The presidential campaign of 2016 is sure to go down in the annals of history as one of the nastiest ever. The sexism, ageism, malicious memes, ugly comments, false equivalences and bizarre denials of truth have taken political discourse to a new low.
And then it went even lower.
Trump’s recorded comments about how he can’t resist going up and kissing and touching whomever he wants riled me to the core.
I have had it happen to me. It is an awful experience. And it is wrong. And illegal. Anyone who apologizes for it is a (insert expletive).
The good news is that in the U.S, according to Rainn, “Sexual violence has fallen by half in the last 20 years.” So let’s keep talking about it, educating and sharing about it. Let’s shout it out of existence.
I am fascinated by the current U.S. presidential primaries. I can’t stop reading articles by political analysts, scouring Facebook posts and video clips, following tweets, subreddits and headlines. This political battle has some great characters — tenacious female warrior, crotchety spoiler with revolutionary fantasies, billionaire bully with bad hair. It’s truly history in the making.
What really gets me, what astounds me, is how disconnected from reality so many people are in relation to the events. Why can’t people, especially those on the left, be critical observers of the political landscape and their own political views? Why can’t they see when they are being played, misinformed or manipulated?
My mother was a petty con (which is a story for another time). I grew up watching her use charm, good looks, guilt, misrepresentations of the facts and even her own daughters to “work” people. We were poor, so I understand on one level that she was surviving by one of the ways she knew how. I share this because the experience taught me how to spot manipulators at work and what makes a good “mark”. I have a refined “con-o-meter” and a serious drive for getting at the truth. I do not like getting played.
Several weeks ago, my con-o-meter detected a distinct disingenuousness in Bernie Sanders. (I was not alone.) His campaign and his supporters kept insisting that he had a chance to win the nomination even though he was behind in popular votes and pledged delegates. That was an outright flight of fancy. He would have to win the upcoming primaries by many more points than he had ever won in the previous primaries. It was not going to happen. So, there it was. He was playing his supporters to keep contributions coming in, plain and simple. It was a con. When he declared he could win the nomination by tweaking super delegates to his benefit, his con was in full stride. Even today, despite the count, the Democratic National Committee rules and Hillary’s substantial lead, Sanders continues to bamboozle his supporters. And they, filled with burning rage and self-righteousness, continue to troll and bully any statements that contradict what they want to see happen.
Wow. What a dazzling display of deceit, misinformation and irrationality. And it’s inexcusable.
Almost every syllable uttered, every rally, TV appearance and interview by every candidate of this primary season is documented. There are gigabytes of voter analysis and delegate tracking online. It takes seconds to Google any aspect of the campaign. Seconds. Anyone with a smart phone has more than 4.25 billion pages of information at their fingertips. The Library of Congress is a corner bookstore in comparison. There’s the official political party sites, government data, charts, historical comparisons, polls, projections — anything a political junkie could want. Heck, anyone can browse the internet to get their facts straight while sitting on the john in the morning.
Yet, people continue to sprinkle bulldust everywhere about Bernie’s chances of winning the nomination with nary a nod to actual verifiable sources. They’re guarding that sacred cow, utterly impervious to objective facts. That is not “dreaming big”, that is delusional.
I understand wanting one’s candidate to win. I understand a candidate’s desire to campaign until the last primary is held.
I do not respect a politician milking his followers for support and cash by promising them what he cannot deliver. That is a con.
For those who can’t seem to sort this out for themselves, I offer these caveats.
If you have a simplistic view of how things work you’re going to get played.
If you have big fears about anything, you’re an easy mark.
If you don’t regularly examine the stories you tell yourself to explain this crazy life, then you remain vulnerable to authorities or shysters who will tell you their story, usually for a price.
Never suspend your critical thinking, especially if you think there is a politician, pastor, guru, motivational speaker, or self-proclaimed expert who is going to save you, from anything.
There is a word that describes those who let blind bias blur their vision of reality to the point that they’re left wide open to manipulation.
Women are grossly misrepresented in government worldwide. And the United States has sadly one of the worst records of gender parity in political office.
“There have been 46 female senators of the United States. There have been 1,919 male senators. That’s 98 percent male.
There have been 3 female Secretaries of State in U.S. history and 65 men. That’s just above 95 percent male.
There have been 4 female Supreme Court justices in the United States, including 3 now serving on the bench. There have been 108 male justices. That’s more than 96 percent male.
There have been 44 Presidents of the United States. All men. The math is easy: that’s 100 percent male.”
— Peter Daou, Blue Nation Review
With only three women running for president, and just 104 women holding congressional seats, the U.S. is doing worse than Afghanistan… — Lisa de Bode, America Al Jazeera
When it comes to women rising to the top of their profession an ugly dynamic rears its head.
“A recent Pew Research Center report on women and leadership found that 38% of Americans believe one major reason there aren’t more women in top elective office in the U.S. is that they are held to higher standards than men.”
— Lauren Ken, Pew Research
This U.S. election season is especially distressing. Bernie calls Hillary “unqualified” to cheering crowds with nary a whiff of irony. Crass, loudmouth “Bernie Bros” troll and intimidate, oblivious to or disdainful of the fact that the target of their contempt has more popular votes. Trump, the quintessential bully, beauty pageant owner and braggart tosses out vulgarity towards his female opponent to the delight of his fans.
Women who put themselves forward in the same assertive, confident style as men are routinely found pushy, “bitchy,” or unlikable, and professionally penalized for that, too. — Sady Doyle, Quartz
I am happy and lucky to be in a western country where we can discuss gender bias and the need for more parity. My heart goes out to all the females in countries where misogyny is enshrined in religion and enforced by theocracies. But, enough with any kind of “sliding scale” of acceptable unfairness. All denigration and mistreatment of females simply because they are females is unfair. Everywhere. Why am I even writing such an obvious statement in the 21st century?
The idea of parity has been researched and is considered a very good thing for society. Now, we need it to happen.
So, I and my vagina will vote for the woman. Not for the blustery, finger pointing, self-righteous man who has some pretty nasty sexist supporters, nor for the puffed up chauvinist who can’t control himself in public.
Despite what Bernie’s out of control followers want to believe, as of today, Hillary Clinton has 767 more delegates than Bernie.
Hillary: 2,240 (includes 524 super delegates)
Bernie: 1,473 (includes 40 super delegates)
Not including the super delegates in the tally, Hillary still has 283 more than Bernie.
Primaries are a race for delegates. Hillary needs just 143 more delegates to win the nomination. Bernie needs 910 more delegates to win.
For those of you who think of Bernie’s losing the nomination as a political catastrophe, I suggest reading Hillary’s stances on the issues. That will help calm your anxiety about her winning the nomination.
I just filed our taxes this morning* after hours of preparation. Lots of hours.
Did you know that the United States and Eritrea are the only countries on the planet that require their citizens to file a tax return regardless of residency?
All the other countries in the entire world enforce taxation based on residency, meaning if one lives in the country one is obliged to file in that country only. The United States, and Eritrea, base taxation on citizenship. This shakes out to Americans, and Eritreans, who are living abroad having to file two tax returns, one for the country in which they reside and one for their country of citizenship.
And they better do it, or else.
The Long Arm of the IRS
American expats are threatened with prison and outlandish fines merely for not filing a litany of complex forms correctly—even if no taxes are due in the first place. Nick Giambruno, Senior Editor Internationl Man
There is a tax accord between the U.S. and Canada to avoid double taxation but that is scant consolation. For us, two self-employed workers living in Quebec, the process is tedious. We must use the long 1040 form. The rate of exchange is different between countries so all the amounts must be calculated using a yearly average. Money earned from U.S. sources in U.S. dollars must be converted to Canadian dollars and vice versa. The fact that the province of Quebec has its own peculiar taxation rules is another rub.
Adding insult to injury, one must file a return to the IRS by snail mail (!) from wherever one is living. No e-filing. This is a royal pain.
Why does the U.S. do this?
The first U.S. income tax was enacted in 1861 during the Civil War
… to prevent wealthy people ducking their military and civic obligations by fleeing the U.S. in its time of crisis. John D. McKinnon, Wall Street Journal
Taxation based on citizenship didn’t catch on with other countries, instead they opted for taxation by residence or source of income. But the U.S. stuck with its system.
This small African country charges a 2% “diaspora” tax on all Eritreans living abroad. If those citizens don’t pay up, their families back home face persecution. The Canadian government has taken a hardline against this tax. The United Nations passed a resolution condemning Eritrea’s diaspora tax, calling it extortion. In a startling example of hypocrisy, the United States co-sponsored the resolution.
If Eritrea’s 2% Diaspora Tax is such an egregious example of extra-territorial tax oppression, how does the U.S. escape the same treatment? Don Whiteley, TESFA News
And there’s more
Did you know that the U.S. requires any citizen living abroad to declare whether they have more than $10,000 in assets in any kind of bank, savings account etc.? All Americans living abroad must file a “Financial Enforcement Crimes Network (FinCEN) 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)” or be faced with heavy fines — $10,000 the first offense. The FBAR form comes emblazoned with a nifty scary official seal. Somehow the U.S. government has pressured other countries to report the status of bank accounts belonging to U.S. citizens, essentially doing the U.S.’s spying tracking for them.
Take that thought in.
The Price of Exiting
If someone is tired of dealing with the burdens her citizenship adds to her life outside the U.S., she can denounce her citizenship but it’s going to cost. First, she will owe a filing fee of $2350 then a hefty percentage of her assets. This “exit” tax is all but prohibitive for a modest middle income person. For billionaires, it is doable but costly and inconvenient nevertheless.
Billionaire Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, did renounce citizenship in 2012 which brought a lot of attention to the issue, if not a lot of empathy from the less endowed.
Aaah yes. Money does make the world go round.
*The Canada due date is April 30 unless that date falls on a weekend, then the next business day is the due date. For example, this year, 2016, it is Monday May 2.
Before everyone starts throwing around accusations that the 2016 U.S. presidential primary is rigged or that their candidate of choice is being cheated in the process, take the time to look at the facts. It is straight ahead math based on political party rules.
Again, with a quick consult with the Google one can access clear explanations of how the U.S. primaries work.
– This NPR article lines out where Hillary and Bernie are now before Tuesday 4/26/16 primaries in PA, RI, CT, MD, and DE.
The current presidential candidates from both parties are playing by the rules, so far. (Not like the shenanigans in 2008.)
If you don’t like how the parties allocate delegates, well that is a whole ‘nother can of political worms. You ought to start working grassroots now to change the rules in your state.
I have decided to enjoy the prospect of a competent human with a vagina in the White House. This is historic and definitely something to get excited about and support.
What astounds me is how the candidate running for the presidency, who has “lady parts”, incites some voters to apoplexy.
I understand those on the political right slamming Vagina H, but I am shocked at the attacks from the political left especially when her policies are verifiably liberal. Rankled Penis B supporters throw around some of the worst misinformation with scant regard for the facts, essentially echoing decades of GOP media smears.
It takes but a few minutes with the Google to check out a politician’s stances on the issues. On the Issues, a web sight that compiles all of the elected officials voting records is illustrative. Vagina H is essentially as liberal as Vagina E. Imagine that! Penis B is to the left of both but not by much at all. All three are rated as “hard core liberal”. Hard Core Liberal!
Spelt is an ancient and very nutritious grain that is experiencing a renaissance. It has the benefit of growing successfully without the use of pesticides. The Spelt Bakers is a useful resource.
There is plenty of documentation on how good Oats are. I’ve always loved them. One of my favs is sprinkling raw rolled oats on yougurt.
NOSTALGIA
I have several cooking implements that have histories that go way back. Whenever I use them, I think of how I got them, how long I’ve had them and what steady tools they been. Call me sentimental.
MY VANILLA SECRET
Tip: Buy the best beans that you can. Here’s some info on where vanilla is grown and what to look for. For the rum, I use Mount Gay Rum “Eclipse” Barbados. Honestly don’t skimp on the beans or booze.
the MUSIC
For a 10 second edit I found a short riff I recorded, who knows when.
And then for the finale I added a tease of “Chance to Dance” by none other than the Mad Maggies which you can hear in its entirety at our BandCamp site.
Easter is a good time to share why I wrote the tune “Magdalena’s Revenge”.
the Tune
Magadalena’s Revenge is a fast-paced tune, in 2 4, and is a kind of frailich.
Listen to a full live version on our BandCamp site.
Walking Dead
For those not familiar with christian mythology, Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus’ rising from the dead. There’s nothing new under the sun, even zombie stories. Christ’s rising from the dead and wandering around for 40 days is one of the great zombie stories of all time.
Mary of Magdala was the first one to see Jesus after he rose from the dead. The other disciples were afraid of the authorities and wouldn’t go to the tomb. She was bold and went. She is the one who spread the “good news” that he had risen.
In her gospel, the Gospel of Mary — yes, there are other gospels that the church fathers opted not to include in the new testament — the Magdalene describes the rising of Jesus as a kind of vision, not an actual physical body. That is, of course, more reasonable but so much less spectacular for marketing purposes than a walking, talking previously dead person. Her description of the event was undoubtedly one of the reasons that her gospel didn’t make the final cut of the new testament.
the Backstory
Back in 1995, I watched a documentary based on Susan Haskins definitive work
“Mary Magdalene: Myth and Metaphor”. I was aghast at the blatant re-writing of her life by church fathers hellbent on perpetuating male dominance in christianity. I was irked. I had to write a tune for her.
In a very small nutshell, Mary of Magdala, the Magdalene was the favorite disciple and close companion of Jesus the Nazarene. There is historical evidence that women around Jesus had equal power. This power was eventually eroded by jealous, frightened sex-obsessed, religious leaders.
The church, over a span a several hundred years morphed Mary Magdalene from the historical, empowered special associate of Jesus that she was into a repentant, deferential prostitute which fit the church’s view of women, you know, us scary sexual beings that need to be controlled.
Pope Gregory the Great, in 591, merged three women, including Mary of Magdala, from the early gospels into one person, a repentant prostitute. Vatican II, interestingly, removed the prostitute label. Don’t you just love how those church officials can write and re-write history as they please?
Revenge is sweet
I like it when the truth wins out, even if it takes centuries. After hundreds of years of distortion, the real Mary of Magdala has started to be vindicated by historians.
Lots to read here:
Smithsonian article – Who Was Mary Magdalene? – From the writing of the New Testament to the filming of The Da Vinci Code, her image has been repeatedly conscripted, contorted and contradicted
New Yorker article – The Saintly Sinner – The two-thousand-year obsession with Mary Magdalene
For a while now, I’ve wanted to share how I go about analyzing a song, for example, if I want to transcribe it and arrange parts for the band. Today’s glorious weather inspired me to use our tune «Il Fait un Beau Soleil» (It’s a Sunny Day) to illustrate how to map song structure.
No worries, I am not talking music theory or composition how-tos here. I am simply sharing another way to see music.
You can listen to Il Fait un Beau Soleil for free over on our Bandcamp site. If you’re a musician, try playing along for fun.
My vagina is talking again. Listen up.
There is a tax accord between the U.S. and Canada to avoid double taxation but that is scant consolation. For us, two self-employed workers living in Quebec, the process is tedious. We must use the long 1040 form. The rate of exchange is different between countries so all the amounts must be calculated using a yearly average. Money earned from U.S. sources in U.S. dollars must be converted to Canadian dollars and vice versa. The fact that the province of Quebec has its own peculiar taxation rules is another rub.
You must be logged in to post a comment.