mibookclub.com
Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.
karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…
Do you know how to design signs that sing?Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)
Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.
karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…
Do you know how to design signs that sing?Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)
Six ordinary Germans who lived through the end of World War Two tell their storiesBBC
Peter Butts @pbutts61.bsky.social
Federalist Papers #47….yes, “47.”
As James Madison wrote in “Federalist No. 47”: “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”
motherjones.com/politics/2025/…
Disclosure: 1) While we’re transitioning to Friendica, Peter has Angie’s account loaded on his phone. 2) We’ve been binge watching “Love on the Spectrum “ and HHS Kennedy’s bizarre, hateful, ignorant statements have hit a nerve.
"I will challenge RFK Jr. to write a poem as good as me any day of the week."Mother Jones
From Liz Cheney
I need more from you.
You keep sending emails begging for $15,
while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time.
This administration is not simply “a different ideology.”
It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control.
And you?
You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF.
That won’t save us.
I don’t want to hear another polite floor speech.
I want strategy.
I want fire.
I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one.
Every time I see something from the DNC, it’s asking me for funds.
Surprise.
Those of us who donate don’t want to keep sending money just to watch you stand frozen as the Constitution goes up in flames — shaking your heads and saying,
“Well, there’s not much we can do. He has the majority.”
I call bullshit.
If you don’t know how to think outside the box…
If you don’t know how to strategize…
If you don’t know how to fight fire with fire…
what the hell are we giving you money for?
Some of us have two or three advanced degrees.
Some of us have military training.
Some of us know what coordinated resistance looks like — and this ain’t it.
Yes, the tours around the country? Nice.
The speeches? Nice.
The clever congressional clapbacks? Nice.
That was great for giving hope.
Now we need action.
You have to stop acting like this is a normal presidency that will just time out in four years.
We’re not even at Day 90, and look at the chaos.
Look at the disappearances.
Look at the erosion of the judiciary, the press, and our rights.
If you do not stop this, we will not make it 1,460 days.
So here’s what I need from you — right now:
⸻
1. Form an independent, civilian-powered investigative coalition.
I’m talking experts. Veterans. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Watchdog orgs.
Deputize the resistance. Build a real-time archive of corruption, overreach, and executive abuse.
Make it public. Make it unshakable.
Let the people drag the rot into the light.
If you can’t hold formal hearings, hold public ones.
If Congress won’t act, let the country act.
This isn’t about optics — it’s about receipts.
Because at some point, these people will be held accountable.
And when that day comes, we’ll need every name, every signature, every illegal order, every act of silence—documented.
You’re not just preserving truth — you’re preparing evidence for prosecution.
The more they vanish people and weaponize data, the more we need truth in the sunlight.
⸻
2. Join the International Criminal Court.
Yes, I said it. Call their bluff.
You cannot control what the other side does.
But you can control your own integrity.
So prove it. Prove that your party is still grounded in law, human rights, and ethical leadership.
Join.
If you’ve got nothing to hide — join.
Show the world who’s hiding bodies, bribes, and buried bank accounts.
Force the GOP to explain why they’d rather protect a war criminal than sign a treaty.
And while you’re at it, publicly invite ICC observers into U.S. borders.
Make this administration explain — on camera — why they’re terrified of international oversight.
⸻
3. Fund state-level resistance infrastructure.
Don’t just send postcards. Send resources.
Channel DNC funds into rapid-response teams, legal defense coalitions, sanctuary networks, and digital security training.
If the federal government is hijacked, build power underneath it.
If the laws become tools of oppression, help people resist them legally, locally, and boldly.
This is not campaign season — this is an authoritarian purge.
Stop campaigning.
Act like this is the end of democracy, because it is.
We WILL REMEMBER the warriors come primaries.
Fighting this regime should be your marketing strategy.
And let’s be clear:
The reason the other side always seems three steps ahead is because they ARE.
They prepared for this.
They infiltrated school boards, courts, local legislatures, and police unions.
They built a machine while you wrote press releases.
We’re reacting — they’ve been executing a plan for years.
It’s time to shift from panic to blueprint.
You should already be working with strategists and military minds on PROJECT 2029 —
a coordinated, long-term plan to rebuild this country when the smoke clears.
You should be publicly laying out:
• The laws and amendments you’ll pass to ensure this never happens again
• The systems you’ll tear down and the safeguards you’ll enshrine
• The plan to hold perpetrators of human atrocities accountable
• The urgent commitment to immediately bring home those sold into slavery in El Salvador
You say you’re the party of the people?
Then show the people the plan.
⸻
4. Use your platform to educate the public on rights and resistance tactics.
If they’re going to strip us of rights and lie about it — arm the people with truth.
Text campaigns. Mass trainings. Downloadable “Know Your Rights” kits. Multilingual legal guides. Encrypted phone trees.
Give people tools, not soundbites.
We don’t need more slogans.
We need survival manuals.
⸻
5. Leverage international media and watchdogs.
Stop hoping U.S. cable news will wake up.
They’re too busy playing both sides of fascism.
Feed the real stories to BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, Der Spiegel — hell, leak them to anonymous dropboxes if you have to.
Make what’s happening in America a global scandal.
And stop relying on platforms that are actively suppressing truth.
Start leveraging Substack. Use Bluesky.
That’s where the resistance is migrating. That’s where censorship hasn’t caught up.
If the mainstream won’t carry the truth — outflank them.
Get creative. Go underground. Go global.
If our democracy is being dismantled in broad daylight, make sure the whole world sees it — and make sure we’re still able to say it.
⸻
6. Create a digital safe haven for whistleblowers and defectors.
Not everyone inside this regime is loyal.
Some are scared. Some want out.
Build the channels.
Encrypted. Anonymous. Protected.
Make it easy for the cracks in the system to become gaping holes.
And while you’re at it?
Stop ostracizing MAGA defectors.
Everyone makes mistakes — even glaring, critical ones.
We are not the bullies.
We are not the ones filled with hate.
And it is not your job to shame people who finally saw the fire and chose to step out of it.
They will have to deal with that internal struggle — the guilt of putting a very dangerous and callous regime in power.
But they’re already outnumbered. Don’t push them back into the crowd.
We don’t need purity.
We need numbers.
We need people willing to burn their red hats and testify against the machine they helped build.
⸻
7. Study the collapse—and the comeback.
You should be learning from South Korea and how they managed their brief rule under dictatorship.
They didn’t waste time chasing the one man with absolute immunity.
They went after the structure.
The aides. The enforcers. The loyalists. The architects.
They knocked out the foundation one pillar at a time —
until the “strongman” had no one left to stand on.
And his power crumbled beneath him.
You should be independently investigating every author of Project 2025,
every aide who defies court orders,
every communications director repeating lies,
every policy writer enabling cruelty,
every water boy who keeps this engine running.
You can’t stop a regime by asking the king to sit down.
You dismantle the throne he’s standing on — one coward at a time.
⸻
Stop being scared to fight dirty when the other side is fighting to erase the damn Constitution.
They are threatening to disappear AMERICANS.
A M E R I C A N S.
And your biggest move can’t be another strongly worded email.
We don’t want your urgently fundraising subject lines.
We want backbone.
We want action.
We want to know you’ll stand up before we’re all ordered to sit down — permanently.
We are watching.
And I don’t just mean your base.
I mean millions of us who see exactly what’s happening.
I’ve only got 6,000 followers — but the groups I’m in? The networks I touch? Over a quarter million.
Often when I speak, it echoes.
But when we ALL
speak, it ROARS with pressure that will cause change.
We need to be deafening.
You still have a chance to do something historic.
To be remembered for courage, not caution.
To go down as the party that didn’t just watch the fall — but fought the hell back with everything they had.
But the clock is ticking.
And the deportation buses are idling.
We live in an information war. Truth is a contested battleground, and public belief is a weaponized asset.This Woman Votes (This Woman Votes - Progress & Politics)
Books
Duhon, David. One Circle: How to Grow a Complete Diet on 1,000 Square Feet. (978-9996-3-95703)
Hernenway, Toby. Gaia's Garden: a Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. (978-1603-5-80298)
Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. ( 978-0898-1-54153)
Longacre, Doris Janzen. The More with Less Cookbook. (978-0836-1-91035)
Longacre, Doris Janzen. Living More with Less. (978-0836-1-95217) -only the first editions of those
The website cronometer - nutritional analysis
cronometer.com/
The website nutritionfacts.org - whole foods plant based and longevity science/research
The KVCC's program at the Food Innovation Center (FIC) on horticulture
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/about/facil…
Tillers International
tillersinternational.org/
=============== Sources beyond the local for plants, seeds, animals
One Green World - fantastic wide variety of edible fruit, nuts, etc.
onegreenworld.com/
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company
rareseeds.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq…
Seed Savers
seedsavers.org/
Maine Potato Lady
mainepotatolady.com/
Sand Hill Preservation Center
sandhillpreservation.com/
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
givemn.org/organization/Albc
Some organizations can absorb the short-term impact by using reserves, but long-term sustainability concerns grow if federal funding isn't restored.Brian McVicar | bmcvicar@mlive.com (mlive)
robertreich.substack.com/p/how…
1. Stop treating Trump’s excuses as his real concerns.
2. For the same reason, stop assuming that Trump is concerned about other nations’ “unfair” trade practices or illegal immigration.
3. Trump’s major interest is capitulation itself.
4. Each surrender feeds the public impression that Trump wants fed — that he is all-powerful, invincible, and able to get every person, institution, and country to cower to him.
5. Each capitulation encourages him and his goons to engage in even more bullying of more institutions and countries.
6. Most of these institutions and countries will cave to Trump because their leaders are mainly concerned about their own institution’s or country’s survival.
7. It’s vitally important, therefore, that institutions and countries join together to fight this systemic intimidation.
8. University faculties must join together under the umbrella of the American Association of University Professors.
9. Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the European Union must join together.
10. The media must not fan the flames of Trump’s madness.
Whether it’s universities, law firms, or entire countries, here are 10 basic rules for hitting backRobert Reich
From NowKalamazoo
Seed Libraries Are on the Rise in Kalamazoo County
nowkalamazoo.indiegraf.com/lt.…
Living Together, Growing Together
nowkalamazoo.indiegraf.com/lt.…
from Julie Burkey
How/To- Guide Books:
Bartholomew, Mel. Square Foot Gardening. 978-0-7603-6285-3
Madigan, Carleen, ed. The Backyard Homestead. 978-1-60342-138-6
Smith, Edward C. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible. 978-1-60342-475-2
-Storey Publishing. hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/… — an extensive library of guides on everything homestead
Reading For Awareness Books:
Dooley, Beth. In Winter’s Kitchen. 978-1-5713-1361-4
Foer, Jonathan Safran. We Are The Weather; saving the planet begins at breakfast. 978-1-2507-5797-5
Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; a year of food life. 978-0-0608-5255-9
Lappe, Frances Moore & Anna Lappe. Hope’s Edge; the next diet for a small planet. 978-1-5854-2149-7
Lohman, Sarah. Endangered Eating. 978-1-3240-0466-0
McMillian, Tracie. The American Way of Eating: undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, farm fields and the dinner table. 978-1-4391-7195-0
Pollen, Michael. In Defense of Food. 978-1-5942-0145-5 (actually, ALL of Pollen’s titles)
For Native Plant restoration, which is crucial to saving our soil and insects in order to grow food:
Small, Nancy Cutbirth & Tom Small. Using Native Plants to Restore Community in SW Michigan & Beyond. 978-0-6155-2993-6 ( I actually had the great honor of working with them for a year.)
Also, many of the local farmers offer CSAs, list from PFC: pfcmarkets.com/csas/
PFC is a great resource for classes, info, etc.
Food Banks
Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes kzoolf.org/
Southwest Michigan Food Banks smfoodbank.org/getfood/findfoo…
Community Gardens
growingcommunitygardenkzoo.com…
comstockmi.gov/community-garde…
wmucommunity.garden/
gardens.kzoo.edu/
michiganmastergardener.org/the…
kzooparks.org/Parks-Facilities…
sunnysideumc.com/serve
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/blog/nothin…
Food Hubs and CSAs
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/our-program…
Educational Resources
tillersinternational.org/
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/events/comm…
canr.msu.edu/kalamazoo/master-…
Organizations
miffs.org/ (lots of resources on their website!)
fairfoodnetwork.org/
seedsavers.org/
kalamazooconservation.org/
Urban Exposure uxi4u.com/
From Seed to Harvest: Summary of a Michigan Procurement Pilot [PDF]
Kalamazoo Conservation District Kalamazoo County Urban AgricultureCommunity Needs Assessment Survey -Summary of Results [PDF]
Kalamazoo Conservation District Results of Urban AgricultureCommunity Needs Assessment Survey [PDF]
KRESA Kalamazoo County Non-School Food Pantries [PDF]
Loaves & Fishes [PDF]
South Michigan Food Bank Kalamazoo County Resource Guide [PDF]
Our next meeting is Saturday, April 12th from 1 to 3 p.m. Meeting will be held at the Portage Public Library. Topic is Food: growing food for food security and food sharing models.
1 to 1:30 Fellowship and IT support. Be an early adopter and bring your computer to get added to our Facebook alternative.
1:30 to 2:30 Food Session
2:30 to 3:00 seed sharing and break out sessions for future planning.
El Consilio is a local non profit that provides educational, social service, and legal resources for the Kalamazoo community. In a presentation to Indivisible Kalamazoo's Wednesday meeting, Amberly Elementary (and WMU) alum Marysol Millar presented an overview of the organization's programs and how you can help:
- financial donations always appreciated
- volunteers for food distribution
- education volunteer opportunities
-Rapid Response Team training.
Amazon is killing a privacy feature to bolster Alexa+, the new subscription assistant.Scharon Harding (Ars Technica)
1. Keep making calls.
5calls.org/
2. Call Congress about the budget; email Huizenga.
3. Amazon Boycott through March 14.
4. March 13 & 27 phone banking for Susan Crawford for WI S Court indivisible.org/scowls2025
5. March 15: Mail #IdesofTrump postcards
(text me if you need some)
6. March 16: Rally for LGBT rights, 2-5 pm in Lansing
7. March 18 & 27: Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 environmental group
kalamazoocity.org/Government/P…
8. March 19: League of Conservation Voters Huizenga Protest
lcv.org/
9. March 19 & 26: non-partisan Vigil of Faith, noon at city hall
10. March 21-28 Nestle Boycott
The local action working group is also planning no on Friday protests at the Lovers Lane office of Bill Huizenga.
Peter tagged Peter's status with #constituent
Indivisible Kalamazoo Action Items (3/12)
1. Keep making calls.
https://5calls.org/
2. Call Congress about the budget; email Huizenga.
3. Amazon Boycott through March 14.
4. March 13 & 27 phone banking for Susan Crawford for WI S Court indivisible.org/scowls2025
5. March 15: Mail #IdesofTrump postcards
(text me if you need some)
6. March 16: Rally for LGBT rights, 2-5 pm in Lansing
7. March 18 & 27: Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 environmental group
kalamazoocity.org/Government/P…
8. March 19: League of Conservation Voters Huizenga Protest
lcv.org/
9. March 19 & 26: non-partisan Vigil of Faith, noon at city hall
10. March 21-28 Nestle Boycott
The local action working group is also planning no on Friday protests at the Lovers Lane office of Bill Huizenga.
Here’s the list so far….
Restore CDC
restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/in…
Internet Archive
archive.org/
Data Rescue Project
datarescueproject.org/about-da…
Centered America Misinformation Database
centeredamerica.substack.com/p…
The City of Portage, in partnership with the Environmental Board and the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), has launched a new plastic bag recycling initiative to help reduce plastic waste in the community.Portage, MI
The City of Portage, in partnership with the Environmental Board and the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), has launched a new plastic bag recycling initiative to help reduce plastic waste in the community.Portage, MI
DISPLAY SETTINGS
Friendica has two display themes: “Vier” and “Frio.”
-To change settings, click on your profile icon at the upper right and then drag down to SETTINGS.
-From the menu on the left, select DISPLAY.
-Use the pull down window to select VIER or FRIO. Scroll down to click on SUBMIT.
There are small layout differences, so its a personal choice. You may find FRIO looks more like Facebook.
To compose new posts in VIER, start from HOME, select CONVERSATIONS, then click on the SHARE window.
To compose new posts in FRIO, click on the HOME icon, select CONVERSATIONS, then click on the new post (pencil/paper) icon.
DISPLAY SETTINGS
Friendica has two display themes: “Vier” and “Frio.”
-To change settings, click on your profile icon at the upper right and then drag down to SETTINGS.
-From the menu on the left, select DISPLAY.
-Use the pull down window to select VIER or FRIO. Scroll down to click on SUBMIT.
There are small layout differences, so its a personal choice. You may find FRIO looks more like Facebook.
To compose new posts in FRIO, click on the HOME icon, select CONVERSATIONS, then click on the new post (pencil/paper) icon.
