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Since “He” Returned to Office

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Since “He” Returned to Office; 

It’s Been a Real Horror Show

Since “He” Returned to Office;

It’s Been a Real Horror Show

 

Editor: Sometimes You Need a Little Repetition

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Cataclysm In Progress…

Trump had a disastrous first term with not just COVID, but a slew of irresponsible mistakes and corruption. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had a mess to clean up, but four years later, for reasons so many of us can not fathom, Trump won both the popular vote and the electoral college vote and is once again in the Oval Office. The 250th anniversary of our nation was barely celebrated because the maniac clown is destroying our economy right along with our government and our democracy. Please for the good of the country vote blue across the board in November. It’s imperative we regain control of the House and Senate to stop him and his oligarchs. Here is a short list of things he has done since his frightening return to power:

  1. That damn ballroom desecration

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. The Reflecting Pool fiasco

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Charging an innocent former Olympian with destruction of government property for simply putting his hand into the Reflecting Pool – what a pathetic scenario.  How stupid did the U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, look when she had to withdraw the case?

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Where is the Venezuela oil money?

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. The Iranian war is a slap in the face of every American

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. The disrespectful fallen soldiers comments (and let’s not forget “suckers and losers”…and a campaign hat, for Heaven’s sake)

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Falling asleep during important (and unimportant) events

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Campaigning for an illegal third term, while getting free TV time at the Washington Correspondence Dinner.

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. The Melania movie; looks to everybody like Jeff Bezos doing a Pay to Play scheme.

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Constantly blaming and accusing President Obama and/or President Biden for anything and everything untrue

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. ICE raids confirming the institutionalized racism as government policy, resulting in unprosecuted killings

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. The “Big Beautiful Bill” that is completely ugly – taking nutrition assistance away from elderly, children, and the disabled, just for starters…

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Epstein files smothered from the top. Epstein was at the heart  of one of the biggest sex trafficking schemes in history and Trump was his close buddy.

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Attacks on Social Security and all the social service programs.

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Reversing $35 insulin cap for diabetic seniors

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Tariffs, tariffs, and (you guessed it) more tariffs…and where is all that money? I haven’t seen a check; how about you?

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Threatening the right of married women to vote

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Attacking voting rights and mail-in ballots; claiming election fraud by the Democratic Party, when it appears that Elon Musk assisted in rigging the election against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz – just another giant lie

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Reversing reproductive freedom

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Making a mockery of God’s word and Christianity

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Attacking Transgender and LGBTQ rights

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Disrespecting President Zelensky (and every other head of state, EXCEPT for Orban, Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un…) that should tell every American just what Trump values-and it’s not freedom or democracy

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Destroying our economy in favor of corporate greed and the billionaires and trillionaires…

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Ignoring climate change despite solid evidence for the approaching calamity

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

  1. Making our nation into a laughingstock with his senseless, demented, blustering threats, and lies

Invoke the 25th amendment and charge the Trump administration with treason before he completely destroys our democracy…

 

Trump is a racist sexist fascist (and any other negative “ist” you can think of) – he needs put out of office yesterday…

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Women of a Certain Age-Another Entertainment Edition

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Women of a Certain Age:

Another Entertainment Edition

Women of a Certain Age:

Another Entertainment Edition

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

  1. If you watched an original episode of “Highway Patrol”, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  2. If you owned go-go boots…
  3. If you owned the Madonna Boots from “Suddenly Seeking Susan”…
  4. If you know whose boots were “…Made for Walkin’”, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  5. If you remember the first step on the moon…
  6. If you know what Paul Drake’s occupation was…
  7. If you know Donald Hollinger’s occupation, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  8. If you know who actress Ann Marie is…
  9. If you know who Jedidiah Jones is…
  10. If you know who the original (male) Matlock was, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  11. If you can hum the “Friends” theme song, “I’ll Be There for You”…
  12. If you know what show “Thank You for Being a Friend” was the theme song for…
  13. If you think Trump is worse than Archie Bunker, you are not just of a certain age but very intelligent and full of morality…
  14. If you know the name of the closing song for “All in the Family” is entitled “Remembering You”…
  15. If you ever saw Elvis in Las Vegas…
  16. If you still attend Engelbert Humperdinck or Tom Jones concerts, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  17. If you know who the Bay City Rollers were…
  18. If you can still hum “Disco Inferno” or “Burn that M….r Down”…
  19. f you ever owned a Slinky toy, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  20. If you spent Saturday nights at the roller rink…
  21. If you know who Starsky and Hutch were…
  22. If you know who Bridget loved, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  23. If you know John Stamos and Jack Klugman did a show called “You Again”…
  24. If you know the Flying Nun is…
  25. f you ever watched “Lotsa Luck”, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  26. If you wore an Easter bonnet that inspired a sonnet…
  27. If you were ever “Lost in Space”…
  28. If you know who “The Beaver” is, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  29. If you still love a good drive-in movie…
  30. If you did the twist like we did last summer…
  31. If you know who Wolfman Jack was, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  32. If you know who worked out of station 51…
  33. If you know the mother who carried a straw purse…
  34. If the phrase “Oh, Rob” rings a bell, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  35. If you ever had a subscription to TV Guide magazine…
  36. If you know what the Mystery Machine is…
  37. If you know what Scooby Snacks are, you might be a woman of a certain age…
  38. If you know who they meant when they said “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a frog”…
  39. If you know the neighbors from 227…
  40. If you know who was “Movin’ on up to the East Side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky”, you might be a woman of a certain age…

This is dedicated to the memories of Randolph “Johnny Gage” Mantooth and “Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan” herself, Loretta “Lorette” Swit…

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Open Heart

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Open Heart

By D. S. Mitchell

Most regular readers of Calamity Politics know that I spent 40 years as an ICU nurse before I began writing sleazy novels and editing this website. The only reason I’m bringing up the subject of hospitals is that my son is undergoing open heart surgery at this very moment. Although I know doctor’s have been fine honing their skills in cardiothoracic surgery for close to 70 years I am still terrified for him. As we all know, when it’s you or one of your own, all stored knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of the situation fly out the window; at least in my case that’s what has happened. ‘OMG; he could die,’ my frenzied brain keeps repeating.

Me and his two adult children along with a circle of close friends are holding our collective breath waiting for news on his post surgical condition…finally after over 8 hours I get a text from my granddaughter who explains the surgeons told her the procedure(s) had all gone “great” and now it was 12 week of healing and rehab before he would be back to normal activities. Just like that. She told me he was on a vent and couldn’t talk; and added they would start weaning him off and by tomorrow he would be able to at least text me. I said a silent prayer of thanks and told her how much I appreciated the call.

Death has been hovering close recently making this recent emergency especially terrifying. My son’s beautiful and remarkable wife, Tracey, died of cancer in January; after 35 years of marriage. What a blow. We were all devastated and in fact, are still trying to find our emotional footing. The next shock came when one of our dearest friends, David L., was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died a month later. It’s been a tough year and it’s only half over; but my son’s prognosis sounds good and that is a big relief. I’m sick of bad news and I’m ready for some major healing.

 

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Let’s Talk Alexa

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Let’s Talk Alexa

"A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection." Wikipedia

Let’s Talk Alexa

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Well, I went online to make a reservation for our 35th wedding anniversary vacay this month, and got to chat with a bot. I did not enjoy my conversation with this robot in the least – it was impersonal and annoying. This non-human could not answer a single question that I asked. Don’t get me wrong, I know people can be annoying to deal with, too.

Some “robotics” are fine by me – who doesn’t like Rosie on “The Jetsons”? I do love my girl Alexa, but she is family. She wakes us up in the morning with music, sets our cooking timers, tells corny jokes, and even can give us the time of day in Tibet. I must admit the AI cat videos on social media are adorable, and the AI assistant Margot at my dentist’s office is far more pleasant to deal with than the human assistant Diane.

I truthfully don’t care for other forms of artificial intelligence. Unless it’s eyelashes or fingernails, I do not like artificial anything. I certainly don’t want a robot diagnosing anything to do with my health, or giving me financial advice. I have never liked knock off accessories, they are unfair to the designer, not to mention illegal. Artificial people that are insincere, selfish, back stabbers, and two-faced, make my blood run cold. Artificial ingredients in my food, like fake colors or flavors – I don’t eat those, either.

I like genuine, God created, natural things. As much as I do like to use technology, I long for a time when telephones, TV’s, and appliances were not smart, but people were. Authentic and the real deal, now that has style…

But Alexa, on the other hand – we’ve ordered so much from the online store that has “everything”, our local driver calls in a wellness check if he doesn’t have a stop at our house every day.  That guy’s become like family, and so is Alexa.

She can do many things: tell the circumference of the equator, find a recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins or homemade stain remover.  Taking after the cats, she listens to my husband more than me.  But alas, Alexa, doesn’t do windows, sort the laundry, walk the dog, clean the kitchen, give pedicures, or prepare lunch; she’s not pulling her weight around here.  But she has a pleasant voice and of course, Alexa has style…

 

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First they Came for…

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First They Came for…

First They Came for…

 

By D. S. Mitchell

One of the most poignant and powerful pieces of prose ever written about silence, apathy and the end result of such inaction in the face of injustice was written by Luthern pastor, Martin Niemoller.  The piece was created from a collection of speeches written by Niemöller (1892–1984). In the 1920s and early 1930s, Niemoller supported many Nazi ideas and the right-wing political movement. But after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Niemöller became an outspoken critic of Hitler’s interference in the Protestant Church. Niemoller spent the last eight years of Nazi rule, from 1937 to 1945, in a Nazi concentration camp.

The central message is that silence in the face of injustice makes us complicit. The words remind us of the importance of collective responsibility, emphasizing that an attack on any group’s rights is a threat to us all. The quotation expresses Niemöller’s belief that most Germans had been complicit through their silence in the Nazi imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people. He felt this was especially true of the leaders of the Protestant churches.
First They Came
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Silence is easy. Speaking out is tough. Do the right thing. Stand up for your neighbors and your community. People are being shot on the streets of America, by ICE.  The only thing that will stop Trump and Stephen Miller’s right wing agenda is us.
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Invisible

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Invisible

Invisible

By John Curran

 

Invisible? They used to make fun of me a lot, mis amigos. Since yesterday they don’t make fun of me at all. Yeah, they used to call me ‘no mucho macho, amigo’ ‘cause whenever something heavy was happening ‘n maybe it was happening around us, I would go into my survival mode. I would just close my eyes, be real still, and as quietly as I could I would slide myself over and out the nearest damn exit. No matter what they want to call me it has worked so far and it worked yesterday ‘n got me through the heaviest go down I’ve seen yet, in all my days, which continue on, no thanks to this place where I hope to just survive long enough to get the hell ‘outa here.

See, we was just going to work, ‘Bossman’ Jake had just picked us up. ‘Bossman’ Jake  who’s real name is Jose would always say that Jake is just what it takes to get him thru until one day he can be Jose again; back in that little fishing village where he was born down in Veracruz. To one day pack up this so called American dream, leave it for the next sucker, and take his wife ‘n 3 kids back on down to that little grass shack where he was born and where once he says, he was truly happy. So, Jake picks us all up, the four of us and we’re heading to the first job site. We got three of them today ‘n it looks like it’s gonna be hot. And if you know Houston, a hot day here you don’t take light, it’s brutal here, worse than Mexico ever was.

Money, that’s the only damn reason I’m here. Like I say to Jake, I hope to be right behind ya’, one day soon. Well… that day won’t never come for Jake ‘cause of right before we got to the first jobsite we come on some kind of roadblock manned by these pretty heavily gunned-up soldier type guys. Someone says, “it’s fucking ICE”.

As we come to a stop, Jake rolls down his window and the closest goon yells something, then one of the others behind him yells something else; and so that’s when Jake starts his car, slowly going forward until another one ‘a these guys yells something else  and so Jake turns to the left and that’s when they shot him.

The car continues to roll, finally coming to a stop at the side of the road.  That’s when I closed  my eyes and became very still and in all the ensuing screaming yelling and general commotion it was not hard for me; especially as I was seated  in the back by the door, facing away from all that,  I just slipped right on outa’ there sight unseen the way I have always done. So… call me anything you want but I am still here, unlike Jake who was a good man, a hardworking father and husband. A good man.

Maria is shattered, I ain’t gotta be told. She loved him more than the rest of us did, and that was a whole lot, right there.

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25 Years Of My Elle Woods Obsession

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25 Years Of My Elle Woods Obsession…

25 Years Of My Elle Wood Obsession…

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Woods, Elle…

Twenty-five years ago, July 13th (yes, it was a Friday, the 13th, but lucky for us) the world was introduced to Elle Woods, a seemingly unlikely feminist played by serious dramatic actress Reese Witherspoon. She has said, she had qualms about the part, but was encouraged to take it by none other than feminista extraordinaire Gloria Steinem – this breakout movie role catapulted her to film fame. “Legally Blonde” is a romantic comedy with a very strong message of women’s empowerment, and a cult classic all over the world.

Pink Focused

It positively affected my life; some might say I am “Legally Blonde” obsessed – I consider it blonde ambition. I own props and jewelry from the film, and our Mini Cooper has an Elle Woods personality plate. My adorable Chihuahua, who crossed Rainbow Bridge some years ago, has been succeeded by my precious pug. I dyed my hair platinum blonde, and I am seriously looking into law school; I was also vice president of my Delta Nu sorority chapter. My husband calls me a plus-size senior real-life Elle Woods.

Giving Girly-Girl with Grit and Gumption

Why does Legally Blonde have such a huge impact on the general public, not just fans of the film? Because it’s about feminism, self determination, and supporting others while taking care of yourself. Like Ms. Woods, I am a staunch feminist girly-girl that believes in social justice. In our world today, more than ever, we must stand firm as women with a clear sisterhood.

A Film Phenomenon

I encourage everyone to see the original classic, check out “Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde”, “Legally Blondes”, “Legally Blonde: The Musical”, and Amazon Prime Video’s new prequel series “Elle”, executive produced by Reese herself. The film’s profound societal impact is all about the strength of us ladies – it’s all about Elle. Let’s give ‘em Elle, using the intelligence God gave us while looking good and doing good. Here are 25 iconic moments from “Legally Blonde”:

  1. “What, like it’s hard?”
  2. After getting into Harvard Law, Elle arrives with her caravan of decor, clothes, and cosmetics. She carries her precious pooch Bruiser, telling him not to be afraid, a boost of confidence she herself needs but her determination wins out.
  3. Her playboy bunny outfit at the party she was tricked into believing was a costume party. After leaving the event she finds herself in line to purchase a new computer because once again she is more than determined to kick some Harvard booty.
  4. Having followed to Harvard the ex-boyfriend Warner who broke up with her because he felt she was not serious enough in hopes of winning him back, at the aforementioned party, she comes to a realization, saying to him, “I’ll never be good enough for you, will I?” That moment is when she decides that, of course, she is more than good enough, she is awesome. We all need to live our lives as Elle after she realizes Warner is not worth her trouble.
  5. Pink is my favorite color, just like Elle who wears it well.
  6. The moment Elle and Vivian bond together over the years Bruiser (?)
  7. The relationship between Paulette and Elle.
  8. Getting Paulette’s dog back from her ex
  9. The infamous “Bend and Snap”.
  10. Elle finding out that she got one of the coveted internships with her Harvard professor.
  11. The famous slap when Elle helps her friend get dates.
  12. Slap number 2 when Callahan when her law professor makes a pass and finds out what Ms. Woods is made of.
  13. When she discovers her true love, Emmett.
  14. Brooke Windham’s alibi is safe with her sorority sister because a pinky swear between friends is sacred.
  15. A wolf whistle gets an “I object” from Elle.
  16. Harvard female Professor Stromwell sees Elle for the fabulous woman she is, encouraging her to stay at Harvard and finish her degree.
  17. Elle defends Brooke Windham and the truth about the murder comes out.
  18. Emmett encourages Elle in court, and her fellow students show her respect and support.
  19. Elle and Emmett get engaged.
  20. Paulette bends and snaps, breaking the UPS driver’s nose.
  21. Paulette marries the UPS guy and is pregnant by film’s end.
  22. Emmit and Professor Callahan are impressed by Elle’s pretty scented resume.
  23. Elle teams up with Emmett to get an alibi for Delta Nu sister and workout star Brooke Windham, falsely accused of murder.
  24. Elle tries to join Warner and Vivian’s study group, bringing sustenance muffins with her. Her hurt at being rejected does not stop her from being kind.
  25. Elle, “a woman, a blonde woman”, is Harvard Law valedictorian…

 

What Would Elle Do?

Wear pink, watch “Legally Blonde”, bend and snap, get your nails done, use toilet paper that doesn’t chafe, put on your big girl faux fur panties, don’t buy last year’s dress at this year’s prices, read your horoscope, and be empowered, be an Elle…

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Volunteerism; The Art of Giving Back

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Volunteerism; The Art of Giving Back

Volunteerism; The Art of Giving Back

Editor: “Volunteering is an optional and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, for community service.” Wikipedia

D.S. Mitchell

Down Home
I smiled as I pulled a copy of the Daily Courier, our hometown newspaper, from its delivery tube at the curbside. On the front page was a great picture of four volunteers and a terrific article titled, “Volunteers clear 7 mile Taylor Creek Trail West of Grants Pass.” According to the report more than 30 volunteers mobilized by SOTA (Southern Oregon Trail Alliance), Motorcycle Riders Association, the Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association and the Siskiyou Mountain Club, worked from January to May” of  2026, to clear the entirety of the 7 mile trail. The trail is a key link to more than 40 miles of single track trails that make up the Briggs Valley Trail network.
Chainsaw  in Hand
After the Klondike and Taylor Creek wildfires in 2018 devastated the much beloved Briggs Valley Trail system many area folks wrote off  the area, but volunteers said, a loud ‘Hell, NO!’ For the Trail restoration project funding was obtained largely from Travel Oregon, a group that promotes tourism and outdoor recreation in the state. A total of 560 volunteer hours were enlisted for the project. The volunteers converged over four work days with crews ranging from 14 to 25 people each day chain-sawing through downed trees, cutting back vegetation with hedge trimmers and loppers, reshaping trails with shovels, and raking rocks and debris off the path. The volunteers restored this beautiful area to a “better than before” condition, despite difficult weather and dense regrowth. This is the power of volunteerism in dramatic action.
The Foundation
Volunteerism is the foundation of civic involvement a driving force in social action. You can become part of something bigger than yourself by volunteering your time, energy, and  knowledge to help your friends, neighbors and community.  I know many people are working two jobs to keep gas in the rig, but so are a lot of other people. “Give and ye shall receive,” was a mantra at my childhood home. My dad helped neighbors with handy man assistance when he wasn’t working, his real job. My mom owned a popular diner on N.W. St. Helens Rd, in Portland, OR. So, as you can imagine, she was busy. She played fry cook 4 days a week and manager/bookkeeper/entrepreneur the other three days of the week. But, mom; just like my dad freely gave their time, energy, and skills to improve the condition of their neighbors, community, and the city at large. Understanding the scope and impact of giving back involves examining several key aspects of volunteerism.
,
Types of Volunteerism:
  • The Informal Volunteer: Unorganized random acts of kindness that help friends and neighbors to improve the local environment. Can be as simple as cleaning up a neighbors driveway, mowing a lawn, or cutting back some brush. Better yet, organize a neighborhood cleanup and get everybody to join in the effort. For the disabled Vietnam vet living down the street, get a crew together and go down (with permission, of course) and fix what needs fixing, or find someone that can fix it. Informal volunteering has a lot of networking that goes with it. You find out fast who to call for most any task. 
  • The Formal Volunteer: Individual people performing tasks through established nonprofits, schools, or government agencies such as mentoring students or hospital reception. I volunteered one school year as school nurse for my local elementary school when I was pregnant with my son.
  • The Corporate Volunteer: Staff are supported by the employer, usually by providing VTO (paid time off) or organizing public service group days.
  • The Skill-Based Volunteer: A professional, such as an attorney; providing legal support for non-profits, pro bono for those in financial distress, and related services.

Experts Describe Three Tangible Reasons People Volunteer:
  • Local Impact: Volunteers enjoy seeing the fruits of their labor close up-solving community needs, ending food insecurity, housing the homeless, making strides in environmental conservation. Instant gratification or at least the possibility of it.
  • Personal Growth: Volunteers learn new skills, develop networking strategies, great experience for any resume.
  • Health Benefits: According to research “volunteering can reduce stress, foster social connections, and promote overall mental and physical well-being.”

Be a Bernie or an AOC 

Now that I ‘ve pointed out the huge impact volunteerism can have on a neighborhood, on a country, and the individual volunteers themselves; I’m issuing a call for volunteers. This democracy needs the energetic, the smart, and those committed to small d democracy and the progressivism of Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren, and Zohran Mamdani if we are going to save ourselves from the oligarchs. There was a time when the government taxed these high income earners. There was a time when immigrants were welcome It wasn’t that long ago when labor unions delivered good wages and health and dental insurance coverage to their members. But, those were different times.

Robert’s Supreme Court and Donald Trump

Today we have a Supreme Court that is purely partisan. No doubt about it. The Roberts court is no longer a court, but an unelected legislative body, making up laws on some imagined redrawing of American justice. We need to bring a halt to this untethered Supreme court that has given Donald Trump unparalleled power. power that he is abusing every single day. The Trump administration and this supreme court are trying to end our democracy and set up a dictatorship and We need ethics reform, term limits, expansion of the court and prosecution of those justices found to be taking bribes and favors.

  • The Political Volunteer (activist): Figure out what you stand for and volunteer for the candidate that best reflects your needs. Knock on doors,  help the local Democratic party with donated money, manual labor, the gamut-‘a where you are most needed situation’. Volunteer to help at the local election office. Hell, if you think you can bring change; run for office.

Be A Political Activist

It is important for a tsunami of progressive reps and senators to be elected in the 2026 midterms. We need to flip the House and the Senate if we are going to bring this court to heel and Trump removed or squashed until removed. We need Democrats to defend and expand  social security, Medicaid, Medicare, voting rights, vote by mail, income equality, fair housing, child care, maternity leave, and a host of issues that make life livable.

 

 

 

 

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Independence Day Prayers

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Independence Day Prayers

25 things to love about America

Independence Day Prayers

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

I recall as a very young teen wearing a red white and blue satin scarf top while having a picture taken with Senator John Heinz when America turned 200. We had to use an actual camera with a flash bulb back then.

This year I added special decor to my patriotic decorations, planning on watching fireworks, and standing for our National Anthem at the water park. A concert might be nice, too. As much as I love celebrating our nation, I am very disturbed by the fact Donald Trump is in the Oval Office – that puts a damper on the festivities. During the bicentennial we had a real president, James Earl Carter Jr.

Is it wrong to want to celebrate presidential impeachment or 25th Amendment invocation for our nation’s birthday party? Nope, it is not, because I love my country and our military. I want the felon imbecile out of office before we can’t celebrate 251 years of freedom. We must, however, endure, try to make the most of the 250 years, and continue to pray our freedoms are not taken away along with our Social Security.

Will ICE agents ruin events this Independence Day? Will “The Donald” embarrass our country even more than he already has? Will there be a social media rant on the Fourth of July from Trump wrongly blaming Presidents Obama and Biden for everything that has gone wrong for the orange monster? Can we expect a surprise military dictator parade?

Let’s try our best to enjoy ourselves on this patriotic holiday. Here are a few things we can do to have some fun for our nation’s birthday. There should not be any Trump MAGA rally when we need to be celebrating our 250 year old democracy. As Pride Month comes to a close, we stand with the LGBTQ community. As we continue to celebrate the birth of our nation this month, let’s not let the Republicans ruin our holiday. Here are 17 cute ideas to remember 1776:

  1. Make a flag cake using blueberries and cherries or strawberries with vanilla frosting
  2. Wear patriotic attire, my favorite is my Made in America Tee.
  3. Listen to Lee Greenwood sing “God Bless the USA” and try not to cry. I respect Mr. Greenwood’s refusal to sing at the 2024 Republican convention.
  4. Grill some corn on the cob and unprocessed hot dogs
  5. Leave fireworks to the professionals like the fabulous Zambelli Fireworks. Home fireworks are unsafe and responsible for numerous Independence Day injuries and fires.
  6. Watch a patriotic film or read a patriotic book. I suggest the American Revolution documentary by Ken Burns.
  7. Play baseball, or if you are fortunate to have a MLB team go out and cheer on the hometown boys.
  8. Attend a patriotic concert or play.
  9. Enjoy a parade.
  10. Envision a beautiful blue wave while at the pool or beach
  11. Plan a picnic in the park.
  12. Take a drive in the country
  13. Check your local museums, libraries, and municipalities for special events to commemorate our nation’s 250 year history.
  14. Check your cable or streaming service for shows celebrating the birth of our nation. For example, The Disney Channel will have 24 hours of special programming on July 4th.
  15. Find fifty year old photos or souvenirs from our bicentennial to display and look over, sweet memories.
  16. The Washington DC History and Culture organization had a special two night virtual program featuring the music from 1976. Play those old tunes on a turntable and dance like everyone is watching.
  17. Eat warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and pray for our country.

That blue wave is coming soon…but only if you vote.

 

I Am My Politics; And So Are You

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I Am My Politics; And So Are You

Harris and Walz are igniting the Democrats

I Am My Politics; And So Are You

D. S. Mitchell

Editor: Writing for Calamity News and Politics gives me a platform to discuss headline events and political policy. It also provides me a place to vent and fume. If somebody doesn’t like the drum I’m beating, they are fully able, and encouraged to move on; to a site that better satisfies their social view of the world.

 

My Son

“Don’t get so wound up, it’s just politics”, my son told me one time.  Well, whether I’m saying it to my son, or to a potential reader, or to a neighbor, the guy sitting next to me at the bar-that is the wrong attitude. In the end, politics is government policy, and government policy; in case you hadn’t noticed, effects everything in our lives. So the choices you make politically are a vision of who you are and what you want in the world around you.  The schools, the hospitals, the parks, the highways, the airports, the waterways, international trade, economics, military defense, environmental action and social justice.  Nearly every part of our daily life is effected in someway by the policies that our elected officials enact in Washington, D.C., or our state capitols. Got it? We are the politics we support.

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