50 Thoughts XXXIVby Paul **1.** Sometimes all you need is someone to believe in you. **2.** BBM group chats were electric back in 2012. Someone would leave the chat and everyone else would be like, "Wowww, why'd they leave? Invite them back." **3.** Did I not make enough pasta, or is the pot just really big? **4.** The word "harbinger" is only ever used in one context. **5.** Cavan Biggio is turning into my favourite Blue Jay. He plays such an intellectual style of baseball.…
Herb Talk: Bee Balm by Sara Wright Women’s relationship with plants stretches back to the beginning of humankind. Most of us know that women invented agriculture and became the first healers. I come from a family of women who all had gardens, but no one grew herbs. It interests me in retrospect how I turned to these healing plants. I first used them for culinary purposes as a young mother; but as I approached midlife (mid –thirties) I began to gather herbs for medicinal…
Man builds nut bar for squirrels People are going nuts for an Ohio woodworker’s latest creation: A bar that caters to neighborhood squirrels. Michael Dutko, a 35-year-old hobbyist, has been creating art and household items from wood for most of his life, and even chronicles it on his YouTube channel Duke Harmon Woodworking. But it’s his fun twist on a squirrel feeder that’s made him Internet famous. “The Nutty Bar,” which is attached to his backyard fence in Hilliard, looks…
How “Silence is Violence” Can Became Compelled Speech “Silence is violence” has everything that you want in a slogan: Alliteration. Brevity. Simplicity. It also can be chilling for some in the academic and free-speech communities. On one level, it conveys a powerful message that people of good faith should not remain silent about great injustices. However, it can have a more menacing meaning to “prove the negative” – demanding that people prove they are not racist. In a…
Warning: Contains Tory chicken The leaderette of the Tory branch office in Scotland and the living embodiment of the truth of the principle of nominative determination, DRoss, has promised us this weekend that he'll stand up to the Johnson administration on the issue of chlorinated chicken. "I would have no hesitation in voting against any legislation which would allow chlorinated chicken or hormone-injected beef into this country. That’s a categorical assurance," said DReck…
Riotous or Righteous? CNN’s Chris Cillizza Blasts President Trump For Using The Word “Riots” We have **previously discussed** how some media organizations told their journalists not to call violence after the death of George Floyd “riots,” including the recently much mocked headline of CNN calling the looting and violence in Kenosha “**fiery but mostly peaceful.**” Now, Chris Cillizza, an editor-at-large for CNN, is under fire for criticized President Donald Trump for…
good morning I really am late this morning. The cleaning lady arrived and was busy for me and then I realised it would be a good idea to make my monthly large order at the store online. I really had enough time, but I had to concentrate. I like to stock up on supplies at home so that I do not have so much to get during the month. It is now done and will be delivered tomorrow early evening. I also had to start cooking dinner in between. It really became one big stress. And…
Skidmore Students Call For The “Immediate Firing” of Professors Who Attended Pro-Police Rally There is a controversy brewing at Skidmore College where students have demanded the "immediate firing" of three faculty members who were spotted at a "Back The Blue" pro-police rally. It is the latest expression of intolerance for opposing views in higher education. According to **WAMC,** the student group Pass the Mic has made 19 demands of Skidmore after a “Back the Blue” rally…
Referendums and pandemics Yesterday the SNP's Marco Biagi, who hopes to stand as a candidate in next year's Holyrood elections, said that he believes there could be a snap referendum in the autumn of 2021 following a decisive SNP victory in the Scottish elections. **https://www.thenational.scot/news/18686670.former-msp-marco-biagi-forecasts-snap-indyref2-holyrood-poll/** Despite this, it was Marco's belief that it would be foolish to press ahead with a referendum while the…
Steven Bannon Needs A Defense Not A Conspiracy Theory For His Federal Trial Below is my column on the Steven Bannon case that ran in the Washington Times. Notably, one of the defendants indicted with Bannon is a Andrew Badolato, a person who has **repeatedly assisted the government in prior cases**. While Badolato has pleaded not guilty and has a long association with Bannon, his history could raise a serious threat for defense counsel that he might cut a deal with…
Wednesday: Hili dialogue (and Leon monologue) t's our first Hump Day in September: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, and **National "Grits for Breakfast" Day**. Why the scare quotes, though? Don't be scared of grits! https://foodimentary.com/2016/09/02/september-2-national-grits-for-breakfast-day/ You either love grits with breakfast or you hate them, and I'm in the first class—the *right* class. You can't beat a good Southern breakfast of grits, fried eggs, country ham with…
Good Morning A cloudy remainder from tne night, but no rain. Cooler than it was, but it is now September, time to think about preparing for Autumn. The leaves are not yet falling, but thinking about it and I notice their colours are no longer such an intensive green. I was in action this morning when my alarm sounded off. Yes, we golden oldies also have an alarm. We cannot just sleep the day away and sometimes there are things to do, but only sometimes. This morning I had to…
where am i going? My sense of direction is, at best, poor. In spite of that, I love a road trip. With the advent of affordable GPS (Global Positioning System) devices, driving long distances has become easier. Unfortunately, that tool (GPS) is not always reliable. Sometimes I get lost. I have a hard time figuring out how to get back on track. Like Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” I’m forced at times to depend on the “kindness of strangers.” Getting lost, though,…
Uncertain Look what I found on the wall in the kitchen - a moth. The question is it a friendly moth that you ignore until it disappears on its own, or does it have an appetite on food that I might have in the cupboard. I decided it was one of the friendly sort that usually enjoys life outside in the grass and now and again makes an excursion inside. I have had my experience with moths that like to live in my food packets, but this is now a thing of the past. I will not got…
RDP Tuesday: Draconic It is not quite draconic Am not being laconic But the Swiss are voting again They opened a store Where we can buy more But our money is on the wane To buy fighter jets As tough as it gets Some say it is luxury We should all say yes If we do it's a guess The jets are not for free The decision is made Decided on our grade We do not need a flying show This choice has no chance Can be seem at a glance The vote will be a mega No. **[sponsors]**
Gregg Caruso on free will, the justice system, prisons, the meaning of life, and the good life The *New Philosopher* has a long interview, "On Purpose," with Zan Boag speaking to the philosopher **Gregg D. Caruso**, Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning, Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University, and Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network (JWRN) at the University of Aberdeen School of Law. http://www.greggcaruso.com/ Although I've never met…
Distant horizons Afraid I'm having a bit of a hiatus in inspiration at the moment! It so makes me miss - and appreciate all the more - those times when you can 'see' a painting in just about every scene or every photo that you look at! At the moment, every time I look for inspiration, I just see scenes or images that I don't feel I have anything to add to, or they just don't stir my imagination in any way at all. For those that do, I'm usually overwhelmed by them and don't…
Reminder: first MIT coronavirus lecture today at 11:30 Eastern time Just a reminder: **I announced yesterday** a one-hour-a-week "all star" course at MIT on the pandemic and the virus—the first lecture in a course that goes through December 8. There are of guest lecturers, some well known. It starts soon this morning, and note that the starting time (11:30 a.m.) is Eastern US time.…
covered Today would have been a good day to go shopping in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, although being a Sunday the stores would be closed. It was raining all day, not really rain, it was almost a deluge, pouring down. However, had it been a normal week day Bern would have been teaming with shoppers, taking their time and there would have been almost no sign of an umbrella. I remember the first time I visited Bern, it was a wonderful experience. You can saunter along…
Hunter I was born to be a hunter, but that was too much hard work. Now I sit outside the store and wait. I trained the human to do the hunting for me.
Is Andrew Sullivan beyond the pale? ort of. We may read him, but we must find him "abhorrent". Or at least so **proclaims Ben Smith** of the *New York Time*s in "I’m Still Reading Andrew Sullivan. But I Can’t Defend Him." The headline condemns Sullivan, in Smith's voice no less, but then opens with Smith visiting Sullivan, apparently late at night, at Sullivan's vacation home on Cape Cod. The whole piece contains this sort of contradiction. Smith presents himself as a…
Caught out Today's guest picture comes from our son Tony who saw this impressive looking boat sailing under the Forth Bridges when he was dropping his partner Marianne off at her work this morning. We had another day of brisk winds and variable weather here. When the sun was out, which it was from time to time, it was a pleasant day. When it rained, it was less fun. Annie, Evie and I took a tour round the town after breakfast while we visited the chemist and the corner shop…
good morning Another wonderful sunny morning has arrived. Yesterday was a summer's day with all the good things. Hot, but pleasant, and plenty of sunshine and even a light breeze to make it bearable. I loved it. I was off to town in the afternoon for the week-end shopping, although that is no longer such a big thing as it was. I now plan more ahead, and just had a few veg and salad to pick up and have a look for any special offers. They had reduced the price of filet of pork…
Lady Justice – A Collaborative Poem we keep justice sealed under bell-shaped glass and morality locked in amber on our pristine mantelpieces we dust them off from time to time novelties to be displayed nonchalantly when discerning guests come to call ****Christine E. Ray**** https://braveandrecklessblog.com/ *rest we now on our laurels?* weep, ye lady liberty /blind/ yet she sees scales unbalanced /hang/ justice from the gallows what say ye from the gallery /judge!/ when our…
with beauty around me When I moved from Lesbos to Crete, I decided to take some 30 large and medium-sized handmade terra cotta pots acquired over the years along with me. As I had been living part-time in Crete for several years, most of the plants had died, but I managed to salvage freesia bulbs, chives, and cuttings from nutmeg-scented geraniums. My friend Mavroudis helped me empty the soil into feed bags provided by a neighbor who keeps sheep. I decided to move the dirt…
'who loves you' I'm posting this because it's been languishing in the archives for a while. I also realize that the Four Seasons group isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's not my favorite cup of tea, but they did have some good songs, and among the best is **this one**. (I also like "Walk Like a Man" and "My Eyes Adored You," the latter marred by the execrable line, "Walkin' home every day over Barnegat Bridge and Bay.") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Loves_You_(song) "Who…
Good morning I am hoping for a bit of sun today. Yesterday was such a dreary day, and not very warm. I can hear you knocking at the door Autumn and I am sure you will soon be here. The tree opposite already has some red edges on the leaves. Otherwise I was in action this morning. We have a window that is being renewed in the kitchen. It had a cat flap built into it and through the tension caused by it in the glass, a crack occurred in the window. We repaired it with…
Adrift Recovering Addict Prays For Rescue . . . Saved By Priests In Floating Tiki Bar I had to share this story. Jimmy MacDonald is a former addict who has been sober for seven years. He found himself floating away without a paddle in an overturned kayak. He prayed to God for rescue and suddenly saw in disbelief a floating Tiki bar with Catholic priests coming to his aid. If that does not prove the existence of God, I cannot imagine what you are waiting for.…
Darwin next for cancellation? A couple of upset readers sent me links to the article below, but I don't think it's time to get upset quite yet. It's not clear that the Cancel Culture will come for Darwin, though the *Telegraph* article below implies it. What it actually reports is that the Natural History Museum in London is assaying its evolution collection just in case they have to censor it because it bespeaks of "colonialism." But nothing has been done yet beyond a…
Baroness David According to recent reports, a furious Baroness Ruth Davidson contacted the BBC's Brian Taylor directly to tell him not to refer to her as Baroness Davidson after he called her Baroness Davidson in a report for BBC Scotland news. A spokesapologist for the Scottish Tories later said that the title Baroness gives the wrong image because it plays into a stereotype of out of touch and unaccountable Conservatives that the Tories are desperate to move away from.…
A mundane Sunday sermon on the nonexistence of the afterlife While driving back from the grocery store (I shop early), I was forced to listen to Krista Tippett's "On Being" show on NPR. It's the show I love to hate, and because my radio dial is set on the local public radio station, I have to hear her on Sunday morning drives. What I love best of all is when she nearly reduces herself to tears with the depth of her own profound utterances. She always sounds like she's on the…
Labor Day 2020 Labor Day 2020 http://nofacilities.com/2020/09/07/labor-day-2020/ Today is Labor Day, a national holiday in the United States. It’s supposed to be a day when we celebrate the contributions workers have made to the strength and prosperity of our country. The gallery below is a collection of images from the exhibit at the Connecticut Historical Society Museum I visited in August. Most of the images have a (sometimes lengthy) caption that explains it. That’s my…
Two rays of sunshine Today's guest picture is another from our son Tony taken in sunny East Wemyss. It was a rather grey morning here with occasional drizzle so it was very lucky that a visit brightened it up a lot. Our son Tony stopped taking pictures in East Wemyss for long enough to come down to Langholm with his partner Marianne and have lunch with his sister and niece. This required a drive of over 100 miles each way so we were very pleased that they was able to come.…
Virtually Insane: School Sends Police To Home We have previously followed the suspensions and discipline of students under zero tolerance policies that are used by teachers to justify zero judgment or responsibility. I have long criticized zero tolerance policies that have led to suspensions and arrests of children (here, here and here and here and here and here). Now this insanity has gone insane after a Colorado school district called police because a 12-year-old boy…
Nick Cohen on the dangers of right-wing vs. left-wing extremism One of the comments I get a lot—both on this site and in private emails—is that I spend too much time bashing the Left rather than going after Trump and his minions. I've tried to respond repeatedly, but somehow my message doesn't get through. So let me say this again. I am a liberal, a Democrat, and I despise Trump and what the Republican party has become—and has been for a long time. Trump is a serious danger…
Adrift Over The Atlantic: How The President and The Press Destroyed Below is my column in the Hill newspaper on the recent controversy surrounding *The Atlantic* article on alleged comments by President Donald Trump disparaging veterans and war dead buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. I have been highly critical of President Trump response, particularly his calling for the firing of a Fox reporter for confirming elements of the story. In truth, Fox did not confirm that…
Life Network For Women I know in my own life that there have been many times I've just wanted and needed a word of encouragement. There have been many times I just needed some inspiration, I needed help in life. So you know what I did? I created this powerful Life Network For Women digital network- for you! We give love the way we want love, we become the friend that we want to have, I decided to create this Life Network For Women so that you, your friends, your family can…
Loopring Monthly Update — 2020/08 his month we released Loopring Wallet’s smart contract v1.1 and started the app’s UX/UI redesign. We hope to invite users to an early beta in September. Loopring protocol 3.6 is close to code-complete (a quite special new feature was added, read below!) and the external security audits will start in two weeks. Loopring Protocol Our upcoming Loopring 3.6 release has been undergoing an internal audit this month. In the upcoming month, we will…
A screw-up (mine) About half an hour ago I put up a post ("Did CNN edit out a bit about the Jews from Martin Luther King’s last speech?") about Martin Luther King's famous "I've been to the mountaintop" speech, comparing **a transcript from CNN** with an "authenticated" one from ***American Rhetoric***. As the website ***FirstOne Through*** noticed, the former had left out a bit about the Jews' exodus from Egypt, taking this to mean that CNN had a bias against Israel or…
Did CNN edit out a bit about the Jews from Martin Luther King’s last speech? Malgorzata called my attention to **a post on a pro-Israel website,** ***FirstOne Through***, which claims that CNN edited Martin Luther King's famous "**I've been to the Mountaintop" speech**, given on April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. And they edited it, as the site avers, to remove an approving reference to the Jews' trek to the promised land during the Exodus (a journey that, while Biblical,…
Assistant Principal Under Fire For Video Screaming “F**K The Police” Lysenko was shown recently on a video screaming “F**k the Police” and other profanities. That is a common form of political expression. The problem is that, in addition to be anti-police, Lysenko is the assistant principal of Spencerport High School. As will come as no surprise to readers of this blog, I do not support Lysenko’s views but I strongly oppose those who want to discipline or fire him because of…
Washington Man Indicted For Allegedly Stealing Police Rifle During Riot In Seattle We have been discussing the notable reliance on federal as opposed to state charges to prosecute crimes during the recent protests. The shifting of these cases into the federal system is being done with the support of local police. The result can be enhanced sentencing as well as political cover. The latest example is Jacob D. Little, 24, who allegedly stole a high-powered rifle from a patrol…
Song on a watermelon keyboard I'm not sure what the "Playtron" is, but it appears to be a controller that, combined with a synthesizer and conductive objects (in this case, fruit) you can play music. The instrumentalist is **Mezerg**, a "one man band" who plays other instruments, like **the theramin**, **on his channel,** https://themusicman.uk/mezerg/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-rlFaSBLg8 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUaQxmkh81tJAWrreHe3CJg Beyond this I know…
Chicago public schools adopt the 1619 Project I'm not a big fan of the New York Times's **1619 Project**, though I think its aims—letting people know that the aftereffects of slavery still weigh down America—are admirable. But I'm wary of its historical inaccuracies, called out by several prominent historians, of its main message that America is affected in nearly every aspect by "systemic racism", and, above all, by the efforts of the paper to propagandize American…
The Justice Department Is Wrong In Seeking To Take Over The Defamation Case Against Trump . . . The Department of Justice (DOJ) moved yesterday to take over the representation in the defamation suit brought by author E. Jean Carroll, who has accused President Donald Trump of raping her. I strongly disagree with the use of the Justice Department in such circumstances. However, the court may have little choice to grant the motion. This is a case where the legal answer is not…
i would want to find something to earn money on this
i would want to find something to earn money on this
Good morning Another sunny day has arrived. If you are wondering what the cloud is on the left of the picture, it is my thumb. I could have removed it by shifting the picture frame, but nobody is perfect and these things happen, especially when taking a quick photo with the telephone camera. At the moment I am completely alone at home. Mr. Swiss had a dental appointment this morning already at 8.00 am and got himself a taxi to get there. It was really a little early for a…
Mt Tom – #1LinerWeds Several weeks ago, our daughter Faith and I decided to go for a day hike during the week she was to be on vacation (last week). I wanted to “hike” the Holyoke, Massachusetts canal system. It’s about 3.5 mi (6 km), paved and flat. Faith has done urban hikes such as this with me before. I also suggested that it might be nice to get an areal view of Holyoke. Faith determined that Mt. Tom was the nearest peak, but it was questionable whether we would be able…
The solid ground It's very possible that Scotland has reached the tipping point, when it shifts from being a country which is ambivalent about independence to becoming a nation which is resolved that it can only reach its full potential if it has all the powers of an independent state. There have been reports this week of a secret poll on independence, whose results were let slip in an article in the Guardian by a former advisor to the Treasury, Prof Mujtaba Rahman.…
No, Twitter Should Not Take Down The McConnell Parody For years, I have criticized those who have called for increased censorship on the Internet, including regulation of political speech by companies like Facebook and Twitter. There is a legitimate debate over the continued use of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by these companies when they are engaged in such censorship (and alleged viewpoint bias). However, President Donald Trump’s call for Twitter to take…
In a specific and limited way On Tuesday, something remarkable happened. Brandon Lewis, a British Government minister, stood up in the House of Commons and announced that the Johnson administration which blights us all is preparing to break the law "in a specific and limited way". You try that the next time a polis stops you for speeding. "Sorry officer, but I was only breaking the law in a very specific and limited way." After all it's not like you speed every single time…
Medical-journal article suggests eliminating applicants to med school if they’re racists There is no area these days that is immune from charges of systemic racism. The authors of the article below, published in *The Journal of General Internal Medicine* (JIGM) single out medical education. You can read the article by clicking on the screenshot below, or get the pdf **here**. Below the first screenshot you can find a *precis* of the journal article from the Yale School of…
D.C. Circuit Rejects Key Challenge Of President Trump To McGahn Subpoena The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a major reaffirmation of congressional authority on Friday when it ruled Friday, 7-2 that the House has legal standing to use the courts to compel McGahn to appear in response to a House Judiciary Committee subpoena. I testified repeatedly in Congress in support of the McGahn subpoena (including in the Trump impeachment hearing) and said that I…
Christopher Walken dances to “Come and Get Your Love” This video absolutely freaks me out, but what do you expect with **Christopher Walken**? I didn't know the man even danced, but I recall that when a reader posted the video in the comments not long ago, they added that Walken was once a dancer. Indeed, *Wikipedia* notes that "Walken initially trained as a dancer at the Washington Dance Studio before moving on to dramatic stage roles and then film."…
Rap converges with religious glossolalia It's no secret that I'm not a fan of rap music, which has replaced soul music, a fantastic period of song, as *the* African-American pop music. I do like some rap songs, but only when the rapping has a melody interspersed. Here's **Iggy Azalea** "freestyling", which is improvised rap. She's not very good at it, and this almost seems to be a form of **glossolalia**, or religious speaking in tongues. And, just like those who do this in…
“Hit Job” While Describing His Killing of A Counterprotester a Matter Of “Tactics” We have been discussing the controversy after a Rhode Island Professor Eric Loomis declared that there was “nothing wrong” with the killing of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, the member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer by Michael Reinoehl, an Antifa member. He insisted that the decision of whether to take the life of a “fascist” is purely a tactical, not moral, decision. Connecticut History…
Good Morning Some nice feathery clouds this morning and the sun is shining. Looks like another pleasant day in my world. No sign of rain and according to the weather report it will stay that way for the next week. Talking of next week. I discovered a golden oldie muddle yesterday. I was looking at the village programme for rubbish disposal and saw that at last we were going to have a removal of the unwanted newspapers and cardboard. We collect it in the cellar and No. 1 son…
progress Today's guest picture comes from my sister Mary who has been enjoying her walks up to Kenwood recently. She had this fine view of the grounds on Wednesday. Today's guest picture comes from my sister Mary who has been enjoying her walks up to Kenwood recently. She had this fine view of the grounds on Wednesday. We had a cool, grey morning here today, definitely feeling like autumn a lot more than like late summer. It stayed dry though, but with the temperature…
Some stats on this site (and some ducks) I just noticed how many posts I've made on this site, and decided to do a few quick calculations. This website began on January 22, 2009, with the first post being a short announcement that I'd published a **Letter to Charles Darwin** on the Oxford University Press website. Today, September 10, 2020, makes 4250 days since the site began. And, if you include this one, the total number of posts is 22,660, with the number of comments…
FOTD 10th September 2020: Chrysanthemums And what a wonderful selection. It is that time of the year again.
RDP Thursday: Bristle I am bristling with energy to clean my bristles They are so sharp Just like thistles They call me Fluffy It's just my style Mrs. Human was not happy when the fur made a pile
An enthusiastic movie recommendation During my allotted reading time yesterday, I treated myself to a movie instead. I've seen many of the most recent ones that were highly regarded, so I Googled "best movies 2019" and came up with one I hadn't seen that got wide acclaim: "**Portrait of a Lady on Fire**", a French film directed by **Céline Sciamma**. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_a_Lady_on_Fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9line_Sciamma I won't give a…
Readers’ wildlife photos Many thanks to the several readers who sent in photos so the daily feature could be saved. I can always use more, though, so don't forget about me! Here's a batch from Paul Peed; he sent them to me in the beginning of August and I lost them. Fortunately, he re-sent them, and I've put them below, with his captions and notes indented. Here is an unthemed collection of images from my birdwatching journeys in central Florida…
What to make of Jessica Krug? I still don't have a firm opinion about, or anything much to add to, the case of **Jessica Krug**, who resigned her history professorship at George Washington University yesterday after revealing that she wasn't really the Afro-Latina woman woman she'd pretended to be her whole academic career, but a white Jewish woman from Kansas City. During that career, she wrote a regarded book and several articles centering on race, as well as articles for…
Creating expectations The lack of performance artiste who goes by the stage name Boris Johnson has faced three big challenges since he became Prime Minister. To deliver that oven ready Brexit deal that he promised during last year's General Election, to deal with the coronavirus epidemic, and to placate an angry and restless Scotland. He has utterly failed on all of them. The pandemic has left the UK with the highest death toll in Europe and the worst affected economy.…
Streets of London **Jack** walked through the **streets** only accompanied by the darkness of the night, the lights from the lampposts. He knew it was dangerous, but he hadn't slept for days. Lying awake in the darkness listening to the rats was driving him mad. http://www.victorianweb.org/history/slums.html He heard something. Steps around the corner. Strange, at this time of the night. Slow footsteps coming towards him. Too slow. Too *heavy*. He stopped. So did the steps.…
Martin Park Doors – #ThursdayDoors First Joseph Clark House Welcome back to Thursday Doors! After a three-week hiatus, Norm Frampton has opened the door to his wonderful blog for links to our posts. This is how we share our photos of doors that we have discovered. Who are we? We are bloggers and door aficionados from all over the world. As you might expect, I spent our three-week break gathering doors. I snapped doors while running several errands and I went on one…
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sets new diversity standards According to both the *New York Times* and *Variety*, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the annual Oscars, has set new diversity standards for the Best Picture award. The standards, though they don't apply to other categories like Best Actor, could apply to other awards like Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature, and, according to *Variety* (which has the…
University of Chicago 1, cop-defunder students 0 Well, one things this past week has shown is that Hyde Park is not Portland, and thank Ceiling Cat for that! Starting a week ago Saturday, a University of Chicago student group called *Care Not Cops* began demonstrating—or rather, camping out—in the street and sidewalks in front of Provost Ka Yee C. Lee's house, just north of Hyde Park in Kenwood. **They vowed to stay there indefinitely until the Provost met with them publicly…
Can scientific theories be falsified? One scientist says no The provocative title of the *Scientific American* Article below, by physicist Mano Singham, is, I think, deeply misleading. The idea that science progresses by eliminating incorrect explanations, which is what falsification is all about, seems to me not only a good strategy, but one that's historically worked very well. To say it's a myth is not even wrong. But let's hear why Singham says that falsification can't…
Friday: Hili dialogue TCCIF: Thank Ceiling Cat it's Friday! It's September 11, 2020,a day of remembrance. It's also **National Hot Cross Buns Day**. I could use one or two, as it's 5:30 am and I am HUNGRY! (I almost never eat breakfast.) https://foodimentary.com/2015/09/11/september-11-national-hot-cross-buns-day-2/ It's also **National Emergency Responders Day**, **Make Your Bed Day** (I always do; I think it's the key to a good start to the day), **Women's Baseball Day**,…
Obnoxious You cannot ignore this word, without mentioning a few of our politicians. John Bercow was for many years the speaker in the British Houses of Parliament, his job being to call the members of parliament to order. I loved this man, he made it all worth while watching the daily broadcasts from the parliament. This man was definitely not obnoxious, just those that he had to deal with.
Spider Flowers Growing in a field in our village and quite pretty.
Down in the valley Today's guest picture comes from my sister Susan. She had another cup of coffee beside the canal this week and saw another canal boat passing by. If I had a canal nearby, I too would go and sit by it every week, even without a cup of coffee. After a stormy night, we had another day almost like yesterday, grey and windy. The difference was that today was greyer and windier. After a visit to the shop to get milk and pay my bill, some gardening was the main…
A Week of Ups and Downs These last hot sunny days are ticking away, we're almost on stolen time, snatching what we can whilst it's available. Making the most of glorious weather and deliciously warm evenings, hours after dark where we can dine on the terrace with friends, kidding ourselves that it's mid August and we have weeks of these lazy days ahead of us. And whilst it all sounds like a life of poetry it's actually been a hectic week of events punctuated with enormous…
Comedy wildlife photos ***Mashable*** has a selection of a readers' favorite: the finalists of the annual Comedy Wildlife Photo contest. Their article can be seen by clicking on the screenshot below, and the notes just below direct you to the contest website where you can vote for your favorite. https://mashable.com/article/comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-2020/ Founded by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam and supported by wildlife conservation nonprofit The Born Free…
Mishigas at the pond! Late this morning we found one of the duckling ramps pulled out of the water and laid ignominiously on the grass. While there are no more ducklings to use it, the adult ducks still use it, and it's an important place, during these chilly days, for the turtles to sun themselves. A member of Team Duck reviewed today's tape from the PondCam and found that a girl from a family of four simply uprooted the ramp and put it on the grass. The family watched on…
Good Morning That was a surprise this morning to see a mist covering the trees on the edge of our estate. The weather is still summerlike. Yeterday we had a temperature of 27°C officially. I was out for a wheelie in my scooter in the afternoon, wearing shorts and sleeveless t-shirt and I am sure the temperature was more like 30°C. Autumn is really leaving us with some hot days. I wheeled off through the local cemetery. Actually I had a blog about wood to write, so took a few…
Welcome Back If you’re new to this blog, this post might not make any sense. For many years, during my morning commute, I stopped at Great River Park in East Hartford, CT. I would leave for work very early, to beat the traffic heading south into Hartford. Once I crossed the Connecticut River, I was no longer subject to rush hour traffic. I was heading away from the city, and I had the option of traveling the back roads. In fact, traveling the back roads had the added…
One Word Sunday: Three Once upon a time there were three trees. One of them wanted to stand on its own and made a few attempts to leave the others. He then discovered that only Ent trees walk in the Middle Earth from the book Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and its roots were deep in the earthly earth, so it had to stay. The other two trees were happy. "We do not need any Ents here".one of the other trees said and his colleague agreed. This all happened many years ago…
Good Morning Same old sun rising in the morning and same old blue skies with the promise of a good day. A bit of a lazy Sunday morning, but I am finally here. Actually I had a dizzy spell when I stopped hugging the bed. I get them now and again, the last one was a few months ago. I have to be careful sometimes when lifting my head in the morning - always look ahead. Anyhow I have tablets, so no problem. My neurologist tells me it has nothing to do with my MS, but the balance…
No, The Justice Department Should Not Investigate Netflix’s “Cuties” Several GOP leaders are calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and take legal action against Netflix for its promotion of the “Cuties” film. The film has been denounced for its “sexualization of children.” I have seen the clip of the most controversial scene of young girls dancing which I found deeply disturbing and offensive. However, there is no criminal act alleged of child abuse. What…
Over the hill (but not far away) Today's guest picture comes from my brother Andrew who recently walked along the Erewash canal on a sunny day We had a dry, cool and quite breezy day here today (although it started raining again in the evening) and this encouraged us to get out into the garden not long after breakfast. I set about turning the compost from Bin A into Bin B, and quite surprised myself and Mrs Tootlepedal by completing the whole job in one go and at a brisk…
Florida Man Arrested After Attacking Elderly Man Who Asked For Social Distancing We recently discussed the attack on an elderly man in an elevator over social distancing in Florida. Now, Rovester Ingram has been charged in Winter Park, Florida with a vicious attack on a 70-year-old man at a convenience store after he was asked to social distance. The charge caught my attention.…
Big new British monument to answered prayers As Britain races towards secularism faster than the U.S., the faithful are making their last stands. One such stand is this Mobius strip of a memorial slated to be started next spring in Coleshill, near Birmingham. As this article in *The Times* explains, it's to be called "The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer", and it's *huge*. (Of course, an Eternal Wall of *Unanswered* Prayer would be much, much larger!) Here's how big it is: At…
FOWC with Fandango: Replace This used to be the local railway station in the village. Admittedly it was many years ago, before my time in the village. I can hardly believe that this little house was enough to house the waiting passengers, but things change. The little building is still there, no longer used, just a memory in time. It has often been sprayed and the paint removed again. Of course the new station is something completely different, but the old one remains. There…
Stunning volcanic eruptions filmed in real time Here we have some pretty amazing shots of the Ecuadorian volcano **Reventador** erupting between January 5 and 7 of this year, and filmed by **Martin Rietze**. It's quite active, and there are two sites reporting the activity (**here**, and a better one **here**). The curious thing is that, as the second site reports, January 2020 wasn't a particularly active time—even though there were daily explosions! From the second site:…
Andrew sullivan Andrew Sullivan has devoted a lot of the last two editions of *The Weekly Dish* to the genetics of intelligence, perhaps because he's taken a lot of flak for supposedly touting *The Bell Curve* and the genetic underpinnings of IQ. Now I haven't read *The Bell Curve*, nor the many posts Sullivan's devoted to the genetics of intelligence (see the long list **here**), but he's clearly been on the defensive about his record which, as far as I can see, does…
Building on Survival Skills The weather has cooled down quite a bit with this past week’s rains and the arrival of a Canadian cold front. Our three orphaned fawns have enjoyed the respite from the blazing sun and stifling humidity of summer. During those hot days in June and all through August, the fawns took advantage of the cooler temperatures of early morning and late evening for romps and play in the deer pen. Not having had three little deer at one time in the pen other…
Spot the wood frog Something to help pass the time as we continue in this pandemic twilight zone. While walking through a wooded area of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey this morning, I spotted an adult Wood Frog (*Lithobates* *sylvaticus*) in the leaf litter (it jumped or I never would have noticed it). I only had my iPhone at the time, and took a few photos. Not sure if it’s sharp enough for use, but thought it might make a good “spot the…
Readers’ wildlife photos Please send your photos in, as to keep this feature going I need seven contributions per week. We don't want to lose our beastie pics, right? Today we have diverse photos from reader Dave Campbell, whose notes and IDs I've indented: Here are some photos to replenish the cache with accompanying text. I tossed in a photo with a connection to Charles Darwin and a gratuitous reference to a fictional rabbit from Brooklyn. **Eastern Spadefoot Toad**…
Mostly indoors Today's tall and thin guest picture comes from my sister Mary who passed this tall and thin pub a few days ago. My sister Susan had a meal in it last year and wrote about it in her post, which you can find We have had generally pretty poor weather since the start of August and that pattern was repeated today with the only alteration being that it was slightly worse than usual with a lot of drizzly rain and a strong wind for most of the day. Under the…
tree teachings I breathe in the scent of moist wooded bogs, crystal lake waters, baskets of dew heavy and sweet soaking heat through every pore… note withered leaves shriveled mosses and still the rains do not come. The Earth is on Fire. Stagnant pools shrunken trunks, the lack of fruiting bodies falling leaves a crisped ground beneath my feet remind me that grief must be felt with as much *awareness* as possible to create the necessary bridge… My weeping pine keeps me…
A welcome surprise after a pedal Today's guest picture comes from our neighbour Liz, who is down in the south at the moment. She visited East Carlton Park near Corby and came across this fine specimen. It made me think of Christmas for some reason. After several windy days, we had a much calmer day here today with the promise of some warm sunshine to come. Under the circumstances this made it seem like a good day to try to cycle 100km. There is no particular merit in cycling…
RDP Monday: Yada Yada Yada Strange things were happening In a globi klunky way Yada Yada Yada Was the best thing to say There were smoky chumbles rising with figures in between An enchanted blokle grambog With stangles in a dream But all was in a toggle wok No need to despair The steam was dissolving Somewhere in the air
Stanford Journalism Professor Rejects Objectivity In Journalism For four years, I have written about the alarming loss of neutrality and objectivity in journalism — a trend that is reflected by many polls showing that the majority of the public no longer trusts the media for fair and honest reporting. While I have regularly criticized President Donald Trump, I have also objected to unrelentingly biased reporting as well as embarrassingly soft coverage of former Vice…
A useless bit of rubbish passed off as an heirloom So there you are, watching BBC1 and clutching a Battle of Britain commemorative mug in a living room bedecked with union flags and red white and blue bunting and all ready to break into a rousing chorus of There'll Be Red White and Blue Birds Over the White Cliffs of Dover in order to show everyone how much you despise nationalism. Because as those young pilots fought and died in the skies above the south of England eighty…
U of C English Department now accepting only grad students intending to work in Black studies **In July I wrote about a statement** that the Department of English put on its webpage—a statement about social justice that, I thought, contravened the **University of Chicago's Kalven Principles** by allowing an official unit of the University to espouse and adhere to ideological principles. (Kalven encourages individual faculty to state their view, but forbids the University,…
New duck, who dis? **UPDATE**: Tara Tanaka has identified these as male wood ducks (I got the species right but not the sex). Tara says this: How sweet! They’re male woodies – you can tell by the crescent on their faces – the white “comma” behind the eye. I’m guessing they are this year’s, however it’s possible they are adults that are coming out of molt and those are their new feathers. They look really different during molt. If you want to see how different a male wood…
Doth Protest Too Much? Why Corporate and Academic Confessions Increasingly Fall On Deaf Ears Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the anti-racism demonstrations from the NFL displays to corporate campaigns to academic confessions. What is most striking about these campaigns is how little they are likely to impact opinions on racism. Indeed, the NFL displays were not only booed by fans but denounced by figures like former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin…
Once again, “Black” versus “white” I doubt that I'll write much more about this issue, and bring it up here because Greg has turned up some curious journalistic information. This all involves newspapers' decisions about whether to capitalize "black" and "white" when they refer to races, or rather, to socially constructed entities formerly known as races. I've discussed the capitalization issue in two earlier posts, prompted by the AP's stylebook that newly mandates…
Good Morning As I entered town yesterday for my shopping I noticed that the main square had been decorated. I do not know what the idea was, but it attracted my attention. There was a board at the side with a list of explanations, but I could not get near enough to see what it said. I am later this morning as the cleaning lady was here and I decided to tidy up a few things in the kitchen. It was really time that I disposed of a few things that were just gathering dust - and…
Tuesday: Hili dialogue Tis the cruelest day of the week: Tuesday, and September 15, 2020. It's **National Linguine Day:** make mine with clams and lots of garlic, olive oil, and parsley. It's also **National Cheese Toast Day**, **National Double Cheeseburger Day**, **National Crème de Menthe Day**, **Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie Day** (WTF?), **Greenpeace Day** (see below), **Google.com Day**, and **International Day of Democracy.** It's also the beginning of both **German…
Who Are You to Tell Me I’m Not Really a Catholic? Many opinions are flying around during this election cycle about what makes a Catholic a Catholic. Yes, Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic, only the third Catholic candidate to ever run on a major party nomination in the United States (the first being President Kennedy, the second John Kerry). Yet for conservative Catholics who support President Trump, declarations abound that Joe Biden isn’t *really* a Catholic, especially…
Mobbed again Today's guest picture comes from my Lancastrian correspondent Paul's visit to the Lake District. It shows a well positioned seat placed in memory of Hugh Walpole. It is looking out over Derwent Water. We had another warm and dry day here, though the sun only made occasional appearances. Indeed it even tried to rain as I cycled round the shop after breakfast. However, it got ashamed of itself and soon stopped. Mrs Tootlepedal drove off to the council dump at…
Bill Maher, Malcolm Nance, and Andrew Sullivan Speaking of tearing down statues, here are two people, foreign policy analyst and **Malcolm Nance** and Andrew Sullivan, having a brief discussion about which statues should be removed today's political climate. Nance doesn't strictly adhere to Maher's time limits, and digresses quite a bit, but I generally agree with both guests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Nance
After the Hard Part – #1LinerWeds I love her tail. I’ll start with some good news. The exterior work on our shed is finished. I still have to hang the lightening detector (part of our weather station) and find a place to mount a small floodlight to shine on the entrance door, but the siding, roof and soffit work is done. If you’ve been following this project and want to skip the recap, drop down to paragraph four. For such a small building, this project presented numerous…
Incessant Always hanging around Nothing else to do Of course if a fly flies past I will take a view Weave him in my threads and keep him for dinner If you are a spider You are always the winner Life can be monotonous But I don't want to rant As long as food has wings I don't care if it's incessant
Stay Peck me, hug me comb my feathers with your beak I am not going anywhere Will stay on my perch Your cooing is making me so weak
Hili dialogue Top of the morning and middle of the week to you: it's Wednesday, September 16, 2020, and **Peach Pie Day**. You'll be lucky if you get some this week! It's also **National Guacamole Day**, **National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day**, **World Play-Doh Day**, **National Collect Rocks Day**, and Mexican Independence Day ("**Cry of Dolores**"; see below). https://foodimentary.com/2015/09/16/september-16-national-peach-pie-day/…
Another criterion for judging whether to “cancel” someone Although I don't spend a lot of time calling for people to be unpersoned, canceled, or have their statues toppled or namesakes changed, I do try to discern whether "cancellation" calls are justified or unwarranted. Clearly there's no good criteria that will work all the time, so it usually comes down to a judgment call. In general, I tend to side with those who want history left as it is, but sometimes qualified, as…
Good Morning And another morning light breaks on a little village somewhere in Switzerland with as many cows as people, although I have not seen a cow yet. I think they do the night shift on the meadows. There are some birds chirping but they also remain unseen. When the food gets scarce they will be hopping around to see what there is to have. I had an early start this morning, not very early, but 20 minutes earlier. It is fresh linen day on the beds. I have already put new…
Yes, there are Goddesses in the Bible, This is the 4th in a series of blog posts about finding goddesses in the bible who had been hidden away through translation or denigration or other means. In my last blog post I discussed Lilith as a Great Goddess symbolized by both tree and bird. You can see it here. https://feminismandreligion.com/2020/09/11/yes-there-are-goddesses-in-the-bible-part-3/ Today I continue with the topic of trees along with an examination of reversals and…
New from @TheEpochTimes, @Crypto-Tips, and more **There's new content from your subscriptions!** **TheEpochTimes** - LIVE: White House Press Secretary Holds Briefing http://email.mail.lbry.com/c/eJxNj0tuxCAQRE-Dd7GA5mMWLCZK5gSzj_g0wZIxlo01yu1jskgi9aaeqrq7ogWaHMdhtpxySg3TlAoNcmSjUEJxdhNST1SIV0YELW5exsXvX2OoZchWBsOU5wgBdJBJMVBGO88YgJi8jsNic2vbQeBG-P2auuH6u-DSY8eCPjK-bzXkx1ywmzlzzk8sJOV1AnSBOxkNiAgS-CQV9U6lYBKB-9nKR8E4n4XAG_YHCVcdHvXcA15wxWeoa8O1DbvNbo1HLYhlq0_cr9ufP6V6n2bbhRfX8…
Today pictures If this really was the last day of summer, the garden still had plenty to show, both in clusters... and in singles... .and ever hopeful roses. ...and a welcome sight at any time of the year.
Wildlife
good morning I was expecting a dull grey sky this morning after the cloudburst I heard during the night where it rained so much I expected to see an old man building an ark in my back garden. However, apart from the grey lid, I noticed a low cloud in front of the local backdrop of mountains. At least something interesting. Actually I do not mind the rain in the night, it is the afternoon rain that bothers me. Yesterday afternoon was perfect, no rain and now and again some…
local gardens I took a wander round the garden when I had finished, enjoying some colourful corners. There were asters and astrantia.... ...rudbeckia and verbena.... .and sedum and fuchsia.... ...and I was surprised to find a small tortoiseshell butterfly on the sedum when I looked more closely. This is about as late as I usually see these butterflies (though occasionally one does appear in early October in some years). It was the only one in the garden today. There are…
wildlife pictures ***birds*** ***American Kestrel*** *(Falco sparverius):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_kestrel ***Swallow-tailed Kite*** *(Elanoides forficatus):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swallow-tailed_Kite/ ***White-tailed Kite*** *(Elanus leucurus):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/ ***Pied Kingfisher*** *(Cercle rudis), South Africa:* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_kingfisher
Good morning It has only rained once since yesterday late afternoon, trouble being it has not yet stopped. Who knows what the day will hold for us. Will it be a rainy one, or might it just ease up for me to go shopping with my scooter today. Otherwise it will be a local train journey for a few minutes and in the next supermarket store for a few bits and pieces. I am almost covered for the week-end already and tomorrow morning I am getting a delivery from the new local store…
pictures ***Tree Swallow*** *(Tachycineta bicolor):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/id ***Black-necked Stilt*** *(Himantopus mexicanus):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-necked_Stilt/ ***American White Pelican*** *(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos):* https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/ *Dowitcher - I am not sure if these are* ***Short-billed*** *(Limnodromus griseus) or* ***Long-billed*** *(Limnodromus scolopaceus). Maybe some…
Biological sex There's lot of confusion among laypeople, and even among scentists, about what "sex" is, in the sense of "what do we mean by a biological sex?" This goes along with questions like "Is sex binary?", "How many sexes are there?" and so on. For a scientific but accessible discussion of how biologists construe sex, the article below from *Aeon* (click on screenshot) is quite good. What do biologists mean by "the sexes" of an animal or plant? Why do we have sexes in…
Good Morning At least it did not rain yesterday, but it was an unfriendly day so I decided to stay at home. Accoding to my online weather forecast today will be a sunny day with no rain which I do not mind, as today is a trip to town and a visit to the store in my plans. And yesterday was a day for collecting the apples from my tree. Some had already fallen off the tree, but were not so edible, being attacked by various insects and turning brown and soft on the ground, I…
beautiful stuff the drawing that accompanied John McCormick’s patent application. John Buchanan McCormick in his workshop. One of Smokey’s cousins in a neighbor’s yard. We haven’t seen many dandelions this year due to the drought. Do you see the face? (upper left) At first, I thought this was a seagull. It’s actually an interestingly arranged pile of litter. I hate litter. Leaves are starting to turn. The past few days have been around 80°f (27°c) but with over 90% relative…
Good morning And now I am here, after a busy morning. The cleaning lady is here and so my routine is a little different. While she is busy putting things in order in my shower and bathroom, I am usually busy polishing up my windows. As I do one set once a week they never give a lot to do. This week the living room and kitchen had their turn with window cleaning. It's raining again, although yesterday the weather behaved. I made the most of the weather and scootered off into…
beautiful world In a break with tradition, I looked out of my upstairs window at the birds at breakfast time. The birds were up early too.... It was a misty morning and as I walked across the town, the church looked almost monochrome. I passed a dipper and a selection of bejewelled webs on my way across the river and back. …and by the time that I came back across the suspension bridge eight minutes later, there was a definite hint of colour about. Looking straight up into…
Wild life ***Stick Mantis*** *(Archimantis latistyla). This is kind of a cheat since mantises have what is known as a pseudo-pupil that, like the Mona Lisa, makes the eyes seem to follow you around the room. It’s actually an illusion made by the way light refracts in the compound eyes.* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimantis_latistyla *A small unknown fly. I was lying in the leaf litter looking for small spiders when this little fly landed and stared straight at me; and I…
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