Yesterday I learned that Americans spend roughly 10 times as much on lottery scratch tickets as they do on pizza. This baffles me. I don’t eat pizza any more, but I’ve never purchased a scratch ticket (and expect I never will). Further proof that I’m an outlier, I guess.
Finished: Orange is the New Black 📚. I’ve never seen the TV show, and given that I watch zero TV, I never will. To be honest, I wasn’t real impressed. I already knew the prison system was badly broken, so I didn’t need a privileged white gal to tell me so. I hope reform gets a push from it though.
“All Your Pollen Belongs to Me”
Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 1250. At the North Bank Wildlife Management Area.
Tesla is sitting on $200 million worth of Cybertruck inventory
Swasticars are not doing well. Boo hoo. Buried in the article is the fact that even Tesla won’t take them as trade-ins.
Kennedy suggests 20 percent of HHS cuts may be reversed
I so want someone who thinks a 20% error rate is acceptable to be in charge of the nation’s health.
Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins
Presumably the tariff will be lifted when the penguins stop sending us fentanyl.
The NaNoWriMo organization is shutting down
Sad news. I completed NaNoWriMo 4 or 5 times - never anything really publishable, but I always enjoyed it.
If I thought anyone in the Trump administration could read, I’d recommend that they read this classic essay.
Musk downplays Wisconsin results, saying he ‘expected to lose’
What’s that smell? Oh, it’s sour grapes mixed with horseshit.
Liberal candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in blow to Trump, Musk
More good news from the Badger State. Looks like Elon failed to buy a state Supreme Court justice to go with his President. Thanks, Wisconsin. (This is super important because of potential effects on redistricting maps).
Finished reading: The Mother 📚. Another of Pearl S. Buck’s novels of rural China in the pre-Communist era, this one is mainly a pretty depressing account of a life that spirals ever downward into age and loss. There is a bit of redemption on the very last page, but it’s not a fun read.
Trump-backed Randy Fine elected to Congress in tense Florida special election
According to AP, looks like Fine won by about 10 points. Given that the Republicans took that district by 30 points just 5 months ago, I take that as a hopeful sign for the future.
Booker sets record for longest Senate speech in history
Thank you, Senator Booker.
Screen time in bed linked to worse sleep, study finds
This is news?
Finished reading: Arc Light 📚. Given the current occupants of the White House & Kremlin, it probably wasn’t my smartest move to read a thriller about accidental nuclear war caused by idiotic leaders. Still, it’s a good story, though a bit dated (published 1994). Also still all too possible.
Central Cascades Wilderness Permits
Reservations opened this morning and I was quick enough to get a 4-night permit for July. Guess I know where I’ll be putting in miles then!
Defending free speech: FIRE and Substack partner to protect writers in America
Well good on them. Substack is planning to “support writers residing lawfully in this country targeted by the government for the content of their writing” by paying their legal bills.
More Chilling, Illegal Nonsense from the Trump Administration
This ought to be the biggest news of the day. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was legally in the country and an immigration judge granted him protected status, meaning he could not be deported. The Trump administration made “an administrative error” and sent him to the concentration camp in El Salvador. And now it says there’s no way to get him back, so, oops.
This could happen to anyone. You. Me. Your mom.
Words fail to express my disgust and fear for the future.
“After the Storm”
Olympus TG6 @ 12.7mm, f/3.9, 1/200s, ISO 100. Along the trail in Suzanne Arlie Park.
“No Parking”
Olympus TG6 @ 18mm, f/4.9, 1/125s, ISO 200. In Suzanne Arlie Park.
