Aug 142026
 

Yesterday, the CPR newsletter headline must have been written by Captain Obvious. It read “Drought dries up rivers.” I’m not complaining – I’m well aware how quickly the obvious can get lost, especially when people have strong feelings. As I do about this. A sweet little mountain town whixh leans heavily on tourism is being destroyed. And it doesn’t stop there. The river in question formerly continued on and fed into the Huerfano River, which in turn (I think still, but less) feeds into the Arkansas River, which provides water for the eastern half of the state, where the agriculture is.

From Colorado Public Radio. Weld County is roughly in the northeast corner of Colorado. It is at least ruby red – possibly garnet red. The corporation involved in this venture has no permits – and doesn’t appear to give a f*ck. The parts of Colorado east of I25 don’t get wildfires like the western part, I think mostly because they are low on trees, but they are by no means immune to drought. I think I wrote about the time – which must be more that six years ago, when I had to drive across half the state to see Virgil, I saw a nominal river (more like a creek really) actually burn up before my eyes. Seeing a creek in flames is an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone. And as far as I know, the creek died in the fire. I never saw water come back to it.None of Colorado’s rivers is as healthy as it was when I came tp the state in 1976, and I’m pretty sure they were already unhealthy then – because our history reports memorable floods before that year, and I know of none afterwards. The last thing Weld County – or any county in Colorado – needs is a data center.

Referred by VoteVets, specifically General Eaton. He sends a daily “Four Star” which includes 4 links to short summaries of news articles regarding the armed forcea. This one has Kegsbreath’s fingerprints all over it.

All I need to say about this article by Robert Reich is “AMEN!”

The cruelty really is the point.

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Aug 122026
 

Yesterday, I signed this. It’s not a petition. It’s a get well (or at least feel better) card. I’m not trying to pressure anyone to sign it – only to make it available in case anyone wants to. And then there was this (archived from WaPo. Someone’s been reading too many Tom Clancy novels. Amd, after that, there was this. Not surprising, I’m sure.

This is what I’ve been thinking – now is not the time.

(From the Atlanta Black Star) I would expect something like this to happen in Louisiana or Mississippi – not in California – nor even in Los Angeles (where I might expect no action ay all.) Ihave no woeds (that are printable.

There’s a lot in and around this Brennan Center newsletterContains several topics. The main one titled “Americans Can Vote Without Fear” I though might be encourahing, being reality based (although that might depend to some degree on who your Xecretary of State is.)

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Aug 092026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Pelléas and Mélisande by Debussy = the only opera he ever finished. The plot is basically Tristan und Isolde without the love potion, and so steeped in turn-of-the-20th-century symbolism that it’s tricky to follow – a listener just needs to go with the flow. The libretto is from a play by Maurice Maeterlink – who was pissed off that his girl freind was not cast as Mélisande ay the premiere that he didn’t see it until agfter Debussy died, at which time he said, “In this affair I was entirely wrong and he was a thousand times right.” As a listener/viewer, I would say this quote from Wikipedia nails it: “The deliberate vagueness of the story is paralleled by the elusiveness of Debussy’s music.” Off to see Virgil now. Will check in upon return.

Archived from abc news because theirs only stay up for a while and I need to spread them out to avoid running short.

I am impressed. I did know that birds – particylarly columbids (which includes pigeons) and corvids (crows and ravens), but a bird knowing, first, the it needs oxygen, and second, that it could get some from the right humans, andthird, that these were the right humans -that’s quite a feat.

From GOODGOODGOOD. Just look at all the volunteers it took to make this happen.

Here’s a link to the GIF at the bottom, since it isn’t GIFing: https://martiniambassador.substack.com/p/baby-okapi-is-okie-dokie

These Grannies are from Charlotte (I assume NC.)

 

 

 

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Aug 072026
 

Yesterday, I found a taxi service that would and could get me to the clinic and home. To the clinic went great. From was a bit tougher – I didn’t get home until five – but I did get home safe and sound. It’s called “Go Go Grandparent” and it requirea minimum technology – no apps. And it costs very litle more than the last taxi I used before there was Uber. (In fact, if I remembered what year it was I last used a taxi and adjusted that cost for inflation, GGG might turn out to be less.

This from All Rise News is interesting – not least because of the reason the Apricot Antichrist wanted Hearn’s charges to be dismissed without prejudice. I’m not inside his head – but I think it’s because he needs enemies (or believes he does) to get what’s left of his base fired up and voting.
– all three topics. There’s a photo from above of the Zorro Ranch (and you thought Trump** had bad taste!)

I don’t really need to comment on this Morning Memo story from TPM. The title alone pretty much says it all. And, as always, it’s not the only story.)

Even in fraud, Democrats are morally superior to Republicans. We used the carrot, they used the stick. (JK.) As long as I have been working elections, this could not have happened, so at least we as a state did something about it.

2fer

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Aug 032026
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by and I think we had even more fun than usual. And got more done. This week I have one or two medical appointments and an appointment for my exterminator to come and check that all is still going well (which I think and hope is the case.)

My Attorney General (God willing and the creek don’t rise, my next governor) will be (by the time you see this is) on to this like ugly on Stephen Miller. I can’t guarantee he and we will win – but I believe the Apricot Antichrist is zero for twenty.

The same is true for Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, People from the Middle East, Native Americans, anyone who speaks American English with an accent, and women of any color or origin. Add all those groups together and you come up with a commanding majority (which doesn’t actually command anything – but should.)

Archived from Huff Post, and it certainly buttresses the point of the previous article, doesn’t it. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Harlem Ren

Cat

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Aug 022026
 

Yesterday,the radio opera was “L’Eliser d’Amore” (“The Love Potion) by Gaetano Donizetti. It’s a comedy, and not just because it has a happy ending. It premiered in 1832 abd kas kiterakky never been out of the repertory. Normally, I’m not crazy about productions which change the time or the country an opera is set in – because there’s always something that doesn’t fit the history and/or culture of the new setting) – but, years ago (so many years that I was not yet married) a production was televised set in the 1860’s in the American southwest in the 1860s – and it was spooky how well it fit. The southwest did not have peasants – but it did have cowboys. And it had traveling snale oil salesmen. And there was a war on. (And of course, a young woman who owns a farm or a ranch could be just about anywhere, any time.) Since then, I have never heard it without remembering that production. (And it didn’t hurt that the tenor was very easy on the eyes.)

I would never have thought of this, but I’m glad someone did. (I did think of taking bayyet to address balance issues – and it worked – but didn’t last because I didn’t keep it up. Marine bases didn’t have barres installed then – and I’d be very surprised if they do even now.)

This chick is lucky to be a penguin – it it were an animal which could be cuddled gy humans, it would be cuddled within an inch of its life, it’s so adorable. (No disrespect is meant by calling it “it” – penguins cannot be gendered by humans visually, and it needs to be old enough for a blood test to check its DNA, and it isn’t yet.)

This is long for a Sunday, and it’s also not yet actual good news but potential good news. But, having spent a couple of years as a regular visitor to a couple where the wife had advanced Parkinson’s, it hits home to me.

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Jul 312026
 

Yesterday, I ranted about what the Do”J” is doing trying to convict Comey. Today, I learned Glenn Kirschner is even more pissed than I am. (He described the credibility of an anonymous witness mentioned in the prsecution documents as “lower than whale shit.” I might just add, inmy own experience between 50 and 60 years ago – we did use the tern “86.” It meant to “throw out” as one would a useless piece of paper into a wastebasket. That’s all.

Well, this is interesting (referred by Dose of Democracy). It does go along with his support of Native Americans, which has been consistent and pretty much passionate – and which is the reason I’ve been saying “If we must have one far-right justice on the Court, let it be Gorsuch.”

Apparently ProPublica has learned that there is something else that AI is food for – it can find bugs in software faster than Microsoft can fix them.

The Conversation addresses a case in the Texas court system which could change our national definition of the word “terrorism.” I’m not comfortable with it – the possible change reminds me of the McCarthy era -which resulted in entire generations thinking they know what “communism” is – and being wrong.

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Jul 292026
 

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing I can do witr Paint software (and probably any other non-Wordpress or non-Bluehost software) to keep the inages from overflowing, even if I reduced them to 100 pixels (roughly the size of a postage stamp.) Instead, I don’t even know whether I need to make them 800 pixels or smaller,ut I do, then put them into the draft, preview it and watch them spred out beyond reason, then go into our library and scale them there. After which, I need to “refresh” the draft and preview again and see them fill (but not overflow) the space. At least it appears to work. Please, anyone and everyone, let me know it it’s not working for you.

This is Dropsite News from Saturday. It came only to the old email. I didn’t delete it but also didn’t read it then. Monday I read it and decided that in a time when I know there are many in the US feeling like nothing they can do makes a difference, we needed to see it. Though it would not work with every insult, I admired the power of embracing the opponent’s insult.

This is what VoteVets thinks of our “strategy” in the Middle East. Yeah. A second thing the Mango Moron and Kegsbreath have in common (besides both being playground bullies in adult bodies) is thet neither can read the room – or in this case the Theater – with the reuly that they are completely unable to construct – or even imagine – an actual strategy ( or even to recognize one when they see it. And Iran clearly has one. Or more.) Veterans with combat experience, particularly in the Middle East and pretty much regardless of rank, are all saying the same things about this war – just with different framing.

IANAL, but I think I can safely say Jim Jordan is out of his ever-hating mind if he thinks he has a case here. Of course, heANAL either – Harry Litman makes that painfully obvious.

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