The trees here turned a beautiful orange and yellow this week, and the wind has deposited so many leaves everywhere, it really looks like a fall day minus the cold weather!
From Gunilla the Goofy Witch to Lucian the Anglerfish and his esteemed family, all the good folk and small demons and princesses of Milford, and the wealth of wise wizards on this thread:
Elections have been scary my entire life. I basically have had to worry about which racist White male would win, and how much injustice would continue to exist. I think Prof. Thomas Zimmer lays out the dilemma the US faces well today.
So, even in Germany I am not safe from worrying about elections for just this reason, although at least here while they have not had a Black man, they have had a woman leader. So, I am all in for a change of the dynamics, and having the US enter the century we are currently in, instead of looking backwards to Father Knows Best kind of leadership. I am a big fan of Biden, who has made huge changes that were much needed, but he is stopped in his tracks by the Oligarchs who just cannot risk having to be held to the same rules as the rest of us.
Matt Stoller expresses well the kind of entitled arrogance I am talking about here.
So, I am in Germany in a city that has a federal holiday today because it is the anniversary of the Reformation. If only Martin Luther could see how the Catholics and Protestants have come together as Christian Nationalists in ways I think he would find heretical. There are children celebrating Halloween here too, but I am skipping it this year, grateful that I don't have to deal with that additional stress.
Thank you so much. I came here to say something like "They're not supposed to be scary for reasonably affluent straight white people, but for the rest of us they're scary AF. Like do you never think *why* Black women who get routinely ignored by Democrats in power vote more reliably for Democrats than any other demographic? It's because THE ALTERNATIVE IS MUCH WORSE." Here's hoping this doesn't get forgotten immediately after Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are sworn in. I don't believe Harris and Walz will forget, but they'll be up against the Supreme Court, the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, and the billionaires. Where will you all be after the inauguration?
Marlene I am a dual citizen and am currently able to vote in both the US and Germany. When Reagan was elected was when I decided to make sure that I always kept both passports up to date. My daughter is also a dual citizen and we both voted in June in the EU election, and in September in the US election. Americans Abroad get our ballots sent to us on September 20 and 21. We both selected to have it come by email. So, we print it out, and then mail it back after we fill it out. So, I keep up with politics in the US, Germany and the EU and the world.
Most of the friends I have in Democrats Abroad, some who have lived here in Germany as long as 40 years, are starting to apply for German citizenship, but I grew up with both. Being allowed to have both is what drives them to do this, and Germany has recently made it easier. A lot of them, but not all are married to Germans. Some moved here because of Trump. Others moved here to study and then stayed, others because they got jobs here, or their jobs sent them here. Some of the dual citizens I know were German and lived in the US, were married and had families there, became US citizens and then when Trump became president, moved back to Europe. They are all active in helping in this election like phone banking. One woman I know who is Swiss, so an EU citizen but raised her daughter in California, then lived in North Carolina, but was so frightened of the gun culture around her, she had to leave. She did her PhD in a historically Black college and worked in one, so that is interesting about her.
Where I live in the US many of my friends are from other countries. Our community has a diversity of nationality because the local university attracts faculty and students from all over the world. My husband is from Germany as is my mom and an aunt who lives there too. My friends and neighbors are from countries like Finland, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, China, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, Thailand, Ghana, Ethiopia, Lithuania, Poland and I am sure I am leaving something out. and that was true of my daughter going to school too, until high school which was less diverse. So, what the US can be, a liberal democracy where people come together with shared values of tolerance and enjoyment of each other's traditions, and shared interests in the things they are working on is what the community is in part.
On my father's side, my dad had a great-grandmother who was born in slavery in 1860, and died in the civil rights movement in 1969. She was still living on her own on her farm in Mississippi at 109. I will assume she had supports in her community though. What she had seen in her lifetime, was different from what we are seeing in the tech revolution, because she saw huge differences in how people could live. Even though she was 4 when slavery ended, she lived in Mississippi and my paternal grandmother and I used to have Saturday conversations until she died and she would tell me that visiting her grandparents on her farm they would always talk about slavey time stuff, so apparently freedom or the lack of it made a huge impression on them. What I learned studying slavery is that a lot of sadists "owned" slaves.
I have never been to Mississippi because that represents to me the suffering of my family. They came north to Chicago as part of the Great Migration. So, Chicago with all its racism represents the promised land until it doesn't. Under Trump the promised land will lose its promise, so I hope he does not win.
My dad was a Halloween baby and when he became a teacher, he stayed home just in case the pranksters decided to come by. I like to think he just enjoyed handing out treats. Love you and miss you, Dad. 🎃💝
The top photo is endearing; the bottom, more so. Luckily, I don't know how to insert a photo (or symbol) into my comment, so you don't get to see a selfie of me costumed as an old Jewish guy. Where *did* those years go? Lucian, I believe you will forgive E-2 me for ignoring your clear command to vote next Tuesday. In an hour I'm headed to the Fairfax Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, where the system has shipped a couple of books for me to pick up. Outside of the library there's a dropbox, for deposit of envelopes with filled-in ballots that were mailed to every registered voter in Los Angeles County.
I absolutely love the anglerfish headpiece! Damn, should've thought of that for myself! Happy Halloween, big guy! Lou
Boooooooo! I dressed up as Santa Claus at school today and people looked at me oddly. They do that anyway, so it ain’t no big thing.
The trees here turned a beautiful orange and yellow this week, and the wind has deposited so many leaves everywhere, it really looks like a fall day minus the cold weather!
Have a fun Halloween everyone! And safe.
From Gunilla the Goofy Witch to Lucian the Anglerfish and his esteemed family, all the good folk and small demons and princesses of Milford, and the wealth of wise wizards on this thread:
HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEN!!!
Elections have been scary my entire life. I basically have had to worry about which racist White male would win, and how much injustice would continue to exist. I think Prof. Thomas Zimmer lays out the dilemma the US faces well today.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thomaszimmer/p/it-could-definitely-happen-here?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
So, even in Germany I am not safe from worrying about elections for just this reason, although at least here while they have not had a Black man, they have had a woman leader. So, I am all in for a change of the dynamics, and having the US enter the century we are currently in, instead of looking backwards to Father Knows Best kind of leadership. I am a big fan of Biden, who has made huge changes that were much needed, but he is stopped in his tracks by the Oligarchs who just cannot risk having to be held to the same rules as the rest of us.
Matt Stoller expresses well the kind of entitled arrogance I am talking about here.
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/elon-musk-lina-khan-will-be-fired
So, I am in Germany in a city that has a federal holiday today because it is the anniversary of the Reformation. If only Martin Luther could see how the Catholics and Protestants have come together as Christian Nationalists in ways I think he would find heretical. There are children celebrating Halloween here too, but I am skipping it this year, grateful that I don't have to deal with that additional stress.
Thank you so much. I came here to say something like "They're not supposed to be scary for reasonably affluent straight white people, but for the rest of us they're scary AF. Like do you never think *why* Black women who get routinely ignored by Democrats in power vote more reliably for Democrats than any other demographic? It's because THE ALTERNATIVE IS MUCH WORSE." Here's hoping this doesn't get forgotten immediately after Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are sworn in. I don't believe Harris and Walz will forget, but they'll be up against the Supreme Court, the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, and the billionaires. Where will you all be after the inauguration?
Linda, are you able to vote in Germany also?
Marlene I am a dual citizen and am currently able to vote in both the US and Germany. When Reagan was elected was when I decided to make sure that I always kept both passports up to date. My daughter is also a dual citizen and we both voted in June in the EU election, and in September in the US election. Americans Abroad get our ballots sent to us on September 20 and 21. We both selected to have it come by email. So, we print it out, and then mail it back after we fill it out. So, I keep up with politics in the US, Germany and the EU and the world.
Most of the friends I have in Democrats Abroad, some who have lived here in Germany as long as 40 years, are starting to apply for German citizenship, but I grew up with both. Being allowed to have both is what drives them to do this, and Germany has recently made it easier. A lot of them, but not all are married to Germans. Some moved here because of Trump. Others moved here to study and then stayed, others because they got jobs here, or their jobs sent them here. Some of the dual citizens I know were German and lived in the US, were married and had families there, became US citizens and then when Trump became president, moved back to Europe. They are all active in helping in this election like phone banking. One woman I know who is Swiss, so an EU citizen but raised her daughter in California, then lived in North Carolina, but was so frightened of the gun culture around her, she had to leave. She did her PhD in a historically Black college and worked in one, so that is interesting about her.
Where I live in the US many of my friends are from other countries. Our community has a diversity of nationality because the local university attracts faculty and students from all over the world. My husband is from Germany as is my mom and an aunt who lives there too. My friends and neighbors are from countries like Finland, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, China, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, Thailand, Ghana, Ethiopia, Lithuania, Poland and I am sure I am leaving something out. and that was true of my daughter going to school too, until high school which was less diverse. So, what the US can be, a liberal democracy where people come together with shared values of tolerance and enjoyment of each other's traditions, and shared interests in the things they are working on is what the community is in part.
On my father's side, my dad had a great-grandmother who was born in slavery in 1860, and died in the civil rights movement in 1969. She was still living on her own on her farm in Mississippi at 109. I will assume she had supports in her community though. What she had seen in her lifetime, was different from what we are seeing in the tech revolution, because she saw huge differences in how people could live. Even though she was 4 when slavery ended, she lived in Mississippi and my paternal grandmother and I used to have Saturday conversations until she died and she would tell me that visiting her grandparents on her farm they would always talk about slavey time stuff, so apparently freedom or the lack of it made a huge impression on them. What I learned studying slavery is that a lot of sadists "owned" slaves.
I have never been to Mississippi because that represents to me the suffering of my family. They came north to Chicago as part of the Great Migration. So, Chicago with all its racism represents the promised land until it doesn't. Under Trump the promised land will lose its promise, so I hope he does not win.
Love the front porch vibe!! Happy Halloween to all.
My dad was a Halloween baby and when he became a teacher, he stayed home just in case the pranksters decided to come by. I like to think he just enjoyed handing out treats. Love you and miss you, Dad. 🎃💝
The top photo is endearing; the bottom, more so. Luckily, I don't know how to insert a photo (or symbol) into my comment, so you don't get to see a selfie of me costumed as an old Jewish guy. Where *did* those years go? Lucian, I believe you will forgive E-2 me for ignoring your clear command to vote next Tuesday. In an hour I'm headed to the Fairfax Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, where the system has shipped a couple of books for me to pick up. Outside of the library there's a dropbox, for deposit of envelopes with filled-in ballots that were mailed to every registered voter in Los Angeles County.
Happy Halloween!
Pennsylvania,
Nouveau Transylvania!
"Lee-son to them, cheeeldruhn of the night - what mu-zeek they make!"
Don't bite! I taste awfulllll... BOOOOO!!
looks like a fun evening! and good weather...Enjoy!!
You look great! The anglerfish costume is amazing! So creative!
Scariest fish I’ve ever seen! A friend and I are salt and pepper…
Happy all hallows' eve
believe your eyes
Party on hoser, and all the best!