Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Of course nothing is exactly happy right now. Even so, it’s the holiday season, and we must find a way to experience both joy and sorrow simultaneously.
Speaking of which, last night I went with my family to see the LA Master Chorale perform the Messiah at Disney Concert Hall. Now, I’m a Messiah fan—especially after reading Every Valley, a wonderful book about the composing of the piece—but even I wasn’t prepared for the absolute magnificence of last night’s performance. I don’t know if it was the soloists, who were stellar, the choir, which was also superlative, the beauty of the setting, or the fact that it’s been an awful, awful year, but it was the best Messiah I’d ever seen. When it ended there was rapturous applause —it went on for probably five full minutes.
I think I wasn’t the only one who needed that performance very, very badly.
When you read Every Valley you learn that the libretto to The Messiah was written by a Biblical scholar who himself suffered from terrible bouts of depression. It was a tough time in the world and in England, and he grappled with how to find faith amidst terrible circumstances. That is what The Messiah is purported to be about. While I don’t pretend to understand the theological niceties—and am not religious myself—I do know that this piece of music seems to manage to embrace and soothe anyone suffering from the pains of the world—in other words, all of us.
It also reminds us not to lose heart, for in the end is “redemption,” which means different things to different people, of course, but is always better that the suffering which led to it.
I know things are very, very hard right now. Some days the news comes in so steadily and brutally that it seems impossible for so much to go wrong in a single 24-hour period.
Yet beauty, and art, and music, and communitycan bring us so much hope.
I’m going back to Disney tonight for the sing-along Messiah. I wasn’t planning on it, but it’s been that tough of a year. A double dose, I think, will do me good.
Despite the fact that more bad things will happen today, I plan to enjoy every second of it. I hope you will seek out your version of The Messiah and immerse yourself in it this holiday season. You deserve it; you need it, too. We all do.
Speaking of singing, I wrote a little holiday song called “The Twelve Days of ‘He’s Gone’” and posted it as a silly video. It’s here if you want to see it, and if you’d like the lyrics to sing with your friends and family they’re here. It brings a lot of joy to have a vision of the future, and I find this one did me a lot of good. Enjoy!
This newsletter will publish today and tomorrow, in slightly leaner form, and then go on hiatus until likely the New Year. “Extra Extra” will, of course, continue to come out, because I would never deprive you of your good news roundups.
OK, all. Sending so much love. We, like sheep, may have gone astray—and I mean as a country—but the rough places will be made plain eventually. Don’t quit before the miracle!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲 and Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to demand that Congress reconvene and vote to immediately impeach and remove Pam Bondi. The DOJ’s refusal to release all of the Epstein files as legally required is a crime. Bondi is knowingly breaking the law. The American people are tired of there being no consequences for lawless behavior. Impeach Bondi now. Donald Trump should be impeached and removed as well. This entire administration is corrupt and lawless beyond belief. The framers gave Congress the power to do something about that. Use it! Thank you.
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s contact CBS about their horrible decision to cancel the Cecot story on 60 Minutes last night. We can reach them at their comment page here or at their Ombudsman feedback page. We can also leave a comment on their Facebook page or DM them via their Instagram page here. If you have a lead on other ways to reach them please drop it in the comments.
I said something like:
I’m writing to express my profound disappointment and anger that CBS—or Bari Weiss, more specifically— made the decision to pull the 60 Minutes Cecot story. I’ve watched and trusted CBS News for decades, and 60 Minutes has always represented the gold standard of journalistic excellence and integrity. No more. Until I see evidence that CBS is putting unbiased coverage ahead of allegiance to a fascist administration, I will be boycotting your station as well as Paramount Plus. I’ll be writing to your advertisers, too, and letting them know that I won’t shop with them as long as they buy ad time with you.
At this fraught moment in American history we must all draw a line. CBS, sadly, has drawn the wrong one. Your reputation will likely never recover.
Grab your Wallet! 💳
Good Good Good has a great list of Eco-friendly gift ideas here! Just thought I’d share.
Win Races! 🗳
Postcards to Voters has two new campaigns in Virginia!
The January 6 special elections in Virginia are exactly the kind of low-turnout contests where postcard writers like you and your friends can change outcomes. Most voters will not even realize an election is underway as they settle back into regular routines after the winter break. That means every personal reminder you send carries out-sized weight. A few dozen votes could determine who wins in both cases. Workers, reproductive rights, public schools, civil rights, and environmental protections are all on the line.
Democrat Charlie Schmidt is running for House of Delegates to bring steady leadership and practical problem solving to Richmond. Democrat Mike Jones is running for the State Senate. The vacancy was created when the incumbent won her election to Lt. Governor in November.
Republicans are hoping that these early January special elections will have very low voter engagement. It will be a challenge for the campaigns to get enough volunteers at this time of year and with such short notice. That is why turnout is everything here. Money and ads will not decide this race. Direct voter contact will. Your fun, friendly postcards can make a winning difference in both elections.
Getting addresses should be easy - and fast! Try one of the 3 self-service options or, if you have questions, email their amazing volunteer team!
Web: Abby.PostcardsToVoters.org
Slack: bit.ly/SlackAbby
EMail Bot: Request@AbbyAddresses.org
EMail Human: Postcards@TonyTheDemocrat.org
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PTJDAJ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
President Donald Trump has announced a “total and complete blockade” of U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela—an escalation that constitutes economic warfare against an entire nation. The administration has paired this move with the reckless designation of the Venezuelan state as a “foreign terrorist organization,” while openly boasting of a U.S. naval armada encircling the country.Blockades are instruments of collective punishment. They do not distinguish between a minister and a midwife, a general and a farmer. Venezuela relies on oil exports as a lifeline for food imports, medicine, energy, and regional stability. Cutting off maritime routes deliberately inflicts harm on civilians throughout Venezuela and the wider Caribbean.History offers a clear warning. In 2019, as U.S. sanctions intensified, then–Secretary of State Mike Pompeo admitted that Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis was worsening “by the hour.” Civilian suffering was not an accident—it was the pressure mechanism. Today’s blockade doubles down on that same failed and morally indefensible strategy.Even more alarming is the trajectory toward a land war. Naval blockades, sanctions enforcement, and “counterterror” designations are historically used to justify escalation when coercion fails. A U.S. ground invasion of Venezuela would be catastrophic: politically, morally, and strategically. Foreign land wars consistently lose public support, cost thousands of lives, destabilize entire regions, and entangle the United States in conflicts far more complex than promised. Recent history—from Iraq to Afghanistan—makes this lesson unmistakable.Under the Constitution, only Congress has the authority to authorize war. Economic siege, naval blockades, and preparatory military deployments designed to force regime change are acts of war in all but name. If the president intends to initiate hostilities against Venezuela, he must seek explicit authorization from Congress. If he does not, Congress must act immediately to stop him.This means enforcing the War Powers Resolution, cutting off unauthorized funding, holding public hearings, and making clear that no land war, blockade, or escalation may proceed without legislative approval. Failure to act would represent an abdication of Congress’s constitutional duty.The United States must not normalize siege warfare, collective punishment, or executive war-making by fiat. Congress must assert its authority now—before economic warfare turns into another disastrous and unlawful land war.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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