In December 2020, a small group of Stop the Steal lunatics demonstrated outside the Michigan Secretary of State’s home. It was dark, and it was said that some were packing the usual long guns those dipshits favor, but I only saw a couple of videos and didn’t spot any. They were told to stay on public sidewalks, don’t block traffic, and do their thing. Which they did.
I wrote a column about it at the time, which no one liked. I said it was obnoxious, but entirely defensible, as long as it stays non-violent and the shits stay off private property. I think one of the demonstrators here dared to ring her doorbell, but that was it. (He should have been arrested, IMO.)
So don’t cry to me, Clarence Thomas. Tough shit, Brett Kavanaugh. If it’s the downfall of decency and decorum, hmm, too bad. As these guys like to say, over and over and over, the American Revolution wasn’t polite, either.
At least I’m consistent in my outrage. I don’t remember any Republicans hand-wringing today over the Death of Decorum defending Jocelyn Benson in 2020.
So. Not a terrible weekend, for a change. Friday night we shlepped to Pontiac to see the Hu, the Mongolian metal band. I’d put them in the Deadline Detroit newsletter in the events section, just for the novelty. Then I got a note from LAMary telling me her roadie son was going to be in Detroit “with some Mongolian musicians” and figured there couldn’t possibly be more than one. We’d actually talked about going, just to get out of the house for something different, and that settled it. So first Mexican food, then the Hu. We were supposed to be on the list, but we weren’t. “We’ll just take two tickets, then,” I said.
“Sorry, it’s sold out,” the lady at the window said. It was a nightclub, not the hockey arena, but still. Clearly the Hu has more of a fan base than we thought. And we got lucky, because just then the club owner came in, saw us standing around fretting, and waved us in. First stop: The merch table, to say hi to Pete and buy a T-shirt. We found our way upstairs and had an OK view. They put on a good show — very Metal, very loud, very tribal-sounding. They play traditional instruments (although I noticed a guitarist standing in the back, out of the light, and one of the drum kits is the conventional kind), and do a fair amount of Mongolian throat-singing. For once, it didn’t matter that the lyrics weren’t clear, because they were in Mongolian. It reminded me of George Miller, talking about the flame-throwing guitarist in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” He said every army needed a drummer boy, and that guitarist was the bad guys’ drummer boy.
The Hu could be the drummer boys for Genghis Khan. Somewhere in a central Asian grave, he is surely smiling. Of course, the band has a song about him.
I’ve always been interested in Mongolia. When I was riding, I used to get a catalog for a horse-based travel service called Equitour. Most the trips were stuff like fox hunting in Ireland, dressage in the Netherlands, etc. But there were two that I really should have done when I still could — crossing the interior of Iceland on native ponies (there was a note that you should be able to ride 20-plus miles a day and expect mutton at literally every meal), and a trip across the Mongolian steppes, also on native horses, probably with a similar physical and dietary warning. When I had amnio before Kate was born, the geneticist and I chatted about her research work in Mongolia, looking for links between central Asians and native Americans.
I’d have chatted about all this with the Hu, but they don’t speak much English, Pete said. Probably fluent in Russian, though.
OK, then, time to get the show on the road. On my “day off” I’ve already edited several stories and had no fewer than four phone calls with my editor. I’ll leave you with a picture:
Hu’s on first, but in Columbus today, I believe.
Scout said on May 9, 2022 at 12:18 pm
That sounds like my kind of show, Nancy. I’ll keep an eye out in case they ever play in Phoenix.
This Mother’s Day was marked by the threat to women’s health care rights and this tweet is the perfect distillation: “Are we still calling it Mother’s Day or is it now just Domestic Infant Supplier Day?” The tweet author is @keribla.
Personally, I had a wonderful weekend. I took my Mother to see Ballet AZ’s production of Juan Gabriel, which was phenomenal, and she spent the night with me. Then the next day we went to my daughter’s for a five generation celebration. For those on FB, here’s a 5 Gen photo: https://www.facebook.com/jeanne.smith.14203/
656 chars
Icarus said on May 9, 2022 at 12:38 pm
This tweet, authored by @ScrewyDecimal, was written two years ago but seems spot on right now:
You know in The Handmaid’s Tale flashback scenes where everything still feels kind of normal but they start dropping small hints that shit is starting to go very wrong very soon? We’re in that part right now but with REALLY BIG FUCKING HINTS
349 chars
alex said on May 9, 2022 at 1:02 pm
And one of Indiana’s Senators (the Trumpist douchenozzle who bought his own seat) wants to apply a new “don’t say gay” ratings system to television programming:
https://www.wpta21.com/2022/05/06/braun-other-gop-senators-calling-lgbtq-tv-rating/
247 chars
Sherri said on May 9, 2022 at 1:14 pm
Let’s remember that anti-abortion activists have been protesting in front of clinics for years, the volunteer escorts have been needed for patients to get to the door, that SCOTUS overturned Massachusetts’ attempt to create a 35 foot buffer zone, and that the Supreme Court put up big fences this week to prevent protesting on their own steps.
Is it obnoxious to protest in front of Kavanaugh’s house? I hope so, but I doubt it rises nearly to the level of what women have had to put up with exercise their legal right to an abortion the last few decades.
565 chars
Sherri said on May 9, 2022 at 1:46 pm
And, I’ve got no time for people who are more upset by the tone of the protest than the subject of the protests. There are things more important than civility, like whether or not I’m a full human with full rights.
218 chars
Deborah said on May 9, 2022 at 2:37 pm
Today is Russian Victory Day where they celebrate the end of WW2 and the overthrow of Hitler’s Regime (I think). And weirdly there is a Russian tradition of Victory Day Salads to be served on this day. Salads that are garnished to look like tanks etc and are heavily and grotesquely mayo based. Here’s a hilarious Twitter thread that shows examples https://twitter.com/DrJadeMcGlynn/status/1523396790338596864
On the subject of salads, I subscribe to Emily Nunns substack called The Department of Salad that I highly recommend. She was featured recently in the NYT about her substack which I was pleased to see. You can subscribe for free which I did for months and then recently decided to do the paid version which is totally worth it. She’s funny and gets political often on Twitter which I follow. She’s great. Her salads aren’t low calorie specifically, just delicious and beautiful.
889 chars
Jason T. said on May 9, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Seems like a good time to bring Harry Shearer and the late David L. Lander into the conversation. The following incident takes place in the advertising department of the Los Angeles Times:
Who’s On First – The Credibility Gap
“If I could write, I wouldn’t have had to steal this bit.”
364 chars
Dorothy said on May 9, 2022 at 5:08 pm
I have to give a shoutout to the Washington Post for winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service – my daughter worked on the Jan 6 project and I am bursting with pride about this!
181 chars
LAMary said on May 9, 2022 at 5:11 pm
The HU were in Columbus on Saturday night, I think. Maybe Sunday. Nashville tonight. The tour continues for another five weeks so I’ll let you know if they hit Phoenix, Scout. I think they may have already been in AZ but I’ll keep you alerted. I understand a t-shirt was purchased? From the graphics at the start of the HU videos online I see some potential for a better quality graphic than the old guy metal bands Pete has worked with.
437 chars
Julie Robinson said on May 9, 2022 at 5:14 pm
Dorothy, the Washington Post has been doing great work, and you’re justifiably proud.
Sherri, in Fort Wayne Planned Parenthood didn’t provide abortions, only women’s health care. Did that stop the local right-wingers from doxing the employees? It did not.
258 chars
David C said on May 9, 2022 at 6:09 pm
The HU are in Phoenix on August 27.
https://www.thehuofficial.com/tour-1
75 chars
Scout said on May 9, 2022 at 7:09 pm
David @11 – thank you!
22 chars
Little Bird said on May 9, 2022 at 7:13 pm
Deborah, can we go to Phoenix in August? Specifically the 27th?
64 chars
LAMary said on May 9, 2022 at 9:12 pm
I know the family roadie will be on break sometime this summer so you might not get the LAMary family freebie in August, but I will check.
138 chars
Deborah said on May 9, 2022 at 11:06 pm
A trip to Phoenix in August doesn’t thrill me because of the heat, but what do I know? If we stay at the Biltmore with Frank Lloyd Wright influenced design with lots of pools, maybe.
We’re in Abiquiu now, tomorrow we leave from here for our road trip. Tomorrow night we’re staying in a town in Utah about 150 miles NW of Moab, just inside the Utah border from Idaho, then we go through SW Idaho into a corner of Oregon before we hit Washington. We’ve been to Moab and surroundings before so I’m really excited to see Idaho and Oregon and eastern Washington. We end up Thursday evening in Everett, WA where my husband’s brother lives now, he and his wife moved there from Bellevue a couple of years ago. Everett turns out to be a lot further north of Seattle than I thought.
789 chars
susan said on May 9, 2022 at 11:40 pm
Deborah, are you taking Hwy 2 to Everett? Let me know and maybe we can meet up for lunch or some such. You can get my email from Nancy.
135 chars
Sherri said on May 10, 2022 at 12:06 am
I’d say I’d meet you for coffee, Deborah, but I’m flying to LA on Thursday.
81 chars
Dexter Friend said on May 10, 2022 at 3:42 am
My step-grandson graduated from Ohio State on Sunday; on Saturday he was commissioned into Space Force as a 2nd lieutenant. My son-in-law, the dad, rendered the first salute to the new officer. The dad is an Air Force vet and currently the operations director of an executive jet company in Florida.
All hell broke loose here last night when I spotted a full syringe with needle attached on the carpet…I was sure my addict step-grandson was shooting up but he said he was cleaning out all his “dope stuff” and the syringe had fallen away…and he said the load was water. He started his new job yesterday Monday so I gave him one more chance, and told him this is it…anymore crazed behavior and glassy eyes and he’s getting kicked to the curb. My patience is wearing thin.
783 chars
Deborah said on May 10, 2022 at 9:24 am
Would love to meet up but my husband has this trip scheduled to the minute, and I mean to the absolute minute.
I like that he takes care of all the reservations and routes plus he does all the driving and packing the car so I’m not really complaining.
Dexter, good luck to you with your grandson, hope he’s not scamming you.
333 chars
JodiP said on May 10, 2022 at 11:05 am
I had checked to see if The HU were coming to Minneapolis, and alas, no. But we’re seeing Carmen on Saturday,Lisa Fischer on Wednesday, and a Saints baseball game on Thursday–our local minor league team.
Years and years ago my wife and I saw a concert of Tuvan throat singing. True nerds among us will know the book Tuva or Bust! by Ralph Leighton about his and physicist’s Richard Feynman visit to Tuva.
This weekend is also our master gardener plant sale which I love working. Some of the shoppers are new to gardening and it’s great fun helping them understand what will work in their garden and picking plants with them.
632 chars
Suzanne said on May 10, 2022 at 11:52 am
Tuva or Bust! What a great book!!
33 chars
kv450 said on May 10, 2022 at 12:17 pm
I’m so sick & tired of hypocritical RWNJ snowflakes.
on a less serious note, does The Hu’s lead instrumentalist smash his Morin Khuur at the end of the concert?
171 chars
Sherri said on May 10, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Susan Collins called the cops because someone left a chalk message in front of her house urging her to vote to codify Roe, and got city public works to clean it off. Snowflake.
Reminds me of the town of Selah, a small town outside of Yakima, WA. During the George Floyd protests, some residents did some chalk art supporting Black Lives Matter. The city manager called BLM a neo-Marxist organization and removed the art. They did it again, he removed it again, the town passed a law against chalk art and threatened to arrest them. The end result was the town agreeing the settle the ensuing lawsuit. That’s how the First Amendment works, you snowflakes.
659 chars
LAMary said on May 10, 2022 at 7:06 pm
I think HU were in St. Paul already, maybe a few weeks ago. I know the offspring was there and I doubt if it was a recreational visit.
134 chars
Sherri said on May 10, 2022 at 7:20 pm
Defund ICE.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/10/us-immigration-agency-ice-domestic-surveillance-study
114 chars
basset said on May 10, 2022 at 8:03 pm
Missed the Hu in Nashville, I was up in Michigan. Got into our rental car at Detroit Metro and found the radio stations set to hip hop and the bass cranked up… so I changed the radio settings and played all the Bob Seger I had on my phone, that got us to Midland anyway.
274 chars
Deborah said on May 10, 2022 at 9:57 pm
We’re in Spanish River, Utah tonight, just south of Provo. I thought we were going to be closer to Idaho from what my husband described. The rest of the trip will be interstates so we can make it to Everett by Thursday afternoon. Tomorrow night we’ll be staying somewhere in NE Oregon, I forget where. Beautiful scenery today and only 2 Trump signs observed. I saw a funny sign somewhere west of Durango, CO that said: milk, change 4 letters and you get beer.
500+ miles driven in 9 hours today on 2 lane blue highways our favorite routes, somehow sitting in the passenger seat is exhausting.
600 chars
Deborah said on May 10, 2022 at 10:37 pm
It’s Spanish Fork, Utah, not Spanish River. Tired.
52 chars
Dexter Friend said on May 11, 2022 at 12:32 am
Rick Scott, what a prick. His big plan is to tax all low-earning working folk at least $2Gs to cure inflation. This surfaced in February but is now gaining traction in the US Senate. https://www.americanprogressaction.org/article/debunking-sen-rick-scotts-claims-about-taxpaying-americans/
292 chars
LAMary said on May 11, 2022 at 12:36 am
Rick Scott is beyond disgusting. Look up his history with HCA (hospital corporation of America). He’s a sleazy crook on a grand scale.
134 chars
Heather said on May 11, 2022 at 5:09 pm
I asked my metal-lovin’ dude if he had seen the Hu, and of course he has…twice. For those who might be interested, here are a couple of his Instagram posts about some shows in 2019 (the puppets weren’t with the band but def added to the atmosphere):
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4T0gzPl8p5/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Zy7voBYu0/
338 chars