On Insistent, Consistent, and Persistent

No, RantWoman is not thinking of changing her own pronouns. RantWoman is called though to be faithful to a call often to say "pronouns are an essay question." Continuing revelation means RantWoman keeps learning new reasons to say this.

Last Week's FCNL Witness Wednesday Prompt

from Deb Hjel of 

I am part of a monthly reading group organized by La Jolla Friends Meeting in California to study Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship, about Quakers, African Americans and the myth of racial justice. The authors, McDaniel and Julye, tell a story of Abby Kelley Foster, the mid-eighteenth century abolitionist and women’s rights advocate. She separated herself from her Friends Meeting, when they said that they must wait to work against enslavement “until the Lord opens the way.” (p. 92)

“As way opens” is a traditional Quaker statement, yet Foster called it “blasphemy… He never shut the way.”

Is work for peace and social action something that can wait for the appropriate time?  How does our discernment proceed in the face of injustice?

Today's RFCNL Witness Wednesday prompt

From Larissa Sanhuesa quoting Amanda Gorman

When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry. A sea we must wade.

We braved the belly of the beast.

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what “just” is isn’t always justice.

- Amanda Gorman

 

Friends of Color Epistle June 2019

Friends-of-Color Epistle, June 17, 2019

Dear Friends Everywhere,

Eighteen Friends of color from Pacific Yearly Meeting, North Pacific Yearly Meeting (Montana Gathering of Friends), Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting gathered at Ben Lomond Quaker Center on the ancestral lands of the Ohlone People on April 5 - 7, 2019. This gathering grew out of our collective need to get to know other Friends of color in our yearly meetings. Many of us have experienced isolation stemming from being the only or one of very few people of color in our monthly meetings. We were blessed by the instigation, accompaniment, guidance, facilitation, and seasoned ministry of Vanessa Julye of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting), co- author of the book, Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship: Quakers, African-Americans, and the Myth of Racial Justice.

Our time actively listening to one another encouraged our spirits and energized us to continue to work toward dismantling racism and increasing cultural awareness in our monthly meetings.

 

Gathering together enabled us to deepen connection to Friends of color we may have met previously as well as to begin new friendships with those we met for the first time. We spent time in worship, reflection, and nature, and got to know each other and each other’s struggles more intimately. This brought such joy and laughter! – as well as a few tears. Our time actively listening to one another encouraged our spirits and energized us to continue to work toward dismantling racism and increasing cultural awareness in our monthly meetings.

Over the weekend, we spent time sharing what our Quaker faith means to us, reflecting on the values we would like our community of Friends to embody, and envisioning actions we feel could be part of the process of becoming a more beloved community. Each of us comes from a different place in our spiritual quests and quests for cultural connection. A central theme over the weekend was exploring ways we as Friends of color can support each other, and ways Friends of all races can address the historical legacy and present persistence of racism in Quaker community. We recognize that Friends of color are not a monolithic culture and have many different needs and experiences. Even in the writing of this epistle, some among us felt discomfort using terms such as “racism” in a public letter, while others feel it has not been discussed explicitly enough. Fostering a beloved community of Friends, free of all forms of prejudice (which can be both unconscious and unintentional) requires conscious, Spirit-led work from all Friends, though that work may look different for each Friend and monthly meeting. In many ways, this work is already underway. Through connecting to each other this weekend, we took an action to seek to heal from cycles of racism. Together, we found energy for the work that remains to be done by all members of our monthly and yearly meetings in order to become a more anti-racist and truly inclusive, compassionate community

In the times we are living in, we encourage Friends to examine what living the Peace testimony should look like alongside movements for justice such as Black Lives Matter, among others.

 

One of the testimonies we strive to live by – both as individuals and collectively as members of meetings – is the Peace testimony. As Friends, we profess a commitment to “work to correct social injustice,” to “testify against structural violence,” and to speak out “against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, class, sexual orientation” etc. (Pacific Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice 2001, 43). In the times we are living in, we encourage Friends to examine what living the Peace testimony should look like alongside movements for justice such as Black Lives Matter, among others.

Each of us in attendance this weekend experiences being a racial minority in our meetings. We have also experienced what it is to be invisible to each other as people of color scattered throughout different monthly meetings without structural modes of connecting to one another. We go to meeting to find spiritual nourishment, but have to find extra spaces where we are culturally nourished as well. Our gathering and worship this weekend made it clear to us that we must strengthen our connection to each other as Friends of color, both for our own spiritual health and the health of the wider Quaker community. In moving forward, we are emboldened to request funds and other resources to strengthen connections, outreach, and the spiritual support of people who would otherwise be invisible in Quaker community.

We write to share this with the wider Religious Society of Friends because when some among us are rendered invisible, the body as a whole suffers an injury and is less able to stand in the Light of Truth.

We want the same dignity all members of the human family want: the recognition of that of God in each of us. We write to share this with the wider Religious Society of Friends because when some among us are rendered invisible, the body as a whole suffers an injury and is less able to stand in the Light of Truth. Some of us have witnessed the positive effects on the Religious Society of Friends by nurturing Quaker women and Young Adult Friends over the decades to gather together in a similar manner to provide sustenance, build community, and to identify and address issues in their experiences of Quakerism and their lives that are inconsistent with the Spirit.

We urge our yearly meetings to recognize the benefits of such gatherings as the one we shared this weekend and to support their ongoing occurrence. We also encourage and welcome all Friends of color, particularly those belonging to Pacific Yearly Meeting, North Pacific Yearly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting, and Intermountain Yearly Meeting, who may not have attended this gathering, to connect with us as they feel led.

In Friendship,

 

It's not broccoli we're talking about.

 

Before cooking

Apparently, if one is President of the United States, even if one is installed by a minority of the popular vote, it is  perfectly okay to proclaim that one doesn't like broccoli and the role of #Potus allows one to proclaim that one is not going to eat broccoli anymore.

However, if one is President of the United States, also installed after winning a minority of the popular vote and one wants to ignore boatloads of both legal and security advice, there are grownups in the room, or in the case in the Beast, the Presidential Limousine who will prevent one from commandeering a vehicle and heading off on a joyride to an insurrection.

RantWoman asked Youtube for Cassidy Hutchison testimony and this video of today's hearing of the House Speical Committee on January 6 from a Fox News channel in Atlanta was the first whole hearing to pop up. Interesting, very interesting considering Faux Snooze previous refusal to broadcast any of the hearings. After the fact, Twitter has someone from Fox News using the word "devastating." However, the end of the video contains VERY blunt words from both the Chair and the co-chair about what sounds like tampering or intimidation of witnesses. RantWoman hopes those words are heeded.

RantWoman is also thinking about what it must be like for an idealistic professional young woman to speak in the way Ms. Hutchison is speaking.

The video here is an interesting artifact. It never cuts away from the principles to video played in the hearing or projected images.

Also the comments feed along the side is both horrifying and morbidly fascinating.

God help us all.

Roe V Wade ruling scrapbook

This video is as good a place to start as any

RantWoman shortly after waking and absorbing the news:

Okay, now, so let's take care of ALL the country's children.

#ChildTaxCredit #PaidFamilyLeave #FightFor15 #RaiseTheWage #MedicareForAll

Lawrence Odonell just scathing

 

Elizabeth Warren and Chris Hayes

Ari Melber

CNN panel

Beau "Unpack the Court"

CNN Thomas would review gay marriage 

Really? And the Loving decision?

Throwing a fit 2: Police and Pride

So everyone--police abolitionists, pride marchers...-- knows RIGHT where RantWoman stands

ANYTIME officers are on the street in uniform their badge numbers need to be clearly visible and not obstructed by anything.

Anytime someone tries to tell RantWoman that armed officers need to be added to schools, RantWoman wants to see twice as many hours of counselors and school nurse time.

NO, no matter how much FUN some might find it to drive around in tanks or other military vehicles the federal government does NOT get to launder the costs of foreign wars by saddling police departments with used military equipment the departments then get to maintain.

Considering the rise of the Proud Boys, in many cases not addressed by police, and other demonstration-related history of policing, the police have, um, a credibility problem    

Cops tell queers they need to work on respecting bigots

RantWoman's take on this episode: what religion permits large men to gang up on a smaller woman and pepper spray them? As far as RantWoman knows pepper spray is far from a wise proselytizing practice.

People standing in line at a bar are probably not prepared to come back at hecklers with Bible verses, but maybe turn the other glitter bomb? Or perhaps deploy silly string?

Unfortunately, if people want police help stopping the pepper spray proselytizers it helps to be able to cooperate with the investigation. Video tape any conversations. Give corroborating statements. Follow the case. What happened to charges? RantWoman wonders whether anyone has asked the OPA to investigate. 

RantWoman also wonders whether the pepper spray proselytizers actually attend any religious services because, ya know, it would only take a little imagination to turn a bigots' services into a drag show and love fest. In WA houses of worship are places of public accommodation and gender identity and sexual orientation are both protected categories... RantWoman is not sure she's ready to sign up, but...

Being a queer cop does not automatically make one a good cop--and good cops should not be tarred with the same brush as bad ones.

Swinging a golf club while Black

As an aside:

The Stranger What Amazon did to get rejected from this year's Pride

Yet given all of the above, if LGBTQIA+ police officers want to march in Seattle Pride, RantWoman would not have asked them to stay away and would prefer that the police chief not need to write the following letter to Seattle Pride. 

Seattle Police Chief Diaz Letter to the board of Seattle Pride 

Happy Pride everyone!

Throwing a Fit 1: FLGBTQC

The short version:

Start with Second Draft for FLGBTQC Restructure

The document opens:

The Heart, Soul, and Details of FLGBTQC

Mutual Care and Anti-oppressive Community

RantWoman hates it already. 

For one thing, RantWoman wants to see Quaker tradition named right up front somehow. 

For another RantWoman finds the at best aspirational phrase "Anti-oppressive community" so oppressive that she can barely read further. 

RantWoman would feel so much more able to embrace the document with the love and concern she feels if it opened something like this:

The Heart, Soul, and Details of FLGBTQC

"We are a spiritual community of LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and allies committed to worship,  discernment, and other practices in the Quaker tradition" 

Mutual Care for people of all genders 

The longer Version

RantWoman NEEDS to throw a fit. 

In better Quakerese (?) RantWoman has a leading to throw a fit.

It would be nice if RantWoman could throw a fit about one topic at a time but this is a package deal throwing a fit about both process and content in one big joyous led by some kind of holy spirit Quaker fit. This fit exists ahead of two FLGBTQC  Meetings for Business RantWoman is unsure she is going to be able to attend.

 Part of the process fit is about a request to comment through Google docs. RantWoman does not particularly apologize: RantWoman has trouble doing comments in Google docs with a screen reader. It's partly a skill issue on RantWoman's part but here we are for today, seasoning in blogdom or on a listserve, not other Friends' preference because RantWoman is unsure she will be able to attend business meetings.

RantWoman hopes a public post will make space for the Light that can come from thinking over something, tilling soil in preparation for discussion.

RantWoman, humbly needs to release this post and see where it goes. All reactions and frankly ANY interaction welcome.

The rest of this post is a slightly edited version of RantWoman's comments to the FLGBTQC listserve. RantWoman posts them here partly because the single standard of RantWoman is carefully holding recurrences of the same issues in multiple Quaker venues. RantWoman also notes the existence of a survey. Sometimes when RantWoman reads others' survey responses she is able to receive others' Light much more deeply than in the hurry of some Meetings for Business.

2. Comments in general:

--I still think one decision that needs to happen is whether to attempt one in-person midwinter or to experiment with other formats. I have ZERO leading about a single in-person event but would be happy to work on virtual or hybrid.

--I would like Friends to think about how FLGBTQC needs to interact with the work FGC is doing around  re-envisioning the Gathering (my interpretation)

3. Comments about the restructure document:

--HEART TEAM: This proposal lays A LOT on the Heart Team. I think some of the burdens can be adjusted if people figure out how to work together and I have no light about what all pieces might make me fellmore at ease.

--HEART TEAM: I would have WAY more confidence that this is doable if there were a pathway to further clearness about issues that have come up... in worship. One issue I consider VERY serious involves an old conflict partly rooted in abusive behavior by another Friend. So far mention of a clearness committee has gone NOWHERE.

--TECH TEAM:

I generally like the wording but would add some kind of comment about be aware of evolving technologies and technological issues and seek discernment as needed. I think this is sort of there but not quite.

--TREASURER TEAM:

     --Need to add filing annual documents such as IRS I-990 and any state registration documents. This needs to happen on the timelines required and be reported at subsequent meeting for business.

    --People with bookkeeping / spreadsheet skills greatly appreciated even though FLGBTQC finances seem pretty simple

    --Fundraising? Could be done as led or as requested by larger body

    --Insurance for in-person events?

   --discernment with other teams as needed.

Amber Ruffin offers January 6th Capitol Rioters a bit of musical theater

A bit of musical theater for all the prison abolitionists everywhere to share with the Capitol Rioters



Now if only some one would set to music all the other whiny "they're treating white people as badly as People of Color" January 6 insurrectionists videos also lurking in the interwebs....

Recently in God Rides Transit

One fine afternoon recently, RantWoman got on a bus. RantWoman  wound up sitting across the aisle from two elderly women in one seat speaking what RantWoman is guessing was Chinese and in a seat ahead of them a man with long white hair. RantWoman is guessing based on his speech pattern and a moment below that he is Native. Mr. Native began harassing the women speaking Chinese. He told them to go back where they came from or speak English.

RantWoman in fine privileged white person form, pulled out her talking phone to take a picture. RantWoman has all kinds of problems with glare and framing and focus. RantWoman never did manage to take a picture, but the talking phone distracted Mr. Harasser enough that he started to demand $5 from RantWoman just for taking his picture. Then he wanted more. He did not extract cash but he did stop harassing the Chinese women! Things got a little testy but then calmed down by the time RantWoman needed to get off the bus.

RantWoman's parting comment "Please try not to bother people on the bus!"

RantWoman notes this sequence with humility, ahead of inviting readers to consider ALL the grossness described in this Twitter thread. (RantWoman has not fully tested screen reader accessibility of this method of imbedding twitter threads)

I have an enormous amount of feelings over how non-Natives acted at the Na-Me-Res pow wow today. It was incredibly disheartening and upsetting in so many ways. I don't have the bandwidth to explain it all right now, but I'm going to come back to this. It's not okay at all.

— BeadsAgainstFascism (@beadagainstfash) June 19, 2022

Black People Freed Black People, Get It Right History | The Amber Ruffin...

RantWoman's observance of #Juneteenth for 2022

posted on the holiday not on actual Juneteenth

Tommie Burton of Seattle does People Get Ready

HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS About AR15's???

I will not slut-shame Lauren Boebert. I will not slut-shame Lauren Boebert. I will not slut-shame Lauren Boebert.

The mantra is not working.

RantWoman needs to wash her brain out over the latest imbroglio staring #LaurenBoebert R CO-03. Readers who need to know what RantWoman needs to wash her brain out about are invited to scroll to the bottom and then pop back. Readers who need to wash their brains out before even trying to find that of God within this Congresswoman should just take it from the top.

White People The Redeemed Quartet Have a little Talk With Jesus

The Oak Ridge Boys Have Fun--and a little talk with Jesus

Look, RantWoman, you ARE allowed to wonder whether conversations with certain young Friends would go further if there were more reading of the new testament involved, but if Jesus is too much, let God speak to you through Youtube algorithms.

RantWoman was recently asked what got her interested in the environment. RantWoman is not sure what she was expected to answer. RantWoman said "I like eating and breathing clean air. Good drinking water doesn't hurt.

But praying at the river?

Listen:

Down in the River to Pray with the brandenberger family

Apollos Fire, Amanda Powell and in fact the whole family go Down in the River to Pray

Down in the River to Pray with Bel Canto Vilnius

Digression: About us: Bel canto Coras Very diverse contemporary and older repertoire in the fine European tradition of...Drum roll..Competitive Singing! There is a nationalism and cultural resistance thread to this tradition, but RantWoman definitely deems that to be part of the conversation.

Those hardworking journalists at Muckraker.com have sleuthed out stories of Lauren Boebert allegedly working as an escort, meeting Ted Cruz who encouraged her to run for Congress, and having two abortions before she and her genital flashing husband got married. RantWoman is probably going to save rants about the plight of single mothers, what is wrong with young mothers thinking they can get a better deal by working as an escort, and abortion rights for another post. 

Teaser Sample comments: we are a pluralistic democracy. The question of when life begins is unknowable and the US is not a theocracy. Whatever personal and family issues arise out of news about any abortion, no one gets to impose their theology on anyone else. And yes, single mothers absolutely deserve better support that does not require them to work as escorts!

Ah, but this is Rep. Boebert we're talking about. Doing things for ordinary constituents is not her strong suit. She does excel at Twitter.  Early in the social media arc of the escort and abortion story. Rep. Boebert simply tweeted out "Y'all need Jesus." 

Whaaa..? RantWoman is probably more willing than many members of the chattering classes to try to related this comment to the current story.

Then along comes another tweet, something about "If Jesus had an AR 15 no one would be able to crucify him. Small problem about lack of time machines to deliver said assault rifle. There's also that part about somebody gotta die for your / our? sins.

Let's say RantWoman is thoroughly perplexed and definitely recommends readers go back and find some of the music links listed here.

Jesus would not have been executed if he had an AR15

RantWoman, get to the part about Jesus and Guns

Where in the Bible does it say give your children guns

Anti-Lynching Bill Is 100 Years Too Late | Every How Did We Get Here (Pt...

RantWoman ardently hopes the precedent set below is not the standard set for serious reform of US gun laws.

QuEST Celebrates 30th Anniversary Saturday Jun 11 Blended In-person and Virtual, with both art and readable text

 

"Congratulations, You Have Been Chosen To Be A MENTOR In The AFB (American Foundation for the Blind) Blind Leaders Development Program (and we will be booking you a trip to Louisville KY for August dates)"

The Who? What Now? And what is this doing in the QuEST 30th Anniversary Announcement?

Look where one term on QuEST committee will get you?

First, the event announcement, in both pretty picture and screen reader readable text form

Foliage in one corner
long image of text invitation and
watering can full of flowers at the bottom.
Text in image not readable by screen readers
and may differ from text below.

Saturday, June 11 — QuEST 30th Anniversary and Alum Day!

At University Friends Meeting, 4001 9th Ave NE, Seattle

9:30 am — welcome, coffee and snacks provided

10-noon — outdoor gardening service project

12 noon — potluck, bring a dish to share

 

Hybrid: at University Friends Meeting and online via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/2065476449)

1:30-3:30 pm — Meeting for Worship for Celebration with slideshow, speakers, and sharing

 No RSVP needed. Join us for any part of the day. Partners, friends, and children welcome. Masks recommended for in-person indoor meeting. Contact director@quest-seattle.org with any questions or inclusion needs.

RantWoman really is curious about where people have come over the past 30 years.

RantWoman also thinks a term on QuEST committee qualifies her as a QuEST alum. RantWoman can say nothing intelligent about how this experience looked to others. RantWoman MEANS IT, though, about what this committee service meant at a time when RantWoman was trying to keep her feet on the ground, deal with life-changing medical events, and hit her stride about new normal. So in case anyone else is wavering about saying anything about a personal challenge, RantWoman provides the following helpful tour of several themes that sometimes show up at parties along with all the festivities.

Warning: the below involves both points to celebrate and MANY threads of "Do Better Next Time." RantWoman for this event thinks the celebration is enough. RantWoman also invites readers to celebrate RantWoman's commitment no longer just to step back every time a "Do Better Next Time" issue comes up. Actually solving Do Better Next Time challenges is a story for another party though.

RantWoman, are you EVER satisfied? 

Keep reading. Just because, dear readers, maybe you have done the best you could and maybe you think your efforts are supposed to be satisfactory does not, sorry to say, mean the results actually ARE satisfactory.

Because this is Planet RantWoman, please also note

QuEST Equity Statement

RantWoman likes several things about this statement:

--It exists! RantWoman does not remember the existence of anything analogous long ago when RantWoman served on QuEST committee while struggling to deal with midlife vision loss. RantWoman remembers saying very little about her personal struggles at this time. RantWoman remembers doing A LOT of what is called covering or minimizing. 

--The statement includes disability in the list of characteristics QuEST aspires not to discriminate about. RantWoman appreciates that the statement is honest about physical characteristics of the house and just needs to let that be. RantWoman also knows of a story in this realm that is not hers to tell even though it matters to RantWoman that the story exists. 

--The policy mentions continuous learning, and promises to ask potential agencies how they are prepared to handle reasonable accommodations requests. 

--RantWoman appreciates that the most recent coordinator was able to attend one training; RantWoman would love it if there were also mention of Fellows perhaps devoting one of their QuEST time sessions to something to do with disability inclusion, disability justice, or even some wonky disability specific policy issue.


Anniversaries are times of reflection and RantWoman finds it easy to be generous about questions to reflect on.

--How do you think things have gone as far as operationalizing that concern?

 --Do you think fellows feel safe disclosing either obvious or hidden disabilities?

--Do you have any sense of whether there might be covering going on?

--Are people reasonably confident that reasonable accommodations requests can be handled without making people's heads explode?

--Do Fellows have the opportunity during QuEST time or otherwise to hear the voices of lived experiences of people with disabilities?

--Do Fellows have resources to draw on if, as seems extremely likely, they encounter questions of disability and ableism during their work?

--If one of the fellows suffered a life-changing medical event during their service, would the program be able to walk with the fellow during recovery and vocational rehabilitation?

In the past when RantWoman has come to the QuEST final report, RantWoman has been the ONLY person asking anything about disability. RantWoman tends to ask questions like

--Have your agencies provided any training about anything to do with disability? Some have; some haven't.

--Do you have a sense of what percentage of the people your agency serves identify as having a disability?

RantWoman tries to ask open no-pressure questions; Quaker spaces are by far not the only places where people tend not to figure out important issues without someone being faithful about the need to keep talking about them.

In case anyone needs any more topics RantWoman can go on at length about RantWoman has just spent her afternoon:

--Noting news updates about a transit agency board in another city who want to propose budget cuts that would dramatically impact all the people with disabilities who rely on transit to get around.

--Sorting out a tangle of blind person housing issues involving a senior who has aged into blindness and now needs skills of blindness to maintain housing

--Coping with a nasty software accessibility issue as an application reviewer on a grants management platform

--Reassuring the person staffing the grant evaluation process and another person in the process that RantWoman is happy to speak in more detail to the vendor who perpetrated this software inaccessibility after this cycle of the grants process is done

--Bucking advice from a grant writer RantWoman has worked with in the past: Previous Grant Writer kep telling RantWoman that there wasn't space to write certain kinds of disability related detail and the reviewers would be mystified. Some of this year's reviewers absolutely would be mystified but other parts of the grants review process are doing what looks like a decent job of including multiple voices in the review process. And part of that is getting kinked because of RantWoman's need to deal with software inaccessibility. 

   This year space constraints are different and RantWoman finds herself writing comments encouraging the applicants who do specifically talk about serving people with disabilities to maybe say more in detail about how they will use things built into the technology they want to buy to meet the needs of the populations they serve

--Writing reviewer comments to the applicants who don't specifically mention serving people with disabilities to think about whether people with disabilities are probably walking in their door whether they realize it or not.

RantWoman is happy to go on at length--and won't be able to tell if she is boing you.

RantWoman also wonders what other "do better next time" thoughts Friends might have.

With all of that to chew on Congratulations to QuEST

  

Mexican President AMLO calls BS on Ted Cruz and gun-related dog whistles

Warning: this video mangles President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's name in more than one cringe-worthy way.

One of the points RantWoman flashed on in the discussion of campaign contributions to Ted Cruz and the word "cartels:" RantWoman needs to find a media story about the enormous numbers of guns that flow SOUTH from the US into the arms of cartels and other forces driving people to flee the violence and come to the US. 

What if there were a well-tuned Quaker media campaign and drinking game: every time a Republican says the word "cartels," drink a slug of sparkling water or herbal tea and fire off a letter or quote tweet about gun sales and weapons headed south? Mix in the word refugees somehow. Okay, RantWoman is not good at drinking games, but 

And just to light up the guns and money flows scene a little fierier AOC on guns profits interstate weaspons flows school shootings

PS in the zone of peculiar gratitudes, RantWoman is very glad her time at Princeton did not overlap with that of the illustrious Senator from TX. RantWoman in college had not yet steeped herself in Quakerism. Even if RantWoman's "that of god in everyone" sensibilities had been better developed than they were in college though,  RantWoman thinks she would have had a very hard time suppressing a "barf on his shoes" reflex around now Senator Cruz. 

Parents in the performing arts

A random Minnie Mouse keychain
as if from
T's keychain collection

This meditation on memorials post is dedicated to T.  T was somewhere past 50 when he died several months ago. His memorial approaches. 

T, like RantWoman had a parent in the performing arts. T like RantWoman had this idiosyncratic gift: pick a venue. Tell either of us how the aisles are laid out and how the seats are numbered and we can give at least approximate directions all day if needed.

RantWoman needs just to say and hold a thought she does not dare be in the presence of T's mother for fear of blurting out:

"Your son was blind and had epilepsy. He was proud of his family and family was still a dance. The posthumous part of the dance: if you are going to make a slide show of family memories for the memorial, PLEASE consider learning enough about alt text to caption the photos and then find a way to share the memories with his blind friends who you are NOT inviting to the party except RantWoman who has a conflict."

RantWoman, CHILL OUT. Write and ask for a copy of the slideshow even if you don't offer to help prepare it. 

Don't even think of going all Dr. Seuss about captioned images in Powerpoint, one category or reasonable accommodation. Another category: getting people documents they cannot read in electronic format or by email.  

People who need reasonable accommodations need accommodations here. They / We need them there. We need them in the office at school while playing the fool in church, while left in a lurch. We need them today and tomorrow and not just someday someday  or after someone has um, missed the point of the last how many zillion requests. We need specific access, not just vague surveys or bales of academic verbiage, academentia suffused screeds about disability justice. We need specific things. We need them everywhere and one really simple way to make RantWoman feel included is to respond promptly when asked to provide copies of hopefully documents either by email or on a link.

RantWoman, you are supposed to be writing about T. Well, okay, T doesn't need these things anymore. The tirade above may or may not have been his agenda. Doesn't matter what T needs. What matters: how about imagining that EVERYONE has what they need to feel included?

RantWoman has a conflict about the upcoming memorial, delayed after T's passing because of COVID, and so far RantWoman is not saintly enough to call up and offer to help about the media prep herself, but maybe RantWoman is supposed to consider that.

RantWoman first met T in vocational rehab screen reader and screen enlarger class. He was one but not the only reason RantWoman wound up basically working independently and teaching herself. RantWoman does not particularly hold this against either T or the other students. Vocational rehab did not really know what to do with RantWoman and RantWoman had to try a bunch of things just to figure out.. 

T found remembering the lessons more of a challenge. T was not the only person in the class with that problem. They all had pleasant enough voices though, a gentle murmur beyond RantWoman's headphones.

Somewhere in here, RantWoman learned that T collected key chains, a LOT of keychains. Some days he probably would have been glad to tell RantWoman about every single one, all thousands of them. T came to RantWoman's tech meeetup and always seemed to have the newest device and by struggling to figure it out. T was also not the only guy who liked to linger and chat long after the meetup was over.

 

RantWoman is touched. At the last blind group Christmas party before the pandemic lockdowns, there was a white elephant gift exchange. T brought a fleece blanket, more of a throw than a full-sized blanket. The gifts get distributed by lottery and a person can pick someone else's gift and make the loser pick another gift from the pool. RantWoman is not quite sure how things lined up but T really wanted RantWoman to have the blanket. RantWoman does not think there was any romantic intent--or if there was, it was completely lost on RantWoman. Even it seems to be more than RantWoman needs for summer.

Rest well, T, with lots of videos of your mom's roles and your family.

My summer blanket

The MInistry of Terrible Puns

Oh Dear

RantWoman was all set to let a screed about memorializing family members with disabilities when what to her wondering search bar should appear but moments to remember the life too. A good bit of this has been marinating in DRAFTS since 2016. It gets to be its own post so this neighbor does not get entangled with a blind key chain collector fanatic from one of RantWoman's vocational rehab classes, about whom RantWoman needs to herd some family-presentable words together separately. 

This neighbor landed in RantWoman's archive of funky memorial moments because...his sister schedule a memorial out of town across the Sound in a location that only the most intrepid of this neighbor's friends would have attempted. RantWoman was not that intrepid and is unaware of any neighbors who did. 

RantWoman realized she did nothing to schedule a separate, more local memorial, partly because doing so is a custom unevenly observed. There were also many memorial posts in the Facebook group who figured out, because a sudden drop in his usually prolific posts that someone should contact local police and ask that they do a welfare check.

 With that, let us go back to remembering Life and puns and W's love of same even when RantWoman's face for some reason never registers the artistry of the pun with the level of appreciation RantWoman would like to exhibit..

This neighbor's Facebook avatar

The first signs of the Alpacalypse

I am really touched that so many other people are also remembering Madeleine today. I confess, the thing that brought her to mind for me is some new news item about something or other at Hanford. I miss her voice and I need the gratitudes. And I have another deceased friend who loved terrible puns and some of his FB contacts still remember him by posting terrible puns on his wall. So maybe we need to remember the gratitudes on Madeleine's wall too.
 

Another post from the pages of memory
Huge numbers of hits
your mother is dying and that is not a reason for RantWoman to go away
forgiving but not forgetting.

Composting text message

 

The gif library
says these are aspens

From a text message RantWoman sent long ago: Friend, what would healing look like to you?

That's not a conversation I'm interested in having, RantWoman

What if WANT to have is not the point? What if the point is NEED to have?

In Light and faithfulness

Meanwhile The service leaflet for tonight's Compline 

RantWoman is still extremely unlikely to turn into an Episcopalian, and music still matters

Runes, ruminations, scandalous romance and rightwing hoof beats

RamtWoman wishes to congratulate everyone graduating from anything. For reasons that may become clear below RantWoman is posting the following reflections here instead of with other reflections on her alma mater, but first other thoughts;

RantWoman thanks a Friend very much for inviting her to Zoom to the graduate commencement for the Mythology program at Pacifica University. RantWoman is fascinate by the range of topics that turn into MA and PhD theses in these programs.

The inviting Friend wrote a thesis on Nordic mythology. In Scandinavian countries, when one gets a PhD, one gets a sword. This Friend's son got her a sword, complete with runes!

RantWoman missed her chance to tell a flock of rising college freshmen who all said they want to study computer science, "look, you might not all get degrees in computer science and you could still wind up writing code even if you opt to go on some wild academic bender in another direction. RantWoman felt validated when other alumni offered essentially the same advice "don't be afraid to go on a wild academic bender. Who knows where it might take you?"

Finally, scandalous romance and other hot buttons

One of RantWoman's media streams served up  What Princeton did to my husband an article about a multilingual classics professor fired by Princeton in a way that almost makes  RantWoman sympathize with various right wing voices. Almost

First, a tangential howl" WTF? WHY did Princeton get rid of the language requirement IN THE CLASSICS DEPARTMENT only? RantWoman expects she is supposed actually be able to find the racism that supposedly set off this call. RantWoman just finds this move irritating and depressing. 

Back to the main story, As far as RantWoman can tell, without reading very word of the professor's writings he was fired for:

--referring to a small and apparently irksome campus group The Black Justice league as terrorist (!?!) I'm sorry. On Planet RantWoman, one has to actually blow something up or trot out the assault rifles to qualify as a terrorist group.

--disagreeing publicly with voices characterized as anti-racist.

--Having had a consensual relationship with one student early in his career

--Marrying a former student 25 years his junior.

Due to the wonders of hyperlinking readers can find articles referencing abortion AND what sound to RantWoman like actually pretty progressive maternal support programs. Also findable, an interview with Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp reminding RantWoman of all the things RantWoman wishes Teach for America did, and a whine related to the above consensual adult relationships about "if a kid at 6 can consent to puberty blockers, how come a grown woman can't make decisions about her romantic choices? HOW COME indeed in this age of fire breathing rabid anti-choice fetus fetishists.

In other words, choose your hot buttons. There is clearly something here. Read on!

China Wargaming an Invasion of Russia and other assessments??

RantWoman, What does this have to do with Quakerism? I mean realism? Come on!




RantWoman is taking a break from a media diet featuring WAY more gore than ANYONE even wants to think about as well as unbleeped soldier chatter intercepts, multiple flavors of disinformation, speculation and blatant weapon system marketing disguised as reportage. RantWoman posts this simply as an artifact, without comment about whether or not she believes any of it.

It's speculation from out on the fringes of strategery.

Wonder Woman: Queer and Trans Icon

Apparently for #PrideMonth, Planet RantWoman includes not only piquant observances of the occasion but also rants and whines about the incredible goopiness of some websites, the kind of goopiness that makes the site virtually useless for screen readers and, in the best spirit of solidarity everywhere, probably also drives the non-print-impaired bonkers.

First, a lovely readable item

Lynda Carter Settles Pride Month Debate in LA Times

Next a whine because George Takei also contributed a Lynda Carter item via Twitter. The website referred to is so goopy and impossible that RantWoman is not even going to make any further attempts to read it.

And finally Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg @SecretaryPete on Twitter

The meaning of Pride – as celebration and also as protest – has never mattered more. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇺🇸

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 1, 2022

Because it's Twitter, a lot of gratuitous homophobia--and mention, imagine that, of a couple Gay republicans.

Ute Mountain Leaders Fundraise to open grocery store

RantWoman, you're hoping Rep. Lauren Boebert R CO-3 will get diselected in her upcoming election, right?

Do you suppose she will still be around to troll if she no longer holds elective office? We'll see.

And what combination of childhood nostalgia and examination of family history is going to keep you coming back?

Building a 28,000-square-foot store will likely take several years.

Until then, tribal leaders will set up a makeshift market from shipping containers, showing both the urgency of the problem and the tribe’s willingness to try something new to solve it. https://t.co/2OU4M0wtmm

— The Colorado Sun (@ColoradoSun) June 2, 2022

 

This one's for you my dear.

Russian text:
this one's for you my dear.

RantWoman texted the image above to several people before it occurred to her to enlarge and check for the existence of text in the image. Then RantWoman misread a key word and offered a mistranslation. And here we are: Lovely irises. A vivid butterfly, and ...

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, someone offered Volodomyr Zelensky safe transport out of Ukraine. His response, basically "Nuts. I ask you for ammunition and you offer me a ride."

During the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, members of the Secret Service kept urging then Vice President Mike Pence to get into his limousine and he wouldn't do it.

RantWoman is receiving the following RadioLab item The Right Stuff in approximately the same spirit. 

Besides being severely charm-challenged, perhaps RantWoman's imagination has just gone AWOL. Either way, RantWoman is not finding herself interested in people with disabilities going into space because that is coming off to RantWoman like "get the pesky people with disabilities off to space so we don't have to talk about realities on earth. 

Some people cannot ride the city bus without pain. People with some conditions (speculating, like RantWoman) could easily clobber what is left of key functionality just pulling extra G's during the launch process. So unless you have a tractor beam or a transporter, miss me please with "Gee whiz, people with disabilities in space!"

There is something in the irises RantWoman is trying to keep like beauty springing from many things well-composted. Since the right words have not emerged, please hold in the Light.

Just to remind ourselves of the creepy times we live in but only tangentially connected with the above:

 Ruben Gallegos on coups