I tried to take time away from politics. Couldn’t! New posts in Books and Music.
Kintsugi 4/9/24
Why doesn’t it surprise me that RFK Jr. Official Admits Goal Is to Elect Trump? The Kennedys (Joe, Bobby, and John) must be rolling over in their graves.
Did you know that a woman was elected to Congress before women had the right to vote?
If you are getting a new phone, delete your information from the old one before you trade it in, donate it, or otherwise dispose of it.
Not only did they reduce his bond to $175 million from $464 million, but the bond might not be valid in New York or the company that issued the bond may not have the financial resources to back it up!
The undefeated Lady Gamecocks continued their perfect season with another win – over the Iowa Hawkeyes – for their second national championship. Their deep bench and outstanding team play carried the day. Congrats, ladies.
Do you owe student loans? The Biden administration announced a new student debt relief proposal that has the potential to impact nearly 30 million borrowers.
The Panama Papers trial started on 4/8/24 in Panama. The Panama Papers include 11 million secret financial documents that show how some of the world’s richest people hide their money.
Here are some great photos of the total solar eclipse in the US. Next chance? 2044!
It is not at all surprising that white panelists shown an article on anti-Christian bias also showed increased perceptions of anti-White bias in American society.
We have traded communal life for digital life. More isolated than ever, depression and other illnesses take their toll. Scary. Will there come a day when we interact through our screens, and face-to-face contact is almost non-existent? Our understanding of death is growing. We can hear plants make noises when injured. Gardening can be complicated. Climate change is changing the rotation of the earth. We have lots to be concerned about, and interested in. Take a week off from politics.
Wild Cooking Woman 4/4/24
After the isolation brought on by Covid, many Americans seem not to have found an alternative method to build community. In particular, churches that used to be the center of community and family life either didn’t hold communal services or did so electronically. With more and more people being unaffiliated with any religious community, people are more isolated than ever. The institutions that used to support community – lodges, school gyms, union halls, houses of worship – are absent, shuttered, or poorly attended. “This year, the Pew Research Center reported that religiously unaffiliated Americans are less likely to volunteer, less likely to feel satisfied with their community and social life, and more likely to say they feel lonely.” writes Derek Thompson in “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust.”
Digital life is disembodied, asynchronous,
Derek Thompson,
shallow and solitary.
Religious ritual is typically embodied, synchronous,
deep and collective.
The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust
The new science of death indicates that brain activity goes on far longer than formerly thought. “In those same periods of dying, different parts of Patient One’s brain were suddenly in close communication with each other. Even as she slipped irrevocably deeper into death, something that looked astonishingly like life was taking place over several minutes in Patient One’s brain.” writes Alex Blasdel for The Guardian.
Science shows a direct connection between diet and inflammatory arthritis. Changing your diet may provide some relief from symptoms of gout and RA. (I know this to be true! Cherry juice helped my gout.) Ultra-processed foods and cured meats like hotdogs, ham, and sausage (say it ain’t so…) can cause painful inflammatory responses. (more)
Gardening can be complicated. Or easy.
Global Warming Is Slowing the Earth’s Rotation. What does this mean? We might have to adjust our time by subtracting a leap second.
Plants Really Do ‘Scream’. We’ve Simply Never Heard It Until Now.
The weather has gone crazy. Or is it climate? I can never remember. Texas politics are absurd. Why do we keep electing certain politicians when we know they are corrupt, selfish, or just plain wrong? Made it through Easter, now on to Christmas. It’s not as far away as you think. Get ready for summer weather. Pull out those summer dresses and sandals. Get a fresh pedi. Let your hair be natural.
Kintsugi 4/3/24
Lagniappe
The Israel Defense Forces’ used AI to target Hamas officials. They allowed for 100 civilian deaths for each official killed. What is going on? Are they crazy?
Most places that do mani/pedis use those plastic liners instead of thoroughly cleaning their tubs. Nasty. Check yours out.
Want to use that expensive passport but don’t have an unlimited budget? Here are some places that are less expensive than more popular destinations.
Have you noticed some of the models in popular fashion magazines are no longer itsy-bitsy teenage white girls? There are some changes in size, age, and color! But most seem tall…
People continue to get married. A plethora of seniors have been tying the knot. How do you handle the baggage of a long life when trying to merge into a new partnership?
We have different rules for some people who do “election interference” than others. A Republican official claimed that the 2020 election was plagued with voter fraud. Now a judge has ruled that he voted illegally 9 times. Judge Gets Probation for Voter Fraud in Same County Where Crystal Mason Got Five-year Prison Term for Voting Illegally Justice of the Peace Russ Casey tried to rig his own election by submitting fake signatures on documents needed to secure a spot on the March 6 primary ballot. He was initially sentenced to two years behind bars but later received five years’ probation instead.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87. RIP.
How should public institutions in a diverse society treat identity?
March 12, 2024, was Equal Pay Day. This date symbolizes how far into the year the average woman must work to have earned what the average non-Hispanic white man had earned the entire previous year.
- For full-time, year-round workers, women earn 84 cents for every dollar a man makes.
- When including part-time and seasonal workers, the figure drops to 78 cents
- The controlled gender pay gap, which considers factors such as job title, experience, education, industry, job level, and hours worked, is currently at 99 cents for every dollar men earn.
- Latinas are compensated at only 55% of what non-Hispanic white men are paid.
- Black women are paid 64% of what non-Hispanic white men earn. Their equal pay date is July 9.
- Native American women typically receive only 59 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
- Rural Black and Hispanic women in particular earn just 56 cents for every dollar earned by rural white, non-Hispanic men
2024 Equal Pay Day Calendar
- All Women’s Equal Pay Day – March 12
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day – April 3
- LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day – June 13
- Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – July 9
- Moms’ Equal Pay Day – August 7
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day – August 28
- Latina Equal Pay Day – October 3
- Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – November 21
55 Books by Black Authors That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf
Read Hammer and Hope for a different perspective.