‘How populist are you?’

The Guardian last week presented a quiz one may take to determine one’s level of populism.

I have a screen shot of this above.

But, right here, is the link: How Populist Are You? — Quiz.

Once Again, Here Is Hillary Clinton…

Hillary Clinton strikes again!

Last week, during the week of the holiday that was Thanksgiving 2018, was a published article in The Guardian.

More followed.

Hillary Clinton, the most unpopular presidential nominee in the history of the Democratic Party, who lost the 2016 presidential election to the most unpopular presidential nominee in the history of the Republican Party, Donald Trump, unnecessarily reminds us of the following: While it is not good the president of the United States is Donald Trump, it is good the president of the United States is not Hillary Clinton.

The latest: Hillary Clinton, on not only right-wing populism but also immigration, and what a beauty!

Here, with the following screen shot, is a reminder: Clinton, Blair, Renzi: why we lost, and how to fight back.

I posted it, last week, anyway. But, that was in the comments section.


There is more: Hillary Clinton: Europe must curb immigration to stop rightwing populists.

An opinion piece, in response to this, was followed here: Hillary Clinton’s chilling pragmatism gives the far right a free pass.

Below are some videos—ones by Jimmy Dore, Jamarl Thomas, Mi Casa Es Su Casa’s Niko House, and The Rational National’s David Doel—which have since been uploaded to YouTube.

(I am hoping for videos also come from Tim Black, The Humanist Report’s Mike Figueredo, and Secular Talk’s Kyle Kulinski, or anyone else like The Real News; so, I can add however many of them here as well.)

Thanksgiving Week!

During this week, there will be just this one blog entry thread.

I wish everyone, here at Progressives Chat, a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Appreciation: Joni Mitchell

Last week, on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, was the 75th birthday for the legendary songwriter and singer Joni Mitchell.

She was born Roberta Joan Anderson, on November 7, 1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. 

I haven’t had the time to write more lengthy about Joni Mitchell. (This was much due to the elections. Timing.) Anyone can do his reading on Mitchell’s roughly 50-year career—including being in her early-20s when she wrote “Both Sides, Now”—and her personal life (including a daughter, born during the 1960s, not revealed until Mitchell was past age 50).

(I wrote and posted, this past March, on the milestone birthdays of other music greats: James Taylor, 70; Quincy Jones, 85; George Benson, 75; and Chaka Khan, 65. To some people looking at those numbers, their ages, it can feel a bit strange. But, as the passing of time shows—well, it does add up. And, so, Joni Mitchell is now 75.)


Mitchell’s career was most prominent during the late-1960s and thoughout the 1970s. She delved into more mainstream pop fare during the 1980s (Dog Eat Dog, 1985; Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm, which garnered her a 1988 Grammy nomination for Female Pop Vocal Performance for the entire LP). Mitchell’s 1990s albums Turbulent Indigo (1995 Grammy for Best Pop Album) and Taming of the Tiger (1998) were more remarkable. I did enjoy her 2002 comment, in Rolling Stone, on what had become of the music industry. While describing it as a “corrupt cesspool,” Mitchell added, “I'll be glad if the industry goes down the crapper.”

In 2008, jazz great Herbie Hancock won the 2007 Grammy for Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, an LP which paid tribute specifically to the songs of Mitchell. She even recorded, with Hancock, on “Tea Leaf Prophecy.” (Wikipedia mentions Mitchell shared in some credit with that Grammy: “Although officially a Herbie Hancock release, Mitchell also received a Grammy due to her vocal contribution to the album.”)


In 2015, Joni Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm. She has been mostly absent from the public. (I don’t have a feeling she will record again. But, I want to be wrong.) In the following picture, Mitchell was at the recent concert tribute in her honor. Rolling Stone reported here: Joni Mitchell at 75: Friends and Admirers Honor an Icon at Moving Tribute Show.

Below are five tracks I appreciate from the following albums: Ladies of the Canyon (1970); Blue (1971); Court and Spark (1974 Grammy nominee for Album of the Year which also included Record of the Year nominee “Help Me”); Turbulent Indigo (1995); and her stirring 2000 re-recording of “Both Sides, Now” (which nabbed her a Grammy nomination for Female Pop Vocal Performance from the album Both Sides Now).

‘Maj. Danny Sjursen: War, Ignored; The Pentagon's Empire of Secrecy…’

Last Thursday, November 8, 2018, The Zero Hour host RJ Eskow interviewed Maj. Danny Sjursen on the 2018 midterm elections and that the continuation of wars was not made an election issue.

As much fun as one can have with election outcomes, this is much more important. The timing happens to also be good. So, I have chosen to make this half-hour video the topic of this blog entry.

Election Night Was ‘Real’ For Abby Martin

I was tempted to write a post-Election 2018 analysis. But, I came across The Real News’s coverage and was impressed by much of it that I wanted to present some of it as this blog entry’s topic. I was particularly appreciative of Abby Martin. And I will share it here.

Election Day

The day has arrived.

The 2018 midterm elections.

I invite readers to comment, as they normally would like, but I really want to encourage comments which will have a focus on the day’s elections.

Here, listed in order of population rank, and on Eastern Time (because of broadcast- and cable-news coverage), is a timeline for when states’ polls will be closing [if you want local information, here is a source: State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2018) ]:

Source: PBS image. (Date is uncertain but is applicable here in 2018.)

07:00 p.m. ET

 • Georgia
 • Virginia
 • Indiana
 • South Carolina
 • Kentucky
 • Vermont

07:30 p.m. ET

 • Ohio
 • North Carolina
 • West Virginia

08:00 p.m. ET

 • Florida
 • Pennsylvania
 • Illinois
 • New Jersey
 • Massachusetts
 • Tennessee
 • Missouri
 • Maryland
 • Alabama
 • Oklahoma
 • Connecticut
 • Mississippi
 • Maine
 • New Hampshire
 • Rhode Island
 • Delaware
 • District of Columbia

08:30 p.m. ET

 • Arkansas

09:00 p.m. ET

 • Texas
 • New York
 • Michigan
 • Arizona
 • Wisconsin
 • Colorado
 • Minnesota
 • Louisiana
 • Kansas
 • Nebraska
 • New Mexico
 • South Dakota
 • North Dakota
 • Wyoming

10:00 p.m. ET

 • Iowa
 • Utah
 • Nevada
 • Montana

11:00 p.m. ET

 • California
 • Washington
 • Oregon
 • Idaho
 • Hawaii

01:00 a.m. ET

 • Alaska