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Greetings Earthlings, Happy Halloween & Samhain blessings. The veil between the worlds grows thin. Perhaps The Mad King's victims will return to haunt him (#NoKings) this season. Our favorite Wiccan Priestess, Laura Wildman-Hanlon returns to the show to celebrate and enlighten us. As always, (but perhaps with an edge) we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, Those Whose Brains Were small and They Died, Who Left the Door Open and way more, but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! How about a Halloween special?
Breaking News! Did someone say Halloween Special? How about a Samhain Special? Our guest and assorted Pagans will be holding a New Moon in the Valley Samhain acknowledgement at the UMass Sun Wheel, Rocky Hill Road, Amherst, MA. It begins at 4pm on Sunday November 1st. This rite is to honor the season and to remember our beloved dead. It is an outdoor ritual so dress warm if needs be. Bring some treats. No tricks.
Our Fool-on-the-Hill almost got away from us in the ever active mob of fools where it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. "U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga, was called “the village idiot” in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal [in July 2024], after Collins claimed on the X social media platform that President Joe Biden gave an order to have Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assassinated. [His Malignancy] was allegedly wounded during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania as shots were fired from the roof of a nearby building. He was subsequently treated and released from medical care after being whisked from the stage with [what looked like] blood visible on one ear and cheek. In a post on @MikeCollinsGA account, Collins wrote, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”
Speaking of fools, Who Left the Door Open for "CBS News editor in chief and anti-woke crusader Bari Weiss [who] urged her newsroom to cover right-wing conspiracy theories regarding Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed. Semafor reported that Weiss was particularly focused on El-Sayed’s (nonexistent) ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and 9/11, and Talarico’s (also nonexistent) trip to a mental health facility." So much for established journalism. Bari Weiss is the kind of monster who gives monsters a bad rep. One can only imagine how many broken souls must be left in her wake as she clawed her way up the ladder to the front office. Weiss reminds us of some out-of-control lithium ion battery fire spewing PFAS chemicals all over the place and polluting everything around her.
Our Doublespeak of the Week is focused on the doublespeakiest of all Doublespeakers in The Swamp. Given the proximity of Halloween, think of His Malignancy as the newest Creature from The Black Lagoon. This time around The Creature is less focused on abducting innocent maidens (though he'll take them, once again, if he can) and more into throwing elections (for instance voters in Tennessee said machines changed their Dem votes to Repugnican). OK, are you ready? Here it comes: "A spokesperson for the White House declined an interview request but defended Trump’s handling of election security in an emailed statement. “President Trump has done more than any other President to ensure we have free and fair elections,” said Lauren Bis. Say what??
Moving on, but not far from, it's time once again for "Their Brains Were small and They Died" at which point we return to pointing towards ICE as the appropriate candidate for comparing present day fascist monsters with the dinosaurs of old tromping across the landscape terrorizing all creatures around and breaking everything in sight. The American Prospect reveals "The federal government released dozens of mortality reviews of immigrants who died in detention in recent years. They show a uniform pattern of medical neglect." Surprise! The piece goes on: "..at least 65 people... have died in immigration detention since [His Malignancy] retook the White House....numerous immigrants inside detention... have reported widespread medical neglect that in some cases turns fatal." All that is just what goes on in detention. Most of us have seen how these monsters behave in public.
And then, of course, there's The Monster-in-Chief himself. Who can keep track of what he and his enablers "Flood the Zone" with? These guys? These guys? Maybe these guys? Surely these guys! The sequels to The Worst Show on Earth keep coming. We never run out of material here on The Enviro Show. If only we could! Our mailbox would stop haunting us, like some Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
OK, let's move on to something less disturbing, say....um..."It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" yes, back from the grave: COP-17! Not quite as bad as COP31 (the 31st Conference of the Parties Climate debacle). "Greenpeace is demanding governments at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17) move from simply recognising gaps and deliver strong, action-oriented decisions to prevent irreversible ecosystem collapse and biodiversity loss." Sound like a plan? An Lambrechts, Head of the Greenpeace delegation to CBD COP17 said: “We’re halfway to 2030 and the evidence is clear: we are far off track to reach the 30×30 targets. The systems that sustain life on Earth are under threat, and decisions made at COP17 must deliver a clear course correction to protect our planet’s ecosystems. This COP can’t become a mere entry in a vast log of destruction. Governments need to agree on concrete actions that tackle the drivers of biodiversity loss, increase finance and redirect money flows to where they are needed. But decisions in Yerevan will only matter if governments follow through at home. They cannot continue promising to protect nature while supporting its destruction through harmful subsidies and incoherent policies. Any more delay is a threat to our survival on the planet.” OK, sorry, no relief there. How about....Bats!
Our Critter of the Week gets a lot of recognition (and bad press) around Halloween time. We can thank Dracula for that one but truth be known: "Bats have been on Earth for more than 50 million years. With more than 1,500 species, they are the second largest order of mammals, and are widely dispersed across six continents. Globally, bats provide vital ecosystem services in the form of insect pest consumption, plant pollination, and seed dispersal, making them essential to the health of global ecosystems", that according to Bat Conservation International (BCI). Also, Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. We're not sure why Bats are feared by so many humans but Bats have good reason to be afraid of us. "Today, bats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destruction, accelerated climate change, invasive species, and other stresses. Without concerted international action, their populations will continue to fall, driving many species to extinction." Soooo, Happy International Bat Week !
In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay The Daily Hampshire Gazette & Greenfield Recorder's shared feature "Western Mass. towns push back on state solar siting rules at Shutesbury forum." The story is well written and quotes many area activists and residents concerned about the State's disregard for our forests and Nature in general. The pay per view link above reminds us of the need to support local media in these times of corporate media consolidation and the manipulation of information by those who do not have our best interests in mind. Please consider subscribing to your local newspapers but if you really can't afford it you can find copies of many local & regional papers at your local public library.
Our Quote of the Week is spot on:
"The wind outside nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows' Eve."
- Ray Bradbury
After our interview with Laura it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:
First Here's Indivisible Northampton — Swing Left Western Mass's complete daily listing of all the pro-democracy events in WMass: https://in-slwm.org/wp-content/uploads/Calendar/cal.html. If you're looking for an easy weekday way to jump into the climate movement, you'll love the State House Stand Out! We gather at the Massachusetts State House in Boston between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Volunteers stand together for 2-hour "shifts," either outside or inside depending on weather, and talk with visitors and State House staff about the Climate Crisis. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 – 4pm.: Indivisible's What's the Plan with Leah and Ezra. Go HERE. Fridays, 1:30 to 3pm: De-ICE Hanscom Airfield Stand Outs, Hanscom Rotary, Lincoln, MA. Go HERE. ALSO:
Friday July 24, 4 to 5pm. Indivisible West Quabbin's Wisdom Way Bridge Visibility Brigade Rte I-91 every 4th Friday. Overpass standout located on Wisdom Way, Greenfield, MA. For more information or to sign up go to Mobilize or contact westquabbinindivisible@gmail.com . Saturdays, 11am to 1pm: No Fear w/Street Theatre, Burlington ICE Facility, Burlington Mall Rd. @ District Ave., Burlington, MA Go HERE
IndivisibleNorthampton.org upcoming actions:
Tuesday October 27, 6 to 8:30pm. Screening of “EARTH’S GREATEST ENEMY”: A Conversation with Director Abby Martin. Tilton Library, 75 N. Main Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373. Filmmakers Abby Martin and Mike Prysner examine how carbon emissions from the U.S. military cause environmental contamination and widespread ecological damage. Pizza & snacks available. Thank you for your patience regarding the postponement of our webinar with director Abby Martin discussing her film Earth’s Greatest Enemy. The webinar has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 7 pm.
Saturday October 31, Noon. A Halloween Die- In. Climate change is SCARY but let's face the unknown together with a Halloween Die-In! Outside Park St T Station, 121 Tremont St, Boston, MA. Join us for a short but impactful die-in highlighting the impact of climate inaction and the resulting climate and ecological emergencies. Wear orange and/or black if you can, as well as clothes you're OK lying on the ground in. If it's damp out we'll have a "blood red" tarp. Though we may have it either way :). This is a great action for new and seasoned activists. We're putting a stop to doom-scrolling and coming together to take action! Afterward we'll visit a local establishment for food and socializing (optional). RSVP for updates! Rain date: Sunday, November 1.
Nate Woodward at the Greenfield Library, Main Street, Greenfield, MA. for an inspiring gathering with keynote speakers Corinne Coryat and Nate Woodward and a celebration of the HerStory poets. Organizers invite the public to join together in community on the day after the election. The event will include a choice of workshops with each of the speakers. Nate Woodward who is chair of the Greenfield Human Rights Commission offers a workshop that will address the election as well as unlearning racism. The HerStory Club's workshop is on Woman Advocacy. This free event is sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice who organize the Young Peacemakers awards each spring.
Thursday November 12, 12pm to 1pm. Rally to stop private jet expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere! Hear from great speakers, hold signs and banners, sing songs, make noise and let the Governor and others who hold the power to cancel the expansion see that – after three years – we still care more about preserving a livable climate more than the profits to be made from unleashing thousands of additional private luxury jet flights over Massachusetts. To keep that momentum and call out the reckless intentions of the project’s proponents we will gather for a one-hour rally in Boston’s financial district. More details about the agenda will be shared between now and then. The exact location will be kept under wraps until a week before the rally and will be shared with participants who fill out this RSVP form. Check the RSVP form often to keep up with the latest information.
Another Halloween & Samhain come 'n gone, just remember to listen to your Mother, OK?
