Prelude to Gilead

 

B and I are totally late to the dystopian nightmare game. Although, that's how we like it. Our thing is TV together and there's nothing better than finding something like Suits with nine seasons that we've never seen and barely knew about. Being able to binge, not having to ration episodes, because it's going to take quite some time to get to the end. Dreaming about Harvey and Donna, feeling like we're all BFF's by the conclusion. 

I didn't know The Handmaid's Tale was a book. I don't know why the show never interested me. Maybe because I'm not really a fan of Elizabeth Moss. We tried watching Mad Men and I just couldn't get into it. We watched all of the first season but I found it slow and kind of boring. Don Draper was a boring jerk and I just wasn't getting it. I think B would've stuck it out, but it definitely didn't grab him enough to make him fight for it. I have a hard time getting past the whole Elizabeth Moss and the Scientology of it all. 

With what's going on in the world these days, and a lot of Handmaid promos out for this sixth season, coupled with the fact that we've pretty much watched ALL the TV, it was one of the only things to watch. B will bail mid-season of something if doesn't fully grab him. That means, if he can resist going on his phone during it, he's in. If he immediately wants to scroll our suburban town group clown show on Facebook instead of paying attention, he's out. That had just happened with Found, which I'm still watching and totally IN. 

I don't know about the book by Margaret Atwood, but that was published in like 1985. The show, is from the now, which makes it even scarier. It should be required watching, especially for the MAGA cult of WOMEN. Unbelievably, women had a hand in creating the society of Gilead. I guess it's not all that unbelievable since we have MAGA women currently, but it's unfathomable to ME, that women would orchestrate a world where we have zero autonomy. However, just like anything else, they don't and won't know how horrifying it really is, until it adversely affects them. For some reason, it seems that these women think they will somehow escape the parts they don't like.

How we got to this place where empathy is almost non existent and a negative, I'm not sure. We could blame being desensitized by TV and social media, and the ability to be keyboard warriors behind a screen. When people are missing empathy as a group, that's how radical ideology grows and flourishes. People who are looking for something find a group and I don't think in the beginning it matters what they're coming together for. They just know they're lost, confused, lonely, and feel like someone, or some group has to be responsible for their pain or misfortune. It's way easier to hate others and blame them than put the onus on themselves. Then, they have a cause, a target, and they've become an activist. Just active on the wrong side of history. There is also this bizarre belief that if only everyone had the same fear of God, their God, somehow, life would be better. Yet, we have a treasure trove of books, television shows and movies that prove different and history... no matter how much they would like history to be rewritten.

We chose to watch The Handmaid's Tale at a really weird time. I feel like if it was out and we watched it during the Obama administration, never having had the orange POS who shall remain nameless (referred to after this as OPOS), it would simply be another fantasy type option, no different than a Marvel movie or supernatural selection like Vampire Diaries. For better or worse though, we're watching. We're midway through season two and every episode ends with our mouths agape, saying what the actual fcuk?? Even with a psychology degree, I will never understand how weak you have to be to be so easily brainwashed. I understand the psychology of the will to stay alive, but to be able to be so horrible to other humans, physically, mentally, emotionally, is not something I can wrap my brain around. It's Nazi mentality. I've obviously read about how they can get there, and seen all the psychological experiments with punishment and all that, but I'll never believe anything other than it being weakness over strength.

While questioning in discussion, how this or that could happen in a scripted series, I'm reading comments under current political articles or memes on social media. It's apparent who and how many, INCLUDING WOMEN, who seemingly would be a-okay with living in a Gilead style society. Meanwhile, B and I are over here, not believing Serena (Mrs Waterford) actually thought this whole thing out clearly. We can't figure out if it just went awry, if she thought she'd just be above the laws, or what. Considering this series started in 2017, and most people are way ahead of us at this point, maybe these questions have been answered. The facts remain, a woman helped create this world where it seems no one is happy, no one is enjoying, and everyone's daily existence really sucks. It's all based on some ridiculous twisting and bastardizing of God, organized religion, and power. Even the men in this Patriarchal dystopian society don't get to enjoy the new way of life. Of course, they do bend the rules for themselves here and there to enjoy forbidden activities, but it isn't easy to do and if they get caught with their hand in the cookie jars and it becomes too public, they too get Biblical level punishments. I get the whole idea that they are sacrificing in the moment to "fix" society but I can't imagine anyone willing to actually live like that for any amount of time.

This show, to me, is basically a forewarning of what to expect by letting those involved with Project 2025 run the show here. OPOS and his cronies are thinking of proposing medals for excessive procreation, a five thousand dollar bonus for birthing more children, and rewarding and penalizing states based on birth rates being higher or lower. In Gilead, at least where we are at in the series, there has been no explanation of why there was so much infertility and stillbirth, and why birth rates were getting lower and lower. It's crazy when, as an American, the only way to feel somewhat safe from the show becoming reality is knowing that the OPOS keeps cutting funding for the things that actually would make people consider having more children. 

The birth rate in this country isn't lower because of infertility, like in Gilead. People are motivated to have children when times are good, when they see a light at the end of the tunnel of a better, more prosperous future, not when everything seems to be getting worse. When you don't think you'll ever be able to own a home, or get a good paying job, you're not trying to have more kids. People don't want to bring more children into sickness, poverty, and war. If the OPOS continues to gut funding and subsidies for the real tangible things people would need and want to add to the population, like women's reproductive health, health insurance, mental health, food supervision, medical and science research and testing, environmental health, etc, the birth rate isn't going to go up. Women aren't going to be compelled to procreate for a measly five thousand that wouldn't even pay for the hospital bill to birth that baby. 

 

It's the religion part, for me, that's the wildcard. What I mean by wildcard, is that so many people, obviously, by the sheer amount of people who subscribe to some version of organized Christianity, that it could over take enough people's thinking that it's more important than women losing all their rights. Every day we have puritanical bills being put forth that are anti-LGBTQIA, anti-women, anti-education, anti-immigrant, and all but the immigrant part, are all rooted in Biblical interpretation. Someone I know posted a meme of a circled Bible passage that literally says something about how people need to accept foreigners. Unless it's a fake passage, accepting immigrants IS actually mentioned as something we're SUPPOSED to do. It's the opposite of this movement of Faux-Christianity in America.  In Gilead, the explanations for the madness going on is some mix of the Old and New Testament. In America, it seems to be mostly New Testament, but I really only know the basics. Can't blame the Jews for the current puritanical ideology being pushed on everyone, even though I have just as much contempt for the extreme sects of that too, but Judaism isn't a proselytizing religion. No new people need apply. It's Christianity that proselytizes and needs new recruits, which is why the extremists, in and outside of government, feel we ALL need to be saved. 

 

If Christianity wasn't a proselytizing religion, I don't know if Gilead or what's happening here, now, would be happening. It's as if, caring about others only matters if it's pertaining to God and organized Christianity, but not actually following the teachings of what Jesus has been said to be all about. I don't know how people compartmentalize that so epically, but here we are. Even with my lack of Bible knowledge, I DO KNOW there is reference in it to taking in or caring for poor, sick, disabled, needy, foreigners, something about lepers. Yet, all these Project 2025 writers and pushers are all about white wealthy people getting more, and the rest having to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to help themselves. I don't know how they don't see their own hypocrisy. It would be fascinating if it wasn't so scary and grotesque. 

I won't spoil The Handmaid's Tale if you haven't watched it, but seeing how a Handmaid became one, what they're forced to do and how they're treated, should make you really think about the current state of politics and the possible road we could go down. Right now, as I read one horrifying DOGE cut after another, another unconstitutional executive order signed, people being picked off the street or hunted down and deported to countries not even of origin with no due process, it doesn't even seem like an if, but a when. I know with one hundred percent certainty, Gilead is not what I'd want to leave my son and further generations, even if he is white and male. Even if you don't think your minor contribution of activism doesn't make a difference, it's still worth doing. There are still small wins and small wins add up. Target's foot traffic and profits are down, Elon is taking a step back from Washington and running back to try to salvage Tesla. Some politicians are growing a hair of a spine. We still have a long way and a hard fight but there are victories. Taking to the bed and crawling under the covers isn't the answer, unless you're going to watch the tale of the Handmaids and Gilead and it provokes you to take action.

Sneaker Reeking

 

 I can't stomach any more news for the moment so I'm going to do a little lighter public service here and talk about sneakers, feet, and doing a little much needed housekeeping. 

E had been on a swim team or even taking swim lessons since he could walk. That meant wet feet, pool decks, locker rooms, and other germ laden places where his feet were unsocked and touching. When he got athlete's foot, it wasn't a surprise but it was certainly gross. Not only was it disgusting, but the instructions to get rid of it were like dealing with The Princess and the Pea. The pediatrician told us to do something like clean his feet in a bowl with medicated wash. Daily. It may have even been twice a day. No one wants to do that or has time for that kind of foot attention. We were also told to make sure he has more than one pair of shoes or sneakers and rotate them. I've always kept athlete's foot in the back of my mind, so he's always had a plethora of sneakers. Not expensive sneakers- you don't need expensive sneakers to have a few extras. If you need deals to be able to do this- I'm more than happy to help you. But at this point? He has so many extras just by cleaning them instead of throwing them out.

Why is this even coming up? Well, we only use one door as the entrance to our home. And that door opens right into the kitchen. We are a shoes off kind of house per my husband's insistence. I get it- shoes are gross, they touch the elements, dog poop and pee, whatever people put on grass, etc etc. With B, E and I, it's not a problem because we have a lot of different sneakers and shoes and....

 

I WASH THEM. But more about that in a minute. 

 

E's friends come over. These are fifteen and sixteen year old boys. All their sneakers are now in my kitchen. Imagine, anywhere from five to TWELVE pair of teen boy sneakers just airing out in my kitchen. I actually don't even have a keen sense of smell like B does, and I've gagged on my way in there, especially when I didn't know there were people here to begin with.  Normally, I keep Funk Away Spray in a kitchen closet and when they're downstairs in the basement, I spray the living ish out their sneakers. But most recently, when there were twelve of them here, I also had to use Lysol. And it still was putrid. Just as an aside- Funk Away makes a great line of stuff- I use the liquid in the wash, there is an extreme sports spray, etc. There's a whole Funk Away store on Amazon.

Here's the deal. Pretty much ALL sneakers can go in the washing machine. I know this, because I've done it. For YEARS. Leather sneakers? No problem. They ALL WASH. E has had a favorite pair of Nike sneakers for a year and a half now- they still look great, and SMELL great. 

Have there been any issues with washing? The year and a half old pair does have a faux leather trim around the back that has now shredded a bit in spots. (See the top photo). But that's only after washing maybe six or seven times by now. And I don't know that it was from the washing or just extreme wear. Normally, without washing, those sneakers would've been garbage by now anyway, so I don't have a problem with that small piece of trim getting messed up. I also have that Coconix leather fixer stuff that's As Seen on TV and I repaired it for the most part, because that's just what I do. 

Here are my easy peasy wash instructions-

Get some Clorox 2 For Colors Stain Remover liquid. You can get it at pretty much any supermarket chain. I just picked some up at Shop Rite, but it's at Acme, Stop and Shop, Walmart, Amazon etc. 

 Pour yourself a cap full and pour it all over the inside and outside of the sneaker. If it's mostly leather on the outside, just pour it on the inside. Use enough to cover the whole insole. Not swimming in it, but cover the foot bed and the inside sides and heel back - if that makes sense. 

If they're canvas or whatever isn't leather, cover the whole outside. I pour a little swish around with my finger, to make sure it's all covered in a nice layer. Then, I leave the sneakers in the washing machine sink basin if I don't have anything else to wash or I put them in a large plastic shopping bag (because I still have a bunch of those). I leave them overnight for the Clorox to really sink in. I put them in the washing machine the next day and wash on warm or hot with one Tide Pod and one Oxy Clean Pod. 

 

In the winter, my laundry room is already hot because it's where the boiler is- so they dry pretty quickly. Definitely within twenty four hours. If it's spring, summer, or fall, if it's sunny out, I put them outside to dry. They take a little longer but it works. And putting stuff out to dry in the sun takes out smells anyway. If you want to do a little extra to be nice and keep them looking fresh, take a Mr Clean Magic Eraser and just wipe around the white side soles. It really works like magic!

I can literally put my nose in E's sneakers right now, take a big whiff, and all they smell like- is Clorox 2. 

Thanks for reading, and you too, can have clean smelling and looking teen boy sneakers. And you'll save money by not having to replace sneakers so often. It's really a win-win for everyone, not just for me and my kitchen.

Moms for Felony?

 I was directed to this article- I'm copying and pasting the article here so you don't have to go looking for it. 

BERGEN

Park Ridge church receives threats after Moms for Liberty posts photo of its Pride flag

The First Congressional United Church of Christ in Park Ridge notified police over threats on a social media posting of its pride flag from Moms for Liberty Facebook post.

Matt Cortina Philip DeVencentis

NorthJersey.com

• The social media posting, by a local Moms for Liberty chairperson, said the pride flag indicated support for pedophilia.
• The post has since been deleted, but the church says the comments on the post prompted them to reach out to law enforcement.
• Moms For Liberty is a conservative, parental rights nonprofit that has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty law Center.

The First Congressional United Church of Christ in Park Ridge told its congregation this weekend that it had received threats stemming from a social media post by the head of the Bergen County chapter of Moms for Liberty, a group known for opposing inclusive curricula in school and supporting book bans.

The post by local chapter chair Alexandra Bougher, later deleted, included a photo of the church's Progress Pride flag and commentary from Bougher suggesting that it promotes pedophilia. The flag in question is an intersex inclusive Progress Pride flag, but the post — and many of its comments — suggested that it included support for "minor-attracted persons," which is not true.

In its statement, the church said it alerted authorities when "one commentator suggested the only way to deal with us was with 'gasoline and a match.'"

A police officer was present at the church's Sunday service, and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has been alerted to the situation, the church said. A Park Ridge police officer in an unmarked SUV was parked behind the church, guarding its rear entrance, late Sunday morning.

The flag in question was fastened to a vertical beam, and it incorporated light blue, pink and white stripes to represent the trans community.

The congregation met for its weekly worship service at 10 a.m., and Pastor Mark Suriano said the church pews were more filled than usual. He said his flock received an outpouring of support from the broader community over the weekend.

"Here in this place, in this congregation, among this people of God, we speak only of true freedom," the pastor said, as seen in a video recording of the service. "True liberty and the love of God for all God has made, including our queer brothers and sisters; including people of color; including the poor and the marginalized; including all those people that our current world may want to shove aside and make unimportant. This is true liberty."

Suriano did not respond to a phone call placed to the church office seeking additional comments. Neither Bougher nor anyone from the national headquarters of Moms for Liberty responded to multiple requests for comment.

"I received a call from the Park Ridge PD, saying they were coordinating with the local detectives and in contact with the Bergen County Prosecutors' Office. Threats against a religious institution require the prosecutor to be involved," the statement from the church said.

Calls to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Park Ridge Police Department were not immediately returned.

Moms for Liberty labeled a hate group

Moms for Liberty is a nonprofit organization with more than 300 chapters across the U.S. It was formed in 2021 by Florida school board members to empower "parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government."

But last year, the Southern Poverty Law Center added chapters from Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Morris, Ocean and Passaic counties to its "Hate Map," labeling Moms for Liberty a "far-right organization" that uses social media "to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance a conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community."

In taking issue with the designation, Bougher told NJ.com last year that her group denounces hateful rhetoric and advocates for age-appropriate curriculum.

“We advocate for the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that protects the fundamental right of parents to direct the care, upbringing and education of their children,” she told NJ.com.

Moms for Liberty has been active in North Jersey, advocating for more parental control in education in the form of book ban campaigns and curriculum amendment. It also supported candidates for school boards; in 2023, eight of 20 Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates won seats in Morris County, while parental rights candidates lost in Sparta, Basking Ridge and Westwood Regional in Bergen County.

'Publicly attacked for who we are'

The message from the Park Ridge First Congressional United Church of Christ struck a defiant tone: "We have been publicly attacked for who we are, and if you have anger as a reaction to it, that is a good thing."

The church also said the posting was "meant to make us afraid" and that the last few months have brought "a constant attack on many things, including the LGBTQ+ community, whose lives, livelihood and happiness are under attack daily."

"The bravest thing to do is to show up," the church's statement continued. "For some of us, that might be too much to ask, so if you are caught up in fear, join us tomorrow online for worship. We are, however, still holding in-person worship and if you are up for it, as a sign of solidarity, please come."

**********************************************************************************

If you don't think there is anything wrong with this behavior by the absolutely VILE Eva Braun Bougher Barbie, and her caravan of Hate-Mommies, then there is something really wrong with you. Not sure how this horrifying woman was bred in Bergen county, but from what I can from my little late night rabbit hole, and from her proud fairly open social media she's a Park Ridge lifer and so is her equally vile husband. Clearly they aren't the most worldly. I did hear she was a troubled teen so this all tracks.

I just don't understand the motivation, aside from having nothing better to do, to spend your time being hateful and targeting people who just want to live their lives and go to church. I'm not fan of organized religion but at least this church is an all inclusive environment. 

Also- this story and her name is on Reddit now. I don't know, unless you have money for a real security team, who would put that kind of target on you and your family's back? I understand being undereducated, and then being ripe because of that undereducation, to be indoctrinated into a cult- so she really believes she's doing some kind of Lord's work and all, but with all the crazy out there- you want to be known as the head of Klanned Karenhood? 

It's kind of ironic, no? Calling yourselves Moms for "Liberty". As in, liberty for whom? Liberty only if it fits with your narrowminded bigoted narrative? If you're part of Moms for Liberty, let alone the head of it- that's all I need to know about you. I hope your parents are proud that you're head of a hate group?

Girl, go get a real job. Looking for trashy fashion choices of flag bikinis and Trump swim trunks for the hubs isn't a job. Or a good use of your time.  Better yet- if you want so much control over education, home school your kids so your time is filled and no one else has to deal with you. You can even set aside electives like goose stepping class. Maybe, also, school yourself on what different flags actually mean instead of just making stuff up. I mean, right now, the red white and blue one you have draped all over you in every photo pretty much stands for sexual assault and felonies, taking from the poor, sick, old, disabled, and veterans. And don't forget taking school lunch from underprivileged kids!

Since I doubt you graduated anything except maybe shopping at Mad Rag, reading Mein Kampf as  beach entertainment, harassing innocent people and trying to get books banned, I love for you that you deleted your pedophelia flag post thinking that it wouldn't live forever in screenshots and technology memory. It will be such a delight for you to get charged like your favorite big orange twice impeached sexually assaulting felony daddy. If I had candles to blow out, that's what I'd wish for. You and everyone in your hate group are star spangled stains on humanity.

A Complete Unknown

 

 In between all my calls to action, I've watched all the tv and even went to a movie. The three of us were looking forward to seeing A Complete Unknown, the biopic about Bob Dylan. Well, B was really looking forward to it. I was looking forward to movie popcorn, and E- I don't really know. It was about a musician so we'll say- he had an interest. We went on Christmas Day. I'm writing about it now because it's awards season, the Oscars are coming, so there are interviews with the actors everywhere on the daily.

I didn't know anything about Bob Dylan. So I was going in with a totally open mind. I couldn't even name one song off the top of my head. If you played a popular one, I'd know some of the words but I couldn't tell you a name. 

Totally not sure why this movie is being praised the way it has been. The acting- I get that. Timothy Chalamet, by all accounts, made himself into Dylan. Learning the mannerisms and the guitar playing and the voice. He did a great job. But the movie itself? I didn't get it. B agreed with me, so it's not like I'm just not a Dylan fan and didn't get it. 

We've seen a lot of biopics- Elton John in Rocketman, Freddy Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, The Doors. You were invested because you were seeing from the start, where they came from, what motivated them, their dysfunctional families. You were ROOTING for them to make it. Bob Dylan? Eh. The movie starts where he just somehow hitched from somewhere to Woody Guthrie in a hospital, was able to just walk into his hospital room, sing to Woody and Pete Seeger, he plays a few places thanks to Pete, and next thing you know, he's famous. There was very little struggle shown whatsoever as to his rise to fame. No parents telling him he'd never amount to anything. No living in squalor or in a van, trying to make it, doors slamming in his face.

Most of these other biopics show struggle. Struggle with family, with drugs and alcohol, sexuality, infidelity, anxiety. A few of those things, all of those things. Something. Bob Dylan just comes off as a narcissistic dick, possibly with some level of ASD. There is nothing in this movie that shows any insight into his mind, his motivations, etc. We don't even find out anything about his childhood, his parents, whether they were supportive, if he was close to them, NOTHING. They had one tiny moment in the movie where I think it was a party, someone seeing his real last name on his mail (Zimmerman), making what I think was a reference of "did you know he's Jewish?" to Sylvie, and then it was just brushed aside. Leave his mail alone and move on. It could've been a reference to whether she even knew Dylan wasn't his real name- Who. Knows. It wasn't fleshed out or explained in any way.

Why even do a biopic if you can't tell anything about the guy? Not only did we not find out any history, nothing about him being Jewish and how that fit into his life or shaped him, and none of how long it took to get recorded. Shit, if it was that easy to get a record deal, E was born in the wrong time for sure. We learn nothing about Dylan, except that his hair got bigger and frizzier and Phil Spector-like as the years went on. I've since read that Dylan is hugely into disguising and lying about his background. No one seems to know the real truth, even in biographies the truth is obscured, made up, etc. Maybe he isn't the person to make a big feature film about that's touted as a biopic? Leave it for a documentary about the era, the music, and all the people in that music scene then? I don't know. What I do know, is that it wasn't a real biopic.

The climax of the whole movie is the Newport Folk Festival of 1965 where Dylan wanted to play different music, electric, than he'd played all along. It wasn't what the conservative organizers or the fans wanted. It was "only" the difference between electric and acoustic though. I get that at that time it was a big deal, but in a movie being made and seen today- that ISN'T A CLIMAX. He didn't encounter struggle and strife over years time, at least in this movie, to get to this pivotal moment. When Freddy Mercury walked out in that end moment, everyone was cheering and clapping. You FELT that moment. There were TEARS. I felt nothing at the end of this movie except that I'd never get that three hours or whatever it was back.

I couldn't believe that was the big moment. He just seemed annoyed that he was being told what he could and couldn't do for this one particular festival. So what? Do or don't do the festival then. He does it, brings a mixed race band, they're showing people crying, carrying on, throwing stuff. For music fans now- this kind of thing doesn't even make sense. Who would even care. Sure, if Taylor Swift all of a sudden wanted to do death metal- that would be news, her fans wouldn't like it, and I guess they'd be upset? But electric vs acoustic? That's not a battle. Or it's not a battle anyone cares about now.  Yes, I UNDERSTAND the significance for the TIMES. It just wasn't the same kind of conflict anyone would relate to now, besides being an artist not wanting to be the puppet of a label or anyone in charge.

Usually, there's a whole relationship aspect you're rooting for or against or feel something about. Like in Walk the Line- you wanted Johnny and June to figure it out even though it started out in a sordid way. Freddy Mercury- you understood the love he had for the woman, but you wanted him to be able to live his truth. You felt his struggle. You wanted him to win. Bob Dylan- I didn't care what happened to him, to him and Sylvie, him and Joan. It was never clear how he really felt about either of them. He was just sort of ambivalent about being with both of them. I know he married the real life Sylvie and had kids with her, but we didn't even see that. We just saw the anti-climax of this festival and was just kind of like- that's it? That's what we were working toward here?

Maybe the music and the lyrics are supposed to be the stars of this film. And that's fine. But just don't call it a biopic then. I feel like with a biopic, you want to leave with some kind of satisfying feeling of knowing the main character better. Like, when you read a memoir and feel like you KNOW this person. I know Bob Dylan the same amount now as I did before this movie. And I still don't care or even want to know anything more. His music spoke and continues to speak to people. Great. I'm just not one of them and watching this movie didn't make me anymore curious.

504 Under Attack- What you can do!

 

 So now they want to come for the 504. If you don't know what a 504 is- here is an easy to follow slide presentation on Instagram to explain it to you. It's quick and easy.

Cripple Media - 504 Slide post

But I feel like most of the people I know have kids with a 504 so I'm going to assume most people know what it is. NJ isn't under attack at the moment but if we've learned anything in the last three weeks- YOU HAVE TO CARE ABOUT EVERYONE.

CALL TO ACTION:

17 states have sued the federal government to try and eliminate Section 504. While these States primary objection is to the new gender definitions in the updated 2024 Biden Administration rules, they have asked the courts to eliminate Section 504 in its entirety.

https://dredf.org/protect-504/

It's time to reach out to our attorney general, Matt Platkin and demand that he file a friend of the court brief in this case because if Section 504 is eliminated, it will impact Nationwide.

You can contact the Attorney General's office using this submission form:

https://www.njoag.gov/con.../office-of-constituent-services/

Or using this contact information:

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin
Email: Email Submission Form
Address: Office of the Attorney General, 25 Market Street, PO Box 081 Trenton, NJ 08625-0081
Phone: 609-984-5828

PLEASE CUT AND PASTE AND SHARE

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NEW JERSEY PUBLIC EDUCATION COALITION

PO Box 4451, Wayne, NJ 07474

Email: info@njpecoalition.org

Website: www.njpecoalition.org

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You Can't Ignore Me Dan

 

Today's Action:
Call your friends at your state senator's office and demand that they address the Trump administration's seeming desire to ignore the courts.

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields: “Each executive order will hold up in court because every action of the Trump-Vance administration is completely lawful. Any legal challenge against it is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the will of the American people.”

Vice President JD Vance (a graduate of Yale Law School btw): "...Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."

BOTH FALSE

The good news is that many of Trump's illegal executive orders are starting to be challenged in the courts. Currently, there are lawsuits against the administration in the areas of immigration, budget freezes and firings, transgender rights, and January 6 investigators. Many see the courts as the path of most resistance to Trump's aggressive agenda. Already, the courts have blocked some of Trump's actions. Alarmingly, the Trump administration did not fully comply with at least two of these rulings so far. Concerns are mounting that this administration will continue to ignore court rulings and throw America into a Constitutional crisis. In America, we operate on a system of trust that the government will work properly, and if the administration blatantly ignores court orders, there is a very limited course of action to stop them from doing so. The system of checks and balances is at the core of our democracy, and its upset, in this case giving more power to the Executive branch than others- as outlined explicitly in Project 2025, would provide unleashed power to an already dangerous administration.

Script:
Hi my name is (NAME) and I'm calling from (CITY, STATE, ZIP). I am calling to ask Senator (NAME) to do everything in his/her/their power to ensure that the Trump administration follows court orders- specifically those pertaining to the legality of his executive orders. I ask the senator to speak out publicly, work on contingency plans in the event that the administration does not comply, and reach across the aisle to save our democracy. As a citizen, I am becoming increasingly concerned that the power this administration is attempting to give the executive branch is going unchecked, and I ask the senator to please address this important issue. Thank you, (NAME) 

*If you are leaving a voicemail include your full address so your call is tallied. 

If you can't read the list I posted- here is a link to Senators and their phone numbers 

 

Something Rotten

***DUE TO SCHOOL BEING CLOSED 2/6, THERE WILL BE A SATURDAY MATINEE AT 1PM for the THURSDAY NIGHT TICKET HOLDERS!!**

 Come out and support the amazingly talented kids in the Glen Rock High School Theater Company! Friday 2/7, Saturday 1pm, and the final show on Saturday 2/8 at 7p in the high school Auditorium.

Follow the theater company musical on Instagram so you can see what they're up to!

Glen Rock High School, 400 Hamilton Ave (auditorium door is on Harristown Rd), Glen Rock, NJ 07452

TICKETS

 

Zuck the Cuck

 

 I have a page for this blog on FB where I share the entries there so people know there's a new one. I have NEVER had one taken down for spam before. Until TODAY. There were two "action" links in it, at the bottom, but it was 90% writing about how to remain calm and what you can do to feel less helpless as this administration continuously attacks every marginalized group alive. 

Against Community Standards. That's what they called that post. They took it down, yet, when I go to my page "issues" or "restrictions" and there are not. So it basically went *poof* into thin air and that was it. 

I don't know what to say except that we're fucked. We're seriously fucked. Just know there's probably a new post here, with more ways to part of the solution vs the problem. I think you can subscribe to this blog somehow if you're interested. I don't really know. I don't really care. I write this to keep my own mental health in check and if you're along for the ride, I'm happy to have you. 

And to those of you who voted for this, again, I wish you the USA you voted for. I hope you get EVERYTHING you deserve. And then some.

Action & Information links

 

I'm going to try to compile the best ways to do something about the dumpster fire around us. I know many of us feel helpless, scared, angry, sad, etc. I know it's tempting to want to just retreat and take to the bed, but we can't, or we won't even have that option. We'll be out of options. I'm going to keep updating this as I find stuff. Some are just for where to get news/information, some are for action.

Information: 

Heather Cox Richardson 

Global Health

Action & Information:  

Reproductive Freedom For All 

Abortion Access Front Volunteer Resources 

Anti Defamation League 

Feeding America 

Human Rights Campaign 

ACLU 

National Women's Law Center 

Operation Save Abortion Calendar 

Environmental Defense Fund 

Indivisible: Mobilization Events

MomRising 

 Donations:

Stop Marjorie Taylor Green from becoming a senator 

Gay Valimont to take Matt Gaetz's vacated seat

Josh Weil special election Florida 

 

Action

 

It's really hard to manage action and emotions right now. I saw a friend of mine share this a few days ago- I don't know the original poster but his name is here for credit. 

Thanks for sharing Jeff Berry. 

 

Your focus is resistance. Feel free to share - 

 

Wise and important words from sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in our country right now and what to do about it:

 

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you:

 

Your overwhelm is the goal.

 

1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

 

2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

 

3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

 

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.

 

What now?

 

1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

 

2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

 

3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

 

4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context

 

5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

 

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.

 

***********************************************************************************

 

Action:  

Email your state Department of Education and ask them to publicly reject President Trump's illegal executive order entitled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling."

This executive order, among other things, seeks to punish schools for any lessons that involve race, gender or politics the that administration deems inappropriate by withholding federal funding. The order goes on to instruct the US Attorney General to instruct state attorneys general to file "appropriate actions" against K-12 teachers and school officials who "facilitate the social transition of a minor student." This means teachers would face legal ramifications for using a transgender, non-binary, or gender-fluid student's chosen name and appropriate pronouns. You can read the full EO HERE. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/

Script:
My name is (NAME) and I live in (TOWN), (STATE) (ZIP CODE). I am writing to ask you to publicly reject President Trump's illegal and harmful executive order entitled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling." Our students are entitled to an education free from fear, bias, and historical revisionism, and our teachers and individual districts must feel the protection and full support of the (STATE) Department of Education. Thank you, (NAME)

**These are the states of people in the mailing list, if you want your state added, lmk and I can reach out to the mom running this!**
NJ stateboardoffice@doe.nj.gov
MA www.doe.mass.edu/contact/qanda.aspx
drop down "Commissioners Department"
CT Charlene.russell-tucker@ct.gov (Commissioner)
TX TEAfeedback@tea.texas.gov.
NY NYSEDCommunications@nysed.gov
GA askdoe@gadoe.org
PA ra-pde@pa.gov
FL Commissioner@fldoe.org
RI angelica.infantegreen@ride.ri.gov (Commissioner)

**********************************************************************************

For these- all you need to do is literally click a button. It's that easy. 

Protect the Department of Education - National Letter Campaign 

 

Vote NO on RFK confirmation 

 

 

 

 

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

 The photo above... it was called broken dreams and disappointments. I thought it was fitting. 

If only you saw all the drafts in queue of this blog. This is why this blog has basically become a wasteland. I start a brain dump but I can't even finish because I know I sound rambling and insane. B would say I sound like a Stern wackpacker. I can't just go around calling people trash either because I don't need to reach the people who read me because they're on the same side. I need to get into the heads of those who hate-read or don't realize what they're getting into when they're reading my stuff until they're already IN. 

I'm scared. I'm not usually scared of anything. But I'm scared. It didn't take Hitler long to dismantle a democracy and it doesn't seem like it's going to take long to dismantle this one either. I think I've been asking for like eight years- "WHERE ARE THE PARENTS??". At least with Biden, it wasn't like waking up to doom, gloom and chaos every day. We still had the threat of a second term looming though, for Don the Con. We were still barraged by crazy talk and threats and stupidity. We never fully got a reprieve. 

I'm trying to find a balance now...of finding ways to help, but not overloading on news. I'm writing letters, calling state representatives, and then watching a shit-ton of 90's tv. I've re-watched One Tree Hill, Felicity, and E and I burned through all of My So Called Life. I'm about to buy Party of Five so E and I can watch that. 

I wish I could understand what the actual F is going through the minds of people I know who voted for this hot mess of an administration. How they actually believe this six times bankrupt, sexual predator, convicted felon, was going to do anything positive for them. Also, I'd like to remind them, they can call themselves Christian or Catholic all they want but saying it doesn't make it true. You're supposed to walk the walk to actually BE one and everything this administration is doing is the antithesis of what I'm pretty sure Christianity is supposed to be about. So, they're fake. You're fake if you're reading this, you go to church, you claim to be a Christian, and you voted for this. I'll never think you're anything but a complete phony. You can continue to sit there, stand, take your wafer, do the Our Father or whatever, and get on your knees. But you're a fraud. A FRAUD. And since you believe in this stuff- you'll be the one answering to your maker. #isaidwhatisaid

 

Anyone I had to get rid of on Facebook, I had to do so, not (just) because they are a Trump supporter, but because they posted, re-posted, or liked something sexist, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, antisemitic, or all of it. You thought that racist meme of Obama or Kamala was funny? BYE. Or continuously re-posted complete fabrications of news. Not real news. Completely moronic untruths. For example, let's say- stuff about Haitians eating cats and dogs. I DON'T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. I'm not going to look complicit by being friended to you on social media. I don't want to be associated with lies, but I also don't want to know people who actually believe that stuff. I got rid of moms more concerned with banning books than making sure underserved kids get free school lunch. Pretty sure Jesus would give kids who need it free lunch and not say they should be working picking berries. Yeah, a real state representative said that. Look it up. I'm not Google. I had to block moms of old classmates who jumped on the Trump train even though their daughters now have less rights than they had. It's complete madness.

Hindsight is 20/20 of course. I should've known who would end up being a racist loser but I attribute not knowing to having grown up in a white bubble. I knew my friends using the N word was wrong. I didn't use it. It made me extremely uncomfortable. I said it makes me uncomfortable. But no one cared and I didn't do anything about it because I didn't know what to do. I should've known the guy who bullied people in school would end up being a mentally ill racist as an adult but I don't know- he didn't bully me so I didn't think much about it. By high school I was being bullied, and was barely there- physically and mentally, so I really stopped knowing these people and their trajectory by middle school. I should've known that the ignorant parents would end up with ignorant kids. I just never thought we'd get HERE. To this place of a complete lack of humanity, compassion, and tolerance of just letting people live their lives. And I'm not going to be complicit or ignorant. I have a KID. I have to help leave this world better than this. Just know now, though, I try to walk the walk every day. 

 

Nostalgia means zero to me. I can recognize that we had some good times in the 80's and 90's but that's over. I don't need or want friends who only give a shit about people who look like them, worship like them, believe like them. People who say they want small government out of one side of their mouths, but are all about legislating gender, reproductive health, religion (forcing Christian Nationalism) and more. I certainly don't want to be on the same planet with people smiling next to cardboard cutouts of their big orange daddy. Bye girl bye. I wish others would put their money where their mouth is and shun the worst of humanity among us and stop worrying or caring about the fact that we may have gone to nursery school together. I've already explained- this isn't about "politics". This is about humanity and values. If your values suck, I care zero that you were at my Bat Mitzvah. Or that we had fun sleepovers in fifth grade. If you suck in 2025, you suck. Full stop.

So here we are. In a shitstorm race to the bottom. The worst of the worst people. What are we going to do? No other countries want us. B, E and me- we have the added layer of being Jews. So, REALLY, no countries want us. I actually looked into it. It's not easy to leave this country and the countries who might accept us, Americans, may not be the best place for Jews. We're pretty much stuck. We also don't have unlimited funds to just fly the coop, so to speak. So we have to figure out how we're going to stay here and thrive in what we've been handed. Hopefully I won't have to really start judging people by who would hide us.

 

I just don't know how we're going to endure four years of this. Already, I just saw a new breaking news post about the Department of Education being eliminated. Like the southern states weren't already at the bottom of the barrel of education. Keep the people dumb so they're easy to control... It's happening, my friends, it's happening. The only positive I can come up with is that this is a test of our complacency. Hilary losing wasn't enough. We got respite with Biden. Many of us, who were exhausted by the first Trump term and the pandemic, just needed a nap. Well, that nap cost us BIGLY. Now, we have no choice but to fight or Elon is our president and we might as well get fitted for our Handmaid's Tale dresses. I can't spend any more time debating people on what is or isn't a Nazi salute. So instead of debating people I'd rather spend time doing positive things. I don't know much more 90s and Y2K tv I can watch or how much longer I can sustain this new cooking thing I've taken up, but I plan to do more of that and find ways to help take action. 

That's all I can say now. My attention span is short, I'm half listening to The Bachelor right now- hey, I said I have to find balance.... and I'm tired. The theater production, Something Rotten, that E is in is finally on stage this week, and I've been consumed with stuff for that. I don't want another half finished entry. What I'll leave you with is- I HOPE PEOPLE GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY VOTED FOR. And then some. All. Of. It. "I didn't know" "I didn't realize" - guess what? You should have and my wish for you is to get the USA you deserve.

Stay tuned for ways to get involved. Talk the talk. Walk the walk. I'm not just going to dig my own grave, that's for damn sure.

Action Plan in case of Emergency

 My thoughts are not super coherent these days but I just saw this post by Amy Siskind - who copied and pasted from somewhere else but she’s always a great resource on  Facebook.  I thought it could be helpful for those in the thick of the LA fires but also anyone who is caught in a natural disaster. All the love, positive thoughts and healing energy out to those affected. 

LA folks -(copied and pasted):

Here is some helpful advice for fire victims:

ACTION PLAN for those who had loss. Start with the small list: 

1. Get a PO Box 

2. Longer term rental search - include insurance on it so they pay directly for rental. Find a nice place that you like, don't settle. You should be able to get a "Like Property" so insurance should cover a nice place for you to live while you work through all this. You might be living here for 2 years, so choose wisely. 

3. Find a place to buy some sturdy boots and gloves. Get some shovels. 

4. Start working on the personal property list (this is not fun at all, be prepared to cry we sure did). Write down the moment you remember – keep list on phone or pad of paper with you at all times. 

5. Save receipts. Loss of use insurance will cover incidentals too – hairbrush, phone chargers, etc. 

6. As you buy things, tell the store owner your situation. Most stores will give you some level of discount as their way of helping you. 

7. Let people do things for you. Do you have a friend that you can send to the store to buy you some basic clothes or comfort foods? Let them do it – they want to help and you don’t need to spend time doing these errands. (The ‘fun’ of shopping is gone…it quickly becomes a chore because you don’t want a new shirt, you want the one that you always liked to wear but now it’s gone and you are sad/mad.) 

The Big List: 

1. Register at the shelters, with Red Cross and any other agency there, california FEMA, etc. a. Most of the aid coming in will use these lists as a point of contact and will help to ensure that you don't get left out of anything. b. This will be especially important should FEMA be activated, which in my opinion is very likely with the amount of devastation experienced.

2. Call Homeowners/Rental insurance to trigger "Loss of Use" . This typically will allow you to be in a "Like" property for x number of years and sometimes has a dollar limit attached and sometimes not, this is dependent on your policy. a. This coverage should also give you some immediate access to funds for essentials, clothes, toothbrushes, food, etc. b. This will also get the ball rolling for the insurance claim on your home and rebuilding/personal property Dollars.

3. Get a PO Box and forward all mail to the Box. . Use this PO Box as the mailing address on all forms you begin to fill out.

4. Start Searching for a Long term rental. . Coordinate with your insurance company so that payments can be made directly from them using your “Loss of Use” money. a. Plan on renting 1-2 years, but do not necessarily sign a lease for a full two years as circumstances can change.

5. Itemized List of belongings - (This is very hard but very necessary for your claim) . I would organize by room and list everything that was there with a replacement cost. (you will cry a lot doing this and that is ok) 

      a. Replacement Cost should be what it would cost to replace not on sale from pottery barn, it should not be the price you paid for it with that 50% off coupon. 

      b. Make sure you list everything, even if it is above and beyond your policy limit. This is very important because everything above and beyond the policy limit is considered a Loss and can be claimed as such on your taxes - See #9

6. Call all of your utilities and either freeze or cancel service.  Electric, Gas, TV, Land Line phone a. Newspaper delivery, either cancel or update to PO Box.

7. Call the rest of your insurance points as needed.  Car insurance a. Any specialty insurance for unique items

8. Permits - An unfortunate necessity.  Debris Removal - as things wind down it will be necessary to remove the debris, this requires a permit usually. (This should be covered by your insurance, we had to force the issue but ask repeatedly.) 

     a. Erosion Control - If you are on any kind of hill or have sloped property you will need to put some sort of erosion control measures in place, again this will need some sort of permit. 

    b. Temporary Power Pole/Trailer on site Permit - Getting this earlier on can prove helpful in both the rebuilding process.

9. Taxes . You will be able to claim the monetary loss of the value of all your items minus what you receive from your insurance company. I’m unfamiliar with the exact laws, but I believe that we were able to carry our losses back 2-5 years and received most of the money that we had paid in taxes back in a nice large check.

10. Network with others. You will learn so much from others as you go through the rebuilding process. We all have our strengths so share yours and use others. The amount of time that you will spend on the rebuild, insurance, recovery process is staggering so you need to use all your resources.