Most Dangerous Group in Human History

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OPINION:

The Most Dangerous Group in Human History

OPINION:

The Most Dangerous Group in Human History

By Karen Tate

Not Since Eisenhower Has There Been an Ethical Republican President

I’ve often written in my published books and essays that knowledge is power.  Of course, I didn’t know that growing up in the South where our public school books barely scratched the surface on the evils of the Civil War, patriarchy, sexism, racism, or social justice.  Neither were we encouraged to be good citizens with a firm handle on civics and how the government worked.  Men and religious institutions were in charge and vital subjects like sex, power, religion and money were not talked about.  Taking a back seat and having babies was a woman’s role in life.  I had to move to California to begin to get an education and discover how stunted so many of our educations actually are depending on where we grow up and what our socio-economic  background might be.  Then I had to care enough to educate myself and leave my racist culture behind and become a feminist, or I think the more accurate word today is a womanist.

I’m reminded of all that in these last few years as I rub shoulders with those who would rather not know anything, critically think or choose instead to be apolitical and take a back seat and let someone else do their thinking for them.  I have to remember we don’t know what we don’t know.  Had I not left the South I doubt I’d ever have discovered the eminent scholar Noam Chomsky nor would I have taken the rare opportunity to interview him on my podcast.  I wouldn’t have known he considered the Republican Party the most dangerous organization in human history and though he was primarily talking about climate change at the time, he also said, “Has there ever been an organization in human history that is dedicated, with such commitment, to the destruction of organized human life on Earth?” And he had not yet experienced Donald Trump’s presidency, nor was Project 2025 fully fleshed out as we understand it today.

I believe Prof. Chomsky assessed the GOP as he does for more than their position on climate change by reminding readers we have not had a lawful and ethical Republican president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Knowledge is power and it’s important to be armed with truthful information.  How many of us don’t know or were never taught the following facts about past Republican presidents and their administrations?   As my historical account below will attest, Republican Presidents have been guilty of war crimes, election interference, committing treason, sometimes  by conspiring with foreign governments, and much more, to acquire or hold power  for decades since Eisenhower.  Yes, there have been Republican traitors in the White House before Donald Trump even if you didn’t learn about it in school, discover it buried in the news or followed the headlines.

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Progress Report: The Women’s Collective

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Progress Report:

“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free…”

 

Lady Liberty and the 2025 Fourth of July

By Vajra Ma

July 4, 2025, for me was a day of both mourning and celebration. I mourn the accelerating firestorm of Project 2025 (do your research). I celebrate that I spent the day with people who share my view, but also with some who support the acceleration (although I tend to think if they recognized the earmarks of the authoritarian playbook, they wouldn’t). Why do I celebrate that? Because the hope of this nation, indeed the world, is that we came together as human beings across the divide that would conquer us. We shared company, conversation, food, music and laughter across the divide. WE celebrated our common humanity.

But what about the rest of humanity…?

To that end I share this uniting view in “The Women’s Collective”, a pamphlet written in 2017 by my late husband Wolfgang Nebmaier. [excerpt from “The Women’s Collective” by Wolfgang Nebmaier with Vajra Ma, © Shakti Moon Publishing, 2017]

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50 Negative Trump Adjectives

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50 Negative Trump Adjectives

50 Negative Trump Adjectives

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is happy to announce that I, Editor-in-Chief, the only Editor-in-Fact, am going to devote the entire first political blog post of the day to a really nasty game. The ‘game’ will not distract from my usual in-depth political coverage; that will come later. LOL. My regular readers know that the ‘in-depth’ description is probably a bit misleading. I’m decently polite and tend to shyness. Rarely do I attack. But this morning as I was driving back home from the Acupuncturist I started thinking about Donald J.Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States, con-man, self-promoter and started tossing adjectives around in my head as I made the drive from Cannon Beach to my place at Surf Pines. By the time I’d made the thirty minute drive I’d come up with a new game.

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Summer Beauty

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Summer Beauty and Entertainment Tips

 

Summer Beauty and Entertainment Tips

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Summer is here – we want to look our best while we enjoy the warm temperatures. Don’t let Trump’s tariffs ruin your fun in the sun. Here are some time and money saving ideas for the hot weather months:

 

  1. Use safe sunscreen – the FDA considers only two active ingredients as “generally recognized as safe and effective” – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
  2. Moisturize your body after sun or pool exposure.
  3. Use a gel based moisturizer in hot weather to avoid breakouts.
  4. Make your own body scrubs with sugar, salt, and olive or coconut oils.
  5. Shave often but if you use a disposable razor, change it out after just a few uses.
  6. Use a toner or astringent straight from the refrigerator.
  7. Create a sunburn cream and keep it in the fridge, should you get burned.
  8. Shower or bathe often but use a moisture laden body wash or soap.
  9. Use a non-aluminum deodorant with antiperspirant – try an all over deodorant.
  10. Take advantage of water parks, pools and beaches – enjoy the water but practice water safety.
  11. Enjoy picnics and barbecues, but be mindful of food safety and sanitation. Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer and dry off with paper towels if soap and water are unavailable. Lysol public restrooms in parks and picnic areas. Keep food cold and line public grills with tin foil. Never cross contaminate utensils by using them for raw and cooked food. Separate serving spoons, forks, spatulas, and tongs – rinsing is not sufficient. Carry used items home to be washed in a plastic bag or use disposable cutlery. Do not allow flames to touch food – this produces carcinogens. Do not use non-potable water to wash foods. Never rinse chicken. Wash vegetables and fruit before cooking or consuming to avoid food borne illness.
  12. Summer clothes can be fun and fashionable but beachwear is for the beach, not church, work, or entertainment venues. Get dressed before heading out…
  13. Enjoy outdoor concerts and films – many are free. Take along a bag chair, sweater, non perishable snacks and beverages in insulated reusable bottles but wash them often, after each use. Remember insect repellent for outdoor activities.
  14. A Christmas in July party can be fun. Use a few of your winter decorations to save money on decor. Remember that animals, small children, and those with PTSD, for whom it can trigger flashbacks, don’t like fireworks – please be mindful of this. Small children might enjoy them with earplugs. Consider a parade or picnic during the day but do remember that the five second rule on dropped food does not apply. It’s simply not sanitary or safe to consume what has fallen on the ground.
  15. Have a summer clothing and jewelry swap to remain fashionable on a budget. Be careful with jewelry in the pool – certain stones and gold don’t mix well with the chlorinated water.
  16. Shells are a pretty addition to a porch or patio – so are driftwood and sea glass.
  17. Splash pads are often free or low cost, but many have no locker rooms or showers, and may not have restrooms. Often they are near by facilities with public restrooms so plan accordingly. Do a dry run to figure out the lay of the land before you get your swimsuit ready for a day at the splash park.
  18. Enjoy summer starlit nights with the use of a telescope.
  19. A flower and vegetable garden are not only pretty but practical. Check out a community vegetable patch.
  20. Grill fruit, have an ice cream social, or open a lemonade stand for charity. Summer bake sales can be fun but be careful of chocolate or frosting melting. In addition to campfire s’mores, try bananas split down the center with marshmallows, chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips. Wrap in foil for the fire but be careful when removing them – tin foil can cause burns on your hands and fingers.
  21. Ready your car for road trips by checking oil and tire pressure. Keep water, coolant, and jumper cables handy. Have a good spare tire in your vehicle and join a motor club. Never leave children or pets in hot cars. Consider rail or bus travel.
  22. If you recall days gone by, reminiscing is great but don’t drink from the garden hose or catch fireflies or ladybugs in a jar, even with holes poked in the lid. Let them live in their God-given environment – enjoy looking at them in nature.
  23. Enjoy marina activities but be very careful about boating safety. Never cross alcohol with navigating, and always use life jackets, especially with children, those unable to swim, older adults, and pets.
  24. Take advantage of travel discounts and resident swaps.
  25. Remember to stay hydrated in heat. Don’t ruin your summer with a trip to the emergency room. Avoid caffeine and don’t over indulge alcoholic beverages. Having a fun summer means moderation and sense – don’t risk heat or sun stroke. Enjoy the warm weather – it only lasts a few months…

40 Reasons To Smile

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40 Reasons To Smile

40 Reasons To Smile

D. S. Mitchell

Relish Routine

Here at Calamity Politics, a Wednesday is pretty much the same as a Friday, or a Sunday.  I’m not complaining. In fact, I relish it. I am an individual that loves routine. Up at 5:00, in the pool @5:45, walk the dog at 7:30, coffee @8:30. @9:00 I start scanning the internet for breaking news on the Trump fiasco, going on in the White House. I turn on CNN or MSNBC to get their view of the situation. If it’s a big scandal, I’ll turn on FOX to get their spin. I usually leave the TV playing in the background. You get the idea.

Things That Make Me Smile

But, at least once a week, I stop, and consciously think about how blessed I am, and all the things in life that make me happy; those things that never fail to bring a smile to my face.  Here’s 40 Things That Made Me Smile Today:

  1.  Painting old furniture; giving something old a new life
  2.  Danish Brie and California Chardonnay
  3.  New shoes; makes me want to dance
  4.  Nap time
  5.  Visiting the Planetarium
  6.  Palladian style windows, a whisper of elegance
  7.  Flower baskets in bloom
  8.  The Celtic Cross
  9.  My dog, Lily
  10.  Whales and elephants
  11.  A box of old black and white photos, worth more than gold to see my daddy again
  12.  Taking a Community College class and pulling an A
  13.  Towel warmers in the bathroom
  14.   Reading my daily horoscope
  15.   The Bobble-Head toys in the back window of my friend’s car
  16.   The newspaper. A real newspaper, one that I touch, that I unfold, that I read over coffee
  17.   Street musicians
  18.   YSL Black Opium, perfume
  19.   Glass bowl filled with sun bleached shells
  20.   Three-day week-ends
  21.   My new iPhone
  22.   Wall size antique mirrors
  23.   The delicate beauty of Orchids
  24.   Travel magazines
  25.   Roller coasters
  26.   Drawstring sweat pants
  27.   Little boxes of Sunshine raisins
  28.   Hummingbirds feeding in my garden
  29.   Patsy Cline on my play list
  30.   The muted colors of Madras fabric
  31.   Holding a baby in my arms
  32.   Sharing a banana split with a calorie counting friend
  33.   A handmade greeting card
  34.   Author book signings
  35.   Reading scandal magazines at the grocery checkout stand
  36.   Having help with a big job, four hands are always better than two, if you have six, all the better
  37.   My kitchen junk drawer
  38.   Wrist corsage
  39.  Pagodas in the mist
  40.  Fog horns in the night

The  Protests Go On

I’m about to go watch the kids fly their kites. It is just about a perfect day for kite flying; clear sky, great breeze and a strangely lonely beach for this time of year.   Have a great week, and remember we always have time, to smile. I’m hoping that while you are grinning ear-to-ear you are busy planning for the July 17, 2025, “Good Trouble Lives On” protest. Make a new sign, The protest will be the fifth national day of protest against the Trump administration. The protest will also honor Civil Rights activist icon, congressman, John Lewis. Turn out; make your voices heard. No cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, VA benefits, SNAP or Child Tax Credits. Call your congressman/woman tell them to stop the Big Ugly Bill.

Join the New Resistance

Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

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Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

 

By Wes Hessel

 

Natural Inclinations

When Fourth of July rolls around, the desire for something to light up the night and go boom grows large, as does the temptation to DIY.  It always holds true, fireworks are best left to the professionals, as the consequences can be life changing.

Even Sparklers

The fact is even simple pyrotechnics are potentially quite dangerous.  Sparklers burn at temperatures in the area of 2000 degrees – that is about nine and a half times the boiling point of water, high enough for some metals to melt.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has said sparklers account for over ¼ of the ER trips for injuries caused by fireworks, and “For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.”

Causing Fires

The NFPA reported in 2017 fireworks led to about 19,500 fires: almost 1 in 10 of those to structures, 500 of them burning vehicles, and 17,100 outdoor or other fire types.  Five years later (2022 – the latest available statistics), these stats skyrocketed (pun intended) to 31,302 blazes – 3,504 structures, 887 vehicles, 26,492 outside, and 418 unclassified. These incidents caused six deaths, 44 injuries to civilians alone, and $109 million of property damage directly connected.

Young Children

Direct fireworks injury numbers are also sobering: three years ago, an estimate of 10,200 ER visits with treatments. Based on the CPSC (the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) report on fireworks for that year, the NFPA stated: “Over half of those injuries were to the extremities (29% hands and fingers, 19% legs, 5% arms) and 35% were to the eyes or other parts of the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 28% of the estimated 2022 injuries.”

Triggers

And there are other factors to consider, such as the loud noise-young children cannot only be scared by it, but their hearing can be damaged. People with PTSD often can be triggered by such stimuli, and one isn’t always aware of who is living with this condition. Our pets, also, may not react well to the sound and light effects of fireworks; as a personal example, last year on the 4th I took our puggle for a quick bladder break before we left to watch pro fireworks. Someone in the neighborhood shot off a pyrotechnic and our fur baby turned tail, literally, and practically dragged me to get back in the house. Keeping small, loved ones, be they human or pet, inside will keep them safe from falling fireworks debris and the effects of the strong sounds.

Conclusion

It’s not worth the risk to take fireworks into your own hands – you or someone else could easily get burned in more ways than one.

 

Life is Like the Lazy River

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Life is Like the Lazy River

Life is Like the Lazy River

Editor: When everything seems to be crashing around you, maybe all you need is a few days on the Lazy River.

By Karen Tate

I felt like I was holding on by a thread after my husband’s heart attack.  I found myself a caretaker while working a full-time job, dealing with our out-of-touch employer, editing my new manuscript for my publisher, keeping my radio show on the air and trying to pay the bills – then the opportunity to spend a couple days floating on the Lazy River at a resort in Las Vegas presented itself.

Yes, it was in the hottest part of summer in Las Vegas, but anything was better than being in the office where I could not shake off my boss’ demoralizing words.  I thought our performance for the last thirty years in his employ buffered us from the angst and vulnerability so many workers were feeling these days, but no.  His reply to my query if my husband could expect sick leave during this health crisis kept echoing in my ears.  “I don’t want to pay Roy for sitting home on the couch!”  (I didn’t yet know about disability.) It took all my strength to refrain from hoping in his next life he came back as a fruit fly, a migrant worker picking strawberries or the guy who cleans out port-o-potties.

So we packed up the car and headed for Las Vegas and the Lazy River.  Days of floating in quiet contemplation was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and have a moment to think about something besides stents, pills, and doctors and how overwhelmed I was feeling.

At first, the Lazy River just allowed, allowed, allowed me to be, with no pressure.  I could drift with no place to go but round and round, softly, gently, and quietly.  Even the kids sharing the Lazy River were not a source of aggravation.  It was peaceful and my brain could click off for a few hours.

As the hours turned into days, I began to feel like myself again and before I knew it the creative juices were flowing and this Lazy River became a source of inspiration.

Sometimes we can just float along in life, easily avoiding the chaos all around us, without having to put forth much effort to avoid turbulence.  We see others around us going under but somehow we’ve managed to catch the current that just steadily pulls us along out of harm’s way.  We may be lucky enough to continue like that for a bit, but sooner or later we’re going to brush up against the rocks.  We might even find ourselves feeling water-boarded as we are unable to avoid getting sucked beneath rapids and struggle to the surface gasping for air.   If we’re lucky, in the next few times around the bend, we might be able to catch our breath.  We feel lucky to maneuver ourselves away from the crushing weight of the waterfalls, large and small, we see along the journey.

As we go round and round, with each turn of the wheel, we learn to adapt.  We discern how to place ourselves so that we float along in the most stable position possible.  We stretch and strengthen our muscles to avoid the rocks and rapids.  We keep an eye on the horizon so we might manage to make our way around log jams.  We wear protective covering to ward off direct hits we might not avoid along the way.  Sometimes if we look for them, gifts will present themselves during the journey, and it is so important to be ready to embrace those moments in gratitude.

Sometimes that Sacred Travel Story is nothing more than a short jaunt to a hotel outside Las Vegas where you can get off the hamster wheel, disconnect from the mundane world for a bit, breathe, and listen to that voice within.  We have all the answers inside ourselves.  We just have to slow down, cut out the distractions and tap into that inner voice. It may sound cliché but its true.

 

**Remember to look for and grab the joy that exists between the rain drops!**

Have ‘Ya?

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Have ‘Ya?

Have ‘Ya?

By John Curran

 

Have ‘ya ever seen the workers in the California fields?

Fields that stretch in places as far as the eye can see,

that go on for a hundred miles, two hundred. Vast.

It feeds a nation.

The workers there bent over

to the task.

It must be hard on the back,

after a while.

They’re Mexican though….

It must be damn hot in the summer sun,

Not much shade.

They’re Mexican though….

So,

Have ‘ya ever seen?

OPINION: Little Pink Houses

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OPINION: Little Pink Houses

 

OPINION: Little Pink Houses

Editor: Millions of people attended No King protests nationwide, and some experts believe that it may have been the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Reports indicate that more than 5 million people attended the anti-Trump demonstrations in 2100 towns and cities nationwide.

By John Curran

In our little Mayberry sort of town we have protests too-against this idiot and all his corruption. And an outsider might be surprised because Josephine County, Oregon as well as adjacent counties in this part of the state are, and have been been for years very strongly Republican. The majority vote in the 2024 presidential election was a Trump landslide. At the time of the actual election and preceding it, you would see a lot of pro-Trump signs and endorsements in all its various, and at least here, peaceful forms. The killings ain’t got here, yet. But it is getting a little more tense.

We had our fourth major protest on Saturday; the day when the nation as a whole was saying,  Everywhere is protest. Everywhere is outrage. Everywhere the same desire, get the cancer out before it just destroys everything. And of course, easier said than done.

By legal, institutional means, the political system has been manipulated to enable this huge dysfunction to have achieved the position where it can begin to consume the host and that’s pretty galling if ya ask me. The fact that this monster has been created from within; is us, or at least a good portion of us, the worst of us, sickens me. The resulting power mad soulless Babylon becomes unsustainable for the majority where the ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality just leaves the sick, the disabled, and the less than perfect to die. And with that, it’s obvious they don’t care.

So, ok, and with that, our little town on Saturday June 14th, 2025, had its fourth big protest. What was so cool was that it was bigger, louder, and even more jubilant than ever; like minded people coming together, working for a common cause. A friendly smile, a big hug, we are all getting to know each other just a little bit through these protests. In a way, these protests are more like mass unstructured community outings, mostly people of like feelings, but also, just anybody who knows how to act somewhat normal is welcome. So far so good.

And of course it wouldn’t be a proper protest without a few anti-protesters, to keep it interesting. Before a few was all it had been but this time, it was more like Custer’s last stand with Custer telling the dozen or so assembled, “Get out there boys. Damn they’re back again talking all that stuff about rights, and No Kings and all the while criticizing our fearless and duly elected leader. So get your big trucks and your big boots and let’s make some noise.”

“But sir ….theys so few of us it seems, and theys so many of them.”

And damned if he didn’t hear that and think an actual thought….”Yeah, right, I hadn’t thought of that.”

Despite being outnumbered a few of them actually began walking amongst the crowd, but most were content to just drive by in their pickup trucks and blow black smoke and yell, “Fuck you” a lot. The ones walking through the crowd had put themselves out there,  however,  they mostly walked around smirking and saying cruel and demeaning things to people in wheelchairs, slow elderly people with their walkers, or just anybody, who wanted to question their motives. Motherfucker.

But they don’t really deserve any credit for mingling with the crowd. They weren’t really brave as they wanted us to think; ’cause they could pretty well figure that, even though greatly outnumbered they were not gonna be actually threatened or hurt in any way. They would have to be the ones to start it, cause that’s not who we are. Neither are we poor and pathetic, we’re more like powerful now, and getting more powerful everyday. Do you have to wonder why?

 

Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth

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Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth

Editor: Also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, TX, learned that they were free.

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but it only applied to people in Confederate states, not those enslaved in Union-held territories (they were not freed until the proclamation of the 13th Amendment). In Texas, a Confederate state where there was little Union Army presence, slavery continued years after the Emancipation Proclamation — and even after the 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 —most enslaved people in Texas were not aware of the news. Finally, in June of 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and a contingent of Union troops landed in Galveston, Texas to tell the enslaved peoples that the Civil War had ended and that they were now free. Something worth celebrating, I’d say.

Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth

By Cate Rees-Hessel

Thanks to President Joe Biden, Juneteenth is now a national holiday, as it long should have been. Here are some meaningful ways to celebrate this historic holiday with loved ones:

  1. Wear a Juneteenth T-shirt – my husband and I each have one (mine is pink).
  2. Teach a child about actual Black history.
  3. Teach a child about Abraham Lincoln, a president who was not afraid to end slavery, even if it caused the Civil War.
  4. Attend a Juneteenth event – towns all over the country are celebrating.
  5. Make a donation to the Obama Foundation – obama.org or the NAACP – www.naacp.org.
  6. Make a donation to the United Negro College Fund – after all, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” uncf.org
  7. Watch “The Color Purple” or “Roots”.
  8. Read “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf”
  9. Watch “A Raisin in the Sun”.
  10. Check out the Juneteenth book displays at your local library.
  11. Look for Juneteenth museum displays.
  12. Have a soul food picnic.
  13. Read about the Obamas, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ family.
  14. Research Hakeem Jeffries.
  15. Research Cory Booker.
  16. Post about Junteenth on social media.
  17. Read about the slaves that positively affected the life of Dolley Madison.
  18. Wish people a blessed and happy Juneteenth.
  19. Do something for holiday fun: water park, bike ride, enjoy summer on this new holiday.
  20. Resist racism by protesting against Trump – help save our democracy.
  21. Read about apartheid and Nelson Mandela.
  22. Many Black males are targeted for crimes they do not commit – tell a Black man you love and believe in him.
  23. Support Black owned businesses ( add a few)
  24. Watch Black television shows, listen to Black radio: letsstaytogethertalkshow.com, www.soarradio.com, and visit Black social media: www.facebook.com/theofficialplussizepower/.
  25. Pray for President Biden’s health, and thank him for making this holiday possible.