Tuesday: A day to: consider how lucky we are.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we
can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a Kosmail and ask to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
We do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday: Youffraita
Tuesday: ejoanna
Wednesday: Pam from Calif
Thursday: art ah zen
Friday: FloridaSNMOM
Saturday: FloridaSNDad
Sunday: loggersbrat
Of the many article and cable news pieces I have absorbed during the last 3 weeks (3 years? 5 years?), a recent New York Times opinion piece has stood out.
Basically, the author, the linguist John McWhorter, really got my attention.
The core of this well-written piece is this: in the US, despite our many, many faults and sins, the constant “rehearsal” for a true democracy has made a lot of progress over the years. And we should be grateful for that, even as we continue the rehearsal to a better democracy.
And this is thrown into a bright light by what is happening in and to Ukraine.
Our main concern right now must, of course, be for the Ukrainians suffering the destruction of their nation. However, this tragedy also gives Americans a reminder of how easily the critic becomes the Cassandra. America may be a mess in many ways, but a look at the headlines lately shows us what a mess really can be. Some might decide that for all our missteps and, yes, even catastrophes, our rehearsal is going, at least, fairly well.
(J. McWhorter : NYT March 12, 2022)
Just sayin’: we do have many blessing in this country—and many people have worked hard to earn them and try to keep them.
Now let’s help Ukraine—and other fragile democracies—as best we can. And continue the American Rehearsal.
And continue to keep the pets in Ukraine in our hearts: