Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. I've come to realize that my chest-size . . . really doesn't matter.

2. I've come to realize that my job(s) . . . are important for my sense of self-worth.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving . . . I like to listen to audiobooks.

4. I've come to realize that I need . . . more hugs.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost . . . my ability to have an income.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when . . . democracy dies.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk . . . it's better not to be drunk.

8. I've come to realize that money . . . really is the root of all evil.

9. I've come to realize that certain people . . . are more ignorant than I ever thought possible.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always . . . be a curmudgeon.

11. I've come to realize that my sibling . . . is a wonderful brother and I would be lost without him.

12. I've come to realize that my mom . . . did her best.

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone . . . is just a phone.

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning . . . it was just another day.

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep . . . I had a hard time stopping my brain from thinking.

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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: Easter Parade

Saturday 9: Easter Parade

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

1) This song is best known from the 1948 movie of the same name, but it was originally written for a 1933 Broadway play called As Thousands Cheer. In the play, a young man reads about the parade in a New York newspaper and decides to go and show his lady love off to parade goers. What's the most recent parade you attended?

A. It would have been a local Christmas parade back around 2011, I think. I was taking pictures for the newspaper. After going to loads of them to take photos for the paper, I could easily never go to another parade.

2) On Broadway, the song was performed by Clifton Webb. He'd had a busy stage career, appearing in musicals as well as plays by Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward, but when he was in his mid-50s, he was considered too old to be a leading man. Broadway offers stopped coming. He was unexpectedly cast by Otto Preminger for the film noir Laura and a new career was born. He worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years and earned three Oscar nominations. Tell us about a time you were grateful your life took an unanticipated turn.

A. In 1983, I was unceremoniously fired from a job because I had pneumonia, but the physician's note did not specifically say I shouldn't be at work on Monday, and company policy demanded a written physician's note for Monday because so many of the employees were drunks. So they fired me even though I had a note from the previous week saying I had pneumonia. It was just an excuse, I guess. But it led me to an office job where I met my friend Leslie, who has been my friend ever since. So, I am grateful I was fired so I could meet Leslie.

3) Today he's fondly remembered by the students at UCLA who have benefited from The Clifton Webb Scholarship of the Arts. If you could give an endowment to a school or charity, what would you like it to be used for?

A. I should say creative writing, or poetry, or even journalism, but with the state of the nation at the moment, I think it should be used to study democracy.

4) According to Forbes magazine, the average American household will spend upwards of $150 on Easter dinner, candy, and decorations this weekend. Do holidays strain your budget?

A. I save up for most holidays and Easter is not one we celebrate with decorations or anything. An extra $20 for a special meal is about all we spend.

5) The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you think it's possible to have too much chocolate?

A. Yes. Too much of anything is not healthy.

  

6) After chocolate, the top-selling Easter candy is Peeps Marshmallow Chicks. They're so popular that they were once the subject of a Jeopardy clue. Do you often watch Jeopardy?

A. Not as much as I used to. After my husband retired, he took over the remote and he watches some car show when Jeopardy is on.

7) Jellybeans are also popular this time of year. In a 2020 poll, jellybean fans responded that cinnamon is their favorite flavor. Do you have a favorite?

A. I do not like jellybeans.

8) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?

A. It used to be about even, but these days, since I don't eat much chocolate, maybe Easter, because I do like those Cadbury eggs even if they don't taste as good as they used to.

 9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

A. A hot shower and/or a good night's sleep.

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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.  

When I Cry for the Cow

Early yesterday morning, just at daybreak and before we were out and about, one of our cows gave birth to a little bull calf.

Watching, unbeknownst to us, were a flock of vultures.

My husband first saw the vultures when he went to feed, and then he found the calf.

The vultures had killed it. It was still warm when my husband picked up the little body to bury it. That's how we know the calf was born yesterday morning. Had it been born earlier, it wouldn't have been warm. 

The ground all around the calf was stomped down and trampled. The cow, having just given birth, was then forced to try to defend her baby, and she ran around and around him, trying in vain to keep a flock of vultures from eating her child.

I imagine she finally could fight no longer, and the birds swarmed in.

The thought of it makes me cry. Cows are very good mothers, incredibly protective and nurturing.

We are what may be called a "natural" farm. We don't use artificial insemination, nor do we keep the bull from the cows and try to time the births so that they all fall in April or some other time. We let nature do her thing. Generally, the cows have calves in the spring and fall, but some are off cycle. We let the bull do his thing when the cows are ready, whenever that is. A cow gestation is about 280-285 days, so they only give birth once a year, but they do not all give birth at the same time.

Baby calves are not born walking. It takes them a bit to find the strength to stand up, though they are up on all fours usually within 15 minutes or so. Then they take a drink from their mother, maybe wobble around a while, and rest some more. Being born is hard work. So, there is down time when the calf is vulnerable to predators like vultures and coyotes. Once the calf is stronger, the mother cow takes her baby and hides the bull or heifer in what she considers to be a safe place.

The cattle are checked every day, and this is not the first calf we've lost to vultures (I think it's the second), but it's the first we've lost when we haven't been there to make an effort to stop it. The first time we arrived just a little too late. Other times, we have shown up just in the nick of time. 

It makes for a tense stand-off, us trying to stay far enough from a mad momma cow that she doesn't come after us, while keeping the vultures away.

Vultures are a protected migratory species, which means we can't do anything to them except try to scare them and make the farm unwelcoming. This morning my husband drove to where the vultures were roosting in the rain. They didn't like his presence, so they flew away. He will do this now every time he sees them, so that they don't hang around.

Last night, I could not fall asleep for thinking about that poor cow. We are watching her now; we have to make sure she doesn't develop mastitis from not having the calf around to remove her milk. They also grieve for their babies when they lose them. My husband says I imagine that, but I don't think so. I think it makes them very sad indeed. So, I feel very badly for this poor cow. Mostly, I am frustrated that it happened on the other side of the farm, where we couldn't hear the noise, and had no idea this was going on until it was too late.

I am very sorry that we failed our cow, but we can't be everywhere at once.

You learn a lot of stuff about life on a farm.

Sometimes you even cry for the cows.

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 13 facts about Botetourt County, VA, which is where I live:

1. Botetourt County (pronounced body-tot by the locals) was created in 1770 from part of Augusta County, Virginia and was named for Norborne Berkeley, known as Lord Botetourt. Berkely was a Virginia governor prior to the American Revolution, and well-liked. He was the Baron or Earl of Botetourt from England; hence the name.

2. The county originally comprised a vast area, which included the southern portion of present-day West Virginia, along with most of Illinois, Indiana, southern Ohio and all of Kentucky. Part of it went into Wisconsin. 

3. Today, the county is part of the Roanoke Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the county seat is the town of Fincastle. (Fincastle has been the county seat since 1772.)

4. The county today has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km 2), of which 541 square miles (1,400 km 2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km 2) (0.9%) is water.

5. The Blue Ridge Mountains run along the eastern part of the county, while the Appalachian Mountains run along the western portion. (I always thought they were called the Allegheny Mountains, but what do I know. I call them all the Blue Ridge.)

6. The James River originates in Botetourt County, near the village of Iron Gate.

7. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 33,596.

8. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in the county was $242,600 in 2017-2021.

9. The county has a high school graduate or higher rate of 93.8% and a bachelor’s degree or higher rate of 27.4% for persons age 25 years and over in 2017-2021.

10. The county has a total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue of $79,452,000 in 2017.

11. The county hosts several annual events, such as Ag Day at Eagle Rock Library, Movies in the Park at Troutville Elementary, and BOCO WILD at Buchanan Town Park. There are many other events, too, such as the Sunflower Festival in the fall, Historic Fincastle Festival, and music outside every Thursday night and weekends at Daleville Town Center during the warmer months.

12. The county has several historic sites and attractions, such as the Colonel William Preston Memorial in Amsterdam and the town of Fincastle. In Fincastle, you can find the Botetourt County Historical Museum and the Fincastle branch of the library has a large genealogy section. The town of Fincastle has been called a "little Williamsburg" by some history buffs. You can see old lime kilns in Eagle Rock and experience small town life in Buchanan. The county has old cemeteries, lots of old homes and churches, and history in abundance. The county government is working on encouraging historic tourism, though they are slow about it.

13. The county is home to several notable people, such as Andrew Seibel, president of the National FFA Organization and Luke Campbell, Virginia Economic Developers Association “Rising Star” nominee. It is also home to Metalsa Roanoke, a company that achieved Zero Waste Status. Additionally, Matt Ramsey of the musical group Old Dominion is from the town of Buchanan, though he no longer lives in the county.

Note: The Bing AI assisted with this. Errors belong to the bot.

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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 802nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Redbud & Hyacinth

 

I brought hyacinths with us from the house we were renting from my husband's grandmother when we built this one in 1987. I planted them out front, where I had a flower bed. When we first moved here, I had lots of flower beds. I don't have any now.

But the hyacinths continue to come up anyway.

The redbud tree really makes spring pop around here. That brilliant pink color is everywhere, and it is a delight to see it. I love looking up through a tree at the pink with a blue sky.

My Husband's Garden

My husband came home from the dentist and announced he was going through with his plans to create raised garden beds.

He's been talking about this for a few weeks; he went to an auction with a friend who has raised garden beds and it's all he's talked about since.

The more he's talked, the more he's convinced himself that nice fresh garden tomatoes and the aroma of zucchini bread baking in the kitchen is all it will take to bring his summer to perfection.

I tried to talk him out of it. We haven't had a garden for four years and haven't had one that did well for much longer. I don't do well in the heat, I can't take the sun, and I'm allergic to everything outside. Plus, I have chronic pain and bending over to pull weeds or pick vegetables aggravates that.

"You'll thank me this summer when you're eating on that zucchini bread!" he exclaimed after he came home this morning with boards from Lowes.

"Oh right. I'll be so grateful because I was out in the early morning heat to weed, and then out in the heat again to pick the zucchini, and then I get to stand over a hot oven and cook that bread. Yeah, I'll be thanking you alright," I replied.

I don't mind gardening but I am turning 60 in June. I don't want to spend the summer I turn 60 working in a garden. I spent the summer I turned 50 in bed recovering from that stupid gallbladder surgery that left me bent over double and barely able to function. And now I'm supposed to spend the summer I turn 60 making zucchini bread?

Gadzooks. That was not on my Bingo card until he started talking about it. I know my man, and once he gets something in his head, that's it. He's bought the boards and he will build the garden. Nothing I say is going to make a difference.

Everybody who reads this knows I hate to cook. And have you seen the price of raisins lately? Who can afford a $6 box of raisins to make zucchini bread? Plus the spices are all sky high, too. So this zucchini bread is going to cost us $500 a loaf by the time he builds these raised beds and redoes the fencing around what used to the be garden.

Because this is all that's left of our former garden:

I can hear him out there sawing and banging away, happy as a pig in a mudhole. I'm supposed to be in here writing checks and paying the bills.

Seems like I get all the bad biscuit jobs around here. Clean the toilets. Pay the bills. Weed the garden whenever he gets it built.

I remember Howard Wallowitz on The Big Bang Theory told Bernadette before they married that she'd have to wash his clothes in special detergent, take him to the dentist, and all this other stuff. She said, "You expect me to have to do all of that?"

He said, "You don't have to do it, you get to do it."

So, I don't have to weed the garden, I get to weed the garden, and bake him his zucchini bread.

Sheesh.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Are you currently reading a book you'd like to tell us about? Maybe a TV program you can recommend to us?

A. Nora Roberts has a series of books called The Dragon Heart Legacy that I recommend if you like urban fantasies that are mostly Wiccan-like in the magic (and partially set in Ireland). On TV, Alaska Daily is a great series if you're interested in newspaper-based reporting, and like Hilary Swank.

2. Are you a Jane Austen fan? So many seem to be. If you are what is your favorite book and who is your favorite character.  If you aren't a fan, is there an author you especially like to read? Favorite character, etc?

A. I have read Jane Austen, but I'm not such a fan that I hunger for her work. I last read Pride and Prejudice. As for other authors, I read a variety of books and enjoy a long list of authors. Some of them would be Nora Roberts (see above), Kristin Hannah, Janet Evanovich, Janet Smiley, Louise Penny, Debbie Macomber, David Sedaris, Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, Laini Taylor, etc.

3. How do you spend your time during the day?  Do you set apart time to read, watch TV, study?

A. I read, play video games, write a little, play guitar a little, and do lots of chores, which consist of cooking, laundry, doing the dishes, picking up, vacuuming, making the bed, etc. I don't set time aside for these things, they're just what I do to fill my time.

4. Have your beliefs changed in your lifetime?

A. Yes.

5. What are your interests and hobbies? reading? writing? collecting?

A. I am interested in lots of things and attempt some things like an occasional crochet piece. I write, I read, I play guitar. I don't really collect anything except books anymore and I'm trying not to do that. I have a lot of Santa Mouse figures that I have been given over the years by various friends.

6. How much time a week/day/month do you devote to your interests?

A. As much as possible.

7. Do you share your interests with anyone?

A. Not really.

8. Tell us why you enjoy your hobby, pastimes or interests.

A. What else am I supposed to do with my time?

9. What emotions and feelings does summer conjure up for you?

A. It brings up memories of childhood, when my brother and I stayed with my grandmother all summer. Those were great days.

10. What's summer weather like in your neck of the woods?

A. It can grow very hot - in the 90s - in late July and August. June used to be fairly cool, in the 70s, but it is also a rather hot month now. In the summer, the fireflies flit about, creating a dance in the back yard and in the trees in the pasture. The little frogs sing loudly at night, and the sky is brilliant with stars. The days are often too warm for me to spend much time outside, but the grass is green and the breeze makes whispers in the tree leaves.

11. Got some special summer meals you and your family enjoy?

A. We like watermelon. And tomatoes. But no special meals, really. Lots of salads.

12. What do you enjoy doing in summer? Sports, trips.. do you go on vacation?

A. We generally are home during the summer. My husband does most of his work during the warmer weather.

13. Did your parents have things better than you today?

A. Not in the beginning of their lives, but I think after they'd settled in, yes.

14. What time period would you rather live in? Or are you okay with today?

A. Today is where I am. Better to accept it than not.

15. What changes would you make for our time to make it nicer/better to live in?

A. Oh, I don't know. Everything has unintended consequences. You make one change here and it makes things worse over there. Mostly, I wish everyone would mind their own business and stop trying to push their values on others. 

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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: Fool

Saturday 9: Fool (If You Think It's Over) (1978)

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

1) Do you have any pranks planned for April Fool's Day?

A. No. I dislike pranks, generally. Besides, it's Saturday.
 
2) When Crazy Sam was a little girl, she once pranked her mother by putting bubble wrap under the bathmat, so Mom heard a POP when she stepped on it. When you find bubble wrap, can you resist popping it?

A. I love popping bubble wrap! That's a great prank.

3) This week's song is about a wise man counseling a heartbroken younger person. Chris Rea, who wrote and performs this song, says it was inspired by watching his kid sister endure her first breakup. Were you in love at 17? Do you remember the object of your affections?

A. I was not in love at 17. I fell in love at 19, though, and married him.
 
4) She's dressed in black as she mourns the end of her romance. Does your wardrobe include a lot of black?

A. It has some black, but mostly dark blue.
 
5) He offers to treat her to her first glass of good wine. Do you prefer white or red?

A. I don't drink wine.
 
6) Chris' own teenage romance was highly successful. He met Joan Lesley while still in school and they have been married since 1968. Whose was the most recent wedding you have attended?

A. I haven't been to a wedding in 20 years. We held a reception for my nephew, who eloped, in 2019, I think it was. 
 
7) Chris Rea is a passionate race car fan and once worked as a pit mechanic for a Formula One race. Do you watch auto racing?

A. My husband watches NASCAR, so I see it when I pass through the living room. Sometimes I read a book while he is watching it.
 
8) In 1978, when this song was popular, Laverne and Shirley was America's #1 TV show. It's still available via cable and streaming today. Are/were you a fan?

A. I watched it. I thought it had its moments.

9) Random question: What are you grateful for this morning?

A. I'm grateful I still have electricity, because we're due for high winds and weather problems all day today. So far it's rain and wind gusts.

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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.  

What AI Says About My Blog

This is what the Bing AI says about this blog:

Your blog is called Blue Country Magic and it is hosted by Blogger. You write about various topics such as music, memes, holidays, and personal experiences. You have been blogging since 2007 and you have a loyal following of readers who comment on your posts. You also share photos of your life in the country and your pets. Your blog is a reflection of your personality and interests. I think your blog is interesting and engaging.😊

I think your blog is interesting because you write about a variety of topics that show your perspective and opinions. You also share personal stories and anecdotes that make your blog more relatable and authentic. You have a sense of humor and a positive attitude that shine through your posts. You also interact with your readers and respond to their comments.👍

From ChatGPT:

As an AI language model, I can analyze the structure and content of your blog, but I am not capable of forming opinions or subjective judgments. However, I can provide you with some objective feedback based on my analysis.

After visiting your blog, I can see that it primarily focuses on sharing your thoughts and experiences related to country living and rural lifestyles. The layout of your blog is simple and easy to navigate, with clear categories and tags for readers to explore.

In terms of content, you have a good mix of personal stories and practical tips on topics such as gardening, cooking, and raising animals.* Your writing style is conversational and easy to read, which helps to engage your readers.

One area where you could improve is by adding more visual elements to your blog. Images and videos can help to break up large blocks of text and make your blog more visually appealing. Additionally, optimizing your blog for search engines could help to increase your traffic and reach a wider audience.

Overall, your blog has a clear focus and provides valuable insights into country living. With some tweaks to your blog design and optimization, you could attract even more readers and followers.

What do you think? Are the AIs on the mark?

*I don't think this is true. 

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.

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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.