Weather in the Tries: Highs this week will all be in the 60s, mostly higher 60s. The los will be in the 40s. We’ll have sunbreaks Monday and Wednesday, and winds on Tuesday. Can’t we have wind and sun at the same time? Who knows, and he’s not telling.
Bookcases &c: My old and well used bookcase finally said it was tired of holding 3,002 pounds of so of books on it, and the little pins you put in your choice of holes broke the wood enough to fall out. If I raised or lowered the shelves (2 of them misbehaved) my books wouldn’t fit. So, I put the white book case I’ve never been truly happy with on the patio, and will get someone to help me move it up to the dumpster tomorrow (Monday) with a ‘Free to a Good Home’ sign on it. Moved my old and well used bookcase into the living room area now devoted to sewing/quilting, and got a lot of fabric &c stored on it so it has neatened up that area somewhat. And then I went to my favorite ‘has everything I’ve always wanted and didn’t know it’ store and ordered a new bookcase.
My old bookcase that is now mostly a fabric case, was 6 shelves (including the top) 6’ x3’. I ordered this bookcase, which is 72.8” wide, 79.5” heigh, and 11.8” deep. It is surprisingly easy to put together, and take apart, and put back together. The iron standards are each 3 pieces, a bottom, a middle, a top. They have holes in them. Did I pay any attention to hole placement? Of course not, I just put the pieces in however the farkers would fit with H on the top, I in the center and J at the bottom. Guess what, the holes are different on one side from the other. This morning (that would be Sunday) is deconstructed three of the four, and reconstructed them, and am now putting the shelves in. They are using engineered wood rather than compressed sawdust & glue. Each shelf is 23” long, give or take a tenth or two. I will have to get Housemate Dan to help me with the higher shelf. One is supposed to put them on the floor, but I can’t get down and back up. I laid one of the shelves (paying attention to the holes) on my chair and got the screws in the top shelf, and managed to get the second standard attached to the other end of the shelf, then stood it up and am now putting the rest of the shelves in. Photo next week when it’s together and populated with its books. I think all my books or poetry will go on the center ‘library cart’ style shelves, nonfiction on the left side and fiction on the right side.
I have one section finished. I’ll have to have Housemate Dan help me with the second section. I’ll hold the top shelf, if he’ll screw it in, then I can put the rest of the shelves in on my own, then build the tilted ones, and connect the hip bone to the leg bone and the leg bone to the ankle bone, or whatever. Once the three sections are connected, I’ll know how far I need to move my desk so they will fit the space. I think it’s 5” but will know for sure soon.
I can’t get a copy of the picture but this may help if you’re really curious: IRONCK Bookcases and Bookshelves Triple Wide 6 Tiers Industrial Record Player Shelf, Large Etagere Bookshelf Open Record Player Shelves with Metal Frame for Living Room Home Office https://a.co/d/hUmZhFw The record shelves are what will hold my poetry books. I don’t have any vinyl anymore, not a place to put a player.
Well, I wanted to use the picture from the Amazon page, but couldn’t get it transferred, so if you want to see it, you’ll just have to click the link above. Or wait until next week when it’s done and populated with books;-)
My new website is up. We’re still dusting, and polishing, but it’s there. Check it out: https://foragooddeath.com. As stated, it’s still being tweaked, let me know if you have any ideas for improvement. Thanks
Sammy is surveying the work from his bed in the other room 😉
Video of the Week: Ever wonder how a stone is cut? YouTube is full of all sorts of stuff. This guy has a 1000carat piece of clear quarts and is faceting and polishing it. The computer truly is a thing of wonder—as long as you don’t watch news all day;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr-UNlOWS3Y When he finishes it, it’s gorgeous.
from the desk of the big chihuahua; we have sunshine and warmth even if the breeze is a little cold. my human complains, i think it’s because she’s bigger than i am and more wind hits her. im happy with it. more new smells as new people move in and out and bring and take more dogs n cats. i don’t care. the sun is shining and summer is coming.
Weather in the Tries: It looks like our snow is about to go away. It’s still scheduled for today (Sunday) but tomorrow (Monday) has rain on the schedule and 39F. The rest of the week is high 30s and low 40s during the day, o’cast, but so far, no precip on the agenda. The nights will be freezing and higher. Monday morning: the snow is melting, the snow is melting;-)
Fridays with Thurber: Years ago, when I first started watching MSNBC, one of my favorite commentators was Keith Olbermann. He could even make me enjoy sports news. But what I enjoyed most was the sharing of his visits with his father. On Fridays he would read his father a short story by James Thurber, and on Fridays, he would also read a short story by Thurber as the last item on his broadcast.
Then, Mr. Olbermann left MSNBC and moved on to bigger and better, and the newest better is his podcast, Countdown, where he still reads a Thurber short story on Fridays. The podcast for Jan 19, is his most favorite of all the Thurber stories, and I think it is now mine—The Macbeth Murder Mysteries. Please give the podcast a listen to. And if you like the podcast, be sure to Like and Subscribe.
More on Ice Dragons: Well, the Ice Dragons imitated Icarus. I finally couldn’t up with put the constant below freezing draft on me, so covered the cardboard with a plastic bubble envelope, then lots of tape all around all four sides. The drafts stopped. Alas, the escape of the warmer, moister air from inside the apartment also stopped. The morning after adding the new envelopes and tape, I noticed the Ice Dragons had, like Icarus from so many years ago, fallen or slid, to the bottom of the window. By nighttime, they had faded away. Yes, I know. Icarus fell into the sea, but my Ice Dragons did the best they could.
I wrote a poem, Ice Dragons, Dancing, sent it, and last week’s photo off to Quill & Parchment online magazine, and I am so proud to tell you they will both be published in the February 2024 issue. When it’s published, I’ll let y’all know, and send a link.
Photo of the Week:
Ice Dragons imitating Icarus, fallen to bottom of window. By morning the next day, they had fallen to their eternity.
The new, improved, replacement window: Due to a series of ‘perfect storm’ type delays, the guys came out with the new window on Thursday. It was snowing. They removed the old window, brought the new window down, and the perfect storm continued—it was too small. The guy who came out and measured missed by 3 inches. They removed the new window (it’s still snowing), wrapped the old window in plastic and put it back. They hope to have the new (and improved!) window in one or two weeks. I know this company does good work, because they made the windows for my house addition a long time ago, and they replaced all my windows in my condo. We don’t get much snow in the Tries, and I think it’s affecting everyone;-) The old window is still broken, and the plastic isn’t quite as good as a double paned window. But it does close the hole.
everyone is entitled to my own opinion by Jeff Tiedrich:
I have been introduced to a new Substack, everyone is entitled to my own opinion. This is one of two I actually pay to read, the other is Sherman Alexie’s.
This column, a pastor was arrested for saving homeless people from freezing. what the [fark] have we becomesays I can share it, so it’s hot linked. The language is adult, but so are you. Most of the time. There are some excellent comments, should you be interested. Every so often, someone will ask me why I left Christianity and became an Atheist/Secular Humanist/Buddhist. This article does a fair job of explaining why I now consider myself a Recovering Christian.
And now a word on Fani: OMG, the OP and his cult members/followers are going after Fani Willis because she may have had an affair, may still be having an affair, with a member of her team whom she has known and been friends with for several years. Yeah? Really? This latest tangle of yarn by a CONVICTED RAPIST and his followers/members??? Ms Willis is an adult. Her friend is an adult. IF they had or have an affair it’s no one’s business besides themselves. I’ve said for years there are only two conditions for sex—consenting adults! Something the OP should learn. Except he’s too old to learn anything he doesn’t think of himself.
From the Paws of the Frozen Chihuahua: hello again. so glad you stopped by. please, will you cover me. i’m not really frozen, unless one of my humans make me go outside. then my mostly fat-free body starts to shiver and shake. my main human says i remind her of jerry lee lewis, then she laughs. i don’t know who he is, but heres his shakin’ song.
Quote of the Week: “My momma always said, ‘You and Elvis are pretty good, but y’all ain’t no Chuck Berry.” ~ Jerry Lee Lewis
Public Service Announcement: Don’t forget my 15 minutes of fame is fast approaching, on 6 Feb at about 8pm PST.
Weather in the Tries: It appears we head now to warmer temperatures. The nights are still cool at or slightly below freezing but the days are scheduled to be almost bikini time ranging from 45-50F. Winds (Sammy hates wind) some sun, clouds and maybe a bit of rain (Sammy hates rain). But I have this feeling that Spring is coming, ready or not!
Do you remember Billie Holiday? For the last Monday in February, I thought I’d highlight a black singer singing a song written by a Jewish school teacher. Actually, I was just going to feature the singer, but the rest of the story is too interesting, at least to me. So, I asked myself the question, do I remember Billie Holiday? I was thirteen when she died. And listened to rock n roll. I don’t think I listened to R&B unless one of the DJs put it on for some reason, so no, I don’t think I remember her from my actual life memories, but I’ve heard/seen her on YouTube. And I remember her song, Strange Fruitbut I’m sure I remember it as an adult, not a kidlet. If I heard it as a kidlet, it wouldn’t have made much sense to me, as I didn’t understand, probably didn’t know, that lynchings were still going on. And I had zero knowledge of metaphors. It was while looking up some stuff on Ms. Holiday I came across the story of Abel Meeropol, the Jewish teacher, poet, and songwriter who published under the pen name of Lewis Allan, the names of his two boys who were stillborn. I was a kid when Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested, tried, convicted, and murdered for espionage. I remembered being quite concerned about their two boys, Robert and Michael and if their mother was killed, who would raise them, love them, kiss their oweeees, be their mommy. At that time, I had no concept of what espionage was. My grandmother tried to assure me the boys would be taken care of, but I never really quite believed her. Well, they were adopted and took the last name of their adoptive parents—Meeropol. The very same Abel Meeropol who was struck by a photo of a lynched man and wrote the poem, Strange Fruit, that Billie Holiday recorded and then sang often, as hard as it was for her. Her father (or at least the man she identified as such) was denied medical treatment because of the color of his skin and died from a treatable condition. As the Rosenbergs awaited their date with destiny, I remember hearing that she sang in Yiddish, songs of encouragement to her husband, Julius who she perceived at the weaker one. They were in the same prison, out of sight from each other, but close enough he could hear and respond. I was seven when they were arrested, ten when they were killed.
Talk about degrees of closeness—Rosenbergs to Meeropols to Billie Holiday to thee and me.
Just for grins, I searched for Robert and Michael Meeropol to see what they are up to now, very interesting. This would be, I think, what Paul Harvey would call “The rest of the news!”
The rabbit holes one can find in a computer! And, time is different when one is traversing rabbit holes in one’s computer! It’s three in the afternoon when I start down the hole, and a few minutes later, when I come out it’s seven already yet.
Photos of the Week:
Yes? Do you need something?I got it! I got it! All mine!I’m guarding the suet feeder to be sure no other tree mouse gets to it.
Entertainment: Books: Remember if I finish a book, I review it (eventually) at https://lenoragood.blogspot.com I am lax in posting a couple of books, it’s been a weird week or two. Your patience is appreciated.
Movies/Tv: Haven’t seen anything but news.
Sammy Says: My human is right when she says I don’t like water falling on me, or wind. The water is cold and it hurts. I don’t have the fat other dogs have, and I don’t have a lot of fur. And the wind throws dirt in my eyes, and sends the zombie leaves to attack me, and everybody knows that zombie leaves love to eat puppy brains and I don’t have enough brain to spare.
Weather in the Tries: Looks like we’re getting into some Seattle weather, gray, cloudy, and good chance of rain most days. Highs mostly in the low-to-mid forties, and lows in the low-to-mid 30s. As we used to say when I lived over on the Dark Side, if you can see across the street, carry your raincoat, if you can’t see across the street, wear your raincoat.
And then along came Jones… Okay, I don’t know if his name is Jones or not, or even if he’s a he or a she. But that song is all I could think of when I started to open the door to take the Brave Dog for a walk on Saturday and Jones slowly swiveled his head to watch me. I dropped the leash to take photos through the door. Then decided to take the Brave Dog outside. Alas, he was a.) more afraid of Jones than Jones was of him, and b.) enough ice remained on the pond that Grandfather Sky’s tears didn’t leave pocks, but the Brave Dog could feel them. Uh. No. No way was he going out in that. So, he went back in, and I went back out and followed Jones until he couldn’t be seen through the branches. This is the first Great Blue (in courting colors, by the way) I’ve seen in our finger of the pond. S/He is usually over in the larger pond. And too far away to get a decent photo. I got one photo last summer. Do you know how to tell a male from a female Great Blue Heron? I don’t, so looked it up. I must see them together; the male is the larger. But hard for me to tell when they are not with a mate for comparison. So I still don’t know if Jones is a he or a she.
Photos of the Week: Hokey Pokey In case you’ve forgotten, you put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in, and you shake it all about.
Entertainment: Books Read: If I finish it, I review it: https://lenoragood.blogspot.com Haven’t finished any this week but bought a (so far) wonderful hard science fiction, Meru (book 1 of 2) by S.B. Divya. It’s a long one, and it’s my bedtime read. Loving it. At least so far 😉
Movies & TV: Almost through with Season 3 of Babylon 5. Best Winter gift I’ve bought myself since I bought my Sleep By Number bed a dozen or so years ago!
Sammy:
He really enjoyed the warmer days we had and thinks they should all be warmer. AND that Grandfather Sky should confine his crying to the hours between ten at night and five in the morning. Somehow, I find myself agreeing with that. Maybe we should move to Camelot? (And if you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll tell you a secret—the link goes to Richard Burton singing Camelot in 1978. I was sniveling and sobbing by the end of it. I’m so darn pathetic!)
Continuation of the Rant, but hopefully a bit quieter.
If the Supremes want to know why they are losing, or have lost, our respect, they have nothing more to do than look in a mirror! At least the six who want a Theocracy.
One of the prime tenets of our country as proposed and envisioned by the Founding Fathers, was the strongly worded first clause in the Bill of Rights, known as the Establishment Clause (Separation of Church and State). Obviously, 2/3 of the Supremes think it’s time to change that part. We are now supporting not just public schools, but church schools with our tax dollars. It is now permissible to pray on the field before and after a game. Obviously, these good Christians have never read Matthew 6:6 NIV, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” [italics mine] You can say all the prayers you desire to say quietly, in your mind, or go into your room.
If my tax dollar is going to go for all that religion, then I want all churches/religious property taxed like all businesses are taxed in their town, county, etc., with NO exceptions. I don’t care what religion you belong to, that’s your business, but I don’t want to pay for it unless it’s going to contribute to the fiscal welfare of the country. That’s my business. I ‘m a Vet and I pay taxes.
The First Amendment Encyclopedia, Presented by the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies has an excellent article about the First Amendment. Remember this is NOT a Christian nation, but a nation founded by a disparate bunch of Christians, and even they couldn’t agree on any one church. And if you get your knickers in a knot over that remember, if you allow one religion in, you must allow all religions in—Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Satanist, all the Native American ones which have a better right than all the others, Jew, Muslim, Rastafarian, Pastafarian, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
Most definitely is this a slippery slope, and what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If you’re going to put the ten commandments up on public land, then you must also put the equivalent of all other religions that request the same consideration. The same for Solstice celebrations, especially the winter one. And why anyone wants to worship a God of War, is beyond me. Especially when his alleged son allegedly said, (Matthew 5:17 NIV), “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” [italics mine]
These idiots aren’t Pro-Life (they are Forced-Birth), if they were Pro-Life, they would vote in some of the strictest gun laws ever. They would happily give up their automatic weapons. They would care for the baby not just in utero but also once born, instead of tossing it back on the woman who was forced to have it. Nicholas Kristof has a good column titled, “How Can this Be ‘Pro-Life’?” Theresa M. Hanafin, Globe Staff columnist writing Fast Forward has some words to say in her column on 14 Jun 22, and Alexendra Petri of the Washington Post (and the primary reason I pay for my subscription to same) writes with her usual wit, snark, and intelligence, “We must protect life from conception until the moment of birth! Once you have been born, you are a nuisance, and, possibly, a woman.” And Ja’han Jones writes that, “We need to call abortion bans what they are: Slavery” All this time you thought it was just me being snarky!
You have the freedom to worship any god you so choose. You have the freedom to raise your children in that manner. And when they reach majority, they will have the freedom to change if they so desire. Your place of worship has the freedom to pay taxes, and if they are going to use my tax dollars to spread their mythology, then they should pay taxes like all other businesses. They’ve gotten a free ride long enough. You also have the freedom to NOT have an abortion unless you want one.
And on a somewhat happier note, at least for me and the women in uniform, Limited Abortions Will Continue On DOD Bases Despite Roe v. Wade Reversal. Could be iffy in some states such as Texas where they have joint jurisdiction, but they can always send the patient to another state on Temporary Duty (TDY) for a few days of training.
I have known women who had abortions, and not one of them entered into the procedure without a great deal of soul searching. All were performed after discussing with their doctor, and all were deemed necessary. And, because they were legal, the women survived, and later became happy mothers of healthy children. I’ve also known some who had back-alley abortions and though they survived, with complications, they were not able to have children later, healthy or otherwise. And I love that so many of the men are rushing to get vasectomies! Bet the Supremes didn’t think there were enough real men out there to do that. (And I bet none of them would even consider it.)
And for the (sick) joke of the week, this is a quote from Mike Pence, as told to Breitbart, “Having been given this second chance for life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land.” I say it’s sick humor because these are the same people who, when the baby they forced the female to carry is born, they no longer want anything to do it, ‘Not my problem, little lady, I didn’t have the kid’ and the highest number of government sanctioned killings go on in their states. Where is the sanctity of life there? Huh? Huh???
“Right-wingers like Pence do not believe that abortion should be a state’s issue, but a universal rights issue — for the fetus. A national abortion ban would invert the legal architecture of abortion rights so that a fetus, rather than the person carrying it, is seen as the protected individual in the eyes of federal law.” [I read this on Tuesday last, copied it, got sidetracked and deleted the article from whence it came. I apologize profusely to the author and if you can let me know who s/he is, I’ll give credit where it’s due.]
What a bunch of hypocrites! They want the baby born, and then don’t want any responsibility to see that it has proper food, medical care, dental care, education, clothing, love. I think they want them to grow up so they can use them as target practice or put them to death in their prisons. These people are NOT pro-life, they are forced-birth haters of women. Damn! They’re really trying to send me off on another rant. But I shall persevere. They shan’t win. For now.
Phew! I think I got it all out of my system. At least until the next time the Supremes kick me in the nether regions. I considered not publishing this, but then I re-read it, made a couple changes, and here it is. The last rant for a while. I hope.
Photos of the Week:
Because you were so king to let me rant for 3 weeks straight, I promise I won’t do it again until the next time. Honest. Trust me. Also, instead of still shots, I’m giving you videos. I hope. If I can figure all this out.
c
Pond scum, a little dabble do ya, pond scum, you look so dabbleair!
I dearly love Isabel Allende’s books—fiction, nonfiction, recipes. So when I saw a new one by her had come out, or at least new to my eyeballs, I grabbed it, Island Beneath the Sea. I am 37% through with the book, and I need to take a break. It’s very well written, but I’m finding it somewhat depressing. Have any of you read it? What did you think? Do I want to pick it up and finish it, or let it sit? I have the strangest feeling there is not going to be a Happy Ever After when I finish it.
Earworms: Since most of you are probably somewhat familiar with the Christian songs/hymns, I thought I’d stretch your idea of Holy Music just a tad. I hope you enjoy these. They are all relatively short.
“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.” —Napoleon Bonaparte
“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.” —Richard Burton
Sammy is loving the warmer weather. Says it’s not quite like where he came from, we do have a bunch more humidity, but at least it’s warm. And we now have the back patio more or less fenced off, and he loves it when one of us are out there and he can come sleep in the sun. It’s quite delightful to have the window open at night for a bit of the cool to come in.;-) Have a marvelous week wherever you live. Remember, the sun is always shining. Sometimes you need a really, really, REALLY tall extension ladder to get above the clouds…
Happy National Firecracker Day. Frankly, since the Supreme Court has once again made slavery legal in those States that want it, I’m not in a celebratory mood. Fortunately, Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as about half the other States, are not going along with it.
Weather in the Tries: (It’s ok to drool. Better yet, come visit)
What is Freedom? Part 2
Continuation of the Rant, but somewhat toned down. Maybe.
I’m still mad as hell. Why does a minority of conservative Christians think they get to force everyone to their way of thinking? Why do they think they have the only true way to live? What makes them so sure theirs is the One True god? When they die, I hope they are judged by their god according to the tenets they are trying to cram down the majority’s throat.
Who cares if Jack and Joe want to get married? I don’t. How will their marriage affect yours? It won’t, unless you are currently married to either Jack or Joe, then you might have a dog in that fight. And if Jack and Joe decide they want to adopt or hire a surrogate, good on them. I’ve known a few gay couples who raised great kids who were not gay. And the kids were far happier with two dads or two moms than many I’ve known in a traditional marriage. Especially a marriage where the man of the house thought he was the head of the house in all things and the woman of the house his indentured servant, to be freed on either her or his death. Yes, I’ve known a few like that, especially in the evangelical churches to which I at one time belonged.
Gayness is a pathology, not a psychology. It is not a choice. It’s hardwired before birth. And if it’s so wrong then why does that evangelical god create them that way? He’s really mucked up, isn’t he, if roughly 10% of his created humans are LGBTQ? Oh. Wait. Humans weren’t created, they evolved. Everyone knows that, don’t they?
As you by now know, I don’t do numbers. But there is an excellent article on the literal cost of overturning Roe v. Wadethat I think you might like to read. Seriously. As the author, Kate Bahn says, “Bodily autonomy interacts with self-determination across society, including the economy.” It’s not a long article. Read it. Think about it.
If you’re of childbearing age, and you think you’re smart enough to know your own body (and if you’re a friend of mine, you are), I think you might want to get yourself a good education and immigrate to some country in Europe, or perchance Canada. Someplace where there is a stable government, with a long shelf-life, and where religion is relegated to that part of society to which it belongs—the church, temple, synagogue, mosque, etc. Take your education someplace where it, and you, will be appreciated.
If you’re in a same sex relationship, consider moving you and your spouse, and children you may have, and do the same thing. You owe this country nothing. They certainly don’t want you here. And with your education and brains, go where you’re wanted and respected. If you work for a large multinational company and you can transfer within your company, by all means consider it.
You don’t know how it hurts me to write what I just wrote. I’m a veteran, I served my country for 9 years 5 months 23 days, and was proud of both my service and my country. Well, most of the time my country. Remember what I said last week about ignorance being a treatable condition? Well, I’m undergoing treatment. It truly is Amerikkka. Please consider my time in service a gift to you and for you. I truly don’t know if I think it’s even worth fighting for at this point. Maybe I’m just old and tired. If I didn’t live on the enlightened west coast, I think I’d try for some other country. Perchance the Netherlands. Maybe even Scotland and go for one of the outer Hebrides.
If you aren’t free to love the person you love, openly and without fear, you aren’t free. If man-made laws forbid you to love someone for any reason, you aren’t free. If marriage means giving yourself completely to the one you love, but only for a certain minority, it’s a poor marriage. Years ago, I was a rape crisis counselor, and in the training we took, we learned some interesting facts. Somehow, I don’t think they’ve changed much, and they certainly put a different light on these new laws. The most cases of incest came from evangelical families where the man was the head of the house. Are you surprised? Think Roman Catholic Church. Think Southern Baptist Church. Nobody can love his little girl like Daddy can.
Photos of the Week:
Mama Two Duck and her babies. They are at least double in size.They scrabble up the bank fairly quickly, and Mama was right behind.
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com and I have four new ones added.
I bought this book for my Kindle Fire, and ‘saved’ it for a special occasion. That came on the day I spent 10 hours in the hospital while a friend had open heart surgery. I not only enjoyed the book, but, believe me, I needed it! (The surgery was a success, thanks for asking.)
If you’re of an age, and believe me, I am, and faced with the intricacies of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the rest of today’s technologies, this is the book to read. No, it isn’t a ‘how to’ book, it’s a great romp through George Takei’s learning and mastering same. He makes it sound so simple, so easy, and at the same time, doesn’t make me feel like I’m such a dunce.
It’s like having Mr. Sulu explain all the electronics on the bridge of the Enterprise in language I can actually understand. (But, in that dreamy bass voice of his, would I even hear the words, or just the music?)
For anyone with a great sense of humor, who loves all the geeky stuff, who loves cats, the internet (ok, and George Takei;-) this is the book for you! A fun read, just what the Doctor ordered! Take with lots of laughs, a few chuckles, and a humongous smile!
My only complaint was the pictures were small, and I couldn’t get them to expand. That’s not Mr. Takei’s fault, that’s Mr. Kindle’s fault.
“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.” – Jodie Foster
“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel
“It’s really important to share the idea that being different might feel like a problem at the time, but ultimately diversity is a strength!” – Carson Kressley
The Brave Dog says he’s the ONLY Sammy Brave Dog in the whole wide world, and he knows he’s special, and different, because his human tells him so. And he wouldn’t have it any other way—and neither would his human!! And he’s possibly the only reason his human will remain in the States, because just about any country she’d be interested in has a quarantine requirement for pets, as well they should. It’s a choice Sammy’s human does not want to face.
Monday (today) is gonna be a scorcher at something like 103F. The rest of the week will be in the high 80s and low 90s. Doncha wish you lived in Kennewick? Lots of warm, low humidity.
What is Freedom?
(TRIGGER WARNING: THIS IS A RANT!!!!!)
I have been reading Begin Again, James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. I ‘know’ Professor Glaude from his many appearances on MSNBC, so when his book came up for a vote in my book club for one of our readings, I voted for it. As did everyone else. By 24 Jun 22, I was almost finished and started reading Chapter Seven. By the end of the second paragraph, a quote from Mr. Baldwin, I was struck by the parallels between Amerikkka’s treatment of people of color—black, brown, copper, gold—and her treatment of women. I finished the book, and just can’t get that parallel out of my head bone. Many thanks to the poet Dee Allen for that oh-so-true spelling of Amerikkka.
The part that struck me, reads: “We tolerated bigotry and discrimination…I think there is a kind of smog in the air that’s created by the history of slavery and lynching and segregation, and I don’t think we’re going to get healthy, I don’t think we can be free…until we address this problem. But to get there we’re going to have to be willing to tell the truth.” The italics are mine. The Supreme Court has taken the freedom away from women to have autonomy over their own bodies. If you do not own your body, someone else does. The one is a slave, the other the master.
Justice Thomas wants the Court to look into a few other laws on the books, like same sex marriage, sodomy laws, etc., but I notice one he did not bring up is Loving v. Virginia. I think that one should be looked at next, don’t you? How would he vote on that one? Or would he man up and recuse himself? Or would he realize what a vindictive, little man he is? No. He wouldn’t see that. But that one will stay on the books because it directly affects him.
This most evangelical court wants to go back to the 1950s when Father Knows Best was the law of the land. When women stayed home and raised children and didn’t compete in the workplace at far lower salaries. They want a theocracy, not a democracy. Send them to Iran!
They think they are making points with their god for doing this, and maybe they are, but they are not getting positive points from the vast majority of Americans. The last four justices confirmed to the Court, knowingly lied during their confirmation hearings. And it is all but impossible to get them out of there. They waffled about not being able to discuss possible actions on hypothetical cases, they told Senators who were concerned about Roe v Wade that it was “settled law” and couldn’t be changed. They lied. And they knew they lied. It was settled, the rule of precedent should have been enough, even if they didn’t agree with it, but the first opportunity they had to gut the women of this country, they gleefully did so. And they are sighting in on other things to further eviscerate female anatomy. Excuse me, autonomy.
I’m not sure why they are so afraid of women that they can’t visualize a healthy woman as being a healthy work mate, a healthy partner, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. But they, too, are slaves to a small god who can’t rule his followers on his own but must anoint small men to do his dirty work.
Fortunately, I live in an enlightened state on the west coast, where the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have pledged to keep Reproductive Freedom and Health between a woman and her doctor. I feel very sorry for my sisters who live under patriarchy in states that do not respect them. These are not pro-lifers who are against abortion. They are pro-birthers, or as I was just informed, they are not pro anything. They are forced-birthers. Once the baby is born, they want nothing to do with it. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nyet. Non. Not their problem, little mother. S/He’s all yours.
I can’t wait for people to start suing the evangelicals in state and federal government for practicing medicine without a license.
And what will this ruling do to our military? Women are in combat roles, they must remain combat ready at all times, like the men. Oh, women shouldn’t be in combat roles, should they? Says who? And why? Women can shoot an M16 as well as, and often better than, a man. I know. I had the 2d highest score when my company qualified at the firing range. The top gun, so to speak, was on the rifle team. I was invited to join that august group but declined.
What will it do to our economy? Nothing good, that’s for sure.
Because my boss taught me a long time ago to never bring a problem to her unless I brought at least one possible solution, I bring you two possible solutions, though they may not be easy for some of you.
1. Remember to vote this November, and vote those who want to make this country a theocracy out. Vote Democrats in (even if you don’t like them) and get Roe v Wade codified into law by Congress. The only people who should make a medical decision about your body are you and your doctor! (Remember, if you don’t want an abortion, no one can force you to have one.)
2. (swiped from Bette Midler’s twitter feed) “Stop abortion at the source. Vasectomies are reversible. Make every young man have one. / When he’s deemed financially & emotionally fit to be a father it will be reversed. What’s that? Did the idea of regulating a man’s body make you uncomfortable? / Then mind your fucking business.” Doncha just love the Divine Miss M?
And I leave you with one more quote from Begin Again, “‘George Santayana, the Spanish-born American philosopher, was right to point out that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ But what he didn’t say is that those who willfully refuse to remember become moral monsters.” (Italics mine)
Freedom is owning your body!
Photos of the Week:
Mama 8 Duck with her new babies. We have three new families. I hope they grow enough to fly south in a few months.Canada Geese will combine all their babies, and all the mama geese will herd them, and keep them safe. Ducks aren’t so nice. They will attack baby lings who are not theirs.The babies hardly show up. In the water, they’re easy to see. When still, on land, more difficult.
Begin Again, James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own —by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. I’ve always considered myself fairly well-read. I read a pretty eclectic assortment of books. I don’t much care for straight Romance, Mathematics, Horror, or Spy genres, but I’ve been known to read in each of those now and then. So how did I never read any of James Baldwin’s books? I knew the name, I recognized his photos, but I don’t think I’ve ever read any of his writings. I now have six of his books (audio) on my phone and am on my way to treating my ignorance. (Remember, ignorance is a treatable condition; stupidity is not.) I remember Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Martin Luther King Jr, the Freedom Marches, but not Baldwin. My ignorance is shameful, but treatable. This book is amazing, and it may be a few days before I get my thoughts in order and the review up, but it will be five stars, so don’t wait for the review to get your hands on a copy. And, if you’re like me, and tend to underline, and or write marginalia, be sure to buy your own copy, and have your pens/highlighters handy. I don’t know why, but Librarians get so fussy when books are returned with notes, underlines, etc. on the pages. I’d find it helpful to know where all the important parts are.
You Gonna Reap Just What You Sow Yes, they are old-time Gospel. What? You ask, am I doing with gospel music? I like some of it. Especially these, with a goodly hint of Blues. Perhaps more than a hint;-).
“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” —Abraham Lincoln
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”—Abraham Lincoln
“Daddy once told me there’s a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldn’t stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said there’s nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.” ― Angie Thomas,The Hate U Give
And a fourth quote, paraphrased, from General Sun Wu (aka Sunzi, or Sun Tzu), “Always give your enemy an honorable way out, for a woman backed into a corner has nothing to lose.” I do believe I hear the rage a rumbling, do I not???
Sammy Brave Dog says for me to chill, that it won’t be long until I become the Empress of the Universe, and then I can do what I want. Well, that’s not quite true, but close enough, eh? And, little desert dog that he is, he’s loving the warm weather.
Okay, last week someone accused me of jinxing our weather. Actually, it was mostly warm, and considerably warmer than it had been, but if it makes y’all feel better, then, yeah, I guess I jinxed it. And to make up for it, this coming week we’re heading very close to HOT. Y’all see what I mean, Jelly Bean?
…and that’s the truth!
Grab yourself a cuppa or a glassa and read a nice story. A true story, and though it had nothing to do with my moving here, it is one of the reasons this place has such good vibes.
I put in a work order for a grab bar to be placed on the wall between my tub/shower and toilet to give me a secure hold to get into/out of the tub/shower. The Assistant Manager (AM) called me last Tuesday and asked if the Maintenance Guy (MG) could come by on Friday to put the bar in and fix the drawer in the kitchen. I said, “But, of course. If no one is here, he can come on in.) I had every intention of putting a note on the wall where I wanted the grab bar before I left on Friday. On Thursday, I came home, and the grab bar had been placed in a place, and at a level, that it was totally useless for me. It was not where I wanted it. On Friday, I went to the office to explain. I walked in the door and the AM got up from her desk and all but ran to me.
She apologized profusely, but the MG (who is new to the complex) got our apartment (1) mixed up with the neighbor’s apartment (2), and the people in 2 were not happy campers. They stayed home all afternoon waiting while MG was putting their grab bar where they wanted it in my tub/shower.
AM said they had another bar and would come later that afternoon to put it up. I said that was fine, but to do the other one first. The lady in 2 uses a walker, or a wheelchair, and lately I’ve only seen her in the chair. AM then told me that they (the couple in 2) used to live upstairs, and she had surgery and could no longer do the stairs. So, the AM, and the Manager, and the Maintenance Crew and all their significant others and or spouses (is the plural of spouse, spice?) got together one Saturday (a day off for all of them) and moved the couple from their upstairs apartment to a downstairs apartment, lock, stock, and barrel.
And, yes, after twenty plus years in the Aerospace Industry, I still use Acronyms and Abbreviations. Maddening, isn’t it? But at least I know the difference!
Photos of the Week:
Yes, we had a bit of rain this past week. Not really rain rain, as one finds in Florida or New Mexico (and which I miss terribly), still it was enough to pock the water, and keep the dog in.And I’m working on a new quilt. It will be about 24” x 40” when all sewn together. The title is Slava Ukraini. I’m still deciding on how I want to place the blocks but am thinking seriously of this lay out. Gotta better layout? Please let me know.
I believe I’ve mentioned before I belong to a book club where we all read the same book, then get together the first Sunday of the month to discuss it. I normally don’t care for those kinds of groups, but this one is a lot of fun. Anyhow, this month’s book is Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons For Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Now, I’ve seen Professor Glaude many times on MSNBC as a contributing pundit. He teaches Black History at Princeton, and I always enjoy his spots when I see them. The book came the other day and I’m probably three fifths of my way through it. It’s fascinating. For all the nonfiction I read, why have I never read James Baldwin? I haven’t a clue. To segue into a slightly different area but still related, I also belong to Chirp. Audio books I can afford. On Sunday, one of the offerings was a book by Baldwin. I ended up ordering six books by him, all audio, for $18.00 and change. I couldn’t buy either ebooks or paper copy books for that. I am determined to learn to love audiobooks.
I do have a problem with them, I need to give them the same attention I do when reading. I can’t drive and listen, as I get too involved and find my eyes drifting to the radio to ‘see’ what’s next. I also can’t usually do other things while listening for the same reason, though I’m going to try listening while walking.
Earworm:
Ludwig van Beethoven — Moonlight Sonata (3d Movement) by Tina S Cover. Fair warning: this is heavy metal. If you don’t like heavy metal turn your volume way down and watch anyhow. Absitively posolutely some fantastic guitar playing. Stretch your musical ear a bit. It’s only 6 minutes long. And if you’re listening through headphones, as I do, turn it down. As fascinating as she is, not worth losing a couple ear drums. I did say it is heavy metal, didn’t I? And if you like heavy metal, try Dragon Force—Through the Fire and Flames — Tina S Cover (she was fifteen years old!) Although I don’t think my dad would have appreciated the heavy metal, I think he would be in awe of her playing. Daddy was far more of the classical, Spanish guitar.
“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion; all the religions have this. Love. We all lean towards love.” —Richard Gere
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” —The 14th Dalai Lama.
Sammy says he rather likes the fence we put up, but he’s still not going outside unless one of his humans go, too. Which is a good thing since we apparently have a resident eagle in the complex. Sammy is, as his ex-foster-mother told me, owl bait. And if an owl can haul him off, so can an eagle. Although Sammy weighs a bit much to be carried off, he could still be attacked. His humans like the new fence as it tells the neighborhood boys to quit walking thru ‘our’ yard.
Warm. Sunny, some clouds, a tad bit of rain now and then. Nice.
It’s Finally Summer in Kennewick:
We’ve actually had a couple days in the 80s, and a couple days without clouds! I do, however, at times think I’ve gone through some sort of time warp because all the cloud activity makes me think I’m back in Seattle. We’ve also had a little rain, much to Sammy’s disgust.
There are at least 3 sets of geeselings in the ponds. The one that hatched a few weeks ago and are coming into their adult plumage, one that is a couple weeks younger, and one that is relatively brand new. Same with the ducklings. I’m trusting the little lings will all be able to fly south when the time comes.
The grow up so fast.
So, didja y’all watch the Hearing on Thursday? Are you reading this now during a break in the Hearing? As much as I dislike Liz Cheney politically, I give her points for her opening remarks. Yowsah!! Regardless of which side of the aisle you gravitate to, I hope you are watching the Hearings on the channel of your choice. History in the making.
Photos of the Week:
Those darling little lings are just eatin’ them thar bugs and keeping the critters to a decent population!
Did I mention a bunch of us went over to a friend’s for a birthday party and fire-pit time the other night. A good time was had by all, and we enjoyed celebrating the birthday with a bourbon chocolate cake. Sorry, no pictures of that, but
Careful, it’ll burn ya
And last but not least, I took this shot the other day of a Heron in Herron Lake (yeah, I know, but that’s the way they spell it. Maybe it was built by the Herrons? I dunno.
Read two books this past week one is a collection of poetry and prose (not unlike my book, The Bride’s Gate) but somewhat smaller, and a lot funnier–Talking Smack to The Dead by Walt Peterson. His review is posted.
The other is a Legal Who Done it, May it Please the Court, by Daniel Maldonado. He needs an editor.
Earworm:
It just isn’t summer without a little Summertime by three different people (Okay, four, Ella & the Satchmo really are two different people) I had no idea Willie had made such a recording and I don’t think it’s all that old. Anyhow, listen to them all for a bit of variation.
Quotes from the Hearing by CNN [There are 11 quotes on this site, all worth reading]
“The conspiracy to thwart the will of the people is not over.” — Thompson
“He [Pence] ultimately knew that his fidelity to the Constitution was his first and foremost oath.” — Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short
“There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain.” — Liz Cheney [Message to her fellow Republicans]
Sammy’s not sure what the fascination is, but he’s all for his humans to sit on the sofa and watch the tv, because that gives him a lap in which to sit. He has discovered laps are for him to be on, there is no higher calling.
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Our highs for the following week will be high 70s to mid 80s! Sunshine on the menu for Monday and Tuesday, the rest of the week will be clouds (with maybe some sun breaks). Yes, sun breaks are a real thing here in the Pacific Northwest. Honest. Trust me. I do believe it’s safe to say, “Summer is here!”
Our new toy is here!
More news on the submissions. I sent three chapbooks out. All to “local” publishers. One of 18 poems went to a publisher in Portland OR, one of 23 pages of poetry (some poems are longer than one page went to a Seattle publisher, and one of 40 pages of poetry went to a publisher who is in Washington. Unless it’s now Oregon. That one is filled with what I call “loku.” Haiku has its “rules” — 3 lines, of 17 syllables, 5 7 5. Loku is my word (hmmm, should I trademark it? /snark/) and some are 2 lines, some 4 lines. But, generally, any short poem I write. I have Birdku, Catku, Cowku—all Loku. I think Basho would smile.
Our new oven came while I was gone. I actually planned it that way. I hoped Dan would take it out of the box, and use it, so when I got home, he could explain all the directions in English. Alas, the best laid plans… He waited until there was a place to put it, which didn’t happen until after I got home. But OMG!! we learned a new trick. Sear the meat before cooking it sous vide! Using the probe gets it to perfection. The reason I fell in love with this oven is it cooks sous vide without a water bath. It uses steam and takes half the time. The Anova Precision Oven maintains a constant temperature give or take about 2 degrees, unlike most standard ovens which maintain a constant temperature give or take 50 or so degrees.
The only complaint, so far, that I have is it’s controlled by our smart phones. I am a fat fingered luddite. I really, truly, prefer to have a paper book that I can read, mark up, and use, rather than having to dash to the office to google my questions. If that’s the ONLY complaint I have, it’s pretty darn teensy for a fantastic new oven that does everything but make morning coffee!
We spent several minutes last night watching our steaks cook. More fun that TV. 😉
While I was gone, Dan built some shelves to go above the counter he built to extend our working area in the kitchen. The neat thing about the shelves is they aren’t connected to the wall. We’ve lost a couple feet from the dining area, but we don’t use that so much anyhow. In fact, we haven’t used it yet at all.
I now have all my art that my neighbor and gal pal had in her spare bedroom. Plus I also now have an 8’ square design wall for quilting. It’s actually a smidge smaller, out of two 4×8 pieces of 2” foam insulation. I need to paint them with primer, so the printing doesn’t show, and cover them with flannel, then I’m good to go. Of course, they are in the office and my sewing machine will be in the dining area, but that’s ok. We’ve put them on two of the long closet doors so they can slide together when needed. Dan is a marvelous housemate!!
Photos of the Week:
Two mallards. We also have Muscovy in our ponds, and I think the one mallard on the right is a cross with a bit of Muscovy, but not sure. Apparently, they can cross breed, and the mixed ones are fertile, but many of the hens/drakes don’t like them because they don’t look ‘normal.’I have no idea what these ‘fingers’ are, other than probably something in the mushroom family, and probably poisonous to humans.This mallard is napping. He was surprisingly well camouflaged on the rocks. We had to look a couple times to be sure it was a drake sleeping. The brown hens often don’t show at all. They look like brown rocks.
I have added six reviews to my review blog. Feel free to Follow if you want more timely notifications. Four novels, two poetry. Since I started this blog in 2012, I’ve posted 614 reviews. And I don’t very often post low rated books, because if I don’t like them, I don’t finish them.
And there it is. A slow news week from my wee corner of Kennewick. Lots of news in the outer world, but it’s too depressing to talk about. But, if you’re interested, you might want to check the links below. Sammy says he hopes you do. He’s not at all pleased with everyone packing, unless it’s clothing for a trip.
