A bit of political humour “as Gaeilge” (in Irish)

by

I have been learning Irish for several years now. I don’t have as much time as I’d like to devote to it but I don’t let that stop me from persisting. Little by little, a word here and there, and now this crazy language doesn’t look quite as strange as when I first started to tackle it.

My longtime tutor and fellow learner sent me this one panel today. It gave me a much needed giggle. Of course, I had to work out the grammar and vocabulary.

space

Déanta na fírinne = Actually / In fact

is lú an bhuairt a chuireann = is less concerning

hionróirí seo ón spás = these invaders from space

ná = than

an ceannaire = the leader

a bhfuilimid á dtabhairt chuige. = to whom we are taking them.

Actually, these invaders from space are less troubling than the leader we’re taking them to.

Unwanted Advances

by

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.

Learn more:
https://www.rainn.org/about-sexual-assault
http://www.consented.ca/myths/sexual-harassment-is-flattering/

Just the facts, Ma’am

by

Despite what the media would have you believe, 2.4 plus million more voters have chosen Hillary over Bernie in the primaries so far.

Despite what Bernie’s out of control followers want to believe, as of today, Hillary Clinton has 767 more delegates than Bernie.
Hillary_Bernie_count
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.

hillary2016_blueshirt

Just the Facts, Delegate Math

by

yourvotecountsBefore 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.

– Government 101 explains presidential primaries

– How Stuff Works explains how presidential primaries work

– I like the Bloomberg delegate tracker

– 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.

Politics is a long game.