Biden Announces

Today, exactly 4 years to the day he announced in 2019, President Joe Biden announced he will run for the office again. 

Biden has a long history of public service, including serving as Vice President under Barack Obama and as a Senator from Delaware for 36 years. This experience has given him perspective on the challenges facing the country and the skills to navigate the complex political landscape in Washington.

Biden has also been a strong advocate for working-class Americans throughout his career, which I find attractive.

Here are some of his achievements as president to date:

- He passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that provided direct payments, unemployment support, vaccine funding, rental assistance, and more to millions of Americans.

- He rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement and pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

- He signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that will improve roads, bridges, airports, public transit, broadband, water, and energy systems across the nation.

- He ended the US military involvement in Afghanistan after 20 years of war and evacuated more than 120,000 people from the country.

- He restored US leadership and diplomacy on the global stage by rejoining the World Health Organization, the Iran nuclear deal, and other international agreements and organizations.

- He expanded health care access and affordability by reopening enrollment for Obamacare, lowering prescription drug prices, and supporting Medicare expansion.

- He advanced racial justice and voting rights by creating a task force on policing reform, reversing some of the former guy's immigration policies, nominating a diverse cabinet and judiciary, and supporting legislation to protect voting access.

President Joe Biden (photo from whitehouse.gov)

Generally, Biden's platform and efforts as president reflect a commitment to economic justice. Whether or not this has been successful could be debated. I don't know how inflation is going to hurt him. As Bill Clinton said, "It's the economy," and that's always difficult to determine. People may be making more money today, but they are spending more, too, and that is the part that sticks with you. That bill at the grocery store hurts.

One of the most significant issues for me with Biden is his age. While age alone should not disqualify a candidate, it is a legitimate concern given the demands of the presidency and the need for a leader who can keep up with the pace of the job. That said, should the former guy win the Republican nomination, he won't be a spring chicken, either, as he would be 76 years old in 2024. 

I like the "Dark Brandon" side of Biden; he can be firm when he has to be. I appreciate his efforts to draw attention to the crazy MAGA people and differentiate them from those who still call themselves Republicans but no longer fit what that party has become. (I think the MAGA people call them RINOs but to me that's backwards.) The Republicans of today are not my father's party. Those people had some sense. Today, not so much.

Biden also has a folksy side that I have enjoyed watching. It may not be the most attractive thing about him, and he does make gaffes, but we all do. The only thing is everything he says and does is under a zillion microscopes, while the rest of us can slide on by. Or some of us can, anyway.

Personally, I would like to see a Democratic challenger who is younger in years. I'm afraid in the current climate, the reality is that this person would have to be a straight, white male, and while I am loathing myself for writing that, I also know that in order to keep what little freedoms we have remaining, this is not the time to push a far-left agenda. We are too far along the road to an authoritarian transition of government, and I for one do not wish to live in a regime run by police and militia vigilantes. Nor do I want a theocratic state, medical restrictions, or to lose my right to vote, all of which I think are possible if we continue to follow the path of a state like Florida, as an example.

In order to pull in the moderate vote, I think the Democrats need to find this younger person, and soon. Unfortunately, other than Gavin Newsome, the governor of California, there aren't many names that pop into my head at the moment.

I will vote for whomever the Democratic Party nominates, as I always have, but I am not convinced Biden is the person to keep the country going. A younger version of him would be ideal. I just don't know who that might be.

(This post was written with input from both chatGPT and Bing AI)

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Would you rather trade some intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?

A. I'm just fine as I am, thank you.

2. If everything in your house had to be one color what would it be?

A. It's all pretty much one color anyway - off white, or eggshell, or almond, however one wants to denote that type of color.

3. What animal would be the most terrifying if it could speak?

A. A fly.

4. How do you procrastinate?

A. Read, play video games, look at stuff on the Internet, do laundry when I should be doing something else.

5. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

A. "Handle with care. Subject has opinions."

6. Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or life without dessert?

A. Oh, I'd go 30 days w/o my phone without missing a beat.

7. If one animal was made the size of an elephant, which would be the scariest?

A. A fly.

8. If you were reincarnated as a famous landmark, which would it be?

A. Landmarks aren't alive, so this is an impossible question. I could be a panda bear in the National Zoo, I suppose.

9. What celebrity chef would you like to make you dinner?

A. Any of them would do. I'm happy when anyone but me makes dinner.

10. How much would someone have to pay you to eat a spider?

A. Is it a big spider or a little tiny spider? Because I've probably accidentally eaten little tiny spiders before. 

11. If you joined a circus, what would your circus act be?

A. I would have to be a clown.

12. Do you have any superstitions?

A. Not really. I try not to walk under ladders but that's for safety reasons.

13. What cheesy song do you have memorized?

A. I know all the words to Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, for some reason. I also know the words to Ahab the Arab, by Ray Stevens.

14. What’s something weird that you recommend everyone try at least once?

A. Reiki.

15. What do you think is the most unpleasant sounding word?

A. Bucolic. It's a terrible word to describe something lovely. "That barn in the meadow is so bucolic." It sounds like the barn is throwing up.

__________

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: I Won't Be the One

Saturday 9: I Won't Be the One to Let Go (2002)

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

1) Barbra Streisand begins by singing about dreams and wishes. What are you wishing for this morning?

A. It would be nice to wake up to a day without either a national or local shooting, but given that it is the weekend, I doubt that will happen. So instead, I shall wish for a calm day for everyone, as calm as it can be for them. I would also like for someone to magically come and declutter my house, but I am not holding my breath on that one.

2) Barry Manilow sings that "anytime you need me, you'll know where I am." If a friend needs you, what's the best way to reach you (text, phone call, email, knock on the front door . . . )?

A. Phone or text would be the quickest way to reach me. 

3) Both of this week's artists are from Brooklyn. In addition to Barry and Barbra, Brooklyn is home to Coney Island, where America's first roller coaster debuted in 1884. Do you enjoy amusement park rides? If yes, do you have a favorite?

A. I do not enjoy amusement park rides anymore. I did when I was young - as in a teenager - but after I hit my 30s, I found them painful. We rode a few rides at Disney in Orlando in 1993 when we went, but both of us ended up aching and sore after a few slams against the side. Even rides that looked like they wouldn't be that physical actually were. A person with brittle bones could end up with a broken body on some of those things.

4) Barbra and her husband, actor James Brolin, have lived in the same Malibu home for more than 25 years. How long have you been in your current residence? Do you think you'll be moving anytime soon?

A. I have lived in my current house since November 1987, and I don't expect to leave it except by force or in a hearse.

5) Barry Manilow once lived in luxurious Bel Air. His neighbors were former President and Mrs. Reagan. At first, he thought it would be great to have the Reagans nearby but quickly changed his mind because he disliked the Secret Service helicopters flying overhead. Tell us about one of your neighbors. (No pressure; we don't expect to hear about historic figures.) 

A. Well, hang on to your hats, lads and lassies. This might be a bit long. My neighbor's name is Lanetta Ware. Professor Ware, who is now over 80 years old, taught at Hollins University (my alma mater) for 43 years. She served as Department Chair of Physical Education until she retired in 2005. She also offered sports clinics to various local schools and at Botetourt Country Club and was a Red Cross First Aid Instructor.

In 2017. she received special honors and recognition from The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. She received the award for her love of the sport, passion for teaching, and dedication to coaching. Her efforts in coaching and in rule establishment was one of the driving forces in advancing women in collegiate athletics during the Title IX era. She is well-known across the nation for her work in women's sports, including lacrosse, fencing, field hockey, and golf. She was a trailblazer in helping women's sports to advance to greater recognition and rewarding experiences for students and fans alike. She served as a National Basketball Official, a National Field Hockey Official, and a National and International Lacrosse Official.

Lanetta Ware, 2007

While she was a professor at Hollins, the college was the Division II Virginia State Champions in women's lacrosse in 1978 and 1979 and they were the USWLA Division II Runner Up in the National Championship in 1979. Additionally, Miss Ware co-authored and served as editor of the USWLA Umpiring Manual as well as the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Association Rules Book and Umpiring Manual and authored or co-authored many other papers concerning women's sports. She served as an official and as chairman of numerous USWLA and IFWLA tournaments and held numerous offices in both the USWLA and the IFWLA, including president of IFWLA for eight years. She was an honorary member of the VWLA, USWLA and the IFWLA.

She has been named to four halls of fame for women's lacrosse: Hollins University, the University of Richmond, US Lacrosse, and Virginia Lacrosse. The Virginia Umpiring Award for Service and Devotion to the game is known as the Lanetta T. Ware Award.

She has been a member of numerous professional societies, including the United States Field Hockey Association, the Virginia Women's Lacrosse Association, the United States Women's Lacrosse Association, the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, the United States Fencing Association, the United States Tennis Association, and the National Golf Coaches Association.

She was the former women's golf champion at Fredericksburg Country Club, Hidden Valley Country Club, and Hermitage Country Club. She was a medalist at the Virginia State Women's Golf Tournament in Hot Springs, Virginia and competed as one of 16 women on the Virginia and West Virginia golf team from 1962-1966. Additionally, she was a runner up at the Wintergreen Golf Club and Roanoke Valley Women's Golf Tournament.

She moved to Botetourt County in 1962. In 1971, she built a home and beef cattle farm with her longtime friend and fellow coach, Marjorie Taylor Berkley, who passed away in 2017. She continues to farm because she enjoys the cattle and the picturesque nature around her home. 

Whew. What a life, eh?

6) As a teenager, Barbra worked as a switchboard operator. Her job consisted of connecting calls by inserting phone plugs into the appropriate jacks. As telephoning became automated, these jobs were phased out and by 1983, the switchboard operator was obsolete. Can you think of another occupation that used to be common but doesn't exist anymore?

A. Secretary.

7) Loyal Fanilows can subscribe to ManilowTV. For $9.95/month, fans can watch exclusive content, like interviews and concert performances. Do you more often watch live broadcast TV or streamed content?

A. I watch whatever's on DirecTV because I still have DSL and streaming is not the best. I hate that little buffering sign.

8) In 2002, the year this recording was released, the Sears Wish Book offered seven different collectible Barbies. According to Mattel, the doll's manufacturer, there are more than 100,000 Barbie collectors all over the world. Do you collect anything?

A. I have a collection of Santa Mouses (Mice)? Most were given to me by friends. I also have a lot of books.

One of my Santa Mouses.

9) Random question: Are you exclusively an online/ATM bank customer, or do you often go into the branch and interact with a teller?

A. I do both. I bank online and I also go to the bank.

_______________

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.  

Dandelions and . . . Daisies?

I took these pictures in the yard the other day before my husband mowed. Dandelions are common and most folks try to irradicate them from their yards. I tend to leave them alone. They aren't hurting anything.

Dandelions are flowering plants that belong to the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North America but have been introduced to other parts of the world. They have many uses as food, medicine, and ornamental plants. (Bing AI)

The white flower I think many people would call a daisy, but it's actually fleabane. Fleabane belongs to the aster family. Some of it is native to North America and some is not. The flowers bloom from spring to fall and utilize a variety of habitats. Fleabane can be cooked as greens and is used to treat various ailments. (Bing AI)

One of my most hurtful memories involves dandelions. When I was quite small, I thought them beautiful, and I picked a handful to take to my mother. She immediately declared it a weed and threw them in the trash. I don't recall ever picking another flower for my mother again.

I still find dandelions beautiful. They're so happy looking, with their yellow color, and then they are fun when they've gone to seed. One hardy blow upon them and the seeds fly through the sky like magic.

Thursday Thirteen

Which of these things are important to you? Are they all important? Equally important?

1. The need to support and honor American veterans.

2. The importance of protecting national security and keeping Americans safe from terrorism and other threats.

3. The value of education and the need to invest in it for future generations.

4. The importance of maintaining a strong and growing economy.

5. The need to improve infrastructure and invest in transportation, energy, and other critical areas.

6. The value of free speech and the importance of protecting First Amendment rights.

7. The importance of individual liberty and personal responsibility.

8. The need to address climate change and protect the environment.

9. The importance of reducing the national debt and addressing government waste.

10. The need for immigration reform and securing America's borders.

11. The importance of maintaining a strong military and supporting our troops.

12. The need for healthcare reform and improving access to quality healthcare.

13. The importance of addressing mental health issues and improving access to treatment.

This is a list that ChatGPT provided when asked to give a list of 13 things that Democrats and Republicans agree on. (This is also the order in which it gave me the answer to the question.) Is this a true list, do you think? 

__________________

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 804th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Chasing the Ladies

This handsome fellow was strutting his stuff in front of the house the other day. He had two ladies he was hoping to impress.

Here are the turkey hens he was after.

 

Feint of Heart

Last week could have been worse.

Not only was I threatened over a silly article by a silly person, I was battling a problem with my blood pressure.

The numbers were running very high - stroke level high, actually. My doctor was telling me to take half of this pill or that to try to bring it down. I didn't know whether to exercise or go to bed.

Would that very last Baked Lays Potato Chip be the thing that threw me over the edge? I wondered.

And of course, things like having to phone the police to report said threatening phone call only upped my blood pressure. It certainly did nothing to ease it.

Finally, I saw my doctor on Thursday. She detected a new heart murmur. She's been listening to my heart for over 15 years so surely she would have heard it before were it not new.

She also said she heard a carotid bruit, which is a vascular sound over the carotid artery in the neck.

This is new, as well.

Add this to the pain in my calf that seems to be varicose veins, and it's starting to look like I have some kind of heart issue. Plaque buildup, probably. Too bad I can't brush my veins out like I do my teeth. 

Isn't learning that you are having heart problems just what one wants to hear to end out the week?

My doctor did not do bloodwork as I have terrible veins and the nurse that can easily do that was not in the office. She made a referral to a cardiologist but warned me not to expect to hear from the facility any time soon. Apparently, the days of making a referral and then seeing the expert with a few weeks are long gone. She said it may be months before I see a cardiologist, "but you'll be ok," adding that if she were really concerned, she would have sent me on to the emergency room.

In the meantime, she doubled one of my medicines, and the blood pressure numbers are lower now. Not great, but better than they were, and enough that I feel I have some breathing room.

Her notes on my chart indicate she is concerned about aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis (AS or AoS) is the narrowing of the exit of the left ventricle of the heart (where the aorta begins).

However, I do not have the symptoms of this, which include loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, and chest pain. (Yes, I looked it up. Wouldn't you?) I have two out of 5 risk factors - high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and my cholesterol, while not great, is not running at really high levels. In fact, it was in the normal range 30 years ago when a doctor first checked it. 

I'm one of those people who think the numbers for cholesterol lower so the pharmaceutical companies can sell more drugs (I think the same thing about "A1C," which no one ever heard of until there was a drug available to "fix" it.). 

Cholesterol medicine did not agree with me when I tried it some years ago. I had cognitive issues with it and at one point could barely put two sentences together. That cleared up as soon as I stopped the medication. No one in my family tolerates cholesterol medication well, and since it seems to be a familial problem, I doubt seriously that there is little to be done about it.

My doctor told me once when I said something about being concerned about dementia since one of my medications is a suspect for that, that I shouldn't worry. "You'll die of a heart attack long before you get dementia," she said.

Comforting, eh?

The Craven, the Crazies, and the Rest of Us

Over the weekend, an Oklahoma newspaper with no online presence printed this as its front page of its weekend edition:

You can hear Rachel Maddow discuss this at this link, if you want.

I have written local journalism for 39 years. My first article was published in 1984. I've written for nearly all of the local publications, including many that no longer exist, and for statewide magazines. I estimated once that I've published over 2 million words in multiple publications.

My editor at The Fincastle Herald always told me if I didn't have someone angry at me, I wasn't doing my job.

Suffice to say, I did my job. Over the years, I have been threatened by various and sundry people, including a sheriff in nearby county. He stopped me as I was entering the courtroom to listen to a board meeting. "How do I know that's water you have in there?" he demanded, nodding toward my ever-present water bottle.

I took a drink and held it out to him. "You're welcome to the rest of it. It's just water."

"I could haul you in right now for having liquor and who'd know different?" he said. He banged his hand against his pistol on his thigh for emphasis.

"Everybody knows I don't drink alcohol," I replied, and I walked past him to my seat. I could feel him glaring at the back of my head.

Later that same night, I nearly wrecked my car on the way home as I drove over Caldwell Mountain and the tire went flat. In the shine of a flashlight, I discovered my tire had been slashed with a knife.

Yes, someone in the next county over had tried to kill me. Caldwell Mountain is a dangerous drive, over twisting, winding roads. My car could have gone off the pavement and down the mountainside, not to be found for possibly years.

That happened about 25 years ago. So, while this is nothing new, the rhetoric now has been taken to a whole other level.

It was not unusual for me to receive phone calls from people complaining about stories I wrote. "I didn't say that" was the usual complaint. I carried a tape recorder and I'd play it back to them, if I had to.

They backed down then.

Sometimes, though, the complaint was not that I wrote what they said, but that I didn't write what they said.

Sometimes people simply sound so stupid to me that I paraphrase or leave it out completely if it's not relevant to the main part of the article. It is my job to tell a story that is truthful, but that doesn't mean I have to use ignorant, racist, homophobic, fascist, or antisemitic language. Paraphrasing is allowed.

But some people want their words - no matter how ignorant they sound - in print. They want their opinions, word for word, stated. That's how sure they are that they're right. That's how sure they are that their closed-minded world view is the one that should rule the day.

So it was that last week I found myself listening to someone rant about how I hadn't printed exactly what this person had said at a supervisors meeting. 

The person threatened me. I hung up on this person, and I called the police and reported the phone call. I also blocked the number.

Twenty years ago, I would not have done that. I'd have ignored the call. But these are different times, and people feel mean and emboldened, and being a bully is now in fashion. 

I was taken aback by the phone call because it was literally over nothing, as far as I was concerned.

These are the times we live in. People feel emboldened in their fascism and narrow-minded thoughts. They have no room in their brains for open-minded thinking. My way or the highway, as my parents used to tell me.

However, we are all adults, not children in need of being sent to our rooms. And if someone can't have an adult conversation with me that doesn't involve threats, screaming, or insults, then that is not someone I care to talk with.

And as for the report above, it just shows how low people can be. To call these people snakes would be an injustice to snakes. The people in the article/photo above are lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut. They're so low, there is no bottom for them.

I hope they all lose their jobs.

Not the Moon

I shot these photos on April 9, 2023, when I saw this interesting light low on the horizon as we were readying for bed. I thought at first it was a helicopter or something coming towards us, but when I looked through the lens of the camera, I saw that it was a planet.

Skyview Light on my cellphone said it was Jupiter.

My camera is not made for taking pictures of planets, except maybe the moon, so I'm surprised these came out as well as they did.

Jupiter, named after the Roman god of the sky and the king of the gods (like the more familiar Greek god Zeus), is a fascinating planet that has many features and facts. 

Here are some of them based on web search results:

• Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined12.
• Jupiter is a gas giant with no solid surface. It has a thick atmosphere of mostly hydrogen and helium, with clouds of ammonia and water134.
• Jupiter has a powerful magnetosphere that produces intense auroras and radiation belts. It also has a complex system of rings made of dust and debris14.
• Jupiter rotates very fast, about once every 10 hours, but orbits very slowly, about once every 12 Earth years24.
• Jupiter has more than 75 moons, including four large ones called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Some of these moons may have oceans or volcanoes that could support life24.
• Jupiter is famous for its Great Red Spot, a huge storm that has been raging for centuries. It is bigger than Earth and can be seen from space234.

Bing AI assisted with the information. I left the footnotes, because, why not?

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If you had the world's attention for 30 seconds, what would you say?

A. Hello, world! It's time to stop fighting and start talking. It's time to stop being selfish and start sharing. We are not all individual islands; we're all in this together. We must care about one another and resolve our differences. We all have the power to make positive changes.

2. If your food is bad at a restaurant, would you say something?

A. I have in the past, so I assume I would do so again.

3. What is in your fridge right now?

A. Roasted chicken, lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, radishes, carrots, Boost, grape jelly, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard. The usual.

4. What are you freakishly bad at?

A. Cooking.

5. Where do you not mind waiting?

A. In a bookstore.

6. What’s something you've tried that you'll never, ever try again?

A. Escargot.

7. If you could dis-invent one thing, what would it be?

A. Gunpowder.

8. If you could be a member of any TV sitcom family, which would it be?

A. I don't know. There aren't too many sitcom families that I relate to. I might fit in ok with the Big Bang Theory folks since I'm nerdy.

9. What would be the best thing about not having a sense of smell?

A. I don't think anything would be good about it, but if I must choose, then it would be not smelling farts.

10. Would you rather live (permanently) in a roller coaster park or in a zoo?

A. In a roller coaster park, although I'd never ride the rides.

11. When scrolling through social media, do you prefer posts from celebrities or from your best friends?

A. I don't care either way.

12. What makes someone a hero?

A. A willingness to die for someone else.

13. What is the stupidest thing you've done because someone dared you to?

A. I have no idea. I'm an old woman, few people make dares with me anymore.

14. What is the stupidest thing you've done on your own free will?

A. Answering these last few questions might come in as a close first.

15. Would you rather have unlimited sushi for life or unlimited tacos for life?

A. I will take a pass on both, thank you.

__________

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: Danny's Song

Saturday 9: Danny's Song (1972)

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

1) In this song, Anne Murray sings that she thinks she's going to have a son. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?

A. Not to my knowledge.

2) Back in the 1970s, when this song was popular, parents had to wait until their baby was born to know the gender. Today moms and dads can learn within the first few months whether they're expecting a son or daughter. Do you prefer it this way? Or would you rather not know in advance if you are welcoming a boy or girl into your family?

A. I never had children and am too old to have children, so I don't really have an opinion on this. I think people should do what they want. If they want to know, let them know. If they don't, that's fine too.

 

3) Anne is so popular in her native Canada that her face graced commemorative postage stamps. What's the last piece of mail you affixed a stamp to and mailed?

A. I sent out a letter to a pen pal.

4) She began taking voice lessons at 15. She was so serious about it she took a 50-minute bus ride each way to her classes. What extracurricular activities captured your attention when you were in high school?

A. I was in the marching band, and I played guitar in a rock and roll (more like a disco) band.

 

5) She studied physical education at the University of New Brunswick and upon graduation taught PE for a year. Did you enjoy gym class?

A. I hated gym class. I would get out of it every chance I got. Gym class occasionally kept me off of the A honor roll, and knocked me down to the A-B Honor Roll, because I hated it so much. 

6) Every spring and summer, Anne's fans travel to Nova Scotia and The Anne Murray Centre. There they can see exhibits and memorabilia from her long career, including her Grammy Awards and gold records. If we were to display memorabilia reflecting the highlights of your life, what items should we include?

A. Copies of publications I've been printed in, photos I've taken, my wedding band, my college diplomas, and my guitar.

 

7) In 1972, the year this record was popular, Popeyes opened their first chicken restaurant. Today there are more than 3700 locations in 30 countries. Is chicken on the menu at your house this week?

A. Chicken is always on the menu at my house.

8) Also in 1972, latch hook rug kits were all the rage. With pre-cut yarn, a latch hook, and a printed pattern, "hookers" could make wall hangings, pillow covers, and throw rugs. Are you into arts and crafts?

A. I take a stab at it every now and then, but I am never very good at it.

9) Random question: If you were offered the position of mayor of your town, would you take it?

A. Probably not today. Too many crazy people out there now. I might have said yes prior to 2016, but I would not want the job now.

_______________

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

I live in a rural community and mostly love it. But it's not always lovely cows and flowers here. Living in a small, rural area does have its downside. Here are some possible things that are bad about rural living, although the same can be said for many places on some of these, I think.*

1. Isolation and lack of social interaction with neighbors and friends. While I have neighbors whose homes I can see, for the most part, I don't know them. I know family members who have built on or near the farm, but the newer folks, not so much.

2. Poor access to health care, education, and public services. Health care is a 15-minute drive and the probability of dying from a heart attack is much greater for me than for someone who lives in a city, mostly because care is so far away. By the time emergency services arrives, it could be 20 minutes. Then it's another 20 minutes to the hospital. That "golden hour" of survival is now whittled down to another 20 minutes. Odds aren't good I'll survive.

3. Limited job opportunities and lower income. The pay around here is not good, and the places to work are limited to agriculture or industrial, unless one wants to teach in the public schools.

4. Difficulty in traveling and commuting due to distance and weather conditions. 

5. Slow internet and cable services that affect work and entertainment. I still have DSL. I don't see anything faster or better in my immediate future.

6. Higher exposure to wildlife and pests that can damage crops and property. Lyme Disease along with Alpha-Gal, both tick-born illnesses, are rampant around here.

7. Higher expenses on gas, groceries, and utilities. I'm not sure what electric bills run in the city, but out here, they're in the hundreds of dollars.

8. Lack of privacy and anonymity from family and community. 

9. Difficulty in finding a romantic partner or breaking up with one. That's because everyone talks. Nothing like gossip to keep the neighborhood stirred up.

10. Lack of diversity and cultural experiences. We have history museums, but no art galleries. Most socializing around here is done at church, and if one doesn't go to church, the opportunities are slim.

11. Lack of shopping options and recreational activities. We have a Dollar General. That's not much.

12. Stress from environmental problems such as pollution and deforestation. We have a lot of pollution from our industrial factories. I live in between the two largest polluters in my county. This is why I have two air purifiers in the house.

13. Boredom and drug and alcohol abuse among teens. This applies to adults too, I think. On Mondays, one only need look in the recycling bin to see what kind of alcoholics live around here. The glass and tin bins are full of liquor and beer bottles. Overflowing, even. I guess the folks go to church to socialize and then drink and talk about it later in the day.

*List curated with assistance from the Bing AI.

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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 803rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Listening to David Sedaris

Last year, I listened to five of David Sedaris's books. I haven't read (with my eyes) the first one, but I have listened to Calypso, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Happy Go Lucky, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

A few days ago, I started listening to Theft by Finding. This is a compilation of diary entries from 1977 to 2002, published in 2018.

An unknown writer such as I could never have something like this published. This is something only someone with a known following could get away with.

It also covered material I'd heard in other places. Some of it, I could tell, appeared to have been fleshed out from diary entries.

I found certain things interesting: price increases in items from 1977 forward, for example, along with his income and the ways he chose to make money. For a good while, his work of choice was some kind of construction or moving furniture type of work, although he was also writing and producing plays.

He also was a heavy drug and alcohol user until the late 1990s, when he stopped drinking and using drugs.

Another thing I noted was that prior to 1982 or so, Sedaris didn't have many reports of being accosted on the streets for money, cigarettes, or other items, but after the Reagan administration set all of the mentally ill people loose upon the general public* (my observation, not his), then this became more common in Sedaris's recitations of things that he had made note of. Some of this may have been age; he was a man by then and not a teenager. However, I was astonished at how often he was asked for money and cigarettes in the United States. He noted one or two instances of begging in a foreign country, but here it is common, and he didn't hesitate to point it out.

Being in a rural community, I do not see this often, although when I worked downtown in the nearest city, I did and still do when I am unlucky enough to be down there.

Other things Sedaris has made note of in this book include a long discussion of bow ties (apparently, he wears one) and book signings. His book signings apparently bring in 400+ people, which to me is astonishing as I have seldom seen that many people at a book signing. I think most authors are fortunate if one or two people show up. 

For a while I have been unsure if all of this traveling and presenting Sedaris said he was doing was actually book readings or a comedy routine he put together. I'm still not certain. His biography on Wikipedia indicates all of the above.

Maybe as I go backwards and listen to his earlier work, I'll sort it out in my head.

His sister, by the way, is Amy Sedaris, who has appeared in The Mandalorian, among other things.

*The Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 (MHSA) was United States legislation signed by President Jimmy Carter which provided grants to community mental health centers. In 1981 President Ronald Reagan, who had made major efforts during his Governorship to reduce funding and enlistment for California mental institutions, pushed a political effort through the U.S. Congress to repeal most of MHSA. The MHSA was considered landmark legislation in mental health care policy. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, signed by President Ronald Reagan on August 13, 1981, repealed most of the Mental Health Systems Act. And that's why the mentally ill live on the streets.

Virginia Dogwood

 

His Majesty's Raised Garden Beds

 

There is still no fence around it to keep the deer and other critters out, so we haven't planted anything yet. 

We have seeds, though. I guess they will make it into the dirt eventually!