September 28, 2020

I echo your sentiments and go further.

I think every single appointment judicial or otherwise, every ruling, every proclamation, every decree, every firing, every forced retirement, every departure from an international organization or treaty, every single thing that drumpf and his minions have done should be annulled. Every dollar of salary given to drumpf, his minions and his appointees should be relinquished. Every grift should be investigated and prosecuted when appropriate. Every official fired for political motivations should be returned to the job and/or given back pay, or deserved retirement benefits (Andrew McCabe). Unfortunately we can not bring back the lives and health of the hundreds of thousands dead and scarred by the drumpf plague and his failed responses to natural disasters. The title of 45th president of the United States should be stripped from the imposter and given to the next president validly elected after President Obama.

And that's just for starters.

September 25, 2020

A good friend of our family killed herself by jumping from a high bridge near my home

when I was young, and even now, decades later I think of her every single time I travel that bridge. Several years and many deaths after the event, the state finally put up fencing on the bridge to make suicide attempts much more difficult.

I'm surprised that the OP's bridge would not have had barriers planned as part of its initial design. It is beautiful, though.

Sorry for your sorrow, JoeO.

June 3, 2020

Who gets to decide what is respectful regarding a flag?

The whole issue is complete asinine. How close does a flag have to be, and what group-sanctioned activity, such as the recitation of the pledge of allegiance, has to be going on, for people to be told they have to act respectfully? What if someone is disabled and can't, say, stand and put their hand over their heart? What if someone is mentally impaired and can't understand what is going on? What if you're working on projects at home while a national anthem is playing before a sporting event on the TV in the other room? What IS being respectful? Saluting, hand over the heart, sign of the cross, tap-dancing, acting out the "Stella!" scene from "Streetcar"? Where's the boundary? Why is kneeling not considered respectful? People kneel in (some) churches all the time. Are they not being respectful to their god? What if people are "acting" respectfully but thinking disrespectfully, or via versa? Are we getting into the issues of mind police? Oh, I'm burning a flag! What's going on in my mind? Am I burning it in a riot as an act of protest, or "respectfully" following the protocol of the US Flag Code? What if I'm following the protocol for burning the flag respectfully but I'm thinking disrespectful thoughts? What if I'm driving my jacked-up 4x4 with a 12-foot flag hanging off the back that has been reduced to tatters, each little bit slowly wearing off and landing in a ditch or street gutter somewhere? This whole issue just needs to shrivel up and blow away.

May 15, 2020

Sometimes "we" means "the royal you"

as in, when the metastasized mango-meal merde-gibbon says, "We're all in this together."

May 3, 2020

Here's the best way I've ever come across to remember how to handle the "its" apostrophe:

You never "have" to use it.

If you want a possessive pronoun, the word is "its."

If you want a contraction, you don't "have" to use a contraction; you can instead use the two words "it is" from which the contraction is formed. Knowing that, you can then make the contraction "it's" if you so choose. But it is a choice. (See what I did there?)

[I've put "have" in quotes above because of course there are times you have to use the word "it's," such as if there is a need for informality, or you're quoting someone's speech, or if you're writing verbatim what someone wrote who made the mistake of putting the apostrophe into the possessive pronoun.]

The second best way I've ever come across to remember how to handle the "its" apostrophe:

The possessive pronouns are my, our, your, his, her, its, and their. There's also an “independent” form of each of these pronouns: mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs. Think of the singular first person possessive pronouns: my and mine. They don't end in an apostrophe s. So, neither should the rest of the possessive pronouns.

Use this knowledge at your own risk.

March 27, 2020

I was just about to post the exact same thing.

I've thought about that a lot over the past few weeks as the crisis has deepened due to covid-45's criminal behavior. I've also thought that this consortium of states could have knowledgeable spokespeople provide factual information to the public to counter the misadministration's lies.

March 9, 2020

Cancellation of the Tucson Festival of Books

https://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?id=772

It is with great sadness that the Board of Directors of the Tucson Festival of Books has chosen to cancel the 2020 Tucson Festival of Books. We know the Festival of Books brings much joy to many in our community as well as visitors from around the country. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation this year where we are unable to provide a quality festival for several reasons:

Amid concerns over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we have experienced more than 100 author cancellations; authors have expressed deep regret that they will not be able to spend the weekend with us. This has deeply affected our author panel schedule and we anticipate more changes and cancellations will be forthcoming. This leaves us with little or no way to plan for author panels or to communicate effectively with the public about those changes.

Over the weekend, our board initially made the decision to make the 2020 festival a “touch free” festival, meaning that authors would not be shaking hands/hugging or taking selfies with festival goers. As a result, we had to cancel the interactive, hands-on activities and tours in Science City, and modify many activities in the children’s area, again diminishing the festival experience.

...

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This free annual book fair is a major regional event that was scheduled to take place next weekend. The two-day festival draws over 135,000 people.

February 15, 2020

Border wall is quickly changing look of desert in southwestern Arizona

https://tucson.com/news/local/border-wall-is-quickly-changing-look-of-desert-in-southwestern/article_a37abc98-678b-5d51-9201-9c5c2ace85f1.html

quoting...
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As construction has progressed in recent months, environmental advocates have raised concerns about the impact on Organ Pipe, which is part of the national park system and was designated as a biosphere reserve by the United Nations.

Hundreds of saguaros and other cacti were dug up and moved out of the construction zone. Others were destroyed outright. A National Park Service report last year cautioned that Tohono O’odham artifacts could be destroyed when the road along the border is cleared for construction.

Last week, construction crews started blasting along the border line that runs over Monument Hill near Lukeville. That news came just days after cottonwood trees were cut down at the San Pedro River in Cochise County to make way for a wall across the river.

===================

I am extremely upset at this border wall construction defiling the pristine Arizona-Sonora desert, and our national monuments, primitive areas, and the last of our southern Arizona free-flowing rivers, the San Pedro. I am upset at it dividing wildlife populations, and blocking the roaming of jaguars, mountain lions, and other species for whom such roaming is necessary for their continued diversity and survival. I am upset at the expense of it all, the blight on the landscape, the illegal diversion of funds to create it, the message it sends to the world, the mindset it instills in us as Americans.

What I want to see is elected democratic officials, and democrats running for office (not just president, but other offices as well) promise that under a new democratic administration, they will work to tear down the wall and beat the bars into metaphorical plowshares. I think that could create a very large groundswell of support.

"Tear down this wall!"

February 11, 2019

Thank you for the hearts!

I'm not a big poster, as you can see from my post count, even though I've had an account since 2008. I have been posting a bit more recently, and got my first heart ever a few days ago from TheOther95Percent (thank you!), who had a thread inviting people to post their nicknames for our president* in exchange for a heart. ("Drumpf" is what I use.) But I've gotten two more since last night, perhaps in response to my first post in Latest Breaking News regarding "Trump tries to turn border debate his way with El Paso rally." Thank you to my anonymous donors!

In spite of my low post count, this place really is my go-to every day to see what the current news is, and what is brewing. I chime in when I have the time and feel as though I have something relevant and constructive to say. This site really is an amazing resource and support community.

Cheers!

January 1, 2019

A poll to put us in the mood for a Democratically led House

I am SO looking forward to the Democrats finally bringing to the House some real oversight and investigations with teeth.

I've found myself wondering:

If Drumpf were given non-consecutive jail sentences for all the crimes he's committed since he turned 18, and the sentencing was just, what do you think his total jail time would be?

Cheers for a brand new shiny 2019.