James Bethel James Bethel

Squeezing budgets . . .

Monday, November 17, 2025. It's the Moon's day . . . Strong Southerlies bring lots of clouds and a slight rain chance to TulseyTown today with a high in the upper 70's this afternoon.

Economics stuffed the mailbox this morning…

What democrats can and should do about the disastrous economy – Robert Reich, Trumps's shi**y economy, online. 11.17.25

From Gavin Newsome on Fox News’ lies about Trump's economy:

Tune into Fox News (don't, actually) and you will see a steady stream of Trump sycophants alongside curious case of California Derangement Syndrome.

But here are some cold, hard FACTS you will never see on the network.

Prices are not, down ... they are UP.
Coffee: UP 18.9%
Utilities: UP 11.7%
Electricity: UP 5.1%
Vehicles: UP 11.5%

Middle class families in California pay LESS in taxes than in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Life expectancy, infant mortality, deaths of despair, wages and uninsured rates are all worse off in red states.

For Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans talking trash: California is the fourth largest economy in the WORLD. We contribute $83 billion to the federal government while Texas takes $71 billion.

California is #1 in manufacturing, #1 in farming, #1 in new business starts, #1 in tech and VC investments, #1 in Fortune 500 companies, and the #1 public higher education system in the country.

California has some of the strongest gun laws in the country and as a result has a 43% lower gun death rate than the rest of the U.S. according to data from the CDC while President Trump oversaw the largest spike in homicides recorded in U.S. history.

Republicans across the country are fanning the flames of culture wars to distract from the fact that on health, wealth, and economic outcomes they are failing.

Today, an ideology of “aristocracy” justifies the fabulous wealth and control of government by an elite that increasingly operates in private spaces that are hard for the law to reach, while increasingly using the power of the state against those it considers morally inferior. Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.

The Week Ahead – Joyce Vance, in Civil Discourse.

The creator of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels, is 81 today. was born in 1944 Toronto, Canada.

Speaking of Canadian laureates, Rachel McAdams is 47 today, born in 1978) London, Ontario, Canada. She's been nominated multiple times, winning best actress awards and a Broadway Tony award.

Martin Scorsese is 82 today. The multi-laureate awarded film director/producer/writer was born in 1942,Queens, New York.

The French sculptor Auguste Rodin was born on this day in 1840, Paris, France.

And, it's the birthdate of Queen Elizabeth I, born in 1533,Greenwich, near London, England

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James Bethel James Bethel

Nice work . . .

Sunday, November 16, 2025. It's Sol's day . . . Generally clear skies are in the forecasts for TusleyTown today. Moderate Northeasterlies are to initiate a cooling trend with rain chances mid week. Highs in the mid 70's.

Appreciate that you have a path to follow in the world and that you are walking it.

'Tis the season . . . for turning inward. – Mirabai Starr, video blessing.

Acknowledging the intrinsic value and beauty of creation, including the cosmos, elements, plants, and animals is a major paradigm shift for most Western and cultural Christians. In fact, we have often dismissed it by calling it animism or paganism. We limited God’s love and salvation to our own human species, and even then we didn’t have enough love to go around for all of humanity! God ended up looking quite miserly and inept, to be honest. – Richard Rohr, Meditation, “The Dignity of Attention,” The Center for Action and Contemplation.

The Tao of health: Indra's Net – Jeff Krasno.

Birthdays today…

Georgia O’Keeffe was born in 1887, near Sun Prairie,Wisconsin.

Poet Ted Berrigan was born in 1934 Providence, Rhode Island. He was a graduate of The University of Tulsa.

Playwright George S. Kaufman was born in 1889 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

And, muti Grammy Award laureate, Diana Krall is 61 today. The jazz crossover contralto/pianist was born in 1964, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. She and Tony Bennett found some nice work together . . .

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James Bethel James Bethel

Crashing into reality . .

Friday, November 14, 2025 . It's Freya's (Frigg's) day . . . Forecasts indicate the potential for record high temperatures – near 80º – this afternoon in TulseyTown, along with partly cloudy skies and windy Southerlies. Even warmer tomorrow.

Birthdays today: One of the first Impressionist painters, Claude Monet, was born in 1840 Paris; political satirist P.J. O’Rourke was born in 1947 Toledo, Ohio; and cartoonist and author (Shrek!) William Steig, was born in 1907 New York City.

Trump's treason. The verdict of history. – Robert Reich, online 11.13.25

The emails. – Joyce Vance, on Civil Discourse.

We are watching the ideology of the far-right MAGAs smash against reality, with President Donald J. Trump and his cronies madly trying to convince voters to believe in their false world rather than the real one. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.

Chaos has an order all its own.

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