What have I signed away?

[sovay]

"It's just that the balls quotient of everything has become distressingly high, you know?" I said to spatch.

Especially since I had written a letter to Mayor Wu and the Boston City Council about it, it was nice to read that Boston has declared itself an LGBTQIA2s+ sanctuary city. At the moment it is primarily a statement rather than an implementation of policies, but it is a statement I am happier to see the city have decided to make than not.

Tonight I wrote letters to both of my senators and to the minority leader of the Senate whose twenty-four-hour about-face on blocking the further democracy-destroying Republican-pushed funding bill certainly didn't help the optics of Democratic Jell-O in action. I hope they are read and make any difference. The brakes-off feel has been only accelerating.

How is this year going? I haven't even made hamantashn for Purim. I did manage to light the candle for my grandmother's yahrzeit. I saw some beautifully sun-fired birch bark while out walking and had a conversation which improved when it turned from contemporary politics to Phanerozoic extinction events. The lunar eclipse to which I have been looking forward for months may be clouded out. I want my time back inside my own head.

Comments

[gullyfoyle]

High clouds and haze here. I'm hoping they don't get too thick. I'd even set out my telescope for the first time in way too long. That probably jinxed it.

[sovay]

High clouds and haze here. I'm hoping they don't get too thick. I'd even set out my telescope for the first time in way too long. That probably jinxed it.

I am wishing you and your telescope the best of luck!

[selkie]

I hope you got a piece of eclipse! It was woolly clouds here and we were either stymied or the site we consulted had the time wrong.

We are awash in hamantashen but I don’t know how they freeze…

[gwynnega]

Both my senators (Schiff and Padilla) are publicly against cloture and the funding bill, but I called them again this evening and asked them to do whatever they can to convince other Democrats not to vote yes. Ugh.

[cmcmck]

Birch bark is so lovely!

[sovay]

I hope you got a piece of eclipse! It was woolly clouds here and we were either stymied or the site we consulted had the time wrong.

We saw nothing in the Boston area, so we drove outside of it. My back wants to kill me, but the rest of me thinks it was worth it.

We are awash in hamantashen but I don’t know how they freeze…

I will be making some this weekend! It's the name-blotting spirit of the thing!

[sovay]

Both my senators (Schiff and Padilla) are publicly against cloture and the funding bill, but I called them again this evening and asked them to do whatever they can to convince other Democrats not to vote yes. Ugh.

Mine made similar statements, but I wrote in much the same way to ask them to get as many of their colleagues as necessary to do the right thing. Schumer may have passed beyond the reach of a craniorectomy, but I asked him anyway. I really feel like I am—like everyone I know is—living in a hostage situation.

[selkie]

I saw that on Bluesky just now and I… you crazy kids.
Glad it was worth it. *hugs*

[sovay]

Birch bark is so lovely!

It is! They are one of my favorite trees.

[sovay]

Glad it was worth it.

There was even a meteor!

*hugs*

[aurumcalendula]

I completely forgot about the lunar eclipse, but I think I may have caught some of the aftermath (the moon looked particularly golden this morning).

I asked my Republican senators to vote no on cloture, on the off chance it helps.

[gwynnega]

I told Schumer that anyone who votes yes will be primaried.

[yarrowkat]

i'm so glad more cities are jumping on the sanctuary city movement! i'm trying to get some energy going around that in Albuquerque. we factually function as a sactuary city already - NM protected abortion care & trans health care in our state constitution last year, and the way the law is written, it can't be changed without an overwhelming *medical* consensus that these procedures do harm - and because we're a minority-majority state (NM is 67% hispanic & has a high percentage of Indigenous folks as well, with more native-managed native land than I think any other state), many queer folks of color have been moving here over the last 5 years especially. i've been here 27 years and i'm observing an enormous influx of young queer folks, predominantly people of color. so i want to see us stand up and make a statement about *political* protection, as well as providing factual medical protection. i'm mildly hampered by not being an Albuquerque resident, so i have no city councillor to hassle about it, but i'm getting a letter-writing campaign going among friends who are.

[asakiyume]

The year: all the time I feel the way I did when I was working the jail job, i.e., mega stressed out. Makes me think about how a lifetime living like that (e.g., if you're a person of color) shortens people's life expectancy.

Love the birch though, and I can see into the future [read your next entry] so I know you **did** see the blood-red moon.

[sovay]

I told Schumer that anyone who votes yes will be primaried.

Into the sun.

[sovay]

I completely forgot about the lunar eclipse, but I think I may have caught some of the aftermath (the moon looked particularly golden this morning).

Nice! It was still quite ruddy as we were driving home in the pre-dawn hours.

I asked my Republican senators to vote no on cloture, on the off chance it helps.

Strength to your arm.

[sovay]

i'm mildly hampered by not being an Albuquerque resident, so i have no city councillor to hassle about it, but i'm getting a letter-writing campaign going among friends who are.

Godspeed! Agreed that practical rights are not chopped liver and neither is codifying them politically. Somerville has actually identified as a sanctuary city for immigrants since 1987—and is currently engaged in legally defending that status—and I would like very much for it to extend its protections explicitly to its trans/queer communities, especially since it already recognizes poly domestic partnerships. Let me know if there's any way I can boost your letter-writing campaign when it gets under way.

[sovay]

The year: all the time I feel the way I did when I was working the jail job, i.e., mega stressed out. Makes me think about how a lifetime living like that (e.g., if you're a person of color) shortens people's life expectancy.

Yes. I know people who did not live through the first adminstration of these horrors. I am worrying about people now in this second administration. I am worrying a lot.

Love the birch though, and I can see into the future [read your next entry] so I know you **did** see the blood-red moon.

It substituted for not staying up all night with science fiction with February! We stayed up all night in March with science!

[yarrowkat]

thank you! yes, i think we can do both if we put enough pressure on the city council. we have some pretty good people in right now.

i had heard about Somerville recognizing polyamorous relationships! that has not started a trend, unfortunately, but still seems a Very Good Thing in itself.

i think i just need to carve out time to write the template, put it together with city council & the mayor's email addresses, and start broadcasting on instagram. it's mostly a matter of making time! i'm going to try to start this week. i will also try to say something here!