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Politics Archives - Social Correspondence

Coping During Troubling Times

Finding ways to cope during these troubling times can be difficult.  As we witness the attempted destruction of the institutions and diplomacy that keep us safe, healthy, and economically viable, the future seems very uncertain. People throughout the country are showing their opposition to the attempted and actual dismantling of institutions that were established to benefit and serve the people. Some resistors observed a week of not shopping from big corporations, demonstrating that collectively, voters can wield considerable economic power.  Demonstrating outside the local Tesla dealer or at the premiere science research facilities where budgets are…

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To Subscribe or to Unsubscribe

Late last year, just before the November presidential election, 250,000 individuals chose to unsubscribe from the Washington Post.  Many friends and people that I respect and admire urged me to do the same. The issue that angered so many people was the top heavy and last-minute decision by the owner of the Post, Jeff Bezos, that the publication would no longer make presidential endorsements.  This was despite the long history of endorsements, and the fact that one that was already written would not be published.  At the time, I chose not to end my subscription, despite…

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Cat Ladies (and Gentlemen) Unite!

Cat ladies (and gentlemen), unite!  Let us unite with dog owners and people who love their pets.  Well, perhaps not with reptile owners.  Scaly cold-blooded creatures as pets are appealing only to some of us.    These thoughts are triggered, of course, by the remarks of the Republican vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance.  A couple of years ago, Vance stated in a television interview that Democratic, childless women “are miserable.” While I am not childless, I am an empty nester who lives alone with a cat.  My cat is my constant companion. Even at 13 ½ years…

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Censorship and Book Banning

Libraries across the country are under threat, with a significant rise in censorship and book banning.  Library directors, individual librarians, and community leaders have all been under attack, including calls for resignation, and even bomb threats and other acts of violence. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library, San Francisco 2010 Two of the principal reasons for banning books are titles with LGBTQI content, or books deemed to include sexual content, especially those written for children and youth.  Books written by women of color are also a frequent target.  During the school year…

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I Left My Heart in San Francisco

When Tony Bennett sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” my heart sang along with him.  Although he recently left us, at the age of 96, he immortalized a song that previously had had little traction.  And along the way, that old-time New Yorker became a permanent icon in the hearts of San Franciscans. It was not my intention to live my life in San Francisco.  I grew up in suburbs, and had my eyes on the temperate climate of Berkeley, CA, home of “Cal,” my alma mater.  Or perhaps Mill Valley, a beautiful town…

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So Many Books, So Little Time

Finding time and space to settle down and read a good book can be difficult, depending on one’s circumstances, but the phrase “so many books, so little time” has never seemed truer.  The quote is widely attributed to the late composer and musician Frank Zappa, and has been used on T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise for decades.  The quarantines and shut downs over the past year and a half due to Covid turned people’s lives upside down.  For many, anxiety and stress challenged the ability to read for pleasure, and would-be readers turned to audio-books, podcasts,…

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Summertime in New York
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Summertime in New York

It is summertime in New York, and things are coming back to life.  Restaurants are open, both indoors and out, subway and street traffic are picking up, and more shops are open.   New Yorkers took last Tuesday’s election very seriously.  It was a primary election for Mayor and City Council in Brooklyn.  Due to ranked choice voting, final outcome of the election may take weeks to be determined.  Along the busy corridors of 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope, near the YMCA on 15th Street where early voting was taking place, candidates and their…

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The Ten-Year Plan

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS revealed a new ten-year plan on March 21, 2021 aimed at reinvigorating the postal service.  Parts of the plan are ready to be implemented, including increasing the cost of stamps, slowing down first-class mail delivery in favor of more lucrative package delivery, closing selected facilities, and cutting back post office hours and staffing.  Such changes are subject to approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent Federal agency. First-class stamps are currently 55 cents First-class mail volume has decreased by 28% over the past 10 years, one of the…

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A Random Letter in the Mail

Have you ever received a random letter in the mail?  Random, as in an unanticipated, handwritten note or letter? The use of first-class mail has been in decline for decades, and letters have become almost rare.   Any letter or note in the mail is a gift, whether it be a thank you note, a birthday card, a holiday greeting.  But most of our communications today are virtual, via social media, email, text messaging, and more, using multiple platforms. Given the shift in how we communicate, a random letter in the mail is a welcome surprise.  Within…

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Who Selects the Stamps

Who selects the stamps?  Each year, the United States Postal Service issues approximately 35 new stamps, covering a wide range of images and fields of interest.  In short, it is not hard to find something to like.  New stamps are selected by the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) of the USPS, whose members are appointed by the Postmaster General. Playwright August Wilson is featured on a new Forever Stamp The CSAC was established in 1957.  Currently, the committee has 13 members, representing “…collective expertise in history, science, technology, art, education, sports, and other areas of public…

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