I think I’ve mentioned 14,000 or 15,000 times that this historical era has me feeling glum. Also, the insomnia is back — I awake at 4:30 a.m. most mornings now, and that’s not good, but it boils down to 5-6 hours of sleep a night, and that seems to be…adequate. But lack of sleep + pandemic + everything else is not a mood elevator, so this afternoon I figured I’d do a bike ride, see if I couldn’t rinse some random shit out of my head.
I saw this house, which was cheering:
It’s an old firehouse. No. 38, the numbers over the garage doors say. Move a few steps down the street and you can see the tower for hanging and drying the hoses:
I’m 90 percent sure this is a private residence. The best thing about it, which you can better see from the Google Maps satellite view — which I won’t post, because privacy — is that it’s virtually isolated. There are two houses on one side, two across the street, but in the other direction? Maybe a quarter-mile between houses. This is the neighborhood where, according to local legend, the first crack houses in the country sprang up. That was followed by abandonment, blight, “urban renewal” in the form of arson, and then, as Carl Sandburg wrote: “I am the grass. Let me work.”
Honestly, the concessions to reality — that stout fence is there for a reason — could be tolerable for quiet nights punctuated only by predawn pheasant crowing, coyotes yipping and maybe some random gunfire from time to time. Grosse Pointe is only a few blocks away, so you don’t have a hike for groceries and sundries. You find places like this all over town. Which is why the newsletter I produce for Deadline has a standing head: This week in America’s most interesting city.
Then I pedaled home and, as I was putting the bike away, got an alert that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been hospitalized and felt like screaming again.
Today, in greater Lansing, a 77-year-old man confronted a 43-year-old man outside a Quality Dairy — your basic quickie-mart type place. The confrontation was over the latter’s failure to wear a mask; he was ejected from the QD over it, and he must have been testy about it, because he stabbed the old man. Then he fled. The cops caught up with him about 30 minutes later, and he got out of his car armed with a knife and a screwdriver. He advanced on the cop twice; she shot him the second time. He’s dead.
I’d love to see that guy’s internet history. This being the 21st century, there is available video of the stop, the confrontation and the guy going down.
I love summer, but not this one.
Joe Kobiela said on July 14, 2020 at 9:36 pm
Looks justifiable. Wonder what would be said if the perp was African American?
Pilot Joe
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LAMary said on July 14, 2020 at 9:59 pm
I was going to comment but PJ left me speechless.
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Sherri said on July 14, 2020 at 9:59 pm
JC, can I have a block feature?
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Deborah said on July 14, 2020 at 10:04 pm
Me too?
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jcburns said on July 14, 2020 at 10:07 pm
Joe, what I would say is that too many Black men (especially) are being fatally shot by police when they could be arrested without fatality.
The numbers are too large, and they speak to a societal flaw in policing, and we really need to recalibrate.
I would say this no matter who the perp was, because it’s a problem that transcends any one police shooting.
Then I would say Black Lives Matter.
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alex said on July 14, 2020 at 10:28 pm
Damn, that dude had more lives than Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” Good argument for body cams for all cops because you really have to see this kamikaze shit to believe it and likewise when cops commit cold-blooded murder on someone who’s unarmed and not resisting.
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Deborah said on July 14, 2020 at 10:59 pm
Greetings from Kremmling, CO, the first night of our treacherous trek through Covid land, not knocking CO, but cutting across the US at this time is terrifying. We stopped in Centennial, CO, south of Denver at an IKEA and picked up what we wanted for the kitchen in Santa Fe, for LB. I went through IKEA hell for about a week before getting this unit. I’ll cut them some slack because of the virus though, everything must be chaotic because of it. The store was not crowded as others I’ve been to, understandably during these times. It was all very confusing and complicated but we got it squared away and my husband packed it all into the minivan we rented. All is well. Every time I pass through CO, I’m blown away how beautiful it is. We go through Wyoming. Keeping my encounters in the public and commercial realm to a minimum. And by the way everyone I saw in IKEA was wearing a mask, thank goodness. I wanted to get the unit from IKEA on the trip back to NM but as I said it was all so confusing I was afraid they’d be out of stock by then. And I’ll say, taking a road trip in a minivan is the way to go, lots of room and easy in and out access.
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Mark P said on July 14, 2020 at 10:59 pm
Joe, Joe, Joe. At long last, have you left no sense of decency?
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 14, 2020 at 11:39 pm
So he’s clearly expecting to commit suicide by cop. Which makes for an interesting correlation with mask refusal. I’ve watched it three times, and just can’t figure if the officer is missing most of the shots, or he’s just that amped up. But these are the tragic plurality of police shootings: people who have no real expectation of taking down the cop (though sometimes they do, and this came near being one of those times), but who keep coming not out of courage but an essential despair. This guy is acting out a psychodrama whose plot is still opaque to me.
Had my first face-to-face mediation since March 12; everyone in masks, more spread out, and my usual mediator ninja skills of arranging the room are tossed out along with reading facial cues. You can see some, but certainly less. But it went better than I feared it might.
What I am doing much remedial work on is the overall question of transgender youth. Went fifteen years never dealing with the issue in family dynamics and in the last year four or five. Learning plenty of new vocab, and no, not that sort. Words like “abrosexual.” Had to look that one up. Queer studies were not a thing when I was in college or my grad work, but it gives me something to focus on.
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Jakash said on July 15, 2020 at 1:13 am
Perhaps PJ is attempting to audition for the slot while Tuck the Schmuck Carlson is “on vacation.” Those who care about facts, Joe, realize that none of the African-American victims whose murders have been the focus of protests came to the attention of police by stabbing 77-year-old people. Nor are “two knives in one hand and a screwdriver in the other when he went after the deputy” elements that those cases have in common.
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Jason T. said on July 15, 2020 at 2:06 am
I used to think that people left foul comments on blogs because they could do so anonymously, but there goes that theory.
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beb said on July 15, 2020 at 2:32 am
To answer Joe’s question, what would have happened if the suspect had been African American? In all likelihood the cop would have yelled him to stand still the moment he stepped out of his car, and would have shoot at a distance when he was half-way to the cop’s car. He would never have gotten close enough to attack the cop. But because he was white was allowed to get right up next to the cop before the attack. Even then the cop first backed off and only responded on the second attack. This white privilege.
As for the number of times the cop shoot. Some cops are taught to empty their magazine. Perhaps because the chances of hitting the suspect in a tense situation like that would be low.
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ROGirl said on July 15, 2020 at 3:38 am
I’m not sleeping well these days, either. It’s partly the general conditions of the world, and partly my job. It may just be a coincidence that the person I work for is narcissistic, self-serving, and a chaos agent. He doesn’t call people names, but last week, on our first day back in the office after 3 1/2 months, he wouldn’t stop to greet me because he was so busy he didn’t have time.
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Dexter Friend said on July 15, 2020 at 4:47 am
The video of the man being shot by cops the other day is equally obvious as justifiable. nance wrote she witnessed a rather angry protest march over that one, but the video shows the now-dead assailant firing a shot from damn-near point blank range and missing the cop. Then really, what choice did the cops have? They killed the shooter. Of course almost all the other killings this summer and years before were unjustified murders by cops. But Trump just said white people get shot by cops too, and they also have a free speech right to love their Confederate flags. He never learns a fucking thing. Biden is now up just 9 points in the polls. What did Trump do to gain 2 points this week? It’s a crazy world. Five houses west of me the lesbians have flown their huge Pride flag all summer. I like to see it as it balances the sickness I get from the Trump-as-Rambo giant flag this punk-ass bastard flies from his shitty beat pickup truck. And my neighbor who hoisted a big Trump flag in his yard , from the high flagpole there, and lighted it so it shines all fucking night long. Red? Yeah…I’m red alright…those Trump flags give me a case of the red ass. Bastards.
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Dorothy said on July 15, 2020 at 6:57 am
When I needed to vent to someone about the racist, nasty, ugly things my husband’s aunt used to say in Sunday night conversations with him, or after we visited her in Pittsburgh, I’d turn to my mother, who always listened without judgment. She’d let me have my say, and afterwards she’d always tell me the same thing: Honey, she hasn’t changed after all these years and she’s not going to change now. Still, she let me vent and patiently reminded me of Dolores’ intractability. It was good that she listened and good that I got that shit out of my system, where, if it had stayed buried in my head and heart, might’ve started to poison me.
I’d like to remind all of us that when you-know-who enters the room, takes a dump, and then stomps out, we have the option of ignoring him. Let’s try that and see how it works.
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Alan Stamm said on July 15, 2020 at 7:49 am
Because I’m also a language wonk, the correct use of pheasant in its plural sense makes me smile.
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alex said on July 15, 2020 at 8:53 am
Is the correct word for pheasant in its collective sense the pheasantry?
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basset said on July 15, 2020 at 9:02 am
And when they reach the middle class they become the pheaseoisie, right?
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Jim said on July 15, 2020 at 9:03 am
I’m taking the high road.
PJ, your grammar and spelling were spot on today. Congrats!
Next task: work on being more Christian.
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susan said on July 15, 2020 at 10:08 am
And a group of pheasants is a bouquet.
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Jeff Borden said on July 15, 2020 at 10:24 am
Well, Pilot Joe, if the perp were a black man in Chicago, he’d have been shot 16 times including 10 shots while face down on the ground and already dead. (Video shows his body herking and jerking as more shells penetrate.) This was the fate of Laquan McDonald, who was high on something and walking in traffic while holding a small knife. He was killed while walking away from the officers. A half-dozen other cops lied through their teeth to justify the shooting, which was captured on body cam videos. The cops and the mayor kept the videos on deep lockdown for as long as they could. The trigger happy cop, Jason Van Dyke, is currently serving time for murder.
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Sherri said on July 15, 2020 at 12:03 pm
The magical thinking is wearing me out.
Florida, with its 10K+ cases per day, not only has opened Disneyland, not only has the NBA and the WNBA “in a bubble” there, but right now, has an AAU national volleyball tournament going on in Orlando. With teams of kids. AAU has produced a statement about all the measures they are taking to make the tournament safe, but what about the rest of the time? You’ve got a team of teenagers, in hotel rooms, probably 2-4 to a room, who have to be fed and entertained. Restaurants and movie theaters and arcades are open in Florida.
And who are then going to go back to their home communities, fresh off their time in the hot zone.
Maybe they’ll all be careful. Maybe none of them will return to their homes and have a party to celebrate their win at the tournament. Maybe none of them will attend a family birthday party, or indoor church.
But I read things like this from my husband’s home town (http://www.clevelandbanner.com/stories/lead-pastor-kelvin-page-covid-19-outbreak-has-been-difficult-for-westmore-church-of-god,113373), and don’t feel like the odds are that everyone will be careful. If you read that article, the church hosted a three hour indoor regional service. They church had resumed indoor services with a choir, but not requiring masks, and hosted a big gospel singer on Father’s Day. In other words, they didn’t open carefully and slowly, they assumed the virus was gone. And they created a superspreader event.
The virus is not gone. It will not be gone. I just wish people, especially people in positions of authority, would stop pretending that you can ignore the virus and it will go away.
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Jeff Borden said on July 15, 2020 at 12:22 pm
Chicago and Illinois have been as aggressive as any governmental body in confronting Covid-45. The state has been trying to reopen in stages after pretty much everything was closed mid-March, but homo sapiens seem unable to learn or modify behavior. There are now spikes among younger residents in Chicago tied to the reopening of bars. Mask wearers a few weeks ago appeared to be well over 90%, but now it’s more like 60%. Despite a sweltering, muggy summer, all city beaches and swimming pools remain closed, primarily because the mayor doesn’t trust our citizens to maintain proper social distance. I fear we’ll replicate the situation in California, which appeared to have knocked the virus down but is now a hot spot again.
This did not need to happen. If we had a strong leader and a real overarching federal strategy based on science, research and expertise, we might’ve put our shoulders down and worked together to blunt the crisis. But we live in a country where a *president who lost the popular vote by 3 million, whose approval rating has never risen about 50%, whose followers more resemble a weird religious cult than a political movement, whose political party is the most cowardly gathering of political hacks in our history. . .and a place where a former game show host who tweets absurd conspiracy theories is given a national platform by our clearly mentally ill *president.
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basset said on July 15, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Speaking of southern Indiana goobers…
https://www.google.com/amp/s/heavy.com/news/2020/07/colton-allen/amp/
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Jeff Borden said on July 15, 2020 at 12:47 pm
The rest of the world is getting fed up with our selfish shit. . .
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/americans-accompanied-adults-sign-pub-caf%C3%A9-england-great-britain_n_5825fd0de4b02d21bbc8729f
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Suzanne said on July 15, 2020 at 12:58 pm
We have relatives in the Chicago area. They came to visit my elderly in-laws in Ft Wayne a few weeks ago and went to a bar for fun. Because, after all, bars in IL have been closed so they were itching to go out and do something. They think it’s all overblown and you can’t just hide in your basement, afraid of everything. As discussed yesterday, these are well educated people. Sister-in-law is a physical therapist, her husband a coder. Their daughter just graduated from college with honors. “I know we came to visit our very elderly parents but, man, we haven’t been to a bar in months!”
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Scout said on July 15, 2020 at 1:22 pm
Ever since someone rattled the bridge and woke the troll yesterday, it has felt invited to scatter its misspelled nuggets of QAnon dipshittery again. I do try so hard to just scroll and ignore, but it is tiresome.
Speaking of scrolling, fair warning, I’m going to bring up Hamilton again. I finally saw it on Saturday night and have scheduled another viewing for my parents this evening. The earworm I took away from the first viewing was the King George number ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NOjkmkanrc ). Loved it!
sHitler’s Rose Garden yesterday speech was jarring, even for him. Does he make it to November before his shattered, scattered, disordered mind just disintegrates completely? Who watches a spectacle like that and says, “I’ma vote for that guy!”? Don’t anyone answer that please, I know who.
And then there was Limbaugh: https://twitter.com/mmfa/status/1283130468871876608
If he was anyone else you could say he has chemo brain, however, this is pretty on brand for that guy.
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4dbirds said on July 15, 2020 at 1:31 pm
I believe I am on record for many, many years of being on to Joe the Fucking Pilot’s trolldom, (is that a word?). Just as I was for that asswipe Danny. JTFP is simply a pimple on an ass. Ignore him. As some of you know, I’ve had several difficulties through the years. A child diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at age 27 months, and another child who died from a heroin overdose. My husband and I have also had all the difficulties that come from a stressed marriage and it is a wonder we are still together. About a year ago, during a routine appointment with her primary care provider, my cancer kid’s doc was concerned about a bump she was seeing behind her ear. Fast forward after CTs, MRIs and biopsies, we found out she had what is called a meningioma tumor on her brain involving her optic nerve and internal carotid artery. These are known to be a factor in these kind of tumors. Radiation used for childhood cancer. After watching it for a year (an MRI every three months) they decided it was growing too fast and on June 26th she had a resection of her tumor. They weren’t able to remove all of it but felt that it would be slow growing and maybe every 10 or 20 years they would debulk it and she could have a normal life. On Monday we returned to her neurosurgeon for her post op appointment. The path report came back with the worst news possible. Something called anaplastic meningioma with a medium survival rate of three years. They are discussing her case at the tumor board on Friday. We see the radiation oncologist after the board. I am in the ‘bubble’ I was in when I was first told my toddler had cancer in 1993. So for me, Joe the Fucking Pilot is just a turd that I step around. I can’t worry about him going forward. Please forgive any spelling errors. I know you writers. 🙂
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Scout said on July 15, 2020 at 2:20 pm
4dbirds, I am so very sorry for what your family is going through. News like this transcends all the other noise. Please know that I’m holding your family in my heart and sending healing light out to your daughter.
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Connie said on July 15, 2020 at 2:37 pm
I mentioned once before how much I had enjoyed Weird Al’s Hailton Polka. It gives you all the highlights in five minutes and has a great King George bit.
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v0c6smpHSk
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ROGirl said on July 15, 2020 at 2:38 pm
4db, can only agree with Scout that I’m sorry for what you and your family are going through. It makes everything else seem petty and unimportant.
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Connie said on July 15, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Sorry, wrong link. This is correct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNEdEDbhTQw
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Joe Kobiela said on July 15, 2020 at 2:54 pm
So your a female police officer by yourself and stop a guy that has already stabbed one person, he gets out of the car and comes towards you with a knife, what would have you done? Call a social worker? Glad she shot him. Any guesses on how many unarmed black men were shot by police in 2019? 10 look it up in the N.Y. Times 6 were found justified and the officers in the rest were prosecuted, hardly what you would call hunting down black men. What political party did that mayor in Chicago that set on the tapes belong to? How’s the street party in Seattle going? Shot a 1yr old in N.Y. City the other night, shootings up 600% this year in that city, Philly, LA, St Louis, all run by the Democratic Party, and they want to disband the police you fuckers all deserve each other, you don’t like me? Boo,hoo,hoo Here’s a quarter call somebody that cares. what a bunch of spoiled whiny brats you are. Enjoy being miserable sob’s you deserve it.
Pilot Joe
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Sherri said on July 15, 2020 at 3:07 pm
4dbirds, holding you and your family in my heart.
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Jenine said on July 15, 2020 at 3:15 pm
Jefftmmo, the fact that you will go to the trouble of looking up that term (new to me too!) shows how far you’ll go to meeting people where they’re at. I am cheered by the compassion.
But I’m leaving this site for a while. That way I won’t run the chance of reading anything from JK.
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LAMary said on July 15, 2020 at 3:44 pm
4db, it’s hard to imagine the anxiety and pain you must be going through. Even though I’m a non believer, my years working for a Catholic non profit gave me a lot of friendly nuns and priests who will gladly get on the case even though I’m a heathen. Also one terrific Episcopal priest and a Methodist minister. The whole team. And I will, as two others have already said, keep you in my heart and thoughts. Peace.
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Suzanne said on July 15, 2020 at 4:15 pm
4dbirds, I am so sorry. Prayers for you, or whatever helps.
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Julie Robinson said on July 15, 2020 at 4:39 pm
4dbirds, I wish I had better words than to tell you how sorry I am. Sending my prayers and a virtual hug.
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Kim said on July 15, 2020 at 5:02 pm
4db – In the midst of what can only be called a tragedy that transcends understanding, you give us some excellent advice. Thank you for the generosity of your perspective.
Like the others in the NN.C community, I will hold you and yours close.
I rarely comment these days but read and appreciate y’all daily.
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Jim said on July 15, 2020 at 5:34 pm
For people who care about data (not PJ, obviously):
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/nationaltrends
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Deborah said on July 15, 2020 at 7:49 pm
4dbirds, so so sorry, your family has been through the mill. If there’s anything we can do let us know.
Can you believe Joe wrote that last comment after reading what 4dbirds wrote about her situation. I can’t not say something about that.
Fuck you Joe, rot in hell.
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Little Bird said on July 15, 2020 at 7:58 pm
My deepest sympathies to you 4dbirds.
And Joe? It’s “You’re”.
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Mark P said on July 15, 2020 at 8:18 pm
I just contacted the National Republican Senate Committee after seeing an ad attacking A Georgia Democrat. I asked them to please stop lying so much. But if they stopped lying, they wouldn’t be Republicans, would they? And what kind of model would they be for their supporters if they stopped lying. Imagine all those Republican supporters without any idea of the lies they should tell. They would suddenly have nothing to say. And what would happen to us? I mean besides drastically improved mood and outlook. We would no longer have to consciously ignore all the ignorant, stupid, racist rants that pollute our national discourse. And our blog discourse.
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Colleen said on July 15, 2020 at 8:20 pm
4dbirds, I am so sorry for what you and your family are having to deal with. Good thoughts to you.
And PJ? YOU’RE a despicable racist. Just like 45. “But what about the white people”? What about us? We aren’t persecuted, we aren’t shot by police at the same rate PER CAPITA as Black people.
From a book I am reading: “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” White people are in no way oppressed. Even those who get shot by cops.
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Deborah said on July 15, 2020 at 9:15 pm
We’re in Gillette, WY, a lot less stressful day of driving than yesterday, saw lots of antelope. We’re staying in our favorite chain, Hampton Inn but that doesn’t stop me from doing my Covid routine when we walk in the door of our unit. I spray down all the surfaces (Especially the bathroom) with Lysol and wipe down with a roll of paper towels I brought. I mist the fabrics, bedding etc with alcohol. Don’t know if that’ll actually help but it makes me feel better. I haven’t used a public bathroom yet, we’re driving mainly blue highways which is our want, so easy to duck out of site. I’m used to it from my camping in Abiquiu days. My city friends find this hard to believe about me. Tomorrow night we stay in another Hampton Inn in Brookings, SD. Our goal was to completely skirt around the Mt.Rushmore area where Trump’s rally was on July 3rd. It means going hundreds of miles out of our way, but they’re beautiful miles so it’s all good.
We drove past teapot dome today.
And by coincidence I’m currently reading a Annie Proulx book called “Fine Just the Way it Is”, a collection of short stories that take place in Wyoming. We drove through Saratoga, WY which is where she lives. It’s near the CO border. I also read “Bad Dirt” by her a while ago, also a collection of short stories about hard scrabble WY people. Highly recommend both. Weird to be here while reading that book.
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Mark P said on July 15, 2020 at 9:48 pm
Deborah, I have no idea where to find Lysol spray. Every store in our town has been out for several months. We couldn’t even order it from Amazon when we tried a month or so ago.
My friends from old camping days laugh about the ritual of peeing behind a bush. Everyone has to do it the first time, but, of course, men are usually long-since used to it. Some people are too dainty and civilized to do it outside. One of our cats is like that.
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basset said on July 15, 2020 at 10:42 pm
Not me. Told our realtor when we started looking for a house that wherever it was, I needed enough back yard to be able to pee off the deck. I don’t think anyone had specified that before.
And looking through the posts from a year ago I see myself going on about the house we were buying, which didn’t work out because it failed inspection in at least three different ways. Still kinda looking but our hearts are not in it, we just look at the automated listings that are emailed to us and say “naaaaah, not that one.”
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LAMary said on July 15, 2020 at 11:19 pm
Gillette is a fairly grim town, or at least it was in the seventies. I schlepped up there with my boss who was writing a story about the coal slurry pipeline.
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beb said on July 16, 2020 at 12:57 am
My heart goes out to 4dbirds and her family.
The family mailed in our absentee ballots today. Detroit has a tracking web site so we can follow our ballots progress. Hopefully it will arrive before the deadline. I mailed out a club newsletter the end of June and no one has received a copy yet. It was Special 4th Class mail but it should have arrived within 6 days.
We’ve been enjoying the less than odious weather this week. And the exhaustion of most people’s fireworks. On a related note, we seen bounce-house parties twice this week on our block and once over the weekend near-by. It’s good to see that kids are getting a chance to get outside, in smallish groups.
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Dexter Friend said on July 16, 2020 at 4:02 am
Now NYC is taking heat for all the shootings, 3 in Canarsie (BK) alone. Last night there were like 10 shootings. In Far Rockaway, a dad and his 15 year old stepson got into a verbal argument and apparently they both went for guns and both died. Radio 880 reported it’s been like 30 years since NYC had an outbreak of gun violence such as this.
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Deborah said on July 16, 2020 at 6:30 am
Mark P, I happened to be in CVS about 2 months ago and found the Lysol spray, it felt like I found gold. We usually use Target bleach spray which is nowhere to be found now but we’ve had multiple bottles of it under the sink in Santa Fe. I saved the Lysol for taking on a road trip.
The last time we were through Gillette it was sad but it has improved to some extent because of fracking money. Sorry it had to be for that reason. This Hampton Inn, is brand new.
At about midnight there was a commotion outside, we’re on the second floor and had our window open. I got up and looked down, there was a row of parked Harleys and a bunch of guys, or I should say manboys hanging around talking really loudly. At first I thought they were fighting. My husband was astonished that I yelled down at them to please be quiet. And they did. At least I was polite about it, I didn’t say shut up. They looked up to try and figure out who yelled out at them, but I wasn’t visible. I guess I could have got myself shot. My husband was impressed.
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alex said on July 16, 2020 at 7:18 am
So sorry to hear your news 4dB. Sending you virtual hugs.
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Julie Robinson said on July 16, 2020 at 9:00 am
From the book I’m reading: “Black people are apparently responsible for calming the fears of violent cops in the way women are supposedly responsible for calming the sexual desires of male rapists. If we don’t, then we are blamed for our own assaults, our own deaths.” Ibram X. Kendi, How to be an Antiracist.
Peeing outside? Last time I had to do that the only place with any cover was woods, and I got my lady bits all scratched up. I may never recover from the trauma!
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Jeff Borden said on July 16, 2020 at 10:14 am
Peace and grace to you, 4dB. You’ve shouldered far more than your fair share of burdens.
After what we’ve done to black people for the past 400 years or so, I’m amazed more don’t go Nat Turner on us all. Certainly the first step will be removing the racist pus sack in the White House while hopefully flushing many of his sycophantic Quislings in the Senate and House into the sewer. Until then, expect our race-baiting moron to keep throwing the chum at his cult. It’s all he has left.
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St Bitch said on July 16, 2020 at 10:53 am
4db – your daughter must be around 30 years old. Sending hope your way.
Pilot Joe – you’re almost impossible to ignore; and the pain I see going on with you is almost unbearable. Where 4db invites our compassion, you provoke backlash and alienation; thereby both reinforcing your wretchedness, and at the same time, I believe, providing you with release…sort of like a virtual self-cutter. So sorry about that!
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Julie Robinson said on July 16, 2020 at 11:12 am
Jeff, that’s exactly the conclusion I’ve coming to through reading this book. I’m only a third of the way through too. I’m part of a discussion group and we take on one chapter per week. The book is so emotionally difficult to read that I’m not sure I could be any speedier.
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beb said on July 16, 2020 at 11:44 am
We’re at 3 1/2 months till the election but 5 1/2 months before the new Congress. What will happen in that two month long Lame Duck session is hard to say but we have seen repeated attempts by outgoing Republicans to sabotage the incoming Democratic administration. One of the things a new administration needs to do is address the Lame Duck sessions, by which I mean ban them except when called by the President for a national emergency.
Yesterday I mentioned our family putting our absentee ballots in the mail. Today I read on Salon “‘Disturbing’ memo reveals Trump’s USPS chief has slowed delivery amid calls to expand voting by mail”
I think Trump needs to be impeach every day between now and November, even if the Republican Senate won’t convict. Because every day Trump is committing some new impeachable offense.
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Colleen said on July 16, 2020 at 12:40 pm
Beb, I too worry what will happen between election day and inauguration day. I fear 45 will go full on scorched earth. I know…how will we tell the difference from what is going on now…
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4dbirds said on July 16, 2020 at 1:50 pm
Thank all of you for your well wishes from the bottom of my heart. We have been fighting the childhood cancer battle for 27 years and yes St. Bitch, she will be 30 in October. The drugs used caused so much damage that even though we were officially cured, she developed other problems, diabetes, learning disabilities, ovarian failure, slow growth, thyroid issues, behavioral issues. One thing after another but my husband and I always said, hey when we want to talk to her, she’s here in our house and we don’t have to go to the cemetery to ‘see’ her. Because of her various issues caused by her total body radiation, she often doesn’t feel good and is cranky. It is sometimes hard to like and love a chronically cranky person. She is our child so my husband and I do no matter what. We will go through our next steps with her comfort in mind. We will do whatever needs to be done but will not go so far as to ruin her joy, intellect and sense of humor. I’m hoping we get more than the median of 3 years. Luckily, I have great health insurance (thank you federal employees’ health care) and she has been considered a dependent since she was considered disabled before 18 and we will give her the best care.
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Dorothy said on July 16, 2020 at 1:54 pm
I want to add my support to the numerous voices that have already spoken up for 4db. Such awful, awful news and you are summoning up deep wells of strength for your daughter. But the wells also have so much sorrow. I hope you will have much more of the first and less of the second. But I know she will need you so much. I’ll be thinking of you and her. I wish I could do something meaningful to help.
Yesterday my daughter’s long time partner found out his mother has very advanced pancreatic cancer and she only has weeks to live. She has mild dementia and moved in with a wonderful caretaker about a year ago when they finally convinced her to have her 17 year old very unstable dog put to sleep. She’d been complaining of back pain and did have a UTI diagnosed, and antibiotics helped that. But the pain continued and that’s how they found the cancer. So yet another family member is going to lose a loved one to pancreatic cancer. I know so many people who have had it. Like all of us, I’m so ready for 2020 to be over.
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susan said on July 16, 2020 at 2:34 pm
There will be a black bar across the year 2020 in all subsequent almanacs. Or a blank space.
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Jakash said on July 16, 2020 at 3:23 pm
Nice to see MyPants get some attention from one of the disgruntled Republican operations:
https://twitter.com/RVAT2020/status/1283505490639691784
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Sherri said on July 16, 2020 at 3:31 pm
Why are Federal forces from DHS in Portland?
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/07/tear-gas-deployed-as-federal-officers-disperse-protesters-overnight-in-downtown-portland.html
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David C said on July 16, 2020 at 4:47 pm
Scottie Walker called the Wisconsin lege into an emergency session in his lame duck period. I forget what the ostensible emergency was but the only legislation they approved was to take powers away from the incoming Democratic Governor. So I don’t see limiting lame duck sessions to emergencies as being all that helpful.
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LAMary said on July 16, 2020 at 6:19 pm
I hope you all realize that the title of this posting has caused another ear worm. A really shitty one. Ringo singing Back Off Boogaloo.
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basset said on July 16, 2020 at 8:19 pm
I’m still earworming “Highway to Hell” from a few days ago.
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Sherri said on July 16, 2020 at 8:38 pm
I don’t think this is getting much attention nationally, but federal law enforcement officers have been sent into Portland against the wishes of the mayor and the governor.
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/07/homeland-security-head-calls-portland-demonstrators-violent-mob-defends-federal-officers.html
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beb said on July 16, 2020 at 10:53 pm
Sherri – The gestapo have arrived.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 17, 2020 at 7:33 am
Meet my dad. He was one of the good ones.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwitimes/obituary.aspx?n=ronald-b-gill&pid=196498767
4dbirds, blessings with you all through the tumor board meeting. I pray they have some helpful guidance for you moving forward. That’s a hard path.
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Suzanne said on July 17, 2020 at 7:58 am
A wonderful, heartfelt obituary, Jeff. He does sound like one of the good ones. Peace.
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Julie Robinson said on July 17, 2020 at 8:39 am
Grace and peace to you, Jeff. That obit had your fingerprints all over it, and I wish I’d known your dad. His time at Iowa State overlapped my folks, who arrived two years earlier and were both initially in the ag department too.
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Deborah said on July 17, 2020 at 9:06 am
Heather Cox Richardson writes about what’s happening in Portland in the second part of her daily essay. The first part is mainly about Pompeo posturing. I’d leave a link but I get her essays via email and I can’t figure out how to do that.
We spent the night at another Hampton Inn, this one in Brookings, SD. This evening we arrive at uncle J’s place.
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deni said on July 17, 2020 at 9:20 am
4dbirds, I have carried you in my heart these few days and I pray that you will find strength to get through today’s meeting. We are all standing with you during this heartache. I hope you can feel our concerned care surrounding you and holding you tightly. I wish I had better words and magic powers.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 10:16 am
I’m a big fan of the Mayor of Atlanta. The governor, aside from being a sleazebag, is also an idiot. He didn’t know covid could be spread by asymptomatic carriers until months into the pandemic. Anyway, Mayor Lance Bottoms had a famous dad. Here’s a video:
https://tinyurl.com/yyb5kkad
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4dbirds said on July 17, 2020 at 10:18 am
A wonderful obituary Jeff and I’m so sorry for your loss.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 10:37 am
Very sorry for your loss, JTMMO. That is a fine obituary for someone who lived a fine life.
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Jim said on July 17, 2020 at 10:46 am
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/17/portland-protests-federal-arrests/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_mm-portland-810am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans
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Heather said on July 17, 2020 at 11:04 am
Sending love and strength to 4dbirds and Jeff tmmo.
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Icarus said on July 17, 2020 at 11:29 am
4dbirds, to echo others, I am sorry for what your family is going through.
Deborah…i get the emails and am also following her on Facebook. In the email there is a way to click through to the day’s post
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-16-2020
Just got off the phone with a recruiter and now I feel like I need a scalding hot shower.
So I’m starting to watch Brave New World on Peacock, which is NBC new streaming app. It apparently only works on the Apple ecosystem or if you are an xfinity (formerly known as Comcast) subscriber. I was amazed to find the book is online for free so I will need to read that as well. Based on the first episode, the writers certainly didn’t. They probably watched Logan’s Run instead.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 11:36 am
I was not the recruiter Icarus spoke to. Just wanted to clarify that. I withdrew my application for the job I mentioned the other day. Even though I really need a job, the people I spoke to were probably like the recruiter Icarus spoke to. I may do some freelancing since I’ve accumulated a some good resumes from people who want to do telemedicine.
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Brian stouder said on July 17, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Well, I confess – my fine young son and I spent last weekend at Road America in Wisconsin. (Indy Car ran a Saturday-Sunday double header) We observed and complied with social distancing (not hard at that 4 mile track….unless one is an idiot) and we had face masks and disinfectant hand washing stuff…….and, although it all worked out, not sure we’d do that again
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Colleen said on July 17, 2020 at 12:39 pm
aargh. Justice Ginsberg’s cancer has returned.
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Scout said on July 17, 2020 at 1:56 pm
What a beautiful obit, Jeff. Your Dad and mine share the same birthday, two years apart.
4dbirds, we are collectively sending loving energy out to you.
Is anyone besides me scared to death over the brown camo gestapo kidnapping people in Portland and whisking them away in unmarked vans? This is terrifying.
https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/#.XxD9y_CwH4w.twitter
“I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love.”
—Donald Trump goes full King George III on US cities, 250 years after the Boston Massacre
h/t @tf2 on Twitter
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Mark P said on July 17, 2020 at 2:09 pm
If Trump replaces Ginsberg and the Senate confirms his nominee, then, assuming Biden wins, there will be no choice but to pack the court.
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 2:15 pm
“Stay alive”
To RBG
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 2:32 pm
Yes, Scout, I’m scared of what’s going on in Portland. I’m scared because I think that the orange one wants to escalate the situation, and would love to see some protestors get killed by his beautiful security forces. The statement Acting DHS Secretary Wolf put out was absurd; the words used most often were Violent Anarchists and graffit.
The orange one wants to look tough, and doing it someplace like Portland means there are fewer media around to mess with his version of the story.
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beb said on July 17, 2020 at 3:15 pm
I keep forgetting to mention how impressed I am by the renovation of that old firehouse. Very tasteful color scheme and the tuckpointing that the building surely required was very discreet and cleaned up nicely.
I’m sadden to hear about RBG’s continuing health problems. It’s like a race to get to the finish line (ie. till January) with more and more parts of the car falling off. Lord knows that McConnell’s principled opposition to nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year will go right out the window if there is the slightest change of sticking another Federalist on the bench.
Challenger Jamaal Bowman has been declared the winner in a race against a 30 year congressional veteran. Like AOC, this is quite an upset, and like AOC, a welcome on. There was an infographic recently that say the average age of Republican Congressional leadership was in the mid-50s. The average age among Democrats was low 70s. Just looking at those respective numbers suggests that the Dems really need to start thinking about promoting younger players into these roles.
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Icarus said on July 17, 2020 at 3:41 pm
I was not the recruiter Icarus spoke to
correct, sorry for not clarifying. Also sorry LAMary that your hope of employment was dashed.
I deal with recruiters from time to time in batches whenever a position in my industry opens up. Some are good. Some got their job based on their looks.
I don’t expect them to memorize my credentials but when you’ve had my resume for two days before we talk, I can tell you are just reading it now.
Once I got a call from one who was reading and said “so you work at XX”
Me: “well that was 2 jobs ago”
what recruiter doesn’t cross check LinkedIn FFS!
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 3:52 pm
Icarus, I’m a pretty low key recruiter. When I worked for an agency I was good at my job without being a jerk, but I got fed up with being lumped in with jerks and being encouraged to be a jerk one of the managers. That and some sleaziness.
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4dbirds said on July 17, 2020 at 3:52 pm
I just hung up from my conversation with the radiation oncologist. So much to process. He will need more scans and will let us know when and what he needs. Basically, he told us he was an architect and engineer and will divisive a radiation program that will target the tumor. First we need to wait 4 weeks until her neurosurgery is healed and then he will draft a targeted radiation session that will try to destroy the tumor without destroying her. That is our reality and our choice. We talked a long time and he seemed really interested in who she was and is and I tried to convey to him how much I adored and loved this girl/woman. Thank all of you for being my friends even though you don’t know you were my friends.
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 4:23 pm
A thread of videos from Portland: https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1284177036861419520
FDchief, you still around? You’re near Portland, right?
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beb said on July 17, 2020 at 4:39 pm
4dbirds, the doctor’s comment that he was an architect and an engineer shows how much radiation therapy has advanced in 30 years. Very targeted, very controlled. He sounds like he knows what he’s doing and I hope for the best for you.
What’s happening in Portland is very disturbing. Federal agents acting with the request or approval of state or local authorities, running around in unmarked cars. For what? To disrupt peaceful demonstrations. This is a clear violation of Portlanders 1st amendment rights to peaceful assemble as well as freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures and due process. They’re Trump’s Gestapo.
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Andrea said on July 17, 2020 at 4:47 pm
Jeff and 4dbirds, sending light and love to both of you, and to your daughter’s care team as well.
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 5:05 pm
Like I said, the orange one *wants* the confrontation between his unlawful army and protestors in a Democratic city in a Democratic state, and his base will eat it up. Kill a few, and it won’t bother them at all.
https://twitter.com/peterdelevett/status/1284217859313303552
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Dexter Friend said on July 17, 2020 at 6:19 pm
JMMO, condolences in your time of mourning; 4birds, hanging tough is tiring. I commend you for your strength and stick-to-it-iveness. Best wishes and hopes to both of you.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Sherri, that stuff in Portland terrifying. What is going on?
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 8:25 pm
Here’s what I understand about what’s going on in Portland. Demonstrations have been going on in Portland daily since the murder of George Floyd. Like the police departments in many cities, Portland’s police did much to escalate the violence, and are now prohibited from using tear gas and the like by court order and by law as of July 1. Things had begun to settle down.
Also on July 1, the Protecting America’s Communities Task Force was formed by the president to protect statues and monuments, consisting of various Federal law enforcement agencies like CBP and US Marshals. This task force has been deployed to Portland to “protect” federal property there, which primarily consists of the federal courthouse. This task force is outfitted in military-style gear, with generic “police” markings, little else in the way of marking, no apparent names on uniforms. They are going out on patrol on the streets of Portland in unmarked rented minivans, “arresting” people off the street without identifying themselves, and in at least one case, releasing the person detained several hour later with no record of any detention.
Acting (not Senate confirmed, because the president doesn’t like to do that) DHS Secretary Chad Wolf visited Portland, where the mayor and police chief didn’t meet with him (but the head of the police union did), and he released a statement of grievances that the Violent Anarchists were supposedly responsible for that justified this response, most of which were graffiti. They weren’t actually grabbing people off the street who were painting graffiti, or who seemed to be doing anything other than being on the street.
I think this will blow up. Portland protestors are unlikely to back down, and there’s a history in the area of white supremacist militia types spoiling for a fight with left wing anarchist types. It could get ugly.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 8:41 pm
This really looks like it can’t possibly go well. The unidentified paramilitary guys are DHS and CBP, neither of which has any business going after protesters for making graffiti. I know that once you get out outside of Portland there are plenty of those wannabe paramilitary guys. Portland is not all of Oregon. Jeez. This is really fucked up.
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 8:50 pm
I’ve seen an announcement for a vigil tonight at the federal courthouse in Seattle in response to what’s happening in Portland, and I’ve also read that there are some of the same paramilitary federal goons deployed to Seattle. I’m worried about what could happen.
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Deborah said on July 17, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Trump obviously wants it to blow up in Oregon so he can play the great white savior against the black hordes, to rile up his base and try to make suburban moms scared, so they’ll vote for him.
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Deborah said on July 17, 2020 at 9:15 pm
We arrived at uncle J’s in northern IL. I’m trying to catch up on all the NN.c comments, lots going on today.
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LAMary said on July 17, 2020 at 9:35 pm
I’m astonished by how many people seem to be ok with some federal secret police force is ok. Bringing in guys in full camo, with weapons, no ID is not something that should happen in a free country.
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Suzanne said on July 17, 2020 at 9:43 pm
“Bringing in guys in full camo, with weapons, no ID is not something that should happen in a free country.”
This is no longer a free country. Hasn’t been for several years. It’s now the Unites States of Trump.
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Sherri said on July 17, 2020 at 10:35 pm
Portland is one of the whitest cities around, not exactly filled with black hordes. 80% white.
More from Portland: https://twitter.com/tuckwoodstock/status/1284251679798341632
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 17, 2020 at 11:04 pm
Remember Gen. Russell Honore’ from Hurricane Katrina? He has some on point observations about putting law enforcement in full battle rattle under camo, which are worth reading through in full:
https://twitter.com/ltgrusselhonore/status/1284221255558864897
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Deborah said on July 17, 2020 at 11:38 pm
Manboys playing army guys only with real bullets and paraphernalia. Creepy.
It doesn’t matter to the Trumpers if the truth of the matter is that the unrest in Oregon is mostly white guys, they want to believe they’re black and brown hordes (like the so called caravans). My friend in St. Louis who protested past the gun waving couple said the crowd was way more white than black but that’s not the way it was perceived by those who wanted it to be mostly black.
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Dave said on July 17, 2020 at 11:42 pm
4dbirds, there isn’t anything that I can add to the kind words here, I can barely imagine what you and your family’s struggle has been.
Jeff, wonderful summary of a life well lived.
I had a longtime acquaintance send me Trump garbage, I told him in no uncertain terms what I think of that. The first thing he brought up in his reply was the New World Order and Trump’s pre-virus economy. Oh, and saving the USA from communism. I have no response to that sort of nonsense and haven’t responded yet, I don’t know if I will. He is originally from PA but has lived in the south for many years now.
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Deborah said on July 17, 2020 at 11:55 pm
Rep John Lewis RIP.
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susan said on July 18, 2020 at 12:37 am
This piece explains what’s going on in Portland, as a run-up to what’s to come. It’s Barr and McConnell running the show behind the scenes of *resident Stupid’s glory rallies.
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Jakash said on July 18, 2020 at 12:36 pm
“If you ever need a reason to not get into a comment-section debate, remember this as proof that it’s almost certainly a waste of time”:
https://twitter.com/kwilliamhuitt/status/1283552151441203200
Sample: “The phrase ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’ contains every letter of the alphabet.'”
Reply:
“Theirs no V”
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Sherri said on July 18, 2020 at 1:29 pm
If you want to understand why Portland, read this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/opinion/portland-protests-federal-agents.html
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Jakash said on July 18, 2020 at 4:51 pm
What Cult 45 members condone…
https://twitter.com/RyanShead/status/1270870016066351104
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beb said on July 18, 2020 at 10:07 pm
There was a comment today saying that far too much of our government has always depended in the tacit respect for the “norms” and not in black-law law. So when someone comes along that doesn’t believe in either the law or norms, things spin out of control fast.
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Brian stouder said on July 18, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Thought experiment: imagine a run-of-the-mill Trump supporter; maybe not a MAGA hat wearing ‘this is all a hoax’ type, but a voter who went for Trump in ’16. Now imagine it is 2012, and President Obama is running for re-election, and mysterious Federal troops in armored vehicles start turning up and intimidating/rounding up/’disappearing citizens peacefully protesting. How completely crazy would the right-wingnuts go?
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Heather said on July 19, 2020 at 12:26 am
In Chicago tonight, protesters are converging in Mayor Lightfoot’s neighborhood, where I’ve seen reports that the police injured at least one cyclist with a car, and a militarized vehicle has just arrived at the scene. This is a day after a confrontation at a statue of Columbus downtown, where cops tasked with defending it were pelted with objects and then started beating up the crowds, including one incident where a cop knocked the teeth out of an 18-year-old Black woman.
I don’t agree with throwing stuff at the police, but the cops also have a duty to respond with more restraint than the public. Also, it’s a freaking statue.
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Suzanne said on July 19, 2020 at 9:20 am
I give up on humanity. A man, a Self professed conservative, interviewed on NPR this morning.His 16 yr old daughter spent several weeks in the hospital with COVID, part of it on a ventilator. Other family members have tested positive for it but didn’t get as sick. And yet, he still says that he doesn’t think the federal response has been that bad because we don’t shut down the country for the flu so why should we for COVID?
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LAMary said on July 19, 2020 at 10:20 am
I read last night that Trump is trying to block funding for contract tracing, testing and the CDC. I can’t process this information. Other than telling everyone to get back to normal and to send their kids to school or Betsy’s going to take your funds away, this is the stupidest thing I’ve read in a while. We’re being told to just take our chances and if a lot more people die, tough luck. And he rambles on about dishwashers and light bulbs and whines about not getting enough praise for things he didn’t do. Never in my life did I expect this kind of insanity in this country. There’s been lots of craziness over the years, but this is massive.
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Sherri said on July 19, 2020 at 11:32 am
I think he really does believe that testing just makes him look bad. He doesn’t care how many people die. That’s what so scary about the secret armies; the only purpose for them is to make him feel good, and killing a few protestors will make him feel tough. That the protestors are Americans is irrelevant; they aren’t *his* Americans, so they don’t count. Besides, *his* Americans would die for him, right?
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Jakash said on July 19, 2020 at 11:57 am
“Besides, *his* Americans would die for him, right?”
Well, they certainly are, whether they want to, or not.
In other news, the New York Times had an article about how whatever group creates the nutrition recommendations for the U.S. is considering making the suggested alcohol limit for Americans 1 drink per day, men and women.
Uh, read the room, people… read the room!
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LAMary said on July 19, 2020 at 12:09 pm
A guy in Riverside county here in CA owns several gyms. He’s keeping them open in spite of the fact the state and his county and his city have all required gyms close. He knows he’s going to get shut down, I assume. His reasoning for it being ok for him to keep all his gyms open? Fit people won’t get sick.
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Sherri said on July 19, 2020 at 12:17 pm
That’s the same reasoning DeathSantis gave for allowing the gyms to stay open in Florida.
I have to admit, naming a military base after Al Sharpton wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, but Fort Sharpton is definitely an improvement over a base named after a traitor.
Do we get taco trucks on every corner, too?
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Deborah said on July 19, 2020 at 12:52 pm
It bugs me when reporters ask Trump if he’ll accept the results of the election if he loses. It’s not up to him. If he doesn’t leave his post after he loses that’s another story. I wonder what the Republican legislators and Bill Barr will do if he loses by a landslide but hunkers down. I hope he just slinks away and never shows his face again.
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Icarus said on July 19, 2020 at 1:05 pm
I suspect there will be a new post soon so maybe something to end on a brighter note…
Basset mentioned house hunting. We were (probably, most likely) gonna list this spring and head south. That got derailed of course so I’ve put time into addressing some of the issues around the house to make it more palatable for the next buyer.
Found a house that is awesome except 1) three times our preferred budget and 2) not in the right location
https://albertsmaletsky.bairdwarner.com/details.php?mlsid=10764264
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Little Bird said on July 19, 2020 at 1:46 pm
I don’t understand why 45 doesn’t seem to realize dead base won’t vote.
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Little Bird said on July 19, 2020 at 1:46 pm
I don’t understand why 45 doesn’t seem to realize dead base won’t vote.
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 2:58 pm
Icarus, that place has a terrible walk-score (25).
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beb said on July 19, 2020 at 3:14 pm
I still hold the Tawana Brawley case against Al Sharpton and apparently Trump does, too, for himm to suggest renaming Army post from Confederate traitors to Sharpton. On the other hand naming one of the post after John Lewis or Elijah Cummings would be a great idea.
LAMary @117 – It’s hard to get one’s head around anything Trump does or wants. It’s like Bizzaro world in Superman or a permanent “Opposites” day. Let’s cut taxes on the working and cut benefits for the out of work. And testing only creates cases so lets stop testing… I can’t thinking he sprinkles cheetah blood on Air Force One because he thinks it will go faster.
Some people have suggested that we need to impeach Trump again for new crimes — for creating a national police force, for commuting Stone’s prison term (an illegal act according one group as it amounts to self-dealing and is a violation of his oath to faithfully execute that law.) I’m in favor of this because it will remind people all the criminal things Trump has done.
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Suzanne said on July 19, 2020 at 4:16 pm
Random question. Does anyone know of a spice grinder that will grind poppy seeds? I have seen specific poppy seed grinders, but those are expensive and I won’t use it much. I see all kinds of spice grinders for all kinds of prices, but almost none say they will work for poppy seeds which are so teeny. I tried a mortar & pestle but that is awfully labor intensive and the seeds kind of go all over.
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Deborah said on July 19, 2020 at 5:54 pm
Suzanne, can’t help you on the grinder but I’m curious what you use ground poppy seeds for?
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 6:06 pm
Suzanne – I have my gramma’s poppy seed mill (she was from Wien). It looks like this.
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 6:08 pm
(cont’d from 129) You can get them from this place
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 6:12 pm
I found one eBay for less.
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 6:15 pm
Deborah, you use ground poppy seeds in hamantaschen or filled croissants or poppy seed cakes or other sweet baked goodies.
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diane said on July 19, 2020 at 7:20 pm
Susan, do you have a recipe for poppyseed filling that you would be willing to share? I grew up on poppyseed roll and love it but my mother always used canned Solo filling. I’ve made it a just couple times as an adult but would live to try homemade filling.
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Dorothy said on July 19, 2020 at 8:48 pm
I have a long-ish story I feel the need to share with my nn.c friends and am guessing Nancy might be doing a new post this evening. But I’ll plow through anyway.
A young couple lives across the block from us – we are on the N end of the court, they are the first house on the S end of the court. They’ve been here around 2 years. They have a daughter who’s nearly 6 and the wife has a 15 year old from a previous marriage. The husband served in Iraq and has a traumatic brain injury. He does not work. Outwardly he appears normal but his wife often would tell me his meds needed to be tweaked because he was ‘acting up.’ Well a week ago the police were there for at least an hour so I knew trouble was brewing. The next day the husband came over when he saw me cutting grass. Asked if he could he borrow our truck to pick up some furniture. He spun some story about his wife drinking two bottles of wine at a time and she kept missing phone calls about delivery of the furniture so he wanted to go get it himself. I begged off and said I’d talk to my husband.
I had to text his wife and told her about this conversation. She said he was really acting up badly, had not slept in days, hadn’t seen any doctors in too long due to Covid, and she was staying with his parents an hour away. Then we saw the police back over there a few more times. One night he blasted awful heavy metal music and I called the cops that night. Yada yada yada – it went on. He had the locks changed. She came back with her mother-in-law to get clothing, etc. and had to break a window to get in. Police came – I’m guessing she called them for safety reasons. She told me she was getting an order from our county court for him to stay away from her and the kids and leave their house. He was served on Saturday morning. I was also worried about their little dog but I saw Rusty in the driveway when I stopped to talk to the police on my way to the store.
He drove off on Saturday; his wife said she’d stay one more night with her in-laws and come back today. He did drop off the dog and cat at Animal Control and she wanted to pick them up today. Well I was in my sewing room today and I was unplugging my iron, and saw him pull in the driveway. I rushed downstairs, took my dog out on a leash, and texted his wife to warn her. She was on her way to the house. I snapped a picture of the car in the driveway, walked Nestle and started to walk back into my house. Then I heard a door slam, turned and watched him walk out and get in his car. Ten minutes was the total time he spent there. I texted her again that he was gone. Then we left a few minutes after that to head to our son’s.
Well the wife texted me – said the police were with her when she was going into the house to be sure she was safe. Her in-laws were with her. The house was trashed. Said she could not move back in with her kids. And then the police wanted to talk to me. They called and asked me to email one of them and give a statement about what I saw, and verifying it was him. The officer explained she was going to disseminate it to multiple nearby police units. I did it immediately from my phone. This was around 4:45. At 6:04 she texted me: He’s in jail.
This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this and it seems the law is working correctly. I was glad to help, but now a little nervous about what might happen if he gets released from jail. I think he needs to be committed to a mental health hospital – the VA likely, but the pandemic is probably messing that up. The wife told me the police told her that they are handling multiple similar situations. It’s all just so awfully sad and I hope it works out. He did drive to his parents’ house during the week, arriving 5 AM, tried to break in, did break into her car and stole the car seat for their daughter and took out fuses. He tried to break into his sister’s home too, and the police said they could not do anything because they didn’t witness it. What a f’d up situation all the way around. Jeff – I assume you might have some experience with some similar situations? Any suggestions for potential future interactions?
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LAMary said on July 19, 2020 at 8:53 pm
There are jazzy looking hand cranked things that get sold as pepper grinders but are actually Turkish coffee grinders. They do a fine grind of oily roasted beans. Here’s one: https://tinyurl.com/y4ywnpqy. It’s not very expensive and if it doesn’t work for poppy seeds you can use it as a pretty pepper grinder.
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basset said on July 19, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Something like this could work: https://www.thegrommet.com/products/zassenhaus-cast-iron-spice-grinder?pmodal=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1d_Fp9La6gIVjLbICh1OoAsaEAQYASABEgLZIvD_BwE
Been in a cast iron frame of mind the last few days… researched and reconditioned a skillet handed down from my grandmother, it’s a “3-notch Lodge” from the 40s.
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susan said on July 19, 2020 at 11:53 pm
diane @134 -I looked through my gramma’s and mom’s recipes and couldn’t find one for poppy seed filling. Lot’s for old Vienna pastries (EsterhazySchmitten, kipfel [filled and vanilla], Linzer torte, Husararen krapfen, schnecken…); and even for makostesta/poppy seed cake, but that one doesn’t use the filling, just ground & soaked poppy seeds. There are lots of recipes on-line for the filling though. Those would be so much better than the Solo canned stuff, and not hard to make. Use butter, NOT margarine; and real vanilla.
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diane said on July 20, 2020 at 11:26 pm
Thanks Susan. I will Google.
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