Our French Exchange student is safely in air on his way back to Paris, and while I intend to write about the experience, I'm missing his presence enough not to want to write about it tonite. Fortunately, my Muse anticipated this and gave me an alternate topic, so follow me below the orange croissant after a word from our sponsor...
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I had a half hour to wait before my local downtown businesses opened, so I stopped into our Starbucks for coffee and took a seat on the couch. Shortly after, two men - one likely a few years older than me, the other younger by a decade or two, came in and sat down in that area too. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but being two feet away, it's not hard to hear what two people are saying. The younger was talking about somewhere he was involved, and I heard snippets:
"...neighborhoods with a majority people of color tend to be underserved by public transportation such as taxis..."
"...the data shows people of color are disproportionately affected by..."
and so on. It was a refreshingly progressive conversation as lately, with a Prop 2 1/2 override vote looming, it's been a hostile environment for progressives in my town. The older man was agreeing and adding in his own experiences, and I found myself fighting the urge to nod and chime in. Because that would be weird, right?
Eventually it was time for me to go, stores were open and I needed to get a few things for my student before we go to the airport tonite. I decided I had to say something, so turned and spoke: "I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop but did overhear parts of your conversation. It was so good to hear rational, forward-thinking sentiments!"
As anyone who knows me probably suspects, I did not leave immediately but instead spent another 20' talking with the two men about issues of race, privilege, and other topics. As I got ready finally to head out, the younger man introduced himself and said "you may know my mother redacted, who's on the local school board. At which point I broke into a smile and said "funny you should mention her!"
A month or two ago, someone I first met years and years ago here at DailyKos IMed me on Facebook to say "I just noticed that you and redacted live in the same town but aren't friends. You have a lot in common, so I'm introducing you!" This woman and I started talking and yes, we have an awful lot in common. And it didn't surprise me one bit that the eloquent man speaking so passionately about equality, institutional bias and looking for ways to eliminate it was her son.
I'd hum the Disney Earworm now, but that would be cruel. So I'll smile and thank the Universe for putting me in that coffee shop today, and remember to IM my new friend because I have questions about the school board candidates I need answers on before I vote, as it's a place where hidden conservative agendas often take root.
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Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Mopshell:
There was great comedy in the comedy diary!
In Laura Clawson's delightful Comedy on bottom-tier Republicans refusing to drop out, gecko really got into the spirit of the comedy with this humdinger of a comment!
From corvaire:
(The comment linked below, plus the three before (beginning with this comment by Lefty Coaster.)
Following a video about monkeys rejecting inequality, in Jen Hayden's diary on the CEO offering big minimum wage for employees, out pops out this gem from Munchkn!
From ZenTrainer:
TooFolkGR makes a suggestion that could really make a difference in one of the places where it can matter the most - local elections! (Several other people have made comments like this one today.)
In Gordon 20024's fine local election diary.
From Older and Wiser Now:
I discovered a fun diary from Jon Perr just as it was dropping off the diary list, Trump, like Romney, a riches to riches story. Inside I found this gem of a comment from implicate order.
From peregrine kate:
This comment is ZenTrainer's explanation about what the site means to her. (Especially interesting, considering that it's coming from an atheist.)
And it's within her own fabulous diary that covers a lot of important ground. The diary is well worth the read.
From Phoenix Woman:
Margaret =POA lived through DADT and DOMA. Here's her take. The thing speaks for itself. Found in DerekJack30's diary on why Bill Clinton signed DOMA.
From Yours Truly, brillig:
So much win in the comments section of Walter Einenkel's Hobby Lobby being investigated for smuggling a lot of ancient artifacts. First up, slb36cornell with corporate personhood, ToKnowWhy has an action plan, and lastly praying manatheist began a thread which saw here4tehbeer mix a metaphor that led to the best gorram image I've seen all day, courtesy of here4tehbeer.
Top Mojo for Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) Everything that's wrong w/American journalism by earicicle +341
2) One of your best, OPOL. Gut-wrenching in truth. by Quilldriver +199
3) Reminds me of the old Emo Phillips joke .... by 8ackgr0und N015e +188
4) Not just one of OPOL's best. Easily... by bobswern +165
4) Very well written. Thank you. by dhonig +165
6) I still continue to be mind-boggled by geebeebee +150
7) Oh get over yourself. by dhonig +126
8) Gowdy wished it had been a private... by kharma +109
9) Great comment by bahaba +105
10) This is a very interesting issue by gchaucer2 +101
11) HEY! LOOK! OVER THERE! by Ken in MN +99
11) The only thing that stops a Bad Dog with a gun by koosah +99
13) Yes by Armando +97
14) This isn't really socialism by Sparhawk +96
15) Was Trigger OK afterwards? by christomento +95
16) I note the irony of Chuck Todd accusing someone... by anon004 +92
16) Thanks for digging this one up, OPOL... by markthshark +92
18) Ok, just gotta say, speaking for myself, by Tausendberg +88
18) Yeah, I've heard of this by Witgren +88
20) Seriously, they publicly admitted defeat by AoT +87
21) War on the Youth by neo liberal society - reality by Don midwest +85
22) Bernie is my last hope and a good one at that by Shockwave +83
23) I'm sure it's nothing by Major Kong +82
24) I do not by timsmith +80
25) Yeah, because I was by dhonig +79
26) The Athens News (OH) LTE by LoneStarMike +76
27) Kind of you to say, bob. by One Pissed Off Liberal +75
28) I'm gay and i am 52 by hardart +74
29) Seriously it was their own fault by looty +73
30) This diary better get on the Rec List. by Jon Sitzman +72
2015-10-27 Top Comments with Pictures, courtesy of
jotter!