CarColors

Very belatedly (we were away), sharing this from a few weeks ago. Casey Epstein-Gross wrote at great length & consideration about the Meadowlands (which I guess is still my most recent record- ha) in Paste magazine. I admit, as I did to Casey, that I haven't read the whole thing but that's only because, having finally moved on, it's just too weird and difficult in a 'looking at the wedding pictures after the divorce' sorta way.
But I VERY much appreciate all of the work and thought that went into this and am honored, truly. Thanks, Paste Magazine.

Time Capsule: The Wrens, The Meadowlands Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.

If you voted for him, after all these years, after everything, you can't say you didn't know...
- You can't say you didn't know about the fraud, the trials...two impeachments, four indictments, thirty-four felony convictions;
- being found liable for sexual assault, the predation-bragging in general;
- Jan. 6th, his coup-attempt to overturn the last election and overthrow the constitution & democracy by doing it.
- the bankrupted businesses;
- the nepotism;
- the 'some very fine people on both sides' approach to white-nationalism;
- his corresponding position on immigrants in general, Haitians in particular, Latinos, Puerto Rico itself, ditto Mexico, Black Americans, LGBTQ etc. etc.;
- the over-one-million U.S. deaths from his failed denier response to COVID;
- that clearly age was never actually an issue;
- that the economy, which while never perfect, is in almost every measure better than when he was in office, was also never really the issue;
- about his vows to exact revenge on his enemies, real and imagined;
- that he praised Hi**er, admired despots, all proudly on the record;
- that he never paid his share of taxes;
- that he lost the debate;
- about the affairs with adult film stars; the swamp that drained mostly into court rooms over the last 8 years; the other people in his administration - Republicans, generals, his own Vice-President - who all refuse to support or endorse him and/or call him a fascist, also all on the record;
- You also can't pretend that we both don't know that this list is 10?...20? times longer and that that inundation of outrage has been the strategy all along.

What you CAN say, what your vote already says, is that none of that mattered to you because you also knew two things:
That his challenger was a woman.
And that she wasn't white.

And that that's all you needed to know.

Taking a break from '24 social-media break only to relate that we - Rachel, the three youngsters & I - went to Pennsylvania, my home state, to canvass door-to-door for Harris/Walz.

Our experience was mostly positive - not that that matters or is why you do it, but - most of the people that answered the door were happy to see us, psyched to be voting this week (or having already done so) in spite of being a little weary at having those doors knocked on so often just 'cause they happen to live in one of the handful of states that actually pick presidents (thanks again for the comically uphill fight, Electoral College). It was actually very encouraging.
We were only berated once, by an infuriated suburban dad, from across the street and down a few houses, that we were in a cult, that it was a sickness etc. etc. I chalked it all up to the difficulty he must be experiencing with the effects of the drought on his lawn-pride. And possibly 34 other reasons..buuut probably not.

Plus, you felt like you were doing something, even if small and late in the game (in hindsight & next time, I would go much earlier, when more voters are more undecided).

The next thing to do (he said, turning to the chancel), is to vote, like your country depends on it, which I believe it does, and to place that vote for Harris/Walz for the same reason.