Mama Tears
November 10, 2025
I didn’t let Peter and Maya know this, but I sat through our whole zoom call last night on the verge of tears. Not sad tears. It’s not like anything happened during this zoom call to warrant tears, but I was just so damn happy. Happy to be playing a pub quiz with them (it’s a thing we do), happy to watch them eating a dinner that looked great (they had made chicken shwarma w/ zadziki and pickled onions, and at some point shared a beer out of the can), and happy to get a glimpse of their new apartment. Peter gave us a brief zoom tour.. a new TV, a new rug, etc. They were sitting at the IKEA table they’d assembled a few weeks ago and look to have accumulated a lot of both essential items and decorative items. It looked very cozy. I sensed some pride in what they’d put together, the two of them.
The picture is a fuzzy, dark screen shot (best I can do on the sly) and shows Maya and Peter discretely conferring on an answer. They’ll go on to soundly defeat us (19 to 12, which also makes me happy).
I was absolutely certain of 8 (out of 30!) answers last night, 6 of which were correct. Lol. Jim, as usual came through. And yet.. P&M way outplayed us.
~~~
In other news: I applied for Social Security tonight. Turning the big 7-0 in January. Free money arrives starting in either Feb or Mar. I’m pretty stoked about this.
~~~
In terrible political news, the dems caved on the shut down and, an hour ago, the Senate moved to re-open the gov.
Says Ezra Klein:
Shutdowns are an opportunity to make an argument, and the country was just starting to pay attention. If Trump wanted to cancel flights over Thanksgiving rather than keep health care costs down, I don’t see why Democrats should save him from making his priorities so exquisitely clear. And I worry that Democrats have just taught Trump that they will fold under pressure. That’s the kind of lesson he remembers.
Says Rick Wilson:
As always, Democratic elected officials crave political death.
They are the all-time champions of snatching defeat out of the slavering jaws of victory at the last possible second, the most deeply committed gamblers when they’ve been told the cards are marked, the deck is stacked, the house is crooked, and the dealer is in on the con.
Last night, eight “moderate” Democrats got played.
Conned. Rooked. Pantsed. Pumped and dumped. Rode hard and put away wet.
It was a colossal leadership failure, and Chuck Schumer should resign as Minority Leader immediately if he had a shred of honor or shame.
And by the way, Schumer may be voting “no,” but this travesty happened because he wanted it to happen.
If Schumer were Mitch McConnell, he’d tell these Senators that supporting Trump (because that’s what this is) will lead to their immediate removal from committees, elimination of their staff down to minimal levels, taking away their “hideaway” offices, and a portfolio of other large and small cruelties. Cocaine Mitch, say what you will, was stronger as a Minority Leader with his caucus than Chuck Schumer was as Majority Leader.
[..]
The Republicans cannot believe their luck. They get to end the shutdown, blame it on Democrats, and go back to the MAGA base and say, “We killed Obamacare at last!”
[..]
Oh, for all this sacrifice, you got a vote.
You handed Donald Trump and the GOP a 2026 lifeline for a single show vote, one you know the House will kill and Trump will veto.
Oh, bra-vo.
[..]
Democrats will get no credit for this.
None. Zero. Zip.The shutdown was Donald Trump’s stinkbomb, with Mike Johnson and John Thune holding the same reeking tarball. Now? The Democrats get to wear it, too. They went from principled fighters to collaborators.
[..]
Base demoralization.
Democratic voters had a great night last Tuesday.
Obviously, Chuck Schumer’s eight proxies decided to ignore the winning message and decided to rescue a Republican-made crisis and get…nothing.
No policy win, no accountability, no political scalp. That breeds “why do we even vote for these people?” energy…which is poison in a cycle where turnout is king.
It was the equivalent of telling everyone who has worked, marched, organized, voted, and donated in the last year, “Nah, never mind. Turns out we mean, ‘Yes, King Donald.’”
[..]
Media “both sides” laundering.
By helping end the shutdown, Democrats give the Beltway press a way to say, “See? Washington can work!” That muddies the key message that Republicans caused this disaster and should be punished for it. Every poll blamed the GOP. Every. Damn. Poll.
Now? “Democrats end their shutdown. Republicans relieved over bipartisan compromise.The MAGA Civil War gets delayed.
This shutdown was exposing the internal GOP clown show.
But if Democrats save them, it lets the vulnerable Rs and the leadership live another day. “See? We got it done.” Democrats accidentally stabilize the very people who created the crisis.
Hostage-taking is now validated.
Once Democrats show they’ll pay the ransom to spare the country pain, Republicans learn the obvious lesson: do it again.
Now That’s a Good List
November 9, 2025
Everyone knows that Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill crushed their races on Tuesday, and that California voters (in a big fuck you to trump) passed Prop 50 by a resounding margin.
But did you know the full depth of the wins across the country in other races big and small? Here is a (mostly, I imagine) comprehensive list, compiled by Run For Something that Jess Craven just posted to her incredibly worthwhile daily newsletter Chop Wood, Carry Water. (Where would we be without these amazing orgs and people??)
So… for posterity (and also to have something to read in the months to come as trump and his goons continue their desperate assault on America)…here is the list. It’s deliciously long!
Democrat Abigail Spanberger trounced her opponent to win the Governorship in Virginia! Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won the race for Virginia’s lieutenant governor, and Democrat Jay Jones won Virginia’s AG race! We also flipped 13 seats in the House of Delegates and now have the most Democrats elected to the Virginia House in nearly 40 years.
NYC saw the highest turn out for a non-presidential election in 50 years—2 million people voted! And Zohran Mamdani won!
Democrat Mikie Sherrill had a resounding victory in New Jersey, winning the race for Governor by wide margins. Democrats also gained a supermajority in the NJ General Assembly.
In both New Jersey and Virginia, in addition to high turnouts, the Democratic candidates also succeeded at winning over a modest but meaningful sliver of Trump supporters.
Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates in Tuesday’s elections, largely reversing historic gains President Trump made in 2024 with this key demographic. Black voters, Asian voters, young voters…all moved back towards Dems. So encouraging.
California passed Prop 50 by an overwhelming margin.
Maine voters overwhelmingly REJECTED an anti-voter ballot measure, achieving 63% of the vote. They also passed a red-flag law!
Pennsylvania voted overwhelmingly to retain the three Democratic Supreme Court Justices and elect Dem Superior and Commonwealth court judges.
Georgia Democrats defeated two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s Public Service Commission. And they didn’t just win—they trounced their opponents! In fact, they won 8 counties where, in 2024, Kamala Harris received UNDER 40% of the vote!
In Texas’s Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, which is the third largest in the state, progressive candidates won all three open board seats, giving them a 4-3 majority. Since 2023, the board has been controlled by a 6-1 conservative supermajority, which has enacted a range of far-right policies.
Sharon Owens became the first Black Mayor of the city of Syracuse.
In Mississippi Democrats gained two seats in the State Senate, ending the GOP’s supermajority. HUGE!
Some of our favorite incumbents easily won re-election. Larry Krasner won a 3rd term to serve as Philadelphia District Attorney. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu secured a second term in office after running unopposed. And in NY, Alvin Bragg won re-election in a landslide.
In North Carolina Democrats flipped mayorships in Burlington, Graham, Warsaw, Wake Forest, and Holly Springs, and took a Charlotte city council seat long held by Republicans.
Democrats flipped the Wichita, KS School Board from a 4-3 GOP majority to a 5-2 Democratic majority.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept the top “row offices” in Bucks County, electing the county’s first-ever Democratic district attorney and defeating an incumbent Republican sheriff who was cooperating with ICE. They will also now control Luzerne County Council, a Trump stronghold.
Democrats unseated the last remaining Republican city council member in Orlando, FL.
JD Vance’s half-brother lost by an overwhelming margin as he tried to become the mayor of Cincinnati. Mayor Aftab Pureval, the Democratic incumbent, easily won reelection.
Democrats seized the majority in Perinton, NY unseating the incumbent supervisor and adding two seats on the Town Board, placing the party firmly in the majority in a historically red area.
Colorado voters increased taxes on the wealthy to pay for school meals by passing Prop MM.
Voters in two counties in Ohio passed “issues” to raise money for their school districts, meaning planned cuts can be avoided.
Voters in Downington, Pennsylvania elected Erica Deuso as mayor, making her the first out transgender mayor in state history.
St. Paul voters handed a historic election victory to state Rep. Kaohly Her, who will be the first woman and first person from the city’s Hmong communityto serve as mayor.
In Douglas County, CO, four progressive school board candidates resoundingly beat four alt-right candidates. In fact, voters opted for more progressive candidates in key school board races across Colorado.
For the first time in half a century, Democrats gained control of the Onondaga County legislature, which includes Syracuse, N.Y.
In Aurora, CO, Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who gained national attention through far-right media appearances claiming her city faced a “complete gang takeover” by immigrants, was voted out of office in a stunning upset.
Atlanta, GA got its first Democratic Socialist council member, Kelsea Bond. They’re queer and nonbinary too.
In Republican stronghold Greece, NY, Jeff McCann became the first Democrat in 120 years to win the seat of Town Supervisor.
In Ulster County, NY, Run For Something candidates Laura Donovan and Dominick Marino flipped seats red to blue against Republican incumbents. Laura won by just 36 votes!!
Democrats in Dutchess County, NY, were big winners Tuesday night, including keeping the comptroller seat, defeating an incumbent Republican county court judge, and flipping the county legislature from red to blue.
Georgetown, South Carolina will get a new mayor and three new city council members after voters ousted all the incumbents and put Democrats incharge.
Erie County, Pennsylvania, a bellweather county, defeated the MAGA county executive and elected a Democrat by a margin of 25 points.
Mary Sheffield became the first woman to be elected as Detroit Mayor.
Farmington, CT has ousted an incumbent Republican and flipped its Town Council Chair to a Democrat for the first time in 70 years. In fact, Democrats flipped 29 seats in Connecticut’s municipal elections. The sweep included several high-profile mayoral races where long-term Republican incumbents were defeated or open seats went to Democratic candidates.
In Oswego County, NY, Democrats picked up five Republican seats in the county legislature.
Progressive Katie Freeman, who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, has been newly elected to the Coralville City Council in Iowa and a standing council member (Hui Huyn) who supports immigrant rights has been reelected.
In Camas County, Washington, voters ousted long time Republican city council member for Democrat Mahsa Eshghi.
Jackie Salvatore made history as the first black woman elected as County Sheriff in New York’s Columbia County.
There were three red-to-blue wins in Miami plus a mayoral runoff in December with Dem Eileen Higgins poised to prevail.
Ruby red Kalispell, Montana elected Ryan Hunter, a Democrat, for mayor.
Gen Z candidate Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid won the City Councilor at Large seat in East Hampton, Massachusetts.
Democrats swept the Souderton, PA School Board elections. They also swept in Bucks County! They had a strong showing in School Board races in Lehigh, PA, holding off a Republican challenger in Allentown and unseating two Republican incumbents in Southern Lehigh. In fact, Democrats swept school board races across PA.
Hailey Lewis has been elected mayor of Moscow, Idaho, garnering 70% of the vote and defeating her Christian nationalist opponent.
Boise, Idaho voters overwhelmingly passed a two-year property tax hike to raise $11 million dollars to fund land purchases for public parks and open space.
In a stunning rebuke of the far-right education movement, all 31 Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates in competitive races were defeated.
Tucson voters approved more money for schools.
We saw the first Dem win in Spotsylvania County, VA in almost 50 years.
Albany, NY elected Dorcey Applyrs as the city’s first Black mayor.
A man who was jailed for posting a meme about Charlie Kirk was released in TN.
A judge extended the order blocking Trump’s National Guard deployment to Portland, OR.
A federal judge ordered federal agents in Chicago to restrict using force against peaceful protesters and news media outlets, saying current practices violate their constitutional rights.
The sandwich guy was found not guilty!
Kansas Republicans dropped their push to redistrict.
A federal court ordered ICE not to deport a man who spent 43 years in prison before his case was overturned.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold billions of dollars in transportation grant funding from Democratic-led states refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement
Huntington Beach’s voter ID law was struck down by the California State Appeals Court.
A Rose is a Rose is a …
November 9, 2025
The phrase “a rose is a rose is a rose” by Gertrude Stein means that things are what they are, emphasizing their essential nature and inherent identity.
I’ve been wanting to make these seemingly easy Apple Roses for months. I’ve seen a few different videos, but all are essentially the same. You cut an apple according to a fairly specific instruction, place the slices on a buttered sheet of puff pastry — also in a very specific manner. Then you sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, spread with a jam (I used Sally’s peach preserves), roll it up, butter and sugar again and bake.
Let’s just say the first time through is not as elegant and simple as the videos.
The apples, which have been cut, placed in water and lemon juice and warmed briefly in the microwave, then dried out on a towel.
Here’s the laying out process:
There’s a lot wrong with this picture.
But eventually, they get all rolled up and they look pretty decent:
I had an issue. Had I flipped over my recipe to side-B, I’d’ve seen that it called for two sheets of puff pastry. I had only one, so I was working with half the pastry needed. I made that adjustment after the first two roses, yielding two normal sized roses and eight shrimpy ones.
Here’s the outcome: my homely effort and a photo of what they were supposed to look like. As you can see, size wasn’t the only problem.
This side-by-side really makes me laugh. War of the Roses.
I re-watched the video and think I’ll try it again. With a fail under my belt, I think the next batch will end up better.
Pao de Queijo
November 8, 2025
This is at least my third attempt. So far, none has been as good at the ones in Brazil (2009!). So.. tried a new recipe.
Just 6 ingredients.. the key on is tapioca flour:
So easy.. put it all in a blender, then pour into an oiled mini muffin pan:
Threw the first batch out. The second came out okay-ish (under baked them). I might try them again. After all: cheese bread? It is a perfect food, deserving of perfection.
Fall’s Arrived
November 7, 2025
Sycamore leaves are coming down all over the Central Park plaza …
And on our driveway…
I Really Don’t Care. Do U?
November 6, 2025
Remember this?
Here’s today’s version…. when a guy, present in the Oval Office during a press conference, fainted:
What the bloody hell is wrong with these people?
Disappeared
November 5, 2025
Once a month, the Disappeared in America visibility brigade (a group of local Indivisibles) shows up on a busy street corner somewhere in Yolo County to raise awareness for those who have been unfairly apprehended by the trump regime and for those who have died in ICE custody.
Today, after an exhausting year working to shine a light on the abuses of the cruel and reckless trump administration, and after yesterday’s AMAZING election that resulted in inspiring, definitive wins all over the country, this brigade of caring citizens did NOT take a day off. Instead, they showed up, in the rain, to hold signs and make sure people don’t forget what’s going on in the United States of America.
They also created an ofrenda in honor of those killed, unjustly detained, separated from their families, sent out of the country to god-knows-where….
My hat’s off to them.
Chris asked if I’d come over (they were at 5th and B, just around the corner) and take pictures. I was reluctant to leave my spot by the fireplace, luxuriating in post-election reports and commentary (all so incredibly, deliciously wonderful). But I said yes, and of course was glad I did. It was an inspiring display of compassionate resisters.
Here’re some shots:
Gosh.. the Election!
November 4, 2025
It was a damn good night.
An off-year election: a year ahead of the midterms, two years away from another off-year election, and three years away from the general…. maybe we shouldn’t make too, too much of it. We certainly shouldn’t count our chickens. We most certainly shouldn’t retire our canvassing sneakers, or stop making calls to Padilla and Schiff and Thompson. As Obama said last night, there is much work left to be done. But yeah, it was a great night and definitely cause for celebration.
The pundits have pretty much said all there is to say about it: clean sweep; country-wide; up and down ballot; a solid repudiation of the administration; validation for the anti-authoritarian resistance movement and a clear message for democratic electeds: fight harder, be like Gavin.
Here are some pics:
The big races: VA, NJ, Mamdani and Prop 50!
The new mayor of NYC, a proud democratic socialist. If this gets us closer to Sweden in 1976, bring it.
Our election night party and volunteer celebration at Dunloe’s Brewery.. my estimate was 70-80 folks showed up throughout the evening.
Our efforts over the election season. This is Sister District Yolo’s work and doesn’t include all the work that Indivisible Yolo did. A huge percentage of SDY volunteers are also IY volunteers.
I like this picture.. Maya holding up her “I voted” sticker from Ann Arbor. Theirs was a tiny election.. local funding for career and technical education! Hope it won.
Out With the Summer…
November 3, 2025
… and in with the Winter garden.
We are a garden in transition. The tomatoes, zucs, eggplant and most of the basil are out. Mary planted lots more chard, thinned the strawberries and added soil. There are a few more things to plant.
A Lasagna That Worked, Finally
November 2, 2025
I am a person without a reliable lasagna recipe. Over the decades, I’ve tried to make them, but, weirdly, have never had much success. Being fall, I ran across a recipe for pumpkin lasagna rolls and thought that sounded good. Tried it and it worked.
The sauce is onions, garlic, fresh whole sage, pumpkin spices, flour, pumpkin, milk, parmesan, s/p. The filling is ricotta, mozzarella, egg, pumpkin spices, red pepper flakes, s/p. Cook noodles, and then stuff them with the filling. Spread sauce on bottom of dish, lay the stuffed rolls on top, put more sauce on top and then a mix of mozzarella and parm. Bake covered, then uncover to brown.
Not bad.
Missed a shot of the final. But it was beautiful.
Life of Wry 