The ‘Damn You’re Good’ Patsi Bale Cox Award Goes To …

By OldSeaHag, a Trail Mix Contributor

patsiPatsi Bale Cox was a talented author and renowned entertainment journalist, a devoted mother and grandmother — full of spunk, spicy humor, and a self-described original bitch for all seasons. She was also our good friend. Patsi was Trail Mix’s most fervent feminist, a devoted Hillary supporter and much like Hillary she didn’t back down in the face of a debate. It energized her.

These primaries surely would have kept Patsi busy fighting the good fight against the double standards imposed on Hillary and the rampant misogyny of the other candidates. This award won’t be restrained to an annual event, but shall be bestowed whenever we are so inspired by individuals who exemplify Patsi’s indomitable spirit.  

The first “Damn You’re Good” Patsi Bale Cox Award goes to Jamie for her dedication and persistence in battling and exposing the injustices of sexism. Damn you’re good Jamie. We thank you and surely Patsi does too.

patsi_garth

Garth Brooks on Patsi: “Whatever was wrong right now, Patsi knew how to fix it, and I never knew her to be wrong. She gave you reason with an attitude. She gave you reason with drive. You felt like you could go out and slay a nation after talking with her because she laid it down.”

Read More: Garth Brooks Interview, “Superstar Entertainer Remembers a Special Friend”

And more: Patsi Bale Cox, Music Journalist, Dies at 66


alumni_-_cox__patsi_bale2My Take (Craig): I will never forget the day Patsi flamed me something awful for whatever I had said on TV or written that offended her, I don’t remember what it was, but her missive was so well wriiten and forcefully put I just had to set aside bruised ego, respond and say, keep it up woman, I need your voice. (KGC, I think we had a similar experience.) And we are all so grateful Patsi obliged us for so many years until her untimely death. I feel the same way about Jamie, so I am pleased OSH wrote this post for us. — Craig

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Those Who Are Too Smart To Engage In Politics

Are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.  — Plato

By Blue Bronc, a Trail Mix Contributor

What a feeling I awakened with this morn.  Friday evening was the Anne Arundel County Central Committee annual dinner.  A meeting of the most political of political people in politics.  People who are the unseen forces behind the every Democratic Party Member running for any office.  The people who watch CSPAN and listen to NPR, or are on NPR or CSPAN.  The people who watch Prime Minister’s Questions.

Oh, and there were the elected too.  Anne Arundel County provides the high power to the Maryland Assembly.  The fight to keep Governor Hogan from going all Republican on Maryland rests with the Speaker of House, Rep. Busch.  A few miles away is the now blinding white dome over the Congress. Several Maryland members of the Congress came to the dinner too.  Rep. Steny Hoyer was great as usual. Our candidates to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski spoke well and gave good reasons to vote for either of them. Sen. Mikulski was not at the dinner to my disappointment.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
The night was even more exciting because of the key note speaker, Rep. Elijah Cummings.  Oh the deep feelings he brought out.  His speech was full, heartfelt and powerful; from his poor childhood and that of his parents as near slaves in South Carolina, to today as one of the most important Democrats in the Congress.  He is the one man who destroyed Republican attempts to blame Ms. Clinton for Benghazi and pretty much everything else that has happened since the Romans left England.

He reminded us of what we are – Democrats.  We can see what Mr. Weird Hair is doing, and why those voting for him do so.  We are Democrats and we must never forget why so many are falling for the bluster and wild talk.  It is up to us to make life better for all Americans.

For all the political power in the room, and there was a lot, we enjoyed a nice night together.  In politics one often gives everything to achieve the win, or preventing someone else from winning.  Long hard hours, constantly promoting your candidates, often calling people asking for money.  You make this relaxation time your fun time.

Okay, politics is still in the air. Rather, politics is the air.

You have slogged through so far and want the candy.  Today, there is no candy.  Today is the “ask”.  The point of all this is to lure you into getting involved in politics.  Politics is the putting a stamp on an envelope.  It is getting a nice walk on a weekend to meet fifty or one hundred people at their homes to hand them literature about a candidate.  It is driving a candidate from one house party to another house party (you get to eat campaign food doing this).  It is doing whatever you feel comfortable doing to help elect a woman or man you want to represent you.

A dinner, you pay a lot for, is a reward.  No awards are given out.  Maybe a shout out, but most likely not.  The dinner is how political people take a break from politics.  More politics.

A side effect is you might want to run for office too.  That is a blast, at least for some of us.  For others, not so much a blast as a drudge through the mud.

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Obama Warns: If ‘Madmen’ Terrorists Get Nuclear Material

I always worry when the guy who gets daily intelligence briefings talks like this:

There is no doubt that if these madmen ever got their hands on a nuclear bomb or nuclear material, they would certainly use it to kill as many innocent people as possible. It would change our world.” — Barack Obama

Perhaps some solace in that he said it on April Fools Day? NOT!

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Anticipating April Fool Foolery

https://youtu.be/Ciavyc6bE7A

from raw story:

When Anonymous declared “total war” on Donald Trump in early March, the hacktivist group set a countdown clock, calling on “everyone to target Trump websites” on April 1. But that may not have been its real objective.

Regardless of what, if anything, is planned for April 1, the actual attack may have already happened. That’s because the hack appears to be not of any website or technology but rather of Trump himself.
[…..]
Whether or not Anonymous succeeds in dismantling – or even tries to attack – Donald Trump’s websites on April Fools’ Day is probably irrelevant. By cleverly goading Trump into calling for a law enforcement response against people who have only distributed already-public information, Anonymous has already begun to undermine his antiestablishment brand. That’s a pretty good trick.

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