When I was helping to set up Shasta Abbey, in the time of Nixon, some lay people objected to our mealtime prayer giving thanks and offering the merit of our training to the Buddha, President Nixon, our parents, and all people. “Who needs it more?” was the response from the Abbess, Rev. Master Jiyu Kennett, and that was that.
As long as bowing continues, Buddhism will last.
Zen koan
I am grateful for the U.S. Constitution, with its known faults, some fixed with amendments, some still to be fixed. That means that I am grateful to John Locke on human rights, Adam Smith taking down bogus imperial economics, and King George III for provoking the colonists to rebellion. You can’t have just one, any more than you can take steps to walk on only your right foot. (Also a Zen koan.)
I am grateful for all of you here, and all of your friends and relations who come into your posts and comments here. I am grateful for Madam Mayor and for Kos. Remember that he was once a Reaganite.
I am grateful that we have Thanksgiving Days, and we get reminded regularly to give our own thanks, and to share with others who can then have enough of their own to be thankful for.
How about you?
World
See my Renewable Tuesday: COP30 Big Four Issues—Finance, 1.5℃, Trade & Transparency for some major proposals supported by many countries, to be fleshed out for COP31, and some minor advances due to the threat of an EU boycott if they weren’t put in. Also, Saudi Arabia agreed to support getting rid of all fossil fuels.
- Elections
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“Sweden…to bolster security measures ahead of a general election next year *** Romania cancelled a presidential election outcome in Dec due to Russian interference, while Moldova recently called in EU assistance ahead of an election featuring cyberattacks it pinned on Moscow.” 11/21/25 … 1/
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— Jenny Cohn (@jennycohn.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 10:37 AM
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#Research 💡
🗳️The 2024 #elections across #Botswana, #Mozambique, #Namibia, and #SouthAfrica revealed shifting voting patterns.
The results may mark a turning point in the region’s politics, signalling the decline of liberation parties.
Continue reading ⤵️
europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/democratic-s...
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— European Partnership for Democracy (@epd.eu) November 12, 2025 at 3:55 AM
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Main political focus for us in Europe right now: Defeat Orbán.
The Hungarian elections in April 2026 should be on top of your priority list. Tell your Hungarian friends to vote. Remind them as much as you can. We get rid of Orbán, and we get rid of one of the biggest obstacles to helping Ukraine.
— Kraut (@derparrot.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
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— ence morse (@ence.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 8:56 AM
- Two-State Solution
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Today in Brussels, the EU and the Palestinian Authority held the first meeting of the Palestine Donor Group.
The EU is the largest provider of external assistance to the Palestinian people. And a strong advocate for the two-state solution.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu) November 20, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Russian stuff blowing up: Trump's surrender plan goes from fait accompli to FUBAR
U.S., European and Ukrainian and Officials meeting in Geneva to discuss "28-point peace plan"
Ukraine Invasion Day 1,373: Witkoff's 28-point plan could be 'better in the original Russian'
US Senators say Rubio admitted leaked Ukraine peace plan is Putin’s not Trump’s
ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE: In Her Darkest Hour Will Heed Taras Shevchenko, Not Krasnov or Putin
The "peace plan" for Ukraine was written in Russian first. The linguistic evidence is damning.
Russian stuff blowing up: Ukraine goes helicopter hunting
House Discharge Vote on Russian Sanctions?
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
That was the Russian proposal, which is in its essentials dead. Ukraine has accepted a highly modified version, with a few contentious points still to be settled.
The Recap: China dupes Trump, and JD Vance is a spineless loser
China conned Trump again—because he’s that gullible
Earth Matters: Killing 80% of wetland protection; Beijing makes bank in Belém while U.S. stays home
China is investing in basic research while Trump cuts $2.7B from ours.
Rabidly Repellent Republicans Rushing to Ruin/Bad News for Them
Yes, they are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad people, and they are trying to give the whole world as many Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days (🎩 Judith Viorst ) as they can. Worst of all, they believe that karma doesn’t apply to them. But karma, like math and physics, doesn’t care if they believe. All three work by simple cause and effect. We can help drive karma forward, but mostly they bring it on themselves.
Nevertheless, we must know what we are voting for, going to court for, organizing bigger and better demonstrations for, helping our neighbors for, and all the rest that we get together to tell you about, and thank each other.
Still, it’s Thanksgiving, so I will relent a bit today and give you, not the nogoodniks up to maximal no good, but those pushing back against them.
- Epstein
- Tearing down the White House East Wing
- Murder on the high seas
- Illegal orders panic
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The correct answer to MAGA outrage over the Dem video is this: Are you effing kidding me? Of course it's reasonable to warn that Trump might be giving illegal orders.
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
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— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM
- Mamdani
- MTG
Palate Cleanser/Brain Bleach
Machaut Rondeau 14, "Ma fin est mon commencement" (crab canon over a palindrome)
A crab canon has the same melody played forward and backward in harmony. The lyrics turn this into a joke.
My end is my beginning.
My beginning is my end.
Upcoming events
Mobilize.us: Events, Petitions, and Volunteer Opportunities
About this event
Join the Illini Democrats at their weekly meeting!
Follow @illinidems on Instagram or join our Discord for more details.
Just to note, these are student-only events unless you are invited by the Illini Democrats Executive Board.
And many more local to me. Put in your own location to get yours.
FiftyFifty.one
November 27th - December 1st:
We Ain't Buying It
NoKings.org: What’s Next?
FindAProtest.org: find a protest
May Day Strong, Black Out Black Friday
American Muslims for Palestine, Palestine Convention
Thursday, November 27th All Day
Regular Good News
Who could have guessed that Bannon’s fans would be outraged about Bannon being Bannon? Not Bannon, for sure.
- News From the States— On Bluesky as States Newsroom
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A coalition suing to block President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education expanded its lawsuit Tuesday to include objections to recent interagency agreements to shift the department’s responsibilities to other Cabinet-level agencies.
From @statesnewsroom.com
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— Pennsylvania Capital-Star (@penncapital-star.com) November 26, 2025 at 8:44 AM
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Parnas Perspective—
We have a major update concerning the Epstein files. I have just received a filing from the Justice Department where it is seeking judicial approval to publicly release a wide array of evidence gathered in the federal investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, marking a significant step toward complying with the federal transparency mandate. The move could open a trove of long-sealed records that have remained out of public view for years.
DOJ files motion to unseal Epstein docs in latest step toward release
The judge in the Maxwell case set a briefing schedule Monday, ordering Maxwell to file her position by Dec. 3. He also directed prosecutors to notify victims, who may submit letters to the court by the same date.
The government has until Dec. 10 to respond, and the judge will rule afterward, though he has not set a specific date. The judge has acknowledged the law’s 30-day release deadline for Bondi.
I am grateful for this news, and for the apparent collapse of a multitude of conspiracy theories about AG Bondi trying to keep everything secret.
Is more repetition gooder?
- Positive News—What went right this week: the good news that matters
World ‘closer to a future free of cervical cancer’, UK music fans got a boost, and Denmark gave the thumbs down to social media for kids, plus more
- Rappler—
- Reasons to Be Cheerful—
- The Brighter Side of News—
- The Contrarian—
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The Happy News—Published only every three months. I plan to cut it from this list.
- The Optimist Daily—
- The Progress Network—
- The Smile—The Smile: 11/26
States stand up against Trump, Democrats are investing in rural voters, and more!
- Today: Good News—
- r/UpliftingNews—
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A randomized controlled trial, published last week in NEJM Evidence, finds that an mRNA influenza vaccine is 100% effective against both symptomatic and febrile flu, compared with 85% and 100% with the conventional quadrivalent (four-strain) influenza vaccine (QIV).
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— Uplifting News (@upliftingnews.bsky.social) November 26, 2025 at 2:56 AM
- Upworthy—
- Waging Nonviolence—
Science! Lifeforms! Weirdness!
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A giant impact between proto-Earth and a planet called Theia produced the Moon. Hopp et al. use isotopic measurements of lunar samples and cosmochemical modelling to show that Theia formed in the inner Solar System, probably closer to the Sun than Earth. ☄️ #planetsci
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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— Keith Smith (@drkeithsmith.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Mexico recently redesigned its 50 peso note with the image of a perpetually smiling amphibian found only in the country called the axolotl, and it’s become so well loved it’s being hoarded.
Thomas Graeme at the Guardian brought the story to light that a report from the Mexican government detailed how some $150 million worth of 50 peso notes are out of circulation at any given time.
Good news and bad news on dread diseases.
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"The President and the Dragon" is now available in more than 60 countries across Amazon, Google Play, and many more streaming platforms! Watch the incredible story of President Carter's fight to eradicate Guinea worm disease. Proceeds support the Carter Center’s global mission.
▶️ bit.ly/3X1mO5y
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— The Carter Center (@cartercenter.bsky.social) November 18, 2025 at 10:23 AM
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The Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is trying to raise $18 billion for its work in a challenging climate for global health funding that has seen many big donors retreat following an aid overhaul in the United States.
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
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— Ian Weissman, DO (@drianweissman.bsky.social) November 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
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As dozens of frog species have declined across Central America, scientists have witnessed a remarkable chain of events: With fewer tadpoles to eat mosquito larvae, rates of mosquito-borne malaria in the region have climbed, resulting in a fivefold increase in cases. https://wapo.st/4paBuuT
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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) November 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
CRISPR unlocks a new way to defeat resistant lung cancer
CRISPR disables a key resistance gene, making tough cancers vulnerable to chemotherapy again.
ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute
Scientists used CRISPR to disable the NRF2 gene, restoring chemotherapy sensitivity in lung cancer cells and slowing tumor growth. The technique worked even when only a fraction of tumor cells were edited, making it practical for real-world treatment. Since NRF2 fuels resistance in several cancers, the approach could have broad impact.
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🚨 97% cure rate.
A new antimalarial combo — GanLum — outperforms Coartem in a major multicountry trial with partners including @novartis.bsky.social & @mmv.org.
🎖️A major step forward for malaria control.
✍️ @fargonaut.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social @astmh.bsky.social
📖⬇️ & 🙏🔁
#EndMalaria
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— Health Policy Watch - Global health news reporting (@healthpolicywatch.bsky.social) November 15, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Scientists placed samples of Physcomitrium patens, a common species of moss, outside the International Space Station for 9 months – exposing it to radiation, freezing temperatures, intense UV light, and the vacuum of space.
Funny or Fuggedaboudit
Funny Music
Tom Lehrer - I Wanna Go Back To Dixie - LIVE FILM from Copenhagen in 1967
Roger Miller- My Uncle Used to Love Me but She Died
If you hit a paywall on articles linked in diaries or comments, try using Archive.Today to see if you can get free reads.
