WTF-Beta

Wow!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mkTGmpNSxDLyVW496

This is the most that the "homelessness industry" of governments and non-profits with budgets in the range of 10's of billions can seem to accomplish or arguably wants to accomplish.

No electricity. No sanitation. No running water. A bed and desk that would be suitable for a prison cell. Limited units. Applications. Surveillance. Time limits.

These structures are better than tents. I can't think of anything else good to say about them.

I think people become homeless for many reasons but I think the elephant in the room is that today vast numbers of people with or without employment, with or without children, of every age group, and in every state, are becoming homeless because there is clearly a profound disconnect between the cost of housing and other costs of living, and individual and household incomes, with the situation being exacerbated by inflation.

I feel kind of embarrassed when I see this type of-- "Let's pat ourselves on the back" local news reports, and similar ones, for example, reporting on the "generosity" of our region's largest hospital giving away used pieces of foam from hospital gurneys to homeless people.

Many people in the government and non-profits "spaces" make a lot of money on "combating" homelessness.

My personal opinion is that no substantively effective solution to ending or substantially reducing homelessness is on the horizon.

@realplayer Thanks, Joe.

A tucan was photographed in a tree in downtown Saint Petersburg yesterday. I randomly saw the post and the picture on FB today. I've never seen one. This is the first time I've heard of anyone seeing one.

@mik Thanks. Life is good and getting better every day.

One nice thing about being my age is society doesn't waste its time with all that-- when are you going to get married?, etc. I remember it well and don't miss it at all.

I walked (very carefully and slowly) last night to the clubhouse to charge my phone charger and then back again after a couple of hours.

I tested the leg. It's painful but I can walk without limping if I concentrate.

I think I achieved stretching the leg muscles a little that could be stretched and strengthening the ones a little surrounding the injuries.

The injuries seem to be located in two places. One is deep inside the left thigh. One is on the right side of the leg below where the hip bone ends.

One of the things I can do and plan to do after I move is to get imaging of my lower back, right hip, and both knees. Then I'm going to physical therapy.

It was... adventurous.

I've got three of my wounds covered in two or more coats of liquid Bandaid. The one with no skin needs an actual bandage. I have one left and can't walk. SIL sent a Walmart+ order with large Bandaids, Neosporin, and 12 of my favorite Orgain organic vanilla protein shakes. ️

We have small black snakes. They are a valuable part of the ecosystem.

Well, I saw one (for only the second time) a few days ago. I went to get my phone to take a picture but of course it was long gone.

The cats around here are real street survivors. They rarely let anyone near them.

The lady who lives next door is an exception. They love her. She has an orange one that was living inside her house but insisted on moving back outside. She's been in the hospital and her son's been taking care of the house.

He is clearly not getting as much food as he's used to getting and I found him on my porch the other day. He jumped back outside (the screen door's lower screen is missing) but he didn't run away. I went out the screen door and he got close to me but still wouldn't let me touch him.

The cats in Hawaii behaved very differently. The ones on Hawaii Island and Maui were not afraid of people at all.

I found an ad I felt great about finding. The phone number was hidden in code. I'm calling tomorrow to have two washers and one dryer taken away for free per out 5th (!) carport rule violation notice. How many of these messed did I make? None.

You are to be evicted per Florida Statute upon receiving a 3rd such notice.

Well, the manager gets furious every time, but we have a good working relationship, including of course good communication.

She doesn't want to evict. Not to put too fine a point on it but she notorized my legal paperwork after rounding up the head of the HOA and the maintenance manager to be my witnesses.

We're playing the long game. I don't know what RM is doing. I think he's lost in his own reality. I've lost the ability to care about it.

Now that I'm walking with a limp, I have no choice but to double bag the garbage and pile it up to the kitchen ceiling.

RM walks all over creation with is his little push carts. He can take it. Or not.

@CHAS said:

Surprising considering the high percentage of Mormons in Idaho.

Or not. Lol!

Yeah, I pay attention to a couple of them, specifically Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. I've promised myself not to talk about politics but "America First" must be the biggest joke in the history of American elections or at least tied for it.

Link to video

We are the poorer for the privatization and deregulation we have seen and those who come after us will be the poorer for the privatization and deregulation yet to to be seen.

I remembered telling a much valued poster here, a stalwart contributor if ever there was one, that the Democrats were coming after Social Security.

He said politely that I might be right but that he didn't believe it.

Well, I had plenty of evidence, or I wouldn't have said it.

I'll also note that when the Democrats held the Presidency, and both Houses of Congress, they made no attempt to use the regular committee process, that had been used to amend The Social Security Act from the start of the Social Security Act, to align what was then, and is now, a surplus, with what they knew then, and know now, will soon be a deficit.

They did nothing if you don't count forming a meaningless advisory council that was privately funded by a billionaire with a lifelong agenda of privatizing Social Security.

They behaved in a derilect and disgraceful way.

Today, a faction of Democrats is trying to argue with a straight face that the Democrats lost to Trump because their policy positions weren't "MAGA" enough and is trying to fix the problem as they see it.

I forgot who said you never die in the world in which you were born but there's truth in it.

No, I do not want the TSA to be privatized.

And I didn't even know it was one of my skillz. Ha.

So It was late and there was nobody to let me through the gate.

So I started to quickly climb over it. I know precisely how.

I'll stipulate to being an idiot off the bat because I already have a sore lower back and right hip and neither has been imaged let alone diagnosed.

Also, I should have been aware of my surroundings. I would have had to wait for a minute.

Well, I think I know what I'm doing and don't hesitate.

I get to the top and I'm straddling the gate. My hands are on the pole that doesn't move and basically the rest of my weight is on the gate itself.

All of a sudden, I realize the gate is opening. Of course I realize it's not going to stop. I can see the ground about 6 1/2 ft under me and know time is running out. I have to let go.

So, I let go and control my landing, and land on my feet.

The damage? Two small but open abrasions on the inner part of each thigh, a small but open and wide scratch on my wrist, a bloody spot on my right palm with a flap of skin I later remove because it's useless, and torn (?) muscles on the inside of my right thigh causing me to limp.

I think I will take this as a sign that I've aged out of being able to climb over physical obstacles.

Oh, well.

It was a practical skill to have while it lasted.

Daniel, quit gymnastics at 36, quit climbing at 58.

@AndyD said:

@Daniel said:

@AndyD said:

So I was browsing the charity shops of Durham City, and found that one is moving. Selling off stock, 10 books/cds for a pound, to eliminate moving costs. 10p a book!
This is the most lovely gardening book, though for the larger English garden, I guess it can be applied anywhere.
MrsA is our gardener, I prune the trees, hedge, lawn. This is an inspirational book however, beautifully painted plans to go with photos...

I wonder why England has the best gardens with maybe Italy a close second followed by France. Or maybe it's a matter of personal taste and I'm biased in favor of England because I'm a native English speaker. Who knows. Beautiful book. Congrats.

Could be partly taste; Japan has lovely gardens, with small stone bridges over water, and I love their stone lanterns.

Yes, how could I forget.

This is great! I haven't been on Facebook but most of the people I know are on it. It's like having a crystal ball!

I've found my local Facebook MP listings.

I'm trying to contact a free scrap metal haul place. There's actually three. It keeps glitching before I can send a message.

Strange things like asking me the same questions over and again. Not accepting my answers. Telling me I've tried too many times and try again later.

I should probably give up for today. 🤪