Yesterday, Trinette didn’t feel she was safe to come over, but is pretty sure she will by Wednesday evening. I sent her a Jacquie Lawson card with a recipe for chicken soup. I did get a little knitting done – not a whole lot, but enough to get me finished with a yarn that was dragging me down (a ladder yarn to be precise). I’ll be finishing the garment with a normal worsted yarn which is mostly recycled fibers (I am guessing mostly acrylic.)
As Robert Reich points out, nothing here is any reason for complacency. But they are reasons for hanging in there and fighting as much as we individually can.
There are several topics in this The F* News article, but the main one, the first one, is public health – and those of us who live in blue states can all be grateful for the news here. Those of us in red states … your nearest blue state may be a good place to look for vaccines.
I threw this in as a sort of extra, because it made me so angry. The Mango Moron is not smart enough to know about the 30-day minimum himself – so some veteran must have broken his (or her) oath and told him.
Yesterday, I hadn’t slept well, and got up with a (fortunately mild) headache. But I managed to hear the radio opera anyway. It was “Der Rosenkavalier” by Richard Strauss. It’s technically a comedy, and it does have some humor, but the basis for the category is really just that there’s a more or less happy ending. The plot is complicated AF, and the premise of the tradition of the “Knight of the Rose” is something Strauss and/or his librettist made up. I first heard (and saw) it on TV when I was pretty new at USAA, and I vaguely remember dreaming afterwards I answered a call from the general’s wife (“Marschallin” in German) to add her as a driver on his auto policy. The Opera is late Strauss, and considered his masterpiece, so there is little if any deliberate dissonance, as there was (appropriately) in Salome or Elektra, and the waltzes in particular are gorgeous (anachronistic, but gorgeous.). Not much like those of the Johan Strauss family (no relation to Richard) but equally lovely in different ways. Also, I found and listened to a conversation between Heather Cox Richardson and Sherrod Brown – just under 30 minutes.
This was shared by Daily Dose of Democracy. There isn’t a paywall, but there is an ad blocker wall. My browser will allow me to turn off the ad blocker for just one site (and I can always turn it on again when I leave.) I thought the story well worth it.
This is from Wednesday, and it’s not as if you don’t know what happened. But the analysis about how rare it is is delightful so I saved it for Sunday.
The 6 Cheetah cubs at the Metro Richmond (VA) Zoo are doing well and have been moved to the public portion of the compound so visitors can see them in person. (photos at link)
Yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Barber and others containing a copy of a letter they prepared in response to the Apricot Antichrist being quoted as saying he wanted to get into heaven. It is totally honest, while at the same time being kind and filled with love. God help the person who has to read it to him (he’d never be able to read it himself. It’s too honest, has too many words and ideas he wouldn’t grasp – you get the picture, I’m sure.) But if anyone who has never met or even seen a real Christian is interested in knowing how one thinks and at least aspires to act, this would be a good place to look. I don’t have a link but am saving it as a reminder of who I am supposed to be. Also yesterday – remember Trey Gowdy? One of the candidates for dumbest Congressman and IIRC also showing up in Separated at Birth memes, though I forget with whom (possibly the Malfoy brat?) He’s on Fox now, and under fire for suggesting that it might, just possibly might, be a good time to discuss gun control. And, speaking of guns, one more thing – yesterday NPR reported that the Mississippi Department of Archives and History has acquired the gun with which Emmett Till was shot
Two hundred fifty years after the birth of our nations, and after many amendments to the Constitution (and I’m proud to say that all of them have been to expand the voting population), there are still people who say “My vote doesn’t count.”
Joyce Vance is correct – it isn’t just our history of slavery which condemns us – our history of internment is not much better, if at all. I might suggest that fear is a somewhat less venal and more understandable motivation than financial gain, But neither is exactly moral high ground stuff.
I had to squeeze in this from Wonkette. I don’t really have words for it. My state is another state which is prone to wildfires.
P,S. – Obviously this did not get scheduled and is therefore being posted about 15 hours late. I would like to say it won’t happen again, but I am afraid it will. Since getting started with my new PCP, my thyroid dosage has been lowered three times, I have been instructed to give up anti-inflammatories (I can have acetaminophen), I have been instructed to give up omeprazole (I can have Pepcid), and I must now take alendronate sodium weekly. Every one of those changes has normalized my blood work – and every one of those changes has negatively affected either my energy level of my pain. I wasn’t surprised – acetaminophen has never worked for me any better than a sugar pill, I tried all kinds of acid relievers before I found omeprazole, and Pepcid was the best I found prior, but there was really no comparison. And of course thyroid is directly related to energy. I am far from the first person in the world who has been instructed to give up or cut down on something that makes me life better (it’s just that one doesn’t expect those orders when it’s not something obvious like alcohol or nicotine or heroin or cocaine or meth – I’m sure y’all can think of others.) So I’m sure I can expect ore days when I conscientiously prepare the post, put it into the blog, activate the links, and possibly even fill in the time to schedule if for but then fail to hit the “schedule” button. Please try not to worry, and feel free to send me an email, or, if yu are an author or an administrator, to just go into the dashboard and post it.
Yesterday, I got an email from Trinette in which she mentioned medicine. I called, and it turned out she had caught a cold from one of her sons. Today was the third day of it and she was feeling better (and sounded pretty good, fingers crossed.) Of course I urged her to take care of herself.
This just may be one of the most optimistic posts that The F* News has ever posted. And of course he is right. Jury nullification happens, and it’s not always the best resolution to a case, but when it is, it is. Just look at the three grand jury nullifications in a row on the same case that Judge Boxwine just endured.
On Sunday’s parody music video, I remarked that I guessed AI was actually good for something. If you didn’t believe me then, you may believe it after reading (or even just skimming) this article from The Root. The only one it missed was Rush Limbaugh.
Yesterday, going to see Virgil was easy and being with him did raise my spirits. Coming home, on the other hand – it was perfectly clear skies and sun until I got on the Interstate – and from there it was rain and/or hail all the way. Several people (probably with more sense than I have) pulled over to wait it out. Those of us who persevered – none of us was going faster than 60 in the 75 zone, and some of us slower. There were actually very few scary moments, and I got home safely well before 5:00 pm.
It was actually Saturday I read about this. There’s no longer any effort, it appears, to disguise the malice as anything decent at all. It’s just revenge and retaliation – in this case retaliation for truthfully making public that the regime makes mistakes.
From The Intercept. I really do not know what to say.
ProPublica‘s investigations do turn up the least expected and often the least publicized things – with one thing in common – injustice.
Well, this from The F* News – which you may not see elsewhere (possibly The Guardian, but not in U.S. MSM) won’t surprise anyone here – but it should be shouted from the rooftops.
Yesterday, I noted that Wonkette is stoked that Mallory McMorrow is running to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate – to the point that the owner/editrix is holding a fund raiser for her on September 21st. It will be at her home, but can also be attended via Zoom. Well, I’m stoked too, and not just because I appreciate alliteration. McMorrow’s voice is fierce, and we need fierce voices in the Senate (and in the House.)
This is a Substack post by Dr. Shannon Fleck, who is (since April) the Executive Director of Faithful America. It points out that gerrymandering wasn’t enough for Texas – they had to get their sticky fingers into women’s health care as well, and tie their meddling to faith. I think this pretty well has gone under the radar, so I’m glad they had a link for us (they usually don’t.)
Yes, I know this from Wonkette is from Thursday. But it goes well with the other article. And the analysis may help explain why Evan calls his side project “The Moral High Ground.” I believe that “uncompromising” is incompatible with morality for humans (God or the universe or Karma may be able to stick to it, but the point is that they are supposed to be omniscient, whereas our human brains are not built to contain enough knowledge to never compromise.)
Yesterday, I noticed that, although one might think that when I’m moving slowly, time moves slowly, it’s actually just the opposite. I am moving slowly – but the days are flying by with much not accomplished. Sigh.
Another multipurpose article, this one from Amanda Marcotte. But if you want to read just the first section, I’ll be fine with that.
I assume everyone’s heard at least the bare bones of this travesty. But the bare bones cannot give one the feel of what is happening here. This article from the 19th, on the other hand, does.
Yesterday, I slept really late – like almost 4:00 pm. I was actually awakened by the refrigerator guy at the doorbell (I didn’t even know it could ring that loud.) But I needed it. I needed to use the TENs on my back at that spot I’ve been needing it off and on since TC was still with us – but my knees were so much better – not perfect, but I’m back in business. Also, we (Democrats) have a candidate opposing Susan Collins – but she is also getting primaried (or however that works in Maine – don’t they have ranked choice?) by a Republican – an oyster farmer (It’s silly, but somehow it nags on me that that should be an “oyster rancher.”) And one more news item – this one from Texas.
I apologize for the disgusting nature of this article from The 19th. Unfortunately, to get at the whole truth, it’s sometime necessary to face disgusting facts. And neither misogyny nor cryptocurrency is a fringe issue. Both are capable of being used (and are being used) to silence us and keep us down.
Mail-in ballots. Certainly, without them, my vote would not get counted. But I wouldn’t expect anything but disinformation from a person who lies like the rest of us breathe.
“Political Primate” is a new YouTube channel (started 7/22/25) depicting an ape (I’m no primatologist, but I think maybe an orangutan) speaking political commentary in a beautiful bass voice. Whatever he is, he is clearly highly educated, and far more intelligent than our current regime.
I’m using a Robert Reich video today instead of Belle, essentially because he asked me to. There’s a lot in it that I can’t do – but I am doing what I can. (I got a smile out of noticing that Reich watches Farron.)
