Archive for the ‘General’ Category.
Lest We Forget The Horrors
Early in President Trump’s term, McSweeney’s editors began to catalog the head-spinning number of misdeeds coming from his administration. We called this list a collection of Trump’s cruelties, collusions, and crimes, and it felt urgent then to track them, to ensure these horrors – happening almost daily – would not be forgotten. This election year, amid a harrowing global health, civil rights, humanitarian, and economic crisis, we know it’s never been more critical to note these horrors, to remember them, and to do all in our power to reverse them.
(via JWZ)
A Return to Political Civility
Here is a political message for people tired of political messages. Hint: a return to civility.
Still With the Gmail Spam
This Too Shall Pass
OK Go playing their song, This Too Shall Pass, for marching band.
Not gonna lie, I cried a little watching it. Maybe it’s the pandemic, presidential politics (which became “everything” politics), daughter, seeing glimpses of my own mortality, murder hornets, race riots, or 8 months of quarantine. Not sure.
My aunt N asked why I felt this way, she said she couldn’t hear the words to the song. Here’s my response:
It’s funny, the only words I really hear in the whole song is the plea “Let it go, this too shall pass.”
I’m overwhelmed by all the threats and perceived threats in my world. So hearing that message is both welcoming and terrifying!And I feel like the ORIGINAL music video for this song is this one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
(though they both came out about the same time) It’s an amazing Rube Goldberg machine of a music video! I first saw this video when I was teaching classes at the Crucible… building things and teaching and such. I seriously considered starting a Rube Goldberg class based on this music video. That was, in many ways, a better time. I didn’t think quite as much about the “this too shall pass” message. But now that I’m seeing the video with the marching band, I think about the old times and the current times and…. it’s overwhelming.….and the marching band video is so ludicrous and gently irreverent and reminds me of my own youth, it just accentuates how far I’ve come. And not in a good way.
To Help Avoid the Troubles of a Lawful Insurrection
To help avoid the troubles of a lawful insurrection, please remember that the election results won’t be fully tabulated until several days after November 3rd.
To any presidential candidate that casts adamant derision on the election process, recall that he’s a lying shitbag. He lied about his VERY FIRST MOMENT as president. And will lie until the day he is out of office and beyond. Recall his words “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period.” How did we get to this horrible place?
Here is Trump casting adamant derision on the electoral process: “I think it’s a terrible thing when states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over…” (and)
I made a transcript. Highlights are mine.
I think it’s a terrible thing when ballots can be collected after an election. I think it’s a terrible thing when states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over.
But it can only lead to one thing and it’s very bad. You know what that thing is. I think it’s a very dangerous thing. And I think it’s terrible that we can’t know the results of an election the night of the election in a modern day of computers. I think it’s a terrible thing. And I happen to think it was a terrible decision for our country made by the supreme court. I think it was a terrible decision for our country. And I think it’s a very dangerous decision. Because you’re going to have one or two or three states depending on how it ends up where they’re tabulating ballots and the rest of the world is waiting to find out. And I think there’s great danger to it and I think a lot of fraud and misuse can take place. I think it’s a terrible decision by the Supreme Court. A terrible decision.
Now I don’t know if that’s going to be changed because we’re going to go in the night of, as soon as that election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers.
But we don’t want to have Pennsylvania where you have a political governor, a very partisan guy, and we don’t want to have other states like Nevada where you have the head of the Democratic clubhouse as your governor. We don’t want to be in the position where he’s allowed to, every day watch ballots come in. See if we could only find 10,000 more ballots. Because we’re doing great in Nevada. We’re doing great in Arizona. We’re doing great all over. But if you take Nevada or you take Pennsylvania, and everyone knows what happened in Philadelphia, you don’t have to say it. And I’ve read about it for years. And I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait a long period of time after the election. If people wanted to get their ballots in, they should have gotten their ballots in long before that, a long time. They don’t have to put their ballots in the day. They could have put their ballots in a month ago. I would think it’s a ridiculous decision.
Here’s what I’m sadly thinking is a possibility:
– Nov 3, 9pm EST Trump declares himself the winner before results are tabulated
– Nov 15 Results are in with Biden the winner but Trump contests it. Trump claims fraud and won’t back down: much gnashing of teeth and lawsuits
– Jan 18 Claiming fraud and a growing base of support, Trump [something something that keeps him as president after Jan 20]
– Feb 10 With factions formed, things get out of hand and talk of a lawful insurrection begins
Toe Warmer
It’s getting cold. You’re working from home. Your toes are cold but turning up the thermostat costs the monies. You wanna treat yo self? You Wanna? This is what you want! I got this 2 years ago and… oooooooooo! It’s like having your own personal foot-elves tending to your toezies. When I went over to my wife a few seconds ago to find out the brand name, Megan said some very “Don’t you touch that!”-like words at me. :-)
Cozy Products CT Cozy Toes Carpeted Foot Warming Heater for Under Desks and More. About $50 on Amazon. Here’s Cozy Products full line of foot warmers.
If the space under your desk is chilly, use this and you’ll be able to lower your house thermostat several degrees and keep your toes happy for about 50 watts.