Air Strikes in Ukraine after attack on ship, future of Putin AND Lukashenko

RantWoman is just going to post a compendium of YouTube pieces she considers worth noting.

Maybe at the end RantWoman will also share some actual opinions.

Times Radio: Ben Hodges after massive air strikes

For a country that has no navy, Ukraine has had a lot of success in the Black Sea

Multiple stories about weapons production in Russia, Europe

News Nation: Jack Devine on Putin's future

Times Radio: Bill Browder. Putin could end up like qaddafi

Joe Blogs: Russian Airlines $12 Billion disaster as a result of sanctions

Oracle Eyes: Belarus border issues with all its neighbors, Russian nukes, and Lukashenko's status

--Belarus neighbors closing border crossings

--Wagner mercenaries hanging out in Belarus

--Russia wants to station nukes under Russian control in Belarus

--People of Belarus still trying to get rid of Lukashenko after election 3 years ago.

Ways of resisting war: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine

A compendium of #Russia #Ukraine #Belarus etc resistance items.

Powerful Waging Nonviolence about various strands of resistance to the war

RantWoman promises to look at her Waging Nonviolence blog roll more often.

Belarusian perspective

Not: inaddition to stories such as those below, there are Ukrainian men exercising their right to conscientious objection. RantWoman will attend to collecting more information.

Iranian women fight gender apartheid and frighten drone peddling mullahs!

RantWoman guesses that these blistering items about the life of women in Iran is a wholesome break from news of drone shipments and who is backing which militia.

Masih Alinejad on Meet The Press

The mullahs and their "gender apartheid" regime are afraid of outspoken women with social medica presence.

AliVelshi interviews Masih Alinejad

Several voices speaking Truth re Israel

Jewish journalist Masha Gessen on comparing Gaza to a Nazi ghetto

Secular Talk Mehdi Hasan

Cenk Uygur on Mehdi Hasan

TYT on Cancellation of Mehdi Hasan show

CNN on tunnel and

If you read one post today, read this one about religious pluralism and why we need more religious education not less: Burn The Boats Talks with Kathie Joshi

This post will sit atop whatever RantWoman rustles up from her spiritual salad bowl. Watch the video even if you don't feel like interacting with anything else.

Heavy Metal great: "O Holy Night"?

If the baby Jesus wants to get his Metal on early.

Happy Christmas with further meditation on PLASTIC

 

Wishing a #MerryChristmas to all who celebrate. May the season bring peace and joy throughout the whole world.

And thank you #DigitalInclusion for capacity to decorate without murdering a pine tree pic.twitter.com/BDprCljj0z

— Dorene Cornwell (@DoreneFC) December 25, 2023

Now that RantWoman has provided festive art and snark, let us proceed to other meditations.

How "weird are we willing to be to save the planet?

Eternal Vigilance about
minimizing landfill contributions

Behold the flatware and a cup of soup at the co-op.

How many times / year does a person eat out??? How many pieces of plastic flatware is one contributing to landfills.???

For RantWoman, the answer HOPEFULLY is a lot less than average.  And the reason is not ONLY that RantWoman prefers fast food options where all packaging and disposables are compostable, although that is one strategy. (Sigh: RantWoman thinks the plastic lid on the soup cup is NOT compostable). RantWoman also CARRIES HER OWN FLATWARE. 

Yes, indeed, among the many things subject to RantWoman's rule of purse and bag physics, "things go in and may or may not come out," are a soup spoon and a fork usually wrapped in a plastic bag. Sometimes RantWoman is still in too much of a hurry to pull out her own flatware, but RantWoman finds it extremely satisfying in a comforts of home way just to eat with her own flatware.

One note: readers who have to go through metal detectors a lot may want instead of metal flatware to look specifically for durable plastic flatware. RantWoman is nowhere near ready just to compulsively save and reuse average plastic flatware until it falls apart. For one thing, RantWoman finds it easy to clean metal flatware but not so easy to clean usual plastic flatware.  

Durable chopsticks are another lovely option if one is adept at feeding themself with them.

Metal detectors are also one reason RantWoman's portable place setting does not include a tableknife: one time RantWoman had to sacrifice a table knife she had forgotten about to the overseers of a courthouse metal detector.

But back to vigilance about not sending things to landfills. One point of this exercise is that small things add up. Another is that crusading for disposibles that are compostible is the kind of project that might make say a 4th grade class feel like something they can do will make a difference. RantWoman, alas, does not have any fourth graders convenient but is going to leave us all with reflections on some kind of small things we might do differently....

Ranting, riffing on 'Legally wrong and untenable': Former AG Barr on Colorado Supreme Court ...

RantWoman is not a lawyer.

So why is RantWoman even wading into the maelstrom of opinions about the decision by the CO Supreme Court that #DonTheCon is ineligible even to be on the ballot? Worse yet, why is RantWoman arguing with the former attorney general of the US?

Because!

MSNBC Judge Luttig: The Supreme court should affirm the CO decision

Judge Luttig can speak for himself; the fact that he and Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe agree is enough for RantWoman.

RantWoman emphatically disagrees with Attorney General Barr about a number of points including letteing people vote and the need for more due process.

First, RantWoman was not charmed by General Barr's spinjob about the Mueller report. Would the mess in Ukraine be any less of a mess if there had been different actions about #DonTheCon trying to extort Ukrainian President Zelensky about money Congress had already appropriated? MAYBE.

As to letting people vote, in fact, voters have already voted, TWICE. Voters CANNOT rely only on the courts and MUST be on our game for 2024. The primaries lie ahead. Polls are not all as unambiguous as some reporting indicates. As a reminder to keep voters motivated.

--#TFG lost the popular vote in 2016 and became President by winning the electoral vote.

--In 2020 #TFG lost both the popular vote and the electoral vote. Rather than accept these losses though, he 

   ---got multiple people in multiple states to press local officials to reject the results of the election.

    --organized a violent mob, dispatched the mob to the Capitol, delayed any appropriate response, and at times egged the mob on, threatened his Vice President, the presiding officer at the Congressional vote count, and has continued his deluge of lies in spite of criminal bond conditions that SHOULD be addressing ongoing criminal behavior.

As to the current case, RantWoman emphatically disagrees that there has been no "due process" in the CO case. ON the contrary #DonTheCon is swimming in so much due process that RantWoman wonders both how he has time to campaign and whether he would actually be available to assume office, particularly since he keeps promising to violate his oath of office starting on Day 1. 

The MOST important Due Process issues for #DonTheCon now are all of his legal entanglments: 4 indictments, 91 felony charges, not counting multiple civil trials. RantWoman feels no need to comment further in this post.

RantWoman finds herself wondering whether there is something somewhere in either criminal or first amendment law that can contain the level of incitement about unconstitutional behavior that Trump and his crowds are soaked in. In any case, all the rhetoric is CLEAR indication to RantWoman that voters and the #GOP should NEVER allow him to get to the top of the ticket in the first place. So onward with the primaries. Let us contemplate the logistics of campaigning if the aspiring officeholder were for instance, besides being ruled ineligible to be on the ballot also being detained for multiple repeated violations, some very dangerous, of his bond agreements.

--RantWoman's understanding of the CO civil case is that the Trump team had the opportunity to participate and opted not to. 

--#DonTheCon and his team flat out ignored both legal advice from his own lawyers and the 60+ courts, including many judges he himself appointed in the time between the election of 2020 and #J6. All of that is part of the yellow brick road to all the pending criminal charges.

--The last piece of Due process to mention is the second impeachment trial: although the vote count to convict fell short of the 2/3 required to expel #TFG from office a few weeks early, the count was well over 50% of the Senate. This vote count makes it extremely unlikely, in RantWoman's estimation that there would be 2/3 of the members of Congress willing to vote to waive the terms of Article 3 of the 14th amendment. As one commentator says, this is not politics, it's the law. 

Here, though, there IS a place for politics: it would be nice if ALL the aspiring Presidential candidates could speak of working together for a brighter future and cancel a certain crybaby's revenge tour. 

Santa Claus, are you listening?

Wait, Santa Claus, hold on.

If this were Dungeons and Dragons, RantWoman would be looking for Divine Intervention. RantWoman CAN understand Mr. Barr's concern about chaotic process. RantWoman does not entirely agree, BUT for now maybe the most important piece for the Supreme Court to decide is the question of Presidential immunity. So far the question has been decided about civil matters and RantWoman thinks based on that, checking the criminal matters box should not be a big leap.

LOTS of criminal defendants get fired outright or suspended from jobs while criminal matters are being resolved. Under NO circumstances should #DonTheCon be allowed to cite his campaign as a reason to postpone court action. Deal with the criminal matters and THEN if he still wants to be President...

Houthis A Sea Power? | How a Not-State Actor Changed the Course...

RantWoman stumbled onto the What's Going on With Shipping YouTube channel somehow in connection with protests at West Coast ports related to a cargo ship thought to be carrying military materiel destined for Israel. RantWoman finds the channel extremely helpful and well-informed.

This post has several sobering points about global shipping as well as comments about non-state actors being able to have huge influence on global shipping.

RantWoman will post, if videos come her way again, videos of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holding a press conference with the Israeli defense minister about US support for shipping in this part of the ocean.

Listening to God 1: Georgia election workers defamed by Giuliani speak after jury verdict

CNN Maggie Haberman, et all on Giuliani verdict

Rudy Giuliani is disgusting and apparently getting senile. "America's mayor" on 9/11 is American pathetic now.

The Damage Report: Giuliani got what he deserves

Now just watch the video of Ruby and Shay again.

Listening for God 2: Viral video of New Speaker listening to God

God works in mysterious ways.

RantWoman is NOT unconcerned about the violent language of Christian Nationalism or about whether or not religious pluralism is alive and well in the mind of the person second in line to succeed the President.

Dude says he listens to God.

Dude certainly uses Biblical language.

Dude says the Holy Spirit is running around in his head in a way that makes some commentators want to refer him for a 72-hour mental health hold somewhere.

So far, Dude could be a lot of Quakers RantWoman has met

Dude's use of a porn monitoring app WITH HIS NOT QUITE ADULT SON strikes RantWoman as possibly invasive and probably NOT the weirdest form of parenting out there.

Dude talks about Moses? Does this mean wandering in a desert for 40 years due to #ClimateChange? Does he mean MAYBE draining the #GOP swamp of the do-nothing voices of #angertainment?

There are many people of faith who take seriously the science of the #ClimateCrisis.

People's views evolve. Think Obama and the question of same-sex marriage.

Dude is in no danger of becoming Vice President and needing to preside over the certification of the next Presidential election.

RantWoman HOPES that fear of theocratic tendencies running amok across our nation's spiritual landscape will motivate people with a broader vision of individual and community calls to GET OUT AND VOTE. Flip enough Congressional districts to free the current speaker of any temptation to act with anything less than humility. 

RantWoman as a proud resident of the riot-riddled Sodom and Gomorrah known to more modest souls as Seattle may or may not be the best person to advise the 4th district of LA about actually voting this guy out of office, but RantWoman is called not to ignore any Congressional district and is still seasoning how that is supposed to look.

More #CeaseFireNow Protesters blocking roads, this time near LAX Airport

Yep. Traffic jams are inconvenient.

Not as inconvenient as rocket attacks, mass murder, settler violence OR becoming in anyway complicit with either side of such violence.

DEAL WITH IT.

PS. For all you #J6 violence is necessary, violence is justified souls, please note:

Number of police officers assaulted in all of this week's #CeaseFireNow demos: ZERO

Value of property destroyed ZERO

PPS. Heartfelt prayers for everyone who is hurt, horrified, disgusted, terrified.

#CeaseFireNow protests block traffic in several cities. and other notes

KTLA #CeaseFireNow Protestors cause massive traffic jam during morning commute

LiveNOW Fox on LA protest

This guy's delivery is way less zippy than say. people narrating the Rose Parade.

NYPost reporting on protest in LA

KPTV Jewish Voices for Peace and others bring 9 ft menorah, block Portland Burnside Bridge

6abc: 32 protestors arrested for blocking I76 in Central Philadelphia

And in other related news

Israeli consulate in NY invited journalists to come view footage of October 7 attacks.

CNN was able to tour Gaza without IDF escort.

News Nation on Hamas threats against the US

How bad is it? The Kerch Bridge, Russian military capacity and heavy casualties and losses of material.

Today in RantWoman Bad Friend cred:

The song about "ain't gonna study war" misses important points. Wars happen. One does not have to want wars to continue to recognize the value of studying situations carefully.

Stop the slaughter. war is bad for EVERYONE. #Russia needs to GO HOME.

RantWoman for the record supports Ukraine's desire to return to the 1991 borders.

RantWoman does not buy the logic of stalemate and surrender.

RantWoman also points out the importance of #Ukraine being able to drive the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of 2/3 of the Black Sea.

TV Rain: Ben Hodges says West has not committed to Ukraine winning

And Beau says, there are lots of reasons that, although Russia may want to push west at least to the borders of the former Soviet Union, it really is not in a position to do so. 

Alos LOTS of ways to have an impact waging information campaign

The Telegraph: Russia has lost 90% of its original force

A ton of reporting since the US has declassifed estimates of the total Russian casualties.

Russian state media likes Mitch McConnell, GOP. Orban likes the Heritage Foundation

Schumer, Johnson address media on Ukraine and US economy

Vlad vexler considers several talking questions

Who wins and what is the project in multiple places. Religion and Democracy

Break the Fake: Duma deputy, lines for eggs, and Patriarch Kirill's past

Also Orban talks to the Heritage Foundation; Zelensky and Orban chat at Milei's inauguration in Argentina

Weighty Friend's passing with Nashville Jam "I'll Fly Away"

It's not really RantWoman's place to announce the passing of the Weighty Friend RantWoman learned of this morning.

And the video above is probably neither the deceased Friend's preferred genre nor particularly Quaker theology

So please trust RantWoman:

--The video is MUCH less Bad Friend than either another tune that wandered into RantWoman's head the suggestion RantWoman received when seeking the wisdom of another Friend to deal with the first Bad Friend moment.

--The death announcement mentioned the deceased Friend being clear to be DONE with medical treatments so flying away from one's body seems entirely reasonable to RantWoman.

--The Friend is a weighty Friend partly because of being a strong Quaker woman in many different venues.

May this Friend rest in peace, may we hold the Friend's family and loved ones particularly close, and may there be arms and legs to carry her efforts forward.

OIL, OIL, OIL and some other bulletins

From RantWoman's video diet. #Russia #Ukraine 

The videos about oil markets are complex and invite deeper analysis as at least some countries try to decarbonize.

Videos about Russian world view, practices about troops and demands of families, and other items FYI 

Worth a listen about price for oil, demand for oil, Relations with MBS while US is biggest seller of arms to Saudi Arabia.

As a bonus: mention of war crimes charges against Putin. (Same provisions of the Geneva condition, RantWoman believes, apply in Gaza)

Why oil prices have not spiked due to Gaza

Perspectives re: Saudi, Russia, US

William Spaniel on may issues in Russian economy

Jake Broe: Russian economy, oil

Times Radio Frontline: Russian war blogs and Putin connection efforts

In other news

British Intelligence cautiously alarmed about Russian hacking and ongoing disinformation

Desertion and Russian discontent with war

Kyiv Post: Why Putin is terrified by a group of women angry about well-being of relatives

Way Home group is target of silencing, disinformation.

TVP WORld Break the Fake: troops speak. So do people who have no toilets in their home villages

TVP World Lavrov at NATO summit. S and S on expanding to AK, HI, CA

Reminder that TVP World is Polish state TV who provide the clown noses. 

Various clips: 

The explosion on the BAM line in far Eastern Siberia

comments by Solovyov about Lavrov's English (Solovyov studied in the US). 

Solovyov and Simonyan joke about coming for AK, HI, CA

Kyiv Post on desertion and treatment of wounded Russians

Talking "Tramp"

 RantWoman was recently in a conversation where the phrase "We don't talk like that" came up.

RantWoman had to demure: Quakers come from and live in many different strands of language and say all kinds of things. Plus, if we are trying to create brave space, we are pretty much guaranteed that individuals will probably get uncomfortable at least some of the time.

RantWoman's confession though: RantWoman is struggling to find ways to refer to The Former President without the ego gratification for him of saying his name. RantWoman realizes that this is probably grossly unfair to whatever of God can be found somewhere in the vicinity of his desperate attention-seeking and endlessly SAD outlook.

However, in Bad Friend mode, please assist RantWoman in discernment about which commonly used hashtags seem most Quakerly, by which one may mean either upfront Quaker plain speaking or most deeply reaching for that of God or otherwise blasphemous

EEK. RantWoman forgot one:

#DonTheCon

#TFG The Former Guy

#MangoMussolini

#SweetPotatoHitler

#OrangeJesus

#ApricotAntichrist

RantWoman was shamelessly using #OrangeJesus for awhile except that sometimes gets abbreviated OJ and RantWoman REALLY does not want to summon any legal outcome in any way similar to the trial of O J Simpson.

Forget hashtags though: one of RantWoman's most delicious linguistic devices has to do with the transliteration of the spelling in Russian of the former president's name: "Tramp." 

Need RantWoman say more? 

Yes actually! It's IMPORTANT when someone first offers the Russian speling and then speaks of a "savior."

Good Lord. Democracy is hard sometimes.

Popcorn in response to Plaintive requests

The Christmas cactuses

 I will not trivialize other people's spiritual undertakings!  I will not trivialize other people's spiritual undertakings!  I will not trivialize other people's spiritual undertakings!  I will not trivialize other people's spiritual undertakings!  I will not trivialize other people's spiritual undertakings!

For several months, RantWoman has been scribbling the exhortation to herself above on her mental chalkboard in response to a Friend's quest in a monthly newsletter for sharing about plastics, ardent veganism, and now air travel. The please for feedback have grown so plaintive that RantWoman is going to go all Santa Claus on the situation and offer gifts or at least popcorn kernels on each topic. Considering the season think of it as holiday decorations stringing together popcorn and cranbeeries.

Plastics:

RantWoman has been carrying water bottles for years because she hates the idea of leaving behind a planet littered with indestructible plastic bottles.

RantWoman prefers food she makes at home and transports in an assortment of reusable containers over food encased in commercial plastic. RantWoman could probably achieve more consistency about this, but...

RantWoman specifically buys products made of recycled plastic if they are available aind meet RantWoman's needs.

RantWoman has a number of neighbors whose lives would be way more miserable without many kinds of plastic healthcare products.

At the same time, after a number of forays into disaster preparedness projects, RantWoman has come to see that in a disaster with water in short supply and possibly LOTS of people in eed of water, that small bottles of water have value both in terms of sanitation and in terms of stretching, sharing resources.

RantWoman wishes to call out a massive instance of internationally losing perspective over plastic drinking straws. RantWoman recalls a few years ago with news was filled with accounts of a giant churning gyre of plastic in the Pacific ocean. Barely a word has been said about the thousands of tons of old fishing gear dumped all over the world's oceans. RantWoman has not heard of anything done to actually clean up the gyre. Instead, RantWoman's life has been filled with vehemence in several directions about plastic drinking straws.

Plastic drinking straws are now very hard to come by. Many people with various disabilities rely on plastic straws to eat. The market has now delivered various biodegradable straws, some of which start to degrade as soon as they are inserted into liquid. The market has also delivered metal straws which are hard to clean. And still no word about the trash gyre or the wasted trawling gear.

Is anyone led to track down updates on the garbage gyre and maybe to draw others into efforts to CLEAN UP THE MESS? 

RantWoman's thoughts: go easy on the plastics whenever possible, but further agitation is beyoned RantWoman's ken.

Veganism: 

RantWoman admits that going straight to vegan from buying a quarter of a cow every year to cut up and freeze is a HUGE change. RantWoman also understands water, grain, lack of biodiversity in poultry flocks, the market insanity of Big Meat, cow methane, health reasons to go light on meat. 

So far, RantWoman is happy to plan shared food with vegans in mind. RantWoman has cut back on egg consumption. RantWoman only occasionally cooks with beef and presently is EXTREMELY grateful for a really nice do on a pot of mushroom barley soup. RantWoman has other meat facts in her life but definitely decided that a food plan promising to deliver pounds of various meets at least every 2 months was going to be WAY too much for RantWoman to eat. RantWoman also goes a little nuts without a certain level of dairy consumption. 

Oops, and here we come to an intersection between plastics issues and RantWoman's disinclination to go entirely vegan: yogurt containers. RantWoman does not have it in her to cut out the plastic containers and make her own yogurt. RantWoman does ruthlessly reuse containers as many ways as possible. Vessels for taking out compost are a big one. RantWoman would consider using yogurt containers to help sprout seeds for the herb garden she plans to make. RantWoman also TRIES to route things like yogurt containers to the correct recycling stream. Okay that is more aspirational than realized, but here we are.

For better or worse as far as the future of the planet and the need to be vigilant against market controlling multinationals, RantWoman had to admit that going further on the vegan path is low on her list of considerations for paths to spiritual improvement.

Airplane travel

Just buy some carbon offsets already?

Actually, buy some carbon offsets and support reforestation regardless of whether there is air travel involved. Bonus climate badass points for also investing in indigenous communities' efforts to fight the deforestation that Big Meat brings.

Does RantWoman oversimplify?

Look, fascinating and aw-inspiring as air travel is, the free market in overcrowded airports, overstressed flight crews, schedule hiccups, and multiple other strands of logistical nightmares is more than enough to deter RantWoman from all but the most necessary trips!

RantWoman also realizes A LOT of air travel happens in the name of diplomacy and everything to do with wars. So promoting peacebuilding is ONE way to cut back on GHG. Another way to cut back on carbon emissions: don't focus only on air travel: RantWoman and probably other Friends can help anyone who is not already in the bus and bike and walk fan club think about how to reduce carbon emissions in daily life.

If the goal is to support the lives of Quakers in the global south, is it better to fly people from rich countries to listen to Friends from the very large Yearly Meetings in the global south OR do Friends in the global north need educating so badly that care should be taken to invite Friends from the global south to travel in the ministry, brave visa hassles, and do the emotional work of educating and educating?

Epilog:

There. RantWoman is responding to an invitation that apparently no one else responded to. Is anyone feeling challenged? Preached at? Not listened to? LIke maybe inspired with a nugget to grab onto and run with?  

Yep. That happens sometimes.

Like "Oh, RantWoman, noting is ever good enough for you or you are too much of a martian or..."

Yep. That happens sometimes too..

Can we talk about, oh I dunno, grace and being open to continuing revelation???

NewsNation hosts fourth GOP primary debate. NOW WHAT???

RantWoman has saved the link to this video of the final GOP presidential debate as an artifact. RantWoman may at some point actually watch the whole video instead of the snippets that will come her way.

RantWoman, WHY are you following the debate artifact with links to wildly different version s of the Hindu hymn Hanuman Chalisa?

9 minutemeditative Hanuman chalisa

Hanuman Chalise sung by a woman

2+Minutes of superfast sounds like rap Hanuman Chalisa

Full 1.5 hour bollywood sounding Hanuman chalisa

1. RantWoman just got carried away with the riches of YouTube?

2. RantWoman notes with interest she has not further defined that at this point, counting Nikki Haly, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Kamala Harris, there are THREE Indian American candidates in the 2024 Presidential / VP race? As in America is already so great that candidates' parents brave grad school or walk hundreds of miles to get here. 

3. RantWoman needed a mental change of pace and opted not to care whether the Hanuman Chalisa is even relevant to the candidates?

4. The link that charmed RantWoman years ago now lives behind electronic copyright fence.

Overall, to RantWoman's ear, the debates have been STUNNINGLY ineffective about helping enlighten voters: will we wind up with someone able without hesitation to fulfilling their oath of office and upholding the US Constitution OR will the vast pool of #GOP voters not splattering themselves all over social media or ducking polls STILL go for someone willing to rip up the Constitution on their first day in office?

It really IS that stark and voters need to judge where the candidates stand, at every single campaign stop, at every single campaign rally and press interview.

In case readers are wondering, RantWoman also expects that every single judge hearing cases about one of the candidates will take a strong stand: "SORRY, as with every other defendant, court comes first. You can apply for a different job after you get done with all the court stuff." RantWoman is not sure there is a good way to say, as well, as long as you, Mr. candidate are promising every time you open your mouth to rip up the Constitution, there is NO WAY you should enjoy Article 3 Presidential immunity. Alas, RantWoman is not a lawyer, but...

When to try the former president?????

Umm, RantWoman, HOW are you getting from all the dirt and dire warnings all over Liz Cheney's book tour to trial dates for Orange Jesus as mentioned in the title????

RantWoman is not a lawyer.

RantWoman has read only a fraction of the US Constitution.

However, discussion of trial dates and briefing schedules and CIPA 3 and CIPA 4 are competing for space in RantWoman's brain with Liz Cheney's book tour.

One of the topics desperately bandied about is something called "The Supremacy Clause," the principle that the President cannot be tried for anything (except through impeachment) while in office. Corollary is concern that trial during a campaign looks like election interference.

WTAF???

1. #DonTheCon is announcing left right and sideways all over any media and rally where someone sticks a microphone in his face that he has no intention of fulfilling his oath of office and plans to start shredding Constitutional order on day 1 of any second term. Shouldn't that alone make him ineligible to be placed on ballots?

2. #DonTheCon is on the road to being ruled ineligible in multiple jurisdictions to hold office because of Article 3 of the 14th amendment.

So...if The Donald is ineligible to serve because he promises to shred the Constitution and ineligible to serve because of previously fomenting an insurrection, WHY IS ANYONE EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE????

RantWoman enjoys the term "Apricot Antichrist."

Judge Chutkan has promised to treat The Apricot Antichrist like any other criminal defendant. Is there anywhere on the planet where someone accused of a crime gets to tell the judge and the court "Oh, I am busy applying for a job, which is what campaigning is? Never mind whether I am qualified for the job or not. I will simply be unavailable to come to court for some indeterminate interval.

That is NOT how it works for anyone but #TFG. And if he tries to make it work for him, he needs to be thoroughly schooled in the concept of "two-tier justice system,: reminded he is a defendant like anyone else. and told by every court dealing with the juridical ooze trailing him everywhere "NO, court comes first. if you want to try to apply for this job, you have to wait until your court stuff is done. 

So the question, how can each and every one of us pick a way to make a difference and do it faithfully?

PS

Ahem, RantWoman, isn't it both contradictory and blasphemous  to refer to #TFG as both Orange Jesus and the Apricot Antichrist? 

Errrr, that is the best RantWoman can do in hopes of locating "That of God" in the former President, whom RantWoman sincerely wishes a safe comfortable retirement FAR out of the public eye.

Help Increase the Peace: planned demonstration and pacifist professor

This post is about people present with their whole selves in horrific situations.

On the way to
a "planned demonstration"
and remembering the
Japanese occupation of Korea

Seattle police twitter euphemism for MANY protests is "civic event." For the most recent events about the war on Gaza,, the posting read "planned demonstration."

RantWoman is not offering further analysis of this point. 

RantWoman also offers the most cogent and moving discussion of Quaker worship she has ever heard, from a graduate of the Ramallah Friends School who now teaches at Haverford.

 NPR Enlighten Me interview with Palestinian American professor about Quaker worship

Just listen to the interview. It will be way better than any words RantWoman can offer.

Special prayers for the three Ramallah Friends School alumni shot over Thanksgiving for, checks notes, wearing kafiyas and speaking Arabic. Prayers for the shooter too but only because there is ferocious scorn in teh vicinity.

Support Civil Society in Russia to help keep Europe safe.

Two new Youtube channels, both today with items about Russian opposition and resistance to war, chaotic military chain of command.

This from a Warsaw think tank

The Russian Dude: Russians in KHerson simply lay down their weapons and refuse to fight

specific reference to targets such as a train movin war materiel from Buriatia in eastern Siberia toward Ukraine.

#Russia #Ukraine.

Could Mike Johnson be the culture war equivalent of Nixon going to China.

CNN Reporting on Expulsion of George Santos from House of Representatives

The relevant points for this blog post: 

--Speaker Mike Johnson told #GOP members to vote their conscience about expelling #GeorgeSantos from the House of Representatives. This implies an expectation of conscience.

--A large percentage of GOP representatives do not like being lied to or stolen from by one of their own.

--The equally balanced bipartisan House Ethics committee and their non-partisan staff did a very detailed and thorough investigation.

But RantWoman, how does this get you to "Nixon goes to China?"

Ummm, first a video typical of social media "OMG. This guy is SUCH a FREAK." He prays. He and his son have this somewhat creepy-sounding mutual accountability effort related to desire not to consume porn. He has views on MANY culture war issues that make RantWoman alternately cringe and pray every time he opens his mouth.

And OMG, he has no assets even though one would expect that he would.

More after the video.

RantWoman's points:

It is VERY Quakerly to believe in religious pluralism and people acting on deeply held religious beliefs in public life. We are not required to like other's understandings of their call but the existence of a spiritual call is what matters.

Offering what look to others like grievous misunderstandings of religious standards helps Johnson seem credible to some segments of the #GOP.  At the same time, it is not necessarily terrible if politicians turn out not to be able to realize all the promises they articulate.

"Vote your conscience" is a way of signaling willingness to see what happens if people don't just divide themselves into mutually antagonistic shouting matches.

As far as the "no assets" issue, RantWoman thinks there are both Christian and Muslim faithful who have issues with earning interest. RantWoman would not mind if there were more polite respectful discussion about this. RantWoman would definitely also like to know more about what kind of religiously themed asset shelter Speaker Johnson may have constructed for himself. At a minimum, RantWoman would like to know that however Speaker Johnson manages his family's finances that management does not include massive cash flows from say Russian oligarchs / mafia figures or even from homegrown billionaire sugar daddies.

RantWoman mentions the Russian mob / oligarchs because the question of #TFG entanglement with oligarchs comes to mind almost every time a name gets mentioned in one of the #TrumpWorld escapades. Today's escapade someone named Pavel Melikar, a figure in a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former Trump golf course employee 

RantWoman would like to know more.

AND in the realm of God works in mysterious ways:

--Fellow Hoosier dan freaking Quayle was one of the voices who helped shore up former VP Mike Pence's decision to do his Constitutional duty on #J6

--Between #DJT and #GeorgeSantos, will the GOP get more interested in screening candidates better???

--Will anyone get interested in MORE ethics committee investigations and flows of money in politics?

RantWoman is posting all of this here instead of as comments on Youtube videos for technological reasons RantWoman has decided for now to embrace as one way to keep on task about to-do's in her inbox. Enjoy?

Quaker call to Action: next event December 5

Almost verbatim from an email. 

RantWoman has a conflict but will look for a video on the Quaker Call website.

 

REGISTER NOW: DEC 5 ZOOM SESSION WITH PROTECT OUR ELECTION

As we begin the run-up to the 2024 election, our local and state election officials—the bedrock of our democratic electoral system—continue to endure threats, intimidation, and attacks from MAGA election deniers and extremists. Despite zero evidence to support their claims, the Big Lie persists. Join us on DEC 5 FROM 8:00-9:15 PM EASTERN TIME for a timely update from our friend Steve Wanczyk, Founder and Executive Director of Protect Our Election, on how POE is supporting and protecting local election officials across the country, and practical ways you can help. REGISTER HERE FOR THE ZOOM SESSION. You will receive a Zoom link the day before the session. THE QUAKER CALL NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE Marian Beane, Bruce Birchard, Sam Caldwell, Gretchen Castle, Mary Ellen McNish, Diane Randall, Jim Waddington, and Michael Wajda.

©2023 Quaker Call To Action | Quaker Call To Action,

"Election Interference?" Arguing with the Daily Signal

 RantWoman does not usually read The Daily Signal. She made an exception for this article:

https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/12/17/how-democrats-attempted-a-2016-electoral-college-coup/ 

This article came to RantWoman on X / Twitter with the hashtag #ElectionInterference . Oh, you mean like #TFG (the former guy) saying out loud on the campaign trail "Russia are you listening?"  RantWoman does not here want to rehash all the tangles of the 2016 election but probably some of the public is going to need refreshers.

For now RantWoman considers it important to engage about the article because "Oh the Democrats did it too" is certainly going to be bandied about the court of public opinion even if it like whatever got presented in 60+ cases #TFG lost in 2020 it will not hold up in court. 

With that in mind, aiming to energize and motivate but hopefully not to overwhelm, RantWoman comments:

1. BOTH parties should do a better job of picking candidates and responding to the public mood. Start with some real basics like "Is this candidate eligible for a security clearance?" "Does the candidate already have so much legal action related to their business that one wonders how they have any time for their job?" "Will the candidate release 10 years of tax returns?"

2. In early 2016 there were already LOUD #GOP voices expressing concern about the presumptive nominee. How come that concern went nowhere?
3. For the Dems' part, RantWoman barely wants to touch Hillary's failure to build on Obama momentum, failure to look credible to Bernie bros, and failure at ALL to campaign in some key swing states. Hillary's assumption that she was winning, blinded her to LOTS of realities that opened the door to #TFG. Also, RantWoman recommends staying on the offensive against disinformation wherever it comes from.

4. Voters cannot rely only on parties (or the courts either). Voters ourselves need to stay engaged from the outset, shaping policy statements and messaging, registering voters, getting out the vote, monitoring vote counts....

5. No one should run unopposed! Saying it again, NO ONE should run unopposed! Who is willing to toss their hat into an election ring?

6. How electors get apportioned should be decided by states not by parties. That should avoid basically disenfranchising all the losing candidate's voters and reduce the odds of an electoral college victory wildly out of line with the popular vote. RantWoman is well aware the racist history of the electoral college and of concern that the electoral college gives low population states influence on Presidential outcomes way out of proportion to their population. Part of why RantWoman would prefer to do away with winner take all but not do away with the electoral college is that it could become too easy to ignore states that have small populations but important roles in the national economy. There is already two much division between large population mostly coastal states and the red heartland. The way to fix this is for there to be more diverse candidates in the heartland and for the coasts to listen better to heartland issues.

7. RantWoman here notes that around the 2017 inauguration, there were MASSIVE overwhelmingly nonviolent protest marches, massive marches with negligible numbers of either arrests or serious injuries. The airport occupations when #POTUS45 imposed his Muslim ban were also overwhelmingly nonviolent. Overwhelmingly nonviolent protests are AWESOME. By the time people were out protesting, though, it was really too late. This time around, people need to engage early and stay engaged,especially since the putative front-runner in one party is already promising to violate his oath of office almost as soon as he is sworn in.
RantWoman's impression of the 2016 campaign to switch electors is that it started comparatively late in the election cycle, maybe even after the election. In 2020 on the other hand, #TFG was already aware that he was losing and by early summer had already begun all the plotting that led up to the #J6 single biggest one-day violent crime wave in the US since 9/11 Bluntly, he was not going to leave office no matter what.

8. Another current thread in the national conversation is how do the #BLM #BlackLivesMatter protests of 2020 compare to #J6. This issue has swum out of the muck of #TFG talking about his plans for any future administration and for using the military against protestors in ways he was not allowed to do in 2020. 

     These comments acknowledge points that people in Seattle and Portland suspected. Forces of reaction seem eager, as often happens, to exploit reaction to the most negative images of protests. RantWoman is also turning into Protest Curmudgeon about people making their points without creating a lot of negative imagery. 

9. More alarming in terms of veering toward authoritarianism is concern RantWoman read on X/ Twitter that holding up military promotions and confirmation of diplomats is intended explicitly to leave lots of positions for a second #OrangeGuy administration to fill with loyalists who will do his bidding.

10. It's not like the US is shy about interfering in other countries' elections! RantWoman has a separate rant brewing about this point and the #OrangeGuy defending himself from conspiracy charges in Washington DC. Stay tuned.

The Ukraine war on two fronts

As much #Russia #Ukraine video etc watching as RantWoman is going to try tonight.

Farid Zakaria reports case iin rules-based order for international commission and using seized Russian assets to aid Ukraine reconstruction. 

Times Radio: John Herbst rumors of pressure for cease fire

for an added dimension, tonight's Kyiv worship brought a plea to hold in the Light a conscientious objector now being tried for refusing to kill.

Never too many tote bags!!!!

 Ooh, Ooh, Ooh. A very cool present arrived as RantWoman was in the middle of a tech support conversation about the raggedy edges of the internet.

FCNL swag RantWoman wasn't expecting.
Happy 80th anniversary FCNL

RantWoman is car-free by necessity. It does not hurt that riding transit reduces traffic congestion, makes cities more livable, and helps cut #GHG emissions, oh and builds community on wheels.

In any case, RantWoman can never have too many tote bags!

PS. It's #GivingTuesday. Never mind about match for other things. People who feel like giving to FCNL and don't  itemize can give straight to FCNL lobbying efforts.

RantWoman definitely means to do this, as soon as she can figure out how to make the donor portal stop arguing with her about her billing address.

FCNL approves new statement on reproductive healthcare

FCNL Revised policy on Reproductive Healthcare

Readers who just want to see the final text of the revised policy feel free to skip the rest of this.

 RantWoman should let the policy stand on its own, but RantWoman wants to offer particular appreciation for LOTS of points:

--Having easy online access to the final version of the document very shortly after the final wording was approved

--The last round of seasoning, one of those Quaker moments where it seems like something is almost done and suddenly like the loops of a labyrinth, there are two not exactly contradictory but powerful objections to wording. RantWoman lives on West Coast time even when Zooming for events on the East Coast soRantWoman just had to let wordsmiths wordsmith and leave the final decision to an Early Morning Meeting for business.

--The very well-led and carefully tended work of the FCNL policy committee between last year's annual meeting and the 2023 Annual meeting.

Maybe that is all RantWoman needs to say about this exact topic.

CHELYABINSK "Tractor Factory ON FIRE. Vlog 534: War in Ukraine

RantWoman does not watch Anna from Ukraine as often as other channels, but this video nails a whole bunch of issues. As Anna says, Chelyabinsk is a LONG way from Ukraine. 

No, RantWoman is NOT sorry the chelyabinsk "tractor factory" is on fire. 

In fact, RantWoman files this with other stories found on X / Twitter about the "Ukrainian Ministry of Accidental Russian Fires as events that have occurred. Whether the events get chalked up to Ukrainian resistance, Russian sympathizers, or average Russian inattention to safety issues, there is a considerable trail of such events occurring at various categories of locations such as defense plants.

RantWoman meant to collect a bunch of contradictory opinions about who is coming out worse, Russia or Ukraine, who is or is not just growing tired...

There is plenty of material to collect but not tonight.

Time Radio: Mark Galeotti says Putin las lost ability ...about security issues

Fertility! And Better than space lasers?

RantWoman presents Russian State TV commentator Margarita Simonyan and her, um, unusual ideas about what will solve Russia's demographic crisis:

Note. Video is in Russian. English translation on the screen is not screen reader accessible. RantWoman has neither validated the automated transcript nor tried to see what happens if the transcript lines are run the Russian transcript through Google translate. Enough of the preposterousness comes through to allow RantWoman to comment, after the video.

Well, yeah, MAYBE when pigs fly and hell freezes. Russia could also get crazy: stop making elites want to fly abroad to avoid military duty, stop feeding more ordinary people to the Ukraine war meat grinder, Russia would not have to rely on magical thinking about Russia somehow being in a position to seduce most people from the US into moving there.

Anther panel arguing about how to raise the birth rate in Russia

For another weird example of Russian propaganda voices, Olga Skabeeva and evgeny Popov

Meanwhile on this side of the pond recently elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wants childbearing and particularly forced pregnancy in lieu of comprehensive health care options to solve fiscal problems with Social Security and Medicare, problems that are EASILY fixable with only modest increases in Social Security and Medicare taxes. And supporting existing families, whatever they look like, through things like restoring the #Pandemic era #ChildTaxCredit  would never hurt either.

RantWoman is going to leave things at that, for one thing because she has far too rich a tree of other possible rants and this is enough for one night.

How Russia treats those lost or injured and their families. Sinking of the Rostov on the Don submarine. and broader questions, with introductory rant

Full disclosure: RantWoman missed sessions at FCNL's recent annual meeting about the war in Ukraine. RantWoman means to see what is possible to review but in the meantime, RantWoman HAS OPINIONS and questions. RantWoman finds it hard to speak to some points one might reasonably be expected to lobby about. 

Some points RantWoman considers:

--There IS opposition to the war in Russia: journalists, military and political figures, and the families of troops. Conditions for opposition voices are brutal, but the opposition persists. Sensible voices should be amplified; there is also A LOT of garbage propaganda and disinformation and countering that is absolutely necessary.

--Sanctions are having an impact on Russia.

--Various scenarios come up about collapse of Russia, Putin being deposed or replaced in an election. IT will be VITAL to have informed specialists in the picture to influence the international impact of these possibilities.

--RantWoman supports Ukraine's right to territorial integrity and political self-determination.

--This point includes cluster bombs. Cluster bombs are monstrous weapons. One source (Beau)noted that Ukraine already knows they are going to have to invest in lots of de-mining after they drive Russians out, so what are some more explosives to deal with. Another source (Jake Broe) pointed out that Ukraine is disassembling cluster bombs and using the bomblets inside to arm drones. Both points are icky. RantWoman considers it appropriate to concentrate on analyzing the gee-whiz aspects of drone warfare, what help might be needed after the war and how to pay for the war damages through seized assets.

--For better or worse, RantWoman considers it appropriate for Russia's neighbors to have a role in the conduct of the war and which weapons get used how.

--In many cases US and European weapons shipments to Ukraine are cleaning out old stocks which of course will then be used to justify building newer better ones. Watch that issue play out.

--The war is mostly going VERY badly for Russia and Putin is making the some of the same mistakes Stalin made in WWII. That is unfortunate and Russia should stop it. RantWoman saying that is not going to make it so.

--Historian Anne Applebaum writes of the sequence of Putin foreign policy where he thinks he is continuing to win, partly because Western powers have not stood up to his assaults on Georgia, Ukraine, Syria as firmly as they might have. Fear of acting though for conflicts between nuclear powers makes firm statecraft all the more important. Timeliness also matters: Russia would be much less dug in in the territories it seized in 2014 if there had been firmer international response. RantWoman has no opinion her about what might have been possible in alternate realities.

--The legacy of Ukraine and Belarus giving Russia back nuclear weapons deployed on their territory when the Soviet Union fell apart needs to figure in thinking about both nuclear weapons issues and the how to manage a nuclear power plant under occupation concerns.

--There is a whole de-carbonize the global economy angle that RantWoman is not going to try to comb through with respect to European dependence on oil and gas exports from Russia as well as how India, China and other oil-producing countries interact with the sanctions regime. 

Here, though, RantWoman is going to continue to post videos she finds informative in hopes that others can draw useful information from what RantWoman culls off YouTube.

RantWoman thinks this channel MAY be created by AI and then edited by a human, either that or read by really good text to speech. However, RantWoman has no reason to doubt the substance of this story.

DW: Families of Russian troops in Ukraine protest war

Silicon Bites: DRAMATIC increase in many violent crimes among people returning from the front but others being used for patriotic education

Also fear of "afghan Syndrome."

HORRIFIC realities of trying to provide support to veterans

Oh Gee, you mean this stuff happens in Russia as well as the US?

Times Radio: how Russians really feel about Putin's invasion of Ukraine

CNN: Ukrainian drone pilot and congressman

The Icarus Project: should the world take Belarus sudden interest in resolving the conflict seriously?

When Lukashenko talks Putin is moving his lips.

Watch the whole video

What are different theories of victory?

Infographics: What do Russian military think of the war in Ukraine

Will western delay prompt Ukraine to undertake more desperate actions.

Russia: commitment to long war. Different perceptions in different countires. Watch the whole video.

See other videos from this channel.

Snark from X / Twitter and click through to the Timothy Snyder item

If #Russia wants out of the the #UkraineWar stalemate they should leave. Stop feeding untrained poorly equipped bodies to the meat grinder. Respect #Ukraine territorial integrity. Also listen to many antiwar voices inside Russia. https://t.co/JzzRp83JXC

— Dorene Cornwell (@DoreneFC) November 24, 2023

The WAR in Russia and propaganda

Okay, RantWoman is just going to opine about citizens of Russia and The WAR in Ukraine. RantWoman's opinions continue to evolve and some here are probably controversial.

RantWoman does not have an opinion one way or another about why specific categories of Russians do or don't feel they themselves can speak out. RantWoman simply considers it the decent thing to do to pray for all affected by this war: 

--All the brown people from different parts of the Russian federation forced into the Russian military meat grinder with neither training nor anything approaching acceptable weaponry, 

--the families of the KIA some of whom will neither ever see their loved ones again nor necessarily know where they have fallen 

--Russian families torn apart by differences of opinion, 

--Russians who ARE able to speak out in ways ranging from holding blank pieces of paper like signs on the sidewalk to what RantWoman thinks MAY BE partisan antiwar sabotage in different parts of Russia. Translation: RantWoman is cautious about drawing inferences but does regularly look at a Twitter feed called the Ukrainian Ministry of Accidental Russian fires

--All the people struggling due to, sadly well deserved, Western sanctions

Admittedly, RantWoman lies about being able smoothly to pray for some categories of Russians:

--those with resources who send their draft age sons abroad to evade conscription

--all the Russian oligarchs, even the ones trying to counter Putin

--ditto for Russian nationalist war bloggers and propagandists.

And on a different note: Vlad Vexler on culture war and propaganda.

With that, today's vids, not all of which RantWoman has thoroughly digested:

John Sweeney: Putin has been getting away with murder for decades, enabled by...

Meditations near but tangential to the anniversary of the 2013 Maidan events in Ukraine, the ones where one time the sign language interpreter on Ukrainian state television just stopped interpreting and started signing about what BS viewers were being fed.

Ben Hodges on Times Radio about Ukraine ejecting Russia from Crimea

Times Radio on X, Russia and Biden meeting with Xi

The Telegraph: Zelensky fires top general, why does the EU keep buying Russian gas, and supply levels of some kinds of arms

Wives and mothers protesting despite police pressure

Kyiv Post interviews economist who formerly worked for Putin Putin has violated all agreements with Ukraine

various comments on US aid to Ukraine

Vlad Vexler tries prophylactic disinfectant against Margo Simonyan toxicity

Western democracies suffer different toxicity

Simonyan attacks very popular singer Alla Pugacheva, LGBT issues related to many in underwear in Odessa, 

Three pathologies

"Nobody is good as soon as they enter the public square"

"Lack of boundaries" (the bit about the washing machine)

"lack of alternative views, concepts of history"

Condemnation of Hamas violence and use of the term "genocide" and the Genocide convention but calls Israel's politics Barbarism, anti Putin dissidents 

sponsorship by Moscow mayor's office

Vlad says dispicable toxicity is really effective.

Vlad Vexler on new wave Russian trolls in his comments

Profound discomfort when phrase "Russian asset" is used vs eg Trump as domestic political phenomena.

But trolls are ....

Some fatigue among Pro-Ukraine internet voices

Israel Hamas Gaza crisis: avoid issue like wildfire OR only comment insofar as it relates to Russian Ukraine war.

Vlad Vexler opines about every video in his main YouTube feed. Assad in Syria, identity politics, time blindness and autism, Israel, Ukraine, "the West," Christopher Hitchens, not engaging in culture wars, atheism, Extinction Rebellion, plurality of activism, the sacredness of nature, why damaging paintings is counterproductive, 

Vlad Vexler from a couple weeks ago about Zaluzhny stalemate interview

Kremlin is not ready to do a peace about the part they have bitten off.

ISSUES in the Red Sea and on the Finland / Russia border.

Between YouTube and that platform formerly known as Twitter, today RantWoman's media streams have two international incidents which both appear to have high potential for generating misinformation AND high need for thoughtful diplomacy to address concerns that might arise.

Apparent Houthi Seizure of MV Galaxy Leader

Video posted as data points. In particular:

--Change in tactics compared to some other comparable events

--Geography

--multiple entities in vessel ownership

--unclear what the cargo is

--vessel turning off transponder.

--enough red flags to want to be VERY sure where info streams about this come from.

Short Reuters clip about same Houthi Vessel Seizure

Another What is Going on with Shipping report

Emil Kastelhemi Twitter thread on Russia sending migrants to Finland

New term: hybrid warfare

Recent developments in Finland:

Over the past few days, Russia has sent an increasing number of migrants to Finland's borders. Finland has closed several border crossing points due to the authorities' threat assessment.

A video surfaced of the Russian operation. 1/ pic.twitter.com/Vb7c1iLLmD

— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi) November 19, 2023

Transgender Day of Remembrance

This post is what RantWoman can summon this year for Transgender Day of Remembering. Pieces of it may piss some readers off. RantWoman will try to warn people but considers it important to work on a number of threads.

Did RantWoman mention, she is bad at simplicity? For instance, when in spaces where pronouns are being shared, RantWoman has been known to say something like "pronouns are an essay question (more like several dissertations in linguistics, but who's counting?)"

This post is dedicated to:

--several transpeople RantWoman knows personally

--a young deaf transwoman whose family fled MT for the somewhat more welcoming environment of Seattle. This person spoke ambivalently of eating a lot of salad. RantWoman at the time did not think to tell here that plenty of women like hamburgers.

--J and M, two deaf-blind women RantWoman thinks she has written of before who for a long time came over to RantWoman's apartment to drink tea, finessed seating so everyone could live with the light conditions while J interpreted the conversation into close visual ASL for M who could speak just fine.

--Oops. Update. RantWoman forgot one, a 6'5" former construction worker who still has some mannerisms that some women probably still find triggering but is WAY more into pantyhose and heels than RantWoman ever thought of being.

--RantMOM because her Presbyterian church pastor, a lovely happily married cisgender straight woman, has invited the congregation to get acquainted with all kinds of "alphabet soup" realities. The one that most stuck out to RantMom: a choir RantWoman is not familiar with where it is notable that one member sings alto.

--RantWoman's favorite very Catholic transphobic newspaper columnist and denizen of Twitter / X. PLEASE do not argue with RantWoman about whether it is permissible to have a favorite... newspaper columnist. This person is someone of great faith; we do hear the voice of God very differently.

Blessings upon everyone mentioned above and all transgender people.

Some people might want to STOP READING HERE.

Homework and confessions left over from NPYM 2023 Annual Session

These comments are homework half done from last summer's NPYM annual session and training for worship group leaders offered by whatever the listeners' committee was called.

1. RantWoman THINKS she has gotten over her complex about use of "they" pronouns. Someone close in age to RantWoman said in a meeting awhile ago something like "I stopped worrying about it. I just call everyone younger than me 'they' " along of course with anyone else who asks. RantWoman is not sure that will do the trick for some of the many reasons she keeps saying "pronouns are an essay question," but she is called to leave the problem lie for now.

2. Speaking of transphobia.

Blast from the past: firestorm over a transphobic comment

Speaker 1 "I don't understand what's the big deal about pronoun. I don't want to hear it."

Speaker 2 "I hear a lack of clarity about transphobia."

Oh dear. As worship group leader, what ARE You to do? 

--Tell the story of one Friend who know the community is (comparatively) safe space because of pronouns on nametags?

--Mention the NPYM minute on welcoming people of all genders?

During introductions: let us finish introductions and come back to your concern. (Perhaps someone will offer something relevant in their own introduction.)

During the flow of sharing, to the person who raised the concern:

--This is worship sharing. You have already spoken once. Let's finish hearing from others and come back to this topic. Again, see what emerges frrom others' voices.

When coming back to the topic, 

--Mention NPYM minute on welcoming people of all genders?

--Ask the person who raised the concern to elaborate?

--Ask others in the room to comment or share concerns?

--Talk to the two people involved after the session?

--Send people off to the listeners instead of trying to work out what has come to oneself?

--For a very "in the weeds" response, mention a famous comment by country singer Jason Aldeans wife.  RantWoman means to find the link. One time Mrs. Aldean commented after some kind of a makeup session, something about how much she liked girlie stuff and how glad she was that no one had forced her to hack off genitals. That idea of course is NOT a thing except in VERY rare cases where people born with characteristics of both genders and some kind of surgical intervention happens long before a child can decide on their own. 

Besides pointing out the "NOT A THING" point, RantWoman in such a conversation might say "well I am glad you enjoy all that girlie makeup stuff. You can have all of it anyone might try to subject RantWoman to too." RantWoman is not sure whether in the context of worship sharing, this kind of conceptual excursion would be helpful, BUT RantWoman might still be bold enough to try it.

Previously on this blog: interrupting

Wading into even rougher territory

Posting should not be interpreted as endorsement of these views, but to wade right into controversy:

"The #ProHuman answer to the question of gender is to accept people however they are. To not force people into an ever more expansive list of constricting labels... have compassion... accept the truth of science and biology... be our truest and unique selves."

- Zander Keig pic.twitter.com/wkKv9nruX5

— Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) (@fairforall_org) July 28, 2022

Truth in advertising: Stephanie Winn interviews Zander Keig

Israel Palestine vids of the day

In pretty stark terms, let's talk PERCEPTION

And let's hear it for FED UP Congressional Staffers




and the house, a few days ago, never mind the budget but Preach it Jamie Raskin

Belated day of the dead.

RantWoman, you are following multiple news streams involving a LOT of death. Are you SURE that this is the best way to start?

There are SO MANY people in worse shape than this video...

Ah hell. Roll with it!

Belated Day of the Dead imagery

PS Happy posthumous birthday to A, RantDad's younger sister who decamped to possibly holier realms around Easter time the year after RantDad made his exit. RantWoman remembers Aunt A for a Jello marvel called Ribbon salad and for crocheting all manner of decorations, household items, afghans, as well as baby booties for the local crisis pregnancy center.