Rather than a depressing political commentary tonight, I have something fun for you … this even made me chuckle aloud. Most of you have probably heard of Don Caron and the Parody Project, but a brief history for those who may not be familiar with the Parody Project. From the Parody Project website …
The Parody Project was founded in August of 2017 by Film-maker/composer Don Caron, as a means of surviving the current political and social mire with humor and helping others to do the same. Parody has been an active and important part of contemporary culture for centuries. Whether in literature, theater, film or art, rarely does a day go by when an example of a parody is not widely visible. And it can be seen as ridicule but it can also be viewed as flattery. How you choose to view it says more about you than it does about the parody itself.
I happened across this short clip, a parody of the song Mack the Knife, the other night and just had to share it with you! Enjoy!
Today I managed to fold a load of laundry, rinse a container of raspberries, chop cabbage for coleslaw, and tidy the kitchen. That said, I might have done more than my body wished, for tonight I am a bit shaky and very tired, so this will be a short post with only a few very short snippets. Hopefully I can do better tomorrow!
The headline in The Washington Post read: “The demise of BBB comes at a dark moment for Democrats”. But that is wrong … it is not only a dark moment for Democrats, but rather for every man, woman and child in the U.S. who doesn’t have the benefit of being wealthy. Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia single-handedly killed a bill that would have helped millions of people in the coming year, many of whom live in his own state, the second poorest state in the U.S. with a poverty rate of nearly 20%. Not only that, but the bill would have made significant progress in the fight against the forces that are destroying our environment and given future generations the chance to continue living and breathing on Planet Earth! Manchin is now among the top candidates running for the ‘Asshole of the Year’ award.
In Williamson County, Tennessee, a chapter of Moms For Liberty, a right-wing dark money group, filed a complaint with the Tennessee Department of Education. The complaint alleges that the language arts curriculum for second graders in Williamson County school violates the law banning Critical Race Theory.
Specifically, Moms For Liberty objected to the inclusion several books, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington, and Ruby Bridges Goes to School, an autobiography of the first Black child to integrate a New Orleans school, adapted for young readers.
Seriously???
The group claims that the inclusion of these books “reveals a heavily biased agenda, one that makes children hate their country, each other, and/or themselves.” Horse hockey!!! Facts is facts, folks, and maybe these parents actually realize their own guilt in America’s racist past and want to hide it from their children, want to head off any questions their kids might ask about their parent’s views and behaviour during that time. Facts is facts, whether these lily-white ‘moms’ choose to acknowledge it or not.
If we don’t teach our children the truth about our past, how will they know not to repeat the same mistakes? If there is hope for this nation to come out of the dark ages of collective ignorance and bigotry we have descended into, it lies in the education of our children. We cannot lie, re-write history, or cover up the dark parts of the nation’s past, for those dark parts are just as much a part of who and what we are today as the shining parts are.
And I conclude with a short video by Parody Project by Don Caron …
I meant to share this one, the latest from the Parody Project, a week or so ago when our friend Ellen first sent it to me. But, as so often happens these days, my mind went elsewhere and I … forgot. So, without further ado … the Parody Project …
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the environment, about climate change and the way we’ve ignored it for so long that we are now in a crisis, and the way so many are still ignoring it, placing their convenience, their profit before the future of life on the planet. People buy the best locks, outfit their homes with security systems, alarms, cameras, keep a gun in the nightstand … all in the name of protecting their family. But yet … those things … they cannot protect against the impending climate crisis, and they refuse to do a single thing to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land and sea from whence comes our food supply. Why is that, I wonder? Arrogance? Lack of foresight? Greed? Ignorance? Religion? I don’t know, but I think we need to figure it out and act now, or it will soon be too late.
So, with that said, I thought it was time for a few environmental snippets. I have notably not included the fires in the Amazon rainforest, for I am working on a separate post about that, probably for tomorrow.
She’s HERE!!! And She’s Speaking Out!!!
Greta Thunberg arrived in New York City yesterday. Crowds had gathered for hours beforehand, ready to welcome Thunberg’s arrival on the unconventional solar-powered craft.She spoke briefly with the press before moving on … a few snippets from that speech …
“We need to stand together and take action because otherwise it might be too late. Let’s not wait any longer. Let’s do it now. It is insane that a 16-year-old would have to cross the Atlantic to take a stand … [against] the climate and ecological crisis is a global crisis and the biggest humanity has ever faced.”
When asked if she had a message for Trump, she said …
“I say, ‘Listen to the science’. And he obviously does not do that. If no one has been able to convince him about the climate crisis and the urgency, why would I be able to?”
Ms. Thunberg will be participating in UN climate summits in New York City (September) and Chile (December). And while she is here, she also is expected to participate in protests slated to start Sept. 20 as part of a Week of Action to pressure U.N. member states to make systemic changes that will reduce their planet-heating emissions, such as transitioning to renewable energy.
And speaking of the Global Climate Strike …
At least four major U.S. companies will close their doors on September 20 to encourage employees to take part in the Global Climate Strike in order to send a clear message that they will not conduct “business as usual” while the world’s children are demanding action to stop the climate crisis.Ben & Jerry’s, Lush Cosmetics, Patagonia, and Seventh Generation all pledged support Wednesday for the strike, which millions of people of all ages are expected to take part in next month as part of a Week of Action before the UN Climate Summit.
“The climate crisis is a human issue—affecting all of us. We are inspired by the youth activists who have led a global movement, and Patagonia is calling for urgent and decisive action for people and our home planet. We invite the business community and all those concerned about the fate of our planet and humankind to answer with action and join us.” – Rose Marcario, President & CEO, Patagonia
Slowly but surely, some are actually getting it. Not, of course, the fool on the hill …
The fool on the hill, the forest he will kill …
The Tongass National Forest covers 16.7 million acres of Alaska. Not quite the size of the Amazon rainforest at 1.359 billion acres, but nonetheless relevant, as together with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in Canada, it is the planet’s largest intact temperate1 rainforest. Well, guess what, folks? Ol’ Donnie has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open Alaska’s 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest to logging, mining and other corporate development projects.Under the Clinton-era “roadless rule,” construction of roads were barred in the forest, thereby restricting commercial logging, energy, and mining projects (only certain road projects approved by the Forest Service were allowed).
The rule has faced challenges over the years, including by President George W. Bush who tried unsuccessfully to reverse it. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and Senator Lisa Murkowski, both republicans, have also called for Trump to exempt the state from the rule.The pristine forest includes thousands of islands along with glacial fjords and old-growth cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees — old-growth trees are those that have generally grown undisturbed for at least 120 years. The area supports countless wildlife, including all five species of Pacific salmon, brown bears, wolves, and Bald Eagles.
Listen up, people! There are not enough trees to meet the oxygen requirements to sustain life on earth into the future as it is, and you want to chop and burn them down??? Where the Sam Hell are your brains, in your back pockets???
Give me trees over ugly buildings any day of the week. The folks we have sent to Washington seem not to understand that the economy is not going to amount to a hill of beans if they don’t aggressively protect the environment. Stupid people.
1 Temperate rainforests are cool, as opposed to tropical rainforests like the Amazon that are warm and moist.
Last night, my friend Herb sent me a video clip by the Parody Project. I had never heard of this, but according to the website …
The Parody Project was founded in August of 2017 by Film-maker/composer Don Caron, as a means of surviving the current political and social mire by laughing and helping others to do the same.
Others are more humorous, but this one is most relevant to the topic of the day Please take just 3 minutes to watch it … you won’t regret it, I promise!
She spoke briefly with the press before moving on … a few snippets from that speech …
Ben & Jerry’s, Lush Cosmetics, Patagonia, and Seventh Generation all pledged support Wednesday for the strike, which millions of people of all ages are expected to take part in next month as part of a Week of Action before the UN Climate Summit.
The Tongass National Forest covers 16.7 million acres of Alaska. Not quite the size of the Amazon rainforest at 1.359 billion acres, but nonetheless relevant, as together with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in Canada, it is the planet’s largest intact temperate
Under the Clinton-era “roadless rule,” construction of roads were barred in the forest, thereby restricting commercial logging, energy, and mining projects (only certain road projects approved by the Forest Service were allowed).
The pristine forest includes thousands of islands along with glacial fjords and old-growth cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees — old-growth trees are those that have generally grown undisturbed for at least 120 years. The area supports countless wildlife, including all five species of Pacific salmon, brown bears, wolves, and Bald Eagles.
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