markpkessinger
markpkessinger's JournalCurrently traveling in Australia--what a wonderfully different world!
I am traveling with my eldest sister. We are visiting our "Australian sister," Julie. The back story is that in 1967-68, when i was 6-7 years old, mt eldest sister, Siri, spent her senior year of high school a Rotary exchange student in Sweden. My parents decided to give their other four children a culturally-enriching experience of our own by hosting, for the same period, an Australian student (Julie), who became just like another sibling. We have stayed in touch these many decades. She has been back to the U.S. for visits numerous times, including in 2000, when both my parents were terminally ill, when she dropped everything to come and be with them for 10 days. My parents visited her in Australia a couple of years before they passed, and my other three siblings have as well. Now it's Siri's and my turn.
The culture here is so wondefully different and refreshing. Julie's and Simon's extended families are a marvelous blend of European and various Asian nationalities (including Indian, Sri Lankan and Japanese), and many gay and lesbian couples. The best part is!that no ons here expends so much as a nanosecond worrying about what anybody else does in the bedroom!
They don't stress about politics here. That isn't to say they necessarily like everything the government does, but the general feeling is that it will all work out in the end.
They are fairly appalled by American healthcare! Even Julie's husband, Simon, who i gather tends to be a bit more conservative in his politics, said to me, "But surely you can all agrre that everyone haa a right to healthcare!" Sadly no, I told him.
Something else that makes a HUGE difference here: it is illegal for anyone to donate money to a political campaign! Elections are publicly financed, and voting is compulsory!
No country is perfect, but Australia seems to get an awful lot right that we do not!
It's a very strange feeling I'm experiencing . . .
. . . I am all set to leave the country for a month on Friday (traveling with my sister to Australia to visit a dear family friend). It's a trip I've wanted to do for years. And yet it feels so very strange to be leaving the country for a month having no idea what I will be returning to!
NYC Councilmember Erik Bottcher casts deciding "No" vote on Times Square Casino development project!
As a resident of Hell's Kitchen, I couldn't be happier!
https://w42st.com/post/councilmember-bottcher-votes-no-on-west-side-casino-bids/
In an email statement timed with the first vote, Bottcher said his decision followed “countless conversations with constituents in coffee shops, living rooms and on street corners, extensive public engagement and careful deliberation.” While he acknowledged the economic potential of the projects, Bottcher argued that casinos carry a “particularly high bar” for community support that has not been met. “Despite extensive outreach by the applicants, that level of support has not materialized,” he said.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also announced his opposition in an email sent during the Caesars Palace Times Square vote, revealing that he would say no to both that proposal and The Avenir. While acknowledging that casinos can deliver jobs, tax revenue and nonprofit support — and even noting the Caesars proposal’s “laudably diverse ownership group” — Levine warned that the potential benefits were outweighed by the dangers of destabilizing Broadway’s $14 billion cultural engine and worsening congestion, safety and quality-of-life issues in Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen.
Laura Smith, Mayor Eric Adams’ representative on the committee, cast one of the two “yes” votes but voiced frustration over how the decision unfolded. She argued that the timeline was accelerated at the request of some committee members, cutting short nearly two weeks of deliberation. “These are complex proposals with significant changes along the way,” Smith said. “The accelerated timeline has constrained the committee’s ability to meet the very standards of transparency, engagement and thorough review that were built into the CAC framework.”
After the meeting adjourned, SL Green CEO Marc Holliday lashed out in an impromptu address. Visibly shaking with anger, Holliday called the outcome “a despicable display of cowardice, lack of leadership, lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this proposal.” He accused opponents of running from their responsibilities, declaring, “The benefits you denied this community and this city and state — you have to live with that history forever.”
Councilmember Erik Bottcher casts deciding "No" vote on Times Square casino development project!
As a resident of Hell's Kitchen, I couldn't be happier!
https://w42st.com/post/councilmember-bottcher-votes-no-on-west-side-casino-bids/
In an email statement timed with the first vote, Bottcher said his decision followed “countless conversations with constituents in coffee shops, living rooms and on street corners, extensive public engagement and careful deliberation.” While he acknowledged the economic potential of the projects, Bottcher argued that casinos carry a “particularly high bar” for community support that has not been met. “Despite extensive outreach by the applicants, that level of support has not materialized,” he said.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also announced his opposition in an email sent during the Caesars Palace Times Square vote, revealing that he would say no to both that proposal and The Avenir. While acknowledging that casinos can deliver jobs, tax revenue and nonprofit support — and even noting the Caesars proposal’s “laudably diverse ownership group” — Levine warned that the potential benefits were outweighed by the dangers of destabilizing Broadway’s $14 billion cultural engine and worsening congestion, safety and quality-of-life issues in Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen.
Laura Smith, Mayor Eric Adams’ representative on the committee, cast one of the two “yes” votes but voiced frustration over how the decision unfolded. She argued that the timeline was accelerated at the request of some committee members, cutting short nearly two weeks of deliberation. “These are complex proposals with significant changes along the way,” Smith said. “The accelerated timeline has constrained the committee’s ability to meet the very standards of transparency, engagement and thorough review that were built into the CAC framework.”
After the meeting adjourned, SL Green CEO Marc Holliday lashed out in an impromptu address. Visibly shaking with anger, Holliday called the outcome “a despicable display of cowardice, lack of leadership, lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this proposal.” He accused opponents of running from their responsibilities, declaring, “The benefits you denied this community and this city and state — you have to live with that history forever.”
No, this is NOT a "watershed moment!"
Posted this just now on social media:
Much has been said about Kirk being a great advocate of the First Amendment, and how he sought to engage in "civil" dialogue with those with whom he disagreed with. Sorry, no, that just doesn't wash. Kirk was, of course, unfailingly polite and courteous in his back-and-forth with his opponents. But the ideology he was promoting -- how ever civilly and politely he presented it -- was hateful to its core! When a person argues that extending the same civil rights he gets to take for granted to a group that had historically been denied them was a "mistake," that is the very essence of hate. Or when he argues that "God's perfect law" states that gay people, who have long been disproportionately the targets of violence, should be stoned to death (and then tries to pretend he wasn't calling for violence against gay people because he didn't explicitly call for capital punishment of gay people _today_), again, that is inherently hateful.
Kirk, like many bigots before him, was savvy enough to understand that he needed to mask his hateful ideology behind a veneer of politesse in order to be taken seriously by the mainstream. But a polite bigot is still a bigot, and a hateful ideology is no less a hateful ideology when presented politely.or "civilly."
And you want to know what else is hateful? The assignations of collective blame against an entire group of citizens for the actions of one individual, who, I might add, wasn't even a member of the group being blamed. Elected Republicans continue to spew this, blaming the "radical left" for the actions of a shooter who wasn't even part of the left, despite the fact that virtually every Democratic leader came out immediately with a full-throated denunciation of Kirk's murder. Nobody on the left has anything to apologize for with regard to the murder of Charlie Kirk. Kirk promoted an ideology of hate, and was ultimately consumed by the very hatred he himself had helped to foster!
Why are elected Democrats failing to push back against Trump's dangerous rhetoric about the Kirk shooting?
Once again, I find myself frustrated with the leadership of the Democratic party in response to the Charlie Kirk shooting. Over the past 36 hours, I've heard one Republican after another, starting with Trump, hurling irresponsible statements of collective blame against "the left," while no Democrat that I've seen has pushed back against this dangerous, untrue rhetoric! Democratic party leaders have all called out the shooting -- as indeed they should -- but have been silent in response to the outrageous rhetoric by Republicans, who have tried to assign collective blame for the actions of an individual. This rhetoric is incredibly dangerous, and Democratic leaders should push back HARD against it wherever and whenever it is heard. Rhetoric such as this is itself a form of political violence, and the failure of Democratic leaders to counter that rhetoric in the strongest possible terms is utterly unacceptable!
Can you "say Reichstag Fire," boys and girls? n/t
Above the Law: "It Is Absolutely Time To Panic About Marriage Equality"
It infuriates me that the issue of same-sex marriage seems once again to be up for grabs. The bottom line here is that NO ONE, and certainly no heterosexual, has been harmed in any way by the legalization of same-sex marriage. There is NO rational reason to oppose it, or to overturn the decision that allowed it.
And then there’s just the sheer injustice and unfairness of overturning it, after millions of people have structured their lives around same-sex marriage being legal.
Look, I am not in a same-sex marriage nor, at the moment, am I even in a romantic relationship, so it isn’t something that is likely to affect me in the near future. Nevertheless, should things change for me, I certainly would want that as an option. And I cannot begin to tell you how much of a slap in the face it is to me that many even in my own family continue to support a political party that is pushing this agenda. Those family members probably think their stance “isn’t personal” towards me, but trust me, this is VERY personal! The fact of the matter is you support a party that wishes to deny me the same rights you take for granted!
There is also something seriously wrong with a system in which every bit of human progress our society has managed to make is suddenly up for grabs merely because the political winds in D.C. have shifted. Our constitution guarantees equal protection under the laws, and that’s something we shouldn’t constantly have to fight to maintain!
https://abovethelaw.com/2025/08/it-is-absolutely-time-to-panic-about-marriage-equality/
From the article:
Forewarned is forearmed.
By Kathryn Rubino on August 13, 2025 4:04 pm
[. . . .]
You probably thought the Kentucky clerk who refused to follow the law and wouldn’t provide same-sex couples with marriage licenses in the wake of the landmark marriage equality case Obergefell v. Hodges, was, like skinny jeans and side parts, a sign of a bygone era. But now that flouting the law until it bends to your preferred religious proclivities is all the rage, Davis is back.
Davis is appealing an order directing her to pay a same-sex couple $100,000 in compensation (plus attorneys fees) for denying them a marriage license. In the appeal, Davis asks the Supreme Court to overturn the Obergefell case, and even the ask is deeply concerning. Because if you’ve been paying attention, you know the Supreme Court is gunning for Obergefell.
And it’s not just the doom-vibes of 2025 that has me predicting yet another roll back of rights. There’s plenty of written evidence that demonstrated a majority of the Court is ready to end marriage equality.
It all started with Samuel Alito’s unhinged dissent in Obergefell, and he still can’t let it go. In 2020, in a denial of cert in another case involving Davis, Alito and Thomas railed against Obergefell and its “ruinous consequences for religious liberty.” Then there was Alito’s *majority* opinion overturning established precedent guaranteeing the right to reproductive freedom in Dobbs, which creates parallels between the right established in Obergefell and reproductive freedom, as they’re not “deeply rooted in history.” And, of course, the concurrence in that case written by Clarence Thomas explicitly says the Court should “reconsider” its jurisprudence on marriage equality (as well as the Court’s holdings on consensual sexual contact and contraception, so there’s more horror to look forward to).
[. . . . ]
Carriage Horse Collapses and Dies on 11th Avenue
Please, if you travel to New York, do not be tempted to take a carriage ride in or near Central Park. These animals are horribly abused, and we must shut down this industry!
by Catie Savage and Phil O'Brien
21 hours ago
A carriage horse collapsed and died in Hell’s Kitchen this afternoon, just blocks from its stable, drawing shocked reactions from witnesses and reigniting scrutiny of New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry.
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The horse, a 15-year-old mare named Lady, was heading back from Central Park to Clinton Stables on W52nd Street when she stumbled and fell near the corner of W51st Street and 11th Avenue.
According to the NYPD, officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 2:28pm reporting a horse in distress near W51st Street and 11th Avenue, within the Midtown North Precinct. When they arrived, police found a horse attached to a carriage lying on the ground. Police said that no arrests have been made, and investigations remain ongoing.
A deli worker at Farmers Cafe & Market said the incident unfolded right outside their shop. “The horse was walking normal until it started turning right onto W51st Street from 11th Ave,” he told W42ST. “It then appeared to shake, jump and then fell down on its right side. The carriage driver was by himself and he jumped down to the street and was asking us for help. We didn’t know what to do.”
[ . . . . ]
More at https://w42st.com/post/breaking-carriage-horse-collapses-and-dies-on-11th-avenue/
It is time to admit to ourselves that we are in a full-on, cold civil war...
And it has been launched by Republican cans in Texas!
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