Sudden Russian Death Syndrome strikes again. "Valentina Bondarenko, a top Russian economist, has died at the age of 82 after falling out of her apartment window in Moscow, Russian state-run media reported on Tuesday."
Isolationism is really appealing this morning - personal isolation, hiding out in the shop, reading only stuff I've already read or that is thoroughly vetted for optimistic-but-only-realistically-optimistic content and letting the rest of the world go.....do its own thing.
But we are having company this evening - which is a good thing and is consistent with the fundamental determination to separate myself from idiots and stuff I can't do anything about. And I will have a clean house when it's all over.
3 inches of rain in the past three days, most of it in the past two days. The storms late yesterday and overnight were spectacular. None of this business of just one storm moving through and stabilizing the atmosphere. More like recent news cycles - bombast followed by calm and clear skies (okay, that's not like recent news cycles) but with enough residual instability to boil over again and again.
It does make it hard to get the laundry done, as I like to hang things on the line to dry. Adding heat to the house for the HVAC system to then have to remove galls my soul when there is perfectly good sunshine in the back yard.
Katie and I have taken up pickleball, mostly in our driveway (she's still learning the game).
A pickleball tragedy befell us, alas. At our Y board meeting yesterday they announced they cancelled last night's pickleball tournament, due to no entrants...We could have won if we entered! We'd have been undefeated too! 😢
Our local park and rec league had a tournament over the Fourth of July and all the brackets were filled . You must not have a lot of interest in your town. The bug has not hit, no pun intended.
Good morning. Rained predicted later today. Otherwise, currently in the 60s and highs predicted for the 80s, much like yesterday.
The Front Page highlights the “Battle of the Sexes” aka the 2024 election between the “brat” Kamala Harris and the “macho man” Donald Trump (IMO as good an example of toxic masculinity as they come).
From that Free Press article: To be “brat,” according to Charli (XCX a British pop star) on TikTok, is to be “that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it. It is honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile.” God save the USA. I was going to sit out this year but I cannot have a “wine aunt” as President. I’ll take toxic masculinity all day over that.
I like the idea of Harris, but that would probably pass if I were to listen to her. Of course, WV will go 70 percent Trump, so it makes no difference how I vote.
What I like about Harris as an idea is that she isn’t a tired old geezer with a shriveled fan base who needs to get off the stage so we can move the public conversation past Obama and his ripple effects.
There's always been a "choice" in this election, but with Harris vs Trump at least it seems like there's a bit more of a rational one in at least some respects.
Kamala Harris is picking up where Joe Biden left off, in trying very, very hard to convince me not to vote for her, even though her opponent is (not just a toxic male, but) an insurrectionist.
It’s sorta/kinda excuse-making in advance. If Hilary didn’t win: sexism. If Obama didn’t win: racism. If Trump didn’t/doesn’t win: stolen election. If Harris doesn’t win: racism and misogyny. Start the narrative before the election; it’s psychological priming for the team members on the losing side.
Maybe you could just lease one until the need passes? There's one in my home state you may be able to lay your hands on if the price is right, since these guys are obviously not opposed to making a profit from either the public or the government...
But I won't knock 'em too hard for taking taxpayer money to get the thing built; after all, the wall between religion and state fell the first time a local or state government subsidized a new baseball, football or basketball stadium.
Interestingly, Tull's music wasn't always so pretentious and ponderous. Their very first album was much better, even a little bit more jazz-oriented. Like this song, which I think is in 9/8 time. In my band days, I only knew one band that could pull it off.
https://www.newsweek.com/top-russian-economist-dies-after-falling-out-window-1929398
Sudden Russian Death Syndrome strikes again. "Valentina Bondarenko, a top Russian economist, has died at the age of 82 after falling out of her apartment window in Moscow, Russian state-run media reported on Tuesday."
Has anyone checked with Tucker Carlson for his take on the quality of Russian windows compared to American ones?
At least Russian windows open, probably because they don't have a/c.
At 82? That’s gotta be above average life expectancy for those at the top. But still a long way down all at once.
It was sudden.
I find it hard to believe these days that anyone of any consequence in Russia is still living above the ground floor in an apartment building.
There probably just aren't enough ground-floor units.
If that's the case, I'd be going back to college so I could live in a tent. Wait... guess that wouldn't be much of a possibility there, would it?
Isolationism is really appealing this morning - personal isolation, hiding out in the shop, reading only stuff I've already read or that is thoroughly vetted for optimistic-but-only-realistically-optimistic content and letting the rest of the world go.....do its own thing.
But we are having company this evening - which is a good thing and is consistent with the fundamental determination to separate myself from idiots and stuff I can't do anything about. And I will have a clean house when it's all over.
3 inches of rain in the past three days, most of it in the past two days. The storms late yesterday and overnight were spectacular. None of this business of just one storm moving through and stabilizing the atmosphere. More like recent news cycles - bombast followed by calm and clear skies (okay, that's not like recent news cycles) but with enough residual instability to boil over again and again.
It does make it hard to get the laundry done, as I like to hang things on the line to dry. Adding heat to the house for the HVAC system to then have to remove galls my soul when there is perfectly good sunshine in the back yard.
Have a great day, y'all.
We got another deluge on the north side of Chicago yesterday afternoon into evening. Again a pond formed out in the street in front of my building.
G'morning all. Gonna go walk, then it's a long day at the office (teaching two night classes tonight).
Methinks it’s a good morning for pickleball. I haven’t been on the court in three weeks. Nobody is going to want to be my partner.
Pickleball. Or, as the medical community dubs it: The Orthopedist Full Employment Pastime.
Less strokes and heart attacks…more knee and shoulder injuries.
Katie and I have taken up pickleball, mostly in our driveway (she's still learning the game).
A pickleball tragedy befell us, alas. At our Y board meeting yesterday they announced they cancelled last night's pickleball tournament, due to no entrants...We could have won if we entered! We'd have been undefeated too! 😢
Our local park and rec league had a tournament over the Fourth of July and all the brackets were filled . You must not have a lot of interest in your town. The bug has not hit, no pun intended.
Here, you’d need a snorkel.
Good morning. Rained predicted later today. Otherwise, currently in the 60s and highs predicted for the 80s, much like yesterday.
The Front Page highlights the “Battle of the Sexes” aka the 2024 election between the “brat” Kamala Harris and the “macho man” Donald Trump (IMO as good an example of toxic masculinity as they come).
From that Free Press article: To be “brat,” according to Charli (XCX a British pop star) on TikTok, is to be “that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it. It is honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile.” God save the USA. I was going to sit out this year but I cannot have a “wine aunt” as President. I’ll take toxic masculinity all day over that.
Really?
I like the idea of Harris, but that would probably pass if I were to listen to her. Of course, WV will go 70 percent Trump, so it makes no difference how I vote.
What I like about Harris as an idea is that she isn’t a tired old geezer with a shriveled fan base who needs to get off the stage so we can move the public conversation past Obama and his ripple effects.
There's always been a "choice" in this election, but with Harris vs Trump at least it seems like there's a bit more of a rational one in at least some respects.
"What I like about Harris as an idea is that she isn’t a tired old geezer ..."
Same.
I agree, while at the same time finding reasons to dislike her, owing to her being a bit to the Left of that "tired old geezer".
Yes, same.
That about sums it up.
“Party on, Wayne.” I’m glad this stuff is just entertainment for some. And they vote.
Kamala Harris is picking up where Joe Biden left off, in trying very, very hard to convince me not to vote for her, even though her opponent is (not just a toxic male, but) an insurrectionist.
I'm already seeing the stage being set by the left for any Harris criticism to be called racist. The term "DEI hire" is their latest target.
It’s sorta/kinda excuse-making in advance. If Hilary didn’t win: sexism. If Obama didn’t win: racism. If Trump didn’t/doesn’t win: stolen election. If Harris doesn’t win: racism and misogyny. Start the narrative before the election; it’s psychological priming for the team members on the losing side.
And convicted felon.
Morning. It’s aqueous summer from here on in. Should have started that ark project when I still had the chance.
Maybe you could just lease one until the need passes? There's one in my home state you may be able to lay your hands on if the price is right, since these guys are obviously not opposed to making a profit from either the public or the government...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_Encounter
But I won't knock 'em too hard for taking taxpayer money to get the thing built; after all, the wall between religion and state fell the first time a local or state government subsidized a new baseball, football or basketball stadium.
https://youtu.be/OFhdIk5clYw?si=19H-g_HUychkuzbB
The title seems to fit, though it’s hard to say what it’s about…
Interestingly, Tull's music wasn't always so pretentious and ponderous. Their very first album was much better, even a little bit more jazz-oriented. Like this song, which I think is in 9/8 time. In my band days, I only knew one band that could pull it off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2shXfsqOXwM
RE: "9/8 time"
No kidding. I played drums in a couple of bands in my youth. Would've never gotten the "beat" to that one right.
13/11 time is my métier. It’s how I type.
As I said, only one band I knew could cover it. The bass player went on to be one of LA's premier session bassists.
If indeed it's an "aqueous summer from here on in", will we be seeing more aqueous humor?
On a more serious note...
https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/jethro-tulls-aqualung-lyrics-meaning/
One more note... I often found progressive rock every bit as much or more weird than Progressive politics can sometimes be.
"If indeed it's an "aqueous summer from here on in", will we be seeing more aqueous humor?"
Maybe just a watered down version..
If you were a-sea, but not a star, not a cucumber, not a friend, but an anemone...
Are you taking two of every kind?
no, because Donald Trump is one of a kind...
I’d leave him off the boat.
Good morning.
We can only focus on bad guy at a time, apparently.
The world is full of bad guys.