Session has begun, and Donald Trump is officially President.
In not-unrelated news, that was a pretty impressive showing of people at the Women’s March in Alaska and across the nation.
I am so glad that so many of us were there together – great job organizing, AWARE! I had anticipated that we might grieve together, but I was wrong – everyone was energetic and focused and ready to work!
So, in the spirit of continuing the work, here are a few interesting political (and other) reads from around the internet for your enjoyment with your morning beverage.
State and National Politics
First up, a writer discussing how his family was saved by government healthcare. It’s a longish read, but an important one. “My Dad and the American Social Contract” –
Unfortunately, when history demanded that the benefits of the American social compact be extended to embrace everyone in America and not just white people, America decided it was time to break the compact and establish a new order: The Myth of the Individual Hero.
The caliber of Trump’s Cabinet picks is, uh, somewhat lower than previous Cabinets. Apparently, Rick Perry didn’t realize that the Dept. of Energy was in charge of nuclear weapons. You can’t make this stuff up.
If approved by the Senate, [Mr. Perry] will take over from a secretary, Ernest J. Moniz, who was chairman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology physics department and directed the linear accelerator at M.I.T.’s Laboratory for Nuclear Science. Before Mr. Moniz, the job belonged to Steven Chu, a physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
Donald Trump seems like he will lie about anything, no matter how trivial. NPR did a piece last week wherein the speaker said we need to fact-check as a matter of record, but that the focus should only be given to the lies that actually harm people. I heard it on the radio and didn’t have any luck finding it on line; maybe you’ll have better luck.
Did you know that the Alaska Dispatch News had a politics roundup page? Well they do.
I have heard reports that the Women’s March, nationally, was the largest protest in American history. [UPDATE 3/9/17: This link has been changed because the site of the original article was shut down. Mary] It looks like there was a lot of Alaskan participation, too.
Other things
And here are some non-political links. I provide these every week to honor all of us as complete human beings who deserve the freedom to enjoy our diverse lives.
Did anyone else here love Firefly and Serenity? Here’s an older video review of Serenity. Sorry about the autoplay when you click the link, and the annoying intro music, but the overall review brought me a lovely sense of nostalgia.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is a snarky, nerdy cartoon. He makes you work a bit, but I still enjoy it.
Ever dream about ditching everything and living a minimalist life? You don’t get much more minimal than this guy, who lives in a van that is sometimes down by a river. I enjoy his sparse blog style, especially on days when I have a long to do list at home.
Have a good week,
Mary
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