Let Me Explain

History in the Making

We were watching the 5:30 p.m. local news when they interrupted the program with breaking news from CBS News.

The former guy had been officially indicted by a grand jury in New York. The charges apparently stem from hush money payments to a porn star, but the indictment has been sealed and that's really all the public knows.

I strongly suspect there is more to it than that, or the indictment would not have been handed down.  CNN is reporting this morning that there are more than 30 counts of business fraud against the former guy. There will be more information as the thing moves forward.

That said, I do believe the man needs to be in jail, not for paying off a porn star, but for trying to undermine the functionality of the government and the U.S. Constitution. He should be behind bars for attempting a coup.

I do not believe that any indictments or trials against the former guy are politically motivated simply because he was/is a politician (and running for the office of president again). I believe in the rule of law, and I also believe that no one is above the law - and the Department of Justice's current stance that sitting presidents can't be touched is simply wrong. We do not have kings in this country. Presidents are not demi-gods here. They're just men.

And men who break the law should go to jail.

This is the first time a former president has been indicted, so it's history-making. Were there presidents who should have been indicted after they left office? Probably. I always thought George W. Bush committed war crimes and should have been held responsible for that. All of that torture and Guantanamo Bay stuff could not have been legal.

Here in Virginia, our own governor, Bob McDonnell, was indicted and convicted of federal corruption charges. He was the first Virginia governor to be convicted of a felony. It ruined his career. The conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States and the Justice Department decided not to re-try the case.

Let's not forget Oliver North, who was convicted for the Iran-Contra affair (charges vacated in exchange for Congressional testimony). He was on the National Security Council at the time. Not a high-ranking official, but not a nobody, either.

There is a long list of indictments and prosecutions against federal politicians here. None of these people were immune simply because they were in politics.

So, there's precedent for this, at least at the state level. The former guy is not going to go to jail; there will be a trial, and if he's found guilty, he will appeal. He will continue to walk among us, unless federal charges come through.

Whether or not this is enough to convince many of his followers that the guy doesn't walk on hallowed ground with every step he takes, is another matter. I'm afraid the former guy is merely representative of a large minority of Americans, who are racist and hateful people. I don't understand what they're angry about, but they are angry.

Here's the Explanation

I am angry, too, because this is not the United States I felt I was promised when I was growing up. I watched my father rise from literally nothing to being a wealthy businessman. He had opportunities that my brother and I did not, because in 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected. From that moment on, the America that I recognized began to change, and the rolling boulder of societal collapse began building.

Like many my age, I did not see it creeping up on us. I was busy trying to establish a career, trying to keep a husband happy, and trying to have children. I didn't like it when the regulations over media were changed - I could see that was going to be a problem. I didn't like it when it became obvious there had been shenanigans with the Middle East that had ended Jimmy Carter's presidency. I didn't like the changes to the welfare system instituted under Bill Clinton (I also didn't care who he slept with, just like I don't care who the former guy slept with.). I'm pretty sure Al Gore should have been president in 2000, and would have been, except for Supreme Court intervention. I was completely against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, two years after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. I was horrified by the PATRIOT ACT. I think that is when I began paying more attention.

In a Thursday Thirteen post yesterday, I noted 14 points of fascism and said I blamed both sides. Partly that was because I knew if I placed the blame solely upon Republicans, the Republicans that I wanted to read the piece would not. But it was also because I do blame the Democrats, too. 

I blame the Democrats for not paying attention, for letting things get to this point, and for not acting sooner to stop gun violence, to create a fairer tax system, for not working to stem racism, sexism, and all the other "isms" that upset people. The Democrats at times (admittedly small windows, but still) had the numbers to push through a federal law on abortion and they did not. They could have fought to keep the assault weapon ban in place when it expired in 2004. I don't know why they let that one get by them. Do I think the assault weapon ban would have hindered some of the domestic terrorism we're experiencing today? You bet.

Maybe Democrats play too nice. I know from the right-wing stuff I read that they think the Democrats are forcing diversity and equality down their throats and taking away their version of religion, and that the Democrats are the fascists (a word which seems to have replaced "socialist" in their lexicon), but I don't see that. Maybe I'm on the wrong side of the fence to see that so I can't see it, because I don't believe in meddling in other people's lives and just want to be left alone. 

What I do see is that some Democrats were more concerned with maintaining their seats and positions than they were with ensuring that the dreams of their constituents had validity. So they did next to nothing to counteract the authoritarian bent of their peers on the right.

Truly, it is not the Democrats whom I consider to be fascists and authoritarians. That lies solely at the feet of Republicans. The Democrats may have rolled over, but it's the Republicans who have actively worked to undermine the things - including the singular thing, the United States Constitution - that made this country great, and instead have made this country less than it could be. 

Republicans have cut taxes, fought against infrastructure improvements, turned things that government should run over to the private sector, created culture wars and upset people over stupid things like books, Disney, and the statue of David in Italy, for heaven's sake. The Democrats are not the ones undermining the very foundation of the New Deal (which gave my father the advantages he had), they're not the ones threatening Social Security and Medicare, they are not the ones kowtowing to a man who is not worthy of the dirt on the bottom of their own shoes. Republicans are doing that.

Not all Democrats are good people, just like not all good people are Democrats. I know some very nice folks who vote Republican, for whatever reason. When I talk with a reasonable Republican (yes, there are many, the far right calls them RINOs), generally it boils down to wanting the same thing; the difference is merely in the way we go about obtaining it. And frequently, at least to my face, they'll agree with me that yes, some corporations need to pay more, that the infrastructure needs indicate that more government, not less, is justified. (But they still don't want their money going to some non-white person with babies.)

So yes, both parties have contributed to the decline of this country and to the chaos I now see around me. But one party has contributed by being active. The other has simply been too passive.

I'll end this now with what I really believe in, deep in my soul:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And I'll note that Justice is first, followed by domestic Tranquility.

It's Justice that is working on the former guy right now. Domestic Tranquility is now just a dream, and the source, I feel, of current cultural unrest.

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 14 indications/characteristics of fascism, as laid out by Lawrence Britt, a historian. When different segments of the population call one another fascist, they should at least know what they're talking about.

I am not aiming this at anyone, this is just information. Do with it what you will. 

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

Fascist regimes use patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” People look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, and long incarcerations of prisoners.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists…

4. Supremacy of the Military

Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism

The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation.

6. Controlled Mass Media

Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or by sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Government censorship and secrecy, especially in war time, are very common.

7. Obsession with National Security

Fear of hostile foreign powers is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined

Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

9. Protection of Corporate Power

The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Suppression of Labor Power 

Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment

Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections

Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

(My personal opinion is we are already here, on both sides of the aisle, and it will be a long time before it is overcome.)

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 801st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Like Pre-War Germany

Are you a parent? How can you be a parent in this country and not nearly suffocate from fear every time you send your child out to school, or you yourself go the supermarket and may not make it back home to take care of that child . . . because, you know, having deaths is the price we pay for our "god-given"* right to own a weapon.

 

Or how do you not worry that the police will come when your wife takes birth control pills eventually? Because they're trying to pass laws for that.

They're also trying to pass laws to make it illegal for someone besides a parent to transport or assist a minor in obtaining an abortion. There are households where incest is the norm. I think it's sick to force a girl to give birth to her brother.

And then we have the bans on the statue of David, and book banning, and . . . more and more domestic terrorism. How is an asshole with a rifle walking into a school and shooting it up any different from someone from Palestine walking into Israel with a bomb strapped to them? They're the same. Is the gun killing a better way to die? I think not. Or maybe it's because we're white and the Islamic terrorists aren't that makes it all better?

WTF is happening in this country?

How do I - or anyone else - figure out if what we are seeing is popular support for fascism, as opposed to fearful, tactical acquiescence? Or just a lot of somewhat crazy people being caught up in the moment, taken in by the language that plays upon their fears and concerns?

Because while the extreme far right nuts want to call Democrats fascist, they are the ones attempting to curtail rights, ban books, and burn down the US Constitution. It's not Democrats, though the far left has its share of nuts. I foresee a day when the Democrats could do the very same thing, only in some kind of crazy-making reverse.

Culture wars are dismal and are used to force the masses to think this way or that. They are used to create fear, to cause distrust, to disseminate false narratives, to make us into puppets. They are not used to better society, to create hope, to make lives better.

Nothing about what is going on in this country right now is making lives better.

This dive into fascism and authoritarianism, this drive to "win" at all costs - is sick. This must be how a normal person felt in pre-World War II Germany. They could see the insanity all around them, but they didn't know how to stop it.

I don't know how to stop it. Or what to do about it. And frankly, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what's happening, and I'm afraid I'm going to be one of those people who ducks her head and hides out of fearful, tactical acquiescence.

Every morning, I wake up to crazy. It's easy to become immune to crazy, to begin to see it as normal.

What we have going on here ain't normal, folks. If you can't see that, then you're part of the problem, and to be honest, I don't give a damn who I offend. If you think school shootings are a good price to pay to own a gun, if you think banning books is a great thing, if you think women should die instead of having an abortion, then you're the problem. 

If people would just mind their own business and leave everyone else alone, we wouldn't have this problem. Obviously, people have too much time on their hands since they want to mind everyone's business but their own.

Go mind your own business, whatever that is, and leave the rest of us alone. What I read, what I do with my body, what I think, who I associate with, what kind of sex I have in bed - none of that's your business. Seriously, it isn't.

If you are a parent, it is your business that your schools be safe and that you come home from the supermarket. That means you should consider gun control laws. It means if you think a book is bad, you take it away from your kid. You don't stop other kids from reading it.

You take care of yourself and your own. But you don't impose your will or your wishes upon others unless it is to make for a safer, saner society. But it has to be an honest effort, like gun control (not ban, control. There is a difference.). 

Book banning is not an honest effort. It's just Nazism disguised as protecting children.

We are all just doing the best we can, but some folks seem hell-bent on making it harder on the rest of us than it needs to be. 

How did we get to this nasty, awful place in our society, with awful, nasty people dominating the public conversation?

How did watching people die become so easy?

How do we change into what I truly believe we could be, a people of love, joy, and compassion? How do we reach closed minds?

How do we just live our lives when others want to live them for us?

*The small "g" is intentional. My God doesn't say that.

Sports

Virginia Tech's women's basketball team is going to The Final Four! They had an amazing game last night against Ohio State.

Regular readers are probably doing a double take, as I seldom write about sports. But I have watched the last two Virginia Tech women's basketball games. I generally don't root for the Hokies - we're University of Virginia fans here - but when Virginia Tech is playing the big dogs, we are Virginians first and root for them.

The team will be going up against LSU on Friday night. I plan to watch that game, too.

Just because I don't watch sports doesn't mean I know nothing about them. I may not be up on player names, stats, etc., but I do understand how most games are played. I think I like basketball best of all, as it is almost always constant action.

Some sports are slow. Baseball bores me to sleep, as does golf, bowling, and tennis. I have watched women's tennis matches before, but all that batting back and forth becomes monotonous.

I enjoy ice skating, as I find it beautiful, and during the Olympics we watch other winter sports like the luge or skiing. We watch the summer Olympics, too, but not as much.

My husband is a big fan of racing, so he watches NASCAR. Let's face it, the only reason to watch NASCAR (look, they're making a left turn! Now they're making another left turn!) is to watch somebody wreck. I lost my taste for that when I saw Dale Ernhardt die at Daytona in real time. My firefighter husband, watching the emergency folks, knew the driver was dead long before any announcement was made.

He does not watch football, baseball, or much of anything else, except for hunting shows. I suppose that's a sport, but it does not interest me. I'd rather do my shooting with a camera.

Since he does not watch other sports, I don't watch them, either. He reads the sports pages in the newspaper (yes, we still get a print newspaper), and I glance at them sometimes. Generally, I am more interested in the high school sports than anything else. I like to know how the local kids are doing.

Virginia Tech, at the moment, are the local kids.

It didn't take long to figure out who the stars on the team were. Georgia Amoore, who hails from Australia and is only 5' 6", is a stunning player on the court. She was free and easy with free-throws, and obviously a team leader. She dropped the ball into the net nearly every time with scarcely a thought (though she missed a number of 3 pt attempts last night). Elizabeth Kitley is also a strong player. She was the leading scorer last night.

So, go Hokies! Yay for the women's team!

Odds & Ends

The DMV

Last week, I had cause to visit the local Division of Motor Vehicles. In pre-Covid times, this was a nightmare. One set aside an entire afternoon simply to drop something off at the DMV.

After Covid, in the now, the DMV has figured out it can schedule appointments. It has learned how to speed things through. 

I was doing something that could have, in pre-Covid days, taken hours.

I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. I made an appointment for 11 a.m. I arrived early. I was supposed to scan a QR code, but it said I was too early. It was 10:47 a.m. The security guard waved me on in, walked me past a line of people to an information clerk who was not doing anything, and she checked me in. She told me to go to Line 21.

I did. No one was in Line 21. The woman asked me if I was number thus and such, and I nodded. I told her what I needed. I'd already filled out the forms. She took care of what I needed, and as I stepped out the door I glanced at my watch. It said 11:02 a.m.

Fifteen minutes at the DMV. Who'd have thought it 10 years ago?

The Dream

The other night I dreamed that I was on another planet entirely. There were other people there; it was a settled world, but it wasn't Earth. The ground undulated from time to time, for one thing, but no one said a word about it. Somewhere off in the distance, these things with tentacles on them hovered off the ground, and they had a big orange "5" flashing on them. Some kind of native animal, I guess.

I apparently had written an article, and something was wrong with it, for I'd been called before the journalism board. They told me I'd written the story wrong, and I hadn't solved the crime. It wasn't my job to solve the crime, I explained. But since the crime wasn't solved - apparently it was a murder - I shouldn't have written the story.

"Then I'll go solve the damn crime!" I cried out (possibly even if my sleep) and I leapt up. I roamed around and found bits of human remains by someone's outdoor grill.

They had eaten Charles Barkley (the basketball player).

That was about the time I woke.

I know that Charles Barkley came from a TV commercial I'd seen that night, because I'd asked my husband who the man in the commercial was and it was he, but I don't know where the rest of the stuff came from. There is no "journalism board" that I am aware of or apart of; maybe if I actually worked at a newspaper there would be colleagues who would lay such charges, I don't know. Perhaps that came from watching Alaska Daily, which is a TV show about a news reporter in Alaska. I don't know what the big flashing orange "5" means, but it was so vivid in the dream - and so long in the background - it must indicate something.

The subconscious mind is a crazy place.

Another School Shooting

I don't know why we can ban the word "gay," ban books, ban drag, ban foods, ban drugs, ban the statue of David, etc., but can't do a damn thing about guns.

Hating on Myself

Yesterday, I hated every possible atom of my being. I hated my hair. I hated the fact that I can't wear makeup anymore because I've developed an allergy to it (all of it, apparently, even the ones supposedly safe make me itch). I hated the fact that I am fat. I hated that I feel like I do nothing (even though I know that's not true, just today I washed 3 loads of clothes, vacuumed the house, went to the grocery store, made the bed, did the dishes, and will fix dinner shortly). It was just that kind of day.

Unfortunately, it's carried over into today, and at the moment it's mostly aimed at my inability to cook well (it would help if I actually enjoyed cooking), because the pork loin I'd expected to feed us for 3 days at least turned out to be inedible. I cooked it in the crockpot the way I always do, but it was tough and pretty awful.

But so help me, I do not find satisfaction in reading recipes, and there is nothing about chopping vegetables or playing with naked uncooked meats that makes me happy or content. The only thing I like to do with food is eat it.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Working on anything exciting lately?

A. No. It's pretty boring around here. I need a good project.

2. What was the highlight of the day today?

A. This is Saturday. So far, the highlight has been a phone conversation with a friend.

3. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

A. My weekends aren't much different from my weekdays anymore. So, I don't really have a favorite thing.

4. What are your favorite restaurants?

A. I don't really have a favorite. We eat subs from Bellacino's a lot. Pre-Covid, we ate at Shaker's, a local chain, frequently.

5. Do you follow any sports?

A. Not really, no, although I am keeping an eye on the women's NCAA basketball tournament, since we have a Virginia team in the Elite Eight.

6. What is your biggest fear?

A. Losing my husband.

7. What is your biggest regret?

A. Not picking a better career path.

8. When you were growing up, what was your dream job?

A. Being a writer. Should've been a lawyer.

9. Do you say ‘sherbet’ or ‘sherbert’?

A. I think I say the last one. Not that I actually have much use for that word.

10. Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

A. Yes.

11. What is your favorite food at a cocktail party?

A. I don't go to cocktail parties.

12. Who is a book character most like you?

A. According to the Bing chatbot, I am like Chloe Brown, from Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert. I haven't read the book, so I will take Bing's word for it. It also says I am like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games novels. Those I have read. I am not that brave or selfless, but it would be nice to think I could be.

13. Do you read reviews before you go to movies?

A. I don't go to the movies very often. I do read reviews, though.

14. How do you feel about cilantro?

A. I don't have any feelings about cilantro. I don't use it, so I must not like it, but aside from thinking it's a spice (right?), I don't know anything about it.

15. Have you ever cried in public?

A.  Yes, if you consider doctors' offices, the emergency room, or the hallway of a hospital to be public spaces.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this week's song, BJ Thomas sings that he knows it won't be long until he finds happiness. What are you looking forward to today? What's going to make you smile?

A. I need to pick out my next read. That's always fun. Also, Saturday is "change the linens" day and I love falling asleep with fresh sheets.

2) BJ Thomas met his wife Gloria at a bar. She was there with his drummer, but BJ let his friend know he felt a connection to Gloria and was going to drive her home. BJ and Gloria were married for 50 years, until his death. Have you and a friend ever found yourselves attracted to the same person? If yes, how did you handle it?

A. That has never happened to me.

 

3) This song is from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, which has been called "the most entertaining Western ever made." Do you enjoy Westerns?

A. Not particularly.

4) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most popular movies Paul Newman made, but he liked to say his "favorite role is philanthropist." He raised an amazing $500 million for children's charities through his Newman's Own brand. The most popular Newman's Own product is salad dressing. What flavor of salad dressing would we find in your kitchen right now?

A. Kraft Thousand Island.

 

5) Burt Bacharach won the first of his three Oscars for this song. Yet 20th Century Fox originally wanted to cut the song from the movie, maintaining that that song and the famous "bicycle sequence" between Paul Newman and Katharine Ross were anachronistic and made the movie too long. Burt and the movie's director George Roy Hill fought for it, insisting that it helped define the optimistic character of Butch. Tell us about a time you were glad you stood your ground.

A. I'm not sure that any of the times I stood my ground were ultimately beneficial to me.

6) Edith Head also won an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She said that Robert Redford, who played Sundance, presented a wardrobe problem. His jawline is too strong so she had to create special wider-brimmed hats to balance it. If you could magically change one of your physical features, which would you choose? And which feature would you never change?

A. I would be thinner. My skin seems to be my best feature, as it's one thing I frequently receive compliments on, so that. And my eyes, even though they give away my feelings.

7) In 1969, when this song was a hit, The Beatles played their last concert on the roof of Abbey Road Studios. When did you last climb onto the roof?

A. A very long time ago.

8) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries sold at a brisk pace at Christmastime 1969. They're still popular today. Were you a fan?

A. I actually read a Nancy Drew Book earlier this year. I was and still am a fan.

9) Random question: Do you consider yourself old fashioned?

A. Yes.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

Thursday Thirteen #800

Today I am celebrating my 800th edition of Thursday 13. I have gone for 15 years and a few weeks writing a Thursday 13, without missing a week that I am aware of. When we went on vacations, I pre-wrote them and set them to post on Thursdays so I wouldn't miss.

I went back and looked at my long list of 800 Thursday 13s and I picked out the ones that had the most hits. I have written so many that I do not have a favorite. Some had hits of well over 1,000 views, others, not so much.

1. My very first Thursday 13 was on January 25, 2007. I wrote about the word "cold." It did not have many hits at all, but since it was the first one, it gets a place of honor in this list. My blog started in August 2006, so I hadn't been blogging long when I stumbled upon Thursday 13.

2. Several of my highest-rated posts were when the Blog Blast for Peace also hit on Thursday. This one on November 6, 2008, which is really a poem about peace, was among the highest rated.

3. In November 2012, the county had a big to-do about becoming part of the Lewis and Clark trail. My photos of that commemoration, which I posted on November 5, 2012, ranked high in my hit list.

4. A blog about Virginia suffragists also received a lot of notice. I posted it on February 28, 2013, and noted that Virginia did not ratify the 19th amendment (the right of women to vote) until 1952. (Just in case you think that's not something else they can take away. They can. And probably will.)

5. A post about our bathroom renovation and indoor clutter also received a lot of hits. I posted it on August 29, 2013. 

6. This Thursday 13, posted on January 9, 2014, about local legends, UFOs, ghosts, etc., was also a big hit.

7. Apparently in February 2015, we had a lot of snow, and I and my readers all were wanting to go the beach. A list of beaches also had a lot of hits. I posted this on February 26, 2015.

8. This post on August 4, 2016, about Botetourt County's place in history for tomato canning, was one of the highest-ranked posts in my Thursday 13 list.

9. The Insurrection Edition of Thursday (January 7, 2021) also had a lot of hits. I think a lot of folks were trying to process the events of January 6, 2021.

10. A photo essay about 13 old tractors at the Keystone Tractor Museum in Petersburg, VA, also received a lot of attention when I posted in on July 27, 2017.

11. This Thursday 13 posted on January 21, 2016, about local history and the preservation of historic structures at Greenfield, also struck a nerve with some folks.

12. This list of old songs, posted on June 28, 2012, was popular.

13. And last in the list, we have another photo essay, this time pictures of spring posted on April 8, 2010.

I want to thank Colleen at Looseleaf notes for currently hosting the newthursday13.blogspot.com website. We took over hosting TT after it sort of died out, and I managed it for about 5 years before turning it over to Colleen. I also want to thank my readers, whoever you are, for sticking by me with my lists and memes, assorted photos, and odd thoughts. Writing a blog is an interesting exercise, and I appreciate your time and attention. I hope I have not disappointed you with my opinions, notes, and attempts at music videos from time to time. Thank you for being there!

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 800th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

This Is Not What I Asked For

 

This is a smiley face I asked the new Bing chatbot to compose for me in HTML. As you can see, it didn't come out quite right. AI is not yet fool proof.

Feel Like Making Love

This song, Feel Like Making Love, originally released in 1975 by Bad Company, is a song I had difficulty with.

For one thing, I couldn't sing it in the key it was originally recorded in, so I had to move it up from D to E.

For another, this song, if you listen to the released version, doesn't know whether it's a folk-rock song or a hard rock song. At the beginning, it sounds like folk rock, or soft rock (whatever you want to call it), but at the end, it's like the guy with the guitar just couldn't hold it back anymore so he rocks it on out.

However, VH1 once labeled this the 78th best hard rock song, so I guess it's a hard rock song, even if I have my doubts.

I struggled with this for a good month. I lack the vocals, and I lack the lead guitar skill. Finally, after some prompting from a friend, I decided to do it "my way" and hope it worked.

This uses my RC-3 Loop Station for the drums. I recorded a background rhythm first, then if you listen closely you can hear where I attempted to use the guitar to enhance the vocal parts where there should have been more people singing. I'm not sure that worked, but it doesn't sound awful. I did the lead guitar differently than the released song, and I also end the song earlier.

My voice has two ranges, the one that sounds a lot like I talk (which is what you hear in this video), and the one that sounds more alto-soprano and is higher pitched. What I can't do, likely because I never had vocal training, is switch from one voice to the other or hit the notes in between. I do know my limitations.

Anyway, here goes.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Name one song that describes your life.

A. Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield

2. Name two things you wish you had more of in your life.

A. Willpower and time.

3. List three ways you relax.

A. Watch TV, play video games, play guitar

4. List four of your best accomplishments.

A. I chose a good mate, I obtained my degrees, I wrote thousands of articles, and I love to the best of my ability.

5. List five things you are looking forward to.

A. Getting a new driver's license, obtaining the audiobook I want to listen to, purchasing new clothes, learning a new song, and seeing friends.

6. List six things you are grateful for.

A. My husband, my home, my brother and other family members, my brain, my computer, my guitar.

7. List seven facts about yourself.

A. I am 5' 2" tall (with my sneakers on). I am overweight. My hair is brown and white. My eyes are hazel. I no longer chew on my fingernails. I wear a 7W in shoe size, and I have a lot of scars.

8. Name eight things you can see from where you are sitting.

A. My camera, my cellphone, my water glass, index cards, my Amazon Fire tablet, my computer screen, a bottle of Elmer's glue, lots of books.

9. List nine words you would use to describe yourself.

A. Intelligent, "woke" (whatever that means), tired, old, creative, short, fat, loved, careful. 

10. List ten little things that make you happy.

A. A good meal (preferably cooked by someone else), a clean house, taking a great picture, writing a good article/poem/blog post/etc., learning a new song, eating sweets, a drink of water, my husband (though he's not so little), watching the wild animals out the window, phone calls from friends/family

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

 

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road to Dublin (2008)

 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a young man who leaves home to seek his fortune. How old were you when you first moved out on your own?

A. I was 20 years old. I lived at home until I married.

2) He leaps onto a ship, but the captain makes him sleep in the hold with pigs. Have you ever taken a cruise? (If so, we hope you had better accommodations.)

A. I have never been on a cruise. I can't remember the last time I was on a boat of any kind.

 

3) This recording of the song is by The High Kings. Well established in Ireland, their career reached new heights in March 2012. Right after playing for the Lord Mayor of London's St. Patrick's Day celebration, they flew to Washington to perform for President Obama at the White House St. Patrick's Day concert. Tell us about a time when you were so happy, you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming.

A. I'm not sure I've ever been that happy. Maybe when I received my master's degree?

 

4) This song was chosen because Friday was St. Patrick's Day. Do you celebrate this holiday?

A. Not really, no.

 

5) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you often wear gold?

A. I wear white gold when I wear gold, although my watch is a mix of gold and silver (not real) and I wear it every day.

6) McDonald's has made Shamrock Shakes a St. Patrick's Day tradition. McDonald's began adding the drive-thru window to their restaurants in the 1970s. Would you rather order from the restaurant counter or the drive-thru?

A. Drive-thru.

7) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?

A. No.

 

8) Thinking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious. What breakfast cereal is in your kitchen right now?

A. Honey Nut Cheerios.

  

9) Random question: Think of your upcoming week. Which day will be the busiest?

A. Wednesday.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

Sunshine Week

This is the week that news media, or what's left of it, anyway, celebrates and attempts to help the public understand why we need the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

This law that gives us the right to access information from the federal government or other public authorities. It allows us to stay informed about our government’s actions and decisions.

It is how we can hold politicians accountable for wrongdoing. FOIA also promotes transparency and democracy by allowing us to participate more effectively in public affairs.

As a journalist, I used FOIA requests infrequently, but there were times when I did need them. Because of FOIA, I am sent a notice for every local Board meeting. Any citizen can ask to be advised of any meetings if they so desire, but I don't think many people bother.

Even though I am no longer attending meetings, I still listen to them on the phone when the county offers that option. (They don't do that for every meeting, unfortunately.)

When the members of a government perform things in secret, the public has no chance to express its opinion. Long ago, some local elected officials took it to heart that they represented everyone, Republican and Democrat alike, but that has long gone out the window. And even people in parties have different ideas about how things should operate, or where monies should be spent.

Learn about your state's Freedom of Information Act, as well as the federal government's. It's a tool that every citizen has access to (although sometimes localities and the feds charge way too much and that can be a hindrance). Used well, it can clear up inequities and force change.

Thursday Thirteen

Generally speaking, I am a pacifist. I do not believe there is ever a need for a fight to the death. I think disagreements can and should be worked out diplomatically. War is an outdated concept, one that humanity should have outgrown, although obviously we have not.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees, and it feels like World War III is coming, doesn't it? Scary times. 

Here are 13 reasons why I object to "war" for the sake of "war."

1. War increases the power and control of governments over their citizens. It restricts freedom of speech, assembly, and movement.

2. War disrupts trade and commerce and harms economic prosperity. It drains resources that could be used to better the plight of the human condition.

3. Unintended consequences often result from military interventions.

4. War involves innocent people getting hurt and families being separated.

5.  It does not address root causes of conflicts, such as hunger, inequality, oppression, etc.

6. It violates humanitarian (and Christian) ethics of peace and love. War is about power, greed, and domination, not justice.

7. War is costly in terms of lives, resources, environment and reputation.

8. It can escalate into larger and more dangerous conflicts involving nuclear weapons or terrorism.

9.  It generally creates more enemies and resentment than it eliminates.

10.  War threatens our environment, meaning it causes pollution, deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss. War can undermine democracy and human rights at home and abroad.

11.  War can erode moral values and principles in society. 

12. It traumatizes soldiers and civilians with physical and psychological wounds.

13. It hinders social progress and development by diverting resources from education, health care, etc.

These are some reasons why there should not be war. However, some people may disagree or have different perspectives on this issue. I know some people believe that war is sometimes necessary or justified under certain conditions. And of course, when one is attacked, generally one fights back.

*I used the new Bing AI to help write this. Some of it seems repetitive, but there you go.*

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 799th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Worm Moon

This is a picture of the March 7 full moon, the Worm Moon (or Snow Crust Moon). I was trying to make it look like it was sitting on a tree limb, but I wasn't successful. It's close, but I didn't quite get it. 

So far, I have not yet managed to get a photo like that, where it looks like something very far away is hanging from something close up.

I will keep trying.

Making Biscuits

We seldom spent a weekend at home when I was growing up. My father played music in a band, and they had gigs on Fridays or Saturdays or sometimes both nights.

My mother seldom stayed home with us. She was like Lucy Ricardo, always wanting to be near my father and eventually edging her way up on the stage where she sang backup vocals on a few songs and beat on a tambourine.

Our maternal grandparents usually kept us on the weekends. We spent either one or both nights with them. I later found out my mother paid them to keep us, but I didn't know that at the time. I just knew we spent a lot of time at Grandma's house. Grandpa was not around us much; he worked and on the weekends, he repaired television sets in his workshop in the basement.

But occasionally my grandparents could not have us over, for whatever reason. The teenager up the road, Melinda, kept us sometimes. While it was fine for me to keep my brother for a few hours after school, it was not ok for us to be alone from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m., at least not until after I turned 12.

One night Melinda kept us and she was still there the next morning. My parents apparently arrived home very late, and she slept on the couch. When I got up, she suggested we fix breakfast for everyone.

As we all know, I don't like to cook.

At any rate, we set about preparing breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, etc. Melinda handed me the biscuit batter and told me to mix it. (I have no idea if this was something she mixed up or if it was Bisquick. Probably Bisquick, if it was around back then.)

Now I had helped my mother and grandmother make cakes, brownies, and cookies. Batter is supposed to be smooth, right? So I beat on that biscuit batter until I had every lump out.

Upon removing them from the oven, Melinda discovered that we had not biscuits, but something more akin to hard tack. By this time, my mother was up and I remember everyone laughing at my hard, flat biscuits.

My mother said I beat the rise out of them.

She threw them in the trash.

I buy frozen biscuits now, or a can of Pillsbury biscuits. I can heat the oven and cook them.

I don't have to worry about anything but burning them.