1. The Delphinium or larkspur is a tall plant with pink, blue, purple or white flowers. Shakespeare called it ‘lark’s-heel’. Butterflies love it, but it’s very toxic if eaten by humans/animals. Do you have any poisonous plants you recognise in your garden or nearby?

Not that I'm aware of? I also don't forage, because I don't recognize plants well enough to do so? While there are gardens around me, and plants and trees? I don't plant or take care of them. The gardening gene skipped me and landed on my brother.

2. Do you still use your local library?

No. Haven't done so in years. (One of the side-effects of working for an evil library reference company - it kind of jaded me.)

I do have library card. But I have a library in the basement of the apartment complex, free books in the foyer, many books I've not read in the apartment and on the Kindle, plus little libraries everywhere (free book depositories in stores and outside apartment complexes and houses), plus two book stores in walking distance, and magazine subscriptions.

3. Have you ever worn a hairpiece, wig or clip-on hair extensions? Do you know anyone who does?

No. But, yes, I know many people who do. When I was kid the lady down the block did. And my mother owned a wig once - she didn't like, so she got rid of it. And I've known a lot of co-workers who do. I couldn't - it would drive me crazy.

4. Have you ever played Pickleball?

Nope. Know people who have. No interest in it. I don't like sports with balls. I can't figure out where the ball is, and usually feel like it is coming right at me.

5. Do you have a favourite gemstone?

Not really? Maybe an Emerald or a Sapphire?


***

July 4th

Yesterday was low-key. I watched television, read, talked to my mother on the phone, texted Wales, took a few walks around the neighborhood. Watched the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks on television - mainly because they are ten miles away from me - if that, or about a twenty minute subway ride. (I just don't do crowds, and didn't feel the need to see them in person.) But I could see the Macy's Fireworks Stand set up from the pier on Thursday walk at lunchtime - at work. And was curious to see what they did this year.

Also, I could hear them. I'm in close enough proximity that I can hear the fireworks.

It is illegal to buy, sell, and/or personally to set off fireworks in New York City for well obvious reasons. People do it anyway. But either they are successfully cracking down on it, or people grew tired of annoying their neighbors and all the pets in the area? Because they weren't that bad last night, or prior nights. They only went until maybe a 11 pm in the area. (It could have been professional fireworks outside of Macy's - there's Statue of Liberty and Governor's Island - and those are about ten miles west of me, if that - I'd hear them. And Macy's was over at 10 pm on the dot. Honestly, New Year's was far worse.

Macy's was kind of "cleverly" passive aggressive politically speaking? All the performers were Black people, and it was mainly R&B or Pop. The American Song-Book was all sung by POC. And the voice over was - while we're still struggling, we have to focus on what we've been through and where we've been, and how far we've come - we have a lot to celebrate and we can still dream for a better future for us all.

In direct contrast to The Capital Forth - which mother tried to watch and bailed early on - she said is was heavily "country" and not good country. Mother despises Country Music. I told her that country music tends to be heavily conservative and far right (basically it tends to be redneck music and if it isn't careful, it will be considered fascist, and not survive). I think a lot of country musicians (who aren't far right or fascist) are fighting that image, and/or threw up their hands, gave up, and just crossed over to pop or folk - Taylor Swift did, Jelly Roll is, as are others, like Dolly Parton.

1. Texted my brother today, we're at least in agreement on most television shows. We both loved The Bear to little bitty pieces, and agree with The Atlantic Review which states as it's heading, Thank God for The Bear, this is the television show we all needed. "I can forgive The Bear almost anything, because it’s one of the few shows on television now still willing to wrangle with the mess of being human—with what it means to try to live differently."

The Bear was renewed for a fifth season. Yay.

I'm admittedly in the minority? (not on the Bear, it's very popular). As apparently is my brother. Perhaps we're related after all? Neither of us could get into or liked Severance (which is insanely popular with thirty and twenty-somethings), we're on the fence with Murderbot, and so-so on Foundation, it's pretty overwrought, although very pretty overall.

He asked about the Buffy Reboot, and I regaled him with my knowledge on it - then realized, damn, I'm like a frigging info-dump on some things, aren't I? Hope it's not too annoying?

2. Crazy Org is being amusingly and charmingly passive aggressive towards our current political situation, and in some ways aggressive when it needs to be. (It took the DOJ to court and won.) As I told my brother, say what you will about Crazy Org - it's a tough old agency, and much like the city it resides in - it can stand up in a fight, and mostly win.

This was how it ended an email regarding the upcoming fourth of July holiday:

"A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), The Declaration of Independence

1. I feel I need to explain in detail how a Bill becomes a Law in the United States. Since a lot of people think now that the Senate passed the Big Beautiful (more like Butt-Ugly) Bill - it will now go to the House and voila, signed into Law. Uh, no, this is not how it works, folks.

But wait, another lawyer did it for me! To the tune of I'm only a Bill, just a little old bill...via School House Rock, which oversimplified it.

How A Bill Becomes a Law by Anne P. Mitchell

First and foremost: In order for a bill to be sent to the president to be signed into law the House and the Senate MUST pass *identical* versions of the bill!  This is what we are seeing happen right now with the budget bill, the House originally passed their version and sent it to the Senate. The Senate made massive changes to it, then voted on that changed version just now, so now it goes back to the House. If the House makes ANY changes, then it goes back to the Senate for them to either vote on or make additional changes.

( Here is How a Bill Becomes a Law )

The process gives me hope. It did have a lot gutted from it. Also the Senate added 800 billion to the national debt. Meanwhile various States are in the process of passing laws to withhold federal taxes, since the federal government is not representing them in a fair and reasonable manner.

2. What is in the Big Butt-Ugly Bill aka the Big Beautiful Bill that the Senate Passed? (Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder apparently?)

Here's What got in and What got cut from the Big Butt-Ugly Bill

It went from 1000 pages to 940 pages.

In the bill: ( what stayed in the Bill )

On the Medicaid Cuts, what got in and got cut out of the bill:
( Read more... )

What is left out of the bill or was cut:

Public land sales
( what they were trying to do and why it was cut )

Excise tax on wind and solar, State AI provisions (The Senate stripped a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI). )

For a more precise and total breakdown? Go HERE - The link is NY Times article via remove pay wall.

This tells you exactly what the Senate removed from the bill, changed, altered and left in and why.

Note they removed everything that wasn't budgetary related and broke the rules.

Example?

Measure to limit court contempt powers

The parliamentarian rejected a measure in the bill that would have made it harder for courts to enforce lawsuits against the Trump administration. The measure targeted preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by federal judges against Trump’s executive orders and other directives. MacDonough argued that limiting courts’ ability to hold Trump in contempt violates Senate rules.

Go HERE for complete list of no-gos that can't be in the Bill at all

Note, it's still a controversial bill.

3. Want a way to help either in the US or out of the US?

We The People Defend provides information on how.

It's a non-profit site that provides emails with contact information, and instructions on how to go about contacting Senators, White House, Congress, Etc.

You don't have to do everything or anything at all. There's no pressure. But it helps explain how the law works and how to help change what is going on in a pro-active way.

So far, folks have managed to change a lot of things by doing this, so it is working.

If however, you are too pissed off like myself to rationally call and explain in a calm manner, you might want to hang back for a bit or do something else?

4. [ETA: Folks? Be mindful of my blood pressure and please knock off the defeatist talk or keep it out of my journal. I get we're all worried, scared and angry. But it does nobody any good, including you. And I honestly have enough troubles sleeping as it is. I'm on medication for anxiety. So be mindful and keep it to yourselves?]

Actually, Jay Kuo states all of this better than I can - so I'm reposting his words below:

"Folks, some real talk.
( Read more... )

What he said.