Weather in the Tries: Hoo Boy!! It’s gonna be in the 30s, and below, until Friday, with next Monday reaching 53F.It is, literally, too cold for little dogs’s feets on the concrete. He goes outside first thing in the morning, runs out to our ‘yard’ and warms up some of the crunchy, frozen leaves, then scoots back into the house, and the bed. By then, I’m up, and have my first cuppa in my hand. No way am I going back into bed so he can stick his cold feets on me to get warm.
HOUSER: Was listening to some political tid bits this morning while working on Winter Gifts. They were on the computer and I had my ear phones on, when all of a sudden I realized there was some of the most delightful cello playing on that I’ve heard since the last time I watched Departures.* I had to come in and watch this morning instead of working, it was HOUSER – Rebel With a Cello – Live in Budapest (Full Concert). It’s taken me most of the day to watch it as I had some interruptions. If you like cello music, check him out. Houser.
There are several clips, as well as the whole concert at this site. From movies, tv series, the old masters, and some of the new ones. And besides, he’s easy to look at, as well as listen too.
He used to be half of 2 Men With Cellos, and tried to bring cello to rock n roll. Here’s a clip of the two guys and Thunderstruck [Official Video]
Thanksgiving Dinner Report: Housemate Dan and I went to Friends for dinner. Housemate volunteered to cook the turkey, but She Who Had Dinner Covered said she had under control. He could bring Salad, and I could bring my usual Pie. That threw me, I don’t bake pies. But, there’s a first time for everything, eh? So, Housemate and I braved the madding crowds at Costco and bought one of their Pumpkin Pies big enough to feed the Eighth Army! I didn’t bring any home. I did bake some pumpkin bread to take, though. Had some leftover walnut pieces and what I thought were dried cranberries, so tossed them in, too. Imagine my puckery surprise when I tried a piece of one of the three loaves and discovered they weren’t dried cranberries, but dried sour cherries. Good, but a bit of a puckery shock.
She Who Had Dinner Covered, ordered a precooked turkey and sides from a local store. What they neglected to tell her is, she would have to reheat everything. She waited until the last minute, made a mad dash to the store, and came back with an extremely cold turkey, with directions to reheat in 350F oven for 3.5 hours, frozen mashed spuds, very cold gravy, and cranberry sauce. Housemate to the rescue, he put the cooked turkey in a roasting bag added sparkling cider, tied it, and put it in the oven. 45 minutes later it was hot, and delicious. We all just ate a few more chips and things until dinner. Which was very good. Someone brought slaw, someone green beans, roasted Brussell’s Pouts, and someone brought before dinner snacks. A total of 8 of us, and a good time was had by all.
An interesting tray to serve snacks in—the gal who brought them put them in one of those pans that bakes 8 mini loaves at once. She filled each one with good things to eat. She also brought chips and a container of Mexican Sour Cream. Oh, yummmmmm.
This Week’s Photos: Finally figured out how to get the photos from my phone. I didn’t even need to find a kid to do it! Anyhow, here are a couple from Saturday when we had freezing fog. Actually, we still have it but it’s cleared a bit. Thursday we may even get snow.
This was taken about 11am, the sun was trying to burn through. The frost on the tree was about gone.Here you can see a bit of the frost on the trees.
From the Paws of the Cold Dog: (Please, do not confuse the Cold Dog with the Cold Duck.) The ducks are in the other pond, it isn’t all frozen, yet. But they aren’t happy. It’s gotta be cold on their feets when they’re in the water. It sure is cold on mine when I’m on the walkway or the crunchy leaves. I don’t know why my human doesn’t spend more time in her bed, after all, I’m in there, and it’s nice and warm.
*Departures is a Japanese film with excellent subtitles, and some of the most beautiful cello music ever. If you’re interested, check and see where it’s streaming now. It used to be on Netflix.
Weather in the Tries: We’re in for a warming trend, and possible rain. Most of this week will be high 40s and up to high 50s. And the lows will be mostly in the low 40s. As I write this (Sunday Morning) It’s 25 degrees outside. And the dog wants me to feed him and take him for a walk. Yeah. Right.
Listen Up, Buttercup! The tease says Rena just got her first job. She’s 18 months old and gets paid in free diapers and ice cream. Whoa there, Trigger. Is that ageism? I don’t need diapers (yet) but plenty of old farts and fartesses do, and a lot of us would work for free ones, and ice cream. Especially the ice cream. I’d take the diapers now and hold them for when/if I do need them.
Okay, then I read the article. Yeah, it is ageism, but I guess I won’t complain. The little tykes (about 70 of them) work one day a week spreading cheer at Japanese nursing homes, accompanied with a parent, bringing smiles and joy to the residents.
One of the nursing homes Daddy was in before he came to Portland was an re-purposed one-floor elementary school, and the large wing was for the nursing home residents, but the other wing was a day care, and the residents were encouraged to go to the cafeteria to get their own coffee and meals and interact with the kids. The kids picked a Grandpa/Grandma for the week. The nursing home residents really perked up around the youngsters. And tended to go home sooner than residents of traditional nursing homes. And those who couldn’t go to the kids, had kids coming to them. Daddy almost didn’t want to leave. He had been alone too much, I think, and he just loved those kids. Somehow, I don’t think I’d bring the same joy to the elders as the tykes do.
I also don’t have the least inclination to start/manage/work in/stay in a new nursing home-child care facility, but it sure sounds like a good idea to me. Japan has such a problem with loneliness “that in 2021 the government appointed its first ‘minister of loneliness,’ charged with helping people of all ages connect, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.” Read the article here, and look at the cute kids and happy people. (The quote is from the article by Janis Mackey Frayer and Arata Yamamoto and Mithil Aggarwal.)
Two photos from a couple years ago, when I lived on the river. Doesn’t it look cold? you can see the fog rising in the smaller photo, if you look closely.
Death Care:
Moving into the final week. I’ve lost a week. I thought this was Week 7, but it’s Week 8. It’s been a fascinating time, and I’m really looking forward to meeting several of my cohort face to face this coming Friday. There is an in-person class on washing and shrouding the deceased. I doubt I’ll ever do it, but it will be nice to know how, just in case.
Now I get to write a piece about why I decided to become a Death Doula/Midwife. About 5 minutes worth of reading. So, guess what I’m gonna be doing today (Sunday) in between two Zoom Room sessions. 😉
From the Paws of the Brave Dog:
I really didn’t want to walk this morning. It’s too cold, so when Housemate Dan insisted, we went forth. And I delivered the desired response in a hurry, and then we came back. My other human is very pleased that not only did I produce, but I’ve also started tromping and peeing on the Zombie Leaves. That’ll teach ‘em to mess with the Big Chihuahua! Now, I’m going back to bed. It’s nap time!
Chansons Innocents II by e.e. cummings. Read it here, and have a Happy Halloween by whatever name you call it.
Weather in the Tries: We had a moderately cool week. All temps were double digit! However, today, Monday, is on the schedule to be 102, and then a week of mostly low 80s. There will be one dip into high 70s. After our couple of days of nearly unbreathable smoke-filled days, we’ve gone back to Good or Moderate Air Quality.
What an odd week has just gone by. And yet one more reminder I’m still grieving. I was late for an appointment. I’d written down it was at 10:15, which was correct. However, every time I looked at it, I saw 10:45. I always get to those appointments early, and I was there at 10:30, and they marked me as ‘missed’ and I couldn’t be worked in later in the morning. To say I was confused would be to word it mildly.
A couple days later my Grief Group met, and when I told them, they smiled knowingly, and the Facilitator told me about Grief Brain. Apparently, it’s a thing, and Boy Howdy! did I have a case of it. Then I got to thinking, took two aspirin, and realized it’s not yet three months since he died.
Fortunately, there was a great show on the telly Thursday night that took my mind off things for a while. Like many people, I watched what there was to see of the arrest and booking of the OP. And then the county released his mug shot and I had one of the best laughs I’ve had in a while. Not that the arrest and booking of a President is funny—it isn’t, it’s really a sad commentary on us—but the shot is priceless. Reminds me of when my kids were toddlers and if told to do something they didn’t want to do. “NO! I DON’T WANNA AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!!!
I DESERVE TO BE PRESIDENT! IT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN STAY OUT OF JAIL AND I AM YOUR RETRIBUTION! (I’m not at all sure what that means, really. I don’t need retribution for anything. Do you?)
How sad for him. He wants to look threatening and strong and will never surrender (though he did surrender, was arrested, booked, and released on bond!) and he looks like a petulant toddler throwing a temper tantrum. I’m surprised he hasn’t taken the old Don’t Tread on Me! rattlesnake and photoshopped his mug to that.
Since I have a genuine photo of the Hot Line to Jesus, I’ll post it, in case the OP needs it. Or anyone else. I know the photo is genuine, because I took it, I did not swipe it off the web 😉
Actually, the sign was in the mall where I used to walk in the winter. It was in the food court where they were installing a new pizza place, and Jesus was the general manager, and was looking for a few good workers. I apologize for the ugly crossing out of the area code, but it is, or at least was, a working number and I couldn’t figure out how to change any of them to a fictional number.
The book, Saying Goodbye to Thomas is coming along very nicely. There are 28 poems in it. There were 27, but I took a poetry workshop on Saturday, and wrote one more. The book (sans the new poem) is out to several people who asked to read it. I hope to have everyone’s comments back in a couple of weeks so I can wind it up and start sending it out. Sheryl has sent me some very nice photos of Thomas, his niece has given permission to use one her mother, his sister, took several years ago, I have one taken during the toast before the Final Cocktail where he’s happy and smiling. I now have seven shots of Thomas, I hope I can get them arranged on the page like I want. And a possible couple more coming from a friend in Arkansas.
And, I have submitted his novelette to a publisher. Fingers crossed.
The Big Chihuahua is liking this cooler weather a lot. Still warm enough for a Desert Dog, but not so hot he melts. He still dives under the summer quilt on my bed at night, but before long he’s topside. At least until about 4a.m. when he gets cool.
An open, shallow, usually round container used especially for holding liquids. Or smoke, if it’s the lower Columbia Basin.
Weather in the Tries: I dunno, it’s too smokey to see in the future.
Yes, we here in the Columbia Basin are getting smoke from the fires in Canada and Washington to the north, Washington and Idaho to the east, Oregon to the south, and Washington to the west. And, be a basin, we gather all the smoke we can, and keep it. According to the EPA, our air is currently Very Unhealthy at 261AQI. (Remember, I am writing this on Sunday. Our air tomorrow, which is now today when you read this, is forecast to be some better.)
But, I gotta tell you a funny. Well, it’s funny, but sad in a way, too. As you know, have you ever been to visit, we have some pretty good-sized wind turbines up on the hill. A friend who is on a Neighborhood app said that someone wrote in and asked who to contact to turn the giant white fans on to blow our smoke away. Oh, yeah, great idea. The problem is, the fans are powered by the wind, they don’t produce it. The sad thing is, this guy was serious. He truly believes the fans create the wind because he’s noticed when the turn them on about 20 minutes or so later, it gets breezy here in the Tries.
We probably ought to get used to this, especially if DuhSantis gets elected, because he wants to make the whole US as ignorant as he’s making Florida kids. It may be too late. Apparently, they are already among us. Maybe DuhSantis will choose Crazy Cousin Sarah as his running mate? Oh, excuse me, I need to go wash my mouth out…
I do sorta feel like I’m back in the pandemic—I need to mask up to take the Big Chihuahua out for a walk, and he doesn’t like the smell, so we’re doing short walks. I woke yesterday after a night of coughs, and Housemate Dan (who never closes his window) woke this morning coughing so all our doors and windows are closed for the duration.
My friends in SoCal are already having power outages, and winds. The news says there are about 10,200 homeless in the San Diego area. I imagine the homeless population that will be affected by Hilary is pretty high. I hope they are all in higher areas, and not at the lowest points. It has to be scary enough surviving on the street, in blue tarp shelters, without the high winds and threat of flooding.
Some of the things I miss about Florida (besides the cicadas and ‘gators) are the tropical storms. I loved the rains. Of course, my house was high enough I wasn’t concerned about flooding, and the dirt/soil was made by all those little organisms to quickly train the water. Where there was a lot of concrete, well, that would flood. Sometimes, my swimming pool would gain 4-6 inches in the length of a good rain. I really loved how the rains would come in, say ‘Howdy’, then skedaddle on to the neighbors. I would stand at my dining room doors and watch the lightning. As much as I loved to watch it, I hated it when it hit—people lost a lot of electronics, etc. when it hit, or hit near, their homes. Sometimes, they’d lose the entire house if a fire started. That took some of my enjoyment away. But I still love a good thunder/lightning storm, if only there was no damage. I’d enjoy a good ‘cane, too, if there was no damage. Old Ma Nature is no dainty, prissy, demure gal to be trifled with! If we’re gonna mess up her domain, why should she be kind to us and ours?
The Big Chihuahua says he doesn’t want to move to Florida. He doesn’t like rain, thunder, lightning, or riding in a car. So, I guess I’m staying here. He further states he doesn’t understand my liking of ‘gators—he’s sure they’re overrated. And he does not want to eat one (which is fine by me—the less he eats, the more there is for me!)
So I thought I’d forgotten to shift the PM to AM when I scheduled the publication of todays exciting adventure. Nope. The computer nicely says it missed the publication, but doesn’t tell me why. Grrrrrrrrr
Weather in the Tries: Wowsa!! A whole week coming up with no triple digit days in sight! Alas, a week of 90+ but they ain’t gonna be triple digit days!!! We takes our cool where we can find it, yes?
For you folks in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, &c, you have my most sincere sympathies. Maybe get the whitest white paint made and paint your homes? It might help. Use color in the trim if you need color.
Read the other day where if we were able to stop Climate Change now, we will not cool down in our lifetimes or anytime soon, but we can stop the heat climb. If we want to. In other words, if we stop it right now, this is gonna be as good as it gets. And if we don’t stop it, it’s just gonna get hotter. That’s the crux of the problem, eh? We don’t really want to. We want others to do it, but don’t want to take responsibility ourselves because we’re too good, too rich, too obnoxious?! The countries who contribute the least to the Change, suffer the most. Island nations in Southeast are already under water. Bangladesh, is learning how to grow food on floating gardens. Countries with low-lying coastal areas are already losing ground. When I lived in Florida, my house was built on top of a hill with a 27-foot elevation. I think I’d have been okay as long as I had a boat and could out-paddle the resident ‘gators.
And the higher the temps, the smaller the food crops and production. Coral is already bleaching in Florida, when the coral dies, the reef will die, the fish will migrate toward more habitable waters. Sharks will follow, and when they can’t find enough fish, they’ll go for people. ‘Gators will go for dogs, cats, people, whatever they can catch, kill, and eat. And don’t get me started on my beloved salmon and bears!
It’s kind of nice having a housemate who is a progressive. Slowly, we are cutting down on our use of plastics. I am back to using bar soap, and bar shampoo, and when my conditioner is gone, I’ll use bar conditioner. I wish someone would come up with a solid dish soap. Wait, what did I say? I asked the Duck(DuckGo) and I’ll be hornswaggled, The Earthling Co., has a solid dish soap. Non-toxic ingredients.
Housemate is much better than I in one aspect, he buys ALL his books as electronic ones. I’m still on my paper books for nonfiction and poetry, and if the electronic version of fiction is more than $4.99, I’ll buy a used paper copy for less. I think Amazon &c should be honest, we are only renting books from them, not actually buying the electronic ones. We can’t loan them to friends, although some we can loan ONCE to one person. We can’t give them to our children when we die, unless they want to keep our accounts open. A lot of people check electronic books out from their libraries, but publishers are fighting that, too. They are cutting down on the affordable number of licenses libraries can buy.
Are the authors getting higher royalties when their books are electronic? No. Does it cost the publisher more money? No. In fact, they get more, because once the book is formatted, it’s done. It’s uploaded and forgotten, except the spreadsheet that comes however often from the seller. And they go bwahahahahaha all the way to the bank.
Also, trees are a renewable resource. In fact, we have some planted “forests” (orchards?) not too far from us where some kind of trees are planted and harvested by machine. I believe they are trees for paper. And I think it takes 4 years from plant the trees to harvest. Still, I try to use less paper. I’m afraid I’m failing. I also really like the feel and smell of books. Those tries might be for fence posts with the leftovers going to paper. It’s all used, somehow.
I watched the ducks the other day, when it was really, really hot (triple digit hot) and kinda wished I was a duck, and could go swimming and dabbling in the pond, and then I remembered what all is in that pond and decided a cool shower would make a whole lotta more better sense
So, DuhSantis is strangling the educational system in Florida, Abbot in Texas, and probably all the southern red states will follow suit, as well as a few of the northern ones. What will happen to the kids? Will they have to go to Prager U or Tammy Fey U in order to get a college education? I mean, seriously, do you think Hahvahd will take any of those kids? Or any of the other ivy league schools? And when they graduate and go hunting for jobs??? And those grand old southern schools of higher learning? What’s going to happen to them when-out-of-staters no longer want to apply? Sure, The Crimson Tide is a great football school, and so far a pretty good U. Will Southern Universities start giving local boys from the South preferred acceptance? Will that affect their good standing? Their income? Will they ever recover?
If you have any children in Florida or anywhere else where books are being censored, please, mail them some age-appropriate real books. Or send them an eReader and buy them some real books. Consider The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexei, We Had Our Reasons–Poems by Ricardo Ruiz and Other Hard-Working Mexicans from Eastern Washington, Wizard of the Pigeons a novel by Meghan Lindholm, and Caste: the Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. Read these books first, so you can discuss them with your far away child. Don’t forget books by Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Dee Brown, Vine Deloria, N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Kathleen Alcala, Isabel Allende, and so many others. Give them a well-rounded reading.
I have left LGBTQ+ category of books off, because I haven’t read that many—and that’s not to say there aren’t Two-Spirit authors mentioned above. I don’t know, nor do I care. I’ve read some LGBTQ+ books, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The best I’ve read lately is This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed. I laughed, I cried, and I recommended it to all my friends, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a great book to show that odd as it seems, they’re just people, too. Oh, yeah, I cheered by the time I got to the end.
If my book suggestions don’t tickle your interest, check with your local librarians, they are the keepers of all knowledge 😉 And they love nothing more than to share that knowledge with readers.
Okay, your assignment, should you choose to accept, is to see that short people you know in book-censored states have access to good books to give them a more or less well-rounded look at the world in which they will live. This blog will not self-destruct in five seconds.
Sammy doesn’t understand the last paragraph. What can I say? He’s a dog. But he’s much happier with new, lower temperatures. It’s still too warm for him to snuggle all night long, but I often feel a little paw touching me somewhere. He sends pupkisses. As long as they come a while after he’s eaten, they are pretty nice to get. We all wish you a fantastical week!
Speaking of books, I have two more reviews posted at Rainy Day Reads.
Weather in the Tries: Ooh, it looks like we’re in for a cold snap most of the week. Night lows down to 17, daytime highs in the low 30s. The cold will start Sunday, the day I’m leaving. Y’all bundle up, hear??
Long Lost Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech: I subscribe to Jerry Coyne’s blog, Why Evolution is True. He puts out a prodigious number of posts—several a day. I love the first one of the day, The Hili Dialog best. Hili is a cat he met in Poland whose staff are Jerry’s Parents of Choice or his choice of Adopted Parents. Once in a while I read the others, or at least skim them. Last Monday, he had a long-lost speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. in it. Well worth the listen and read (the words scroll on the screen as he speaks). Recorded in 1962 and forgotten, until people were digging through New York State Museum’s audio recordings and came across this one on a reel-to-reel tape with a piece of masking tape used for a label. It said, “Martin Luther King, Jr., Emancipation Proclamation Speech 1962.” The speech is just shy of 26 minutes. There is a silence of a few seconds around the 15-minute mark, just keep reading, the speech resumes quickly. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Black History Month in February, than listening to one of our great orators talk about black history. I’m putting the URL here, in case the above link doesn’t work for some reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Jzqiqwo5A&t=1550s To read the full story go to NPR. Speaking of Black History Month, remember, you are, at a minimum, 4% Black African. According to the bigots, if you have a bucket of white paint and you add any amount of black, brown, red, yellow, or any other color, the paint is no longer pure white. It’s colored. There is not a human being alive today who is pure white, from Nick Fuentis to Ron DeSantis and everyone else. Even Donny J. Trump.
The Root: For the month of February, consider subscribing to, and reading, The Root | Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Get a different perspective on the stories of the day. If you’re a movie buff or aficionado, you might be interested in this story, as well as some of the sub stories, Oscars 2023: Family of Emmett Till, Whoopi Goldberg React to Till Snub. I’m not asking you to agree with everything you read, but I am asking you to read it, at least one story, every day. The subscription is free, and the language is delightful. Remember this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” Stretch your mind.
Miscellaneous news &c: By the time you read this, I will be on the Dark Side of the Mountains to visit my Elder Brother of Choice (EBOC). I’ll be there around 10 days, so this post may be a wee bit skinny, as will the next one. I will try to post the next one from over there, unless I can get it written and scheduled before I leave, which will be optimum as far as I’m concerned.
Photos of the Week:
Snow storm from last year, Allen’s Point, Bateman Island, across from my apartmentAlso from last year February. I think these are Wilson’s Warblers. If I’m thinking wrongly, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Entertainment: Books Read: If I finish it, I review it: https://lenoragood.blogspot.com Have started the book for the Book Group and am abut 50% through it—Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, Why Individual Climate Action Matters More than Ever —by Lloyd Alter. When I looked through the book, I noticed he had end notes, and you know how Auntie Lenora hates end notes. When I got to the first superscript number in the text, I went to the back, and oh, blessings upon Mr. Alter—or his publisher—they all seem to be bibliography or citation notes. Happy day! Auntie Lenora only needs one bookmark.
Movies/TV: Still wading through Babylon 5. The protagonists are, for the most part, members of Earth Force, the military arm of Planet Earth. Bab5 is based, albeit loosely, on the Navy. But they forgot one major thing, which would not have changed the story or outcome had they used it—the military Code of Conduct and the Rights of POWs. “Article V – When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth.” There’s a little bit more, but that’s the part Sheridan, the Coptain, seems to have forgotten. Or maybe he didn’t consider himself a POW?
Sammy Brave Dog: Wow! My human is going to be gone for a long time, at least a couple of hours. And she’s leaving me at home with Housemate Dan. He gives me treats. And I can sleep in my human’s bed and don’t have to share. Oh. Wait. How will I stay warm without my human to snuggle? But she’ll be back. She always promises. And she always gives me my chores to do whenever she leaves the house. I have to keep the Humpfolumpuses off the furniture and the Hippopotamuses out of the parking slots. And in the summer, I have to keep the Giraffes and the Alligators in the main pond, not in ours. They hibernate in the winter, so I leave them alone. I do a very good job, too. Just ask anyone here how many times they’ve come home to find a hippopotamus sleeping in their parking slot, or a giraffe or an alligator splashing all the water out of their pond? They’ll always say it never happened. That’s because I’m so brave and such a good dog.
Looks like the next week or so are going to be cloudy, or partly cloudy, with a couple nights dropping below freezing, though most will be in the med-to upper 40s. The days will be in the low 60s all the way down to 50. Great walking weather. Great reading weather. Great weather to sit around and eat chocolate bon bons while drinking your favorite libation.
A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on these, a Few of my Least Favorite beings: (Sure, you can sing that title in the voice of Julie Andrews.)
I can’t help but wonder if Justice Alito is so dense he doesn’t see the irony in his quote. I think he is.
He was whining about the leak of his draft to overturn Roe v. Wade. He said it was a “grave betrayal of trust by somebody, and it was a shock.” No sh*t, Sherlock! Do you know what else was a “grave betrayal of trust”? The fact that so many Justices lied to the American public and the Senate when they said that Roe v. Wade was “settled law,” was the precedent for the last fifty years, but suddenly they got religion, or revenge, and none of that made any difference. If you don’t want an abortion, you don’t need to have one, unless you were dating Herschel. It was your choice. Your body.
THAT was a “grave betrayal of trust,” and it is no wonder the public has lost so much of the trust in this illegitimate SCOTUS. And yes, I think they are Illegitimate. Not only have they raped the females of this country, but they have also broken one of the oldest and most revered of our laws. They have begun dismantling the wall between Church and State. They have approved the spending of taxpayer money for religious schools. They have approved of prayer in public schools and events.
Forty thousand comedians out of work, and we’ve got Alito et al. Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant, but Alito’s comment was too good to pass up.
Now, on to other irritating things in the news. E. Jean Carroll is suing the O.P. for defamation of character. She was a woman of some power, and liked, and probably got invites to parties he could only salivate over. But he, too, had power. And he saw/sees no reason not to use it. He keeps saying he didn’t rape her, “she’s not my type.” And I keep getting wrapped around the axle because I have heard NO ONE refute that. Rape is not about sex. It is not about type. It is about one thing and one thing only—power. The rapist has it, and the other person doesn’t. I say “other person” for a reason—rape is not just a female issue though most of it is. Rape goes on in prisons, and POW camps, and any time a person of power wants to use it. Look at Ukraine today. We hear about the women who are raped, but we don’t hear about the male prisoners who are raped.
And just when you thought it was safe to go trick or treating, Home Depot has a very scary new ornament. A nine-and-a-half-foot tall animated immortal werewolf with animatronics. He’s all yours if you can afford him, and control him. I think he’s just what Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop need for their respective yards. What do you think? Go here to see the cutie pie. Be sure and watch the short video. (Can’t help but wonder if Dick Wolf had something to do with this?????—listen to the howl.)
As you have by now figured out, I’m not a great fan of SCOTUS as a whole. SCOTUS individually, some; as a whole, none. So, when I saw that Ms Barrett is writing her memoir, and over 500 people have signed a petition to Penguin Random House asking they not publish it, my first thought was why not? True, if she’s as honest and forthcoming in her book that she was with the Senate, it could be the breakout fantasy novel of the year. But here’s the thing. I hate censorship. I see no use of it. I see no use of Ms. Barret, either. If her book is published, I won’t buy it. I also won’t check it out of the library. That’s how to censor her book. Do. Not. Buy. It.
And I won’t say anything about Ginni’s husband who is, single handedly and all by himself, trashing any good will Americans who love our country might still hold for our Judicial System. No, I won’t. Ginni’s husband deserves no mention in my pages. For that matter, neither does she.
On censorship, there are two forms I approve of: 1. Parents have the right and the responsibility to censor what their children read. They also have the right and responsibility to tell them why they do not want their children to read certain books until they are older. Or, to use an “adult” book as a teaching moment. Let them read it, then discuss it with them. It’s pretty hard to censor a high school kid’s reading or gaming without a few good reasons. I am so grateful my kids were grown and gone before all the gaming came about. They game now, but they’re no longer my responsibility 😉 and,
2. National Security and Classified Documents. If you don’t have a need to know, and the ability to keep your mouth shut, you don’t get to see them. And you for sure don’t get to take them home with you at night and store them where they shouldn’t be stored. And even if you do have the power and right to declassify them, there are still prescribed steps to be taken. You can’t just wave your magic Happy Meal Box over them and say, “Abbra cadabra you’ll all declassed now,” and make it so.
When I worked in the Military and The Boeing Company, I had clearances. When I worked at The Boeing Company, I was on the AWACS program, and that was lots of fun. I was a Technical Illustrator, and my uncle loved to hear what all I was doing, and it was great fun to tell him. Then, one day, I had a classified drawing to work on. When I saw my uncle a tad later and he asked what I’d been working on, I had to stop and think, was that the classified drawing, or was it that one? “Oh,” said I, “same old stuff.”
Photos of the Week:
Because y’all have been so patient, here are four taken in the last few days. All right outside our apartment.
The Virginia Creeper is creeping. These are ‘new’ and not turned red, yet.This is the mature, or red onesThe irrigation water, which is what feeds our ponds has been turned off, and the pipes blown for the winter, so there is no movement unless the wind is out there–or raindrops pock the water for rings.The pond with reflections. Lots of red over on the far right. Not sure if it’s flower or Virginia Creeper.
My bad, I did not get my reviews written, and I have now added The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Web to the list. A great fun ghost story that takes place in a snowy winter.
Several years ago, Favorite Daughter gave me the complete 13-episode series of Crusade, a spin-off from Babylon 5. I am watching it again, Just watched Disc 1, and I gotta say, Peter Woodward is as easy on the eyes now as he was then. For that matter, his dad was/is pretty easy on the eyes, too. (Just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu!). I vaguely remember other people in the series. I think there’s a couple of guys besides Daniel Day Kim (also easy on the eyes) and a couple of female characters. Great fun, if you’re a fan of Space Opera. The gal who is a member of the Thieves Guild is marvelous (Carrie Dobro). Oh, I’d forgotten the humor. Lots of chuckles.
News:
Jerry Lee Lewis died on Friday, 28 Oct 22. I don’t know what he was like as a person, but oh my, he was grand as a singer. He had energy and joy and shared it with any who were interested. (If there’s an afterlife, which I seriously doubt, I hope he got to take his piano with him, and that’s where I want to go.)
“My momma always said, “You and Elvis are pretty good, but y’all ain’t no Chuck Berry.”
“I work to please my audience.”
“You’ve got to walk and talk with God to go to heaven… I have the devil in me! If I didn’t have, I’d be Christian!”
“I’m going to Hell, I’m going there playing the piano.”
And for a Special Halloween Treat from the house of my SOC n BOC* to me to YOU, I introduce Benedict the Sweet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_XPHtTWm2s (*Sister/Brother of Choice). Can you tell they’re both retired engineers?
Sammy sends two barks, three pupkisses, and a whole lotta shakin’ to you all. Have a marvelous Halloween, and remember, you must eat all your candy tonight or the Great Pumpkin will claim it as his!!!
A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on a Few of my Least Favorite beings
A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on a Few of my Least Favorite beings
Wowser!! Fall has done fell. Highs will be 60-61 and lows 43 to 38. It got cold enough the other night that I couldn’t sleep. Turned on my sheet warmer and it didn’t come on. Figured out the next day I was pushing the Off button. Sigh. We also had rain a couple times, but nothing is on the schedule, rain wise, this coming week. However, there will be clouds, so who knows? If one leaks, we’ll have a bit of wetness, which the Brave Dog DOES NOT LIKE!
Addendum to the Weather: Hoo Boy! Do we have rain. It was not forecast on my phone, but is now. If you live in the Tries, carry a bumpershoot and or rain gear with you. Sammy is sad.
Creams? Cosmetics? Botox?
It got noticeably colder, both at night and during the day. I was grateful for my leather jacket, and the heavy-duty hoodie my elder brother of choice (EB)C) gave me. It is way too big for me, but it’s warm! I can wear it inside and or outside. And, I suppose, if I wear it with the hood up, I’ll get funny looks from passers by;-)
Found a really fun site today (remember, I’m writing/posting this on Sunday), Goodbye Crop Top. It’s written by Wendy, in “response to a profound lack of women my age across the media landscape. I was 49 years old at the time and I noticed it was a rare thing to see women over 40 portrayed in a positive way in print, on television or across social media platforms.” She goes on to say that “Goodbye Crop Top is really just a metaphor for what to let go of and what to hold onto.”
Wendy even has podcasts for women over 50, which is not the new 40. Well, she’s still a heckuva lot younger than Auntie Lenora who is staring at 80 and on the downhill side, picking up momentum as she goes. I think the brakes are gone. But I like Wendy’s attitude. I’ve read some of her posts, and hope you will also give them a read.
I’ve watched/read many of the ads touting this or that to get rid of wrinkles, reverse aging, and anything else they can use to guilt us from enjoying our age. Hey! I’ve earned those wrinkles. They’re my friends. I’ve even named some of them. Get rid of them? That would be like getting rid of friends. Shoot them with a needle full of botulism toxins? Paralyze my face so I can no longer smile, laugh, move my eyebrows to full advantage. Just so I can convince myself I’m not almost 80? Fuggedabout it! So what if I suddenly look 10 years younger? I’m still a Crone.
I know a lot of women are worried about growing old, especially when the estrogen quits flowing and our bodies change, and we are no longer the sex kittens we used to think we were. We have entered the era of Crone. And I think that’s a great age in which to be. Nobody takes us seriously. But what the heck, did they ever? We can’t get pregnant 😉 (Been there, done that. And don’t want to repeat it!) No matter how hard I try, I’ll never have a body like Cher, so why not just relax and enjoy the one I’ve got? And wear clothes I like and that I’m comfortable in.
I can even wear purple and red togetherreams. And I do! And I eat pickles and bread. For those of you who have never read Warning by Jenny Joseph, or who have forgotten it, it begins, “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple” I believe it is still under copyright, so please go here to read it all the way through.
So, if you’re worried about looking older, give up your crop top and laugh! The crop top was never your thing, anyhow. I’m sorry, I know I wasn’t supposed to tell you… Stop buying all those potions and do-called beauty and anti-aging things. You’ll have a lot more money and you can spend it on important things—like books!
Finished The Raven Song: A Novel (A Conspiracy of Magic Book 2) —by Luanne G. Smith. I read book one, The Raven Spell some time ago, and loved it, and found this book to be great fun. I also read and thoroughly enjoyed The Vine Witch. The Raven Song is book 2 of a 2-book series. I really think you should read them in order, though, if you read a lot of fantasy, you might be able to read them backwards and not get too lost.
Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior, 1980 directed by Akira Kurosawa. It’s a War story, and as I knew who one of the players in the war was, I was pretty sure I knew how it would end, but it was as to be expected from Kurosawa: wonderful! My biggest problem was Toshiro Mifune wasn’t in it. No real eye candy. Sigh. It really was a bit of a shock not to see him, as he and Kurosawa made 16 movies together. I think I’ve seen most of them. And I think Mifune could have played Tokugawa wonderfully—he did in Shogun;-) (Actually, in Shogun, he played Toronaga who was based on Tokugawa.)
I will get the reviews of The Raven Song and Kagemusha up in the next few days. As I told the people in my writing group when they wanted to know what happened next, “Patience, Grasshopper.” How many of you know who Grasshopper was?
Sammy doesn’t know, so don’t bother trying to sneak the question to him. He’s too young! And I seldom let him watch TV. Gives him nightmares when he sees the other dogs. And the ad out now where the wolf goes to Grandma’s door and snarls and Red opens the door and gives him a squeaky toy, well, Sammy hid his eyes at the wolf, but the squeaky toy sent him under the bed. I don’t think he had any toys when he was a puppy or was allowed to play. He’s terrified of anything that squeaks, and toys and balls are all given a dirty look and a wide berth.
A marvelous movie on the south (Mississippi Delta) shortly after two young men come home from fighting WWII. The black man was enlisted and a tank commander, the white man was a bomber pilot. Their families are bound by the mud of the delta, owned by the white family and sharecropped by the black.
The two veterans served with honor and have grown past the racism of their families and the local KKK.
This movie should be seen by everyone. It is not a feel-good movie, it is what I would call American Noir. It shows life as it pretty much was, and in many places is regressing back to. We’ve come too far to regress back to that time. If you liked the movie The Help, you need to see Mudbound.
Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Chocolat, starring Johnny Deep, Judi Dench and others, and I just now learned it’s really a story of Paganism v. Christianity. Fortunately, the pagan has chocolate on her side 😉 All this time I marveled at Depp’s acting, at Judi Dench’s character and the stories that unfold in the village. And how a nomadic mother and her young 6-year-old daughter come to a French town that is pretty hide-bound and arrive at the beginning of Lent to open a chocolat shop.
She shocks the Mayor of the village when she tells him she’s never been married and doesn’t attend church. The Mayor has his own problems as his wife has left him, but he won’t admit it. The old lady from whom the shop is rented is estranged from her daughter who won’t let her see her grandson. Gypsies arrive on river boats and are shunned. And no one understands our heroine who hires a Gypsy (Johnny Depp) to do some work, who attends a party the Gypsies throw, who works the magic of her chocolate on all in the little village. And that chocolat is magic.
If you haven’t seen Chocolat, or if it’s been a few years, it’s time to see it again perhaps for the first time. One of the all-time bestest movies ever! Oh, and the Priest. He’s wonderful.
This movie has an R rating for its positive messages about acceptance, living life to the fullest, and love. It also contains a wee teensy bit of sexual content and discussions of illegitimacy. Which really only exists in America and I imagine, Islamic countries. Other countries aren’t that hung up on whether the mother is married or not. A child is a child is a child.
