Diversity is our Strength

 Our President is attempting to kill diversity. By diversity, he seems to mean anyone but a white man. But diversity - including white men - is the backbone of our strength.

I thought of that last night, when Alysa Lui won the World Championship for Ice Skating. She is in the center, with various Olympic winners surrounding her. This is the type of picture that should bring the word "Americans" to mind.

We are a nation of immigrants. We used to describe ourselves as a melting pot. I miss those days.

Wisconsin Election is being Purchased (last bad post for today)

Two posts ago I did not lament Richard Chamberlain's death.

In the last post, I did lamented the abduction of a PhD Fulbright Scholarship student for legally writing an opinion piece. 

This is my last crap post for a while before I go back to publically trying to forget about it all (the trip to Puerto Vallarta last week for my birthday helped).

Elon Musk is attempting to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. If he does, we will have come to the point where American elections are open but can be purchased. And Elon shits money (and racism, but that's another issue).

So, there is a long, involved story that I won't get into. I will summarize it in very short form: Wisconsin is having an election for its Supreme Court (each state handles its Supreme Court differently). 

Usual spending in these races is less than a million dollars. But Elon Musk has decided to buy a seat on the Supreme Court for a conservative. He has poured over $12 million into this race through the dark money system and more through others. This race has so far spent over $81 Million dollars.

Musk has given $100 to every voter who signs a petition. He has "randomly" given $1 Million to a voter in Green Bay (this random voter happens to be a conservative Republican politician). He has promised to randomly give out at least $1 Million more to another voter who voted early.

Tuesday will answer the question of how much it will cost to keep our democracy. I fear the rich will find out it is within their grasp.

Disappeared in America

Foreign government agencies often " disappear " people for no reason. Americans have protested this, as it has happened in Argentina in the 1960s, East Germany in the 1960s and 70s, the USSR before 1980, and Russia afterward, in Greece, Italy, South Africa, and Iran.

And now, in America. Truly. Watch this and be afraid, very, very afraid. This is Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, who was grabbed, arrested, and detained in Somerville, Massachusetts by plainclothes federal agents this week in apparent retaliation for a Tufts Daily op-ed she co-authored last year

You read that correctly. A Fulbright Scholar recipient studying in this country legally co-authored a legal opinion piece in a university paper - circulation probably 200 - and was abducted by plainclothes officers on the street in greater Boston.

Here legally. Studying legally. On a scholarship from Túrkiye, an ally. I am afraid.

Richard Chamberlain died. I am unmoved.

I often discuss actors or others who died and have moved me here. It is a personal experience where an actor has moved me or opened me up to new thoughts. Richard Chamberlain was one of the first people to have had the opposite effect. 

Richard Chamberlain was a horrible person who probably caused the death of thousands of others. His two most prominent roles were in the mini-series Shogun and The Thorn Birds in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He was beloved for his Dr. Killdare role from 1963- 1965. Photoplay crowned him "Most Popular Male Actor" from 1963 - 1965.

And he was gay. It was an open secret.* And during the AIDS crisis, he didn't say shit. He was friends with President and Nancy Reagan from Hollywood and might have been able to move them toward action. Rock Hudson came out in 1984 and died in 1985 - he was one of the first gay actors who admitted to getting AIDS from sex. Richard Chamberlain still said nothing.

He didn't come out until 2003, and even then, only to sell his autobiography. For you who don't know, effective wide-scale AIDS treatments started to appear in the middle 1990s. If he had said something two decades earlier, when my friends started dying, maybe, MAYBE, more people would have paid attention. Instead, it took thousands of more deaths to get America to pay attention. The most popular actor of the early 1980s just let people die and didn't say a word.

And none deserved

In 2014, he told The New York Times: "When you grow up in the '30s, '40s, and '50s being gay, it not only ain't easy, it's just impossible."

Yeah. He could have added, "And when you're superass famous in the 1980s, making money is more important than a few dead friends."

Today, I'm sorry he is dead, just like I would be sorry when any random person dies. I didn't hate him. I am unaffected. I suppose it is growth that I no longer hope he lands in a pit of boiling oil in hell. Instead, I am just unmoved.

Just like he was unmoved to bring light AIDS. A disease that killed 300,000 gay young men of my (and his) generations.

*Yes, there are plenty of gay men that are / were openly known to us. That is why we know Lindsey Graham is a self-hating homo and Kenny Chesney isn't gay. Although we can dream. (About Kenny, not Lindsey-Bell.) And the less said of Kevin Spacey, the better. 

Not Every Architectural Achieve is worth paying $2 Million for

 Sure, he was a great architect, but everyone has their misses.

$1,850,000 I don't think so.

Two Things to Start the Day (OK 3)

 Hello All:

1. Today is my birthday, and the wishes from friends and loved ones have touched me. Thank you.

2. Today is my birthday, and the ecosystem where advertisers can set your birthdate in their automated systems sits somewhere between the 3rd and 4th ring of hell. Every shop I have purchased from, and many that I have not, has sent birthday greetings with the warmth and charm of Kristi Noem when she shot her dog.

3. Thank you, Lynn, for telling me that "The Penguin Lessons" opened yesterday. It is much better than my "happy birthday <your name here>  from..."

Lovely in Puerto Vallarta

 Well, it has been a few days here and all is well. We are here until Friday and it has been nice. Lot’s of sleeping in :-).

The Future Has Arrived. Really.

 

Even better than the "I have black friends" excuse

Elon Musk's father is somehow, SOMEHOW, more clueless than Elon. Elon is trying to dismantle "D.E.I" initiatives for the Trump Ego Administration. This has turned into getting rid of anything that mentions any minority (and women - albeit they are not technically a minority). They swear it has nothing to due with racism.

Well, when many people explain they are not racist, they will often say, "I can't be racist; I have lots of black friends." It is the telltale sign of a lie or cluelessness.

Elon Musk's day, however, took a parallel but even weirder turn. Let us quote.

Errol Musk the father of America’s first play cousin, Elon Musk, claimed that all this talk about his son being racist is just “political nonsense.”

When asked about his son’s blatant assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Errol Musk claimed in an email to the Washington Post, “We had several Black servants who were their friends.” 

Because nothing says, “I’m not racist” like making friends with the indentured servants working in your South African home during apartheid. 

That’s because American racism pales in comparison to South African racism. Imagine racism being so embedded in your DNA that you believe “servants” like you. Imagine being so racist that you actually believe the relationship that paid workers had with your son was real. Imagine being so racist that you don’t even have enough self-awareness to call them “Black friends”–the go-to phrase for white Americans. 

So, see! Black servants as friends. Scarlett O'Hara had Mammy, Prissy, and Big Sam as her servants. So the Confederacy wasn't racist.

Presumed lost River Otter found in Nepal.

It's always great to find out a species people thought were lost in a place have been rediscovered. 

In this case, it is an Asian Small-Clawed River Otter. It was found in Nepal, where it hadn't been seen since 1839. River Otters are terrific at taking care of river ecosystems, so this great.

A juvenile found in Nepal

A Simple Explanation of March Madness for the Brits

Around this time every year, much of the United States falls into March Madness. No, this is not a political, full moon, or mental illness issue. It is a supernatural phenomena that takes over most of the country.

You see, last Sunday, some experts gathered together and picked 68 college basketball teams to be in a playoff system to define "the best" college basketball team. It is like the single-game knock-out stage of the World Cup. Lose 1, and you're done. The better you are in the pre-season (before March Madness) defines if you go in as a guaranteed champion or as an at-large bid.

However, college affiliation is not the big thing in this case. No, the big thing is the betting pools. Almost the entire country selects a "bracket" to bet. And often, the people who know the least win.

And you start early. My niece Dora first picked her favorite mascot for each team as the winner. (This year say the Arizona Wildcats vs. the Akron Zips.)

The tourney goes over 3 weekends, but most people's brackets are "busted" after week one, and then it is just hate-watching against the people in the lead. But for nearly a month, it is the bees' knees. And it makes a great distraction this year.

I don't know if you ever watched YOU on Netflix.. But if you have this is for you!

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix)

I'm not sure this is a housedress....

Once in a while—maybe once every six weeks—my Grandmother Zela would put on a house-dress, and we all would help clean the house. I vividly remember this, and not in a good way.

No disrespect to my grandmother. As long as I can remember, she wore a Jane Russell 18 Playtex full-body girdle. It went from just above her knees to the two big straps holding her bodice. It was something you usually only saw in glimpses. However, on these days, she threw a house-dress over it, and we all cleaned for at least 1/2 the day.

The one on the far right or left.

Again, no disrespect to Zela, but I can remember these days so much because on these days, she didn't shower in the morning, and after hours of work, it was obvious she was sweating. These were the house-dresses that didn't always cover everything up.

1960s House-dresses like Zelas

I say all this to note that the idea of a housedress is burned into my mind. And I can confidently say THESE are not house-dresses.

The idea of two of these dresses thrown over an 18 Playtex Full Body Girdle is an image I don't want to think of.

Yeah - This....

 

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• Definition:

  Learned helplessness occurs when someone repeatedly faces uncontrollable, stressful situations and, as a result, they stop trying to change the situation, even when change becomes possible. 
• How it develops:

  • Initial Uncontrollable Events: The person experiences situations where their actions have no impact on the outcome, leading to a sense of powerlessness. 
  Cognitive Shift: They begin to believe that they are unable to control or influence the events in their lives. 
  Behavioral Change: This belief leads to a passive and apathetic behavior, where they no longer attempt to change or avoid the situation, even when they could. 

Great Hike Through Indian Canyons

 I've never been to the most southern point of Palm Springs. You go past where South Palm Springs Road ends, and you get to the road to the Indian Canyons. Now, these are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, so they have money. The roads are great.

You go up to a gate, pay to visit and there are a few parking lots. One of the cool things, is that the Indians strictly number the amount of people they let in. Therefore, although they place may be "full" for parking there are still a lot of places to hike without a lot of people.

We did not do this. We hiked the most popular and easy trail the first time. It was stunning (and short!)

Here are some pictures of Andreas Canyon:

Jack Draper - Indian Wells

 

Well, Jack Draper beat Holgar Rune. To celebrate, a few magazines are running great pictures of him. He is the new heartthrob of England. Now, he is no Holgar Rune, but he is cute. And the glamour shots are great.

Here are some shots of why England is in a tizzy.

He is about as cute a Brit as your going to see.

Our Hypothetical just became Our Reality

To date, one of the most challenging hypothetical questions has been: What if the court orders something and Donald Trump ignores it?

Well, we are about to find out. (And my guess is that nothing will happen.) Oh, the courts have been hyperventilating about it, but the administration has been playing along the edges so far. They have been filing appeals and delaying until the rulings are moot.

But last week, the administration just chose to ignore the courts. They deported a Professor who had a green card and taught at an Ivy League School - because she was Lebanese. The court said not to, and they just ignored it.

Then, this week! President Trump declared us at war with Venezuelan gangs. He had to actually say it was a war to declare his own powers. Well, the court almost immediately put a hold on this as he was sending two flights of Venezuelan gangs to El Salvador (we are paying El Salvador to put them in super-max prisons there instead of keeping them). The court said they couldn't do it, but the Administration did it anyway.

They now claim that the flights were over international waters when the court order was processed, and since they were, US courts had no jurisdiction. This is a change from their first excuse, which was that they didn't know.

We are now in territory we haven't been in since the 1830s when a different President ignored the Supreme Court. So that's fun.

Snow in the Mountains

 Snow, where it should be, on a picturesque mountain. This is interesting because these mountains are actually to the south of us, towards San Diego. This range almost never gets snow, but the "atmospheric river" dipped lower than usual and here it is.

Pretty

Vent - do not proceed.

A Fun Indian Wells Final

Indian Wells tennis is always a good time, with good tennis. It is one of the nine top-level tennis tournaments (below the 4 Grand Slams). In recent years, it has been dominated by big name winners. This year two up-and-coming players are in the finals. Jack Draper is 23 and from England. Holgar Rune is 22 and from Denmark.

It should be a fun final.

They are both sponsored by Nike - so their images are similar, but here they are.

Holgar Rune

Jack Draper

A a couple more of Holgar - just for me.

Holgar with what looks like a puka shell necklace (I know it is not).

Did you guys know where the word Quisling comes from?

 Did you guys know where the word Quisling comes from?

Definition 1:

"Quisling" refers to a collaborator or traitor, particularly someone who collaborates with an occupying force, derived from the name of Vidkun Quisling, the leader of a Nazi-collaborating government in Norway during World War II.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• Origin:

  The term "Quisling" comes from Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian military officer and politician who led a fascist collaborationist government in German-occupied Norway during World War II.
• Meaning:

  The word is used to describe someone who betrays their own country by collaborating with an enemy occupying force, or more generally, as a synonym for a traitor or collaborator.

Definition 2

Birds: Populations falling - Ducks by 30%!!!!

 Well, let me give the warnings from Bird Scientists:

According to a new report published Thursday, at least 112 North American bird species have lost more than half their populations in the past 50 years.

Among the birds showing the steepest declines are Allen’s hummingbirds, Florida scrub jays, golden-cheeked warblers, tricolored blackbirds and yellow-billed magpies.

I will show these birds, but my interest was fanned by the headline than 30% of ducks have been lost since 2017. I love ducks.

And ducks :-(

We have reached the "Hitler, Mao, and Stalin didn't kill a gajillion of people" phase of our Government

 Elon Musk is now promoting the belief that Hitler, Mao, and Stalin didn't kill people - their bureaucrats did. Which is, I guess, an explanation for his Hitler salutes AND a swipe against any America public service worker.

Just as a reminder of dead counts under these dictators:

• Hitler
• 6 Million Jews (and many many non-Jews)
• Stalin
• 1 Million of his own people deliberately murdered
• He order the actions of the kulaks (who were higher-income farmers), and the subsequent killer famine among all Ukrainian peasants – as well as the notorious 1937 order No. 00447 that called for the mass execution and exile of “socially harmful elements” as “enemies of the people”
• Mao
• His policies were responsible for a vast number of deaths, with estimates ranging from 40 to 80 million victims of starvation, persecution, prison labour, and mass executions, and his regime has been described as totalitarian

Nothing to see here. Just the Director of our US Department of Government Efficiency claiming holocausts didn't happen.

Play find the asshole

 You know those games where everyday items must be found in an illustration?

Like this.

Or this

Find the assholes in this picture (hint: there are five)

Does anyone see the South Park in Trump's Canadian Policy

 Here, from 26 years ago, is Donald Trump's thought process...,

Old Skates vs. New Skates

 Does anyone besides me remember the really old metal roller skates? The kind you had to attach your shoes to?

I barely remember them. I remember that whenever you hit a crack in the sidewalk, you fell. The skate just stopped and you either fell or popped out the fronts of your skates and tried not to fall as you failed around with one skate half on. And then you fell.

Lace up roller skates fixed all that. Sure, they still stumbled at the cracks, but you could manage because your feet stayed in the skate.

Well, ladies and germs, here are the new roller skates. All fancy with state of the art materials.

They remind me of the old roller skate torture clip ons. I am sure these are better. But not over a thousand dollars better.

That is not a typo. $1,199.00 dollars.

OMG