WTF-Beta

@Bernard Agreed, it’s distraction time.

Although I can’t help but notice that only women get fired. (Noem, Bondi.) Going on to special important jobs elsewhere.

We have urban coyotes in our neighborhood. This one was in our back yard a couple weeks ago. It’s on its way out the side gate.

Take good care of both of you! Glad things are improving. A long road, steady pace, always upward!

It’s $5.09 at the corner Shell station (my usual fill-up spot, with Kroger points to knock it down.)

John Pavlovitz has second thoughts on what he said before. No Kings Day Helped Me Find Some Things I'd Lost

“…No Kings Day was a much-needed reminder of how vital joy, hope, diversity, and our collective efforts are in resisting this Renaissance of hatred.

Our Republic is still in great peril, but we, its fierce caretakers who number in the tens of millions, are still not ready to consent to defeat.

With all we’ve had thrown at us for ten years by this b*tshit wanna be despot, his morally bankrupt accomplices, and his critical thinking-impaired cultic disciples, that, in itself, is a victory.”

I protest for the joy in seeing like-minded people. I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind. But I don’t want people to think that I’m fine with the current despot’s shenanigans.

I forgot to check the corner Shell station; last I looked it was $4.99. But I bought gas last week in the neighboring county that has lower gas taxes, so I paid $4.69 but I had points for 50 cents off, so $4.19 at Kroger. I’m planning my next Costco run to coincide with my next fill up.

Thank you for keeping this forum humming!

It’s a great program. Dolly Parton is a wonderful human being.

Yes! It was a gorgeous day in Portland, Oregon. A rally at the waterfront, and then a march. So many signs!

Always more fun to protest with friends.

The unions meet before the main rally, and marched in over the bridge together.

My group didn’t actually march; we participated in a performance art piece with umbrellas on the Burnside Bridge. If you zoom in, you can see us with our white umbrellas at the top of the second E in the word KEEP.

That’s my protest umbrella/parasol/sign. Very handy! I made it for the first No Kings event, and just keep adding to it.

Did anyone else go?

@Steve-Miller Where are you going in Spain?

Pay to play…

The Akebono cherry trees are blooming on the Portland waterfront.

And the teacup magnolias are riotously beautiful.

I feel like if we wait a moment, the government will find a way to approve of those routers, FOR A FEE. Which would of course be passed on by the company to the consumer.

@AndyD I wish I’d had a week! It feels like Paris, which I love, so culturally significant. So many museums (I love art museums), and so much public art. And everything is so much older than where I live; the Europeans didn’t start colonizing here on the west coast of the US until the 1800s.

The friend I flew over with decided to extend her trip because her husband was going to be away when we were returning. She went to Granada and Seville. Her pictures from Seville make me want to visit there, too.

I speak a little French, no Spanish, but things were pretty easy to figure out with a Latin language in common.

We visited Barcelona in 2018, and I liked it. But I loved Madrid.

Finally had a moment to write up my trip. It’s on my blog, because it’s searchable if I want to easily access it again later.

Get yourself some churros and chocolate, and café con leche, and give it a read!

Three days in Madrid

4 Days in Alicante, Spain

A piano at the Royal Palace in Madrid, early 19th century. It has five pedals for registers such as bassoon, drum, or bells. Or so says my translation app!

How wonderful! Enjoy your day!

Congratulations, Dwain! I think I’m going to reacquaint myself with Dan and Greg by re-reading Plausible Deception, and then swing into Sinner’s Prayer.

I like the Loop earplugs; I use the Experience 2 for concerts/live music. They also have some for sleeping. They stay in, and if you get a magnetic lanyard (theirs or aftermarket), they also stay around your neck when you want to take them out for a while.

I used to use Etymotics, but I lost those in Nashville and had to change to something less easy to lose!

I guess that means that they made the flamingo tongues?