Morning Update: 09/10/24

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 09/10/24

September 10, 2024

All I want to do right now is curl back up in bed and go to sleep. The problem is pain from both the chemo and arthritis. It kept me down yesterday and this morning isn’t feeling any better. I know a lot of people were excited to hear that Princess Kate had completed her chemo and will resume some of her royal duties. While that’s great news for her, there are still millions of people, probably people you know, who are just being diagnosed and beginning the arduous treatment of using one poison to fight another. The number of new diagnoses I’ve seen this fall is rather frightening. Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s wife and bandmate, revealed her cancer diagnosis recently. While the survival rate for many cancers has improved tremendously over the past 20 years, the treatment isn’t any less painful.

Cancer isn’t the only killer, either. James Earl Jones, one of the greatest bass voices ever, the voice for Darth Vader and Mufasa among others, died yesterday from complications of Type 2 Diabetes. Yes, I have that one, too. If the cancer doesn’t kill me, the diabetes almost certainly will. There’s no escape. And while I might want to live every moment to its fullest, the reality is that I spend most of my days in bed, trying not to cry, being thankful for the company of pets who refuse to leave me alone.

Nothing about this getting old shit is being fun. There are no grandkids to bounce on my knee and spoil. I can’t be as involved with G and Tipper’s school as I would like. My income is too limited to go traveling, and even if it wasn’t, my body couldn’t handle it. I often wonder if I’m serving any purpose at all. I can’t take pictures. My creativity is at an all-time low. Just writing these updates every morning is a chore. The kids get in from school in the afternoon and I try to be awake and present for them, but it isn’t easy. There’s a 44-pound bag of dog food in the kitchen that needs to be dumped into the storage container. I can’t lift it by myself. What good am I to anyone?

Yes, it could be worse. Hurricane Francis is going to mess up everything between Houston and New Orleans. No one is sure yet how strong it might be when it makes landfall, but even a Category 1 storm has proven to be enough to knock out power and cause tremendous flooding.

An Israeli strike on a Gaza humanitarian zone tent camp killed at least 40 people. No matter what Palestinians do to try and stay alive, Israel’s leaders seem determined to kill every last one of them. The UN chief calls the death and destruction in Gaza the worst he’s seen. “Secretary-General António Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that it’s “unrealistic” to think the U.N. could play a role in Gaza’s future, either by administering the territory or providing a peacekeeping force, because Israel is unlikely to accept a U.N. role.” Israel, for its part, seems willing to negotiate short-term cease-fires, such as the one that allowed the administration of the polio vaccine, but leaders there are not interested in ending the war.

South African farmers are accused of killing 2 women and feeding them to pigs. You have to wonder how any human can be so cruel.

The Death toll from the Vietnam storm rises to 87 with 70 people missing. A typhoon blasted the country, leaving it in worse disarray than that stupid war.

A Swiss city councilor apologized for firing a gun at a Mary and Jesus poster. How the hell does anyone wrap their head around that?

If there’s any “good” news, it’s that both Google and Apple were unable to get away from the EU’s tough laws. Google will have to pay 2.4 billion Euros. Apple gets to fork over 13 billion to Ireland. If the US had any guts, the two companies, among others, would be paying out the nose here as well.

If you fly, you’ll want to know that Battery-powered devices are overheating more often on planes and raising alarm. The biggest culprit: vapes. Anything with a lithium battery can potentially overheat. If that device happens to be in checked baggage, which is illegal but still happens, the resulting fire may not be caught until it’s too large for immediate suppression.

SpaceX finally launched that billionaire and his crew into space. I’ll still be surprised if their spacewalk goes off without a hitch.

And yeah, that debate is tonight. I’m not watching. The only outcome that’s going to please me is if VP Harris literally devours the Orange Felon right there in front of everyone. I’m good with catching the highlight reel in the morning.

No, I’m not in a good mood this morning. There’s no reason for me to be in a good mood. I’m sick and tired of all the pain and I want a box of fresh apple fritters. And Frank has figured out how to close all my open windows. He’s done it twice this morning, so far. The temptation to say, “Fuck everything,” is really strong.

I’ll stick with my coffee, for now. I’m not making any promises about later, though.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 09/07/24

September 7, 2024

The cats waited until 6:30 this morning before waking me up. I got to sleep in! After filling their food bowls and starting coffee, I came back to the room for a clothing adjustment. All the electronic devices were registering 50 degrees outside. Today’s high won’t reach 70. That makes it time to break out the long-sleeve t-shirts and compression leggings. My calves were immediately grateful for the extra support. Having the full-length coverage back felt nice. Sure, I know it will be back up in the 80s by midweek, but next weekend promises to be even cooler than this one. I may swap back and forth on t-shirts but I’m keeping the leggings.

I slipped on a coat before taking the dogs out. There wasn’t a breeze so the cool air felt comfortable. The sky was a pale blue as the sun was beginning to rise. As far as we could tell, we were the only ones in the neighborhood up and moving. Well, us and the neighbor’s rooster. The sound of traffic on I-65, about 1.5 miles away, drowned out the sounds of I-465, bearing witness to the lack of wind. If there’s any wind, we tend to hear 465’s traffic first. Mornings like this, the photographer in me wonders if I could get away with shooting a naked model in the middle of the street. The tough part would be finding someone willing to stand naked in the chilled air.

My plan for today is to let everyone take it easy. The week seems to have been unusually rough on everyone, especially Kat. After spending most of Thursday night up vomiting, she came home yesterday with the news that one of her bosses and one of her clients had both tested positive for COVID. She immediately took a test and it came back negative, but Brandon took one as well and his was positive. I’m not sure what her plans are for today. I’m not asking anything more of the kids than their basic chores. There’s more than enough food to feed everyone, so the only schedule we’ll have to keep is the one imposed by the pets.

I did set a new record for head pain yesterday. The problem started when I fixed myself a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for breakfast. While it tasted better than anything you’ll find in a restaurant, the uncured bacon (sugar-free) does sometimes cause some digestive issues. After eating, I took my meds and settled down to do some more reading. That’s when the bacon backed up and forced a burp. What happened next was unlike anything I’ve ever felt. The poison of the chemo pills came up and out my nose. My head immediately felt as if it were on fire from the inside. This wonderful feeling was worse than when I vomited up the poison a couple of weeks ago. The pain lasted for almost three hours, forcing me to lie down and try to ignore the fact that I was pretty sure my head and digestive tract were melting. Be sure that I’ll be much more careful to give the bacon time to digest from now on.

The big news this morning is one that puts the US at odds with Israel. Yesterday, Israeli troops shot a Turkish-American woman dead at a West Bank protest. The 26-year-old woman, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, had recently graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. Passionate about human rights, she was participating in a regular protest against West Bank expansion. Israel says the troops were shooting toward a male “main instigator” who posed a threat by hurling rocks at soldiers. In the careless use of live fire, Eygi was shot in the head. The Biden administration has called the matter “concerning” and wants an investigation. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi’s death, saying in a post on social media that Turkey “will continue to work in every platform to halt Israel’s policy of occupation and genocide”.

There’s a lot of pressure on the Biden administration to do more to find a cease-fire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war. The same is happening in the UK as well. In response, Biden will host British Prime Minister Starmer next week for White House talks, and in advance of that, the heads of the CIA and MI6 issued a joint call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Whether either effort will do any good is doubtful, though. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has his heels firmly dug in, refusing to consider any type of cease-fire that does not allow Israel control over multiple areas of Gaza.

This is a no-win situation for the US. Eygi is the third US citizen to be killed since the October 7 attack by Hamas last year. The standard response is that people who put themselves in harm’s way cannot expect to be protected from dangerous situations. That response isn’t going to be enough for Eygi’s family, though, nor a growing number of people in the US who are tired of the whole mess. Eygi’s family described her as a “fiercely passionate human rights activist” who had recently participated in college campus protests against U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The statement called on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to pursue an independent U.S. probe into her killing. That sentiment was echoed by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen who said, “If the Netanyahu Government will not pursue justice for Americans, the U.S. Department of Justice must.”

In a nation clearly divided in its support for Israel, the issue is a major one for both presidential campaigns. The death of an American citizen can’t be ignored and one has to wonder at what point American attitudes toward Israel might flip, viewing them as an aggressor rather than an ally. The White House can’t respond fast enough on the issue.

The rest of the news is significantly less important. Barkley scored 3 TDs as the Eagles beat the Packers 34-29 in Brazil. Republican former VP Dick Cheney says he will vote for Kamala Harris. Paris Hilton waited 18 years to drop a new album. On ‘Infinite Icon,’ she’s here to ‘save pop music’ (try to not choke on your laughter). And the New York Times has some advice for those who are fed up and want to leave the US.

The Times also asks an important question: If a Threat Is Not a Crime, Can the Police Prevent a School Shooting? I found that a thought-provoking read, though it comes up short on workable answers. You might also be interested in David Brooks’ opinion piece, The Junkification of American Life. I found it worth my time.

Somewhere along the way, I expect to find some NCAA football streaming. I know Iowa State at Iowa will be live on Prime. ESPN+ has Arkansas vs. #16 Oklahoma State. I don’t have a Peacock subscription, though, so I don’t know what, if anything, they’re streaming. I should check to see if Verizon will give me a discount on that one.

Fat Guy is sitting on the desk soaking up all the love and scratches I can give him. The cooler temps have all the animals in the mood to snuggle. I can’t object to that reality at all.

And, of course, there’s coffee. Fill your cup, sit back, and relax.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal

Morning Update: 09/05/24

September 5, 2024

No Place Feels Safe [2012 original with AI background]

Parents everywhere are holding their kids a little closer before sending them off to school this morning. Yesterday’s shooting in Winder, Georgia was a grim reminder, just as the school year is getting started, that schools are not the safe place they once were. We have no guarantee when we put them on a bus in the morning that we’re going to see them again that afternoon. Despite shooting after shooting, there is no resolve across America to take any definitive action to stop the problem. Local officials had investigated after the then 13-year-old made threatening statements against the school last year, but laws were too weak to support making an arrest at the time. And here we are, again, going through the motions of grieving, offering empty thoughts and prayers to parents and families who want to know why this keeps happening.

Georgia wasn’t the only place where danger was felt yesterday, though. A man was shot and killed in his own home yesterday around 1:00 PM, just across the street from the kids’ school. The email we received from the school reads: “Moving forward, we are implementing additional measures to enhance the security around our school. These actions include increased monitoring of the surrounding area, close collaboration with local authorities, allowing students to stay inside the building during dismissal until parent pick-up, and reviewing our safety protocols to ensure maximum effectiveness.”

While it was nice to receive some reassurance from the school, there are still questions unanswered. At the top of our minds is what, if anything, is being done to keep kids safe as they’re waiting for public transit to pick them up. A significant number of students ride IndyGo both going to and leaving the school. Their school isn’t the only one that utilizes the public transit system, either. In fact, Tipper mentioned again yesterday afternoon that the bus driver taking them to school yesterday morning was concerned that he might get in trouble because there were too many students on his bus for it to be safe. Bus drivers have complained and requested booster buses be added to the schedule, but nothing has been done. Just traveling to and from school is putting our kids in danger.

Politicians and school administrators are always quick to tell us that our kids are important to them. Where’s the evidence? A list of mass killings just this year is too long. This is an election year, the one time we can do something that might lead to a change in the number of shootings at schools, churches, and shopping areas. If you have any questions about that matter, I can promise you that the Felon isn’t going to risk upsetting Second Amendment supporters. I’m not convinced Democrats will do any better, either, because they haven’t. Regardless of what anyone says, the lack of concrete action proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that our kids really are not that important to them.

I don’t know what else to say. I’ve sat here before and ranted on the subject and it never does anyone any good. Nothing ever changes.

One fact I do know: I’m not getting any better. The evidence for that statement came yesterday when I asked Kat to drop me off at our local Kroger. Yeah, I know, Kroger is a big-time price gouger, and they’re trying to convince everyone that their merger with Albertson’s is going to lower prices for consumers. The problem is that Kroger is the only local store that carries sugar-free bread. No one else has it. Trying to order anything online from Kroger is a pain in the ass. There are always too many substitutions and the ending price never seems to line up with what you were anticipating. So, Kat dropped me off while she ran to Aldi’s. I picked up her prescriptions, my bread, some milk, and a couple of other things we needed. I was in the store for maybe twenty minutes.

I should have left ten minutes sooner. I was just leaving the milk aisle when I began feeling light-headed. I looked around for a place to sit and rest, but there wasn’t one. There never is in a grocery store. So, I kept going. Kat picked me up, we came home, and we started putting the groceries away. Twice I came close to falling. By the time I made it back to the recovery room, I was so dizzy I couldn’t see. I fell into bed and passed out. I ended up staying close to bed for most of the rest of the day. Even this morning, I can feel the pressure behind my eyes telling me to take it easy. Today’s another day where I don’t need to be doing anything more strenuous than walking across the hall.

My friend Rich had his port put in yesterday. He has another CT scan today and then the radiation starts. He’s in for a long road to recovery.

My friend Emily is resting at home after her surgery last week, and that’s where she’ll stay for a few weeks. One doesn’t just bounce back from body-altering surgery.

Another Facebook friend, who I’ve not met in person, is waiting for results back from a biopsy. She’s not expecting good news.

September is Leukemia Awareness Month. The blood cancer generally occurs in adults over age 55, but it is also the most common form of cancer in children under 15. This is supposed to be a disease that one dies with, not from. There are plenty of people who have recovered well and are going on living happy, busy lives. But we learned from Poppa’s situation over twenty years ago that not everyone gets a happy ending. Cancer is always going to suck. Right now, it’s sucking pretty damn hard.

Sitting here at my desk every morning, I read through some important news stories. US warned Nippon its U.S. Steel bid poses a national security risk. Pope Francis calls for climate change action during Istiqlal Mosque visit. Wildfire destroys 20% of Brasilia forest, arson suspected. These are all important stories that unquestionably will affect our future. Yet, I don’t see any real action resulting in change.

Instead, I see that the Felon’s new crypto business could create more conflicts if he’s elected president. US job openings fall as demand for workers weakens. Right-wing influencers were duped to work for covert Russian influence operations. Republicans Seize on False Theories About Immigrant Voting. At a Fox News town hall, the Felon sought to instill doubt that the coming debate would be fair. He’s said the same thing about the election as well. The doubt being sewn becomes fruitful too easily because it’s what we’ve come to expect with everything. We don’t trust the government. We don’t trust politicians, or anyone running for office. We don’t trust corporations. We try to trust our doctors but we don’t trust the pharmaceutical companies that make our medicines. We don’t trust the food we buy, nor the people selling it. We don’t trust our employers. We don’t trust our neighbors.

Perhaps the problem is that we’ve created a society that, at its very core, is its own cancer. And everything about it, like every other form of cancer, sucks.

You know what doesn’t suck? The source of the two big, black eyes staring at me from across the bed. Puppy dog snuggles never suck. They’re both flopped across the mattress acting as if they’re waking up from an all-night drunken binge. For dogs, it’s cute.

And Frankie, the smashed-face wheezer kitty, just hopped up on the desk to say, “Hey, I’m cute, too!”

He most definitely is.

So is this coffee cup. Very cute. Very demure.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/28/24

August 28, 2024

The colonoscopy is done. Everything looked fantastic. No polyps needed to be removed. Everything looked good. In fact, apparently, they had a cancellation because I was back in the surgery room well before my scheduled time. We were out of there a little after 10:00 and looking for cheap food. I don’t have to go back for another one for five years. The only potential concern I saw was that my weight had dropped 18 pounds since last month. In theory, that could signal another uptick in my white blood cell count. My weight isn’t too low, though, so I’m not going to worry about it at this point.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for our air conditioning. We noticed that it had stopped cooling during the night but assumed that it had just frozen up and would be fine after being turned off for a while. Wrong. So, we called Grandpa Bob. Bob called the people who installed the AC. They said their after-hours technician would be by after he finished the job he was currently on. We waited. And waited. The temperature inside the house went up to 89. The sun went down. We were still waiting. The kids went to bed, G choosing to sleep on the floor where it was cooler. Still waiting. Finally, around 10:00, my phone made noise, but Verizon’s spam filter cut it off before I had a chance to answer. Cue a couple of rounds of phone tag as it turns out the AC company’s numbers are all on Verizon’s spam list. Around 10:30, the technician arrived.

A burned-out capacitor was the problem. Some four-hundred-plus dollars later, the AC kicked back on. There are plans in the work to physically move the location of the AC as its proximity to the house may have contributed to the capacitor’s demise. I went to bed a little after 11:00, significantly later than my normal bedtime of 8:30.

Through it all, my biggest concern was the dogs and our mane coon hybrid, Jack-Jack (the kids are adaptive, though they complained constantly). Jack’s heavy fur makes him susceptible to heat. He stretched out on the tile floor in the living room and seemed to be okay. The dogs were having a more difficult time. They refused to not be in the same room as me. The Recovery Room is carpeted, so there’s a limit to how cool the floor gets. They lay there, stretched out as much as they could, panting heavily, and frequently getting up to drink water. I knew the AC had cooled the house significantly when they both finally jumped back onto the bed. Everyone seems to be fine this morning.

After all that, you’d think I’d be anxious for a rest day. That’s not going to happen. While Bob was here yesterday, he noticed that both of the outside water spigots were constantly dripping. So, he called the plumber and they will be here sometime this morning to replace both spigots. That’s going to mean turning off the water for an undetermined amount of time. That’s also going to mean shutting the dogs in the Recovery Room. A few years ago, we ran off one plumber from the same company because he was afraid the dogs were going to jump the gate between the living room and the kitchen (they can’t, they’re too fat). My biggest fear is that they’ll look at the 80-year-old pipes and declare that the whole mess has to be replaced. We’re crossing our fingers that the solution doesn’t involve thousands of dollars in new plumbing.

At least I get to eat.

With everything going on here at home, I’m not overly worried about the mundane aspects of this morning’s news. A few things are sticking in my craw, though.

Home improvement chain Lowe’s is scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, joining the ranks of a few other companies who have altered their programs since the end of affirmative action in higher education and amid conservative backlash online. This kowtowing to right-wing nut jobs is infuriating. They’re letting the online trolls win. Mind you, the people who are making the most noise don’t know one end of a hammer from the other. They’re not actually shopping at any of the companies they target. Yet, they’re effectively killing jobs and making the US a more inhospitable and inequitable place to live.

Investigators are looking at whether UN World Food Program staff sought to hide the alleged role of Sudan’s army in obstructing aid. That anyone would block aid to starving people is unconscionable. That the people responsible for delivering that aid would cover up the crime is just as bad. Bad actors have no excuse and should be given no assistance in committing their crimes. People all across Sudan are dying because of the nonsense going on there. That the agencies we depend on and financially support are involved in the lies and deceit is inexcusable.

The US isn’t the only country with a far-right problem. Eastern Germany is finding that far-right factions there are both making hiring difficult for business and causing problems for renewable energy. The far-right is hoping to gain some ground in upcoming elections, so they’re flexing their muscle. Remember what happened the last time the far right came to power in Germany? The entire reason the country was divided between East and West after WWII was so that they couldn’t become a global threat again. The world hailed the reunification of the country as a sign of progress and peace, but now it would seem that the original concerns might have been more accurate than anyone cares to admit.

If you’re a Lego fan, as I know my older boys are, be prepared for a price jump on those building blocks. Lego has announced that they’re replacing the oil-based plastic with a biodegradable version. The problem with that is the price tag is considerably higher. The popular blocks we all played with as children, and many as collectors, have never been cheap, but no one is expecting Lego to eat the increased production costs, despite the fact that the company is outperforming the overall toy market in Europe and the US. No one is sure when that price jump will hit retail stores, but stocking up on those collectible kits might not be a bad idea.

The Mormon Church is going after transgender rights again. They’re now prohibiting anyone even considering transitioning from working with children and prohibiting those who have transitioned from being baptized. The percentage of Mormons who are trans isn’t necessarily high, and anyone who has looked critically at the faith largely considers them to be more cultish than a legitimate religion. Nonetheless, they are far too public an entity for this type of action to not have repercussions throughout the trans community. Feel free to shame them.

If you had any remaining concerns as to whether Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was a complete nut job, I think the case has just been sealed. According to his daughter, Kick Kennedy (seriously, that’s her name), the fool “chain-sawed the head off a dead whale on a beach in Hyannis Port, Mass., bungee-corded it to their vehicle’s roof, and drove it five hours to the family home in Mount Kisco, N.Y.” She first told the story in a 2012 interview in Town and Country magazine, but now the political arm of the Center for Biological Diversity, a progressive environmental organization, is screaming for an investigation.

Another youth football player has died from injuries sustained on the field. This season is getting off to an especially rocky start as the number of injuries overall appears to have increased. Of course, it’s too early for there to be any hard numbers behind that assumption, but there seems to be plenty of cause for concern. Not that I expect every parent to pay attention to those concerns. Why? Travis and Jason Kelce just signed a $100 million podcast deal with Amazon. That along with a litany of stories of NIT wealth at the college level, obsessed parents are pushing harder than ever to make sure their kids are the ones bringing home the bacon. As long as there’s money on the table, greedy parents are going to treat their kids dirty, health and safety be damned.

Speaking of sports, have you ever known a major-league player to play for both teams in a game? It happened Monday as catcher Danny Jantsen played for both the Red Sox and the Bluejays in the resumption of a rain-delayed game from two months ago. The issue is that Jantsen was playing for the Bluejays when the game was originally scheduled. During the interim, he was traded to the Red Sox. So, he appeared on both teams’ rosters. You know that has to make scoring the game a bit difficult.

On the upside, Dolly Parton is at it again, sending books to five-year-olds in 21 states and a growing international participation as well. In many states, her Imagination Library has the ability to reach every child with new books before they even start kindergarten. In a world full of greedy sons of bitches, the 78-year-old singer is a shining example of one using their privilege to help others.

That seems like a good place to stop this morning. We’re expecting heavy rain with a chance of severe weather across the Midwest this afternoon, but that’s not going to do anything to bring down the record-setting temps. That makes me all the more thankful that we have the AC back up and working.

I never have liked iced coffee, but if they hadn’t fixed the AC I’d be considering it.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal

Morning Update: 08/27/24

August 27, 2024

This morning’s update is going to be short and to the point. I’ve not eaten anything since Sunday. I’ve not had anything to drink since 5:00 AM. I spent the night going back and forth between the bed and bathroom. I can’t have any coffee. There should be no surprise that I’m grumpy, short on patience, and ready for this whole colonoscopy thing to be over. The prep for these things is never fun, but this time around seems more aggravating than the last.

The news isn’t much different than yesterday. Israel. Hezbollah. Ukraine. Russia. China seems to be begging for a fight. The insurgency in Pakistan grew worse and 70 are now dead. Sicily is without water and the “capitalists” are taking advantage.

That’s about all there is. Let’s hope tomorrow is better.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/25/24

August 25, 2024

There’s nothing I’d rather do this morning than go back to bed and back to sleep. I’m tired. I know the kids are tired. The dogs are so tired they didn’t even touch their breakfast this morning. The cats… well, they sleep all day anyway so it’s rather difficult to tell. Nonetheless, it would be nice to have a day off, but we can’t. We’re not done with the yard. There are at least two to three more hours of work to be done. We were hampered yesterday by my short-sightedness. The cord I had purchased for our electric mower was too short and only allowed us to reach about half the yard. When I realized the problem, I ordered a new cord but it didn’t get here until after 11:00 and by then it was already too hot to safely be outside. So, we get to finish everything today.

I was also wrong about college football starting yesterday. I mean, technically, it did as Georgia Tech and Florida State played in Dublin. A good friend and Tech alum was in Ireland for the game and kept everyone updated with Facebook posts as Tech won the game with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Everyone else doesn’t start until next Saturday, though. Perhaps I’ll be able to clear my calendar and watch some games live this time.

After napping for a couple of hours, my friend Emily picked me up, and we went to her house out in New Palestine for a party honoring the demise of her breasts as she’s facing a double mastectomy in the morning. On the way over, we talked about all the emotions that come with such a decision and perhaps the biggest question of all, “Is it worth it?” There’s no way to treat cancer without inflicting some manner of trauma on the body. For her, it’s surgery. I chose two years of chemo. Everyone’s experience is different, but the emotions and questions are all the same. Fighting cancer involves sacrifices you never wanted to make. We cry. We scream in anger. We feel depressed. And all those admonitions to “keep going” and “stay strong” feel meaningless and useless when you can literally feel life draining from your body.

Not everyone survives. We all know that. We trust our doctors to guide us toward the best decisions. They all tell us what the success rate is. But we know those numbers mask individual tragedies. Before my father started radiation for melanoma, the oncologist told him there was a 96% success rate. Six months later, he died. He was one of the four percent who didn’t make it. I know others, former classmates, friends, spouses of friends, all who did exactly what their doctors told them and they still didn’t make it. Every cancer patient knows someone for whom the medicine wasn’t enough. Those stories linger in the back of our minds and even when we’re trying to be brave, when we’re trying to put on a good face for family and friends, those stories still nag at us and cause us to wonder if maybe we’re next.

Cancer treatment has come a long way since Poppa died over 20 years ago. I’m not sitting here with an IV of poison stuck in my arm. Success rates are higher than ever. Treatment options have expanded greatly. Even when radiation is necessary, it takes half the time that it used to. But for people like Emily and Rich and me, there will always be moments when we ask ourselves, “Is it worth it?” And we’re never quite sure of the correct answer.

There is tragedy everywhere. Israel and Hezbollah traded heavy fire before pulling back, jolting a region braced for war. I think it’s safe to say that efforts to avoid the war expanding have failed. Thirteen are dead after a boat capsized off Yemen, a migration agency says. But there were no billionaires on board, so it’s not likely that anyone will open an investigation. 2 separate bus accidents in Pakistan left at least 35 people dead. A flash flood on Indonesia’s eastern Ternate Island swept away buildings and left 13 dead. The shooting death of a 16-year-old girl by police is among a spate that’s upset Anchorage residents. A Mudslide in Thailand’s Phuket kills 13. Wildfires rage in sugar cane fields in Brazil’s southeast. Asian migrants have been trapped for weeks in Brazilian airport limbo. Uganda confirms two more cases of mpox. Those are just from today. There will be more tomorrow.

So, we look for things to distract us. The Sunday edition of the New York Times is always a good source of distractions. Here are some stories from today’s paper:

The Christian Persecution Narrative Rings Hollow (6 min read)
Daffy Donald, Turning Pea Green With Envy (4 min read)
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Tradwife? (5 min read)
What Sex Therapists Wish You Knew (5 min read)
David Copperfield Vanished. The Problem of His Penthouse Remains. (7 min read)
Battle-Hardened Poets Fuel a Literary Revival in Ukraine (5 min read)
Nude Diplomacy: ‘Whatever Happens in the Sauna Stays in the Sauna’ (4 min read)
Soaring Insurance Costs Could ‘End’ Affordable Housing, Developers Warn (6 min read)
The Bitter Fight Over the Meaning of ‘Genocide’ (6 min read)

All of those articles together still won’t eat up an hour of your time. We look for movies to watch, books to read, games to play, and chores to do (if we can’t find anything else). These serve little purpose other than to take our minds off pain, misery, and the increasing feeling that existence is futile. Eventually, usually when you’re lying in bed trying to fall asleep, the questions come back. How many times will I fall down tomorrow? Will I still throw up everything I eat? Will I ever feel “normal” again?

Cancer sucks.

It’s a damn good thing there’s coffee.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / science / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/24/24

August 24, 2024

On The Town [2011 original with AI background]

Friday was a better day, healthwise, than was Thursday, but my stomach was still a bit tentative so we were careful and stayed close to the bed to be safe. The animals certainly don’t seem to mind and I suppose it does a good job of keeping me out of trouble. I’m having more trouble maintaining a sense of time and place, though. Most frequently, I forget what day it is and have to consult my watch or my phone to keep me somewhat grounded. Even this morning, I first woke thinking it was Friday, not Saturday. I don’t think I was the only one, though, as both of the kids were up shortly after me.

Perhaps it’s just a sign of age, but I’m concerned about how rapidly friends are being diagnosed with cancer. Another friend revealed yesterday that he has stage-3 colorectal cancer. He’ll start five weeks of radiation soon. The husband of another friend was recently diagnosed as well. He’s looking at five-and-a-half weeks of radiation. Perhaps we’re paying for all the red meat we’ve eaten, the lifestyles we’ve lived, or other not-so-wise choices we’ve made. Maybe the natural course of being human has us caught in the cancer web. As I prepare for another colonoscopy this week, I find that I’m hoping all the chemo I’ve been taking has kept anything from growing anywhere else. I’m not sure chemo works that way, but until someone tells me differently, I’ll hope.

There’s a lot on the docket today. First up is the lawn. No one gets out of helping. Everything has to look neat and clean by Monday. That work will necessitate an overdue shower, which I’m rather eagerly anticipating. Depending on how schedules work out, I’m going to enjoy the first Saturday of college football and watch at least part of the Akron-Ohio State game. Finally, I hope to spend some time with a dear friend who’s facing a double mastectomy on Monday. That sounds like a lot when I list it, but trust me, I’ll be sure to get my naps in.

One of the things I look for when going over the morning news is what events are most likely to affect me or those I care about. Lately, every time I see the word Oklahoma in a headline, my heart sinks. I grew up in Oklahoma. I still have many friends there. This morning, it popped up in the AP feed twice. The first story is how Oklahoma classrooms seem to be ignoring the State Superintendent’s order to teach the Bible in all classes. School districts have been offered guidance from law firms that represent them, the state’s Attorney General, and the state’s largest teachers union, the Oklahoma Education Association, that the superintendent doesn’t have the unilateral authority to issue such a requirement and that the edict is unenforceable.

At the same time, though, an Oklahoma teacher lost her license to teach after giving her students the QR code to the Brooklyn library as a source for reading banned books. The firing was more performance on the part of the state board of education. The teacher involved now works for that same Brooklyn library in New York, so revoking her license to teach is mere pettiness, which the state’s superintendent is good at. What’s sad in all this is that students are the ones losing. Oklahoma education is near the bottom of the country now. It didn’t use to be that way. When we graduated 45 years ago, being from Oklahoma was a source of pride. Now, it’s a liability.

I did get a little excited when Nestle, one of the biggest food companies in the world, unceremoniously dumped Mark Schneider as its CEO yesterday. Schneider has been vicious in raising the cost of food since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t been enough to satisfy greedy board members. Mind you, don’t look for any prices to drop voluntarily. Nestle is bound and determined to squeeze every cent out of every resource they can find. They are one of the primary reasons Kamala Harris is targeting price gouging in her campaign. Anything bad that happens at Nestle makes me happy.

Space is in the news a couple of times this morning. NASA will announce today whether the Boeing capsule is safe enough to bring its astronauts back home, or if they’re stuck up there until next year. I can only imagine how nerve-wracking this ordeal has been for the two astronauts and their families. The first private spacewalk is on the schedule for next week as SpaceX is sending up a new crew with new technology. There’s definitely reason to be concerned for their safety. In addition to new “slim” spacesuits, there’s no freaking airlock on this spaceship. The fact that one of the “astronauts” is a billionaire probably doesn’t bode well for the crew, either, as the universe seems to have a habit of slapping their egos back into place when they do something stupid. Let’s hope this doesn’t end in tragedy.

The sadistic side of me is laughing at a story in this morning’s New York Times. It seems that as women continue to make great strides, now earning more college degrees and being the breadwinners for their families, Many Gen Z men feel left behind. Actually, it’s pretty much those young men without college degrees who are complaining. They feel that the economic odds are stacked against them. As a result, they’re turning to the excuse-maker-in-chief, the Orange Felon, as their hope for the future. They want a more “traditional” patriarchy, with all the misogyny and sexism that their grandfathers exploited. Perhaps you can understand why I’d just as soon give the bunch of them a middle-finger salute.

Okay, there’s too much to do today for me to continue sitting here. There’s still plenty to read this weekend, so enjoy the time where you can!

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/23/24

August 23, 2024

Midwest Morning [2011 original with AI background]

Somewhat to my own surprise, I’m still alive this morning. There were moments yesterday when I wasn’t convinced that would be the case. I’m assuming at this point that I contracted some manner of stomach bug that left me thankful that the bathroom is right across the hall from me. I’m feeling tentative still this morning, but I’ve been up for an hour now and haven’t puked, so let’s take that as an improvement. Since I spent most of yesterday either in bed or in the bathroom, I have no idea how the kids’ day went. I’m pretty sure we were all three asleep by the time Kat got home last night.

The dogs, however, managed to provide a story to share this morning. As construction on the house next door continues, the pups have a habit of running over to the fence and checking out what’s going on. There was extra noise yesterday as heavy equipment was digging trenches for the gas and water meters to be installed. So, I wasn’t surprised when I let them out the back door and they bolted around the side of the house. But then, I heard a different kind of barking than what they normally give the construction workers.

“No, no… Gigi! Come back!” was what I heard. I stepped around the house in time to see a young Irish setter running as fast as she could back toward her home. The sudden appearance of our dogs scared the living daylights out of the pup and she wasn’t going to stick around to see what happened next. She slipped her collar and took off. As a young woman chased after her, a man was trying desperately to keep a second setter from doing the same thing. In desperation, he yelled, “Why did we come this way? The sign on the gate says ‘Beware of Dog!'” He finally got his dog under control and headed back home.

The boys, of course, came trotting over to me with smiles on their faces, proud of themselves for having scared off what they saw as potential intruders. I could only laugh. I can’t count the number of times our dogs have been the ones who slipped their collar and started running. That’s the primary reason we use front-fastening harnesses on them now when we take them for walks.

Naturally, all the news this morning is focused on Kamala Harris and the last night of the DNC. There were some highlights, such as Kerry Washington and Harris’ grandnieces teaching DNC attendees how to pronounce Kamala. But there were some slips and problems as well. There was also a lot of attention on Tim Walz’s son, Gus, after Ann Coulter, a wicked bitch if ever there was one, made fun of the young man for openly crying as his Dad accepted the vice presidential nomination Wednesday night. Advocates for special needs individuals came out of the woodwork in support of Gus all across social media. The convention was the easy part, though. Now, the real work begins to convince fence-sitting voters to vote for the Democratic ticket, and that may not be an easy sell.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tried to take some of the attention away from the DNC by hinting that he would drop out of the race today and support the Orange Felon. While the press did take note, it doesn’t seem that voters cared. It also raises the question as to whether increasing the number of crazy people in the GOP’s campaign is going to increase or decrease the entertainment value.

What seems to have slipped past most major news outlets is the Secret Service’s abrupt interruption of an interview the Felon was giving. While the story popped up all over aggregator’s feeds yesterday afternoon, none of the mainstream outlets picked it up, raising the question of whether it actually happened or not. None of the websites still carrying the story this morning can exactly be trusted, and NewsNation, who was conducting the interview, is far from being above creating a sensational headline for their own benefit.

The security detail that is concerning comes from Germany where security was stepped up at a NATO airbase in response to an “Increase in threat level.” This came just a day after the FBI Director said that he’s never seen so many different kinds of threats. Put the two together and perhaps there’s reason to be lowkey worried about what’s going on. At the moment, there’s a lot of focus on Iran, partly because of their hacking of both campaigns and also because of the continuing war in Gaza. That doesn’t mean they’re the reason for the status change at the airbase, though.

Religious tyranny jumped to the forefront yesterday as the Taliban published new laws that bar not only women’s faces but also their voices in public. Are we surprised? No. This is a return to the exact situation that existed in Afghanistan prior to 9/11 and the subsequent invasion by American forces that temporarily toppled the religious extremists. What bothers me is not only the severe human rights violation but the fact that it was in this environment that the whole 9/11 plan was formulated. We have to be on alert and not be so cocky as to think it can’t happen again.

In lighter news, The biggest diamond in over a century is found in Botswana — a whopping 2,492 carats. The rock’s as big as the palm of your hand, so trying to put it on someone’s finger is probably a bad idea. And a second set of giant panda cubs has been born in Berlin. This means that within a couple of months, we should be seeing plenty of videos of the cuddly little cubs rolling around and making us smile.

Okay, I still haven’t puked this morning, but I’m questioning whether it’s safe to eat breakfast and take my meds. Nothing hurts quite as much as vomiting up a chemo drug. I’m weighing my options carefully.

Hey, it’s Friday! Smiles, everyone! Smiles!

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/22/24

August 22, 2024

The letter we’d been dreading all summer finally came yesterday. Its message is too familiar: clear the weeds from your yard or we’ll charge you $2,000 to do it. Kat looked for our lawn shears and couldn’t find them, forcing us to buy more. She and G then took to the lawn while Tipper finished cleaning the litter boxes and I stayed in bed trying to not puke. They got a lot done, but there’s still more along the outside of the fence line that needs cutting. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with everything they’ve gut down. Some of the polk weeds had gotten rather large.

I’m not sure what’s up with all the nausea of late. There was a widely-published story yesterday about an article in Lancet stating that eating red meat more than twice a week may be a primary cause of type 2 diabetes. If this proves to be true, my death may be more imminent than previously imagined. While we’ve been substituting ground turkey for much of the ground beef we use, I still like a good, old-fashioned hamburger. Mexican food? Yeah, there’s going to be beef or pork there, too. And who can go without barbecue ribs in their life? I definitely need to make some kind of adjustment somewhere, though. The number of days where I struggle to eat is becoming too frequent.

This morning I’m fighting a headache on top of the nausea. Solaris is helping me type, taking on some of the proofreading duties. The only problem with that is his tail keeps moving the mouse across the screen, causing extra windows to pop up. Of course, part of the issue is that there’s no good way of knowing whether my symptoms are from the chemo, the diabetes, the hypertension, or something that has yet to be diagnosed. They all blur together in this mess where the symptoms are too common across everything to pin down a specific cause. There’s a lot of trial and error going on here.

Get ready for prices to take another jump and no, there’s nothing the Biden administration can do to stop it. This time, it’s caused by a work stoppage on Canada’s rail lines. We’ve seen this coming all week but were hoping that they might find a last-minute agreement. They didn’t. This is going to affect a lot of US shipments for everything from food to construction materials. Since this disruption was telegraphed, my guess is that some prices have already increased to offset the slowdown. We can only hope that the matter is resolved before we start seeing shortages in critical supplies.

Misinformation reared its ugly head again yesterday, and this time it was so convincing that even Reuters and NPR were fooled. The story, which was seen all over social media, claimed that the Orange Felon was in talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the former asking the latter to not sign a cease-fire agreement until after the election. Another variation had the same conversation taking place with Russia’s Putin. Both are completely false. NPR’s veteran reporter Judy Woodruff apologized for repeating what she had assumed to be legitimate news. Mind you, this did not come from either of the presidential campaigns. These are foreign players who are doing their best to create chaos. Yesterday, they won.

Misinformation is only one of the challenges the US currently faces. FBI Director Christopher Wray said yesterday that he is “hard-pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once.” Cybercrime, AI, deliberate misinformation, and outright terrorism are all on the table at levels that would probably keep everyone awake at night if we only knew what was happening. The question in my mind this morning, though, is why Director Wray chose now to make such a statement. Be sure that he has a reason. I would assume it’s a fear that with such a firehose deluge of threats, something could slip through. Issuing an open warning now gives the FBI an excuse if something does happen.

Speaking of warnings, a US government report says fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids. First, let’s say this again, IQ tests are not a solid measure of a child’s capability. Their validity is severely limited and plenty of children who score low go on to do great things. Something else to consider: report findings are not based on a survey of anything in the US. Tests were conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico. Floride in the US water supply is tightly controlled to not exceed recommended levels. However, the report is still important as children can still get an “overdose” of fluoride from other sources. One more thing for parents to worry about.

Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz sounded exactly like what he is, a football coach, as he spoke at the DNC last night. Phrases like, “Leave it all on the field,” and “It’s the fourth quarter and we’re down a field goal,” were just a few of the football references in a speech that was reminiscent of a half-time pep talk in a championship game. The crowd in Chicago was excited, as they had been all week, making the news that the Harris/Walz campaign raised four times as much as the Orange Felon in July almost unsurprising. I know the text messages requesting donations have been hitting my phone relentlessly since Biden dropped out. They’re definitely making a strong push.

The Felon, on the other hand, is already laying the groundwork to challenge the results of the November election. Speaking in North Carolina, the Felon repeated false claims about the 2020 election and challenged the outcome of the November vote before anyone has had a chance to cast a ballot. “When, if, but when — I have to always say ‘if,’ you know, because they cheat,” the Felon said of Democrats. “I would say ‘when’ if they didn’t cheat, but they cheat. That’s the one thing — they’re great at cheating in elections.” This type of rhetoric sounds as though he’s already giving up campaigning on the issues. We’re in for a rough road between here and November 5.

Adding to the confusion is this story, hidden below the fold on page three or four: Former Oath Keepers Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Jan. 6 Evidence. Who’s cheating now?

Let’s end this morning with this bizarre story. A passenger has been arrested at an Australian airport after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing, and then climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac. The plane had just landed and apparently, this dude couldn’t wait to get off the plane. An understandable amount of chaos ensued. This proves that people are crazy no matter where you go.

Solaris has fallen asleep on the job, but Frankie, the smashed-face wheezer kitty, says we’re done. You have a good day and I’ll see if I can stand and walk.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/14/24

August 14, 2024

One of the things that is interesting around here is how much more noise there is around the house when Kat’s not home. When Kat’s here, we all try to be as quiet as possible. The kids understand that she rarely sleeps well during the night and avoid turning on lights and speaking loudly. When she’s not here? This morning G was up and in the shower at 5:00. Tipper was up shortly thereafter and it wasn’t long before the lights were on and the chatter was going. The dogs went out, the cats were fed, and there were plenty of conversations before they headed out the door for the day. I think I prefer the quiet days because the intensity of the chatter is a bit much for this early in the morning.

I talked so much about Tipper yesterday that I forgot to mention that G is now one of the Lab’s three student ambassadors. He’ll represent the Lab at other schools and different events, and he’s in charge of administering a program that gives points to students for positive behaviors. This is a fantastic leadership opportunity for him and it’s nice to see how seriously he’s taking his responsibilities. He’s overcoming his fears and learning to speak up on issues that are important to him. I’m looking forward to seeing how this year develops.

Yesterday was the last Two Dollar Tuesday of the Indiana State Fair, so I had to go. My hope was to get some selfies with draft horses. Tipper had talked about how many of them were there on Saturday, and I just assumed (an error) that there would still be some there yesterday. Nope. The horse buildings were completely empty. Not a horse of any breed in sight. I was severely disappointed. I did get a picture with the lovely gentleman you see at the top of the page. I figure we black sheep need to stick together, you know? I also made my way around to the DNR building and asked them what I’d need to do to get more bears, wolves, and elk back into state parks. For some reason, they weren’t amused by the question. I put in nearly 10,000 steps for the day, which is probably the most I’ve walked since starting chemo. When I got home, I took the dogs out and then collapsed into bed for a nap.

The dogs really don’t like it when I’m gone all day. They barely left my side when I took them out, and when we came back in, Belvedere tried climbing into my lap while I sat in my office chair. They both have been extra snuggly anyway. I’m a little concerned that they’re sensing something that I’ve yet to grasp.

I know we talked a lot yesterday about women’s autonomy, but over the course of the day, two more states, Arizona and Missouri, put abortion on the ballot for this fall. This brings the total to seven states that are putting some form of abortion measure to a vote. No matter where you live, this is an important matter that requires everyone to get out and vote. Again, these issues are totally separate from the races for president and members of Congress. And while the number of people registering as Democrats has increased over the past three weeks, we have to realize that prior to that point Republicans had been registering significantly more people since last December. It’s going to take a lot of effort in every state to prevent the dangerous and undemocratic policies of Project 2025 from taking effect. There’s no sitting on the sidelines or trying to avoid being political. Everyone needs to speak up and let their position be known. Silence almost certainly leads to disaster come November 5.

Interesting story out of New Zealand where a food bank accidentally distributed potentially lethal doses of meth disguised as candy. Disguising drugs as food items to get past border customs isn’t new, but the question is how they became donated to the Auckland food bank. With a street value of over $600 US per candy, it seems unlikely that this was a deliberate attempt to poison low-income and homeless people. The food bank is trying to get all the candies back, but four people have already been hospitalized for taking the drug.

Folks in Japan are a little on edge after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first-ever “megaquake” advisory. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone places in the word. While last week’s 7.1 quake stayed offshore and provided little threat to the island nation, concern is growing that there’s now a 70-80% chance of a significantly larger quake in the 8-9 range on the Richter scale. Such a large quake could prove devestating. Unfortunately, the announcement didn’t come with any instructions on how people might prepare for such an event. This has led to considerable confusion and criticism of the agency. What may be worse is that without specific planning instructions, people are more likely to disregard the warning, leaving them completely unprepared should such an event occur.

I posted about this on Facebook yesterday afternoon, but I want to get a little more into it this morning. The United Auto Workers Union has filed a complaint of worker intimidation with the National Labor Relations Board against the Orange Felon and Elon Musk after their glitch-filled chat on Monday. While the Felon’s campaign is trying to pass off the complaint as “frivolous” there could be some real meat to the story. Back in June, eight former workers at SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, sued the company and Musk, alleging he ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment and a hostile “Animal House”-style work environment at the company. In Monday’s chat, the Felon told Musk, “I look at what you do. You walk in and say, ‘You want to quit?’ I won’t mention the name of the company but they go on strike and you say, ’That’s OK. You’re all gone.’” That statement would seem to be a direct attempt at intimidation against unionizing efforts at Tesla and elsewhere. If you needed another reason to not vote for the lying, cheating, swindling, rapist felon, there you go.

Mornings like this, I kinda wonder if we’re all not a little bit crazy for living in a society as messed up as ours. The economy is questionable, climate change is progressing faster than anyone predicted, and it seems that politicians suck no matter what country one lives in. We can change this, you know. Young people in Bangledesh proved that last week. The question is what will it take for us to get serious about anything?

Maybe I just need more coffee.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/12/24

August 12, 2024

Being awake is overrated. I’m convinced of that fact this morning after going through yesterday with nothing more than a 45-minute nap. There were things to do, Amazon deliveries to catch, repeated trips outside with the dogs, and conversations with G about the new game he was playing. By the time we finally finished dinner, I was ready to collapse but waited until after 8:00 so I could take the dogs out one last time. That didn’t work. At 1:30 this morning they informed me that they needed to go out again. The only upside of that was getting to see a bit of the Perseid meteor shower while we were out. I’m still tired this morning, but again, there are things to do, Amazon deliveries to catch, and inevitably repeated trips outside with the dogs.

Tipper had another “date” yesterday afternoon with her BF, Gio, and his family. I think they ended up going to a mall or shopping center of some sort. She came back with loot, again, this time being most proud of an energy drink that had a picture of her favorite anime character on it. This time, Kat picked her up, which gave her a chance to visit some with Gio’s mom. The result is that she’ll be cutting Gio’s hair later this week. No word yet on whether Tipper will arrange to be at the salon that afternoon or not. Any way you slice it, it’s cute.

High blood pressure continues to be an issue this morning. No severe dizzy spells yet, but I can tell that one is just lingering behind my eyes. If this continues, we’ll be making another visit to the doctor. I have a feeling they’ll want that a bit more under control before the colonoscopy scheduled for later this month. I’m wondering if this could partly be a sleep issue, considering that I’ve been well off schedule over the weekend. Unfortunately, today may not be much better.

The Olympics are over, the handoff to LA has been made, the flame has been extinguished. Yet, controversy remains. Jordan Chiles has been stripped of a gymnastics bronze medal, but the USOPC says it will appeal. Apparently, there’s video evidence of some kind and you know that whole conversation is going to get messy before a final solution is reached. Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif filed a legal complaint for online harassment against her because people are fucking stupid. I’d love to see her punch one of those trolls who won’t drop the subject of her gender.

One moment that many may have overlooked was when the US Women’s Basketball Team received their gold medals. Tears flowed hard down Britteny Griner’s face as the national anthem was played. She didn’t bother wiping them away. After spending 10 months in a Russian jail for weed possession, she didn’t think she’d get this opportunity again. The moment was one of the most moving I’ve seen from this Olympics.

While I’ve been purposefully avoiding talking about the Israel/Gaza war, I guess there’s no escaping it this morning. On one hand, Israel is widening evacuation orders for southern Gaza. Where the fuck they expect people to go, I don’t know. Every time people move to get out of the way of battle, Israel just bombs them in the places they told them would be safe. However, tolerance of the war is shrinking as more countries are demanding that a cease-fire be reached. Netanyahu is a stubborn old man so I’m not sure the international pressure will be effective, especially with the US continuing to send them money for weapons. Meanwhile, a nuclear submarine is being sent to the region because threats of the war broadening won’t go away and those on the ground are saying that tensions have never been higher.

Speaking of money, you know how there’s not supposed to be any of it flowing into Russia? Well, guess what Reuters discovered? Not only is both US and EU cash getting through, there’s a lot of it; roughly $2.3 billion worth. While sanctions prohibiting the exchange of cash have been in place since 2022, hard currency is still preferred for a number of businesses, including some arms sales. And while the Chinese Yaun is the dominant currency, individuals still prefer the dollar for small investments, traveling, and international purchases. Now that the situation has been brought to light, it will be interesting to see how, or if, the State Department responds.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the rules put in place after WWII to, theoretically, help police violent acts committed by governments and avoid the type of genocide committed during that war. The problem is that no one is paying any attention to those rules. It doesn’t help any that none of the world’s major players, the US, Russia, and China, are members of the International Criminal Court which prosecutes war crimes. So, while the rules exist, there’s no enforcement that has any meaning. We’ve seen countless charges levied against Russia, Hamas, and Israel, but they’ve all fell flat. This leaves us to question whether there’s any point in having the rules at all.

We now know that the plane that crashed in Brazil over the weekend was carrying a group of doctors on their way to an oncology conference. The cause of the accident is still in question. Meteorologists have said there was icing in the Sao Polo region at the time of the crash, but experts warn against jumping to any conclusions. Both black boxes have been recovered, so everyone is hoping that will answer some of the lingering questions.

I’m going to go out on a limb and disagree with some local meteorologists who’ve downplayed today’s chance for rain. I’m looking at the radar now (8:01 AM EDT) and what appeared to be a weak system last night has grown considerably this morning. While severe weather isn’t in the works, I think we could see more than just “a sprinkle” or two this afternoon.

There are some other points of interest sitting out there this morning, but it’s Monday and that alone carries enough weight to be depressing. I’m going to just end it here and strongly consider going back to bed for a little while. The first Amazon delivery for the day has already arrived, so I should have a few hours before the trucks are rolling through the neighborhood.

Today’s goal is to not let the day become overwhelming. I wish us all good luck.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / science / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/11/24

August 11, 2024

If I were a church-going person, and I’m not, I would be struggling this morning. Tipper did end up going with her school friend to the fair, but it was almost 7:00 PM before they picked her up and they stayed until the fair closed at 11:00. The trip almost didn’t happen. Her friend was dependent on their mother to drive and Mom didn’t seem to feel the same urgency the kids did. Tipper was close to canceling when she finally got the message that they were on their way.

It was almost midnight when she got home, and, of course, I couldn’t go to sleep until I knew she was back safely. She was excited, having won a stuffed elephant and purchased a unique water bottle. She wanted to pet all the cats and talk about the trip, so it was after 12:30 this morning before I crawled under the covers. I’m only awake now because the cats are on a schedule and demand to be fed on time. The dogs need to go out before I type the next paragraph.

[Hoo boy. Took the dogs out for about 10 minutes. Tipper joined me and we talked more about the fair. When we came back in, though, I was hit with really strong dizziness that has yet to go away. I’m sitting down and am safe for now, but if this doesn’t get better I’ll have to cut things short.]

G spent a large part of yesterday sprawled across his bed doing math; multiplying polynomials, specifically. What are polynomials? They’re letters and numbers all mixed up and doing stuff. Technically, an expression which is composed of variables, constants, and exponents, that are combined using mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You know, the kind of math that causes mere mortals to go insane. G was doing them on purpose. All morning. He then took a long nap cuddled with a cat. He likes it when the house is quiet. He also likes it when he’s not forced to interact with anyone else. So, I’m guessing it was a pretty good day for him, too.

I’m not seeing a lot of news this morning that warrants any comment. Of course, I’m sure there are people who are upset that Jordan Chiles has to return her bronze medal. I get it, but the Romanians were quick to challenge the decision and the matter was adjudicated by a court, so I’m not surprised. I’m not saying it’s fair, but I’m not surprised.

With the Olympics ending today, all eyes turn next to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games. LA is already making the games interesting by announcing that the entire Olympic venue will only be accessible by public transportation. No cars. Given how horrid LA traffic is, I can see where this decision makes sense. They’re going to have to greatly improve their transit system, though, if they want things to go smoothly. Like many urban transit systems, the vehicles are dirty, smelly, and unreliable. If they don’t step up their game considerably, the whole thing could be a disaster.

However, there could be some alternatives. If you were watching early this morning, US time, you might have gotten a glimpse at the Volocopter, an autonomous air taxi, as it provided a test flight over Paris. They couldn’t get all the paperwork done in time for the service to be available for these games, but backers are anxiously hoping to have the service operational for the LA Games. I see some challenges, to be sure, but they have four years to work those out. Tesla’s autonomous taxis, though, still won’t be allowed even if they work without killing someone or blowing up.

The New York Times is boring today as well, which is disappointing. Normally, I head straight for the Times Magazine, but it’s a rare yawner today. There is an interesting article about the “orgasm gap” that women still experience but I would have liked a little more science and depth to the piece. So much of what I’m seeing seems redundant, remixed leftovers from what we’ve been reading all week. Even the opinion pieces feel “meh.”

Maybe I’m just difficult to please.

I’m still not feeling great, though. I may go back to bed after checking in with the kids. I should probably check my blood pressure, too.

There’s always something wrong. Fucking cancer.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/03/24

August 3, 2024

The AI Edition

Having finished the first week of school, everyone is exhausted this morning. I’m the only one awake at 8:00 and even I slept until 7:00, The cats have been fed, the dogs taken outside and fed, and it occurs to me that, to a limited extent, taking care of them isn’t that much different than working with a small herd of cattle and a couple of horses. The biggest difference is that I don’t have to trudge all the way out to the barn and shovel shit. The kids are still adapting to going back on their meds for school. Kat never gets enough sleep. I know she was up in the middle of the night, around 4:00. We’ll let them rest as I focus on other things.

I don’t know what to do about the lawn. It’s still too wet this morning, thanks to last night’s rains. The East side is growing so thick it’s going to be tough to get the lawnmower through it. I’m not much help, either. If I get much weaker, I’m going to have trouble sitting upright. As it is now, I’m leaning on the armrest to help keep me steady as I sit here and type. I thought we were getting better, but this past week has been a major setback. I’m wanting to go to the fair next week but I’m not sure I should risk it. Even if someone goes with me, I can’t be sure that I’ll make it past the first row of buildings. Knowing that Travis Little has a new art piece on display requires that I at least make an attempt to go see it.

I don’t know if it was an act of collusion or what, but AI seems to be on everyone’s mind this morning. Reuters is leading with a story about how lawsuits filed by major recording labels to stop AI platforms from stealing opens up some severe holes in Copyright Law. Reuters starts the story by telling how easy it was to create a song “in the style of (country star) Tift Merritt) on the Udio platform. You can hear the song here. While Merritt said the AI-generated song would “never make the cut” on one of her albums, it underlines the danger of a world of AI-generated sound as the technology continues to grow. We’ve long known that there’s a strong relationship between math and music. That relationship makes it pretty much just a matter of time before AI can generate music faster and better than any human. I gotta tell you, that hurts my feelings.

This new story comes as video game actors have been on strike all week saying that AI endangers their jobs. “The models that they’re using have been trained on our voices without our consent at all, with no compensation,” “Persona 5 Tactica” voice actor and video game strike captain, Leeanna Albanese, told Reuters on the picket line. This is just the latest AI-related work stoppage. You’ll remember that union actors and writers went on strike last fall for similar reasons. Anyone in any creative field is concerned about the degree to which AI is going to endanger their jobs.

The NY Times is asking if AI is going to take over “meaningless” jobs and, if so, is that really a bad thing. They’re looking specifically at jobs in areas where rote copy/paste bores workers to tears, or software development that’s ultimately never used. One might see an argument for letting AI take the pain away, but where, then, do those workers look for more substantial employment? We’ve been talking on Facebook about a WRTV story romanticizing the days when local teens spent their summers detasseling corn. The general assumption is that modern equipment, most likely AI-based, would do that job now. After hearing one friend talk about how he sprained both wrists in that job, it’s difficult to see any AI development there as a negative.

But at the same time, there’s the story of Sabrina Javellana, a young Florida woman whose political career has been upended by deep fake AI-generated porn that uses her face. Trolls and political enemies have made her life a living nightmare. After talking with attorneys that specialize in revenge porn cases, she was told that there was little she could do that would stop anyone from continuing to produce material that was ruining her career. It’s impossible to defend AI producers in situations such as this.

Good solutions? They don’t exist. Music AI startups Suno and Udio slammed record label lawsuits in court filings and it seems likely that courts could find some merit in their arguments. AI is popping up everywhere. Even as I sit here typing, there is a prompt on the right-hand side of the page offering to “help” me write. Or re-write. I don’t use it primarily because AI doesn’t tend to curse about really bad situations and I like having the ability to say “fuck” whenever it feels appropriate. But does that mean that one day in the future AI could save me a couple of hours’ worth of time? Probably so. We’re going to have to keep working out the kinks and finding some common ground on this issue. AI is not going away, so we have to find ways to work with it.

Moving on, I want to wade into the international argument about Olympic boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan. A lot of people are upset because the Russian-led International Boxing Association, which has been banished from the Olympics by the IOC in a yearslong dispute, banned the two boxers claiming that their unproven and unspecified gender-based tests disqualified both women. Allegations have been flying around social media claiming that Khelif is trans and that her short-lived fight yesterday against Italian competitor Angela Carini was unfair. Some of the most ridiculous comments have come from known transphobes such as J.K. Rowling and the Orange Felon, neither of which should ever be taken seriously ever again. IOC President Thomas Bach came to the girls’ defense last night, saying that the comments were unacceptable, but then the IBA announced that it was awarding the promised $100,000 prize to Carini. This Olympics has really brought out the worst in conservatives worldwide and friends, we’ve gotta call them out on it. Both Khelif and Lin were born women. End of story. To suggest otherwise is nothing short of ignorance and stupidity that doesn’t deserve an audience.

Okay, it’s after 9:00. Here are some other things worth noting. Children of freed sleeper agents learned they were Russians on the flight to Moscow. Seriously. They thought they were Argentinian. Imagine the culture shock the poor kids have coming to them, and the conversations around the dinner table now that they know their parents were Russian spies. Aerosmith retires from touring, citing permanent damage to Steven Tyler’s voice last year. Are we surprised? No, but there’s still this nostalgic feeling of loss as we deal with the fact that the musicians we love are … old. Some Yankee Stadium bleachers fans chant `U-S-A!’ during `O Canada’ before the game against the Blue Jays. This is just stupid. The Jays have been a part of MLB for over 50 years. Such distasteful displays of nationalism need to stop. A Florida attorney has pleaded guilty to using a rifle to try to detonate explosives outside the Chinese embassy last year in Washington, D.C. Why? Because Florida breeds insanity. That’s the only logical reason. I think it’s something in the water down there.

Lastly, you may remember the fuss I made a couple of days ago about the three inmates at Guantanamo getting a plea deal. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday revoked plea deals agreed to earlier this week. Susan Escallier, who oversees the Pentagon’s Guantanamo war court, was relieved of her authority to enter into plea deals. Austin says he’s handling the matter personally now. Goddammit, we finally do something sane and this fool gives in to conservative backlash and cancels it. At the same time, President Biden is reiterating his intention to close the facility at Guantanamo before he leaves office. Something’s going to have to give somewhere.

Okay, we both need to move on with our days, you and I. There’s still other news, but perhaps we’ll cover that tomorrow.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / science / Social Commentary / Travel

Morning Update: 08/02/24

August 2, 2024

Rain, rain, everywhere, rain. The lawn may never get mowed at this rate. At least not before temperatures are back up in the 90s next week. We had so much rain yesterday, that a part of Interstate 465, which goes around the perimeter of the city, was flooded and stopped traffic at rush hour. You can imagine the mess and backup that caused. There was more rain off and on throughout the night and there’s a pretty decent chance we’ll see more this afternoon/evening before a low-pressure system moves through. That could make things a little dicey if you’re planning on hitting the Foghat show on the free stage at the Indiana State Fair tonight. Personally, I’ll be staying in, close to the bed, ready to curl up and metaphorically die. Again.

Between downpours yesterday afternoon, G helped me move some things out to the curb for heavy trash pickup that is, allegedly, supposed to happen today. In theory, the first Friday of every month is supposed to be heavy trash pickup, but for both June and July, that Friday fell on the week of a holiday, which pushed normal trash pickup out a day. For whatever reason, when that happens there is no heavy trash pickup. Of the things we set out, scavengers picked up the old refrigerator that died back in May. Good luck getting the damn thing to work, guys. We’ll see how long it takes for the rest of the stuff to disappear.

Tipper is proving to be a good friend. When her new furry friend was pulled out of class for an IEP evaluation, she was asked to sit in the room with him to help him stay calm. They’ve created a very fast bond that allows them to watch out for each other and be each other’s confidant. Someone tugged at Tipper’s tail yesterday and word got back to the school’s Dean. He promptly facilitated an apology from the student responsible, something that Tipper was not expecting. Again, this strongly reaffirms our decision that PPHS is the best high school for her. Her first week has been surprisingly positive all around.

Not every school is as safe as PPHS. Topping local news this morning is the story of yet another teacher/pastor being arrested for producing child porn. Seriously, is no one catching the trend here? The number of cases of sexual assault and child porn being committed by pastors and other church leaders has been off the freakin’ charts! I know pedophilia is a big issue among conservatives, but people, the problem is not with drag queens or trans people. The problem is right there in your own churches! Wake up and smell the bullshit! Just two days ago, Christian Post announced that one of the founding elders of Gateway megachurch was forced to leave amid allegations of child sexual abuse. Increasingly, it’s becoming obvious that the least safe place for your children is at church!

There’s bad news from the American Cancer Society this morning. A study published in Lancet Public Health shows that cancer rates among Gen X and Millenials are increasing, sometimes dramatically, for 17 different cancers. No one seems to be able to understand why. What is especially bothersome is several of these cancers have been in decline among older people. Specifically, the increases in the following cancers are disturbing:

Colorectal
Endometrial
Non-cardia gastric
Gallbladder
Ovarian
Testicular
Anal
Estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers
HIV-linked cancer called Kaposi sarcoma

Endometrial cancer is not only the fastest growing in terms of diagnosis, but it’s also the highest in terms of mortality. This shit is kinda scary, kids! With there being no firm explanation for why these cancers are increasing within these two age groups, you’re pretty much on your own in convincing your doctor to screen for tests. Don’t be afraid to stand up and advocate for yourself!

Of course, the big news this morning is the Russia-US prisoner swap that happened early this morning. It’s the largest post-Soviet prisoner swap to date and has been forever in the making (almost two years). You’d think that this would be something everyone would agree is a good thing. Nope. The Orange Felon has decided that the prisoner swap was “bad.” The guy who hates cat ladies is desperately trying to give the Orange Felon undeserved credit for the swap. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the GOP knows no low that they’re not willing to exploit in this election. The head of the GOP in Kansas has vowed to rid the state of the “Democrat infestation.” They’re grasping at straws as the Felon’s own words are rapidly sinking the ship. There’s little question in my mind that the hate speech coming from the right side of the aisle is just getting started. Race, gender, and even Judaism are being set up as targets. This is going to get nasty.

The situation in Venezuela isn’t likely to get better soon. The US has officially recognized opposition candidate Gonzalez as the winner. Maduro still swears that he won, and is likely to manipulate the courts to keep control. Expect more chaos there over the weekend.

If you travel with your kids, you’ll be interested to know that a proposed US rule would ban airlines from charging parents additional fees to sit with their children. Why this isn’t already a rule doesn’t make any sense to me, but then, the airline industry as a whole strikes me as being rather clueless. If you’re traveling anywhere remotely close to the Middle East, though, you might want to check with your carrier. More airlines are either canceling or diverting flights over what are considered dangerous regions. Tensions are high as it seems almost certain that the entire area is about to blow up.

Oh, this just popped up: Police are investigating hate speech targeting the Olympics opening ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times he tries to explain that there was no intended mimicry of DaVinci’s “The Last Supper,” right-wing idiots around the world are still issuing death threats, public insults, and defamation at a level that is illegal in France. This just further proves how intolerant, weird, and frankly, stupid the far-right is no matter which country they’re in.

Ugh. Why has this taken so long to write? Well, there might have been a rabbit hole or two along the way. When one consumes as much news as I do, it’s easy to become distracted. Let’s get on with our Friday, shall we?

Party on!

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 08/01/24

August 1, 2024

Here it is, August 1, 97 days until the election. IPS starts today, but apparently, the number of little ones we have in the neighborhood has gone down. Previous years, we’d see over a dozen buses running through the neighborhood. This morning has been pretty quiet. I’m not saying there haven’t been any buses, but the number is considerably less than what we’ve seen before.

G and Tipper got off to a good start this morning. G is trying to endure despite the pain of sitting in class and doing nothing as all direction is focused on new students. Tipper, on the other hand, is thrilled with her new furry friend and left this morning armed with her tail, her fox mask, and two favorite plushies to show her friend. She’s delighted to be in an environment where she’s free to express who she is without retribution. Let’s hope that enthusiasm continues once they get into more detailed instruction next week.

I was an idiot yesterday. Okay, there’s an argument to be made that I’m an idiot every day, but yesterday was especially stupid. Looking for a respite from the quiet of the house, I decided to walk to the store. I didn’t really need anything, I just wanted to get out. I wasn’t halfway there before I knew I’d made a mistake. I should have turned around, but didn’t. Mind you, the full trip there and back is only 1.06 miles, not exactly a major trek. I’ve gone a lot further. But this hasn’t been the best week for side effects and by the time I got back home, even leaning on my cane, I could hardly stand. That was it for the rest of the day. I normally don’t use my cane inside or out in the yard with the dogs, but I couldn’t get out of my chair without it. Fortunately, Kat and G took care of dinner. I stayed in/near the bed and was asleep by 8:30. I’ll be careful to not make that mistake again any time soon.

We’re looking at rain most of the afternoon/evening, so I’m not risking anything today. Groceries will be delivered later this morning. Once that’s done, I’m crawling under the covers and hiding between the dogs… and Solaris. So help me, Sol thinks he’s one of the dogs. I could probably put him in a kitty harness and take him outside when I let the dogs out, but something tells me if I put him in a harness, the dogs would want their harnesses, and then I’d have to take everyone for a walk. I don’t have that kind of energy.

What has my attention this morning is the headline that the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, along with two others, has agreed to a plea deal. While some are praising the deal and others are criticizing it, my larger concern is the degree to which justice has been screwed sideways for the past 23 years. Former President George W. Bush established the prison at Guantanamo, Cuba, in 2002, and with it came a severe miscarriage of justice as almost every member of the Taliban with a passport and no small number of Iraqis were rounded up and tossed in the jail. The special circumstances of Guantanamo allowed the government to label the prisoners as “enemy combatants” and hold them endlessly without trial, or even access to representation. They have been tortured endlessly. Alleged mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was waterboarded over 180 times before that particular method of torture was outlawed. At one time, the population at the prison was over 800 thanks to the mass roundup. Now, only 30 prisoners remain.

The fact that the prison is still running is a disgrace. If, after 23 years, the government doesn’t have enough evidence to convict without torturing them into a plea-deal confession, then they simply do not have the evidence to charge any of these men. Period. At this point, whether they are guilty or not is irrelevant. They have been held without legal representation and tortured endlessly for over twenty years! THIS IS NOT JUSTICE! Holding anyone this long under these circumstances is a violation of human rights no matter how one turns the issue. While details of the plea deal haven’t been released, the assumption is that they’re trading the death penalty for life in prison if they’re convicted. The government is assuming that their confessions, which would automatically be thrown out under any other circumstances as being obtained under conditions of duress, will be enough for the special court to convict. What happens, though, if it doesn’t? Will we let them go? Somehow, I doubt it because, again, the intention here is not justice but retribution.

Mind you, I certainly think that the people responsible for the tragic events of 9/11 deserve punishment, and possibly even the death penalty, though I’m no longer convinced that such an exchange of life-for-life is ever justified. However, what our government has done to these men over the past twenty-three years is inhuman. That the special circumstances around the prison at Guantanamo were ever established in the first place is inhuman. This is not the United States at its best. This is evil at its worst. Give them a fair trial. Either convict them on the evidence or let them go. That’s the way justice works. Anything else is simply evil.

Of course, one could make the argument that we are fully engaged with evil. That’s why evil is running for president in the form of the Orange Felon. I’m sure that by now everyone’s aware of the grotesque and racist remarks the fool made to a group of black journalists yesterday. Vice President Harris correctly responded that this is the same tactic of divisiveness and disrespect that he’s always used. That this felon has the support of roughly 46% of the people in the US demonstrates how comfortable we’ve become lying in bed with evil. We cannot claim to care about justice, we cannot hold any claim to fairness, and we cannot even begin to claim any grasp on freedom, as long as this FELON is running for the highest office in the country. His previous election and his current campaign are both a permanent stain upon the ideal of democracy. To not defeat him soundly, with an overwhelming majority in both the electoral college and popular votes, is to embrace the exact same type of evil that planned and carried out the 9/11 terrors. There’s no difference in the mindset, only the methods of their actions. You wouldn’t vote for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, would you? The Orange Felon is the same type of person only dressed in a suit and painted orange.

Why am I feeling tired already? I’ve been sitting here guzzling coffee and yet my body is feeling pain and exhaustion as if I’d put in a full day’s work. I can’t go to sleep yet, though. Groceries are being delivered between 10-11. I hate feeling like this.

I’m going to get more coffee. I hope you have a good day.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/30/24

July 31, 2024

We’re into day three of the new school year and I think I’m the only one who’s having trouble adjusting. Both kids were up and active at 5:45 this morning without any prompting. G is still in a bit of a sour mood, dismayed at how slowly the Lab is ramping up (giving new students a chance to adjust to their unique schedule). Tipper, on the other hand, is excited to have made a friend who is also a furry. They’ve been wearing a fox tail to school, so today Tipper is wearing hers as well. I’ll be interested to see how that goes.

There was a kerfuffle with the bus system yesterday afternoon that caused both kids to be late getting home. They need to take two buses to get home, 8 and 15. Route 8 takes them from the school to the transit center. 15 takes them from the transit center to a stop on the North side of the neighborhood. Both kids were standing at the Route 8 stop when the bus pulled up. The driver opened the door, told the kids that the bus was full, and drove on. However, the kids could see that the bus was far from being full. The driver simply didn’t want a bunch of high school kids on his bus. Fortunately, there was another bus 15 minutes later, but that was too late for them to catch the Route 15 bus. The Route 15 bus only runs once an hour, leaving the kids stuck at the transit center waiting for the next bus.

Yes, I’ve already contacted IndyGo about the matter. I’m not necessarily expecting a response. Either they’ll fix the problem or not. If this happens again, the Mayor’s office will be getting a phone call. While the two kids together make a rather formidable team, they’re still relatively young teens and still vulnerable to the actions of those with ill intent. I’ve let IndyGo know that we hold them responsible for the kids’ safety when situations like this occur. Dad’s not putting up with any nonsense.

My day didn’t go so well. I needed to do some mowing. The grass is getting tall. I went out around 8:30 to mow the right-of-way areas outside our fence. The grass was still far too wet. I had to push hard to get the mower through the grass on the West side of the house. That was as much as I could do. The North side is still waiting. I came back in, my chest tight and hurting, took my meds, and chatted with Kat until she left. I forced myself to eat lunch, which turned out to be a mistake, then went to bed. I stayed there until this morning. I was awake, mind you, long enough to talk with the kids. They kept me updated on the bus issue via text. By the time the kids were home, though, they were both exhausted. They each fixed themselves a smoothie and then went to bed. They did get up later just long enough to handle their chores, but they saved all the chatter for this morning.

The lawn still needs to be mowed. The grass on the East side of the house is getting thick. With the chances for rain dominating the forecast for the rest of the week, it will likely be Saturday before we can even consider taking a swipe at it, and by then it may be too thick to handle easily. We may need some help. We’ll see.

My first glance at my phone this morning had me going, “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!” Israel has really stepped in it this time. First, they’ve apparently assassinated the head of Hamas, Ismael Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new President. THEN, they did exactly what the US and other NATO countries asked them not to do, bombed Beirut, and killed a major Hezbollah leader. The actions have Iran’s leadership furious and vowing retaliation, further broadening the war. Already, the price of oil, which had been going down, has shot up, the prices only capped by Chinese rules. There’s no way this ends well. Iran’s been looking for an excuse to get further involved in the war and Israel just gave them two.

Matters aren’t looking any better in Venezuela. The Carter Center was unable to verify Venezuela’s election results, blasting officials for a lack of transparency. Meanwhile, President Maduro vows to detain defiant leaders of the opposition as they challenge the election results. Peru has recalled their ambassador, saying they’ll not tolerate any violation of the people’s will. Other South American countries may do the same. Chaos continues throughout the country as charges of election interference run rampant. I’m going to say it again, this is the US in 98 days if we don’t produce such a dominant turnout as to leave no question about the results. Even a 60/40 win isn’t going to be enough. We’re not too big to go under over this election.

Speaking of election interference, Republicans are claiming that Google is committing election interference by how its autocomplete finishes, or doesn’t finish, results that include the Orange Felon’s name. Google’s response is fairly technical but claims that there are protections that prohibit the autocorrect from finishing a search phrase with anything related to violence. Most of this battle is taking place on social media, though, so the authenticity of the claims is immediately questionable.

For the second time this week, Tesla is in the hot seat. This time, it appears that one of their cars was using the self-driving system when it hit and killed a motorcyclist in Seattle. Tesla hasn’t commented, probably because this could stand in the way of the company being able to launch the fleet of robotaxies that CEO Elon Musk promised would be live by the end of this year. The driver of the car told police that he was using the full Autopilot system and looking at his phone when the accident occurred. I don’t see anyone outside of Tesla thinking that the technology is anywhere close to being ready to be released unmanned on the streets.

Need some proof that your voice is being heard? Yesterday, Paul Dans, the Director of Project 2025 for the Heritage Foundation, resigned due to the severity of the backlash. Don’t think for a minute that this means Project 2025 is done and gone. It’s not. If anything, it means that a new direction of attack, one likely to be less public and more underhanded, is on the way. The Heritage Foundation is saying that they’re not backing down, merely changing direction. What this means is that opposition to the project has to become all the more vigilant, pervasive, and unrelenting to keep the issue at the forefront. We simply cannot risk electing Republicans as long as Project 2025 shows even the slightest glimmer of life.

While the Olympic Triathalons are finally being held today (the women’s race is already done, France won), there’s always some kind of controversy somewhere. This time it’s over who won gold in men’s fencing. The official result is that Hong Kong defeated Italy, but there were multiple stops as the machine that registers the hits scored for both sides at the same time. Italy says they’ve been robbed. Hong King is responding with … comments about how much they like pineapple on their pizza. I’m not making this up. This may be the silliest thing I’ve read all morning.

Those who love dark chocolate, and who in their right mind don’t, will be happy to know that the levels of heavy metal some consumer groups have reported are well below contamination levels. But hold up, those tests only hold true if one limits themselves to 1-2 ounces of the chocolate at a time. The paper in the journal Frontiers has this warning: “… if many such products are consumed fairly regularly by the average consumer, the additive exposure may be a public health concern.” Specifically, if one consumes more than one serving of the chocolate per day, you’re at risk of lead poisoning. Now, how many people do you know who have the willpower to only eat one small square of chocolate per day? I’m thinking there aren’t that many. Perhaps some caution might need to be applied.

Once again, all the animals have gone back to sleep. Kat’s not here, either, so the house is completely quiet. I’m not adjusting to this well, though it’s been exactly the same every previous year.

Maybe I’ll walk to the store and buy some dark chocolate. What are the chances I can limit myself to one ounce?

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/30/24

July 30, 2024

All That Glitters [2019 original with AI background]

Kids are off and running again this morning, more or less excited about another day at school. Tipper had a good day, which she spent the evening endlessly discussing. She didn’t get to see either of the established friends that she knew, but she did make new friends and was happy with how the classes had gone. She was even more thrilled when she got an email from the school inviting her to participate in an art show in September! Her 3D witches hat is her current choice for that entry. She even enjoyed lunch for the first time in years, partly due to the presence of garbanzo beans in the salad line.

G didn’t have as good a day. There was an issue with the Lab’s Chromebooks, partly caused by something that happened with some of them last year. Exactly what that issue is, I don’t know, but it delays the distribution of the laptops until next week. To say that G was upset would be an understatement. By the time he got home, he was in a teenage angst that had him gruffly announcing that he wasn’t in the mood to deal with people. He retreated to his room with a bowl of cereal. This morning wasn’t starting off much better as he really wanted to put hot water in his school-supplied water bottle so that he could have hot tea. Unfortunately, the hard plastic water bottle wasn’t made for hot liquids and it began to melt as he poured in the hot water, destroying the bottle. I’m hoping that today goes much better for him.

The on-again/off-again rain kept me in bed most of the day. We were fortunate in that the more severe storms went around us. None of the animals seemed to mind that we were inactive. The dogs didn’t even bother to take note when Kat left and returned a few minutes later. The lawn really needs attention now, but as of this moment, the grass is still much too wet to do anything with it.

Speaking of things that need attention, the collapse of a coal mine in Northern Vietnam yesterday killed five, but the story is being buried. I had to go hunting to find any mention of it at all. Vietnam is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and collapses such as this one are far too common. But no one wants to say anything about it for fear it might upset the market. This would be the same market where BP just raised its dividend as it saw a profit of $2.8 billion in the last quarter. Yet, we blame the government for prices being so high. That’s bullshit. The profit-grabbing from the fossil fuel industry is gouging consumers and putting lives in danger as it continues to cause damage to the environment. But shhhhh, don’t say anything. You might cause stock prices to dip.

The situation after the presidential election in Venezuela may well be forecasting what could happen here come November. There are widespread protests. The opposition wants a ballot-by-ballot count. And even the US is saying, “Something’s not right here,” and threatening sanctions if it’s not straightened out. The way that whole election has gone down is too reminiscent of our 2020 election that led to the January 6 criminal activity. I find it interesting that the US is making comments when we could very easily follow suit come November 6.

The UK is trying to deal with a 17-year-old with an attitude problem who attacked children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance program, killing two and injuring several others. This reeks of the kind of hate that is fermented in online chat rooms. There is no shortage of online forums that are vehemently against anything to do with Taylor Swift. None of them have any good reasons for their hate, but it gives angsty teens and dateless young adults something to complain about. Now, it’s gotten out of hand. The young man didn’t even pay for the taxi that took him to the dance studio, asking a body shop owner who tried to intervene, “What are you gonna do about it?” Such defiance would seem to be symptomatic of a hate that has been stirred and seasoned for a long time, which online forums do well. It will be interesting to see how the UK handles this situation. The last time they had a serious attack on children, in 1996, the result was a nearly universal ban on handguns.

There has been a slew of misleading and outright false information being passed around the Internet over the past week or so. We should not be surprised to find that most of it is coming from sources based in Russia, China, and Iran. Once again, Russia seems to be the largest offender. Those with decent memories will recall the degree to which the Orange Felon tried to keep the Department of Justice from investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. This time, the office of the Director of National Intelligence is trying to warn people well in advance. But will it work? The goal of the Russians is to get Americans to spread Russian disinformation without questioning its origin. I can’t imagine that being very difficult. We click “share” on any meme that echoes our opinion on a topic, not bothering to see where that meme originated. Most of us don’t know the degree to which we’re complicit. We need to be a LOT more careful.

Anti-Muslim incidents in the US are up about 70% so far this year, largely because of the war in Gaza. One thing Americans are good at doing is generating fear and hate about anything they perceive as anti-Christian. Mix in a great deal of ignorance about Hamas and the Palestinian people, and you have a dangerous amount of support for Israel’s genocide of thousands of innocent people across Palestine. What’s worse is when we start taking out our feelings on people here.

“Alarming U.S. incidents in the last nine months include the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child in Illinois, the February stabbing of a Palestinian-American man, in Texas, the shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont in November, and the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American girl in May,” Reuters reports.

So much for the US being a place where people can worship as they wish.

There are really a lot of “below the fold” stories that are cause for concern this morning. The Seine still isn’t fit for swimming. Landslides caused by heavy rains kill 70 and bury many others in southern India. Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez reveals she competed at the Paris Olympics while 7 months pregnant. Okay, that one’s just an interesting story. 7 months pregnant and she’s competing in anything makes her a champion in my book. The White House says no need to restrict “open-source” artificial intelligence — at least for now. I’m not sure I’m buying their reasoning. I’d rather see some guidelines and limitations in place. A probe of soldiers over alleged sexual abuse fuels tension between the Israeli military and hard-liners. How is this even an issue? There is NO situation, even in war, especially in war, where sexual abuse is justified. Tesla is recalling more than 1.8M vehicles due to a hood issue. The issue? The hoods will pop up at any random moment while you’re driving. Is anyone keeping count of the number of recalls Tesla has had to issue in the past two years? It’s too many for me to be comfortable even riding in one. Gunmen open fire on a vehicle carrying UN staff in northwest Pakistan.

I guess all these issues are making up for how quiet things were yesterday morning. The world is crazy, you know. There’s absolutely nothing you and I can do about 99% of it. We just sit here and watch the world burn.

At least we can listen to good music in the process.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary / video

Morning Update: 07/28/24

July 28, 2024

Yesterday was exactly what I expected it to be: a miserable day of trying to sleep. I didn’t get out of bed until 4:00 PM and that was only to attend G’s violin recital. I didn’t, couldn’t, eat anything until around 8:30 PM, and a couple of hours later even that came back up. The day was the type of rough ride I’d really rather avoid, but I guess if it reduces the chance of getting pneumonia then one day of misery is probably worth it. Fortunately, I’m feeling better this morning, though I’m still a bit tentative on the eating thing. At least the coffee doesn’t seem to be upsetting my stomach.

G had his first violin recital yesterday afternoon. It was a progress recital, meaning that no one had their work memorized or polished. This was to showcase where each student is at the moment. G did well. Next to all the other students, though, he looked older than he is. He had to raise the music stand to its full height, and he’s sporting a very visible goatee. He was also taller than anyone else.

The event provided an opportunity for extended family to get together. Even Kat’s niece, 18-month-old Harper, was there, stealing the show where she had an opportunity. Grandparents demonstrated appropriate amounts of pride in their grandson which he took with the natural awkwardness of someone not accustomed to such. Tipper was the only one who acted as though she’d rather not be there, but even she perked up when G’s teacher invited them to take additional cookies after the recital.

Tipper’s enthusiasm for the recital was dampened by her excitement for her date last night to a quinceanera. Her boyfriend had invited her to be his guest at the party that didn’t start until 9:00. Whether I was comfortable with it or not, the late start required giving her the latitude to be out late as well. Kat and I discussed the matter and, at her urging, decided that since it wasn’t a school night, it wouldn’t hurt to allow her to be out until midnight or a little later. The event was going to be well-chaperoned so there was little chance of them getting into trouble.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Tipper comes waltzing in around 10:30! When I asked why she was so early, she said that, being the only “white” girl present she felt like everyone was looking at her, and that the music was so loud that the floor was vibrating. She had taken her headphones, as she normally does, but even that wasn’t enough to ease the effects of the loud music. If there was any question as to whether she is on the autism spectrum, her response to the party seems to have put those to rest. Of course, getting an actual diagnosis of such is difficult, but just understanding the symptoms helps us to better adjust to meet her needs.

The past several hours have produced a number of news items with religious overtones. In one specific situation, those overtones are unwarranted and overly forced. That situation would be the opening celebration of the Paris Olympics. My social media feed has been flooded with responses to what appeared to the ignorant to be a mocking of The Last Supper. In response, I’ve seen several posts attempting to explain that it was, instead, a portrayal of Dionysius. However, neither of those interpretations would be correct. The Associated Press went straight to the source to get an accurate explanation. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony denied that the tableau was a reference to either, but more a celebration of freedom and inclusion.

Drag performer Le Filip, the recent winner of “Drag Race France,” responded to the criticism by saying, “It feels like the words of somebody who didn’t get on the guest list. We could all be laughing together. It’s sad to me, honestly.”

For those who, like me, grew up in a house filled with Southern Gospel music, you may be interested in knowing that Gospel Hall of Fame group, The Nelons, were wiped out in a plane crash in Wyoming. The only surviving member of the group is Autumn Nelon Streetman, who had stayed home because of her pregnancy. The group was on their way to Seattle to participate in a Gaither Homecoming Cruise. Interestingly enough, the cruise was titled, “Until We Meet Again,” a euphemism for saying goodbye to those who have passed.

Then, I can’t let pass the bizarre and dangerous statements of the Orange Felon as he told members of Turning Point Action at a speech in West Palm, FL, “Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”

The official campaign explanation to the immediate horror of everyone who values democracy is that the statement was “a joke.” Of course, if that’s the case, one might excuse the entire campaign as one giant joke being played on the American people. In December, the Felon told Fox News that he would be a “Dictator on Day One,” if he were elected. In May, he told a gathering of the National Rifle Association that he might serve “two more terms,” referencing FDR and ignoring that the two-term limit was invoked after Roosevelt died in office.

Such comments are occurring far too often to pass them off as a joke. In my opinion, they voice the Felon’s true intention and desire. He wants to be a dictator. He doesn’t want there to be a 2028 election removing him from office (if he survives that long). He is a clear and present danger to our democracy and as such he must be stopped. There is no other option.

Meanwhile, you quite possibly have missed Kamala Harris’ first ad featuring Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a cut from her 2016 landmark album, “Lemonade.” Unlike a lot of the music we’ve heard at various campaign rallies, Harris has both the permission and support of the singer in using the song. There’s no question that the song has strong political overtones. In concert, Beyoncé has used the song to segue into “Lift Every Voice.” So, for those who have missed it, here’s the ad.

I really need to stop typing and start mowing the lawn. The forecast says there’s a chance of rain this afternoon, which appears likely though not with serious consequences. This is also the last chance the kids will have to help before starting school tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I may not be able to do an update in the morning. I’m going to ride the bus with Tipper to make sure she gets to school safely. I did the same with G last year, though he didn’t seem to need it. If there’s something that I feel deeply compelled to share with you, I’ll have to do so tomorrow afternoon.

This life is crazy, isn’t it?

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/27/24

July 27, 2024

Yesterday may have seemed tenuous. Today is impossible. This is going to be short. We spent most of my doctor’s appointment trying to figure out which meds I still need and which we can let drop completely. The result was Kat picked up an entire grocery bag full of meds from the pharmacy. Yay. Thrill. We chatted a bit, the doctor and me, and then he dropped the bomb I’ve been fearing: my next visit with him, in January, will likely be my last. Community Health Network is closing the facility where the doctor has had his office for the past several years. When they close that office, they’re not picking up his contract anywhere else. He’ll be 75 by then, so yeah, he’s had a good run, but he wanted to go out on his terms, not theirs. That means, again, I’ll have to find a new PHP. I’m getting really tired of that juggle.

The last thing before I left was round two of the pneumonia vaccine. Not a big deal, right? I’ve had one before I don’t remember having any problems with it. So, when my insurance-provided ride wasn’t outside when I left, I decided to walk home. After all, it’s only four miles if you cut across the IMS plaza to Georgetown. I grabbed a bottle of water and took off. I’d made it to Georgetown and 25th, a little short of three miles, when our next-door neighbor passed. He stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way home. Sweet.

I don’t know if it was the shot, the heat, or the accumulative activity over the week, but shortly after I got home, I felt as though I was going to collapse. I asked G to make dinner for the night, which he happily did, and went to bed. And stayed there. I was up just long enough to eat some of what G had fixed, and was then back in bed, reminding myself that I would need to order groceries this morning. When I woke up at 6:00 AM, I was running just enough of a fever to experience chills. I quickly put in the grocery order and went back to sleep, leaving the cats to everyone else. I didn’t bother looking at the news until 8:00.

From a news perspective, ignore the biting back and forth between candidates. We’re at that stage where the candidates are constantly trying to one-up each other and the truth of anything they say needs to be questioned. The wildfires in California are a big deal and, once again, scary as hell. Reuters did an undercover investigation showing just how easy it is to get fentanyl from China using readily available online sources. If you know anyone who has any kind of addition, this should worry you. The Olympics are Olympicicking (my word) and, as always, there are allegations of someone cheating. There’s always someone who just can’t play well with others.

Groceries should be here soon and then I’m going back to bed. I’m not in a human condition this morning. I’m misunderstanding most of what Kat says. Better to leave the decision-making to others today.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / science / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/26/24

July 26, 2024

How Many Of These Pictures Are You Going To Take? [2019]

Exhaustion reigns as I’ve completely over-extended myself this week. If there’s a theme for today, it’s “Leave me the fuck alone.” Not that I can even hold to that because I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, which will, once again, come right in the middle of nap time. It’s one thing to go a day or two without naps, but we’ve missed them three out of the four previous days this week. I came in from getting the kids set up for school yesterday and collapsed onto the bed, not getting up except for necessities. I’m not doing my body any favors by keeping this kind of schedule.

The kids are as set for school as they can be. It still seems odd that neither of them has a supplies list that has to be purchased. Most everything they do is on their school-supplied Chromebooks, so as long as they keep those charged they have what they need. Tipper was especially excited to meet some of her teachers yesterday. She especially likes her math teacher, who is also her advisor, and her biology teacher, who is also her support coach. She has almost too much in common with the support coach, including a love for art and colorful language. The coach actually has a wood medallion with the word “fuck” burned into it hanging next to her desk. She and Tipper are going to get along just fine. Tipper also signed up for the robotics club which may end up being something that makes her brother a little jealous.

I forgot to get a picture of G yesterday, though. By the time we finished getting his things in order, I was struggling to stay upright and forgot all about it. There are some changes in the Lab program this year that give them more space, hot meals from Cafe Patachou (a Lab partner), and a little more direction as to when certain tasks need to be completed. There was some exciting news as his advisory coach got married over the summer! Some technical issues still linger as the legal status of the Lab changed a little, but none of those issues directly affect the students, so we’ll let the administrators work out those bugs.

At the same time, there were these signs that the kids are growing up whether I like it or not. Tipper’s boyfriend showed up while we were at the school and she ended up spending the afternoon with him (with his mom keeping a close watch). They’re going on a sort of date on Saturday evening as well. I have this sinking feeling that this is going to be a more common occurrence than I’m ready to endure. G’s coach was talking strongly with him about college and what he wants to do with his education. That’s a conversation I can’t even participate in because the world he’s looking at holds practically no resemblance to the one in which I reside. My experience is of no practical use to him. I’m glad he has guidance that is better informed than what I had.

My disturbing dreams last night were all apocalyptic so perhaps it is no surprise that I woke this morning to the news that the trains running to Paris have been sabotaged by arson. That is still an ongoing situation so there’s not a great deal of information that is truly reliable. As these Olympics are perhaps the most politically charged since the end of the Cold War, it’s not surprising that something happened. Fortunately, it appears that no one was critically injured. Security is extremely high for the event, though, and especially for its opening parade down the River Seine. We’re going to cross our fingers that everyone stays safe. The last thing we need is a repeat of the 1972 games.

Speaking of security, the Secret Service has to be struggling to keep up. Not only are they without a leader now, but the advent of Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket presents a whole new bundle of security issues that they have to cover. The simple fact that she’s both a woman and a person of color riles a lot of backward-thinking people who can’t begin to accept the idea of the President being anything other than an old Christian white man. Harris’ religious leanings are broad and she certainly seemed to have no trouble telling Netanyahu that he needs to end the Gaza war immediately. All of that gets under the skin of the good ol’ boys’ club and the Secret Service is struggling to make the necessary adjustments to keep the Vice President safe.

Following the theme of religion, remember that whole dust-up about Oklahoma’s state school superintendent requiring schools to teach Bible stuff? At least eight of the state’s larger school districts have said, “Nope, not gonna do it.” Critical to this decision seems to be a memorandum to the state school districts from the Center for Education Law advising them that the superintendent’s statement is illegal under state law, which already allows for voluntary religious education. If you’re wondering whether any of this is a reflection of Project 2025, be aware that there’s no direct link between the two. However, the superintendent’s position certainly falls within the attitude and intent of the conservative plan for dominating government at every level.

Also, be aware that the Orange Felon is attempting to brand VP Harris as a Marxist. Why anyone would take the word of a felon, I don’t know, but there seem to be a few million lemmings who are repeating this rhetoric. If you’re not familiar with the economic and political ideas of Karl Marx and Frederick Engles, you might want to read up on the concept. On the surface, anyone fed up with the inequality of Capitalism may find Marxism interesting. The felon’s comments are likely based on the idea that Harris is committed to addressing inequality and fighting for the rights of the working class, both of which are strong Marxist pillars. However, the devil’s in the details and the VP is most certainly not a Marxist. Take the time to do the reading, please.

Finally, remember those two astronauts sent to the International Space Station aboard a Boeing capsule? Yeah, they’re still there and there’s still no timetable for getting them back home. If you’ve ever taken a trip and had trouble scheduling a flight back home, perhaps you can commiserate with the two astronauts. They’re more than a month late getting back. Fortunately, this counts as a business trip so they don’t have to explain to their bosses why they haven’t been in the office for a while.

That’s all I’ve got. The dogs are back to sleep and I’m considering joining them. Sleeping is the safest thing I can do right now.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/25/24

July 25, 2024

Don’t Cross Her [2019 original with AI background]

Today pretty much starts the beginning of the school season for us. While classes don’t start until Monday, the next two days are full of all those last-minute things that must be completed in order to make the start of school successful. Kat’s schedule at the salon has gotten crazy, so I’ll be taking Tipper to the PPHS main campus first, then escorting G to the Lab for his stuff. G only needs me for those things that might require a parent’s signature. I’m sure somewhere in the middle of everything we’ll do lunch because these kids have this thing going where they like to eat. A lot.

While a large part of yesterday was spent sleeping, the cats decided to be overly active. That excess energy went on through the night as Queen Bit and Fred Fredburger were hissing and fussing at each other to the point I’m not sure Kat got much sleep at all. There were things knocked off tables, things knocked over, things dug out and scattered… you know, all the things cats do in those moments when the humans in the house need to be sleeping. There’s something wrong with the bottom of my bedroom door this morning that I’ve yet to figure out, and yeah, I’m pretty sure a cat had something to do with that, too. It’s never boring.

As I was quickly browsing the various news sources, Tipper came in and read this over my shoulder from TheSkimm’.

What’s going on: Vice President Kamala Harris stands to be the first Black and South Asian female presidential candidate — a point of attack among conservatives. Right-wing politicians and media personalities have called Harris a “DEI candidate,” attributing her political career to her skin color. Harris has also been accused of sleeping her way to the top and is the target of unvalidated “birther” conspiracies due to her immigrant heritage. Meanwhile, her husband, Doug Emhoff, is on the receiving end of antisemitic attacks. Recent analysis from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) found that hateful and violent speech toward Harris rose 33% on Truth Social and 50% on Telegram from July 19 to July 21.

What it means: Harris isn’t the first candidate to face these kinds of attacks. Former President Obama and Hillary Clinton got their fair share of it. However, Harris could be getting the worst of it. Even during the 2020 Democratic primaries, the Wilson Center found that Harris faced more gendered abuse and targeted disinformation than other female candidates. Now, some congressional Republican leaders are warning their members from using that playbook against Harris, urging them to focus on her political career and policies under the Biden administration. That’s because racist or misogynistic attacks against Harris could alienate swing voters like suburban women or voters of color.

Tipper’s question was, “Why? What reason does anyone have for not wanting a black president or a woman president? It doesn’t make any sense.”

No, baby girl, it doesn’t make any sense. Nothing about the Republican party in its current state makes any sense. The overt authoritarianism, racism, and sexism have no excuse. The fact that their own leaders have to tell their members to behave shows how unreasonable, unintelligent, uncaring, and undesirable the party is. Even worse, as I’ve said before, this isn’t just at the Presidential level. Republicans are this nasty all the way down to the bottom of the ballot. For them, Project 2025 isn’t just a wish list for taking control of the government, it is a plan for taking over the world. This is why they must be stopped. The party in its current form must be destroyed. Is there room for a conservative voice in politics? Yes, but a true conservative doesn’t exist in the modern dialogue. What the GOP currently represents is chaos in all its worst forms and it must be eliminated.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature continues to fight back on the open seas as Typhoon Gaemi sinks a freighter off Taiwan, and barrels towards the Chinese seaboard. Amidst all our own noise, there are signs that the planet is getting fed up with our nonsense. News flash: the planet is going to win. Species of beings come and go. The planet is going to take care of itself if we don’t. We need to be aware of the message it is sending.

Nestle cuts sales growth outlook as consumers become increasingly cost-conscious. What can I say other than it’s about fucking time? Nestle has been especially bad about having an “anything for a dime” attitude over the past several years. CEO Mark Schneider has an attitude that all natural resources are best managed through capitalistic markets. That includes water and, yes, even clean air. Nestle has a massive portfolio of products and the company has been regularly increasing prices since 2020 to bolster their profits. So, if consumers are finally saying, “We can do without that,” then that’s a good thing.

Oh, did you see that Utah was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics? Did you know that the award comes with a catch? The IOC would only give Utah the games after the state’s politicians signed an agreement to lobby the FBI to end its investigation into the Chinese doping scandal at the Tokyo Games. That’s right, this is the IOC attempting to interfere with US law enforcement. That seems to be a pretty bold move considering the fact that UTAH WAS THE ONLY BIDDER FOR THE GAMES. No one else wants them. So, if the FBI doesn’t back down, what the fuck is the IOC going to do? I think we need to be having conversations as to whether the Olympic Games, in their current form, are worth continuing. They’re expensive for the host city, often incurring costs that are never recovered, and upsetting the lives of the people who live there. We need to end that attitude that says sports is king and look at the reality of paid players at the amateur level and re-format the whole mess so that international athletic competition isn’t a mask for an international power move by a bunch of oligarchs, which is exactly what the IOC is.

Finally, that whole “single cat lady” thing isn’t going away, Mr. Vance. Today, it’s Jennifer Anniston who’s speaking out against the wildly ridiculous statement from the GOP Vice Presidential candidate. Don’t think celebrity comments matter? Kamala Harris has Gen Z appeal with young voters largely because of celebrity endorsements. Plus, statements like this pull women across all age groups together against a common enemy: stupid men. This is why women will be deciding this year’s election. They’re pissed and they’re registered to vote.

So, off we go now. There may be pictures on Facebook if you’re watching throughout the day. Depends on how shy the kids are feeling.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/24/24

July 24, 2024

When yesterday started, I wasn’t expecting much from the day. My legs were feeling a bit worn from Monday’s adventures around Lake Ogle. I was expecting a low-key day with maybe some photo processing in the afternoon. I had discussed with Tipper the possibility of going on the bus to familiarize her with the route she would need to take to go downtown and she seemed to dismiss the idea rather flatly. Then, around 11:00, she comes in and asks, “If we go on the bus today, what time would we need to leave?” I checked the schedule, made sure the bus was on time (always an issue), and told her we needed to catch the 12:38 bus. She said, “Okay, let’s do that. We’ll leave around noon?”

And that was that. We had another adventure scheduled for the day. The first question was whether she could wear her furry head on the bus. I told her no, that the head would be too large. I was also thinking that it might frighten any small children we encountered and I’m not 100% sure what the bus rules are on such things. She was disappointed but optioned to wear the furry paws instead. That was still a questionable choice in Dad’s opinion, but what does Dad know? I finished what I was doing and got ready to go.

Of course, with Tipper being much like her mother in matters of timing, we were at the bus stop early. A young man who was sitting there immediately engaged us in conversation. His first question to me was, “Are you Mexican?” I shook my head no. I wasn’t interested in starting down that road. He then asked if Tipper was my granddaughter. I stifled the laugh and tried to keep my voice stern when answering, “No, she’s my daughter.” He turned to Tipper and started chatting with her, dumping fragments of his life story in a barrage that didn’t end even after we got on the bus. She was pleasant and polite to him, but I was glad she didn’t have an open seat next to her. I’m going to be concerned any time she has to take the bus by herself.

We got to the Transit Center downtown. I showed her where her connecting bus would normally be waiting, and then we discussed an alternative bus in the event the first bus was delayed (because that, too, is an issue). We decided to ride the alternative bus to the school, which was interesting. That bus took us down through Fountain Square before turning up past the Justice Center (jail and related courts), before turning back West and going past the school. The trip was long enough that we agreed that the route should only be used if the original bus route was running more than 20 minutes late.

Getting off across the street from the school, the bus for the normal route she would take came up almost immediately to take us back to the Transit Center. The brevity of that ride emphasized the importance of taking that route over the alternative.

By the time we arrived at the Transit Center, it was past 2:30 and we had neither one had lunch. Downtown is as good a place as any to find something to eat, so I asked Tipper what type of food she wanted and her response was, “soup.” No problem. There’s a little locally-owned soup shop just off the Circle on Market Street, a brief three-block stroll. Tipper’s not been downtown much since she was younger, so this was a good chance to familiarize her with the area, specifically the City/County building and other places that should be safe to duck into if something was wrong or out of the ordinary. Again, her being alone is my biggest concern.

The soup was great, we walked back to the Transit Center and got on the bus to bring us home. We were about 20 minutes into the ride when the bus broke down. Hydraulics failure. Once again, this happens far too often and is one of the reasons people who live here can’t depend on the bus for critical back-and-forth-to-work transportation. We waited over 30 minutes for another bus to pick us up and complete the route. G told us that this sort of thing happened quite a bit last year, so Tipper will have to be ready for those delays.

By the time we got home, I was beyond exhausted. I had a coupon for KFC, so we used that for dinner. There was no way I was cooking. KFC was a severe disappointment, though, and G reminded me, rather sternly, that both he and his sister can cook. He would have rather they take care of dinner than suffer through the disaster we had just eaten. I’ll take note of that.

I forced myself to stay awake long enough to ensure that I’d sleep through the night, though it didn’t feel as though that was going to be an issue. The kids are both still asleep, despite the animals and me bumping around, taking out trash, making coffee, and all the other morning noises. In a way, this is sort of our last “open” day before school starts on Monday. Tomorrow is their back-to-school events. Friday will be making final preparations. Saturday will be getting all the chores done for the next week. I want to say there’s some obligation on Sunday but I don’t remember at the moment what it is.

Personally, I’m looking forward to a nap. Maybe two. We’ve pushed against the chemo pretty hard the past two days. Yesterday afternoon was significantly more difficult for me than Monday. It’s probably best to take a break.

Speaking of Monday, did you know that was the hottest day on record? I know, Sunday broke the record as well, but Monday topped it. I’ve not heard about yesterday. This is a good time to remind people that there’s a difference between weather and climate. Just because it’s not steaming hot right where you’re standing doesn’t mean the planet as a whole isn’t melting. Don’t risk opening your mouth and being stupid.

Whales are capsizing boats again. No one will ever convince me that aquatic mammals are not more evolved than we give them credit. Just because we don’t understand how they communicate doesn’t mean that they’re not doing so. I firmly believe they’re trying to send us a warning, proven by the fact they’re not eating the people from the boats they capsize. Perhaps we should pay attention.

There was a video circulating on social media of a geyser exploding in Biscuit Basin at Yellowstone Park. In some instances, it came with a caption saying that this particular explosion was a first for that geyser. That statement would be incorrect. These explosions happen, usually when there aren’t a lot of tourists around. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it reminds us that our planet is still a dangerous place and that a big chunk of North America could explode at any time.

Speaking of misinformation, along with Kamala Harris taking control of the Democratic Party nomination for President has come a significant amount of misinformation about her and some of the things she’s done. AP corrects some of the most frequent errors, something I encourage you to read before jousting with anyone.

Speaking of errors, boy have Southern Baptists stumbled into a new one. At this point, the denomination has become an embarrassment to all of Christianity. Can we not cancel them completely? They had a chance and they blew it.

And, just in case you missed the news, Mattel has finally introduced a blind Barbie (video). The company is well-known for championing women in sports, women of color, and other differently-abled women. That they haven’t had a blind doll before now seems something of an oversight (no pun intended). We’re glad they have corrected that error.

We should also mention that there’s a new HIV shot, administered twice a year, that seems to be 100% effective in preventing HIV, at least in African women. While it may still be too early to consider the injection universally fool-proof, those of us who remember the horrors of the HIV/AIDS outbreak in the 1980s should be amazed at how far medicine has come in treating the disease.

There are a couple of other little stories running around, but I don’t think they’re fully developed yet so we’ll wait before commenting.

It’s almost 8:30 AM in Indianapolis. I need to start laundry and eat breakfast. Is it too early to take a nap?

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/23/24

July 23, 2024

Yesterday was too much fun. I ate a PBJ (sugar-free bread and jelly) around 8:00 so I could take my meds. Then, a little before 11:00, our friend Jennifer picked me up to go “look for snakes.” Looking for snakes is code for walking around in nature and hoping we see something interesting. I keep hoping for bears but that hasn’t happened yet. We went to Brown County State Park and walked the circumference of Ogle Lake. No bears. We did get a lot of pictures, though, and I’ll post those separately later this morning. There is one image we’ll need your help with trying to identify what the hell I caught inside a dead log. It’s legs glow.

We got back around 6:00 PM. The dogs were extremely happy to see me as no one had let them out while I was gone. Amazingly, there were no accidents. Tipper had slept most of the afternoon and G was busy gaming. I was exhausted, not having had any naps, but I knew if I went to bed that early I’d be up at 3:00 or some horrible time. Kat came home, made omelets for dinner (which were delicious), and I finished processing yesterday’s photos. By the time I did go to bed, I was able to sleep all night without interruption. That’s winning in my book.

A couple of interesting developments. First, G is on a fitness streak, thanks to Kat, and has started running on his own. He got up with his alarm this morning at 5:30 and went running through the neighborhood. At the gym, he’s steadily increasing the weight he’s lifting. If this continues once school starts, and there’s no reason to think it won’t, the kid’s going to be jacked by Xmas. This could be fun to watch.

I bent down to pick up the dogs’ bowls this morning, though, and immediately became lightheaded. That is not a fun development. While there might be extenuating factors in that 1) I’ve not eaten yet, and 2) I’ve not had meds yet, it’s still one of those things that hasn’t happened before and if it continues happening will warrant a conversation with the doctor. I’m not especially looking forward to the visit with the GP on Friday as it is. I don’t need any new problems cropping up.

Yesterday was a bit surprising in how well I was able to handle the trail around the lake. While we weren’t setting any speed records since we were stopping and taking pictures every few feet, there were sufficient challenges that, on a more difficult day, might have caused a problem or two. We made it through the day without me falling in, over, or down, which I think is an improvement. I didn’t even bother taking a cane along and, for the most part, did just fine. I really would like for the whole mobility issue to continue getting better.

What’s going on in the rest of the world? Well, let’s start with the fact that VP Kamala Harris now has all the votes she needs to clinch the Democratic nomination for President at the August convention. Along with that came a massive fundraising effort (to the point of being annoying yesterday) that raised a whopping $81 million yesterday. That was exactly the type of response needed to get her campaign off to a strong start and yes, it has the GOP shaking in their boots a bit. Expect them to fall back on racist and sexist statements, not to mention insinuations about her connection to the Biden administration. Last night, at a rally in Virginia, GOP VP candidate JD Vance said, “But my friends, Kamala Harris is a million times worse and everybody knows it. She signed up for every single one of Joe Biden’s failures, and she lied about his mental capacity to serve as president.” Anyone who falls for that line misunderstands the role of Vice President.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle may be looking for a new job soon as her testimony before Congress yesterday drew calls from both sides of the aisle for her resignation. Yes, she had answers for every question, but at the end of the day, regardless of what one’s politics are, her team allowed a shooter to come close to assassinating a presidential candidate. The more analysts look at the situation, the worse it looks for the Secret Service. The event was something for which someone has to be held responsible, and Cheatle is where the buck stops.

If you’re looking for a sort of heartwarming story in the midst of all this chaos, there’s the AP account of a Rapper in Puerto Rico who’s also a doctor and is making house calls. I didn’t realize that the island has had such a dramatic loss in the number of physicians, over 8,600 doctors out of nearly 18,800 in just over a decade. That the rapper is putting music on hold while he helps the poorest of people in his country is the kind of good news we all need.

Unfortunately, a war criminal is visiting the US this week. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, arranged for the Israeli Prime Minister to speak to a joint session of Congress. However, as the Gaza war has raged on and an increasing number of allegations against Netanyahu have come from the International Criminal Court, the Prime Minister may find himself less than welcome. In fact, the worry over protests is so great that the Speaker has threatened to arrest anyone who makes a scene on the House floor (which is against Congressional rules of decorum, anyway). The Prime Minister is lagging in popularity at home and as Palestinian factions agree to form a unity government, he likely will find that even US Jews are less than enthused with how Netanyahu is handling the war.

Almost everyone is back up and running after Friday’s tech outage, except for Delta Airlines. The company CEO, Ed Bastian, is on the hot seat with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, telling him that he expects the airline to provide hotels and meals for travelers who are delayed and to issue quick refunds to customers who don’t want to be rebooked on a later flight. “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.” That’s not news the airline is going to enjoy hearing, but that’s the law and at this point, travelers are crazy to not take advantage of the cash refunds.

I’m arguing with myself over exactly what needs to happen today. I want to get those pictures from yesterday posted for you, but I really need to take TIpper on a bus ride today as well. With rain in the forecast for tomorrow, this is the best day to familiarize her with the route she’ll take to school. The yard could use some attention as well, but I’m pretty sure that after skipping naps yesterday my body is going to insist on taking them today.

So, off we go. Frankie would tell you hi, but he’s snoring. Loudly. So is Hamilton, for that matter. Do you think they’re trying to tell me something?

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Long Read / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / pop culture / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 07/21/24

July 21, 2024

Contemplation [2019 original with AI background]

Good morning, America! It’s Race Day? Or is it? Does anyone even care at this point? For the first time since 2020, The Brickyard 400 is back. And while NASCAR has tried hyping up the event, the reality is that the North 40 was less than half-full for yesterday’s Xfinity Cup race. Gates opened at 6:00 this morning. I’m pretty sure everyone in the neighborhood slept through it. I know I did. There are no cars parking in the neighborhood. I’m not even sure that the East gate to the North 40 is going to be opened.

To demonstrate just how far NASCAR and the Brickyard have fallen from social importance, look at the front page of the home of all things sports: ESPN. Scroll down. Further. Further. Past the story about the NFL Flag Football Championships. Past the part about the Hungarian Grand Prix. Go all the way to the bottom. No mention of the Brickyard or anything NASCAR. Nothing. Zip. Zero. The world just doesn’t give a fuck.

I took the dogs out just now (in case you didn’t notice the 15-minute break in writing). The only activity was a couple of squirrels playing in the tree next door and a cotton-tailed bunny scampering across the street to get away from the pups. There is no line of cars on 30th Street waiting to get into the North 40. No helicopters are whirling overhead, jockeying for the best shot for the local morning shows. Even local news stations have pushed the event way down the list of topics on a morning where a man was injured in a shooting on Indy’s northwest side, and a large fight broke out in Anderson road leading to several shot, 2 in serious condition.

Motorsport tried blaming the lack of interest on 2008’s miserable tire incident. I think it’s a little late for that conversation. NASCAR in Indy was still strong as late as 2014. That was the last year we had to park cars in our yard for the race. This morning’s showing is about as pitiful as that of some of the other races that only lure hardcore fans such as the Indy Autonomous Challenge in September or the Indy 8 Hour in October.

The truth? No one really wants the hard-drinking, confederate flag-waving, mullet-wearing, homophobic, transphobic, backward-thinking attitude that comes with NASCAR. Sure, they’ve banned Confederate flags on the cars and merchandise. But they can’t ban the attitude that leaves a trail of beer cans and DUIs in its wake. Apparently, one has to be day drunk and sunburned to enjoy NASCAR and the audience for that has gotten too old, or too poor, or too interested in other things to bother. It could also be that the absence of any kind of concert in connection with the race has limited attendance. There’s not even any noise down in Turn 3 this morning.

They’ll have to put on one helluva show today if NASCAR wants to have any chance of luring back enough fans to even fill half of the seats at IMS. The Brickyard, as it stands now, is irrelevant.

Yesterday was a bit of a bust. I fell back asleep shortly after posting yesterday’s morning update. I even slept through the scheduled posting of yesterday’s missive on what the Founding Fathers had to say about religion. I did manage to wake up right before Kat left for the weekend. I did some trimming around one portion of the fence, trying to encourage the kids to finish the job (they didn’t). I tried eating some leftovers and then crashed again. This is becoming a bit too routine. Yet, I’m not motivated to actually change anything. Where would I go? What would I do that would make for a reasonable alternative sufficient to keep me upright?

The one holdover of NASCAR tradition was our neighbor’s “Party Before The Race” last night. They had friends over, grilled out, drank a lot of Bud Light, and sang karaoke horribly right up until the noise curfew at 11:00 PM. For reasons I can’t explain, the noise from their party, which really wasn’t that intrusive, caused me to have a bit of a panic attack. That hasn’t happened before. I curled up on the bed with the animals for about an hour until the panic went away.

I can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack. That’s not part of our routine here. Nothing is going on that should trigger such an event. I’ve heard a lot of bad karaoke and it’s never resulted in a response like this. I was a basket case and the animals could tell even though the kids couldn’t. They weren’t aware that anything was wrong at all. Dad was just lying down again. The animals snuggled in closer than normal. Pinball got right up next to my face. They stayed with me until I felt like sitting back up. I don’t know what I would do without them. All of them.

What’s making headlines this morning? Last night’s WNBA All-Star Game. This is a sign of a new world, a world in which women genuinely matter even in our pastimes. Has the WNBA All-Star game ever garnered this much attention? No. It’s the top story from ESPN this morning and that’s never happened. People are interested and excited about it and for multiple good reasons.

Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings was the undisputed star of the show. She put up 34 points in the win, all of which came in the second half. Rookie superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were in the game long enough to give fans a taste of their talent, but Clark even declined to sub in for Ogunbowale because the Dallas star was on too hot of a shooting streak to disturb.

The conversation going on in private circles, however, is the fact that the WNBA All-Stars beat the US Olympic squad, 117-109. Why isn’t the All-Star team the one going to the Olympics? Why is the US sending what appears to be a second-rate team that, at best, has its work cut out for it if they’re going to medal in the games at all? Mind you, US women haven’t lost an Olympic basketball game since 1992. They go in as clear favorites despite last night’s loss. Still, it begs the question as to why the best we have aren’t playing for the team, especially Ogunbowale.

At the same time, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we have become a society where people are actually asking that question and they’re serious about the game. One can spin this in almost any direction they want and it still comes out a win for women’s sports in general, and for the WNBA specifically (if the league doesn’t blow the opportunity). Already, the WNBA is looking at a new $200 million media contract (which some think is still too low) and is considering expanding the season to 44 games next year. The Olympics will only add fuel to that movement as women dominate many of the more popular sports. The only remaining question is whether this female-positive attitude can carry over to other social aspects and even into the realm of politics.

Women are definitely the ones with the most power at this moment. Take a look at some of the headlines that have been popping up recently. From the Council on Foreign Relations: Women Voters’ Pivotal Role in Electing the Next U.S. President. AARP sponsored a poll: Women May Be the Deciding Vote. Health policy organization KFF did a poll as well and narrowed the focus more with 4 Takeaways About Black Women Voters in the 2024 Election. Fortune magazine is looking at how the Orange Felon, and the GOP in general, is weak against women with this article: After vanquishing Trump in court, E. Jean Carroll urges women to focus on the presidential election. The powerful attorney is certain that women will be who decide the race.

If this trend looks bad for anyone, it’s because the issues that matter the most to women: healthcare, abortion, and equity, are all on the line. From the non-committal ambiguity of the official Republican Platform to the frightening talk in Project 2025, women’s major issues are at risk of being gutted, overturned, and weaponized in a way we’ve not seen in the past 100 years. As they look at what they have to lose, they have to seriously question whether either party can be trusted to deliver the strong actions they want for the future.

What may ultimately move women in one direction or the other could depend on who is running on the Democratic ticket. While I generally support re-electing President Biden, in large part because I question the strategy of “changing horses midstream,” I think we’re at a point where asking questions about Kamala Harris’ ability to carry the party as the top name on the ticket is a legitimate stance. Newsweek is of the opinion that, with the right running mate, Harris can definitely win this election.

Women have been waiting a long time for a presidential candidate that adequately supported their views. They were severely disappointed in 2016 when the farcical results of the Electoral College robbed them of a win. Ms. Harris is a dramatically different personality from Mrs. Clinton and the question of whether she can pull out wins in the states necessary for an Electoral College victory is, at this point, still unanswerable. I do not doubt that it could happen; the numbers are definitely there to support such an outcome. Will enough women actually respond in the states where they need to respond? Do Democrats have a machine capable of turning out that level of voting?

There is so much at risk in this upcoming election that Democrats don’t have any spare room to stumble in their decisions. Every move has to count. Every action has to be forceful. Otherwise, we will lose our democracy to a lunatic fringe that threatens to destroy the country at its very core.

I’ve taken almost three hours to write this morning’s update. The dogs have been out twice. I’ve chatted with the kids and exchanged texts with Kat. I feel a need to get out and do something, but I’m not sure what, where, or how.

If I wasn’t on this damn chemo, I’d be sending out applications to cover the election for some under-funded online publication. For now, we’ll both have to settle with me being here. I understand if you’re disappointed.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 07/20/24

July 20, 2024

Cancer is a son-of-a-bitch in all its 200+ forms. Nothing is quite as terrifying as hearing the words, “You have cancer.” What the doctor says after that almost doesn’t matter. Your heart drops. A lump rises in your throat. Your brain immediately starts recalling everyone you’ve known who died from some form of the disease. What was that? The doctor said it’s treatable. Treatable with what? Chemo is a bitch. Radiation is debilitating. Surgery is invasive and sometimes scarring. Yesterday, another friend received their diagnosis, the fourth friend this year. This time, it’s breast cancer. It’s small enough that the mammogram didn’t pick it up, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less deadly, any less frightening, any less anxiety-inducing. This friend is a good twenty years younger than me. They should have plenty of life left in them, but now, looking through a different lens, everything is in question. They still have some more visits with the doctor before knowing what the immediate future holds, but I’ve promised them that when they’re ready we’ll go somewhere and tie one on because cancer damn sure isn’t something you want to face sober.

My day needed to be a quiet one after Thursday’s emotional events. Tipper wanted us to walk the dogs together. We put the pups in their harness and took off down the street. Belvedere’s harness fits well and is strong. The one Hamilton was in, though, was too small for him and concessions had to be made. Those concessions turned on us when the pups spotted a small dog in the road ahead of us. Somehow, Hamilton wiggled out of his harness and the chase was on. He didn’t hurt the small dog, just sniffed its butt, but the vision of him charging down the sidewalk was enough to turn around the woman who was walking toward us. Tipper ran after him, got him back under control, and we brought him home. I immediately ordered him a new harness that was here in time for his afternoon walk. That one went much better.

Both dogs need new leashes. I’ve ordered such. They were supposed to be here yesterday, but they’re being shipped via FedEx. FedEx is one of the many companies affected by yesterday’s global technology outage. At first, I got a message saying the package would be delivered today (Saturday). Then, I got a second message saying the package would be delivered on Monday. I could have walked to the damn pet store faster, even with my cane. And while I know FedEx technically isn’t to blame for the outage, I do blame them for being stupid enough to go with a monopolistic service provider. I blame all the companies whose services were/are affected. They took the easy way out and now it’s bit the entire world in the ass.

Belvedere woke me up at 5:00 this morning, needing to go outside. I was trying to ignore all the scratching and shaking, but when he came over and started pawing on my chest, there was little choice but to get up with him. Of course, one doesn’t just get up quietly in this house. Once one animal is up, all the animals are up and all the animals want to be fed. NOW. Try doing that without waking all the remaining humans in the house, especially Kat who didn’t sleep well last night anyway. I took the dogs out and then brought them back to the room for treats while I fed the cats. I tripped over the water bowl twice while feeding the cats. I fed the dogs while fixing coffee, which seemed to take forever this morning. By the time I finished and sat down at the desk, G’s alarm was going off.

WHY was G’s alarm going off at 5:30? Because he didn’t shut it off for the summer. He didn’t want to lose that rhythm. Of course, most mornings, when the alarm goes off he just turns it off and goes back to sleep. He’s 15. What else would one expect him to do? He’s up this morning, though, trying to be quiet while still getting things done. Unfortunately, his door makes a noise every time he goes through it. I’m not sure anyone is still asleep now. I’m pretty sure Kat’s faking it so we’ll leave her alone.

Today is the 55th anniversary of the moon landing, but yesterday NASA killed a moon rover program because it had gotten too expensive. The consequences go beyond simply making another flight to the moon. Planetary scientists were shocked by the cancellation of VIPER, which would have hunted for water at the Moon’s south pole. This sets behind research necessary to determine whether the Moon can sustain any form of habitation. You know, there are caves up there.

A lot going on this weekend. There’s a big post coming later this morning that you’ll want to read, so carve out some time. Time to get up and get moving.

Yeah, you, too.

Morning Update: 09/05/24

Like this:

Morning Update: 08/27/24

Like this:

Morning Update: 07/20/24

Like this:

Don't Miss A Thing!

Login

Follow Us

Cancer Update

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

The AI Edition

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Don't Miss A Thing!

Login

Follow Us