right after, and said that the violence was in no way justifiable. I'm linking the full YouTube video of the press conference below. It is mostly in Dutch, and I have no idea about the quality of the autotranslation, but at about the 30 min. mark an Al Jazeera reporter asks a similar question in English, and the Mayor's answer in English is very clear.

[hainethehero]

I’m not mad about Starbucks and Mcdonald’s being boycotted. I’m mad about the fact that y’all are just focusing on these TWO companies. A lot of people think that these two companies are the only ones that should be boycotted while having no idea about the actual main targets because y’all are loud as hell about these two companies only. There was a tweet with thousands of likes that goes “all palestinians asked yall to do was boycott 2 places and yall cant even tho that bc ure caffeine and grease addicted fiends”. Like all along these people think that there are only two companies to boycott because yall are focusing on them way too much when you can just use that time to spread awareness about the Actual main targets. Y’all are pissing me off because this is doing more damage than help. This just causes people to disregard other selected companies that should be boycotted because y’all are just focusing and being loud on these two.

Starbucks reported 12 billion losses and Mcdonald’s is rebranding? Then what? Did that help Palestine in any way? Israel didn’t lose anything by that because they aren’t being funded by these companies in the first place. You know what could actually help? Boycotting companies that actually fund them if that isn’t obvious enough.

Have I posted about it? Multiple times already. Have I donated? Not only donated but also encouraged everyone to do so by sharing donation links from Palestinian organizations. And yes I do participate in boycott and some of the companies in the list don’t even exist in my country. How about you? Did you do any of that? Have you posted about the companies that actually fund israel?

And I don’t know who the fuck Simone is. I’m mad about the fact that you said tgar those two are the main targets completely disregarding the other ones because for you they are less popular. This isn’t some popularity competition. This is about which ones will have more negative impact to Israel when boycotted. The fact that you’re taking this as something like I’m a Starbucks and Mcdonald’s defender says a lot. Anyone who actually cares for Palestine would be pissed off if people are just boycotting these two companies. The few qrts of the tweet i mentioned were mad as fuck about the tweet too. That’s because we actually do care and not just do things for clout. We don’t want israel to be funded by these big ass corporations while your priority is to appear morally righteous, follow the crowd, and bring more clout. If you're not mad that people are boycotting these two companies only, then do you even care about palestine in the first place?

WHERE did I say people were ONLY boycotting these 2 places?

I said they're the most popular to boycott, but people have been boycotting other brands. If YOU don't know that ppl are boycotting other companies other than these 2, then that's YOUR PROBLEM for living under a rock. Because people ARE boycotting more than just Starbucks and McDonald's.

You getting irrationally mad makes absolutely no sense because I've already explained to you that it is a PROCESS.

Some of the BIG , MAJOR CORPORATIONS THAT ARE ALLOCATING MORE FUNDING TO IZRAHEIL THAN STARBUCKS AND MCDONALD'S ARE MEDICAL/PHARMACEUTICAL, SKIN CARE, WELLNESS COMPANIES THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON TO SURVIVE!

Of course it's not going to be cut and dry. Of course boycotting is a complex process but the important thing is that IT IS HAPPENING. There have been protests at BlackRock, people have been boycotting Disney and Warner Bros. People have CANCELLED SUBSCRIPTIONS TO NETFLIX, HULU, APPLE TV ETC. They ARE targeting other funders of genocide! Not just Stabucks and McDonald's.

So you getting "mad" over YOUR assumption that "people are only boycotting sb & mcd's" is hella pointless cos we've been boycotting more than that.

Maybe you haven't.

[waitingforeddyneddy]

Hollywood is literally blacklisting people who speak out about Israel being a genocidal state which is why many actors/musicians etc are staying silent.

Boycotting paramount won’t do shit. The only thing that will help Palestinians is pressuring the people who have political power to help save them. Y’all’s slacktivism is really insane and annoying.

As for JB traveling to Israel - people in the west, particularly the US and UK are not taught about Palestinians, Nakba, etc. From an early age they’re all taught that Israel is the one being oppressed. You’ll see many people who have traveled to Israel prior change their stance once they educate themselves.

I will take an actors silence over the over Zionism of other Hollywood stars. Bella Hadid is getting literal death threats for speaking out. And as someone who works in Hollywood, I know for a fact, as I said earlier, people are being blacklisted for even being pro “ceasefire” which is the bare minimum.

People are bringing up simone because you’re a stan of hers, which is fine, but she also hasn’t said shit about Palestine or Israel, as is her right, because people are being fired left and right for standing on the right side of history.

Hate JB all you want, I literally don’t care, I’m not even a huge fan of him at this point but people are calling out your hypocrisy and jumping to conclusions about who is a Zionist and who is not. JB went to Israel years ago, yes (I didn’t even see the pictures tbh that’s how far removed I am from celebrity socials), from all accounts was called out for it. Deleted the pictures and who is to say that he DIDN’T educate himself? He hasn’t posted any pro Israel shit since then and has smartly kept his mouth shut for now because he knows his project was produced by Zionists. I guarantee most of these people are terrified to say anything.

Major kudos to Nicola since she is the ONLY one in the bridgerton cast who has been unabashedly vocal about #freepalestine. Which is funny since most of you freaky kathony Stans HATE her. (And before you start I literally hate Penelope and Colin so don’t even try to paint me with a stan brush)

Your comments are irresponsible trying to paint JB as a Zionist when we have no fucking clue where his position lies. Much like we don’t know where simone’s, charithra’s, Rege’s, Luke’s, Luke’s, etc lies. Instead check out that list of actors who signed no hostage left behind - those are the real people you should take issue with.

Start protesting and calling your politicians. Boycotting paramount won’t do shit to help Palestinians. The US’s President is co-signing genocide right now and he is only gonna give a shit if he thinks he’s in danger of losing the next election. (Not saying you’re from the US - just giving this as an example).

I was about to respond to each of your points but then I saw you wrote “you freaky kanthony stans” and I honestly can’t take you seriously.

I also don’t believe you when you say you’re not a huge JB fan cause you sound pretty angry and out of breath. Your constant saying “boycotting Paramount won’t do shit” is ridiculous cause nobody here is saying it will end the conflict. It’s just a way to get back at them by not providing money for their subscription and going for 🏴‍☠️ if you really are interested in the story and if you just wanna watch your fave’s new project

Also LMAO at you for saying JB wasn’t educated about Israel, fucking stop saying a privileged white man who comes from money doesn’t know. Every fucking western country supports Israel in the media that doesn’t mean we are mindless robots. I live in southern Italy, I’ve been against Israel since the moment I started to develop critical thinking skills despite my humble upbringing and social status 🤡

It’s pathetic, stop with this bullshit

[lesbianbending-moved]

i would just like to say that a lot of younger queer people need to understand what the political environment was at the time lok came out before you go around saying korrasami isn’t queer rep. you need to understand this show had an audience that comprised of a lot of closeted queer kids at a time where the country it was originally released in had more states ban gay marriage than legalize it. this was a time when kids everyday would see debates over gay rights and anti gay marriage protests on the news. it was cool and ‘edgy’ to have homophobic activists be political commentators. this was a time when it was normal to go into your high school government class and listen to your classmates debate whether gay marriage should be legalized for a grade. this was a time when the very small amount of queer rep in media was comprised entirely of skinny white cis boys. so to be fourteen, knowing i was a lesbian, and having this level of homophobia washed over me everyday - seeing this show was a lifesaver. this was not ‘implied’ queer rep, it wasn’t queer baiting, it was explicitly portrayed and stated by the creators that korra and asami are together. this show paved the way for queer rep not only in children’s media, but for all forms of popular media in the coming years. the creators, actors, even nickelodeon were boycotted, received death threats, etc. all for what you believe to be ‘queer-baiting’. it obviously wasn’t perfect, but to step over all the progress the lok team made because it doesn’t rise to your standard of 2020 activism is taking for granted the steps forward the queer community has taken to get where we are today. so yes, if you are 14-17 please think before you go around yelling about how korrasami isn’t ‘good’ queer rep.

[arcticdementor]

Angelo Codevilla is one of the most vigorous polemicists in American politics. He is one of the pioneers of based politics — eyes open to the madness of the times, heart on fire. He doesn’t hide the bad news or the ugly truths. The FBI and CIA are rotten, the military is corrupt and being turned against America as we speak, elite institutions are now in the power of a minority that hates most of us openly. But he also doesn’t run away from politics into cultural commentary or metaphysics. We have a fight on our hands and we have to want to fight in order to find the leaders willing to risk everything on our behalf.

…

What follows, is an edited version of our conversation, recorder on March 18th, 2021.

…

Titus Techera: Sir, you write about we the democracy destroying the oligarchy. Where do we start?

Angelo Codevilla: Well, the very first thing is: Take away respect. Cancellation is inherently a two-way street: They’re canceling you and you are canceling them. You can’t simply say: Oh, let me in, let me in! No, you say: You don’t like me? Guess what? I don’t like you either. Buh-bye!

The number one practical problem we’re facing is inherent in oligarchies, namely that state powers, public powers, are being wielded by ostensibly private organizations. You try to fly in an airplane without a mask and you’re in trouble. You go into a national chain store without a mask and they try to throw you out. Well, the only way to deal with that is to do it en masse, and to say: OK, starting on April 1st, if this store, airline, or whatever tries to enforce masks on anybody, it will be boycotted by everybody. Thank you and good night!

…

This is one of the things we are shocked most to see happening around us: Supposedly private corporations busy as bees in the free market are in fact private political authorities. Privilege is the right word, because it means private law. Any corporation big enough can now act like it’s a feudal fief in the oligarchy, lording it over mere serfs who don’t dare talk politics. How do we get back from serfdom to political protest?

There are all sorts of examples out there already. They’re not particularly happy examples, but ever since 1964 [the Civil Rights Act], if you own a bakery or a lunch counter, you cannot turn away someone for service, on the ground of race or anything else. Public accommodation law means that if you are open to the public, you must serve the public, period. Now, it’s entirely logical to add political statements to the list of things that may not be discriminated against. There are all sorts of things that can be done, but all of these things take leadership, and that’s what we haven’t got.

Yes, we should make it the law that being a normal citizen isn’t a crime you can be punished for. No power can discriminate against ordinary people, indeed. It seems much of your polemic is trying to remind us that we should behave with self-respect, to not let ourselves be trampled.

Yes. Look, politics is inherently a collective activity. For example, during the Occupation in the 1940s, Charles de Gaulle warned the people against individual acts of resistance. This is something I’ve pointed out before: Don’t do these things individually, do them only as part of a larger national political enterprise led by… Well, at that time, Charles de Gaulle.

What we need here is for someone to step forward and say: “I will lead the Deplorables out of slavery in Egypt, yeah? And I will organize: Follow me!”

…

But again, the condition for that is that some prominent person — or two, or three, or four — stepping forward and saying: OK, this is the way it’s gonna be. Follow me and we’ll wreck these bastards! You know: Follow me and I’ll take you out of here. Right now, the closest we’ve got to this is Gov. DeSantis of Florida. The other one is Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota… [The interview took place before Gov. Noem vetoed a bill intended to protect women from trans-gender competition in school athletics.]

But there has to be national-level leadership. That’s the way it’s always been! Think back in the 1780s and 90s, there were a whole bunch of Washingtonians. Well, there wouldn’t be any Washingtonians without Washington — there wouldn’t have been any Jeffersonians without Jefferson — any Jacksonians without Andrew Jackson. And on and on and on. The reason that the country was rallied as it was to stop the spread of slavery had a lot to do with Abraham Lincoln, who stepped forward and made the argument and sustained it.

…

We talk politics each from his isolated perch on top of a computer, and we don’t see how people might come together in revolt. It seems like all the powerful institutions are against us and we have no memberships or contracts to trust in. We need some way of organizing so we can be less scared of our individual vulnerability. We tried with the Trump rallies and what do we have to show for it?

Donald Trump was something like that, except that Donald Trump barked a lot and bit only a little. You know, you can’t go around saying big things and then letting the bad guys run all over you.

…

That’s maybe the strangest thing happening to us. There are so many of us, yet all so vulnerable to cancellation, to threats of losing jobs, or just losing job opportunities. The internet should mean we can band together, communicate, but it’s not happening yet. The only organizations up and running are the ones trying to indoctrinate us into woke.

If you don’t go to one of these sessions where you’re told about white privilege, you’re fired? Alright, but if your national leader has organized ten thousand or one million people to protest on a particular day, well, then it’s different. In that situation, you’re in power, they’re not. You simply can’t fire everybody…

So we need organizations just so people can go on with ordinary life without feeling afraid?

Look, in politics, as well as in economics, there is a law of supply and demand. Put yourself in the shoes of someone with national ambitions on the conservative side of things: Well, you know what you’ve got to do! Number one, get out in front — number two, you know that you’ve got to actually deliver safety.

It took the political strife after 2016 for people to realize how much demand there is for safety on the conservative side. Does this create opportunities for the leaders now only beginning to come up?

That’s right. They know they’re not going to go anywhere by being recycled versions of Jeb Bush. Or Mitt Romney, or McConnell… If you have national ambitions and you present yourself that way, you’ve just committed hara-kiri! The only way you’re going to go somewhere is by being literally to the right of Donald Trump. And I don’t mean in terms of rhetoric, I mean in terms of real leadership for real safety and promotion of our way of life.

…

I wrote an essay for American Greatness, Clarity After Trump. Clarity means a lot — there’s no doubt about what’s going on. I mean, cancellation of Dr. Seuss? You gotta be kidding me! Bugs Bunny? No, no, no — that’s not normal in anybody’s book. Even the president of France, Macron has said that this movement coming out of America [Critical Race Theory] is a danger to all countries, to all people…

There was a time not long ago when the woke left was claiming that their culture, what they’re pushing, was inclusive, and it was really the culture of cultures — that it was friendly to all cultures. Well, the truth, as it turns out, is now pretty indisputable: the woke movement is the reverse of all that; a very, very peculiar culture that is meaningful only to a very small number of people.

So is this the revolutionary woke democracy, where the demos is the first to be excluded?

Yes, politically and culturally they have painted themselves into a corner and the corner is getting smaller and smaller. They hold all the power, but the number of people on whose behalf they wield that power is small and shrinking.

…

But let’s now go back to the original question: What is to be done? It would be counter-productive for the right to struggle for control of the institutions, because those institutions are now so thoroughly identified with the people who run them that it’s extraordinarily difficult to unseat them all and reseat other men. Plus why should we even try? Why not just make our own and say: OK, you want Facebook and Twitter to be organs of wokeness? Take it, all yours, now go away! Except none of us are going to be involved with them…

…

You said we need to deny respect to those who would humiliate us. But another part of the problem is that conservatives are learning, shocked, that institutions they used to believe in, above all law enforcement and the military, are at least at the top corrupted and against conservatism. Something that has been going on for a long time.

Oh, yes. Absolutely. You don’t hear it anymore, but up until recently, you could turn on the Hannity show and hear: “Oh, these wonderful policemen! The police are on our side — the police, the police, the police, the police…” No, no, and no! The police work for whoever pays them and that is the problem. The police will taze a lady or arrest somebody because they violate what the mayor or the governor says ought to be done. So — no!

It was in the news the other week that Tucker Carlson was being criticized by various generals and other high officials in the military. How do we come to grips with these big national problems?

As far as the armed forces are concerned, this cannot be allowed, and the way to disallow it is for conservatives to vote as a bloc against appropriations for the armed forces. Not so long ago, bills that fund the armed forces used to come in many pieces and each of the pieces was voted on separately. There used to be personnel account, a military construction account, weapons, etc. That used to give a great deal of power to whoever would make a point out of particular problems. Now, these terrible personnel policies are in the process of ruining the armed forces. If conservatives can protest the bundling of all military appropriations into one lump, and if they can go back to the system of having hearings and votes, they can darn well kill or cut the personnel counts.

…

Sure, but the Senate it’s mostly a free enterprise institution. I served in the Senate for eight years [as staff] and I know for a fact that whoever is bloody-minded, whoever really has a bug up his rear, and really wants to have something done, can have his way, because most people will not oppose him. Those who are really interested in something generally can get their way.

And so it should encourage ambitious politicians to pursue something of great importance to their electorate. Can a Senator become the voice of the people by denying approvals?

Yes, that’s it — you just put your finger on it: Denying something is a lot easier than affirming it. Saying no in Congress is a lot easier than saying yes…

…

We have ended up in an America where the former director of the FBI or of the CIA can turn into a partisan pundit on MSNBC, and people don’t even blink. How is this possible, for such high officials?

Well, this is the problem. See, Donald Trump was a jerk, a complete jerk. He could have stopped that instantly. There are laws on the books — black letter, clear as a bell laws — against these people even mentioning or hinting at information obtained through communications intelligence. Those laws, unlike the Espionage Act, do not require all manner of proof about intentions or anything like that. They are what are called strict liability laws. You reveal or purport to reveal something gained through communications intelligence — you go to jail, period.

Now, Donald Trump could have appointed — should have appointed — an Attorney General to do exactly that. This is black letter law, not legal reaching — this is plain black letter law. He didn’t do it! He was scared of the agencies. This is one reason why I think the prospect of Donald Trump running again would be a disaster. Tell me, Donald, what are you going to do now that you didn’t do your first time around?

…

So this would seem to be the most important thing we have achieved: Political clarity about just how serious the problem is. Couldn’t we say that this is a reason to hope? Isn’t this is how American politics works: Each major change in our politics has begun with an attack on centralized oligarchy, usually in Washington D.C. This is how Jefferson did it, Jackson, and Lincoln. This is what Reagan did, too.

Yes, and again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s leadershis, leadership, leadership.

…

That’s right. Donald Trump handed the keys of the country to Anthony Fauci. We can’t say: Oh, the left, the left, the left! Trump did it!

The point that I made in the original Ruling Class essay, is that this ruling class is a bipartisan thing — the oligarchy is a bipartisan thing, which is why we have to sort of exit these institutions and forget about a lot of so-called leaders. The nicest thing about the 2016 election happened during the primaries, when it was impossible for anyone to get traction who wasn’t against the ruling class. So it really came down to two people: Trump and Cruz, and Trump won because he was more adamant. Never mind that it was a multi-candidate field and in a multi-candidate field, the choice is never between A and B.

In the future, it’s not going to be any different. The only people who are going to get any traction are people who are going to make Donald Trump look like a moderate.

…

Victory has to be bold.

Look at Nancy Pelosi. Back in 2009 when Obamacare was being cooked up, some reporter asked her: In what way is this constitutional? And her answer was: Are you kidding? I don’t give a damn whether it’s constitutional or not. We’re gonna do it!

Nobody follows an uncertain trumpet. That’s why the motto of the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School is: Ductus Exemplo, “Leadership by Example.” Follow me!

[runephoenix6769]

Boycott Adam 2018

Heads up, this might be triggering to some, I briefly discuss a rape trial that occurred recently in Ireland, no details, just a heads up.

Adam (2018) the book and the problematic film that is about to be released, is already causing waves, with it being claimed that is an lgbtq movie must see, and members of that community calling for it to be boycotted due to its content and damaging message of rape, and all lesbians just need a good dick, conversion therapy

And in this house, it is also causing arguments. 

Was discussing it with my male gay friend of 15 years, telling him about the plot etc, and we come to the point in the discussion about the straight man, pretending to be a trans man, fucking his lesbian girlfriend, claiming its a toy when actually its his real penis. 

I said it is rape,

Imagine my surprise when my friend says, “No it’s not.”

Me, “Yes it is!”

Him “No its not! she consented to sex!”

Me “She consented to sex, and penetration with a toy , not a real dick.”

Him, “She consented to sex and penetration, it doesnt matter what she was penetrated with, she still consented.!”

I was taken aback by his lack of empathy, bearing in mind Ireland just witnessed an horrific rape case consisting of 2 very well known Rugby stars, multitudes of derogatory and filthy text messages claiming to be ‘banter’, deleted messages, wiped phones, stories not collaborating and a victim that was grilled for 9 days in the box, whilst under character assassination on a national scale. 

The country watched with bated breath as this wasnt just a rape case, this took on a different face entirely, on the back of the #metoo movement, about men in power getting away with whatever, about women in this country being treated like second class citizens.  

Its was polarising, 

It has become about gender. about man v’s woman.

But also it was about consent, what constitutes consent, saying yes and then saying no means guys can carry on regardless, if one thing is consented to then app EVERYTHING is consented to, regardless if the woman says no. 

When the verdict came down, less than 3 hours of deliberation...  most women felt it was a huge blow, some even wept, women arent worth anything. abuse victims/survivors, its not worth going to the cops. To rapists, you can keep raping and abusing, there shall be no consequences.... 

Our bodies are not protected by the law or by police, but if you steal from a shop you will go to jail, yet steal a womans autonomy and you will get off scott free!

Our bodies are worth less than bread. 

Some men used it as a way of keeping score, as if somehow they had won a victory. 

An Irish Times reporter witnessed a man approach a woman holding #i still believe her, sign, outside the court house. He yelled at this woman 

“Ha! We won! Get back in the kitchen!”

The vitriolic hate spewed online towards the victim was sickening! This case caused protests. 

I am stunned at my friends reply,  esp with this so fresh in our minds an news cycle. 

so i said to my friend.. 

Me, “What if Adam came in her, she ended up pregnant and had no idea how it happened?” 

Him, “How would she not know how it happened?”

Me, “She has slept with a trans man, using a toy... She hasnt had sex with a real penis. So now she is pregnant, realising that some where along the way she has been raped, no doubt her mental state is gonna be messed up, and now she has to make the choice between having an abortion or carrying her rapists child.”

Him “She cant have an abortion, thats just wrong! She should have the child and give it to him, or put it up for adoption!”

Me “asdfghjk ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!”

Ireland , this week is voting on Repeal the 8th law, the fricking Abortion law..

 It is yet another issue that is polarising, women and men screaming at each other. 

 women have died because of this law. Women with cancer refused treatment.

 Savita left for two agonising days whilst the fetal heartbeat died and she followed not long after due to infection, which could have been avoided. 

170,000 women forced to travel to England in order to have one, some too young, some too old, some too poor, some too ill, some having been raped.

How can a gay , white man stand there and tell me, a woman, what I can and cannot di with MY vagina!

A gay white man, who is never going to be forced to make that choice.

And what if I , his queer friend of 15 years, was raped, that I should carry it to term?????

Me “So i guess youre voting no on the referendum.!”

him, “Yes! its against my religion, all life is life!”

Me, “Dude, you’re the biggest screaming queen I know, and you voted yes for gay marriage.. GAYS are against your religion!

Him, “Thats different love is love!”

He went to get a drink as I sat there numb, yet shaking, I realised TWO things..

1) I just realised a great script idea,lurking in the pages of Adam, It will be much more interesting set in Ireland!

2) I need a new friend!

[absentkidposts]

Peformative Activism

Hey there! As you may have noticed, this week has been quite a fun time for the Youtube community, this week Shane Dawson (pedophile, racist, liar, abuser) has been boycotted by pretty much everyone, he lost brand deals, his youtube videos got demonitazed, etc. After a lady called Tati (??) exposed him or something,  I don’t know the story properly but nothing feels better than seeing a dickhead getting what he deserves, specially someone who’s musty (he didn’t shower for like a week for a video and his teeth are yellow, gross) and disturbed. Over here in the south, social media, rather than messy, has been, let’s say, comedic, because, yet again, people are participating on some dumb hashtag to pretend they actuallly care for minorities. This week Laura Tobon posted a picture of her “perfect” eurocentric face split at the middle, the other part of the picture was the face (covered with her hands) of a native woman, people praised her, she got a bunch of social media traffic, went trending, gained followers and then 15 minutes later she posted some IGTV about her make up... Do you the problem? Peformative activism. 

What’s that?

The example that I gave with Laura is the perfect example, a beautiful privileged woman that believes she’s a hero for dehumanizing a native woman and using her as a way to gain fame. Peformative Activism means taking cases of rape, police brutality, sexism and racism to gain fame and maintaining your image as a political correct influence, when you’re doing the complete opposite. Many deffend those who are a part saying that they are starting a conversation and being vocal, but, if you post a picture, are you really starting a conversation or just grabbing the chance to gain more attention? 

What’s wrong with it?

Peformative Activism, rather than starting a conversation, buries it by making people feel comfortable with that type of activism, if you try to start a conversation people will be eager to silence you since they think a movement has already started and ended by posting a picture. People think with a hashtag you save lives and make them matter when there’s so much more to do, and that’s just a result of us being used to see minorities as less than us and believing that’s correct (racism pretty much); Look at the #BlackLivesMatter movement, yes, it’s a hashtag, but a hashtag that inspires action, it inspires marches, protests and even riots when needed in deffense of legal violence (like the ESMAD). If you participate in this, you’re silencing those who are truly in need to be heard, actual activists that deserve to be heard, you think you’re starting a conversation by making natives objects, images, pictures, rather than people, you continue to feed the standard that native culture means illiteracy and dated believes, rather than it being a whole other culture WE are MEANT to respect since our ascendants invaded their land. 

Then how can you help?

I just wanted to make clear that if you don’t have a big platform yet you still want to be part of a movement and just post a pic, then there’s no problem, since it’s your own social media and you don’t have any influence on the masses, it’s your own small platform and you have the right; but famous people, without real struggles, have a responsability, wether they like it or not, specially white people, like Laura and many others who seem to have beans for brains. 

If you want to help, post a letter that exposes your believes and states facts, make your platform a way to educate and make native voices be heard and respected, apply some real social pressure to the government, share content and post speeches of natives (specially native women, the biggest victims of colonization and segregation) to make them be heard, beacuse guess what, at the end of the day, we don’t care abou you as a famous individual, we care about the public, the followers, the masses one can move by just posting some actual piece of activism, we don’t care about your dumb little fake tears. Another incredible way of helping is donating, because in a capitalist and consummist world, money matters a lot, and since the government keeps on stealing, handing a small percentage of your wealth wouldn’t affect the rich, but help the poor and the vulnerable. Open your wallets, not your mouth ;)

But don’t get too political!

Why not? Why souldn’t we get political? Why should we just ignore this abuse? and why should we feel comfortable when those with power make the bare minimum? We get that celebrities have no real political impact, but they can move people, they can reach out to a larger audience WE DON’T CARE IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, literally the only way you should skip this conversation is beacuse you’re a victim of it and can’t psychologically combat it, but if you’re sitting at home, doing nothing, why can’t you start a conversation, educate yourself, learn and be an active help for those in need. Colombia is a country that’s been built on violence and crime and we believe that’s alright, we believe that’s how thing should be, but can we at least try to change it? Kids, Mothers, Brothers and many more are being killed, abused, raped and robbed because of what? and why are we ok with it? why do we dehuminize minorities so much? CUT THE CAMERAS AND TURN THE VOLUME UP, silenece is compliance so SPEAK UP 

[pigeonmark6-blog]

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

A sour cream, cream cheese and Ranch based dip, filled with spicy Fire 'n Ice pickles. Serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks, made from celery and carrots.

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

The sound of football has returned to my house. Doesn't matter that it's only preseason to my husband because by now, he is totally jonesing for a game of any kind. Course, the Saints opener could certainly have been better... but it is what it is, and they won.

And yes, I know... a lot of folks are pretty upset about protesting and kneeling players during the National Anthem, and have essentially boycotted all NFL games. There are two very opposite points of view on this situation and since this is a post about pickle dip, I'd rather not get in the middle of that conversation, except to say this. My husband, a Navy veteran, loves his country, but he loves his football too, most especially he loves his Saints.

If you've been around the blog for very long, y'all probably already know by now how much I love pickles. I mean how many people have one of these in their fridge for no reason except they eat a pickle just about every day?

Giant pickle jar - Deep South Dish on Instagram

What can I say. We do love a bargain round here.

Do you remember pickle pinwheels?

Seems like in the 70s and 80s you saw them at just about every party. Like other pinwheel or roll-up appetizers, they start with a flour tortilla and involve a cream cheese layer, then a layer of deli meat, usually ham, topped with a whole pickle, the whole thing is rolled up, refrigerated to set and then sliced for an appetizer tray. They are quite delicious really!

This dip kinda reminds me of a deconstructed version of those. I've seen this pickle dip around the net for awhile and I thought to myself, "self, you  know you'd love this dip, but wouldn't you really love it with some of those Fire 'n Ice Pickles? Oh yes, indeed!

It's really just a classic sour cream and cream cheese dip made with the addition of pickles, some spicy style of pickles that you've made up yourself or some you've picked up from the store. I used Fat Mama's Fire and Ice Pickles from Fat Mama's Tamales up in Natchez, MS, because I remembered seeing them on the shelf when I had my book signing at Poppy's Gifts in downtown Ocean Spring, MS a while back, so I knew she carried them. If you're ever in town in the Biloxi/Ocean Springs area, you just have to stop by Poppy's. She has an amazing collection of beautiful and unique merchandise, perfect for gift giving. You'll find her shop just over the tracks at 922 Washington Avenue.

Memories! One of my book signings, when Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, a book you asked for, finally got published!

By the way, several of you have asked about signed copies of my cookbook, Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, so be sure to check in the back where she keeps local cookbooks and hopefully she'll still have some hanging around!  Of course, you can also find my cookbook unsigned on Amazon, where you can also buy some spicy pickles.

Serve with veggies or a sturdy potato chip.

Anyway, if you like the fire of a spicy pickle, do look for a good spicy pickle for this dip - something like Wickles Pickles will work well too - whatever your favorite is. Of course, if you prefer to keep this a bit more on the mild side than the wild side, you can use plain pickles. Serve this dip with veggie strips or a good, sturdy, kettle style chip. I chose Zapp's Salt and Vinegar which were a great match for the pickle dip, and some Cape Cod Waffle Cut Sea Salt chips. Scoops are also good with this dip.

I made a half recipe in the photos here, only because I'll be the only one eating it. The Cajun isn't real big on pickles or dip. I don't know what's wrong with him! That's okay though, because this dip is delicious and I'm gonna enjoy every single bite.

Let's make some Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip y'all!

For more of my favorite dips recipes, check out my collection on Pinterest!

If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!

We need your help! There's no paywall on Deep South Dish - recipes, step by step photos and printables are available at no cost to our readers, however, advertising featured on the blog helps to pay for the groceries. If you enjoy the blog but you're using an ad blocker, please consider whitelisting Deep South Dish so I can keep the blog going!

Yum

Recipe: Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish Prep time: 10 min Inactive time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 10 min Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 (1 ounce) packet of dry ranch dressing mix

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1-1/2 cups chopped homemade Fire 'n Ice or other similar spicy pickle (such as Wickles) or pickle relish

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno

1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

2-4 tablespoons pickle juice, or as needed for desired consistency

Instructions

Whip cream cheese, add sour cream and blend. Add ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and fresh dill, and mix until well blended. Fold in pickles, jalapenos and onions; add pickle juice 1/2 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes then stir before serving; serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks (celery, carrots).

Variation: Add in 1 cup of minced baked ham or coarsely chopped cooked shrimp.

Pickle Roll Dip Variation: Reduce chopped pickle or pickle relish to 1/2 cup and add in 1/3 cup chopped deli ham, bacon or chopped dried beef.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

PRINT THIS

Requires Adobe Reader - download it free!

©Deep South Dish

☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.

Check These Recipes Out Too Y’all!

Hissy Fit Dip Classic 70s 7-Layer Mexican Dip Hot Corn Dip

Posted by Mary on August 13, 2018

Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, do not copy and paste post or recipe text to repost or republish to any social media (such as other Facebook pages, etc.), blogs, websites, forums, or any print medium, without explicit prior permission. Unauthorized use of content from ©Deep South Dish is a violation of both the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and copyright law. All rights reserved.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

150630

..

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2018/08/fire-n-ice-pickle-dip.html

[badgerkick0-blog]

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

A sour cream, cream cheese and Ranch based dip, filled with spicy Fire 'n Ice pickles. Serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks, made from celery and carrots.

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

The sound of football has returned to my house. Doesn't matter that it's only preseason to my husband because by now, he is totally jonesing for a game of any kind. Course, the Saints opener could certainly have been better... but it is what it is, and they won.

And yes, I know... a lot of folks are pretty upset about protesting and kneeling players during the National Anthem, and have essentially boycotted all NFL games. There are two very opposite points of view on this situation and since this is a post about pickle dip, I'd rather not get in the middle of that conversation, except to say this. My husband, a Navy veteran, loves his country, but he loves his football too, most especially he loves his Saints.

If you've been around the blog for very long, y'all probably already know by now how much I love pickles. I mean how many people have one of these in their fridge for no reason except they eat a pickle just about every day?

Giant pickle jar - Deep South Dish on Instagram

What can I say. We do love a bargain round here.

Do you remember pickle pinwheels?

Seems like in the 70s and 80s you saw them at just about every party. Like other pinwheel or roll-up appetizers, they start with a flour tortilla and involve a cream cheese layer, then a layer of deli meat, usually ham, topped with a whole pickle, the whole thing is rolled up, refrigerated to set and then sliced for an appetizer tray. They are quite delicious really!

This dip kinda reminds me of a deconstructed version of those. I've seen this pickle dip around the net for awhile and I thought to myself, "self, you  know you'd love this dip, but wouldn't you really love it with some of those Fire 'n Ice Pickles? Oh yes, indeed!

It's really just a classic sour cream and cream cheese dip made with the addition of pickles, some spicy style of pickles that you've made up yourself or some you've picked up from the store. I used Fat Mama's Fire and Ice Pickles from Fat Mama's Tamales up in Natchez, MS, because I remembered seeing them on the shelf when I had my book signing at Poppy's Gifts in downtown Ocean Spring, MS a while back, so I knew she carried them. If you're ever in town in the Biloxi/Ocean Springs area, you just have to stop by Poppy's. She has an amazing collection of beautiful and unique merchandise, perfect for gift giving. You'll find her shop just over the tracks at 922 Washington Avenue.

Memories! One of my book signings, when Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, a book you asked for, finally got published!

By the way, several of you have asked about signed copies of my cookbook, Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, so be sure to check in the back where she keeps local cookbooks and hopefully she'll still have some hanging around!  Of course, you can also find my cookbook unsigned on Amazon, where you can also buy some spicy pickles.

Serve with veggies or a sturdy potato chip.

Anyway, if you like the fire of a spicy pickle, do look for a good spicy pickle for this dip - something like Wickles Pickles will work well too - whatever your favorite is. Of course, if you prefer to keep this a bit more on the mild side than the wild side, you can use plain pickles. Serve this dip with veggie strips or a good, sturdy, kettle style chip. I chose Zapp's Salt and Vinegar which were a great match for the pickle dip, and some Cape Cod Waffle Cut Sea Salt chips. Scoops are also good with this dip.

I made a half recipe in the photos here, only because I'll be the only one eating it. The Cajun isn't real big on pickles or dip. I don't know what's wrong with him! That's okay though, because this dip is delicious and I'm gonna enjoy every single bite.

Let's make some Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip y'all!

For more of my favorite dips recipes, check out my collection on Pinterest!

If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!

We need your help! There's no paywall on Deep South Dish - recipes, step by step photos and printables are available at no cost to our readers, however, advertising featured on the blog helps to pay for the groceries. If you enjoy the blog but you're using an ad blocker, please consider whitelisting Deep South Dish so I can keep the blog going!

Yum

Recipe: Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish Prep time: 10 min Inactive time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 10 min Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 (1 ounce) packet of dry ranch dressing mix

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1-1/2 cups chopped homemade Fire 'n Ice or other similar spicy pickle (such as Wickles) or pickle relish

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno

1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

2-4 tablespoons pickle juice, or as needed for desired consistency

Instructions

Whip cream cheese, add sour cream and blend. Add ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and fresh dill, and mix until well blended. Fold in pickles, jalapenos and onions; add pickle juice 1/2 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes then stir before serving; serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks (celery, carrots).

Variation: Add in 1 cup of minced baked ham or coarsely chopped cooked shrimp.

Pickle Roll Dip Variation: Reduce chopped pickle or pickle relish to 1/2 cup and add in 1/3 cup chopped deli ham, bacon or chopped dried beef.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

PRINT THIS

Requires Adobe Reader - download it free!

©Deep South Dish

☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.

Check These Recipes Out Too Y’all!

Hissy Fit Dip Classic 70s 7-Layer Mexican Dip Hot Corn Dip

Posted by Mary on August 13, 2018

Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, do not copy and paste post or recipe text to repost or republish to any social media (such as other Facebook pages, etc.), blogs, websites, forums, or any print medium, without explicit prior permission. Unauthorized use of content from ©Deep South Dish is a violation of both the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and copyright law. All rights reserved.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

150630

..

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2018/08/fire-n-ice-pickle-dip.html

[oxmarble28-blog]

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

A sour cream, cream cheese and Ranch based dip, filled with spicy Fire 'n Ice pickles. Serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks, made from celery and carrots.

Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

The sound of football has returned to my house. Doesn't matter that it's only preseason to my husband because by now, he is totally jonesing for a game of any kind. Course, the Saints opener could certainly have been better... but it is what it is, and they won.

And yes, I know... a lot of folks are pretty upset about protesting and kneeling players during the National Anthem, and have essentially boycotted all NFL games. There are two very opposite points of view on this situation and since this is a post about pickle dip, I'd rather not get in the middle of that conversation, except to say this. My husband, a Navy veteran, loves his country, but he loves his football too, most especially he loves his Saints.

If you've been around the blog for very long, y'all probably already know by now how much I love pickles. I mean how many people have one of these in their fridge for no reason except they eat a pickle just about every day?

Giant pickle jar - Deep South Dish on Instagram

What can I say. We do love a bargain round here.

Do you remember pickle pinwheels?

Seems like in the 70s and 80s you saw them at just about every party. Like other pinwheel or roll-up appetizers, they start with a flour tortilla and involve a cream cheese layer, then a layer of deli meat, usually ham, topped with a whole pickle, the whole thing is rolled up, refrigerated to set and then sliced for an appetizer tray. They are quite delicious really!

This dip kinda reminds me of a deconstructed version of those. I've seen this pickle dip around the net for awhile and I thought to myself, "self, you  know you'd love this dip, but wouldn't you really love it with some of those Fire 'n Ice Pickles? Oh yes, indeed!

It's really just a classic sour cream and cream cheese dip made with the addition of pickles, some spicy style of pickles that you've made up yourself or some you've picked up from the store. I used Fat Mama's Fire and Ice Pickles from Fat Mama's Tamales up in Natchez, MS, because I remembered seeing them on the shelf when I had my book signing at Poppy's Gifts in downtown Ocean Spring, MS a while back, so I knew she carried them. If you're ever in town in the Biloxi/Ocean Springs area, you just have to stop by Poppy's. She has an amazing collection of beautiful and unique merchandise, perfect for gift giving. You'll find her shop just over the tracks at 922 Washington Avenue.

Memories! One of my book signings, when Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, a book you asked for, finally got published!

By the way, several of you have asked about signed copies of my cookbook, Deep South Dish Homestyle Southern Recipes, so be sure to check in the back where she keeps local cookbooks and hopefully she'll still have some hanging around!  Of course, you can also find my cookbook unsigned on Amazon, where you can also buy some spicy pickles.

Serve with veggies or a sturdy potato chip.

Anyway, if you like the fire of a spicy pickle, do look for a good spicy pickle for this dip - something like Wickles Pickles will work well too - whatever your favorite is. Of course, if you prefer to keep this a bit more on the mild side than the wild side, you can use plain pickles. Serve this dip with veggie strips or a good, sturdy, kettle style chip. I chose Zapp's Salt and Vinegar which were a great match for the pickle dip, and some Cape Cod Waffle Cut Sea Salt chips. Scoops are also good with this dip.

I made a half recipe in the photos here, only because I'll be the only one eating it. The Cajun isn't real big on pickles or dip. I don't know what's wrong with him! That's okay though, because this dip is delicious and I'm gonna enjoy every single bite.

Let's make some Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip y'all!

For more of my favorite dips recipes, check out my collection on Pinterest!

If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!

We need your help! There's no paywall on Deep South Dish - recipes, step by step photos and printables are available at no cost to our readers, however, advertising featured on the blog helps to pay for the groceries. If you enjoy the blog but you're using an ad blocker, please consider whitelisting Deep South Dish so I can keep the blog going!

Yum

Recipe: Fire 'n Ice Pickle Dip

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish Prep time: 10 min Inactive time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 10 min Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 (1 ounce) packet of dry ranch dressing mix

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1-1/2 cups chopped homemade Fire 'n Ice or other similar spicy pickle (such as Wickles) or pickle relish

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno

1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

2-4 tablespoons pickle juice, or as needed for desired consistency

Instructions

Whip cream cheese, add sour cream and blend. Add ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and fresh dill, and mix until well blended. Fold in pickles, jalapenos and onions; add pickle juice 1/2 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes then stir before serving; serve with kettle or ridged potato chips, pretzel chips or veggie sticks (celery, carrots).

Variation: Add in 1 cup of minced baked ham or coarsely chopped cooked shrimp.

Pickle Roll Dip Variation: Reduce chopped pickle or pickle relish to 1/2 cup and add in 1/3 cup chopped deli ham, bacon or chopped dried beef.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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[indiealt]

Unpopular Opinion: Exclusion in A Day Without a Woman

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, women across the globe were told to resign from a day of work in an effort to show the world what it would look like if women were suddenly not around. Along with this request, there were two “easier” options to show support for those who could not afford, quite literally, to take the day off. The options included wearing red and simply not shopping or only shopping at local, women-owned shops. And the affirmation for the day? “A day without a woman reaffirms our commitment to the principles of unity which were collaboratively outlined for the women’s march”.—Women’s March on Washington

There are two parts to this request that can be seen as problematic. The first being that while this was a day to show unity amongst women, it excluded a large number of them. I consider myself to have a decent job, with somewhat decent benefits regarding paid days for vacation or sick time. I work at a liberal university, in a liberal office, with very liberal colleagues. The majority of my office participated in the Women’s March. Several of us regularly wear “pro-feminist” hats, pins, and t-shirts to work without a second-thought as to what others would think. We share news articles with anti-trump, pro-abortion, and general “wtf is happening” messages. If any office were to be expected not to show up on March 8, it would have been us.

And yet, everyone showed up. In fact, there wasn’t even a discussion about whether or not any of us would take the day off. Two of us wore red, and that was that. And quite truthfully, I can’t explain why i didn’t skip. I just didn’t. I could have, but i didn’t. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I decided I wanted to save those vacation days for travelling, not walking around Minnesota in the middle of winter, or sitting at home “protesting”.

Now, given the fact that I come from such an office who held the silent understanding that we wouldn’t be participating, I was sure that this day would be less than successful as far as turnout goes. My Facebook feed was full of women posting about their inspirational mothers, people had changed their profile pic to adorn a pro-lady message, etc., etc.. But, I didn’t see a single post, from women who I actually knew (not just a link to an article of some random woman), that had actively skipped work that day. I saw images on Facebook of women who I didn’t know in NYC and Washington D.C. carrying signs and marching and the first thing that popped into my head was — I wonder what they do for work. Did they work a job in which they just happened to have the day off? A job in which they could have easily called their boss and let them know they’d be participating? Are they themselves bosses or women with positions “in power” that meant they could make their own rules for the day? Really, what all these questions are getting to is just one thing — did they risk their job by attending? And if yes, is this job vital to their well-being?

There are jobs, in the past, that I’ve held throughout high school or college that I know would have frowned upon me calling in to support this cause. I don’t think I would have been fired from such jobs, but it definitely would have been a bigger possibility than at the job I currently have, and i know for a fact that there are jobs out there that women hold who would have been fired on the spot had they told their bosses they weren’t showing up on the 8th. I also know that some of these jobs would be considered “vital” or in other words, if they had been fired, it would have meant going without food until finding their next job, or not being able to pay rent, or not going to the doctor when they need to, etc.. And I would assume that many of these women, who faced such a decision, weighed their options and felt excluded based on the decision they had to come to. The ultimatum that they had to make was whether or not they wanted to stand with their fellow female force and demand rights, or whether they wanted to go to work and secure their paycheck.

It begs the question of whether or not women who come up with these ideas and decide for us what we are doing, really realize how many women they alienate in the process. And to make that wound a little deeper for the women who are not able to participate, they offer up the secondary choice of wearing red. Really? When we are constantly being told to be active and not passive in this political climate, it’s hard to understand why the message would be to either take this big stance and skip work or simply “wear red”. And I don’t mean to slam anyone who wore red. I wore red. I wanted to wear red. I wanted to see a sea of red when I walked out of my front door and was disappointed when that wasn’t the case. Not even close… And yet, I felt stupid for thinking that wearing red really meant something. That wearing red was an “active” sign of protest and that it would make some sort of difference. Because I really don’t think that it will. I think that taking to the streets, calling up politicians, boycotting, voting, and so much more is what will make a difference. But it will only make a difference if we stop alienating.

This isn’t an easy task. In some way or another we tend to exclude. We don’t think about those who live different lives than ours. Or we consider it the “minority” and therefore push it to the side. We make way for primarily white, wealthy, feminism. We forget about how many we exclude when we use this angle, an angle that is true for a lot of us, but not for the majority of us. We believe that this will be enough. That this will be the change. We need to realize and actively change the way we see feminism. Feminism needs to be inclusive. It needs to include people of color. It needs to include LGBTQ. It needs to include handicap. And, it also needs to include those who don’t hold the same political views. This was, after all, a day to support women, not just liberal women. There is even an argument out there that says it also needs to include pro-lifers. I’m not ready to be that inclusive…

Nonetheless, A Day Without A Woman cannot be an achievement for feminism if we choose to leave our fellow women behind.

[aawarning-blog]

New Post has been published on AAW

New Post has been published on http://www.anamericanwarning.com/2017/09/nfl-players-take-knee-check-first/

NFL Players Take A Knee - Why You Should Check Yourself First

I have been fairly silent on this because I don’t have very nice things to say on it either way. However, as I see more and more posts, I see more and more inconsistency. I was recently involved in several debates over this NFL Flag Kneeling situation and I wanted to share a few thoughts on this because if anything points out the lack of political inconsistency in this nation, this issue is surely it. I can almost bet that neither side of the political spectrum will like this post, but it needs to be said all the same because I would also bet that neither side has given it much thought. To be clear, both the players and the fans are out of control on this one.

First, let us remind ourselves that players didn’t consistently come out for the anthem until about 2009. This is because they were in the locker room getting yelled at by the coaches about how they their jobs were on the line if they didn’t perform out on the field. This is good time to remind everyone that these guys play a game. They are not political leaders so please… take their opinions with a grain of salt. Furthermore, there are no NFL rules demanding that players are present or that they stand, but that is entirely irrelevant and it is a crazy thing to even try to debate at this point. This is because there are already rules in place.

Yes… there are rules for flag etiquette and they apply to ALL citizens. Of course, nobody really cares about that these days. Let me start with something simple. According to the flag codes, the flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. This is broken all the time and nobody says a word. The flag should also not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. This is broken all the time as well and exactly how many protests have seen over these repeated violation? NONE! This is because the people that are complaining about the kneeling are the ones who often violate these rules because they love American so much that the flag simply has to be on everything. So be aware of this before you start casting stones over flag etiquette.

Still, I understand why people are upset at the players. Proper etiquette suggests that we:

Stand for the anthem and remove our sunglasses and hats

Place your right hand over your heart or place your hat over your heart until after the last note (unless you are current military – then you give a salute)

Look at the flag throughout the anthem (if one is present) or the performer if a flag is not visible

Remain quiet

Don’t eat or drink during the song

Sing along if you want

And don’t applaud when it’s over

None of these are difficult to do and it isn’t new information, but try to imagine how many of these are broken on a weekly basis by fans both in the stands and in their homes. I would venture to say almost all of them. Understand that the rules don’t say anything about the privacy of your home being immune to these rules. Are you taking your hat off and standing in your living room when you’re by yourself?

Some have noticed these inconsistencies and pointed out the hypocrisy. Guess what? They are right to do it. Still, we all have the right to peacefully protest whatever we want because this is a free country. This means you can kneel if you want and this means that you are free to stop watching games if you want. Just keep in mind that the vast majority are running the risk of coming across as immature and politically inconsistent if they do either at this point.

In spite of the back and forth, I think it’s also important to note that the protests continue on both sides and that nobody is being oppressed into stopping them. Yes, some of the owners are threatening to fire players but this is no different than if you worked at a bank and decided to use the front lobby as your platform; you run the risk of getting fired when acting out like that. The business has customers to appease and you acting out will likely chase some customers away. You still have the freedom to say what you want and you won’t go to jail for it, but that doesn’t mean your actions are without consequence when you are being paid by someone else for your time.

The players are not the only ones protesting though. I think people that disagree with the player’s position are peacefully protesting by voicing their disagreement, burning jerseys or boycotting the games. If the players or teams don’t mind losing money from those they are pissing off, that’s on them but the fans have the right and freedom to disagree. They shouldn’t necessarily be ridiculed for their protest any more than those taking a knee. And guess what? Nobody on either side needs to die a horrible death for their actions. One side doesn’t get the monopoly on protest and it’s quite hypocritical to suggest that they do. However, the protests on both sides seem silly when you really think about it.

The players are protesting the deaths of young black men by police officers – or so we are told. Maybe they really are but according to the Washington Post, in July of 2016, 1,502 people had been shot and killed by on-duty police officers since Jan. 1, 2015. Of them, 732 were white, and 381 were black. Seems like there is something to unite about because it seems everyone is affected. Or how about this? Why are more people not concerned about the fact that roughly three officers are arrested every day for various crimes and that 40% of crimes committed by cops happen on duty? Seems like something to unite about there as well. If you are one to turn this into a racial thing, then why are more people not concerned about the fact that 93 percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks or that 84 percent of white homicide victims are killed by other whites? It’s as though we have lost our collective minds.

But here is my biggest problem with all of this; the flag and/or the anthem do not represent cops and cops do not represent the flag or the anthem. Ironically, most people on either side do not know the documents these things actually represent or the irony of associating one with the other. Furthermore, most officers, soldiers and citizens couldn’t recite Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution without having to look it up and nobody questions how or why we all pledge allegiance, take an oath, love or even hate something we simply do not know. If you don’t like cops acting in tyrannical ways, perhaps you should have a better handle on the laws that restrict them and that render the supposed laws they are enforcing null and void and then work to get rid of those laws. Just a thought.

Here is the deal though. We all have something to be very angry about and those reasons have nothing to do with heritage, cops, color, political lean, statues, bathrooms, sexual orientation or anything else that is being shoved down our throats as of late. What about our economic state? What about the value of your currency? What about taxation? What about the NSA? What about the IRS? What about our corrupt politicians? What about the erosions of our rights? What about the fact that we call ourselves a free country but we have more laws than we can count and incarcerate more people than any other nation for violations of law that are literally repugnant to the Constitution? Which by the way… this is not the fault of law enforcement; this is the fault of YOU demanding something from your government. This is similar to the fact that most of this is NOT the fault of any president in our lifetime and of which all could be easily corrected by the Congress YOU elect – if you could only come together?

I think the biggest problem we face today is a lack of political and ideological consistency. I blame a lot of this on government run education but still. I find it odd that most pick sides of a situation based on what their opponents believe instead of what is right or even accurate. There also seems to be a lack of research from all and this is true on almost all political hot points (immigration, slavery, Native Americans, Civil War, constitution, police shootings, race, etc). Instead of trying to find a reason to oppose one another, I think we should be attempting to foster a culture of enlightenment. If we want to survive as a nation, we need to stop buying into this whole divide and conquer plan which is working out so well those in power.

Look, if a Democrat wants to take a knee during a song that was written by a Democrat and made the national anthem by a Democrat, it doesn’t automatically make him or her a bad person any more than if a Republican wants to boycott a player for kneeling during the anthem while wiping their face with an American flag napkin and ignoring the news about the player doing drugs, assaulting women and murdering innocent people prior. Additionally, if the NFL wants to support the player’s freedom of expression but fine them when they do a little dance after scoring a touchdown, whatever. The whole thing is crazy anyway. This doesn’t make anyone “bad”. What it does is demonstrate a high degree of inconsistency, ignorance or confusion by all.

You see, I don’t disagree with the player’s reasons for kneeling entirely but if the players want to the follow the example of a sub-par player in his hypocritical statement saying he wants ‘freedom for all people’ while wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt and talking about oppression by white people having grown up in an upper middle class white household, let them. There is a reason why jocks have a certain stereotype when it comes to their intellect and there is a reason why I don’t turn to them for my political research or opinion. I honestly feel sorry for anyone that does.

Of course, I don’t disagree with those who oppose kneeling during the anthem entirely either, but if people are going to complain and spew hatred for those players while continually breaking every other part of the flag code and demanding the restriction of rights because they don’t understand that the country they live in is NOT a Christian nation, that it is NOT a democracy and that the Constitution was actually put in place to protect those that THEY disagree with, then let them. There is reason why the left views them as a bunch of ignorant rednecks and this is a big reason why I don’t register with any particular party.

I’m a constitutionalist. You all have the right to be as inconsistent as you want and protest accordingly. Of course I believe police and government in general are out of control but I also believe the people are ignorant of their responsibilities to correct it as well. I think left-leaning revisionist history has done more harm than good but I also think that ignorance on both sides has led to protesting the effect, not the cause. Unfortunately, until people are ready to see certain truths, they will not understand the cause and this is going to get worse… not better. Ignorance is NOT bliss… it’s dangerous.

Of course, quite a few who read this will not agree anyway because it opposes what they have already sold themselves on the topic. Regardless, the facts remain and cherry picking your protest from incomplete information or inconsistent premises is not going to solve anything. Continue your protests either way. I’ll support your right to do it while I shake my head in response to your ignorance and inconsistencies.

That being said… if you’re interested in learning some of the historical truths that you were not given in high school, I would encourage you get a copy of RELOADED: An American Warning and Destroying the Narrative: Looking into the Gray. And for the love whatever you hold dear… stop being so quick follow a trend. Try something different… think for yourself!

[firedupreadytogousa-blog]

Day 14 (2/1): Trump Said There Would Be A Shake-up in Washington… He Wasn’t Expecting It to Come From #TheResistance

Featuring: - The Resistance Report- Avoid Resistance Burnout Be Strategic- Upcoming Meetings/Actions-

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the inauguration and most of us have been protesting, calling, writing, emailing, and shaming our elected (and, in the case of #PresidentBannon, unelected) officials in the government like our lives depend on it… and they certainly do. Yet it seems like every time we turn on the TV, more and more demoralizing shit goes down which leaves us wondering… is this even working? In the long term will this have any affect? And the answer so far is YES and YES!

This Report Is Dedicated to my Brothers and Sisters of the Resistance Movement. Their Amazing Resolve and Selflessness Inspires Me To Keep Fighting Every Day. 

- RESISTANCE REPORT- WE’RE STARTING TO SHAKE UP WASHINGTON

 The large scale protests are working and we are something #PresidentBannon and co didn’t plan for! And there are some pretty tangible FACTS of how #TheResistance movement is having an impact:

- Trump’s visit to Harley Davidson was canceled because they were afraid we would show up. They were probably wise to do so because we would have been there!

- We’ve woken up the Democratic party, to an extent, and given them the confidence on the Federal and State level to show some gumption and take on Tyranny!

State Democrats are pledging to fight Trump’s Immigration #MuslimBan EO. And Republicans Joined in as well! That’s right, Republicans! If you have a minute this week give them a call, tell them you are a democrat and you support them opposing the ban! We will need them to win.

The Senate Dems boycotted 2 votes of Trump’s Cabinet yesterday and Today they boycotted Scott Pruitt’s EPA confirmation hearing. The Republicans may have so shadily changed the rules to vote them on anyway, but the Dems digging their heels in is a good sign for the #resistance.

However, it’s not all peachy on the Dem side. These senators are still voting through Trump’s Cabinet picks. If these are your senators it’s time to pay them a visit at their offices, jam the phone lines and fax machines, and tell them to get with the program. NYC seems to have gotten Schumer on the right track by holding “What The F$#k Chuck” rallies and protests outside his house and office weekly. Let’s get these others into the fold!

- New York City Yemeni-run grocery stores will shut down from 12pm-8pm tomorrow in protest of the immigration #MuslimBan.

- Federal hiring freeze is reversed for VA (Veteran Affairs).

- Courts order Partial stay of the immigration ban for those with valid visas.

- Green card holders can get back in country… for now. Bannon still wants this in the ban.

- Uber pledges $3M and immigration lawyers for its drivers after #DeleteUber trends on Twitter.

- Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) enrollment ads are still aired despite order to cancel.

- The ACLU raised $24M over the weekend (normally 3-4Mil/year). So we can consider spreading the love now.

- HHS, EPA, USDA gag order is still in place, but EPA contracts and grants were released

- EPA climate data is no longer scrubbed from the whitehouse.gov website.

- More people of different career/religious/economic/race backgrounds are considering running for political office than ever before.

- MOST importantly, since we live in a participatory democracy, the people are engaged.

 THIS IS WORKING! These Mass Protests are amazing, and the show of force that we’ve been able to display nationwide is insanely important when combatting #alternativefacts about: public approval, amplifying our voices, and passing this presidency off as polotics as usual! Continue to fight for what is right out of LOVE for our fellow citizens, LOVE for our neighbors, LOVE for humanity, and LOVE for our country.

 -AVOID RESISTANCE BURNOUT: BE STRATEGIC & GO DEEPER ON KEY ISSUES!

For many of us, this is the first time we have EVER participated in activism at this level. Which is great, but, how do we make sure our efforts are actually going to bring about change? This is the million-dollar question groups all over the country are working on. Luckily we don’t have to re-invent the wheel because there are minority activists, LGBTQ activists, environmental activists, etc. who have been doing this for DECADES, and luckily they are on our side.

One thing I’m quickly discovering is that participating solely in events at the Macro level can A) start to fatigue you very quickly and B) bring about some small wins that give us instant gratification, but still fail to address the root cause of the problem (i.e. ACLU was granted a stay for the immigration ban, but it only prevented people with Green Cards from being deported. There will be a larger and longer fight that is needed to get the full ban amended). Local Level/ Grassroots Activist Groups affect policy change long term and allow for you to keep up the energy to fight over the next 4 years.

So how can you prevent Burnout?

1) Prioritize

I know FOMO is real, but you cannot go to every protest, every rally, every meeting, etc. (OMG I sound like my mother). So it’s important to pick and choose what you can make it to, while still maintaining your personal responsibilities and obligations. There are literally Resistance related activities planned every day for the month of February in NYC (full list at end of post). If you couldn’t drop everything and go to JFK or Battery Park, that’s ok! You can make another one that will be equally important.

 2) Join A Local Activist Group

These activist groups are full of experts who know exactly how to mobilize, organize, and connect with surrounding working groups to make a lasting impact. Some groups are set up where they are tackling multiple issues, and some are more strategic focusing on a singular issue (like healthcare, immigration, etc.). Up to you to choose which one suits you best.

Groups can also help keep you apprised of other actions that are going on that you can participate in as well as connect you to other resisters who are taking part so that you don’t have to go at it alone. They also have resources to tap into if you want to take a particular action and need some help. Most importantly, this is a great way to help stay grounded and focused on the mission, and find support from people who are as outraged as you are that want to do something about it.

So how do you find a group? Go to Move-on.org and sign up for notifications or TheIndivisibleGuide.org. I used the indivisible guide to find the group I’m in called Rise & Resist NYC.

 3) Choose 1 Issue to Go Deeper On

Just like with your protest itch, you fight the urge to try and fight every single issue the Trump administration is rapid firing our way! It is impossible. That being said, it is important to focus your energy on the topics you feel most compassionate about while being confident in knowing others are doing the same for the other important issues. Remember we’re all a team and we can divide and conquer.

My Rise & Resist NYC group contains several different working groups designed to tackle specific issues. I joined the “2018 Midterm Elections” action group focusing on New York State Congress! Our goal is to make sure we flip every red district possible in New York, and turn all the “light” blue districts dark blue. If this is something you are passionate about, consider joining Rise & Resist NYC. OR, if you’d rather work on the Federal Level with the national midterm elections, consider joining United Thru Action, as they are working on this right now

 4) Work at Wearing Down Your Representatives

One of the big reasons we’re seeing a shift in the democratic party is because we make it a point to hound our Senators every week. We go to their offices, their homes, and public events they attend to remind them of what we (their constituents) think is best for us, that they work for us, and that we will not go away. From a strategy standpoint this is key! This is how the tea party singlehandedly help win the republicans the House and then the Senate this last year.

So consider joining a rally at your Republican or Democratic Senator’s office. Moveon.org organizes one every Tuesday for #ResistTrumpTuesdays, find out when the next one is by signing up for alerts here. In person visits are the most powerful, but calls are also effective. And if they turn off the phones, you can try writing a letter or faxing them, yes you heard that right, fax them. Find your Senator’s Contact INFO HERE and FAX numbers HERE. When you write or call, state your name and zip code and then question them on their voting records, which you can find here, and let them know if you are disappointed and how it affects you personally.

Also consider rallying at one of your Federal or State Congressman/woman’s next town hall meeting to speak up and discuss issues. This is an angel’s living database of all upcoming Town hall meetings for all Congressmen/women. People with Republican Reps or Senators, it is crucial that you join groups doing this so you can remind the Republicans this is NOT Politics as usual, so stop acting like it. Attend when you can. I guarantee you will not be alone.

 5) Every Little Bit Counts: Donations Will Continue to be BIGLY. This is a 4 Year Fight:

The same logic applies to donations! Again, you cannot donate all your money to every cause, that would be extremely unwise, especially with this administration because you would be poor and they would just kick you to the curb. So consider funding local grassroots movements who are fighting tactically at the local level on your behalf. Some NYC Groups to Consider:

- DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving)

- CAIR (Counsel on American-Islamic Relations)

- IRC (International Rescue Committee)

 -ACTIONS- AS A CONSTIUENT YOU HOLD ALL THE POWER!

ACTIONS FOR TODAY & TOMORROW AM (INSANELY IMPORTANT THINGS GOING ON THIS WEEK)! CALL, FAX, GO TO SENATOR’S OFFICES! Find you Senator’s Contact INFO HERE. Find a local protest event HERE. Find FAX numbers HERE.

 CRUCIAL UPCOMING CABINET VOTES

1) Jeff ‘too racist to be an Alabama Fed Judge’ Sessions committee vote is TUESDAY 1/31 at 10AM! ANYONE Dem or Republican who votes yes for this guy deserves to be on your SHIT LIST FOR LIFE. Never forget who thought this was ok. ASK FOR A DELAY! HE wrote some of the language in the Muslim Ban!

2) Betsy ‘Guns should be in Schools to fight Grizzlies’ Devos- Department of Education. WE ONLY NEED 1 MORE REPUBLICAN TO FLIP TO GUARANTEE SHE DOESN’T GO THROUGH. She is unfit to serve.

3) Andrew Puzder- Department of Labor: Hates the Department of Labor, yet wants to run it… to DESTROY IT.

4) Rick Perry- Department of Energy: Vowed he wanted to get rid of it, was nominated for it, had no idea what it did, acknowledges he’ll have a learning curve, but still wants it… hmmmm this position involved looking after our Nukes… hmmm. *Palm to face*

 UPCOMING DEMONSTRATIONS & TRAININGS- Join Events in Links

NYC- Cick Here for a Full LIST of NYC events and Trainings. There is literally something every day because NYC is awesome!

Washington DC

1/29 (SUN) 10am: Oppose Betsy DeVos! Columbus Circle, Washington DC

4/15 (SAT): Tax Day Rally to demand Trump turn over his Taxes. Everywhere. Link will show you where your local march is

4/29 (SUN): People’s Climate March

5/6 (SAT) 10am-5pm: The Immigrant’s March on Washington

6/11 (SUN) 10am-6pm: National Pride March

 Podcasts To Follow: (Actively Stay Informed)

POD Save America (Formerly Keeping it 1600)

POD Save the World

Robert Reich Resistance Report Facebook Videos (He posts everyday on his Facebook page so follow it!)

Dan Rather’s new Media Page “News And Guts”

"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense"--Winston Churchill.