Blissfully cut off from the outside world, I stayed alone most evenings out in the woods at my son’s house, with no phone, internet, radio, or TV, hearing deer or other animals come on the front porch while my son was away. His rented house is surrounded by oak and maple trees, thousands of them, probably millions, whose green leaves turned to yellow and orange overnight. There all by myself, I delved into back issues of the New Yorker saved by a friend, after which I passed them on to patrons of the local library. I was unaware of developments in the wider world, nothing of what was happening beyond a few-miles’ radius, including in Gaza, Israel, or anywhere else.
In
Mexico, Santa Muerte’s feast day has already passed, a worship condemned by both
the Catholic church and Mexican authorities. Now considered the patron of Mexican
sex workers, "Saint Death" is part of a cult going back centuries to indigenous times.AP,
Government
shutdown threat eases after House passes a temporary funding plan, sending it
to Senate The threat
of a federal government shutdown was suddenly easing Saturday after the House quickly approved
a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open, once Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped
demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage. The
rushed package would leave behind aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP
lawmakers, but increase federal disaster assistance by $16
billion, meeting President Joe Biden’s full
request. The bill would fund government until Nov. 17. It goes next to the Senate,
which was meeting late in the evening, hours to go before the midnight deadline
to fund the government. “We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said before the
House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep
government open.”
USA Today, Matt Gaetz announces plans to oust Kevin McCarthy from
House speakership A challenge to McCarthy’s leadership was inevitable.
Where would we all be without challenges? Life could get pretty boring. But now
Gaetz has backed down on seeking McCarthy’s position. Maybe he just didn’t have
the votes? Rep. Steve Scalise after multiple efforts has now also backed down.
Donald Trump declared himself in
favor of Jim Jordan, who also failed to garner enough votes. In fact, no Republican House member seems to have the
votes to become speaker now, even after a majority finally approved McCarthy’s
ouster.
Trump’s acolytes don’t seem overly concerned that his own speaker
choice failed. They remain faithful, no matter what. Trumpsters may vicariously
revel in his freedom to be insulting, to lie, steal, cheat, and flaunt social norms
without suffering any consequences while imagining doing the same
themselves.
Still other supporters idolize Donald Trump as a faithful Christian who upholds their most cherished values.
“Poll Finds More Republicans View Trump as a Person of Faith Than
Pence or Romney.” Never mind that Trump almost
never attends church or prays.
Is it just my wishful thinking, or is Trump’s star finally fading?
It certainly seems so, as other than his core of faithful supporters, no one else
is actually joining his team. Even Melania seems to have checked out and Ivanka
is nowhere to be seen.
Biden also appears to lack enthusiastic voter support. New entries in the presidential race might gain more traction, but seem unable to gain support..
Wash. Post, Trump faults Netanyahu, calls Hezbollah ‘very smart’ amid Israel war “You know,
Hezbollah is very smart,” Trump said. “They’re all
very smart.
Netanyahu is blamed by Israelis for not
pursuing the 2-state solution which might have prevented the attack. (Let’s
hope Netanyahu gets jettisoned now.)
All northern Gazan civilians could not possibly
evacuate in 24 hours as per Israel’s original orders. Climate activist Greta
Thunberg has now faced backlash for her support for Gaza’s inhabitants. There
are no winners in this conflict. Israel has been gradually losing the goodwill
it first enjoyed after its founding in 1948. Israeli officials
had hoped more Muslim nations would soon establish diplomatic relations, but the Hamas attack has derailed those efforts. Can
Israel eventually live in peace surrounded by a Muslim world? Perhaps, but it
will take more time, especially now after this major setback. And Israel must halt
its wholesale revenge attacks on Palestinians, though civilians may well support the
attackers and are the very population from which the attackers emerged. Israel also shares
blame for the attacks which did not come out of the blue unprovoked. The
2-state solution should not be abandoned and Netanyahu must go once and for
all.
Laura, a cousin living in California, tells me she has been totally cut off from her younger
family members out in Utah who joined the Mormon church. They even refused to attend her older sister’s funeral for not being a church member. Their
parents were not Mormons, but the younger children of their large family
converted and still remain estranged from both me and her. Laura had attended my mother’s 90th
birthday in Virginia in 2013, which is the last time I’ve actually seen her. She says her brother
“seems to be the older Mormon patriarch who has told some of the younger
generation to not contact us. The family split early on, when even my parents
could not attend an offspring’s wedding being held in the temple.”A couple now living in Florida just sent me a message. The husband, whom I brought here from Cuba via Mexico many years ago, married a woman from Nicaragua. Because of recent immigration authorizations, they have been able to welcome new arrivals from both countries.
Ya llegaron mis dos amigos Cubanos que pedí y también todos los familiares que Blanquita, mi esposa, pidió. Todos llegaron muy bien y contentos de estar aquí, y ahora están en el proceso de esperar los permisos de trabajo, aprender a manejar, y de conocer la Ciudad. Así que estamos bien ocupados y con la casa llena.
Some brain injury patients may appear to be in a coma, but they
are not. They are processing at least some of what is happening around them but
cannot physically respond. Without a physical response, a physician might
assume that a patient hasn't understood, said Sudhin Shah, a neuroscientist at
Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. And, she said, referring to the patient,
"Unfortunately, it could be that you were processing, you were
understanding, you were wanting to talk to me. You just can't."
In a common feedback loop, is Taylor Swift simply famous for being famous? She is riding the wave as
long as it lasts.
After a friend living in another state commiserated about my bank fraud, I replied:
AP,
Government
shutdown threat eases after House passes a temporary funding plan, sending it
to Senate The threat
of a federal government shutdown was suddenly easing Saturday after the House quickly approved
a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open, once Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped
demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage. The
rushed package would leave behind aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP
lawmakers, but increase federal disaster assistance by $16
billion, meeting President Joe Biden’s full
request. The bill would fund government until Nov. 17. It goes next to the Senate,
which was meeting late in the evening, hours to go before the midnight deadline
to fund the government. “We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said before the
House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep
government open.”
USA Today, Matt Gaetz announces plans to oust Kevin McCarthy from
House speakership A challenge to McCarthy’s leadership was inevitable.
Where would we all be without challenges? Life could get pretty boring. But now
Gaetz has backed down on seeking McCarthy’s position. Maybe he just didn’t have
the votes? Rep. Steve Scalise after multiple efforts has now also backed down.
Donald Trump declared himself in
favor of Jim Jordan, who also failed to garner enough votes. In fact, no Republican House member seems to have the
votes to become speaker now, even after a majority finally approved McCarthy’s
ouster.
Trump’s acolytes don’t seem overly concerned that his speaker
choice failed. They remain faithful, no matter what. Trumpsters may vicariously
revel in his freedom to be insulting, to lie, steal, cheat, and flaunt social norms
without suffering any of the usual consequences while imagining doing the same
themselves.
Still other supporters idolize Donald Trump as a faithful Christian
who upholds their most cherished values. (See next.)
Ft. Worth
Star Telegram, Yes, Republicans see Donald Trump as a
man of faith. But there’s more to the story | Opinion
“Poll Finds More Republicans View Trump as a Person of Faith Than
Pence or Romney.” Never mind that Trump almost
never attends church or prays.
Is it just my wishful thinking, or is Trump’s star finally fading?
It certainly seems so, as other than his core of faithful supporters, no one else
is actually getting on board. Even Melania seems to have checked out and Ivanka
is nowhere to be seen.
Biden also appears to lack enthusiastic voter support. New faces
could gain more traction, but they cannot seem to get a foothold (excuse the
mixed metaphor).
Telegraph, Netanyahu is to blame for Hamas war, say four out of
five Israelis
Netanyahu is blamed by Israelis for not
pursuing the 2-state solution which might have prevented the attack. (Let’s
hope Netanyahu is jettisoned once and for all.)
All northern Gazan civilians could not possibly
evacuate in 24 hours as per Israel’s original orders. Climate activist Greta
Thunberg has now faced backlash for her support for Gaza’s inhabitants. There
are no winners in this conflict. Israel has been gradually losing the goodwill
it first enjoyed after its founding in 1948. Israeli officials
had hoped more Musim nations would soon establish diplomatic relations, but the Hamas attack has derailed those efforts. Can
Israel eventually live in peace surrounded by a Musim world? Perhaps, but it
will take more time, especially now after this major setback. And Israel must halt
its revenge attacks on Palestinians, even though civilians may support the
attackers and are the population from which the attackers emerged. Israel shares
blame for the attacks which did not come out of the blue unprovoked. The
2-state solution should not be abandoned and Netanyahu must go.
East Germany and western Europe did
reconcile eventually, but it took years and happened only after the dramatic
fall of the Berlin Wall. I had visited East Germany back in 1958 before the
wall had even been constructed, going there with a young West Berliner by
underground train and even saw a newsreel in an east Berlin cinema showing
Walter Ulbricht giving a rousing patriotic speech. Ulbricht went on to serve in
various GDR positions until his death in 1973. Germany is now the mainstay of
western Europe and a staunch US ally. Likewise, Japan reconciled with the West.
But peace between Israel and Palestine is hard to envision right now.
Wikipedia: The total blockade of Gaza
was announced on 9 October 2023 by the Defence Minister of Israel, Yoav Gallant. “We are putting a complete siege on Gaza … No electricity,
no food, no water, no gas – it’s all closed” he announced. "We are
fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly," he added. The
spokesman for the Minister of Energy of Israel, Israel Katz, said that Katz had ordered the water supply to Gaza to be
cut, effective immediately.
Business Insider, Doctors Without Borders in Gaza says 100% of the
patients it has treated in the past 24 hours have been children
Huff Post, Ocasio-Cortez Slams Israel For Cutting Gaza's Power And
Water Supply
Wash. Post, Have war crimes been committed in Israel
and Gaza?
(War itself should be considered a crime.)
NYTimes, Gaza Border
Remains Closed for Aid: Water and Food Shortages Worsen Israel had denied the entry of humanitarian assistance
into Gaza. However, after Biden’s
intervention, Israel has now agreed to allow limited aid to come in via Egypt.
“There needs to
be a path to a Palestinian state,” Biden has said.
Human Rights Watch, A Threshold
Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes Against Humanity
Amnesty International's
Crisis Evidence Lab verified that Israeli military units striking Gaza have
been equipped with white phosphorus artillery, a forbidden weapon. “We are investigating what appears to be the use
of white phosphorus in Gaza, including in a strike near a hotel on the beach in
Gaza City.”
Yahoo News, Israel-Hamas war live updates: Hamas-run Gaza health
ministry says 500 killed in Israeli airstrike on hospital
Telegraph, Gaza hospital explosion likely caused by missile fired
from Palestine, analysts claim President Biden has asked for an investigation. A rocket fired by Palestinian militants may actually have
been intercepted by Israel, as suggested above, causing the explosion, but that’s
just my guess.
Telegraph, Hamas chief killed in Gaza airstrike
Information and misinformation abound. A video purporting to show Palestinian terrorists holding Israeli babies in cages has been declared a fake. Palestine’s neighbors are said to have refused to take in any refugees, which may actually be true. Palestinians have harbored understandable grievances against Israel for over a generation, ever since partition, so Hamas’s actions have not simply come “out of the blue.” Rumors have been circulating with emotions running high on all sides. Collateral fallout from the Gaza/Israel war has included murders of Jews and Muslims in the US and elsewhere. If Biden is able to calm things down, he certainly deserves kudos.
The conflict has even been manifested here in DC. Fox News, Dozens arrested outside White House during protest over Israel-Hamas war The "Day of Action for Palestine" event drew more than 10,000 pro-Palestinian protesters to Washington, D.C., on Saturday [Oct, 14], according to the American Muslims for Palestine.
Two American hostages, a mother and daughter, have been released by Hamas, a welcome development. Hostages held by Hamas may serve as human shields.
While the Israel-Palestine conflict has now taken
over the world’s center stage, another
war has been largely pushed aside.
U.S. officials said they are convinced that Putin intends to try
to end U.S. and European support for Ukraine by using his spy agencies to push
propaganda supporting pro-Russian political parties and by stoking conspiracy
theories with new technologies. The Russia disinformation aims to increase
support for candidates opposing Ukraine aid with the ultimate goal of stopping
international military assistance to Ukraine. Russia has been frustrated that the United States and Europe have
largely remained united on continued military and economic support for Ukraine,
U.S. officials said. That military aid has kept Ukraine in the fight, put
Russia’s original goals of taking Kyiv, the capital, and Odesa out of reach and
even halted its more modest objective to control all of the Donbas region, in
eastern Ukraine. But Putin believes he can influence American politics to
weaken support for Ukraine and potentially restore his battlefield advantage,
U.S. officials said.
The Guardian, Australia rejects proposal to recognise Aboriginal
people in constitution
There is an
eight-year gap in life expectancy for Indigenous Australians compared
with non-Indigenous Australians, a suicide rate twice the national average, and
comparatively poorer outcomes for health, education and infant mortality.
For those living in warmer climes in Latin America, Africa, India, and southeast Asia, malaria still remains a scourge. A fairly effective malaria vaccine has now been developed, though the disease may actually mutate much like the flu or the common cold. I’ve had malaria several times myself despite taking anti-malaria prophylactics, which, however, probably did reduce my symptoms. Malaria can be deadly, especially for children, so an effective vaccine would save many lives. Years ago, the daughter of a work colleague died of malaria during an assignment in Africa. Female mosquitos transmitting malaria as well as other potentially fatal diseases like dengue are more than just a nuisance in many parts of the world. Yet they are also part of an ecosystem providing food for larger insects, birds, fish, and frogs.
A
life-threatening insect found only in the Americas is the Kissing Bug, Triatominae, a frequent carrier
of Chagas, a slow-moving disease that eventually attacks the heart, resulting
in death. Active at night, this bug may fall on an unaware sleeper to feed on
their blood. Both male and female kissing bugs drink blood and may thus transmit
the fatal illness. Only immediate treatment, if the victim even notices the
bite, can forestall disease progression. When staying in Latin America,
especially in rural areas, I’ve always been alert for Chagas.
Les comparto esta imagen del rostro de nuestros niños
"enjaulados", de una manera indigna para ser repatriados hacia Haiti,
un país que, en muchos casos, estos niños no conocen, porque no nacieron alli.
La actitud recurrente de las autoridades de Migración de la República
Dominicana lacera la Constitución dominicana, pero además, Pactos
Internacionales importantes de las cuales la RD es signataria (Art 8, 9, 29,
Unicef, etc.--no cuento con el tiempo para indagar a profundidad una serie de
recursos o instrumentos internacionales).
Este hecho inaceptable se sigue repitiendo frecuentemente a la
luz del sol, sin que el Gobierno se inmute.
De todos modos, dejo en sus manos la posibilidad de otras
ideas o medidas a tomar.
Afectos, Pedro Cuevas
Hello friends,
I share with you this image of the face of our children
"caged," in an undignified way, to be repatriated to Haiti, a country
that, in many cases, these children do not know because they were not born
there. The recurring attitude of the Immigration authorities of the Dominican
Republic undermines the Dominican Constitution, but in addition, important
International Pacts of which the DR is a signatory (Art 8, 9, 29, Unicef,
etc.--I do not have the time to investigate in depth a series of resources or
international instruments).
This unacceptable fact continues to be repeated frequently in
the sun's light without the Government batting an eyelid. In any case, I leave
the possibility of other ideas or measures to take into your hands.
Affections,
NPR, Honduras establishes ties with
China after break from Taiwan
Wash. Post, Honduras embraces China, and the U.S. wrings its hands
Taiwan has lost
one of its remaining supporters in Latin America.
Business Insider, Russia is luring Cubans to Ukraine with fast-tracked citizenship and a lucrative signing bonus: 'Almost all of our friends have gone'
Now for more news closer to home:
While mailing
a letter recently at the mail box at 7th & Independence Ave. SE,
I noted that the sliding metal chute, previously coated with a sticky
substance, has now been replaced by a narrow slot designed to thwart mail thieves.
NYTimes, To Save Monarch Butterflies, They Had to Silence the Lawn Mowers, An unlikely group of New Yorkers is winning small victories in the battle to protect butterfly habitats.
Wash. Post, In over 15 states, schools can still paddle students as punishment
Because my own mother spanked me with a hairbrush on occasion
when I was still a small child, I vowed never to use corporal punishment on own
kids if I ever had any. I kept to that vow as a mother of 4, with the exception
of a single slap on the face of my younger son, who kept getting up out of the
time-out chair used as an alternative sanction, something he says he doesn’t
even remember. It's shocking that some schools still use a wooden paddle on students.
I’ve mentioned before that my younger sister and her family living in Philadelphia reject all internet connections and have a hard-copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer delivered daily to their front door. I stay in touch with my sister via old-fashioned snail mail and phone calls. Of course, I myself rely on the internet to make these blog postings and to keep in touch with friends all over the world. But I do recall the days when we used to wait anxiously for air mail letters which sometimes never arrived. I was once astounded when a US $5 bill arrived intact from the husband in Zimbabwe of a woman arrested here on drug charges and which I duly took to her in prison. Thanks to the internet, money can be sent instantaneously.
The internet also allow folks with rather rare opinions, habits, and inclinations to find kindred souls. This has facilitated the solidification of transgender identities as the initially curious now seek out others for support and information about actual surgeries and hormonal changes, then bond together, whereas previously, only cross dressing was possible, done by individuals alone and in private. Now those with relatively uncommon inclinations are connecting with and incentivizing each other.
Also, for the
first time in human history going back untold millennia, the biological connection
between heterosexual relations and the birth of children has been severed. As
mentioned previously, DINKS (dual income no kids couples) are a growing and
outspoken segment of the US population. Not only can conception now be
prevented, but a pregnancy already underway can be halted. Individual choice
has become highly valued in our country and elsewhere. With “choice” now in
ascendance, a “child-free” life is increasingly being promoted.
Whatever path
is being pursued, individuals usually elevate and justify their own choices, both in dress
and physical appearance as well as in how they live, deciding to marry or divorce or neither, to have kids or not, to accept or quit a job,
and to live anywhere at all. Whatever I do is my own sacred and unique personal
choice.
In the US and many western nations, as well as in China, South Korea, and Japan, because of so many individual choices to avoid having children, over population there is no longer a threat. Instead, many national birthrates overall have fallen short of full replacement, resulting in a top-heavy older population. I myself am part of that top-heavy cohort here in the US, but too late for me to contribute any more to the next generation. We oldsters are also living longer.
Many folks
cite love of travel as their main reason for remaining childless. However, as a
single mother myself, I’ve shown that it’s possible to travel with children to expose
them to the wider world, thereby enriching the parent’s travel experiences
as well. And how can we even measure children’s very existence versus the value of solo travel
experiences? Children are human beings, priceless beyond measure. Like everyone
else, a child is just someone like you or me going through an essential stage
of life and huma
Perhaps in backlash to the ever-greater emphasis on unfettered individual choice, the pro-life movement has now gained a measure of renewed strength and has come up with a novel slogan: “Choice is before the panties slide off.” The end of Roe in the US and the resurgence of prolife forces may also represent a wider societal response to a falling birthrate. But pro-life folks, as well as supporters of traditional heterosexual marriage and of limiting women’s sports to those born female, all of which I support, are still being pronounced retrograde by self-identified progressives.
Below is a Mark Rothko painting from 1955; if he were
not already famous, would this artwork be considered so valuable? How did he
get to become so famous to begin with?
Now that I‘ve successfully blocked most spam calls, will
they come again back using new numbers? We'll see.
Here are some posts that caught my attention recently.
1 de cada 8 personas ha trabajado en McDonald’s. Eso es un montón
de gente.
From St. Jude, along with a little boy’s name: Tu donación lo ayuda a vivir.
These cats, all lost locally, are being fed by a good Samaritan.
