I raked the leaves on our front lawnIt took all afternoon.I started at ‘round half-past oneand said, “I’ll be done soon.” But once I saw how more leaves fellEach time I made a pile,I quickly saw this outdoor choreWas going to take a while. And so I did what my dad saidA winner does to win:I studied that great pile of leaves,And then I jumped right in. – “Raking Leaves”, children’s poem by Shel Silverstein *sigh* Is nothing sacred anymore in our increasingly myopic universe? As hordes of photographers began descending on a small, rural community to capture its vibrant autumnal colours, local residents have been fighting back – and winning. To enter the town of Pomfret, located in the US state of Vermont, is to be instantly struck by its bucolic beauty. From the north, Howe Hill Road winds downhill in a series of gentle curves, each sweep revealing verdant farm fields dotted with sheep, or swaths of forest in which the red and orange autumn leaves cling to boughs. At one home, a tree heavy with apples bends over a meticulously maintained stone wall, its slate top filled with decaying fruit.
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Something’s happening with the youngs: Voter registration is breaking records as Election Day approaches, particularly among young people, many of whom are first-time voters. On Tuesday’s National Voter Registration Day more than 150,000 people registered through Vote.org, the most the organization has ever seen on that day. The organization registered 279,400 voters in all of last year. Last week, 337,826 people visited a link posted on Instagram by pop star Taylor Swift that directed them to their state’s voter registration site. Although Swift noted that she would be voting for the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, people don’t have to declare a party affiliation when they register and neither vote.org nor Swift tracked registrations by party. Vote.org has previously told USA TODAY that about 80% of people they register turn out in the next election. A huge percentage of the newly registered voters are young people, many voting for the first time. According to Vote.org, voters under 35 made up 81% of Tuesday’s registrations, with the biggest spike among 18-year-olds.
It’s going to be a very busy day. Usually the new president goes to the inaugural brunch, takes a nap and then goes to the inaugural ball on day one. Trump says he’s going to take 200 actions and counting. “A lot but not all of what Trump says he wants to do on day one is going to be illegal or impractical,” said Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law expert at Georgetown University Law Center and a critic of how Trump has wielded executive power. “But even the illegal stuff might go into effect for some time, and he might actually succeed in pushing the law in his direction.” Here’s a little taste of what he’s promising on immigration on day one: Ity sounds like it’s going to be quite a day. Obviously, he can’t do all or really, any of that, on the first day. But recall that in 2017 it didn’t take him very long to enact his Muslim ban and even though the courts eventually pared it back, it created chaos and ended up being fairly draconian in the end anyway. I think we can expect the Mass Deportation promise to be the same.
In recent years, I have been asked to comment on the Middle East “impasse”, though I am no foreign policy expert. I am merely one of many humanists who mourn this tragic history and rail against the failure of the international community to exert the great influence it has to bring peace and justice to Continue reading »
The Palestine/Israel narrative in Australia is skewed by the influence of underground forces. Continue reading »
I have such admiration for Pearls and Irritations. Thanks so much. Unfortunately my donation can’t match my admiration. Anonymous We are grateful for every donation that we have received since we launched our campaign in August. Support from our readership and authors is what makes Pearls and Irritations the independent publication that it is, and Continue reading »
The chief business of the American people is business." This sentiment rings true today, particularly when examining the growing divide between business leaders and political elites regarding China. While business leaders view China as a crucial partner, political figures continue to frame the count Continue reading »
The Presidential election campaigns that are currently underway in the US are full of hoopla, hysteria, loopy hats and fatuous slogans. But is our political system in Australia really that much better than in America? And are our political mindsets really more attuned to refined Aussie nuances? Continue reading »
Addressing a popular campaign rally on Highbury Fields on the eve of polling day during the recent general election, Jeremy Corbyn pledged that if re-elected — this time as an independent — the socialist Islington North MP would seek to host monthly ‘People’s Forums’. These assemblies, he explained shortly following his 7,000-strong election victory over […]
Doctor Who actors are realizing that "The Whoniverse" now extends well beyond the small screen, creating interesting real-life "crossovers."
Plus, the hearing-aid cartel gets muted, the country’s busiest streets are going fossil-free, and interest rates sink while spirits rise.
This afternoon, tens of thousands will take the streets of Liverpool for the nineteenth national march for Palestine since October last year. Organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and our coalition partners, this is the first of these national mobilisations to be held outside of London. A return to the capital on 5 October […]
David Sirota and the team behind the hit podcast detail their two-year reporting process and ponder the future of campaign finance reform.
Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts. No vax/anti-vax.
There is a new viral superstar! Meet Moo Deng the adorable baby pygmy. NBC reports: Her toothless chewing is already an internet hit, and now, Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus, is starring in cosmetic ads and quickly becoming a brand ambassador for Thailand. But the 2-month-old’s meteoric rise to online stardom has also prompted caretakers to urge visitors to show restraint and to limit her visit hours at Khao Kheow Open Zoo. Moo Deng, also known as the “bouncing pig,” was named after a vote from more than 20,000 children and tourists on the Facebook page of the zoo in Chonburi, a city in eastern Thailand, where she was born in July. The hippo has become an internet sensation since her caretakers began uploading videos of her going about her day, which mostly includes napping, walking around her enclosure and chewing her caretakers’ knees while being hosed down for a shower. And just like any human celebrity, Moo Deng has dozens of fan pages on social media with pictures and videos capturing her every moment in public. Check out the memes! Adorbs.