I find that I've come to rely on you for a recap of disturbing news that nonetheless always leaves me feeling slightly more hopeful. Because, proof that other people see what I see, and that there might be more of us. Thank you, Ally. SSML.
I feel sure there are more of us. Maybe I'm stubborn, or maybe it's the only way I'll stay sane, but I feel certain there are more people who want the world to be so much better than this. And I am grateful you're left feeling slightly more hopeful, because I do try, and I am not without hope. We need it like we need air. Thanks for being here, Matt <3
I like the vivid memory at the beginning, the talking about grief, and the summary of facts. Really useful, relatable, and perhaps even soothing (solidarity).
Thank you, Sharon! You know me, if I don't write, I'll go mad, so no chance of stopping. It will be lovely when the topics are not so maddening, but in the meantime, we work with how it is <3 Thank you for being here, I appreciate you!
I have a little different situation. My wife and I are white and my kids are adopted from Guatemala. They are darker skinned than my wife and I. I have had the talk with them about dealing with cops and strangers. My son has several black friends. We always watched out for them and interceded if they were with us and shit started to happen. Once my son and one of his black friends were at school and went to leave the lunch room early like all the white kids were doing. One of the teachers, whose husband is a cop and was visiting that day, told her husband to stop my son and his friend from leaving. He stopped them, made them kneel down and put hi hand on his gun. These were 12 year old boys. They were eventually let go to go play. My son and his friend were traumatized.
When they told me about it, I went ballistic. I called the principal and said the cop had to come to the school and apologize to the boys personally or they were facing a lawsuit in Federal Court where all their racist bullshit would be on display. I am a lawyer so he knew it was a real threat. The cop came to the school and apologized to the boys and admitted he was wrong. I insisted that both boys be there. My son's black friend was astonished that I, a white man, would stand up for him. I told him that it was the right thing to do. My son's friends always knew Mr. Prindle had their back. They were welcome at our house, slept over, and knew they would be fed if they were there during meals.
Please pardon me, because I know we don't know each other, but what the fucking fuck?? That teacher should have been fired, too, because that is clearly not a person who should be near students who are Black or brown. That makes my blood boil. I am glad you raised hell, I am so sorry that happened to your son and his friend, and I hope that "teacher" and her husband end up somewhere they cannot hurt other people. She is not safe around children, and he is not safe with that gun. What a nightmare combination.
I fought racism in that school district for years. Another time they wanted to bar my son from going to 6th grade sleep over camp because they said he was disruptive. I wrote a letter to the school superintendent that said if you do that I will seek a federal injunction to stop everyone from going to camp while we examine their records for racial bias on kids who went to or were denied access to camp. My son went to camp. They learned not to mess with my kids.
Oof, Ally. This was a hard one because it is just so much. All the time. Every week. So much. And all of it just breaks your heart into little pieces. It's like watching The Pitt but you can't stop the television and go back to your quiet life because it's real life. People are getting hurt and people are dying and other people are cheering it on. It's so much.
I feel like people are recognizing how unsustainable this is. Not all people, of course, but more all the time. Literally the only thing he has to offer his supporters is the “solidarity” of group hatred. They are worse off financially, mentally and emotionally, so all they have to show for their fealty is the horrible “satisfaction” of hurting other people. I just can’t see how that could feel good for long 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
The heart behind your words always comes through. Which is why I read you every week, regardless of how difficult it is to take in the shit in this world, every day, because I always feel a little better afterwards.
Sometimes I feel so naive, because if I made the rules, we wouldn’t have countries. We wouldn’t have borders. We’d just be the People of Planet Earth, sharing resources. I know we need organizing bodies to make things work, but I really wish we could hit the reset button. I don’t understand wtf we’re doing. Imagine coming to THIS planet and not realizing it’s a gift and you’re a visitor and you don’t have a lot of time to explore! It’s insane to me. And somehow those views are radical I guess. If it were up to me, I’d be running around hugging everyone, pointing at the trees and the ocean and dogs and butterflies, trying to go everywhere and see everything and learn about people in different places while I still could. Maybe it is unrealistic given the way the world is now, but it sounds a lot better and more reasonable than whatever this is we’re doing. So thank you for saying that, because even if my fantasy world only had 10 people in it, if they were 10 people who thought these sounded like great ideas, I’d be so thrilled 😁 Which is a long way of saying thank you for being you, Sonbol🙏🏼🥹
A terrible week in the news in a terrible culture. I want to live in that world of kindness and common sense, too. Seems like it shouldn't be so hard, and then you realize all that's under the cruelty, and you're almost glad all the systems are collapsing at once because maybe THEN we'll be able to build a better culture. Maybe.
This is my main hope right now, Susan. Maybe it will all fall apart so profoundly, we will get to build something new and better and beautiful from the ground up. A system where no one is falling through the cracks, because there are no cracks, the cracks are filled with life, like those green sprouts that would emerge between the pavement in NYC, and you’d wonder, how tf can this be happening? There’s no dirt there at all. I feel like there are so many of us who want to grow something nurturing, we could do it by sheer force of will, and a little elbow grease on the side.
Anyway, it is so painful right now, but hopefully it’s the pain of explosive dispersal. I’m really going hard with this planting metaphor. It’s Friday, it’s how it is. I feel like you’ll go with me on this. Hugs and love to you, friend. Maybe that’s the seed of my mini podcast essay 🌱💚
I walk with you in that waking dream. Recently, I let go of hope-ium. And what was at the bottom of despair? Relief. Then joy. For the very reasons you state. Yes, it’s terrible, and no, we are not all going to make it. We’ve already lost precious lives. But you know what they say. The only way out now is through. I’ve accepted my own death to the greatest degree possible for a healthy person. I’m good. Ready to live us back from the brink if it’ falls to me to lift my tiny corner.
Thanks for the Klute reference. My mind went straight to the scene where the killer tells Bree Daniels that she's basically responsible for his crimes.
Kind of how driving to work in the morning can make those poor ICE agents murder you in cold blood...
I was pleased to see the video of Platner's campaign strategist proving why we so desperately need DEI.
I could vote for someone raised up in a vat, maybe. Can't get much worse right now...
Thanks for another great piece. I appreciate every one🧡
I wondered if anyone would get that Klute reference beyond the fashion part, so thank you for being on that particular obscure ride with me. It is exactly the DARVO misogynistic gaslighting tactics of the current regime embodied in one sick dude.
I feel so gutted for the Araujo family. He and his wife met as teenagers. She packed his lunch every morning 😞His poor sons can barely speak without falling apart, and all for what??
And the Nolan Wells case gets worse by the minute. I saw a press conference with his parents earlier, and those “friends” gave them a real runaround with his phone and his car keys. It does not sound good 😔🫤
Platner can’t crawl back to his oyster boat fast enough. He needs a long stretch on the open water to assess his life and stop bullshitting himself into thinking he’s a changed man. That rage is boiling right under the surface. But I doubt that’s where he’s headed based on the “poor me suspension video.” Boy, bye.
But you? You’re the freaking best and I adore you. We will get through this muck and find ourselves in better waters. We just need to keep throwing the rotten fish back to the sea, and demanding a lot better than the bs we’ve been tolerating. I just hope we can turn it around sooner than later, because it is painful to watch this cruelty for its own damned sake. Only people who are malfunctioning to a wild degree would want to harm people just because they can. I’ll never understand it, but I’ll always be grateful for the kindhearted smarties❤️🙏🏼 I’m so glad you’re here 🥹
Only stupid selfish men do not understand the word “no”.
I think they understand it just fine. They simply don’t care what any woman wants or doesn’t want — only what they want.
Damn. Just damn it all. I hate that you are performing such a necessary service, Ally. Thank you.
Thank you for being here, Robert <3
This. Exactly this.
I find that I've come to rely on you for a recap of disturbing news that nonetheless always leaves me feeling slightly more hopeful. Because, proof that other people see what I see, and that there might be more of us. Thank you, Ally. SSML.
I feel sure there are more of us. Maybe I'm stubborn, or maybe it's the only way I'll stay sane, but I feel certain there are more people who want the world to be so much better than this. And I am grateful you're left feeling slightly more hopeful, because I do try, and I am not without hope. We need it like we need air. Thanks for being here, Matt <3
I like the vivid memory at the beginning, the talking about grief, and the summary of facts. Really useful, relatable, and perhaps even soothing (solidarity).
Thank you for making my morning, Noelle. I'm so grateful for your comments, and solidarity is everything these days. Thank you for being here <3
Good reminders of how to behave.
Thanks, David <3
SO GOOD ALLY. and so so needed. Keep going.
Thank you, Sharon! You know me, if I don't write, I'll go mad, so no chance of stopping. It will be lovely when the topics are not so maddening, but in the meantime, we work with how it is <3 Thank you for being here, I appreciate you!
I have a little different situation. My wife and I are white and my kids are adopted from Guatemala. They are darker skinned than my wife and I. I have had the talk with them about dealing with cops and strangers. My son has several black friends. We always watched out for them and interceded if they were with us and shit started to happen. Once my son and one of his black friends were at school and went to leave the lunch room early like all the white kids were doing. One of the teachers, whose husband is a cop and was visiting that day, told her husband to stop my son and his friend from leaving. He stopped them, made them kneel down and put hi hand on his gun. These were 12 year old boys. They were eventually let go to go play. My son and his friend were traumatized.
When they told me about it, I went ballistic. I called the principal and said the cop had to come to the school and apologize to the boys personally or they were facing a lawsuit in Federal Court where all their racist bullshit would be on display. I am a lawyer so he knew it was a real threat. The cop came to the school and apologized to the boys and admitted he was wrong. I insisted that both boys be there. My son's black friend was astonished that I, a white man, would stand up for him. I told him that it was the right thing to do. My son's friends always knew Mr. Prindle had their back. They were welcome at our house, slept over, and knew they would be fed if they were there during meals.
Please pardon me, because I know we don't know each other, but what the fucking fuck?? That teacher should have been fired, too, because that is clearly not a person who should be near students who are Black or brown. That makes my blood boil. I am glad you raised hell, I am so sorry that happened to your son and his friend, and I hope that "teacher" and her husband end up somewhere they cannot hurt other people. She is not safe around children, and he is not safe with that gun. What a nightmare combination.
It is good to meet you, I'm glad you're here!
I fought racism in that school district for years. Another time they wanted to bar my son from going to 6th grade sleep over camp because they said he was disruptive. I wrote a letter to the school superintendent that said if you do that I will seek a federal injunction to stop everyone from going to camp while we examine their records for racial bias on kids who went to or were denied access to camp. My son went to camp. They learned not to mess with my kids.
I feel sad for the kids in that school district whose dads were NOT lawyers! Unbelievable.
Really nice, Ally.
Thank you, Jeffrey <3
You nail it…each and every time. Thank you for being you and a source of light in the midst of all of this crap.
🥹Thank you for these very kind words, MS, and thank you for being here 🙏🏼❤️
Oof, Ally. This was a hard one because it is just so much. All the time. Every week. So much. And all of it just breaks your heart into little pieces. It's like watching The Pitt but you can't stop the television and go back to your quiet life because it's real life. People are getting hurt and people are dying and other people are cheering it on. It's so much.
Oh. And then fucking Graham Platner. He is the other end of the Kavanaugh horseshoe.
I feel like people are recognizing how unsustainable this is. Not all people, of course, but more all the time. Literally the only thing he has to offer his supporters is the “solidarity” of group hatred. They are worse off financially, mentally and emotionally, so all they have to show for their fealty is the horrible “satisfaction” of hurting other people. I just can’t see how that could feel good for long 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
The heart behind your words always comes through. Which is why I read you every week, regardless of how difficult it is to take in the shit in this world, every day, because I always feel a little better afterwards.
You’re a hope star. ❤️
Aw dang, I didn’t see that coming and now the screen is all blurry 🥹😭 Thank you, Kate.
🫶🏻
That last part..."We all belong to ourselves, to the world, and to each other"...that is everything! Thank you for being you 🧡
Sometimes I feel so naive, because if I made the rules, we wouldn’t have countries. We wouldn’t have borders. We’d just be the People of Planet Earth, sharing resources. I know we need organizing bodies to make things work, but I really wish we could hit the reset button. I don’t understand wtf we’re doing. Imagine coming to THIS planet and not realizing it’s a gift and you’re a visitor and you don’t have a lot of time to explore! It’s insane to me. And somehow those views are radical I guess. If it were up to me, I’d be running around hugging everyone, pointing at the trees and the ocean and dogs and butterflies, trying to go everywhere and see everything and learn about people in different places while I still could. Maybe it is unrealistic given the way the world is now, but it sounds a lot better and more reasonable than whatever this is we’re doing. So thank you for saying that, because even if my fantasy world only had 10 people in it, if they were 10 people who thought these sounded like great ideas, I’d be so thrilled 😁 Which is a long way of saying thank you for being you, Sonbol🙏🏼🥹
A terrible week in the news in a terrible culture. I want to live in that world of kindness and common sense, too. Seems like it shouldn't be so hard, and then you realize all that's under the cruelty, and you're almost glad all the systems are collapsing at once because maybe THEN we'll be able to build a better culture. Maybe.
This is my main hope right now, Susan. Maybe it will all fall apart so profoundly, we will get to build something new and better and beautiful from the ground up. A system where no one is falling through the cracks, because there are no cracks, the cracks are filled with life, like those green sprouts that would emerge between the pavement in NYC, and you’d wonder, how tf can this be happening? There’s no dirt there at all. I feel like there are so many of us who want to grow something nurturing, we could do it by sheer force of will, and a little elbow grease on the side.
Anyway, it is so painful right now, but hopefully it’s the pain of explosive dispersal. I’m really going hard with this planting metaphor. It’s Friday, it’s how it is. I feel like you’ll go with me on this. Hugs and love to you, friend. Maybe that’s the seed of my mini podcast essay 🌱💚
I walk with you in that waking dream. Recently, I let go of hope-ium. And what was at the bottom of despair? Relief. Then joy. For the very reasons you state. Yes, it’s terrible, and no, we are not all going to make it. We’ve already lost precious lives. But you know what they say. The only way out now is through. I’ve accepted my own death to the greatest degree possible for a healthy person. I’m good. Ready to live us back from the brink if it’ falls to me to lift my tiny corner.
Thanks for the Klute reference. My mind went straight to the scene where the killer tells Bree Daniels that she's basically responsible for his crimes.
Kind of how driving to work in the morning can make those poor ICE agents murder you in cold blood...
I was pleased to see the video of Platner's campaign strategist proving why we so desperately need DEI.
I could vote for someone raised up in a vat, maybe. Can't get much worse right now...
Thanks for another great piece. I appreciate every one🧡
I wondered if anyone would get that Klute reference beyond the fashion part, so thank you for being on that particular obscure ride with me. It is exactly the DARVO misogynistic gaslighting tactics of the current regime embodied in one sick dude.
I feel so gutted for the Araujo family. He and his wife met as teenagers. She packed his lunch every morning 😞His poor sons can barely speak without falling apart, and all for what??
And the Nolan Wells case gets worse by the minute. I saw a press conference with his parents earlier, and those “friends” gave them a real runaround with his phone and his car keys. It does not sound good 😔🫤
Platner can’t crawl back to his oyster boat fast enough. He needs a long stretch on the open water to assess his life and stop bullshitting himself into thinking he’s a changed man. That rage is boiling right under the surface. But I doubt that’s where he’s headed based on the “poor me suspension video.” Boy, bye.
But you? You’re the freaking best and I adore you. We will get through this muck and find ourselves in better waters. We just need to keep throwing the rotten fish back to the sea, and demanding a lot better than the bs we’ve been tolerating. I just hope we can turn it around sooner than later, because it is painful to watch this cruelty for its own damned sake. Only people who are malfunctioning to a wild degree would want to harm people just because they can. I’ll never understand it, but I’ll always be grateful for the kindhearted smarties❤️🙏🏼 I’m so glad you’re here 🥹
Burning, like always. Thank you.
Thank you so much for being here, Reagan ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥