Author Archives: Jim deMaine

In control?

Thanks to Pam P.

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A note from Robert Reich

Thanks to Mike C. Friends, What do card sharks, magicians, pickpockets, and tyrants do to hide their tricks? They deflect your attention. “Look over here!” they say, as they create a commotion that preoccupies your mind while they bamboozle you.  … Continue reading

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Trump, health, science, and the next 4 years

The Lancet (thanks to Ed M.) Donald Trump’s decisive re-election as US President on Nov 5 puts many aspects of health and science in a deeply concerning position. Although there is broader alarm about his openly authoritarian intentions, his imminent … Continue reading

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Trouble with reservations?

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It Can Happen Here: Reckoning with Donald Trump’s 2024 Election Victory

Everyone who realizes with proper alarm that Trump’s reelection is a deeply dangerous moment in American life must think hard about where we are. By David Remnick in The New Yorker (thanks to Ed M.) On the morning after Donald … Continue reading

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AARP Network Bolsters Local Communities

From the AARP website Barb Williams of Seattle is always on the go, not letting two hip replacements slow her down. From walking in her First Hill neighborhood, to teaching tai chi, to volunteering at the Seattle Aquarium, Williams, now … Continue reading

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The four horsemen – and more to come

Thanks to Pam P.

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Trump Nominates Head of CIA

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In his latest major appointment, on Thursday Donald J. Trump nominated a new chief of the Central Intelligence Agency. Speaking to reporters, Trump praised his nominee’s “extensive experience with Russia.” “I have phone conversations with him every … Continue reading

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Masterpiece Story: Statue of Liberty

Anastasia Manioudaki (thanks to Ann M. who notes I think the Lady must now be weeping. Please note her imagined damage (head knocked off) in the WW1 poster on display in our Art of the Month + her history below. … Continue reading

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Go for the Blue Zone!

Thanks to Mike C.

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Need a distraction?

Thanks to Bob P.

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A job!

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Against Panic: A Survival Kit

By Margaret Renkl in the NYT (Thanks to Ed M.) Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who reports from Nashville on flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. I had an elaborate itinerary for Election Day that I … Continue reading

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The prescience of H.L. Mencken

Thanks to Mary Jane F.

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Message from the ACLU

Thanks to Pam P.

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Stll There

Thanks to Mary Jane F. Photograph by Peter Ralston [Maine photographer] Titles are very important to me and given recent events I wanted a deeper title for this image…..but I really wanted it to be perfect…..it had to be. Yesterday … Continue reading

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No, democracy isn’t dead

by Steve Iskeep in Substack My mailbox this week included a note with the subject line, “Democracy Without America.” The writer was sharing a link to an article with a slightly less stark headline, given its punctuation: “Democracy without America?” … Continue reading

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The history of Veteran’s Day

notes from Heather Cox Richardson In 1918, at the end of four years of World War I’s devastation, leaders negotiated for the guns in Europe to fall silent once and for all on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day … Continue reading

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A finale?

Thanks to Mike C.

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“Never Words” that should not be used by clinicians

Ed note: How should we talk to each other when there is serious life-threatening illness. This article is for clinicians, but how about talking to a fellow resident or loved one? What is your approach? Please comment. A new article in Mayo Clinic … Continue reading

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Borowitz — “What Happens Now?”

Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972 made him appear invulnerable. He wasn’t. (Cindy Yamanaka/MediaNews Group/The Riverside Press-Enterprise via Getty Images) Maybe you’ve been asking yourself: 1. “How could Donald Trump have won 51 percent of the popular vote?” 2. “How hard … Continue reading

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A dose of delight

Thanks to Mary M.

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Don’t take it so hard

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Why Does No One Understand the Real Reason Trump Won?

It wasn’t the economy. It wasn’t inflation, or anything else. It was how people perceive those things, which points to one overpowering answer. Michael Tomasky in the New Republic (thanks to Bob P.) I’ve had a lot of conversations since … Continue reading

Posted in Media, Politics | 1 Comment

Despair is self-fulfilling

My Manifesto for Despairing Democrat By Nicholas Kristof in the NYT (thanks to Mary Jane F.) So what do we do now? For those who think as I do, the election feels devastating. My country has elected a felon whose former … Continue reading

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