tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153970782024-03-13T04:24:23.744-05:00The LextopiaSpiritual, Communitarian Geek Mulling Culture, Writing, Utopia, & Social Justice - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/A8033VFZ">Buy Me a Coffee!</a>The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.comBlogger805125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-30639521221731410822021-01-11T21:40:00.007-06:002021-01-11T21:43:50.428-06:00E-mail to My US Congressional Resprentative and Senators: Please Impeach and Convict Donald J Trump
I don't reach out to my US Representative and Senators very often. Impeaching and convicting Donal J Trump quickly and swiftly is very important to me right now, though. I urge everyone reading this to do the same, inundate your elected officials who can make difference here to actually make a difference.
Here is the text of the e-mail I've sent:
Dear [Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.6297982-14.526464375395953 -157.93958916889494 90 -17.320007231105038tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-45790387070974155462020-08-15T19:10:00.002-05:002020-08-15T19:10:56.374-05:00E-mail to Chicago Mayor Lightfoot: Police Brutality, Hiring Security Firms, Funding Left Behind Neighborhoods
Below is an e-mail that I have sent to Chicago Mayor Lightfoot. I get the feeling it breaks all the advice for writing your elected officials. Frankly, I don't really care. I really needed to get these matters off my chest and let his elected official know how I really feel in as tactful a format as I can muster.
To: letterforthemayor@cityofchicago.org
Subject: Disappointed in Police The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.629798213.568914322113482 -122.78469368444748 70.187312877886512 -52.474902715552517tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-15473161047770234722020-08-10T19:46:00.004-05:002020-08-10T19:58:08.058-05:00My Ballot Slate for the November 2020 Election at this Point in Time
I have finished my review of candidates on my November 3, 2020 ballot in East Lakeview, Chicago, IL. I got the sample ballot at Ballotpedia. Below I will present the slate of candidates who, at this point, I plan to vote for. I won't get into judges much, except to point out which ones are endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, which means an automatic non-vote for me.
So that people will The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.629798213.568914322113482 -122.78469368444748 70.187312877886512 -52.474902715552517tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-22499144140577353362020-07-26T13:15:00.001-05:002020-07-26T22:14:13.938-05:00Does a Limited Term Affect How Military vs Police Tightens Ranks in Defending "Bad Apples"?Here's a compelling good explanation why military has less of a "code of silence" & less tolerance of brutality (at least when it comes to their own people): most military people only serve a limited amount of time then return to the civilian life. In addition: many who serve in in the military these days are marginalized diverse people who have the military as their best opportunity to The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-10699751791078908572020-07-01T21:31:00.000-05:002020-07-01T21:34:51.665-05:00Feedback to a Specious and Speculative New York Times article, "Two Friends in Texas Were Tested for Coronavirus. One Bill Was $199. The Other? $6,408."
Feedback that I e-mailed to the New York Times about a bad example of journalism, especially in these contentious polarized times of COVID-19:
Dear New York Times and Ms. Sarah Kliff,
I am writing in response to the article, "Two Friends in Texas Were Tested for Coronavirus. One Bill Was $199. The Other? $6,408." by Sarah Kliff that was posted online on June 29, 2020.
As a professional healthThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.629798241.4995241 -88.2752452 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-55473709610272422292020-06-18T20:54:00.000-05:002020-06-18T20:57:36.473-05:00I Want to Prevent Civil War, but I Might be Helping Save Humankind - My Charity Made RealitySo after a monotonous, dreary day and week at work (wearing a mask is for the best, but it still has a psychological deleterious effect), I opened the mail to find a refreshing and heartening letter. It came from the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps (RAM). I donate $5 a month to RAM through an automatic charge on my credit card.
I heard about this nonprofit on the It Could Happen Here podcastThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-8590785193610656392020-06-08T09:31:00.001-05:002020-06-08T10:06:28.182-05:00The First Issue isn't Crime Numbers or Costs; It's that Black Lives MatterI love that one of the first "factual" retorts to "defund the police" is "how will we deal with crime?" or "but crime will go up because there will be no one to enforce the law".This is inherently racist and classist. It assumes that the only way to prevent crime is to deter crime (especially when a lot of calls cops go out to can be situations better dealt with by differently qualified person orThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-70043283452819640902020-06-06T12:32:00.001-05:002020-06-06T12:32:42.765-05:00Black Lives Matter is the Strongest Argument for Socialism YetSo cops are making the conservative/Trumpian grievance argument: Think how hard they have it? Sure, there's instances of the police putting their lives on the line, some valid, but imagine how much of it occurs because of systemic/cultural racism, other injustices, & cops' bitterness and trying to get what's theirs.I have my issues with the current Far Left in the United States, but if The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-90113220110764474522020-06-02T17:41:00.001-05:002020-06-02T17:41:11.575-05:00If Things Settle, We Must Remain Vigilant & Work to be BetterWell social media seems relatively quiet tonight for Chicago tonight. I did hear murmurings that one protest would occur on the North Side, though nothing reliable. I wonder if this is a lull or if society is getting ready for the hard work: actually changing, meaning us white people, and making this weekend count by not backsliding?A lot of this will be personal and amongst family and friends, The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-69975170850298566532020-06-01T14:40:00.001-05:002020-06-01T14:48:32.788-05:00White People, We Have Apologizing, Listening, & Working to Do for Actual Restorative Reformhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/30/michael-brown-ferguson-america-george-floydhttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/eric-garner-george-floyd-protests-reveal-how-little-has-changed-n1220501These are a couple good articles that make a generally fact-based point: progress has occurred, but white people have still failed. The Guardian article makes a good point: white people need to The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-41231197079263075342020-05-29T13:07:00.000-05:002020-08-04T13:14:02.671-05:00If We Want, the Value of True Individualism Could Overpower the Current Crass IndividualismClassical liberalism, traditional conservatism, and right-wing libertarianism don't understand individualism. Rather, these ideologies delve into despairing methodological individualism, a belief of not being able to predict the behavior of individuals, especially in large numbers.
Individualism is about appreciating and trying to understand other perspectives, how each individual is a node in aThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-25108855426067613652019-07-28T17:58:00.002-05:002019-07-28T18:04:29.363-05:00Life is Change: Putting Regular Posts on HiatusBecause of time management, personal matters, and the Lextopia proving the least lucrative of all my after-hours activities, I'm putting regular postings on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. Consider all multi-part essays ended with no expectation to continue. If it's any consolation, my sources have provided notification that at least the Progressive Bar situation has a pretty good chanceThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-81143131578497182242019-07-15T20:22:00.000-05:002019-07-16T20:14:53.217-05:00Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States: Part 4 - Hypothetical Searching for Leverage Through Justice and Identity with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Discounting Past Missteps of InexperienceThis is part 4 of I don't how long series of essays that I've titled Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States. The series takes up the topic of two separate racist "encounters" that erupted around one weekend at the end of May 2019 between two business owners in Chicago's boystown and the black LGBTQ+ community of Chicago as a way to analyze how geography and segmenting ofThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-48641734382985491612019-07-08T20:49:00.000-05:002019-07-16T20:07:34.260-05:00Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States: Part 3 - Projections of Mayor Lightfoot's Response to Intersectional Identity Appeals Based on Her Campaign Image and PrioritiesThis is part 3 of how don't how long series of essays that I've titled Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States. The series takes up the topic of two separate racist "encounters" that erupted around one weekend at the end of May 2019 between two business owners in Chicago's boystown and the black LGBTQ+ community of Chicago as a way to analyze how geography and segmenting The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-202189927582181222019-07-02T20:22:00.000-05:002019-07-07T19:02:38.521-05:00FLASHPOST: Abuse in Immigrant Detention Centers and What Department(s) and Agency(ies) Have Oversight Authority Over Them[I've been having some issues with Executive Control lately, so I've procrastinated a bit on the "Redlining Political Communities" series. I've procrastinated on a lot of things. Don't know why. No matter. In lieu of another part in that series, today I release (a day early, I might add) a quick flashpost that wrote in a fit of emotion after hearing a good podcast about a disturbing situation.]
The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-74020199873099448342019-06-25T21:26:00.001-05:002019-07-16T20:07:11.148-05:00Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States - Part 2: Searching for Leverage, by the Numbers, Starting with Mayor Lightfoot (Voting Blocs Matter)This is part 2 of how don't how long series of essays that I've titled Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States. The series takes up the topic of two separate racist "encounters" that erupted around one weekend at the end of May 2019 between two business owners in Chicago's boystown and the black LGBTQ+ community of Chicago as a way to analyze how geography and segmenting The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-60654159814661118742019-06-19T20:25:00.000-05:002019-07-16T20:06:23.667-05:00Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States - Part 1: Racism in Boystown & the Challenge of Affecting Popular Change and RedressThis is part 1 of how don't how long series of essays that I've titled Redlining Political Communities in Chicago and the United States. The series takes up the topic of two separate racist "encounters" that erupted around one weekend at the end of May 2019 between two business owners in Chicago's boystown and the black LGBTQ+ community of Chicago as a way to analyze how geography and segmenting The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-65166511520894501922019-06-12T23:32:00.000-05:002019-06-12T23:32:27.005-05:00PREVIEW: Relevant News Articles for a Future Essay, "Redlining Political Communities"I've started writing a pretty wonky and lengthy analysis about affecting structural change through politics, culture, and markets in reaction to a concentration of intersectional conflict that occurred in my neighborhood about a week and half ago. You will need to wait until next week or so to delve into the wonkiness.
For now, though, here are the articles I provide in the essay that provide The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-33402612098360673682019-06-04T19:27:00.000-05:002019-06-05T22:31:30.261-05:00Does Scarcity of Market Share Lead Billionaires, Entrepreneurs, and Crony Politicians into Tunnel Vision for More Market Share?Only after the second chapter of Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir present an argument that scarcity creates an involuntary tunnel vision effect with attention. This book so far bolsters a hypothesis that I'm coming up with: that billionaires, successful entrepreneurs, and crony politicians in capitalist cultures forge paths of growth and The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-34610982863343012422019-05-28T20:33:00.002-05:002019-05-29T19:30:15.811-05:00Transcending the Bretton Woods System, Either Through Smooth US Participation or Crashing Out Alone (or maybe with Britain)Trump, the GOP, and Iran could very well shatter the Bretton Woods system when the EU, Russia, and China put their Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) into play. At the very least, the SPV could destroy the US's dominance of the system.
From what I've read, transcending the Bretton Woods system would lead to a better world. Bretton Woods has become an obsolete system that worked well for the The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-77204945810828731032019-05-23T23:29:00.001-05:002019-05-23T23:31:11.326-05:00Collage of Abortion and Reproductive Health Tweets and Articles - I Can Do BetterAfter a Facebook argument with someone this past weekend about WHO should post and HOW they should post about abortion stuff, I challenged myself to post what I had posted and found online about the topic. My argument: men should focus more on posting, sharing, and boosting the voices of women on this topic. I don't particularly have any rationale other than men don't have to go through the The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-42125780914917039682019-05-15T20:48:00.001-05:002019-05-15T20:56:02.743-05:00Uncanny TV: A Pilot Episode that Provides Uplifting and Entertaining Instilled ActivismThe Lextopia has gotten increasingly political since 2016. Nothing wrong with that path, especially if it brings in readers who feel that they get something out of my ruminations and attempted exhortations.
Politics, especially during the current state of things, can make things depressing and angering. Sometimes a person just wants to yell that we need to focus on fun, happiness, kindness, and The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-27810924985669086002019-05-08T22:00:00.003-05:002019-05-10T22:31:23.082-05:00People, We Have the Power to Choose Our Leaders and Our Path or Succumb to PowerlessnessThose on the Far Left need to get some more empowering messages and rhetoric. The Far Left has valid criticism for the Liberal/Progressive Left, Center Left, and all of the Right, but the Far Left has beat a dead horse with messages and rhetoric that demoralize the People of the United States and emphasize powerlessness.
I'm not pushing for dehumanizing or armed violent revolutionary rhetoric. The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-18872097885553997342019-05-01T22:21:00.000-05:002019-05-01T22:36:54.322-05:00Cries for Civility Ignore Disgusting Reality Created by Freeloading BulliesToday's entry will consist of a few things that I've encountered on the Internet in the media that provide some insight into our culture and the human condition during partisan times.
My first entry for consideration: "Democracy Is a Blessing: Phatic Ritual and the Public Sphere in Northeast Brazil".
The essay gets fairly academic. However, "Democracy Is a Blessing. . ." provides some The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-33244640253632610662019-04-24T21:42:00.000-05:002019-04-24T21:44:23.972-05:00Political Liminal Space Thoughts on Impeachment and Getting Out the VoteThe Chicago Municipal Elections wrapped up a couple weeks ago. Whenever people talked about the 2020 Election, I would say that I couldn't spare thought to it yet. I had to focus on the local election (which can sometimes be more important and have more of an effect on our everyday lives).
That liminal state between elections has started. Tensions have risen because the Justice Department The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978