Morning Update: 10/25/24

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Morning Update: 10/25/24

October 25, 2024

Winning becomes difficult when losing is the dominant experience. Yesterday, we were dealt another setback as Kat was diagnosed with pneumonia, likely a leftover symptom from having COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago. Kat’s chest had been hurting the entire time, but she assumed that she had pulled a muscle or something with all the coughing. Then, she coughed up blood yesterday. To the ER she went. They did multiple EKGs and X-rays before coming to the conclusion that she had pneumonia. This means she won’t be at work until at least Monday, and possibly beyond that if her condition doesn’t improve sufficiently. This hits at a time when her books are so full that she had clients scheduled six days out of the next seven, and well past that.

The kids are rather busy at the moment as well. Tipper is going to a friend’s Halloween party after school today. G is adding an entrepreneurship track and a media emphasis to his already packed schedule. We’re at that stage where even when they’re home we hardly see them. As long as they’re doing well and are happy, we’re supportive of everything they’ve got going on.

Meanwhile, cancer sucks. I’m blaming the fact that my leg bones are screaming on the weather. We’re not going to get a lot of rain, but the change in pressure is enough to make life a bit more miserable than it was. For me, the challenge is how to take care of Kat without walking any more than necessary. Some things can be farmed out or delivered, but we need to visit two different pharmacies to pick up meds for both of us. Getting out isn’t something we’re likely to find invigorating.

Against this backdrop, I’m finding it difficult to be sympathetic toward any news that doesn’t immediately affect our lives. McDonald’s says onions from California-based produce company linked to deadly E. coli outbreak and more fast-food chains are dropping onions from their menus as a result. Okay. We have plenty of healthy onions at home and weren’t planning on eating fast food this week in the first place. Can we be done with this story?

King Charles acknowledges ‘painful’ slavery past as calls for reparations intensify and at the same time, President Biden’s trip to Arizona will be the first time a U.S. president has apologized for the abuses that happened at the schools over a period of 150 years. When politicians apologize for sins committed by other people in a different century, what really changes? Yes, the acknowledgment is nice, but the government isn’t a person. The apology doesn’t mean crimes against other marginalized people groups are suddenly going to end. Neither does it mean that the families of those affected by those crimes are going to get their loved ones, or their loved ones’ potential offspring, back. When we can’t punish the people who were directly responsible, are the political speeches anything more than empty words?

Election polls are pretty much tied at 48% for each party. This is going to get ugly because people on both sides think that democracy hinges on them winning. But then, we’ve never been a united people. Never. Ever. Why should we expect such now? This isn’t even the worst it’s ever been. There is not a political system in the world that is fool-proof. There are just too many fools.

An alert just popped up on my monitor that there is lightning nearby. If it cares to linger, I have a list of targets for it to hit.

At least it’s Friday, which in itself is rather meaningless, but it means there’s football tomorrow. Although, the Rams beat the Vikings, 30-20 last night. The game was an offensive battle as people are starting to return from the injured list. That could be a precursor to what we see this weekend.

Or maybe I’ll just curl up and sleep through the whole thing.

Current Issues / Long Read / Morning Update / Mythology / News & Comment / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 10/24/24

October 24, 2024

In case you’ve not been paying attention, we have nine cats. They’re all rescues of one kind or another. Each has a very unique personality and plays a specific role in this family of ours. So, when Kat woke up a little before 3:00 this morning and saw a window screen lying on top of Jack-Jack, our mane coon, she quickly jumped up and started taking inventory. One of the front windows was wide open, so the odds that there had been an escape were pretty high.

Seven of the cats were found quickly enough, especially once I was up and moving at 4:00. The cats associate my morning habits with filling their food bowls, so they came running. All but one. Kronk, aka Pinball, was still missing. Kronk doesn’t miss breakfast so that was a sure sign that he was still outside… somewhere. I put on shoes and a coat and started looking, but came up empty. The air was a chilly 40 degrees. I assumed that he was curled up somewhere trying to stay warm. I came back inside.

Now, the dogs were awake and wanted to go outside. Fine. They’re pretty good at rousing any beast of any kind that might be wandering the yard. We went back outside and let them have a look around. Still, nothing. We came back inside, gave them treats, and I started a pot of coffee. There was no point trying to go back to bed when I knew our little guy had to be outside in the cold.

Kat and I were chatting when we heard a noise at the window. She jumped up to look and saw Kronk scamper away. Back outside I went. I saw him for a brief moment, but he darted under a large, bush-like tree and disappeared. Kat soon joined me, barefoot, and we continued trying to coax the little guy out. Finally, he came around the corner of the shed and Kat was quick to scoop him up. He’s now safe, curled up in the middle of my bed, sound asleep.

In the middle of all this, I started getting text messages from Tipper. Her leg hurt. Her arm was numb. She didn’t want to go to school. Her attempts to get out of school are becoming problematic, enough that I’m wondering what’s really going on. Why does she want to avoid school? I’m not getting an answer to that question. We went back and forth while I was looking for Kronk. I’m not letting her stay home today. I’m a mean ol’ Dad, I’m sure.

Kat’s finally back asleep, but I’m wired for the time being. Even on a good day, it takes my body some time to recover from being out in the cold. I’m sure I’ll crash after the kids have gone to school. Fat Guy is reminding me that it’s now the normal time for them to be fed. We have a schedule, you know, and we’re forced to keep it.

The headlines this morning are infuriating. The first set to assault my eyes were:
Israeli strike kills Lebanese troops as France hosts aid conference
Israeli strikes kill 42 in Gaza as tanks tighten siege of north
Attackers kill 5, injure 22 at Turkish aviation site
Election officials are fighting a tsunami of voting conspiracy theories
Hurricane Kristy strengthens into a Category 4 storm in the Pacific Ocean
Seoul vows response as North Korean troops head to Ukraine
Macron says France will provide a 100 million-euro aid package to support Lebanon
Boeing Workers Resoundingly Reject Contract and Vote to Extend Strike

If that’s not enough to give one a headache, there are all the follow-up stories:
John Kelly Warns Donald Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator
At Town Hall Event, Harris Agrees That Trump Is a Fascist
World Opens to the Taliban Despite Their Shredding of Women’s Rights
Seth Meyers Isn’t as Nice as You Think He Is
Study on Puberty Blockers Goes Unpublished Because of Politics, Doctor Says
Los Angeles Times editor resigns after newspaper withholds presidential endorsement
Nearly 25 million votes have already been cast as Harris, Trump hit battleground states
Indonesia says its coast guard drove away a Chinese ship that interrupted survey in disputed sea
Should elephants have the same rights as people? (Yes, that’s a serious headline)
People 50 and older should get pneumococcal vaccine, U.S. health officials recommend
More frozen waffles and pancakes recalled over possible listeria contamination

Dizzying, isn’t it? I’ve had plenty of reading time this morning so now I’m thoroughly depressed about the state of the world. With this comes the inevitable question of ‘what can I do about any of it?’ Answers to that question don’t come easily.

One thing we’ve done for the first time is put campaign signs in our yard. Kat came home yesterday with both a Harris/Walz and McCormick for Governor sign. We’ve been cautious about making such statements in the past. Putting signs in our yard, making any kind of political statement in this neighborhood, potentially makes our house a target. We both agreed that should we see anyone in the yard we’ll let the dogs out to wreak their havoc and terror. Hamilton’s been extra high-strung of late anyway and he’s fast for a fat dog.

What else is there? I don’t believe memes change anyone’s mind about anything, and quite honestly, I question the authenticity and origin of most of what I see online. Misinformation is so rampant this year that I hesitate to share anything that doesn’t come from one of the few sources I trust. If anything, I think it might defuse some of the tension if we saw fewer memes on social media.

But then, there’s this headline this morning: One Tech Tip: How to prepare your online accounts in case you die. That’s an above-the-fold headline. What it inevitably says, though its intent is otherwise, is that the world is going to hell without the luxury of a handbasket and you need to have your shit in order just in case we all become victims. In conversations with a friend earlier this week I admitted that I’m not making any plans of any kind beyond November 5 because I don’t trust what might happen. There are too many people who think they need to take back something that never existed. They won’t be happy until the US is covered in chaos and disorder.

Even religious gatherings aren’t safe anymore. I’m seeing an increase in the number of people stating that Christianity in the US is acting more like a political party than a religion. No, I’m not linking to any of those articles because, again, I don’t trust the sources. The simple fact that I’ve seen more than five related pieces, though, should be alarming. People shouldn’t have reason to ask such a question of their faith.

There is no crystal ball capable of predicting what happens next. Don’t trust the polls. Don’t trust the talking heads on television. If elephants have the same rights as people, does that mean they get to vote? At this point, there’s not much that surprises me.

Both kids are headed to school. Tipper didn’t bother coming in and talking to me as she got ready. We’ll see how the day goes. Life is hard for everyone. While I’m largely sympathetic, Frankie, the smashed-face wheezer kitty, reminds me that we have to overcome obstacles and keep our fur clean. No one thrives when their lives become a matted mess.

I’m still unreasonably wired. I’m going to eat something, take my meds, and hopefully catch a few Zs.

Stay safe. Drink more coffee.

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

Morning Update: 10/23/24

October 23, 2024

Our chat this morning is going to be disappointingly short, not because there’s nothing to talk about, but because my head has been spinning from the moment I sat in my chair and it’s not getting any better. I’ll go as long as possible, but please understand if I need to leave abruptly.

The kids are fine. Kat had a much-needed day off. I made a chicken and eggplant dinner that both kids actually ate. For the second day in a row, a complete stranger stopped their car to chat with me at some length. Apparently, I look friendly. Hamilton doesn’t like this trend, though. He wants all the people to stay away from his fence.

This is not going well at all.

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that McDonald’s has an E.Coli problem the day after the Orange Felon pretended to work at one? And the problem exists only in Quarter Pounders, the felon’s favorite burger. McDonald’s, for their part, swears they’re not making a presidential endorsement.

Has anyone offered you pink cocaine? Don’t risk it. The stuff doesn’t contain any coke, but a random mix of drugs, mostly ketamine, dyed pink. The stuff has a fun rating of 0.

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was charged with sex trafficking. The 16-count indictment is probably just the beginning. Teen boys were the targets, which probably explains some of those questionable ads.

Deep dive: Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide? The mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy says he became obsessed with a chatbot on Character.AI before his death. Yes, you have all the reason in the world to be concerned.

Genetic tests showed that certain patients were predisposed to brain injuries if they took the drugs. That information remained secret. Admittedly, many Alzheimer’s patients and their families are desperate enough to have dismissed the risk had they known, but they still should have been told.

If you’re into NYTimes opinions, there are some decent ones this morning:

Okay, I’m tapping out for today. Be nice to each other. Drink plenty of coffee. We’ll try again tomorrow.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / Photography

Morning Update: 10/22/24

October 22, 2024

G IS HOME! We gave him quite the welcome: everyone was gone. The doors were locked, and he had to crawl through a window to get in. How did that happen? I wasn’t expecting him home until after 5:00. He skipped his afterschool activities and game straight home, which is understandable, but it still caught me by surprise. We had a good chat, talking about alligators, kayaking, and the new games he learned to play while on the trip. There’s no question in my mind that this was a good experience for him. Now, he gets to start prepping for the PSAT next week.

Who wasn’t home? Kat or Tipper. Tipper went to a friend’s house after school with the understanding that Kat would pick her up after she finished at the salon. The problem with that plan was that Kat had a last-minute guest that pushed her all the way to 10:00 before closing the salon. By the time she picked up Tipper and made it home, it was almost 11:00 and I had already gone to bed. Tipper was still in a reasonably good mood this morning, despite Hamilton farting directly in her face. I’m not expecting as much from Kat, though. Today is her only day off all week. I’m gonna just stay away.

I wasn’t home yesterday afternoon because I was out taking pictures of the dapper Tony Shaw. This was the first time I’ve done any portraits of any kind in over three years. I wasn’t sure of the camera, the lens, or my ability to hold the camera still. This was a test I needed. I’ve looked through the thumbnails and am reasonably pleased with most of what we captured. But does this mean I’m ready to make a comeback?

I’m not sure. We were out a little over three hours, shot three looks, and dropped a little over 130 frames. From an efficiency perspective, I’ve still got it. But by the time I got home, chatted with G, and fixed dinner (which no one ate but me), I was extremely dizzy and seriously in danger of falling. During the last few minutes of cooking dinner, I should have called G for help. I wasn’t safe. I didn’t want to bother G, though, because I knew he was resting. I ate and took a nap, watched a little football, then went to bed.

Tony was a good person to have in front of the camera. He looks good from almost any angle, he doesn’t need a lot of coaching, and he has a great attitude that made my job a lot easier. How different would it have been if I’d had someone less experienced and more challenging? I don’t think I would have done as well. We definitely wouldn’t have gotten in more than two looks. I was able to rely on Tony’s creativity where mine was lacking. That situation is rare and if I’m not able to handle someone with little/no experience, am I really ready to come back? I know I’m not ready to book anyone else just yet.

Sitting here this morning, I’m still struggling. This is all cancer’s fault. If I were to feel this way without the cancer, I’d be checking with my doctor. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. That’s just par for the course, isn’t it? We’ve been battling this for almost two years so the symptoms shouldn’t come as a surprise. I want to be well, but wanting it isn’t enough. I felt good going into the shoot but was dragging by the time we finished. The conditions weren’t challenging, so this should have been easy. Why wasn’t it? Fucking cancer.

This raises the question of how long-term the chemo effects might be. My body has had two years to adapt to having the poison in my system. What happens when it’s gone? My fear is that I’ll have a boomerang effect where my body will respond negatively to the sudden shift. There’s certainly plenty of data to support that concern. There’s also a fair amount of data warning that some effects, such as fatigue and light-headedness, may never go completely away. We’ve known this for a while, but I’ve been hoping that I’d be among those who walk out with no ill effects. Now, I’m not so sure.

But then, we already know I’m crazy. Can my thoughts be trusted? Is what I’m feeling legitimate?

I looked through the news this morning and it all seemed so repetitive. The biggest takeaway is that everyone needs to vote. Election fatigue has set in and there are a lot of people, especially those on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale, who see no reason to vote because they don’t think either candidate is going to substantially help them in any way. Many fear that both candidates will make things worse for them. I can’t say that they’re wrong, but I do know that not voting is playing the victim to a crime that has yet to be committed. Over 15 million people have already voted. You should plan on doing the same.

And with that, I’m taking my meds and going back to bed, probably for the majority of the day. Fuck cancer. Fuck chemo.

And keep your fucking hands off my coffee. I’m not sharing.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / pop culture

Morning Update: 10/21/24

October 21, 2024

Did anyone really want to wake up early this morning? I might be tempted to call you a liar if you say you did. Another Monday starts another dry week. Temps today are warmer than usual—plenty of sunshine. There’s rain to our west, but there is little chance of it surviving long enough to even give us a sprinkle. Leaves on trees are about as colorful as they’re going to get this year. And you still have to work.

On the positive side of things, G made it back to Indiana last night. We’ll see him after school and I’m looking forward to his chatter, assuming he’s not completely exhausted. The animals will be happy to greet him, too. His absence has made quite a difference in how everyone behaves.

Kat’s car started throwing codes at her over the weekend and one of them is potentially bad news: The battery pack is dying. She’ll have to take it to a dealership to find out if they can replace single cells in the battery pack or if the whole thing is dead. She was planning to buy another vehicle in January. Having to do so now would be a tremendous hit to finances.

At least yesterday had some interesting football. We’re at that point in the season where injuries are causing good teams to struggle. The Colts managed to beat the hapless Dolphins, 16-10. It wasn’t a terrific game for either team and for a moment in the fourth quarter, it looked as though Miami might mount a comeback. Chiefs beat the 49ers, 28-18 in a Super Bowl rematch that, if we’re honest, was totally disappointing. Statistically, Mahomes is having his worst year ever. San Francisco is struggling to field a healthy team. That the Chiefs are now 6-0 speaks to how good the team is and how lousy the league is at the same time. A late field goal allowed the Lions to give the Vikings their first loss of the season, 31-29. Both teams are playing surprisingly well for the first time in decades. They’re going to make the playoffs interesting. After so many tight games yesterday, can tonight’s games be anything but disappointing? Ravens play the Bucs in Tampa and the Chargers travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals. Baltimore and LA are the favorites, but this could be a real snooze fest.

The exciting news comes from the WNBA where the New York Liberty won their first title over the Lynx, 67-62 in overtime. Of course, it’s the WNBA so the officiating is being blamed for affecting the outcome of the game. Still, it was one of the most exciting basketball games we’re likely to see this year. The men will have to actually work hard for once if they want to be as entertaining.

And, because we’re in that time of the year, there’s baseball news worth mentioning. It will be the Yankees versus the Dodgers in the World Series. Again. This is the 12th time the two teams have met in the World Series, going back to 1941. The rivalry is almost as old as the leagues. Jet lag plays a strong role in how the visiting teams play. If you can stand to watch baseball on television (I can’t), this could be a decent series.

The rest of this morning’s news is boring by comparison. Here are a few headlines.

US convenience stores look abroad for the secret to decent food. They’re fast becoming an alternative to traditional fast food.
Israel’s wars are expensive. Paying the bill could force tough choices. This is the result of win-at-all-cost thinking. No one wins.
Musk offers voters $1 million a day to sign a PAC petition backing the Constitution. Is that legal? In an age where people can now gamble on the outcome of elections, it’s questionable.
Lionel Richie likens touring to vacation as he announces Europe shows. WTF? Maybe the musician needs to cut back his activities at home if the chaotic schedule of touring is considered a break.
New cases of political violence roil the U.S. ahead of a contentious election. This is sheer stupidity. You don’t get to force your views on others. Remember when people kept quiet about how they were voting? Let’s go back to that.
These are the 21 best types of American cheese. Because everyone needs to know, don’t they?

I’d list more, but you might fall asleep reading them.

Sunrise is sneaking up on us. I suppose it’s time to start looking around for something that resembles motivation. Maybe I’ll find it under the covers.

Or in another cup of coffee.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / pop culture

Morning Update: 10/20/24

October 20, 2024

Every morning, shortly after waking up, I have to answer the question that determines the direction of the day: How much am I going to care? I often go to bed thinking that I care a great deal, full of ideas for how I might comment on the day’s activities. Yet, by the time I sit down at the desk the next morning and am ready to write, my opinions are likely to be quite different. I’m struggling this morning. There are a number of things that I could talk about, probably should mention, and opine upon. Motivation escapes me. I want waffles. I want to go back to bed.

Tipper had a great time yesterday at the furry meet-up at Riverside Park. She brought home the shell of a big-assed furry head that goes down over her shoulders! She also brought home all the leftover soda. What is the sweetest thing, though, is that she won a raffle for a hat with mushrooms painted on the crown and ivy on the brim. In her opinion, it’s a “cowboy” hat and she couldn’t wait to give it to me when she got home. It’s actually a wide-brimmed fedora, and I’m not sure where or when I will ever wear it, but it’s a gift of love that I’ll cherish.

G starts the trek back home from Florida today. We won’t see him until after school tomorrow, though. They’ll get in late enough that it makes more sense for him to go to school with his friend. I’m hoping that he’s not too tired to answer all the questions that I’ve been saving up for him. Kat and I have missed having him around. The cats have missed having him to snuggle. It will be good for him to be home.

Kat felt some better yesterday, enough that I didn’t need to go with her to the salon. She’s still struggling, though, and this constant pattern of getting over one illness only to catch another is wearing heavily on her. There are too many days where it’s impossible for her to keep down anything solid. I wish I could give her a giant box of good health, but that’s not in my bag of tricks.

I’m looking at the weather maps this morning and we’ve got this stupid high-pressure system sitting over the entire Ohio Valley that’s keeping our days warm and sunny, but also very, very dry. Be careful with your autumn bonfires, please. There might be the slightest chance of scattered showers on Friday, and temperatures will cool down starting Tuesday, but I don’t see anything that’s going to give us the drought relief we need. Hurricane Oscar became a reality yesterday, but it’s too early to tell how it’s going to impact us, if at all. At the moment, it’s giving Cuba hell, which they didn’t need after their power grid failed this week.

College football was interesting in places, and disappointing in Oklahoma. Both the Sooners and the Cowboys lost. At least the Oklahoma State game was close, but OU is looking as though they forgot how to play the game. WTF happened? They both started the season strong, but there’s no wind in their sails now.

Likewise, Purdue lost to number two-ranked Oregon Friday night, 35-0. I’m not sure that many people in Indiana care anymore, though, because IU absolutely slaughtered Nebraska yesterday afternoon, 56-7. This whole going undefeated thing is new for Indiana, and it’s giving some rise to questioning why the team is still ranked so low. They’re not only winning, but they’re doing so by large margins against teams that have previously taken them to the woodshed. I think it’s about time they started getting some credit.

Most of the other top 25 teams handled their games well enough, but where there were exceptions there were some amazing games. Number 6-ranked Miami held on to beat Louisville, 52-45, but they had to work hard to get there. The unranked Louisville team was out for blood from the first kickoff and were it not for a litany of mistakes they might have won.

Both Army and Navy are still undefeated which is as remarkable as IU’s record. One has to go wayyyyyyyy back in the records to find the last time this happened. Next month’s Army/Navy game is going to be hot!

The game everyone is talking about this morning is number 5-ranked Georgia knocking off #1 Texas, 30-15, and let me tell you, it was never that close. After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia spent the second quarter intercepting balls and scoring touchdowns. It got so bad, that Texas pulled starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and replaced him with redshirt freshman Arch Manning. That helped, but it wasn’t enough to get them past a Georgia defense that owned the line of scrimmage for the entire game. UGA coach Kirby Smart felt that they were having to play against the officials the entire game, and to be fair, 23 penalties in the first half is a lot of yellow flags floating around. Then, there was a reversed call on an interception after Texas fans threw water bottles onto the field. Again, Smart was pissed. “Now, we’ve set a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes that you’ve got a chance to get your call reversed,” Smart said. “And that’s unfortunate because, to me, that’s dangerous. That’s not what we want, and that’s not criticizing officials. That’s what happened.” Be careful bringing up this game around the coffee pot this morning. There are still some hurt feelings out there.

Kirby Smart bashes officiating: ‘They tried to rob us!’ – ESPN Video
Georgia coach Kirby Smart praises his team’s resilience and bashes the officiating in their win over Texas.

Now, let me add a few things for those of you who aren’t football fans.

The Holocaust’s grandchildren are speaking now. Generational trauma is the topic. The current war isn’t helping any.

Boeing workers to vote on new wage deal that could end strike. Boeing is making a slightly better wage deal, but don’t expect it to be enough.

Judges punishing Jan. 6 rioters say they fear more political violence as Election Day nears. This is insane behavior one normally expects from underdeveloped, undereducated countries. Can a complete collapse of our governmental system be that far behind?

Those are really serious topics, though, and do you want to be that serious today? I know I don’t. This recipe for pork chile verde looks interesting. I just don’t need the rice. And someone needs to come wash the dishes.

I am surrounded by orange cats. One behind me, one on the armrest, and one on the desk. I think they’re looking for a brain cell. There are none here.

And I’m not sharing my coffee.

Current Issues / Holidays / Mythology / News & Comment / Personal / pop culture / science

Morning Update: 10/19/24

October 19, 2024

Today will be a beautiful day almost anywhere you live in North America. Sure, there are some scattered showers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Southern Colorado, and Northern New Mexico are a bit damp this morning. Still, the whole planet is on the dry side today, and temperatures are moderate for this time of year. The leaves are changing colors, there are fall festivals everywhere one turns, and there’s a furry meetup this afternoon, which is why Tipper is up early.

Yeah, that’s Tipper in the giant furry head. She’s excited about hanging out with friends this afternoon. G is still in Florida, not really missing us at all, just his cat. Kat’s the one not having a good time. Her double ear infection is leaving her dizzy and nauseous as fuck. I spent much of yesterday at the salon with her, “just in case.” I’ve not talked with her yet this morning, but I’m concerned about her driving all the way up to Fishers this afternoon.

Of course, the idea of me being anyone’s backup option is almost laughable. Is it any safer to put me in the driver’s seat of a car? Hmmm … would you rather drive with the person who’s light-headed or the one whose brain wanders off in traffic, not paying attention? I would be the latter. Maybe Kat needs a better option.

Being Saturday, I think we need to keep the conversations lighter because all the politics makes my head hurt. For example, were you aware that Halloween has become a retail juggernaut? Costumes are big business now, as are decorations and candy. The emphasis has shifted from little kids running around being cute to young adults trying to figure out how to define “sexy.” There’s less concern about someone giving your kids drugs and more concern about them being hit by drunk drivers. And doing Halloween at church may be the scariest thing out there. Some of those deacons are more devilish than anyone’s comfortable admitting.

Oh, and did you know that your cat may be smarter than your kindergartener? When it comes to word association, the family feline recognizes and understands a lot more than they’ve been letting on. Now, like your preschooler, just because they know what you’re saying doesn’t mean they’re going to acknowledge your presence. If anything, what this shows is that their attitude is a deliberate denial of human authority.

By the way, where do you stand on the candy corn controversy? Despite all the jokes, it turns out that people have strong feelings one way or the other and friendships have ended over the topic. This is getting worse than the Easter Peeps controversy.

Want to Rent a Panda? Here Are 5 Things China Demands in Return. Zoos aren’t normally where one expects to find deep political controversy, but the popularity of these rolly-polly bears gives China the ability to make some severe demands. Could Panda Wars be on the horizon?

Could gem dust be the answer to global warming? Imagine actual diamond flakes in the sky. No, you’re not on an acid trip. This is real science hypothesizing that the reflection could send deadly ultraviolet light back out into space. The cost, of course, would be stupidly expensive because you can be sure that DeBeers is going to make a buck anywhere they can.

These are the questions burning in the back of our minds, the things we care about more than politics and war. These issues sizzle. Our parents didn’t have to worry about these things. We’re forging new ground here as we try to get a grasp on the reality handed to us. No wonder we all need therapy.

Or, at least, a bigger coffee pot.

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

Morning Update: 10/18/24

October 18, 2024

Welcome to Friday and all the cheer and joy that it brings! Yes, I’m being quite facetious. Friday is trash day around here, both literally and figuratively. For whatever reason, the dogs and I woke up early. I took a shower, attempted to dry this graying hair, gathered the trash and set it by the curb, then took the dogs out while chatting with Tipper. She was angling to stay home, saying her stomach hurt, but I didn’t give in and sent her on her way. I think what she’s experiencing is more anxiety than illness. Yes, anxiety is real and its effects are nothing to laugh about, but if she stayed home every time she felt a bit anxious, she’d rarely go to school!

Kat’s the one who’s ill. She ended up having to go to emergency care yesterday and was found to have an ear infection in both ears! She has meds and is still sleeping this morning. The question is whether she’ll be able to stand without getting light-headed. No one needs a dizzy stylist.

I finally got a text from G last night, after I’d gone to bed. Yes, he’s seen “a few” alligators. Yes, he’s having fun. That’s all the info he gave me. Can you tell he’s a teenager?

Tipper is still trying to get out of school. She’s texting me that a constant air horn noise on the bus is giving her a headache. I won’t be surprised if she’s home early today.

If anyone was thinking that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar might mean a cooling of tensions in the Gaza war, think again. Netanyahu is saying that the war will go on. No peace. That should tell you everything you need to know about the man who is bankrupting Israel, starving Gazans, and murdering civilians. Why the fuck is the US still supporting him?

Meanwhile, a Reuters investigation shows that the UN’s World Food Program allowed donated grain to go to all the wrong people. As a result, Ethiopians are starving. There’s only so much NGOs can do to take up the slack when corruption is at the core of the government.

AP’s deep dive takes aim at the increasing number of military veterans who are advocating violence against their own country. This goes well beyond the Jan. 6 debacle of 2021. These folks are advocating and prepping for civil war, and the outcome of the election either way may not slow them down. These are your neighbors, maybe your friends. They need to be stopped.

Then, there’s this:

Tennessee judges say doctors can’t be disciplined for providing emergency abortions
A three-judge panel has ruled that Tennessee cannot discipline doctors who provide emergency abortions to protect the life of the mother while a lawsuit challenging the state’s sweeping abortion ban continues.

Don’t be fooled into think that this is a major win for women. The ridiculous anti-abortion laws in Tennessee and elsewhere still exist and this ruling will be appealed. All it means is that doctors might breathe a little easier when trying to determine what procedures can be used to save a woman’s life. Maybe.

Here’s a fun one for your Friday: Scientists show how sperm and egg come together like a key in a lock. I bet you thought you already knew how babies are made, didn’t you? This brings to mind the 1971 by the artist Melanie that sings, “I’ve got a pair of brand new roller skates, you got a brand new key. Why don’t we get together and try them out to see…” Roller skates are an interesting euphemism, aren’t they?

The entire world is watching sleepy little Delphi, Indiana as the trial of a man charged with killing two teenage girls in 2017 finally begins today. This is way overdue. The judge has changed. Attorneys have changed. The whole thing is a mess where comma placement and scientific details are manipulated in attempts to either convict and prove the innocence of the person on trial. At this point, one has to question whether there is any remaining chance of actually getting to the truth.

Ya’ know what stinks? Thousands in North Carolina can’t flush their toilets amid hurricane damage. As if things weren’t already bad enough.

NOAA released its winter outlook yesterday. Remember, they’re focused on climate, not the daily weather. What we’re looking at is a 60% chance of a change in the jet stream that is likely to lead to a wetter but warmer winter here in Indiana, and a significantly drier winter for the South and Southwest. The drier, warmer weather along the Southeast coast may actually help hurricane-ravaged areas in their attempt to recover from back-to-back hurrricanes. Around here, it means we’ll probably have more snow than we did last year.

Okay, that should get your Friday kick started. Don’t expect much, if anything, to change over the weekend. You should be able to get out and enjoy the fall leaves, pick some apples, drink some cider, and all those fun things. I’ll be right here, snuggling with sleepy pups, worrying about everyone. Some of ya’ll need to wrap yourselves in bubble wrap.

More coffee.

Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal

Morning Update: 10/17/24

October 17, 2024

Go back to bed. Even the dogs are convinced that this morning’s frost is too harsh. They both came in from their morning duty and walked right past their full food bowls on their way to going back to bed. There’s nothing this early that needs your attention all that much unless you have preschoolers, which we don’t. This is going to be short and to the point. Neither of the twins is interested in helping, so it shouldn’t take long.

The big social news this morning is the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne yesterday. Allegedly, he was behaving ‘erratically’ in the hotel lobby before going up to his room and falling off the balcony. Of course, we’ve all watched too many movies, and immediately people started claiming that he was pushed. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. The whole world is erratic at the moment so neither possibility is unreasonable. I never was a One Direction fan, though, so it’s difficult for me to give a shit.

A new pair of giant pandas arrived at The National Zoo in Washington. They’re cute. They’ll draw a crowd. They’ll fall down and roll around as pandas do. At least they’re not killing anyone or running for office, though they’d probably win if they did.

This whole Internet thing is becoming a problem. Amazon and Google are using so much electricity at their data centers that both companies are investing in nuclear power to keep them running. Is this what the creators intended? If we were actually using the web to make ourselves smarter, then it would be worth the investment. We’re not doing that, though. We’re sharing cat pictures, spreading lies and conspiracy theories, and challenging established science with some of the most ridiculous ideas anyone’s ever heard. Using nuclear power for such useless activities is the equivalent of leaving the lights on after everyone’s left the room. There’s no sign of intelligent life, Captain.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse. That’s not nearly enough for the long-term pain and suffering they’ve caused. No amount is sufficient. Best possible penalty: close the damn churches and put the offending priests in prison where they belong.

You know the election has gone off the rails when even the polling companies are making excuses for getting everything wrong. We’re at that point in the cycle where it’s difficult to trust anything anyone says. Perhaps we need to stop supporting candidates that we know from the outset have no business running the country.

What’d I tell you? There’s nothing here worth getting out from under the covers. Stay in bed. Cuddle. Have sex, maybe.

Or have another cup of coffee.

Nature / Photography

Pelicans At Eagle Creek

October 16, 2024

See that map? It’s all about American White Pelicans. The orange/peach-colored areas are where they go for breeding. The yellow areas are part of their natural migration patterns. The blue areas are where they like to call home. Look in all that white area. Can you find Indiana? Take off -25 points if you can’t. Indiana is one of the states that normally don’t see pelicans. That’s not to say that there aren’t occasional exceptions, but generally if one sees a pelican in Indiana it’s because it’s gotten lost.

So, how do we explain almost 40 pelicans flying in over our heads and landing in front of us at Eagle Creek this past Monday? Our best guess, which is not the least bit scientific, is that Hurricane Helene blew them off course. It could also be that these were younger pelicans who got lost during the storm, but we didn’t have the equipment to card any of the birds so we can’t be sure. Nonetheless, they were here and we took pictures of them. There are also some blue Herron, egrets, and a whole bunch of seagulls who weren’t expecting the invasion. I’ll let the pictures tell the story. You can put on your David Attenborough hat and narrate as you wish.

Blue Herron crouched down, trying to avoid the wind.

I think these little birds are called kooks, though I’m not sure that’s spelled correctly

Strolling through the park as Herrons sometimes do

Innocent little seagulls, not expecting a thing

SPLASH! Look out little gulls, the big birds are taking over!

Here they are, Mabel! I told you we were going in the right direction!

The group discount applies to the fish too, right?

I’m telling ya’ Mabel, there’s nothing wrong with the fish here

Ugh. This water doesn’t smell salty at all. Another meal with no flavor to it.

Sorry I’m late. We made a wrong turn at Des Moines.

Plotting a murder on the other side of the island

Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal

Morning Update: 10/16/24

October 16, 2024

Kitchen Explosion [2010 original with AI background]

Welcome to another edition of Weary Wednesday! I don’t know what was up with the animals last night, but it was after 1:30 before they all finally settled down and went to sleep. I’m blaming the fact that neither Kat nor G was home, which left half the cats without a snuggle buddy. Tipper doesn’t allow the cats in her room because of allergies. As a result, they were all running in and out of the Recovery Room, picking fights with the dogs and each other. I’m seriously dragging this morning.

Tipper seemed to have a good day. With Cycle 2 having started this week, she’s excited about the engineering and radio classes that she’s taking. World History, not so much. I reminded her that history is kind of my jam, but the problem, as it was with Spanish, is that the teacher is soft-spoken so she can’t hear half of what he’s saying. In the engineering class yesterday, they built towers out of spaghetti and mini marshmallows. Her group came in second. In her opinion, they should have won. The first-place team stuck an extra piece of spaghetti on top, giving them a centimeter’s edge. Tipper objected that the winning tower wasn’t as strong and would have fallen in the wind. It is exciting to see her so passionate about a subject!

I was frustrated yesterday as I wanted to post all the pelican pictures from Monday. There are 23 pictures in total. It took four hours to get them all uploaded to the server, which crashed twice during the process. My plan is to post them this morning if I can manage to stay awake long enough.

There’s not really anything life-altering in the news this morning. Politics are politics. War is war. Neither makes a lick of sense. Of course, that doesn’t prevent Reuters from going where none of us want to go: What could happen if Trump rejects the US election results. The deep dive is a disturbing look at what could potentially happen between Nov. 6 and January 21. As the race tightens, voter registration rolls are being inspected and, in some cases challenged, but no matter what you need to vote! Don’t trust what you see in the polls. They were wrong in both 2016 and 2020. Just go ahead and vote.

Is this my future? Indiana woman, 103, dies while on an FSSA Medicaid waiver waitlist. Indiana’s Medicaid requirements are some of the worst in the country. People shouldn’t be dying while waiting for basic help. All the more reason your vote matters.

A number of places are waking up to frost on the ground this morning. We were still too warm here as cloud cover both insulated the ground and kept us from seeing the supermoon and the comet that was passing. The clouds will be gone by tonight, though, so be sure to bring in your plants, animals, and spouses.

I have a kitty sitting behind me, making biscuits on my back. I shouldn’t, but I may have a bagel for breakfast this morning; that’s easier than having to fight the cats over cereal, eggs, or bacon. Eating breakfast shouldn’t be this much of a struggle.

Fortunately, no one bothers my coffee.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Nature / Personal / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 10/15/24

October 15, 2024

Pelican Squad Alpha, Reporting For Duty [2024]

Yesterday was full of surprises, the biggest of which was PELICANS at Eagle Creek! Jen and I were out again, along with her daughter Ali, to see if we could catch some larger birds than we had the last time out. There was the usual collection of smaller birds floating on the water, and we caught a handful of blue herons and egrets wading around the shoreline. We first saw a couple of pelicans out in the middle of the lake and considered it unusual, but they were too far away for either of our cameras to get a good shot. But then, as we came around the North side of the land bridge, the first group flew in right over our heads, the shot above. Over the next several minutes, more came in groups of three, five, or seven. In total, nearly forty pelicans were taking a breather along the shallow water.

Why is this a surprise? Because pelicans don’t belong in Indiana! Sure, one might occasionally find one up around Lake Michigan during the summer, but we’re too far inland for them to be interested in hanging out here. More often, they prefer the warmer climates of Southern California and … Florida. Our best guess is that Helene’s winds blew the sea birds up here and now they’re trying to get back home before frost hits tomorrow night. I’ll share more pictures in a separate post later this morning.

Then, I came home, took a nap, and went outside to find that it rained? Not a lot, nothing more than a brief shower, just enough to leave droplets on top of the trash bin and make the road wet. But, there wasn’t any rain in the forecast yesterday morning! Conditions with the advancing cold front were just right to generate spotting showers around the region. More could pop up today. The cloud cover prevents air tempts from dropping too low. Only when the skies clear Wednesday night will we see frost.

Solaris wants you to know that he thinks human life is silly and that we should spend more time napping in the sunlight and cleaning ourselves. In fact, he’s decided that if a human touches him, he needs to clean the filthy area immediately. I gave him pets as I sat down and now he’s ferociously attempting to remove the stink from his body. Too bad that desire for cleanliness doesn’t extend to things like cleaning up his vomit from the floor.

Other news? It’s concerning that the UN is concerned about the safety of their peacekeepers. This is a sign that no one is playing fair and none of the leaders can be trusted. None of them. Just toss the Geneva Convention out of the window. War crimes are being committed daily and no one is doing a damn thing about them. I have ideas, but they’re probably too extreme.

North Korea is throwing a hissy fit, blowing up roads and rail yards in its own country. Those with multiple children will recognize this tactic of throwing toys all over the room while yelling and screaming in frustration. Why? Who the fuck knows. Perhaps the tomato slipped out from their cheeseburger. Maybe their wearing the red outfit when they want to wear the dirty brown one. Possibly a sibling walked past without saying anything. North Korea has a brain deficiency that doesn’t allow them to progress and grow. And their diaper stinks.

Oh, if you’re one of those selfish people who thinks that the US needs to seriously crack down on immigration, I hope you’re ready to pay more for milk. You see, the price of milk has long been regarded as a bellwether for families with children. When milk prices rise, family health declines. Dairy farms rely on migrant labor because lazy Americans don’t want to work seven days a week. Most milk cows have to be milked twice a day, every day. No exceptions. Take away the migrant labor and… you see where this is going, don’t you? A hard line on immigration almost immediately relates to higher prices on the most basic necessities. Perhaps we need to rethink our approach.

I know October is a spooky scary month, but most people prefer their horrors to be pretend. Russia, however, is making them real. As the trial in the death of a British woman in 2018 began yesterday, we found out that the vial containing the poison that killed her had enough to kill thousands of people. That only one person was killed was not Russia’s intended outcome. Let that sit and simmer in your nightmares for a while.

FEMA workers change some hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina after receiving threats. You would think that people would welcome those trying to help them. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the backwaters of North Carolina where apparently Fox News is the only television station anyone watches. One person was arrested yesterday for apparently attempting to carry out violence against federal aid workers. Maybe next time we let them drown.

I know, that statement is cold, harsh, and inhumane. I’m over all the stupidity, though. When people are trying to kill those who want to help, we’re no longer in a position to offer them humane support. The election is getting tighter as we move closer to November 5 and whether or not the election is peaceful is a serious concern! Who the fuck have we become? Last week, Australia sentenced a man to prison for giving a nazi salute in public. There’s no tolerance there for the kinds of stupidity that lead to people being killed. The problem with the US taking that approach at this juncture is that we’d have to jail a quarter of the population! We have become too tolerant of the type of speech and behaviors that lead to violence. We have become too tolerant of rhetoric that marginalizes immigrants, LGBTQIA+ populations, and women. Continuing down this path inevitably leads to a fall that makes what happened to the Roman Empire look like a child’s birthday party by comparison. We must vote better. We must scream louder. We dare not sit silent.

I’m glad I’m old and probably won’t live to see Mad Max become a reality. There’s little question in my mind that the US, and perhaps the world, is headed in that direction.

Don’t mind me, though. I’m just going to sit over here and drink coffee and take pictures of birds.

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

Morning Update: 10/14/24

October 14, 2024

What a difference a day makes; twenty-four little hours. Fall break is over, but that doesn’t mean both kids are heading back to school. G will be in Florida until next Sunday. They arrived yesterday without incident. He told Kat that he didn’t see “that much” damage. That means the biggest danger he’s likely to face down there is ‘gators. I was so concerned about the storms that I didn’t think to warn him about the giant reptiles and their ability to hide in seemingly harmless bodies of water. So, now I’ll worry about getting him back in one piece.

Yesterday involved a couple of interesting conversations with Tipper as well. Since G won’t be here to take the bus with her in the morning, we gave her a can of pepper spray to carry. That required plenty of instruction and warnings against spraying it into the wind. She has to turn it in at the school when she gets there and pick it back up before heading home. We’re hoping she never has reason to use it, but statistics say she will. There was also a conversation about mammograms that Kat fielded beautifully. A friend of Kat’s discovered last week that she has breast cancer. As we were discussing that, Tipper asked about “that thing that squishes them.” Kat was straightforward but gentle in her wording. We’ve had too many friends diagnosed with various forms of the disease this year to ignore the questions.

Then, it had to turn around and get cold. The wind was strong yesterday as the cold front moved in. By this morning, the thermometer was reading 48 degrees. No, it’s not really cold, but we’ve been accustomed to 80-degree days for so long that the contrast feels dramatic. Today’s high won’t get above 60 and by Wednesday, there’s a decent chance of frost. I’m avoiding getting the heavy coat out just yet, though. I layered a hoodie with my lightweight jacket when I took the dogs out this morning. While I’m ready for fall, I’m not ready for the added pain that comes with the cold.

I’m a little pissed that the NFL wouldn’t let me watch the Washington/Baltimore game on Prime yesterday. For some stupid reason, it was blocked here. I never have understood the NFL’s blackout policies. They don’t make a damn bit of sense. Baltimore ended up winning, 30-23. But hey, the Colts won over the Titans, 20-17! That’s more of a comment on how poorly the Titans are playing than anything special the Colts did to win. The game could have gone either way. There were a couple of absolute routs. The Lions completely crushed the Cowboys, 47-9. The folks in Dallas need to be ashamed of that performance and should probably give ticketholders their money back. Steelers whomped the Raiders in Vegas, making those overpriced tickets seem ridiculous. And what the Bucs did to the Saints was anything but holy, taking them out with a score of 51-27. The Bills take on the Jets tonight and if Buffalo doesn’t win by at least two touchdowns I’ll be shocked.

Sadly, not everything is fun and games. Reuters is reporting that the US is sending to anti-missile system and troops to Israel. You read that correctly. We’re putting boots on the ground in an escalating war that has no equitable outcome. This comes as Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen accused UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon of being a “useless” force. Why? Because they won’t brutally slaughter every person they encounter? This has seriously become the most disgusting war of our lifetime.

China’s acting like a jackass as well. China sent 125 military aircraft in exercises aimed at Taiwan in a single-day record, Taiwan says. Taiwan is holding firm to the belief that China had “no right to represent” the island. Should China get too aggressive, both Japan and the US are likely to become involved. China should stop and consider that outcome for a moment. Japan hasn’t been involved in any conflict since WWII. We wouldn’t let them. Now, China’s aggression against Taiwan is also a threat to Japan. Don’t expect Japan to play nice. They’ve been waiting.

Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson win the Nobel Prize for Economics. They studied what caused some countries to succeed while others failed. The question is whether anyone outside of the Nobel Committee will pay any attention to their findings.

Indigenous Peoples Day hits a bit differently this year as many tribes are pushing people to get out and vote. In 2020, tribal voting is what pivoted Arizona for Biden. This year, the effort to get indigenous people to vote is even stronger and there are several states in which a strong turnout could cause a decisive difference.

Meanwhile, research is now saying that Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe. I’m not sure that has any bearing on the fact that he was a murderous SOB. I’m willing to forget he ever existed.

There’s some other stuff. Meteorologists are facing harassment and death threats amid disinformation about the recent hurricanes. Why? Because people are fucking stupid and believing GOP lies. Fisher-Price Recalls 2 Million ‘Snuga Swings’ After Five Infant Deaths. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission isn’t all that convinced that the recall will do any good. And you should Stop Carving a Hole at the Top of Your Jack-o’-lantern. Unless you have squirrels, in which case it really doesn’t matter because they’re going to eat the damn thing anyway.

If that wasn’t enough, it’s Monday. Not a damn thing we can do about that.

Perhaps, more coffee.

Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 10/13/24

October 13, 2024

Perhaps I’m simply too messed up to have a good day. I’m sitting here this morning, my head whirling to the point it’s painful, having trouble putting words together. There was nothing inherently wrong with the past 24 hours, but I can’t say I enjoyed them. The dogs were snuggly, the cats were cuddly, and we spent plenty of time together, but the day ended with me feeling empty and alone. Tipper had a fun date at the movies, Kat had a strange reaction to some mystifying dreams, but you’ll have to ask her for details because I’d get it wrong. There was absolutely nothing about the day that justifies being upset, but yet, here I am, feeling somewhere between pissed, for no good reason, and sad. Fortunately, Hamilton is keeping his boopable nose at the ready.

Football was either chaotic or a complete blowout. OU left all their talent and skill on the North side of the Red River as Texas whomped ’em, 34-3. The Sooners never really showed up for the game, which is a familiar frustration. It was a sack on a two-point conversion attempt that caused Purdue to lose to Illinois, 49-50. The last two minutes of that game were pure chaos and made my head hurt. But then, that happened a lot yesterday.

Did you see that South Carolina/Alabama game? There’s little question that SC was the better team for the majority of the game. Yet, after a bizarre fourth quarter, ‘Bama came out on top, 27-25. My opinion: ‘Bama should not get a poll bump off that win. They were sloppy the whole game. They got lucky.

Similarly, how the hell did Oregon beat Ohio State, 32-31? Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel is getting a lot of the credit, and there’s no question that his fourth-quarter play was impressive. Still, Ohio State made far too many errors in judgment and the result was a loss that should have been a win.

Tennessee whooped Florida, 23-17, in a game that ended closer than it should have. I think it is right to question whether Florida came into the game already mentally exhausted from the week’s storms around the state. Give Florida a normal week and I think that game ends differently.

Notre Dame QB, Riley Leonard, was showing off yesterday. He had three TD passes and ran for a fourth as Notre Dame put the hurt on Stanford, 49-7. Stanford looked weak, though, and played weaker. This was an easy win for ND. I’m not impressed.

Oh, in case you thought last week’s Vanderbilt win over Alabama was a fluke, they beat a strong Kentucky team yesterday, 20-13. Everyone left on Vandy’s schedule best sit up and take notice. No one is going to run over this team easily.

IU and Oklahoma State had the week off. IU hopefully used the extra time to prep for a Nebraska team that’s better than their win/loss record indicates. Oklahoma State is stuck with a Friday game at BYU. Don’t expect that one to go well for the Cowboys.

Poor Purdue is stuck with Oregon next week. That’s gonna hurt.

We’re hitting that point where those silly nonconference games that padded records at the beginning of the season become meaningless. This is where the real teams step up and find ways to win. Mettle gets tested. Talent shines through. Upsets happen. Hang on to your hats, this ride could get wild.

Today’s pro games are… up for grabs. Tennessee is favored, barely, as the Colts head to Nashville. This game probably comes down to who’s healthy and who isn’t. Neither team is all that impressive. The Washington/Baltimore game could be interesting. Oddsmakers are giving Baltimore the edge but I think they could be short-selling a Washington team that plays damn well when inspired. The cheap tickets at Allegiant Stadium are going for a league-high $254 as the Raiders take on Pittsburgh. Anyone who pays for those tickets is likely to be disappointed. Bookies have the Steelers by a field goal. I think it could be much more than that.

Ugh. My head hurts. Maybe I should eat something. I have low expectations for today, though. Perhaps I’ll just go back to bed.

I need this funk to go away. Bring on the coffee.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Nature / News & Comment / Personal / science

Morning Update: 10/12/24

October 12, 2024

I am tempted this morning to let Solaris type the update. He’s being my shadow and keeps looking at the keyboard as if he could do a better job. If any of the cats could type, it would be Sol. I’m sure what he wrote would be interesting as well, given his acerbic wit. He doesn’t quite have a hold on the parts of speech, though, which limits his ability to be helpful on mornings like this one. But when Belvedere looks at me with those big hound dog eyes and asks, “You’re coming back to bed, right?” it really is tempting to hand Sol the keyboard and walk away.

If we’re all a little droopy this morning, it’s probably because Kat and Tipper didn’t get home until after 2:00 this morning. I wasn’t expecting Kat home early in the first place. She attended a comedy show with a friend for a much-needed night out. I wasn’t expecting Tipper home until later this morning, though. There was a big text conversation about that issue yesterday afternoon. But something changed during the evening. Tipper messaged her mom around midnight asking to be picked up out near Greenwood. When one of our kids asks for help, we don’t ask questions, we drive. Questions can be addressed this morning, but the bottom line is that her safety always comes first. We’ll sleep later.

This is also one of those mornings where news editors are grasping at straws to find enough copy to cover the empty space. The most compelling headlines I’m seeing this morning? Get a load of these:

How the elephant got its wrinkles. No, it’s not a fable. Actual sciencey stuff.
Gene therapy dilemma: Treatment that halts brain disease can also cause cancer. This only applies to a rare disease that affects young boys, but it’s still a bit troubling.
Ancient creature was a grizzly-size millipede-centipede hybrid, fossil head reveals. Wait, a GRIZZLY-SIZED millipede? Uhm, no, thank you.
Even a Single Bacterial Cell Can Sense the Seasons Changing. No word on whether they like pumpkin spice, though.
Bacon hogs the spotlight in election debates, but reasons for its sizzling inflation are complex. Bacon is political? Now I’m hungry.

There are a few things worth reading as you kill time before today’s football games.

Data shows migrants aren’t taking ‘Black jobs’ or ‘Hispanic jobs.’ Don’t believe the lies.
Children and adults transported to a Pennsylvania hospital after ingesting ‘toxic mushrooms’. You fed them to the kids? Really?
Woman pleads guilty to trying to smuggle 29 turtles across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak. Hmm, I wonder how they caught her?
Sex bomb: The collateral damage of OnlyFans’ explosive success. Reuters did a deep dive on this one. Give in to the curiosity and read it.
Spirit Halloween will try its hand at a longer run this year with Spirit Christmas. No, really. Apparently, there’s a demand.
Why Do So Many Women Wear Giant Eyeglasses? The Times thinks you need to know.

Look, this may be the last decent-temperature weekend for the year. We’re looking at frost warnings by this time next week. Get out of the house. Do that thing you’ve been putting off. Enjoy what’s left of this late-season heat wave.

Me, I’m going back to bed.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Natural Light / Nature / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 10/11/24

October 11, 2024

G is on his way to Florida for the next 10 days. Are we a bit anxious? Absolutely. G has never been one to even stay the night with his friends, let alone travel halfway across the country. The state seems to have spaced the worst storm surge. Milton hit far enough South of Tampa that the storm’s energy sucked water out of Tampa Bay, rather than bringing it in. There are still millions without power and A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice chest in the Gulf of Mexico. Where G is going is North of Tampa and inland quite a bit. Kat checked with the host of the AirBnB where they’re staying to make sure the facility is still in good shape. It’s going to feel strange around here without G’s presence.

The stats on Hurricane Milton are still coming in; different sources give you different numbers. As far as I can tell, the current body count is twelve, and there were possibly as many as 150 tornadoes. I think the Weather Channel may have some of the best videos of the devastation. There’s no question that between Helene and Milton, the Southeast is going to spend a lot of time and resources trying to put things back together where they can. The Gulf is still exceptionally warm. There aren’t any new depressions on the radar at this moment, but conditions remain for one to pop up at any time.

President Biden told Trump to ‘get a life, man’ and stop storm misinformation. The Orange Felon won’t listen, of course. He never does. I’ve been watching the President carefully this week, though, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m increasingly of the opinion that his stepping aside and allowing Kamala Harris to take the Democratic nomination was a good move. Watching Biden this week has reminded me too much of the last two years of Reagan’s presidency, where he was little more than a puppet pushed out to stumble through speeches. And the Felon is behaving much the same with slurred speech, difficulty completing sentences, and awkward pauses where pauses don’t belong. We have a constitutionally required minimum age for the president. Perhaps we should have a maximum age as well.

I’m pretty sure almost everyone in North America got a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis last night. How do I know? 90% of you posted your views on social media. Personally, we had too much light pollution to bother taking a picture. I could see a faint hint of pink in the sky, but that was about it. Still, this was the highest coverage across North America I can remember.

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize goes to Nihon Hidankyo, a group of survivors from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki blasts that have worked hard against nuclear proliferation. The group has made sure that the world remains aware of the long-term consequences of nuclear war. We might have thought we were doing the right thing ending WWII this way, but history has proven us wrong. Of course, there are still those who disagree and Vladimir Putin is at the top of that list. I’d rather die slowly and painfully of natural causes, thank you.

Last night was definitely painful. My poor bones were aching to the point that it hurt to have Solaris lying on top of me. I’ve been awake since 4:00 this morning, which means there will be a nap immediately after finishing this post. Sure, I’m drinking plenty of coffee; that’s the only thing that provides a remote sense of coherence to my writing. The caffeine isn’t enough to override the exhaustion I feel after taking my chemo meds, though. I’ll be crashing hard.

BrucePac of Woodburn, OR has issued a recall of five tons of meat and chicken after the FDA found listeria in some of the packages. The recall specifically involves products processed and packed at a plant in Durant, OK, a sleepy city just north of the Texas border. They were produced between June 19 and Oct. 8 and shipped to restaurants, food service vendors, and other sites nationwide. That means you’ll have to just depend on food service managers paying attention to avoid getting tainted food. Good luck with that.

Taylor Swift donated $5 million toward hurricane relief efforts. Ask your local billionaire how much they donated, especially the ones running for office of any kind. Don’t expect a response.

I saw a headline that read, “High food inflation leaves less in lunch boxes of poor school children.” I was halfway through the article before I realized they were talking about India, not the United States. While I was reading, I received a phone alert that the price of Redi-Whip Zero Sugar had dropped. I’m sure whipped cream will solve everyone’s problems, right?

The New York Times is making the argument this morning that viral dances are changing the way women move. It’s an interesting read if you have a couple of minutes. I think women’s movement always changes with the culture, though. When I remember the way my mother walked when she was younger, a very proper but determined step with perfect posture, compared to any generation after hers, there is a marked difference. Does music and dancing influence those changes? Absolutely. But so do fashion, media, and changes in social attitudes. Their study needs a healthy dose of expanded reality.

The twins are making the argument that I’m done typing this morning. As they chase each other back and forth across the keyboard, I’m trying to keep up with the need to delete characters from the middle of words. If you see a misspelling, it’s most likely their fault.

Meanwhile, food, medicine, and coffee are up next.

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

Morning Update: 10/10/24

October 10, 2024

Over three million people are without power across Florida. Milton has crossed the state and is now out in the Atlantic, but as it is still dark as I’m writing this morning, there’s no way to know just yet the extent of the damage. What we do know is that the storm was strong enough to shred the fabric covering Tropicana Field. Before the storm itself hit, more than 20 deadly tornadoes wreaked death and havoc across Southern Florida. Walls erected to protect hospitals seem to have worked. A report inside one hospital says they are functional with both electricity and internet. The rest of Sarasota is not likely to be so fortunate.

We know that there will be a number of deaths resulting from the storm. In one video I saw yesterday, a young woman complained, “Where ya’ll getting evacuation money? I can barely pay my rent! I can’t afford to evacuate!” I can relate to that sentiment. Indeed, gas prices ticked up ahead of the storm. There were reports of price gouging as hotel prices more than doubled along the evacuation route. Both state and federal officials, including Vice President Harris, have warned that companies will be punished for price gouging, but that won’t help anyone who was looking for shelter from this storm.

9,000 Florida National Guard members have been called to active duty and more than 5,000 line workers from as far away as California are hitting the state to deal with power outages. A team stayed at Tampa Zoo to help animals deal with the storm. Yet, not all prison inmates were evacuated from dangerous areas. As the sun is beginning to rise, the severity of the damage will become more obvious.

G leaves with his friend’s family to head right into the heart of Florida early tomorrow morning. They do have a contingency plan, should they not be able to reach or stay at their planned destination. I’m asking him to send back pictures as they travel, but he’s 15; the odds of him actually taking pictures are pretty slim. Tipper is spending tonight with her friend as well, which means Kat and I will have the house to ourselves for the first time in years. Don’t expect any hanky panky, though. I’ll probably be asleep before she gets home from the salon.

I’m having some difficulty sitting upright this morning. Balance is the issue as I’m feeling rather light-headed. I’m reasonably sure that this is chemo-related. I’ll take my meds when I finish the update and will lie back down for a few minutes. That’s usually enough to solve the problem. The twins are being rambunctious this morning, though. They just chased each other across my desk. And back. Rest may be challenging to achieve.

Other news? Well, let’s see…

Han Kang has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” No, I’ve not read any of the South Korean author’s work. We’ll have to put that on the list.

Severe solar storms could stress power grids. Normally, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about this. Solar storms happen all the time and rarely do we see any negative affect. This time, though, the power grid is already stressed from back-to-back hurricanes. Don’t be surprised if your power flickers a little this afternoon.

Oh, those “God Bless the USA” Bibles? They were printed in China for $3 each. I have at least two issues with this. One, it’s not exactly patriotic, is it? There are plenty of publishers in the US that would have been happy to print the Bible, but apparently, profit comes before patriotism in the GOP world. The second issue is that, being made in China, it is almost certain that slave-like labor was involved. This is becoming increasingly evident for all goods made in China. I have a HUGE issue with this and it is the reason I won’t buy anything from Shein or Temu. Fuck anyone who is making a profit by underpaying the people who work for them, no matter where in the world they’re located.

Before I finish, though, keep in mind that hurricane season isn’t over. Global meteorological computers are already studying conditions and creating new weather models. I’ve seen two, so far, that are predicting at least one more Category 5 storm in the Gulf. The next one could possibly land well West of Florida, though, giving Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana a taste of the terror. Keep in mind, that these are just models. They’re not actually tracking any tropical depressions… yet.

If you have the means and wish to help victims of Milton, here are some options.

Now, someone hand Jim Cantore a big ol’ mug of coffee and a muffin. The dude has earned it.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 10/09/24

October 9, 2024

The next 18 hours are critical. I can’t imagine that anyone reading this update is sitting in Southwest Florida thinking that they still have time to respond to evacuation orders. Those who plan to leave are, for the most part, already on the road. Time is running out. You know it’s bad when even the meteorologists are choking up on air. The Waffle House Index shows over 20 Waffle Houses already closed around Tampa with more closing toward St. Petersburg and Ft. Meyers. Multiple locations in Georgia, including the Atlanta Motor Speedway, are open to evacuees. Similarly, Alabama has opened over twenty state parks to take in those with nowhere else to go. ALL state parks in Tennessee are open as well.

The challenge facing those evacuating is the task of getting the fuck out of Florida. Gas stations are running empty, cars are stalling on the freeways, and traffic trying to leave the state is frequently at a standstill. The situation only gets worse today as last-minute stragglers finally get on the road. Hospitals in Florida are preparing for the worst. In some cases, doctors and nurses have moved all or part of their families into hospital offices so that they’ll be able to continue working until help arrives. The New Yorker Magazine is telling us that storms like Milton “are the new abnormal.” What we previously called once-in-a-lifetime storms are becoming commonplace. We can only imagine what might come next.

Here’s the rub: zoom out to look at the national radar and what do you see across the rest of the country? Nothing. There’s a small system of rain in the Northwest corner of Washington State, with scattered showers along the New York/Pennsylvania border. That’s about it. We’ve been dry since the remnants of Hurricane Helene left trees down and power off. Making matters worse, there’s no relief in the 10-day forecast. Temps will get up in the low 80s this weekend, and mornings will be cool, but there’s no moisture, no low-pressure system, coming from anywhere.

As the Midwest dries out, other dangers arise. Even the smallest spark of a flame can result in a wildfire across states that normally don’t see wildfires and aren’t prepared to battle them. When rain does finally occur, less soaks into the hard ground, creating higher levels of toxic runoff. Are you seeing the problem?

I want there to be better news and there is a little bit. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their work on proteins. This spurs research that could one day save your life.

In a first-of-its-kind national survey, 3% of High Schoolers Identify as Transgender. Yeah, that number is low as there are still too many states where simply asking about being transgender can get you killed. Still, at least someone’s starting to pay attention.

Oklahoma amends its request for Bibles that initially appeared to match only the version backed by Trump. That’s only marginally better, though. The very presence of the request is still a violation of the religious establishment clause of the First Amendment. Someone doesn’t have a fucking clue what they’re doing.

Everything else is more of what you’ve been reading for the past three months. War. Politics. Elections. I find it difficult to be concerned about any of those at the moment. Previous behavior tells us everything we need to know. One candidate cut relief funding to Puerto Rico after a hurricane. The other is making sure victims of Helene and Milton are getting the help they need. Voting for the former makes one an idiot.

I shudder to think what I might be typing by this time tomorrow. Keeping up with the latest information is going to be difficult. Everyone needs to be accurate but as power goes out and methods of communication go down, it’s almost impossible to get everything correct. We’ll do the best we can. The cats are trying to help, four have participated in this morning’s update. They don’t spell all that well, though.

About all we can do now is grab a fresh cup of coffee and wait.

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

Morning Update: 10/08/24

October 8, 2024

My mood is negative this morning, so I won’t delay getting straight to the news. I’ve taken some extra time to read additional articles regarding the whole Hurricane Milton situation. There’s too much incorrect information to avoid getting this right. While most of the US will not be directly affected by the storm, we will be affected by its impact on the economy and the availability of emergency resources. As you read, you have a responsibility to do the following:

Share what is important to the audience you have.
Offer shelter if you safely can to those leaving Florida.
Avoid misinformation from politically driven sources.
Gently correct friends on social media who share misinformation.
Stay informed throughout the day.

For the record, I’m writing this at 7:30 AM EDT. Updates from the National Weather Service, which is the most trusted information source, generally occur at the top of the hour, every hour. However, given the potential impact of this storm, they will often announce updates the instant a significant change is detected. Here is this morning’s map:

The yellow areas on the map are where the hurricane’s effect is likely to be the strongest. While the storm retreated slightly from a Category 5 to a Category 4 overnight, it could still regain power before making landfall Wednesday evening. This is likely to be the strongest storm to hit the Tampa area since 1921. It is rare for storms that form in the Gulf to move Eastward. This compact storm brings with it some of the lowest pressure possible, which makes it even stronger. Tampa’s mayor has warned that people who stay, “will die.” The state of Florida, still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene, is going to be permanently scarred by this storm.

Somewhat baffling, but not surprising, is the fact that Orlando attractions are not closed… yet. Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld are still open as of this writing. All say they are “closely monitoring” the storm, and be sure that they will not close unless they feel visitors to the park are directly threatened. Now, take a look at the map above. Find Orlando. While it’s not in the bright yellow impact zone, it seems impractical that some closure either Thursday or Friday won’t be ordered. Milton will still be a Category 1 storm when it exits into the Atlantic. Don’t think that won’t put lives in danger.

For the sake of anyone who seriously thinks that the government is controlling the weather: they can’t. Controlling the strength and direction of a storm like Milton is impossible. People who share this kind of nonsense become responsible for the deaths of Floridians who believe this nonsense and choose to stay. Don’t be stupid. Misinformation takes much-needed resources away from disaster recovery. Have no part in it.

Your “thoughts and prayers” are not what is needed right now. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers were mobilized to help in one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in history. That 7,000 won’t be enough. FEMA is already strained, still working on the large disaster space left by Helene. Once the storm pushes through, volunteers are needed to help in search and recovery efforts, clearing debris from roads, and getting utilities up and running. Please, do not volunteer unless you have experience in these areas and are well-equipped to take care of yourself. Otherwise, you risk becoming a liability that no one needs.

There are still a number of variables that cannot be predicted. Whether the storm directly hits Tampa Bay or just South of the Bay will affect which areas see the strongest storm surge. Rainfall amounts ahead of the storm depend on how fast it moves across the state. There is no way to know the exact strength of winds in any given area until they get there. Prudence in these situations demands preparing for the worst.

If you’re looking at maps of the Atlantic and Caribbean, you will likely notice that there’s a Tropical Storm Leslie out there looking menacing. As of the latest information from the National Hurricane Center, Leslie looks as though it will stay out at sea. This does not mean that we won’t see any other storms develop quickly behind it, though. This season is far from over.

Yes, this is going to keep my attention for the rest of the week. There are too many people in Florida that I care about to not keep this as the center of my focus. I also know that a lot of people from Indy like going to Florida this time of year. Maybe next year, okay? Let’s not contribute to the problem.

Fortunately, weather patterns over the rest of the US look rather quiet. If you don’t live in one of the areas affected by Helene, enjoy the luxury of sitting back and having another cup of coffee this morning while you consider tangible ways in which you can help.

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

Morning Update: 10/07/24

October 7, 2024

Afternoon on the Lake [2024]

There are fresh cat scratches on my body this morning. For reasons I’ve yet to understand, the cats scattered around the room when I went to bed all decided they needed to not only sleep next to my head but to secure their positions by digging their claws into my flesh. Solaris insisted on sleeping on top of me and didn’t want to move when I got up. Instead, he dug his claws in and climbed up my back to sit on my shoulder. Frankie, the smashed-face wheezer kitty, grabbed hold of my hair and wouldn’t let go. Bit slapped me in the face when I tried to roll over. Kronk, aka Pinball, dug into my shoulder. I’m not sure how to interpret this behavior. I definitely look and feel like I lost a fight.

The highlight of yesterday was not football. In fact, I didn’t watch any of yesterday’s games. Instead, Tony Shaw picked me up and we sat out by the lake chatting and watching the boats on what was perhaps the last good-weather day of the year. I’m sure I looked ill, being the only one sitting out there in long sleeves and jeans. Everyone else was running around in shorts and swimwear. I was comfortable, though, and had a fantastic time. Kat even stopped by for a moment on her way to pick up the kids. This was the afternoon I needed. Besides, the Colts lost to the 0-3 Jags. I didn’t miss anything.

While we were sitting there swapping stories, Tony and I briefly touched on the topic of how we’re going to handle the winter. This is the second year in a row where I’m hitting Autumn and the looming cold feeling weaker and more exhausted than I was this time last year. Sure, the numbers looked great at the doctor’s office on Friday, and I’m grateful for that, but the day-to-day reality has me dreading the coldness of winter. My bones already hurt. I was comfortable out there in my long sleeves. I’m getting by, but I’m not okay and that is driving me sort of mad. I’m going to need some help getting through winter.

Both kids are home today and tomorrow. They’re not going to like me. Today, they need to catch up on all the chores they skipped over the weekend. Tomorrow, they need to mow the lawn one last time, without my help. We’re still not sure whether G will get to go to Florida; the situation there isn’t good. I’m anticipating them making alternative plans. Tipper will undoubtedly attempt to spend some time with her friends as well. All the more reason for them both to get their chores caught up now.

Evacuation orders have been issued for almost the entire state of Florida. Here is how this morning’s map is looking:

You’ll notice a couple of significant changes from this time yesterday. First, they’re anticipating Milton will reach Category 4 while still out in the Gulf. This makes perfect sense. In fact, I was telling Tony yesterday that there was no way that this storm was going to settle at Category 3. Second, the landfall projection is now about 50 miles South of Tampa. This is good news for those in Florida’s panhandle and the Carolinas, but bad news for Miami, who looked to dodge the storm in yesterday’s map. And again, if you live anywhere in Florida, you need to get the fuck out. Now. I know one friend has plane reservations for this morning, and another was already making travel plans. Some are suggesting that this is a ‘once in a lifetime’ storm, with a level of evacuations not seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Don’t play. This storm is so bad, I’ll make an offer I probably shouldn’t make (Kat’s asleep so we haven’t discussed it, but I know how she feels). If you live in Florida and have absolutely nowhere to go, and aren’t allergic to cats, you can come here. We’ll pitch a tent in the yard if we have to. Sure, our little 900-square-foot house is already bursting at the seams, but you’ll do better up here than you will in Florida. I would be devastated if we lost a friend because they didn’t think they had anywhere to go. Just get the fuck out of this storm’s path. There’s no playing around with this one.

Today is October 7. Along Israel’s border with Gaza, reminders of the trauma of the Hamas-led assault are inescapable as the few who have returned try to start anew. This morning’s headlines look like this:

Let me be very clear: There are no good guys in this war. Every day, each of the parties involved is committing more war crimes for which they are unlikely to be punished. They are listening to no one, including their own people. If it were up to me, I would duct-tape the leaders of Israel, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah to their chairs so they can’t fire any more missiles, and tape their mouths shut to end the rhetoric. Don’t let them go until they’re ready to sign a permanent cease-fire. Egos are what is driving this war. The whole mess needs to stop. The world has better things to do.

Who’s doing better things? Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, the two Americans who were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine earlier this morning. “MicroRNA provide genetic instructions to tell cells to make new proteins and that there were two main areas where microRNA could be helpful: in developing drugs to treat diseases and in serving as biomarkers.” This changes many games, including finding treatment for various forms of cancer. See? These are the kinds of things humans can do when they’re not having to dodge bombs or be assaulted by political rhetoric. We should be doing more of this, not ruining the lives of innocent peoples.

There are a couple of heads-up articles to take in this morning. Affordable housing could disappear by the tens of thousands. I know, for many of us this is a ‘duh’ statement. We’ve not had affordable housing since the pandemic. This warning, however, underlines the reality that an already bad situation is about to get worse. This inevitably leads to a higher rate of homelessness, which cities don’t know how to handle. Some crimes, particularly sexual assault and theft, are likely to increase as well. There are answers, but you won’t like them.

Did you know there are shyster dentists? Apparently, there are. The AP is warning people to not fall for fake dentists offering veneers and other dental work on social media. “These self-described “veneer techs” often promote themselves on Instagram and TikTok, promising a full set of veneers for less than half of what dentists typically charge. Some also market their own training courses and certifications for people looking to get into the business.

“It’s misleading, health professionals warn — and illegal. All states require dental work, including veneers, to be performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist.” Don’t be one of those who get taken in by all the flash and glitz of social media. It’s not real and it could seriously affect your health.

There are also a couple of sciency things I didn’t get to over the weekend. First up: Computers can be trained to exhibit pareidolia, the phenomenon of recognizing faces in objects. There are some interesting inferences here. One is that if AI can “see” faces where they don’t actually exist, what does that mean for facial recognition programs? Can they be trusted? Second, is pareidolia a learned behavior or a natural phenomenon? If AI can be trained to see faces, the implication is that humans can be “trained” in a similar fashion. Does anyone really need to see things that aren’t there? Can we take this in the other direction?

The second deals with the smoking habits of 18th-century English women. New research finds that women puffed away at various tobacco products during that time. Not just a few women, mind you. Almost all of them. At the core of this discovery is a novel technique analyzing metabolites of tobacco in bone that could be applied to other substances, potentially revising views of past health and behavior. The better we understand what killed people in the past, the better able we are to avoid such things in the future and understand the origins of some hereditary traits. It’s an interesting read if you’re looking to avoid actual work this morning.

There’s also news of a possible ovarian cancer vaccine in the works. The research is being done in the UK. If successful, it could eliminate the need to remove ovaries for women at high risk. Ovarian cancer is extremely painful and brings some nasty, life-altering side effects along with it. The development of a vaccine could improve the lives of millions of women.

That’s all I’ve got this morning. I’m looking over at the two dogs stretched out beside me, sleeping away, and thinking that I may just need to join them. No one else in the house is up yet, the cats have been fed and are quiet, so there’s no good reason for me to not catch a few more Zs.

Or a couple more cups of coffee.

Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 10/06/24

October 6, 2024

Have you ever tried finding a big, black dog in the dark? Hamilton damn near took me out at the knees this morning because I didn’t see him coming. The sky was so bright that it almost felt as though the constellation Orion was trying to slap me in the face. That resulted in heavier-than-usual shadows into which our lab/pit mix disappeared. Belvedere was waiting patiently to come back inside. I whistled for Hamilton and didn’t see him. I whistled a second time, no obvious response. I was in the midst of whistling a third time when wham all 76 pounds of dog hit me. He almost made me spill my coffee!

If that’s the way today is going to behave, I’ll just go back to bed now. Yesterday was strange without Kat or Tipper here. Tipper is spending the weekend with a friend to avoid the noise from the races at IMS. Someone needs to tell the racing industry that scheduling an eight-hour race to start at noon in October is a bad idea. It was dark by the time the last laps were completed. The oval at IMS isn’t lit (only the dirt track has lighting). See how that might cause some problems? There are shorter races today, but they’ll finish by mid-afternoon. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Keanu Reeves spun out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his pro auto racing debut. Running in circles is more difficult than it looks. Some of you could give lessons.

The only news that isn’t a re-hash of the week is that Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and could intensify to hurricane, threatening Florida. This morning’s map looks like this:

At this time, Florida is taking most of the impact. South Georgia, especially South of Savannah, will see heavy winds and rain. While this model shows the Carolinas missing out on the worst of the storm, stay aware that a lot could change between now and landfall later this week. Storm surge will affect both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. This is not the last storm of the season, and anyone living in these areas would probably do well to plan a long vacation elsewhere.

Hurricane Helene is causing some unique problems. False and misleading claims about Hurricane Helene are spreading about the storm and recovery efforts. What is especially concerning is that these factless claims aren’t just coming from Russia and Iran. The people who say they want to lead us for the next four years are doing far more damage! In addition to the Orange Felon, who lies every time he opens his damn mouth, Elon Musk, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. are among the worst spreaders of misinformation. These lies reduce the ability of people on the ground to address the many problems. Don’t spread them. Don’t share them. And tell those who do that they need to fuck the hell off.

The worst fallout from the hurricane is in western North Carolina, but at least five other states are grappling with their own intractable problems. Now, with a second hurricane potentially coming right back in on top of them, the rush is on to find as many people and secure as much shelter as possible. What doesn’t help is the fact that Homeowners hit by Hurricane Helene face the grim task of rebuilding without flood insurance. Who in Western North Carolina thought they’d need flood insurance? Not many. Now, with supplies already in high demand, those same residents have to prepare for the reality that, at the very least, they’re going to get hit with more rain.

Be thankful if you are safe enough to indulge in distractions such as football. Yesterday was a day full of chaos among the top 25, and there were plenty of surprises elsewhere as well. The big one making headlines this morning is Vanderbilt knocking off number-one-ranked Alabama. I hadn’t planned to watch this one because, under normal conditions, why would you? ‘Bama always routs Vandy. Even when a score popped up showing Vandy in the lead, I falsely assumed the Tide would come back and win. Didn’t happen. Alabama got beat up and this could be a game-changer for the rest of the season.

#4 Tennessee fooled around and lost to Arkansas, 14-19. The problem here wasn’t that the Razorbacks are any good, they’re not. The Vols were sloppy, undisciplined, and made one mistake right after the other. It hurt to watch this game, especially in the fourth quarter. I should have gone on to bed.

What was fun to watch was the way that Texas A&M knocked the wind out of #9 Missouri, 41-10. Missouri was never in this game. A&M was on point, avoided making too many mistakes, and even blocked a field goal in the final seconds of the first half. I never have liked Missouri, so this game had me smiling a lot.

#11 USC played sloppy ball and lost to Minnesota, 24-17. This didn’t have to happen. USC should have won this game. That game-changing interception? Everyone saw that coming. USC’s ball handling sucked the entire game (double-entendre intentional).

This could be the year we see a number of teams who are traditionally underdogs rise and beat the living hell out of long-standing powerhouses. One of the stats I’m finding impressive is that both Army and Navy are now 5-0. Do you know the last time that happened? 1946! While we might question the toughness of their schedule, the military service schools don’t normally field teams this good. Good players go elsewhere. This is going to make the upcoming Army/Navy game on December 14 more watchable than normal.

And who the hell thought IU would be the first bowl-eligible team this season? They extended their winning record to 6-0 yesterday by running right over Northwestern, 41-24. The win makes the Hoosiers the first bowl-eligible team in college football. Who had that one on their football bingo card? Anyone? I’m not sure Bloomington was ready for this!

Folks in West Lafayette are questioning Purdue coach Ryan Walters’ decision to fire their offensive coordinator leading to yesterday’s 52-6 beat down at the hands of Wisconsin. There are plenty of excuses and attempts to explain the move, but who the fuck does this in the middle of an already-questionable season? Yesterday’s loss showed a complete lack of leadership from the sideline. This team has the talent to be winning. The coaching staff needs to step up and earn their ridiculously high salaries.

The chaos could continue today in the NFL. The 2-2 Colts are barely a favorite over the winless Jags. With QB Anthony Richardson out, and Jacksonville really needing a win, I don’t see this one ending well for Indianapolis. I doubt I’ll watch more than the highlight reel. There are plenty of opportunities for other upsets in today’s schedule, so watch where you place that dip while you’re watching the game. No one wants ranch dressing all over the carpet.

Does anyone else have problems with their bones randomly hurting for no obvious reason? Just me? Okay, I’ll deal with it. Now, where’s that Tylenol bottle?

Make the coffee strong this morning, folks! This could be the start of an interesting week.

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

Morning Update

October 5, 2024

Return to the 60s [2011 original with AI background]

Taking the dogs out early this morning, I’m reminded of the opening words to a 1978 song by Crystal Gale: “Three O’clock in the morning, and it looks like it’s gonna be another sleepless night.” So, it was 4:00, not 3, and I slept earlier in the night, just not now. It’s my own damn fault. I went to bed around 7:30 without taking the dogs out one last time. As a result, Belvedere was standing on my chest and licking my face at 3:45, letting me know that some outside time was absolutely critical. The only upside of this situation is that the cats aren’t yowling for breakfast yet.

Oh, but be sure, Kronk, aka Pinball, and Solaris are right here doing their best to help me type. That’s why I’m going ahead and taking care of the update now. They’re not going to let me go back to sleep just yet. I have coffee that’s helping keep my eyes open. There will, without apology, be an early nap this morning.

My visit to the oncologist yesterday was probably the best I’ve had in a couple of years. All the numbers were where they needed to be. Even my glucose was lower than its been in a year. As long as this trend continues, I’ll be able to go off the chemo in March and won’t need to take any continuing medication for the Leukemia. We’ll still have to check in every once in a while and make sure those white blood cell numbers aren’t going back up, but at this point, we’re rather hopeful that our days of chemo are short-lived. We just have to survive the next few months.

The kids are in full fall break mode. Tipper spent the night, and possibly the weekend, with her friend. G is making final plans to leave for Florida with his friend on Monday. I’d say that I miss them, but the animals are doing a good job of making sure that they keep my attention. Hamilton has been especially needy of late. At least the animals don’t fuss about what we’re having for dinner.

We’re a week out from Helene making landfall. The storm’s death toll has climbed past 225, but many people remain unaccounted for. Despite the fact that the storm dumped 40 trillion gallons of water over the Southeast, clean drinking water is nowhere to be found. The lack of electric power isn’t helping. Of course, one bad turn generates another. Yellow jackets, who normally live in the ground, are swarming since they don’t have any place to rebuild their nests. North Carolina is distributing Benadryl and EpiPens to help deal with the allergic reactions. Helene’s powerful storm surge killed 12 near Tampa. Now, some are asking whether their deaths were preventable. I question the efficacy of second-guessing a storm that was quite determined to do its own thing. The number of deaths is tragic, but we have to realize that storms like Helene are so deadly because they do the unexpected. The next big storm to come along will almost certainly behave differently. Guessing what a storm is going to do is ultimately a fool’s game. The official Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, but with two more storms churning at sea, experts warned it might last into December. Make no bets as to what might happen.

Grumpy weather is a problem elsewhere in the world as well. Death toll in worst Bosnian floods in years rises to 16. The Brazil drought sinks the Amazon rainforest port river level to a 122-year low. Meanwhile, it’s elephants that are at risk from floods in Thailand. This is the new reality. Get used to it.

A reality I’ll never accept quietly, though, is how stupid people are allowed to disrupt life for the rest of us. There are a couple of stories that stick out to me this morning. In the first, the Heritage Foundation, the same people that brought you the insane Project 2025, are harassing NASA with Freedom of Information requests asking for internal emails. A foundation executive told Reuters that this “is part of that organization’s ongoing push to help Trump weed out uncooperative civil servants if he is reelected to the White House in November.” It’s unfathomable to me that these actions are even remotely legal. All the more reason to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket.

In a move that violates the First Amendment clause against religious establishment, Oklahoma’s Superintendent of Schools wants to put Trump Bibles in the classroom. Where this push runs afoul of the law is the intent to use public funds to pay for the books. If it were done with private funds, the move might be legal. Using tax dollars, however, makes it a government establishment of religion, in violation of the First Amendment. Folks out in Oklahoma need to take Ryan Waters to the woodshed.

Oh, but before we forget, you probably should clean the filter in your dishwasher. Today. You’re killing yourself.

When does child abuse end? Apparently never. A 75-year-old mother has been charged with letting her 40-year-old paralyzed daughter lie on the floor for a week after falling out of bed. Reading stories like this makes my head hurt. The fact that this happened here in Indy is downright frightening, partly because I know there are too many people who would respond exactly the same way this mother did. Indy has some mean old people.

Not that the kids are any better. IMPD took three juveniles into custody yesterday after leading police on a high-speed chase following a string of robberies. As shocking as it may be that teenagers are pulling stunts like this, we’re at a point where it seems logical to assume that they’re learning this behavior from the adults, including grandparents, who are around them.

At least there’s football. Although, given the fact that I’m awake so damn early raises questions as to whether I’ll be conscious when this afternoon’s games kick-off. Purdue is at Wisconsin. IU attempts to keep its winning streak alive at Northwestern. Georgia clashes with Auburn. Oklahoma State hosts West Virginia. Tennessee goes on the road to Arkansas. Oklahoma and Texas both have the week off. We’ll see how many of them I spend time watching.

Ugh. One more act of sheer stupidity just popped up. An Idaho state representative told an indigenous candidate to ‘go back where you came from.’ Witnesses at the bipartisan forum describe the Republican representative’s outburst as “a complete meltdown” that scared their children. Seriously, are there no sane people left in the world that we are forced to put up with this level of incivility? Really?

You know, most Saturdays I struggle to find anything newsworthy that isn’t a rehash of what we covered during the week. Why the fuck is there so much nonsense this morning?

We’re looking at a beautiful weekend here in the Midwest. Get out and do something enjoyable if you can. Love your family. Pet your dogs. Feed your cats. Take naps.

Most importantly, don’t forget the coffee.

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

Morning Update: 10/04/24

October 4, 2024

Welcome to a Friday with no rain in the forecast! Well, not for most of us. Sure, there are a couple of showers coming in Northern Illinois and scattered wetness along the Gulf states, but nothing remotely close to what we saw last week. Overall, this should be a good weekend to grab the kids and go apple picking, select a pumpkin or four, take a hike, enjoy some art or live music, and take advantage of everything the first weekend of October has to offer.

The biggest question around the house yesterday was, “Is Tipper here or there?” She desperately wanted to go to her friend’s house. Her friend desperately wanted to see her. The problem was transportation. Kat was working, the friend’s mom was working, traffic was heavy, and in the end, she sat here and moped. They’ll try making a connection again today, perhaps with better luck. With the Eight-Hour Road Race at IMS this weekend, Tipper desperately wants to be somewhere other than around the track.

There is good news this morning: the Longshoremen have ended their strike against East Coast docks. This isn’t the big sigh of relief one might think, though. What they’ve done is postpone the thing until January 15. The official reason is to allow time for negotiations, but that’s bullshit. It didn’t take them long to see how the strike was going to be politicized and they didn’t want any part of that. Everything will keep moving for now, get us through the holidays, and then it will be a problem.

Everything else I’m reading this morning is a bit blah. There’s speculation about this and that, accusations about him and her, but the facts are missing so there’s no point in getting all angsty about any of it. Everyone has enough challenges in their own life. No one needs to be concerned with the affairs of people who will not affect their lives in any way. Just let it pass.

There is one frustrating note: Using the Uber Eats app can negate any action you might want to take against the ride-sharing company. A New Jersey couple is finding this out the hard way. This is the second time in the past two months that we’ve seen people getting stung by the fine print in user agreements. Such agreements might be legal, but they’re immoral as hell and need to be stopped. Congress could end them fairly easily, but they won’t. Why? Because cheating people out of what they rightly deserve is how the GOP defines capitalism.

Under food no one asked for, McDonald’s is introducing a Chicken Big Mac on the 10th. Why? Because chicken sounds healthier than beef. But it still has the special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, and onion on a sugar-intensive bun. Pair that with the fries you know you’re not turning down and you have a day’s worth of caloric intake in about three bites. Don’t be surprised to see other menu additions from fast food vendors this fall. People have been eating at home more and they’re all desperate to get you back. Just wait, someone will come up with a pumpkin spice sandwich of some kind. Just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m betting.

Oh, in case you weren’t feeling old fast enough, Eminem announced that he’s about to become a grandfather. Tipper responded with, “All these music people are suddenly getting old.” I said, “It happens to the best of us.” She shot back, “Nah, we’ve known you were old a long time.” Damn, girl! Someone hand me my cane.

I’m going to stop here because I need to finish getting ready for my oncology appointment this morning. Whee! I get to give them more blood! I’m not expecting anything to have dramatically changed. We have six more months of this mess. I’m ready for it all to be over.

Meanwhile, does coffee count as a meal? I’m thinking anything after the fourth cup…

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

Morning Update: 10/03/24

October 3, 2024

We are running more than an hour late this morning. Neither of the kids has school again until the 14th, so there’s a high probability that we’ll be sleeping later during that time. The dogs don’t seem to mind, though the cats put up quite a fuss. Of course, the cats put up a fuss even when I’m on time with their food. There’s no way to win that battle. Ever.

Most of the food we lost during the power outage has been replaced, thanks to the generous help we’ve received from family and friends. The challenge now is finding the energy to cook anything. Kat warmed up a frozen quiche for dinner last night, which was delicious. And there’s a pork butt she got for 99 cents a pound that should be ready to slow cook. The issue will be on Saturday when she’s not here. I went to bed before 7:30 last night and had no trouble sleeping for 12 hours. I’m still tired this morning and am looking forward to my first nap. I tried testing my endurance yesterday by not taking any naps until after 3:30 in the afternoon, but given how tired I still feel this morning, I don’t think I can regard that test as successful.

Tomorrow is my first oncology appointment in over four months. I’m assuming that my white blood cell count is going to be down, my sugar should be back in a reasonable place, and everything else should be normal. The fatigue is going to continue being there and only time will tell whether it will linger after I go off the chemo in March of next year. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and not have as many health issues for a while. Given our family history, though, I’m not betting on it.

The effects of Hurricane Helene are grim. Grandparents were found hugging each other after a fallen tree killed them in their South Carolina home. We’re only going to see more stories like that. The Shock of deadly floods is a reminder of Appalachia’s risk from violent storms in a warming climate. Under pressure to control housing costs, Republican lawmakers rejected standards meant to protect against disasters, That could be an election issue, but chances are high that many people affected by the hurricane won’t be able to vote as towns are not likely to have recovered sufficiently by November 5. FEMA aid is arriving, but some people are still on their own. A lot of the towns and villages in the Appalachian Mountains were remote, accessible by roads that no longer exist. Getting any aid to them is almost impossible.

Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild and while that has long been a valid question, the increasing intensity and frequency of storms pushes more people to move away from the area. For those along the Atlantic coast, now is not a good time to return. Hurricane Kirk could cause dangerous surf conditions along the US East Coast, especially the barrier islands, many of which still lack any connection to the mainland. This is the reality in the US now. We might as well start planning for these events so that we’re not so horribly affected by them. Hurricanes like Helene are deadly when they strike and keep killing for years to come. Hundreds of thousands of deaths related to these storms occur for many years after anyone stops paying attention. We may think we’re not at risk, but we’re wrong.

Politically charged headlines, especially those related to Israel, Iran, Gaza, and Jordan, are pretty much the same as they have been the past two months. Am I the only one who’s tired of them? With the refusal on the part of leaders to agree to a cease-fire, I’m ready to throw up my hands and let whatever is going to happen, happen. We’ve tried to encourage peace, yet innocent people are still dying. If there’s anything we can do to stop the stupidity, no one’s doing it.

Meanwhile, Condoms aren’t a fact of life for young Americans. They’re an afterthought. With workable AIDS medications now available, much of the fear that pushed condom use has disappeared. Never mind that all those other nasty STDs are still out there and still a problem. Syphilis, anyone? Wrap it up, kids.

Mormons push ahead with global temple building boom despite cool reception in Las Vegas. This continues the pattern of religions going where no one wants or needs them. Of course, religion always argues that they are needed, that there are souls to be saved, but centuries of data would indicate that society is better off without them. All of them. We need to tell them to go the fuck away.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it would ban the import of goods from a Chinese steel manufacturer and a Chinese maker of artificial sweetener, accusing both of being involved in the use of forced labor from China’s far-west region of Xinjiang. This may affect some construction costs and the price of zero-sugar products, which are already too fucking expensive, but it’s past time to call out China on its long-standing slavery issues.

State and local election officials have made so much progress in securing voting, ballot-counting, and other election infrastructure that the system is more robust than it has ever been, said Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. As a result, she said, there is no way Russia, Iran, or any other foreign adversary will be able to alter the results. Make no mistake, efforts like this, and the fact they’re being made public, are a direct result of challenges to the 2020 election. No one interested in an honest outcome to the election wants to repeat that disgraceful experience. Yet, Republicans have been setting the stage for the past four years to challenge elections even in places where the outcome doesn’t affect the final vote count.

US school-entry vaccination rates fall as exemptions keep rising. This is just stupid. The vaccination works, you idiots. Stop putting kids at risk.

Iranian state media says at least 26 people have died after drinking alcoholic beverages that contained toxic methanol. Accident? Probably not.

Look, the world is not in a good place right now. Civilization stands on the brink of collapse with the elevation of risk factors we don’t even talk about. Headlines such as “Putin Keeps Threatening to Use Nuclear Weapons. Would He?” only touch on one of the critical areas that could prove devastating for all of us. Business owners and foreign governments are preparing for bigger trade wars if Donald Trump is voted back into office. This would result in a level of inflation that many people around the world can’t overcome. In a Cat-and-Mouse Game, Russian Oil Tankers Are Flying New Flags. Someone’s always looking to skirt the laws. We pay the price. Literally.

What can we do? We can vote, but even that has a limited effect. We can’t control the actions of other people. Passing laws only works if people obey those laws, and what we’ve seen in the past ten years is that too many people, especially politicians, are just fine breaking those laws.

Look for the things that make you happy. Do them. To hell with the consequences. I have dogs and people that love me. Hamilton spent much of last night with his head on my chest. Do you have any idea how great that made me feel? Sure, the entire bed is covered in animal hair, but that seems a small price to pay for the happiness that comes with their presence.

And there’s coffee.

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

Morning Update: 10/02/24

October 2, 2024

Slowly, we’re recovering from the power outage. I am amazed by the outpouring of generous help that we’ve received. Hopefully, we’ll have everything restocked by the time the kids go on Fall Break next week and devour everything in sight. Life will remain a bit hectic as we try to get caught up on laundry and other chores. The weather looks decent for the remainder of the week, so perhaps we’ll get the lawn cleaned up and have a chance to make sure we’ve not missed any damage.

Tipper is mad at me this morning because I won’t let her go to a friend’s house after school. Why am I being so mean? She didn’t finish the dishes last night. She was warned multiple times of the consequences. She only made excuses. And, in her 14-year-old mind, it’s all my fault. I’m laughing inside as I type this because what she left are probably the easiest dishes to wash: plastic Rubbermaid containers. None of them were stained with tomato sauce, so it wouldn’t have taken more than five minutes to finish up. But no, I’m a horrible person for asking her to do so much.

We’re trying to finalize arrangements for G to spend his fall break in Florida with a friend. The biggest sticking point at the moment is no one is sure how much damage the area about an hour North of Tampa received. I think we’ll get that figured out, though, and then we get to deal with the anxiety that comes with letting our 15-year-old (almost 16, he would say) go that far from home without us. He’s responsible. The family he’s going with is cool. Still, if Kat and I suddenly disappear next week, you’ll know we got a message and are on our way to pick him up.

Information about the devastation from Hurricane Helene continues to pour in. The death toll stands at 166 this morning and it’s only going to go higher. In the small town of Erwin, TN, 11 workers at a plastics factory were swept away by surprise flood waters. Only five have been found. I’m sure there are going to be more such stories as rescuers make their way into the remote areas of Tennessee and North Carolina. Sadly, first responders who were attempting to help the victims are among the dead. There’s no amount of aid that can fix this. No one can bring back the lives lost, the families whose entire existence was swept away. This was one of those events that reshapes a region. The people and the places may rebuild in time, but nothing will be the same.

Last night’s vice-presidential debate was too polite for aggressive Americans, apparently. Personally, I was in bed and asleep. I think that was a better use of my time. If you’re interested, here are 13 different reviews of the debate. Or, you can jump straight to the required fact-checking. You know politicians lie. You need to know which ones are completely false. The list is always much too long.

Israel, Iran, Jordan, and Gaza are all being controlled by war hawks who have absolutely no concern for the number of innocent lives they are taking. Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes have killed at least 51 people in southern Gaza overnight, including women and children. India warns its citizens not to travel to Iran, and quite honestly, I think one would be an idiot to be caught in any of the affected countries at this point. Of course, Yemen’s Houthi rebels are looking to gain from continuing conflict in the Middle East because there are far too many people in the world who look to take advantage of others’ suffering. Every last bit of this war is unnecessary and the “leaders” all have blood on their hands.

Suffering is everywhere, though. A Typhoon bringing heavy rain is slowly heading toward Taiwan, where 4,000 have evacuated. In Japan, a WWII-era bomb exploded near an airport runway, canceling 87 flights. And making matters worse for everyone, Fentanyl makers are exploiting holes in US trade law in an effort to kill as many Americans as possible.

There have always been bad people in the world, but the glut of information we now possess gives us the ability to be more aware. There’s a very interesting article in this morning’s NYTimes about the “billionaire preachers” who control Texas. For me, the phrase “billionaire preachers” is a rage-inducing oxymoron. If preachers are billionaires, then they’re obviously not taking care of people in the manner scripture demands. This isn’t new for Texas, though. Religious leaders have been taking control of the political scene in that state since 1972. That’s one of the reasons I could never live there and one of the reasons I don’t want anything to do with Christianity.

After looking through all the news this morning, the one thing that stands out is the need to hold government leaders in every country to a higher moral standard. Not a religious standard, mind you, but one that puts human rights at the top of everyone’s focus. Governments should help, not hurt. Governments should enhance life, not delete it. Governments should make lives better, not try to make a profit off of pain. You and I must make this standard a priority when we vote, and object like hell when our government steps out of bounds.

I started early with the coffee this morning. I’m in no mood to put up with political bullshit.

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