Fall arrived on schedule, no more high temps approaching 90 F. It began right on the first official day of fall, Sept. 22. By Sept. 23, it had started getting downright chilly overnight and also in the early morning. But today, Sept. 29, is a beautiful day with clear blue sky and no bugs while I was outside.
While I've tried to make corrections, after various efforts, I give up and beg your indulgence.
Hurricane
Ian bore down on Florida’s
west coast, where my older daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson live. My
daughter, though vaccinated, also came down with Omicron without any sick leave
on her job, a common situation in Florida. She was hunkering down alone in her
apartment, feeling lousy and bracing for Ian’s hit. Her daughter left some food
outside her door on last Tues. and called to let her know it was out there. But
after the worst of the hurricane had passed today and their electricity was still
out (including electric stoves), my granddaughter came by to pick up her
mother, now basically recovered from Covid, to try to find something to eat. They
dared not open refrigerators, hoping they would stay cool.
Petition to Cuban hotels to give shelter to hurricane
victims. Petición a
cadenas hoteleras extranjeras en Cuba para que acojan a familias afectadas por
el huracán https://www.cubanet.org/noticias/piden-a-cadenas-hoteleras-que-alberguen-a-cubanos-que-queden-sin-hogar/
I’m more of a dog person, having had both Border Collies and black Labs. But I if I were ever to get a dog again, unlikely as I’m lucky to be able to care for myself, I’ve now become fascinated by Dalmatian mixes.
Above is actually a terrier/poodle mix.
‘It’s a miracle’: Gran Abuelo in Chile could be
world’s oldest living tree
100ft
alerce has estimated age of 5,484, more than 600 years older than Methuselah in
California
Another foray
into history has been afforded by the discovery of a 3000-year-old wooden canoe
buried in the sand by a Wisconsin lake. It is 14 ½ feet long and carved from a
single piece of white oak, showing that humans were fishing out on the lake and
living on our continent that long ago. How did this boat become abandoned on
the shore? Had people lived in the area for generations or migrated from
elsewhere? Did they also tend crops and harvest wild fruits and berries? Did
they hunt and wear animal skins? What was their language? We’ll probably never
know.
Britain’s
royal saga in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death continues.
Cosmopolitan, Kate
Middleton Will Get "Lion's Share" of Queen's Jewelry, But Camilla
Will Have "First Choice"
Wash. Post, Judge lets Jan. 6 defendant have guns to hunt so he can save on groceries
The British pound fell, at least temporarily, to a level almost
on a par with the dollar. In a tweet, Larry the Cat says: “Forget the dollar, the pound is tanking against
the ruble.”
Yahoo Finance, Jamie Dimon calls
crypto tokens 'decentralized Ponzi schemes'
Isn’t any type of currency, whether coins, bills, or bank balances, actually some sort of Ponzi scheme? Though not relying strictly on a continuing inflow of new investments, as Ponzi does, all money has value only because people ascribe value to it. It has no intrinsic worth. If ordinary people lose faith in a currency, its value plummets. US currency has value because folks all around the world trust the dollar and trust our economy, so the dollar’s value becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Still, right now, because that trust is eroding, the dollar is losing value. People are losing faith in money and the world seems headed toward a recession. Only the barter of physical goods, as engaged in by our ancient ancestors, assures exact value, at least in the eyes of those actually making a trade.
California will BAN all new gas-fueled furnaces and heaters
by 2030 to cut ozone levels | Daily Mail Online
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11252345/California-BAN-new-gas-fueled-furnaces-heaters-2030-cut-ozone-levels.html
I no longer live in California,
where home heating is not as crucial as here in DC. And gas heating was already
installed here when we moved into our DC home back in 1969. I’ve been in a dispute for 3 years now with
the gas company, which keeps threatening to cut off my gas supply. But bravo to
California, and also to DC, which already requires heating in new buildings to
be gas-free by 2026.
Back
then, he had let me know that he’d been awarded citizenship by leaving a phone message
singing the Stars Spangled Banner.Here’s a guy inspired by American school shooters.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cubans-head-polls-vote-govt-sponsored-code-legalize-gay-marriage-adoption-2022-09-25/. This is
the initiative of Mariela Castro, a long-time gay rights’ advocate. She is Raúl
Castro's daughter, apparently not gay herself but a gay rights supporter within
the Cuban communist hierarchy. (Dad Raúl has been rumored to be gay or at
least bisexual.) This is the first time since 1959 that Cubans have been
allowed a nationwide vote. Now will their appetite be whet for more
voting? Gay marriage was approved in the vote.
It still rather amazes me to have so many friends and former
housemates living all over the world, folks with whom I’m still able to connect
at will, thanks to the magic of the internet (except for those in Cuba). Most
have spent time in my home. Anyone who has ever stayed with me over these past few
years has come only by word-of-mouth; I’ve never looked for any of them and
most have proved most welcome, with a few notable exceptions. I still enjoy
communicating with them, hearing about and seeing photos of their lives back
home. Several folks used to come via the GAO fellows’ program, which was shut
down by the pandemic.
Others have been visiting scholars at the Museum of African
Art. How did that ever get started? I’d once gotten into a conversation with a
museum employee, who, when learning that I lived nearby, asked me whether I
could host short-term visitors who otherwise have trouble finding housing? I recall
once helping a Zambian artist in that program to fill out and submit a successful
Canadian immigration application, requiring fees submitted in Canadian dollars,
which presented a challenge, but she was accepted and now lives in Toronto. Most
of my local friends and neighbors and even my own kids do not enjoy such worldwide
connections. I feel very fortunate in that regard.
Yet thanks or
no thanks to the internet, we all also learn about all the terrible schemes, about
the deliberate harm and death that human beings can and do inflict on each
other. Some perpetrators seem to escape punishment scot-free, living out their
lives unnoticed among us, their crimes revealed only after death. But others,
having spent most of their life living quietly as normal citizens, perhaps
trying even to forget their crime or to make amends, then, in their later years,
thanks to new investigative techniques, must finally face justice after all. That’s
happened after a young woman was brutally killed in California in 1982, leading
to the recent arrest in Hawaii of a 75-year-old man, Gary Ramirez, now charged
with her murder. He’s been at liberty for 40 years. Is justice delayed actually
justice denied?
One also has
to wonder if Ramirez has come off as just a regular guy to his family and
friends in Hawaii? Has he tried to live honorably and generously during the decades
since the murder? Does he even remember what he did? It would be interesting to
know more, so I’ll try to follow up.
There are apparently
folks able to move through this world without ever displaying basic empathy, resulting
in a loss to their families and associates as well as to themselves. I don’t
know if Gary Ramirez is one of those individuals.
And human cruelty
extends even to the treatment of animals.
Huff Post, Abducted Orphan Chimps Held For Ransom In Horrifying
Scene
And people are no longer
bound by strict geographic loyalties, as Britons and Americans are among the
prisoners exchanged with Russia in a recent prisoner swap, showing that many
foreign volunteers have joined Ukrainians in their fight.
In Iran, the death
of a young woman for wearing her hijab too loosely has aroused much of the
population’s pent-up frustrations with excessive government controls. When
people see that they are not alone in expressing their anger, they feel
empowered and prove willing to take risks.
An Amnesty International member originally from Iran makes this plea:
Please spread
the word! On social media please use the following hashtags: #mahsa_amini #MahsaAmini #IranProtests2022 #IranProtests #WomenOfIran
Also, you may
use the following Farsi hashtags:
Mahsa Amini's name in Farsi
Cardinal
Zen faces trial in China https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/09/the-stakes-of-cardinal-zens-trial/
NBC News, Liz Cheney says she would campaign for Democrats
She
has said she will do this when 2020 election deniers are the candidates.
ABC
News, Biden struggles, as does
his party, as most Democrats look elsewhere for 2024: POLL
Cory Booker has just made an urgent online appeal. Donald
Trump has over $100 million stashed in campaign funds — and he just announced
the formation of a new Super PAC dubbed “MAGA Inc.” to tip the scales toward
Republican Senate candidates in the final days of this election:
“Trump to unleash millions in
the midterms in possible prelude to 2024” — POLITICO
The message has gotten through to those living in communist countries that if they can somehow make it across the US border, perhaps with the help of US-based relatives, their chances of being allowed to stay are pretty good. Granted that some still remain in detention, but many others have been released and are allowed to work. So now more refugees from those countries are crowding the southern border, as this may seem like their only chance. It’s difficult for Republicans to complain about welcoming those fleeing communism. “This is a totally different circumstance," Biden has said. "What’s on my watch now is Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. And the ability to send them back to those states is not rational.”
ABC News, Search
underway after vessel carrying dozens of migrants sinks amid Hurricane Ian
This article and subsequent reports indicate that the migrants were from Cuba. Only a few were rescued or managed to make it to shore.
Incidentally, my recent Costa Rican visitor, Alex, told me that the last time he came back to Miami after a visit with his family, he was detained for several hours in a separate room along with other seemingly suspect arrivals from Latin America. When he was finally released, having missed his connecting flight, he was told by an Immigration agent that it was because he carried no luggage, just a small backpack, which apparently was a red flag.
After seeing ads for contributions to UFW, United Farm Workers, I was reminded of my long-ago close encounters with that organization, when my late former husband and I joined marches with founder Cesar Chavez, since deceased. His sidekick, Dolores Huerta, now age 92, had received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Years ago, a usually pregnant Dolores slept on our living room couch when lobbying at the state capital in Sacramento. She had 11 children by 3 different fathers, kids usually cared for by other farmer worker women while she was busy with political advocacy.
With the midterms looming, abortion is still a contentious issue. Many American women see abortion restrictions as a big setback in achieving full equality with men. Men can have sex without evident consequences, so now women too want the pleasure without the risk, with abortion helping to level the playing field. Yahoo Life, How the repeal of Roe v. Wade affects college students in states like Texas, Pa.: 'I felt like women everywhere were back at square one' A female student is quoted in the article as saying, “We already had so much work left to be done on the road to equality.”
Another view is that women have the unique privilege of bearing children, how we humans have ever come into being, the way humankind has always continued to exist since time immemorial. While some women will go to great lengths not to give birth, others will endure all sorts of treatments to help them do so. Don’t transgender women wish they also could give birth?
Metro, Mother ignored doctor’s advice to
terminate pregnancy and now her baby is thriving
National
Review, Pro-Life Activist Arrested After SWAT
Team Raids Home with Guns Drawn in Front of ‘Screaming’ Children
Mark Houck, a Pa. pro-life activist and father of seven, was taken into
custody after an alleged incident at an abortion clinic where he was apparently
accused of interfering with a “patient escort.” Details are unknown, with conflicting
descriptions of what actually happened.
Fox News, Elderly pro-life volunteer in Michigan shot after
'heated conversation,' pro-life group says
In what may seem like a petty argument, pro-lifers want to
emphasize the humanity of aborted fetuses by burying them, while abortion
supporters are saying a burial makes a woman who has had an abortion feel
responsible for a human death. (Isn’t that precisely the point?) Although the
Supreme Court has upheld the fetal burial practice, now it has been challenged anew
by the ACLU and a judge has agreed. That successful challenge, in turn, is
being appealed by the state of Indiana. The question of the humanity of a fetus
is at the heart of the abortion issue.
Most of us are just ordinary, anonymous everyday
people, not Marilyn Monroe or Bill Gates, not beautiful, rich, or famous, neither
enormously talented nor greatly admired. But like the rich and famous, like
crowned royalty, we all just live day-to-day, brushing our teeth in the
morning, connecting with others during the day, having ups and downs, experiencing
delights and disappointments with some fluctuations proving more extreme than
others. But as long as we are still warm and breathing, the ups and downs will
continue. Our “honeymoon” with any fresh endeavor, whether marriage,
parenthood, a new job, elected office, a brand-new home, a budding friendship, a
religious conversion, or winning the lottery, will last only for about 6 months
to 2 1/2 years. We might fantasize otherwise, but reality will set in sooner or
later. Some people admit to having affairs, not because of lack of affection
for their spouse, but just to experience change, variety, surprise. Advertisers,
pundits, and gurus keep trying to lure us with exciting promises, but whatever
they have to offer has a limited shelf life. It’s OK to enjoy it while you can, but
don’t be surprised when whatever has enticed you fades or ends.
Comparing my own life experiences with
those of associates (without being privy to their private travails), I feel
I’ve confronted more than my share of pain, not only with my late husband’s
departure and his extreme and sudden rejection, but more crucially with my son’s
and foster son’s untimely deaths, as well as with ongoing problems involving my
remaining kids and grandkids. I’m handling everything the best I can, trying
not to get overly stressed because that affects my ability to help. Occasionally,
I feel like asking my late son’s advice, but, of course, I cannot.
Some lives may be truly harder to bear than
others, involving extreme bouts of physical and mental suffering, but no one’s
existence, however privileged, is ever smooth or easy. Though outsiders may never
know the full details, Queen Elizabeth certainly endured serious losses and
challenges during her 96 years. No one is exempt.
We all enjoy change and excitement, but
also find comfort in familiarity, as I do, just living in my home of more than
50 years, opening up my bedroom curtains in the morning to look out at a lovely
tree, then going down a familiar flight of stairs. We control as much as we can,
then must adapt to the rest. That’s not a particularly earthshattering
observation, but one that a surprising number of people still fail to
appreciate. They keep on “chasing their dream,” looking for an elusive pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow, that magic something to deliver them from all struggle
and pain. I wonder if shocking suicides among successful young achievers may
sometimes be due partly to their having reached a pinnacle and not knowing
where to go from there?
NY Times, The
Dazzling Life and Shocking Death of Cheslie Kryst
African American influencer Cheslie Kryst was an overachiever, a former track star, beauty queen, college success, and TV correspondent who took her own life at 30 after asking, “Why work so hard to capture the dreams I’ve been taught by society to want when I continue to find only emptiness?”
It also has been revealed that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life, hated being famous. Always being in the spotlight, while perhaps proving exciting at first, probably gets old fast. Money, fame, and influence may result in a lack of privacy, peace, and relaxation. Even though I’ve hoped my books would be read, I’ve mostly shunned engaging in the personal publicity required to attract readers. The same thing with this blog, which is spread only by word-of-mouth. Privacy is more precious than fame.
While we might want to shun fame, we’d all do well
to remember that old occupational therapy adage about the human need for
“purposeful activity.” Without finding ongoing challenges, we would soon die of
boredom. Occupational therapists, with whom I worked for 16 years, have helped
clients find meaning and a sense of achievement in even such simple activities as
dressing themselves or being able to express themselves to others.
Sometimes, to verify my recollections, I
go back to previous dates on this blog or its predecessor, with photos providing
visual corroboration of my memories. It gives me a sense of nostalgia and
pleasure to relive those prior experiences from the last few decades of my long
and rather varied life, unusual in the sense that it seems unlike in many ways from
that of neighbors and friends.
A blog reader notes that I’ve often seemed
repetitious here, yes, admittedly so. Sorry about that, but this is a diary of
sorts, not a polished narrative or commercial venture. My life mostly follows a
familiar pattern these days, with a few rare bouts of excitement interspersed,
as with my recent trip to Honduras. A hundred years from now, if this blog should
still exist somewhere up in the Cloud, historians can review it for a picture
of one woman’s life and times.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Spanish/English
Healthcare Interpreters and Translators
Traductores e Intérpretes Profesionales
¿Con
cuánta deuda necesita ayuda?
Infertility TikTok (Yes, I’d certainly have trouble getting
pregnant these days.)
I know Heaven is a beautiful place because they have my son.
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