I would prefer to get my news on paper, but I finally had to give up my home delivery subscription because they kept on jacking up the price (while gaslighting me about their refusal to make good on delivery problems) and I finally had to fold. I have no issues with the editorial side, and I more or less trust the content, so I didn't break it off with them entirely. My online subscription (accessing articles on their website) is supposed to be ad-free, but isn't. I am having difficulty communicating with these people, probably because they want it that way. Maybe it will be resolved if I finally get an updated invoice that I can call them and ask questions about. Meanwhile the process of accessing the articles online is annoying and time consuming. And the features I have to go find directly now are even worse in that regard, constant freezing and interruptions. If I paid, would they behave better? Not likely. Modern times--bah, humbug.
I had home delivery of my local newspaper for decades, but I finally gave it up a few years ago because there was no value for money. What was once 80-100 pages packed with local content had dwindled to about 20 pages of mostly national feed. This was augmented by about 100 pages of flyers and advertisements that went straight into the recycling bin. Overall, canceling was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.
Gannett bought the Indianapolis Star (which had bought its evening competitor) back in the early oughts, and they mostly ran it into the ground.
Local newspapers need to go back to local news.
Early in my career I was a "stringer". For $8 and a free football ticket I attended a HS football game and wrote a 100 and 200 word summary, plus I nabbed the box score. It was a pleasant way for a single young man to waste a few hours on Friday night! But now the ADs for the High School email the box score and an AI device writes a bland few sentences about the game.
One thing I'll say for the Chicago Tribune is that they have been focusing on local news, politics, and investigations. Partly that may be because they still have competition in that area, from the Sun-Times and from the hyperlocal service called Block Club (to which I subscribe at $6 a month; they regularly tell me stuff in my own neighborhood I wouldn't otherwise know about, though I have to roll my eyes at some of the stuff their young reporters don't think of as endorsing subcultural viewpoints). I still like the Tribune's editorial stands, and their editorial page editor (who is also the chief theater critic) is doing yeoman's work. Also, the paper takes a firm stand about not using AI in their content.
> Local newspapers need to go back to local news. <
In a rural locale like ours, the local paper would be more likely to survive if they dismantled the ancient rules saying newspapers and TV/radio ownership has to be in separate hands. We’ve got a so-so local TV market (radio…well…), but the newspaper market has been in perpetual decline. Really, all those media formats are dying with their elderly subscriber base. But if they could combine, they might be able to make it for a while longer—maybe even long enough to find another viable business model.
I’m assuming my recollection about the ancient media ownership rules and regs still obtains, without bothering to look. Hmm. Maybe it’s grist for a front-page gripe…
I honestly don't know what are the laws elsewhere, but Cox Media (the Cox of the former Ohio Vice president fame) owns the local newspaper, some local radio stations and one of the local tv stations. Their employees intermingle across all three media.
I hear you. My local paper, the Columbus Dispatch (never to be confued with thedispatch.com(, was bought up by Gannet a few years ago., They raised subscription rates and close the local printing plant, so our papers get trucked in fro Detroit and deadlines mean evening news doesn't make the paper.
If I could coax my wife off the physical paper I would go digital only.
Digital isn't all it's cracked up to be, as a reading experience. It may sound slick and modern, but the ad-soaked and interruptive reality feels downright abusive. Even though I'm paying them money! At least they make The Dispatch's mess-ups seem relatively benign.
Chicago Tribune. Currently owned by Alden Global Capital, which is trying to run it into the ground. My hope is that some deep-pocketed, civic-minded Chicago tycoon will buy it from them. Maybe take it nonprofit, which the Sun-Times already is.
RE: "we’d do ourselves a favor not to be too online"
True enough, I think. I've definitely reduced the amount of my screen time of late for a number of reasons (and I've yet to get a thank you from anyone here for that, BTW), and I reduced it even a bit more a little earlier today by asking myself "What's the appropriate response when one finds a noted historian, newsletter publisher and now podcaster writing complete bulls**t?"
Well, here's my answer below: a copy of an email I sent to the person in question above. Don't know if it would make a difference in the news and info we see online (or anywhere else) if more people took a crack at this sort of thing. Probably not. And I'm not fooling myself into believing my effort a calling BS here will make a bit of difference to this person either, considering the noted lack of response I've received about the couple of occasions of my calling out factual inaccuracies regarding her newsletters in the past.
But I've gotta tell ya'... I do feel pretty darned good about having done it.
Ms. Richardson...
RE: The opening line of your newsletter dated June 8, which reads "Flatbed train cars carrying *thousands* of tanks rolled into Washington, D.C., yesterday in preparation for the military parade planned for June 14." (emphasis mine, obviously)
This is so patently untrue and such an exaggeration as to truly shock the mind, especially considering that you're a truly well-educated and noted historian and are supposed to be a credible journalist, and that I've long considered Letters from an American to be a highly credible news and information source. I will say here that I have noticed over time that you occasionally make a mistake as to the correctness or veracity of some detail you may publish about something, and I have on a couple of occasions replied to your newsletter as I am now to point out the mistake, thinking you to be the type of writer who's interested in the accuracy of what you write, though I've never received a reply or even brief acknowledgement of this of any kind. Which is fine. But this instance of such a glaring inaccuracy concerning the actual facts of what you're supposedly reporting on cuts it for me.
Yes indeed, tanks certainly arrived on flatbed train cars in D.C. for the impending June 14 parade. But they did not arrive by the "thousands" or in numbers even approaching that by any wild stretch of the imagination. I can find no link in your "Notes" to support this contention, and all the online searches you'd care to do will reveal the *total* number of *all* military vehicles to be featured in the street parade to be 150, including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks. For examples...
So, unless you are privy to information these and countless other news sources do not have, I have to tell you that I cannot for the life of me understand why you would print something like that opening line, for even the application of the slightest bit of common sense would suffice to discount that claim as being false. (By the way, just as a matter of the scale of "thousands" of tanks rolling into DC by train... a single train carrying only *one* thousand M1A1s loaded one to a DODX 4000 flatbed rail car would be approximately 6 miles long; two to a DODX 4100 car, 3 miles long.)
While I'm as ant-Trump, anti-Trumpism, anti-fascist and pro-democracy as anyone you may find, I do not condone blatantly misrepresenting actual facts on the ground in yours or any newsletter about this (or anything else) for any reason, no matter how opposed I may be to what is being done concerning this upcoming parade or the promotion of authoritarianism it represents during the current presidential administration under Donald Trump and his miscreant band of neo-fascists.
As to the errors I noted to you in the past, I was happy to dismiss them as simple mistakes or oversights, since in the big scheme of things they were not of great import, nor did they change the basic meaning or truth of the story with which they were concerned, though they were obvious enough to this fairly well informed reader to catch my attention. After all, mistakes happen.
But they did cause me to read your writing with a more critical eye and lessened my willingness to accept every word you wrote as being true without question, despite your always well-filled "Notes" section accounting for the sources for much of your newsletter's content. And now with this glaring example of what I can only make out to be a case of intentional hyperbole - to what end I cannot fathom - I can no longer consider Letters from an American a credible and trusted source of news and information and will no longer be following it.
I agree: It really isn’t necessary to stretch the truth. But these days with everyone having their favored sources, it’s getting really hard to come to a consensus as to the barest facts—disinformation campaigns from malefactors notwithstanding.
Happy Monday Morning ( not the day I usually find happy, but oh well...lol)
I am hoping my new debit card arrives today, as I have things to pay for that I can only use that card for...
I have someone coming over to clean up my small fenced-in back yard today...though it is drizzling a bit, so not sure if they will do that in the rain...but the price is reasonable...and Rick is home today
I think I found the bedroom set I want....yippee!
So, I asked my boss to keep me apprised of what was going on with his mom...he came in today and tells me she died Sat night....sigh...I wish he would have called me....they don't have any plans made yet for funeral services...
I'm not fond of blueberries. We got a lot of errands done today. I think the baby is coming over tomorrow. Drama Queen went on a visit to her sister in Philly and came home with a crud.
Blueberries are one thing that thrive inspite of us. They mostly get eaten straight off the bush, although cobbler is traditional around Independence Day.
Our daughter got a blackberry bush for Easter. We'll see how well it adapts next year.
I like that French is now using the fabulous ConLaw Steve Vladek. Who is heads and shoulders above anyone who ever attempted ConLaw at the ol' mammaship.
I'm also the fan as some may recall, of the firm 😊 Dorf, Buchanan and Seagall
I was kinda sad yesterday, reading the mothership. The Sunday faith column had an interesting topic on Abraham and Isaac. Now, I would have held it for a week because I think it'd have made for a great father's day column, but that's just me.
But I was sad just reading the sheer amount of anger, hatred, stereotyping going on. I left it unaddressed.
I've been out for long enough I forget how long. I kinda forget why I left...I do remember not wanting to pay money for "thought leadership" by a bunch of kids...but the listing of "anger, hatred, stereotyping" rings a bell.
Yeah. No one apparently takes a half second to wonder why a couple kids that haven't done anything other than extemporize on what folks oughta think have any good idea on what to think. And now, we got interns straight out of universities "learning" from the other kids.
Memory jog...I remember one of my reasons for leaving... One of the kids wrote an entire book on why we needed to go to war in Iraq, and I've not seen even a breath of mention from him on why he got that one wrong. I recall lunches at construction sites where me and a bunch of Mexicans and assorted college dropouts (me) were wondering why we were going to war...it seemed so obvious that it was the dumbest thing imaginable.
Why would I listen to that kid about anything? I'd listen to an apology or an exculpatory claim...but continued yammering...(?) Nope.
I’m back at the lake for a few weeks. My husband will be here one week then a variety of guests the following week. The slider doors, all 6 of them, are being replaced this week so it’ll be a construction zone. It’s chilly here, 50 degrees , and I’m really tiring of the wildfire smoke. Two summers in a row. Get your forests under control Canada!
Marvin...https://www.marvin.com/products/doors/sliding/elevate-sliding-patio-door. All my windows at my "down south" house are Marvin windows, we've been super happy with them. You'd probably get a kick out of the "up north" house. I have been trying to figure out it's history by looking at old courthouse records. I think the original part of the house (the middle) was built in 1937. The southern addition, a master bed/bath including a family room basement, was added maybe 30 years ago. The northern addition, a huge living room upstairs and bar room in basement was added about 25 years ago. There are no building permits on file, I am going by mortgage filings. It's not a fancy house by any means but it's quite large. The basement bar room has a urinal, I'm certain it was once used as a man cave. Great lake views and a level frontage which is hard to find.
Those are nice doors. The fiberglass is a big improvement over vinyl cladding.
Wood windows (and doors) are on their last gasp. There just isn't any more quality wood acceptable for making windows. They've stretched the tech of finger jointing and overlays as far as it can be stretched.
Most windows in America are still wood, with an exterior cladding of vinyl, aluminum, and now fiberglass. But, it's going away. Marvin recently refocused window mfg. somewhere up North, moved people that would move to the new manufactory, and closed their other facilities.
The future is aluminum, period. Aluminum with reasonably authentic looking fake wood overlay for the interior is available, because folks want wood grain interior finish.
Chinese are making superb aluminum windows with fake wood interior. Fully robotic factories, superb/excellent quality, about 1/3-1/2 the cost of domestic, and we can't have them.
When we remodeled our then-small 1K sq. ft. house 20 years ago - doubling its size in the process with two additions and enclosing the attached garage - I told my wife as my design progressed that we were going to have a lot of wall space and asked if she wanted to hang pictures or enjoy the 'real thing'? She voted for the 'real thing', as did I, so I ended up forking out $$$ for almost 30 vertical sliders of various sizes from narrow to wide and tall to shallow, two large, fixed picture windows and two 6' sliding patio doors... all Anderson 200 series double-paned vinyl-over-wood, unadorned by any view-obstructing (and dollar munching) grill add-ons. Never regretted the decision or expense, since the windows have given us excellent service and we never tire of the views of our property all around our home.
Interesting note about that window purchase... There was (and still is) a large Anderson store in a town a few miles south of me. I'd picked up a catalog from them when I started drawing up the plans and went there when I had them all finalized and knew exactly what I wanted. I'd made a complete, clear and well-organized list of window sizes, types, catalog numbers and quantities of each.
As was normal, the store was sort of busy but not mobbed, so when it was finally my turn to get some service from one of the half-dozen people working the show room desk and floor, I handed the guy a copy of my list and asked for a quote, noting I'd given him all the catalog info so that all he should have to do is enter the numbers I'd provided in his computer. He looked at the list for a second, said he was too busy to get to it that day (it was before noon) and said he'd have a figure for me the next morning.
So, I stopped by the next *afternoon*, and he still hadn't gotten to it, barely offering an apology and blaming the volume of customers for the delay. A phone call the following morning produced the same result.
I then took my list a few miles farther to a Home Depot store that ordered and sold Anderson windows. I gave the guy at the construction sales desk a copy of the list, he asked me a couple of questions and said he'd call me at home with a price as soon as he could come up with a figure and check the availability of the units I wanted. That was about 10Am. At about 1:30 I got a call with a total price and a delivery date. The price was in line with what I was expecting, and I got a delivery date sooner than I would have thought. So, Home Depot got my order without a second thought as to that Anderson store.
From which, by the way, the guy called three days after that with a quote that was over $2800 higher than what Home Depot was selling me the very same windows for, including delivery. His quote didn't include delivery, which was another couple of hundred bucks.
I told him I was pretty sure his store wouldn't miss that nearly $20K order that had gone to Home Depot, since it was obviously too small-fry of a deal to bother with in a timely manner...
Speaking of sustainable....Years ago, out in Hood River, OR, I made the acquaintance of an old hippy who was doing "organic forestry". He had a small patch of land, about an acre, and he was growing lumber organically. The last time I saw him, he was sitting at a farmer's market with 6- 8' 2x4's, each priced at about $30 each. It was so funny, watching him sit there, self satisfied that he was "doing something" with his $30 2x4's.
Then, 35 years later, the TV show "Portlandia". Portlandia is not a stretch.
We visited an oak sawmill, a small family business. One of their things was a barn-sized retail section where they sold cut wood that was extra after packaging their main orders.
The owner's son spoke Mandarin and was a lobbyist for the American Hardwood Association, or something like that.
One more thing we've sold ourselves out to China...American Hardwoods. Chinese furniture mfg's. have been buying up Native America hardwood for decades, and now they own most of the good stuff. The kid was probably doing a lot of business with China.
The humidity is 85% but it's also raining. Poor guys are working on the doors out in the rain. I swear one guy is in his 70s, I felt bad for him carrying that heavy door around the back of the house. It's HARD to find workers up north.
Good morning. 66 and light rain, which will be the case throughout the day. The mothership is covering state state of delivering food aid in Gaza, attempting to bypass Hamas. (I'm trying to figure out why Hamas is still there after a year and a half. Just what has the IDF been doing?)
The FP is covering the LA protests/riots (at times, either word can apply) and headlines “What I saw on an ICE Operation”.
The IDF has been trying to avoid killing presumed-innocent civilians, avoid getting more hostages killed, avoid getting soldiers killed unnecessarily, and trying to do all of this in a global environment where everything Israel does is presumed evil, even by countries that do exactly the same thing or worse to their own citizens/subjects or to their neighbors.
That is correct. But I had the distinct impression that the IDF was going to "clear" Gaza, starting from Gaza City in the north, down to the southern border crossing with Egypt. That seems not to be the case. Or else their sweep was porous.
That was certainly a difficult task under the best of circumstances, and the circumstances was hardly the best. And the "blame Israel first" crowd keeps sticking their noses in. But in place of a sweep, the IDF seems to be doing -- I have no idea what.
IMO the task of finding the remaining hostages shoudl have been subordinated to removing Hamas. I get the hostages were a difficult political problem for the Israeli government. But that, of course, is exactly why Hamas took hostages in the first place.
Bottom line: If the Netanyahu government and the IDF has a plan to get Hamas out and end the war, it's not evident to me what that plan is.
I was reading a piece about a study on the very young whose parents/guardians do not limit their screen time, who spend all waking moments on their screens. Essentially, they're zombies. When separated from their screens for even a moment, their brains go haywire.
Dopamine is the Hot Science Chemical these days, seeing a lot of overuse in explanations for everything wrong with us collectively and individually. It’s probably not quite as well understood as the popular reporting makes it sound.
Still, addictive behaviors are about as stubborn as substance additions. One of the worst substance addictions we know of is sugar. It’s about as bad for us as alcohol, and the body processes it in the same way. It isn’t considered a bad substance because it releases dopamine and endorphins without causing alcoholic impairment.
Giving a baby its first bite of something sugary is such a wonderful experience for parents and other family: seeing those eyes light up with pure joy. We’ve all gone through it as infants, too, virtually without exception.
But sugar has the addiction profile of an opioid, while causing similar long-term liver damage. It just *feels* like something so wonderful and without obvious signs of outward impairment—how could it possibly be bad for us?
Like the dopamine hits from electronic gizmos, we struggle to understand the medium- to long-term damage lurking within. If we better understood sugary treats and smartphone interactions as similar to heroin hits, we’d probably do better at least at trying to limit children’s access.
Yikes. 😳 My 19 mo granddaughter gets 1/2 hr tv show some days. My 16 mo grandson gets zero. They’re doing better than I did as their mom 30 years ago. Disney movies were played a lot back then.
TV/movies/Disney would not be as good as non-screen activity, but at least there are storylines and/or somewhat longer term mental engagement and associated reasoning/cognitive activity. The current screen thing is 5-10 second videos...repetitive short term attention span destroying non-content engagement.
I'm not saying watching Disney movies is good, but it's hard to call them really bad. There were stories to engage with.
The short term video thing, otoh, is bad. Really bad.
The other thing about a Disney movie (or a David Attenborough documentary) is that, typically, the child often walks away from it (or falls asleep). One of the few good memories from the Covid lockdown is seeing six of my children (including a chronological adult or two) passed out dead-o in the living room with "Blue Planet" on.
Another one is Shannon lying on a sleeping bag next to Thor, who passed the time playing video games in the front room. Sometimes she would get up and pat him on the back to make sure he remembered a cat was there.
Good morning. Happy Monday to all! We're all doing the neighbor's pet care again for a few days. The idiot dog and the gray cat were happy to see me this morning.
Good morning. The new grandparents (my wife and I) are helping the new parents. The only really useful thing I can offer is walking the dog. He is accustomed to several miles a day. But we both enjoy it.
The neighbor's dog is elderly and goes a couple hundred yards. This morning he got to bark at another dog, which was fun for him but annoying because I was trying to pick up his plotz as he was trying to rush across the street and let a pit bull kill him.
The scene with the neighbor dog reminds me of one of my favorite John Hiatt songs - "Dust Down A Country Road".
The lyrics tell a story of an old dog that "ain't much good for nothing, staring down the road." The dog is himself. He's reflecting that with his wife he had meaning, and with her gone is no better than a sorry old dog.
In truth it is! The newborn (Ani) has been very easy, as these things go. She is, after one week, already a decent sleeper, nurses easily and doesn't cry much at all. It's only a minor assist to make meals and do a little laundry, and walk the dog. My worry is such as easy baby means the next one will double up on trouble!
I would prefer to get my news on paper, but I finally had to give up my home delivery subscription because they kept on jacking up the price (while gaslighting me about their refusal to make good on delivery problems) and I finally had to fold. I have no issues with the editorial side, and I more or less trust the content, so I didn't break it off with them entirely. My online subscription (accessing articles on their website) is supposed to be ad-free, but isn't. I am having difficulty communicating with these people, probably because they want it that way. Maybe it will be resolved if I finally get an updated invoice that I can call them and ask questions about. Meanwhile the process of accessing the articles online is annoying and time consuming. And the features I have to go find directly now are even worse in that regard, constant freezing and interruptions. If I paid, would they behave better? Not likely. Modern times--bah, humbug.
I had home delivery of my local newspaper for decades, but I finally gave it up a few years ago because there was no value for money. What was once 80-100 pages packed with local content had dwindled to about 20 pages of mostly national feed. This was augmented by about 100 pages of flyers and advertisements that went straight into the recycling bin. Overall, canceling was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.
Gannett bought the Indianapolis Star (which had bought its evening competitor) back in the early oughts, and they mostly ran it into the ground.
Local newspapers need to go back to local news.
Early in my career I was a "stringer". For $8 and a free football ticket I attended a HS football game and wrote a 100 and 200 word summary, plus I nabbed the box score. It was a pleasant way for a single young man to waste a few hours on Friday night! But now the ADs for the High School email the box score and an AI device writes a bland few sentences about the game.
One thing I'll say for the Chicago Tribune is that they have been focusing on local news, politics, and investigations. Partly that may be because they still have competition in that area, from the Sun-Times and from the hyperlocal service called Block Club (to which I subscribe at $6 a month; they regularly tell me stuff in my own neighborhood I wouldn't otherwise know about, though I have to roll my eyes at some of the stuff their young reporters don't think of as endorsing subcultural viewpoints). I still like the Tribune's editorial stands, and their editorial page editor (who is also the chief theater critic) is doing yeoman's work. Also, the paper takes a firm stand about not using AI in their content.
EDIT: Here's a current piece of political reporting and analysis: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/10/chicago-aldermen-less-aligned-mayors-office/
> Local newspapers need to go back to local news. <
In a rural locale like ours, the local paper would be more likely to survive if they dismantled the ancient rules saying newspapers and TV/radio ownership has to be in separate hands. We’ve got a so-so local TV market (radio…well…), but the newspaper market has been in perpetual decline. Really, all those media formats are dying with their elderly subscriber base. But if they could combine, they might be able to make it for a while longer—maybe even long enough to find another viable business model.
I’m assuming my recollection about the ancient media ownership rules and regs still obtains, without bothering to look. Hmm. Maybe it’s grist for a front-page gripe…
I honestly don't know what are the laws elsewhere, but Cox Media (the Cox of the former Ohio Vice president fame) owns the local newspaper, some local radio stations and one of the local tv stations. Their employees intermingle across all three media.
I hear you. My local paper, the Columbus Dispatch (never to be confued with thedispatch.com(, was bought up by Gannet a few years ago., They raised subscription rates and close the local printing plant, so our papers get trucked in fro Detroit and deadlines mean evening news doesn't make the paper.
If I could coax my wife off the physical paper I would go digital only.
Digital isn't all it's cracked up to be, as a reading experience. It may sound slick and modern, but the ad-soaked and interruptive reality feels downright abusive. Even though I'm paying them money! At least they make The Dispatch's mess-ups seem relatively benign.
I hear you. Is McClatchy the publisher?
Chicago Tribune. Currently owned by Alden Global Capital, which is trying to run it into the ground. My hope is that some deep-pocketed, civic-minded Chicago tycoon will buy it from them. Maybe take it nonprofit, which the Sun-Times already is.
RE: "we’d do ourselves a favor not to be too online"
True enough, I think. I've definitely reduced the amount of my screen time of late for a number of reasons (and I've yet to get a thank you from anyone here for that, BTW), and I reduced it even a bit more a little earlier today by asking myself "What's the appropriate response when one finds a noted historian, newsletter publisher and now podcaster writing complete bulls**t?"
Well, here's my answer below: a copy of an email I sent to the person in question above. Don't know if it would make a difference in the news and info we see online (or anywhere else) if more people took a crack at this sort of thing. Probably not. And I'm not fooling myself into believing my effort a calling BS here will make a bit of difference to this person either, considering the noted lack of response I've received about the couple of occasions of my calling out factual inaccuracies regarding her newsletters in the past.
But I've gotta tell ya'... I do feel pretty darned good about having done it.
Ms. Richardson...
RE: The opening line of your newsletter dated June 8, which reads "Flatbed train cars carrying *thousands* of tanks rolled into Washington, D.C., yesterday in preparation for the military parade planned for June 14." (emphasis mine, obviously)
This is so patently untrue and such an exaggeration as to truly shock the mind, especially considering that you're a truly well-educated and noted historian and are supposed to be a credible journalist, and that I've long considered Letters from an American to be a highly credible news and information source. I will say here that I have noticed over time that you occasionally make a mistake as to the correctness or veracity of some detail you may publish about something, and I have on a couple of occasions replied to your newsletter as I am now to point out the mistake, thinking you to be the type of writer who's interested in the accuracy of what you write, though I've never received a reply or even brief acknowledgement of this of any kind. Which is fine. But this instance of such a glaring inaccuracy concerning the actual facts of what you're supposedly reporting on cuts it for me.
Yes indeed, tanks certainly arrived on flatbed train cars in D.C. for the impending June 14 parade. But they did not arrive by the "thousands" or in numbers even approaching that by any wild stretch of the imagination. I can find no link in your "Notes" to support this contention, and all the online searches you'd care to do will reveal the *total* number of *all* military vehicles to be featured in the street parade to be 150, including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks. For examples...
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/trump-military-parade-washington-dc-streets
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/07/tanks-arrive-army-trump-birthday-parade/8409308000
So, unless you are privy to information these and countless other news sources do not have, I have to tell you that I cannot for the life of me understand why you would print something like that opening line, for even the application of the slightest bit of common sense would suffice to discount that claim as being false. (By the way, just as a matter of the scale of "thousands" of tanks rolling into DC by train... a single train carrying only *one* thousand M1A1s loaded one to a DODX 4000 flatbed rail car would be approximately 6 miles long; two to a DODX 4100 car, 3 miles long.)
While I'm as ant-Trump, anti-Trumpism, anti-fascist and pro-democracy as anyone you may find, I do not condone blatantly misrepresenting actual facts on the ground in yours or any newsletter about this (or anything else) for any reason, no matter how opposed I may be to what is being done concerning this upcoming parade or the promotion of authoritarianism it represents during the current presidential administration under Donald Trump and his miscreant band of neo-fascists.
As to the errors I noted to you in the past, I was happy to dismiss them as simple mistakes or oversights, since in the big scheme of things they were not of great import, nor did they change the basic meaning or truth of the story with which they were concerned, though they were obvious enough to this fairly well informed reader to catch my attention. After all, mistakes happen.
But they did cause me to read your writing with a more critical eye and lessened my willingness to accept every word you wrote as being true without question, despite your always well-filled "Notes" section accounting for the sources for much of your newsletter's content. And now with this glaring example of what I can only make out to be a case of intentional hyperbole - to what end I cannot fathom - I can no longer consider Letters from an American a credible and trusted source of news and information and will no longer be following it.
With regrets,
Michael Trosino
I agree: It really isn’t necessary to stretch the truth. But these days with everyone having their favored sources, it’s getting really hard to come to a consensus as to the barest facts—disinformation campaigns from malefactors notwithstanding.
Happy Monday Morning ( not the day I usually find happy, but oh well...lol)
I am hoping my new debit card arrives today, as I have things to pay for that I can only use that card for...
I have someone coming over to clean up my small fenced-in back yard today...though it is drizzling a bit, so not sure if they will do that in the rain...but the price is reasonable...and Rick is home today
I think I found the bedroom set I want....yippee!
So, I asked my boss to keep me apprised of what was going on with his mom...he came in today and tells me she died Sat night....sigh...I wish he would have called me....they don't have any plans made yet for funeral services...
I'm very sorry about your boss's mother.
Thanks Cynthia
He is handling it better than I expected, at least so far
He says she will be with her second husband, whom she has missed for 18 years
I did give him a BIG hug and he liked that...lol
It's Monday! The sun is out, the blueberries are ripening, the mosquitos are out protecting the blueberries.
It's the beginning of Week 3 at home and I am beginning to make inroads on the work to be done here.
I'm not fond of blueberries. We got a lot of errands done today. I think the baby is coming over tomorrow. Drama Queen went on a visit to her sister in Philly and came home with a crud.
Sorry DQ picked up a crud on her visit. No fun.
Blueberries are one thing that thrive inspite of us. They mostly get eaten straight off the bush, although cobbler is traditional around Independence Day.
Our daughter got a blackberry bush for Easter. We'll see how well it adapts next year.
Blueberries.... I'm down to my last 5 lbs. in the freezer.
How do you cook them? Cobbler? Muffins? Or enjoy them staight out of the freezer?
This time of year, mostly morning smoothies. I do muffins and pancakes occasionally.
Mmmm. Blueberry smoothies sound good.
Blueberries, orange juice, a dash of honey, a scoop of egg white protein. It's a complete breakfast.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/opinion/trump-newsom-los-angeles-national-guard.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Nk8.Oj6L.3E5PksaR3oEB&smid=nytcore-android-share
David French
America Is No Longer a Stable Country
June 8, 2025
Yeah. I read it. Not exactly a revelation. "Instability" has been my worldview for a couple decades.
I like that French is now using the fabulous ConLaw Steve Vladek. Who is heads and shoulders above anyone who ever attempted ConLaw at the ol' mammaship.
I'm also the fan as some may recall, of the firm 😊 Dorf, Buchanan and Seagall
I was kinda sad yesterday, reading the mothership. The Sunday faith column had an interesting topic on Abraham and Isaac. Now, I would have held it for a week because I think it'd have made for a great father's day column, but that's just me.
But I was sad just reading the sheer amount of anger, hatred, stereotyping going on. I left it unaddressed.
I read it and the comments Jay...I didn't see any of that? Where was it?
I've been out for long enough I forget how long. I kinda forget why I left...I do remember not wanting to pay money for "thought leadership" by a bunch of kids...but the listing of "anger, hatred, stereotyping" rings a bell.
That " 'thought leadership' by a bunch of kids" thing bothers me a bit, too.
Yeah. No one apparently takes a half second to wonder why a couple kids that haven't done anything other than extemporize on what folks oughta think have any good idea on what to think. And now, we got interns straight out of universities "learning" from the other kids.
Memory jog...I remember one of my reasons for leaving... One of the kids wrote an entire book on why we needed to go to war in Iraq, and I've not seen even a breath of mention from him on why he got that one wrong. I recall lunches at construction sites where me and a bunch of Mexicans and assorted college dropouts (me) were wondering why we were going to war...it seemed so obvious that it was the dumbest thing imaginable.
Why would I listen to that kid about anything? I'd listen to an apology or an exculpatory claim...but continued yammering...(?) Nope.
And I haven't been there in ages!! If 8 months counts as such today!! Muwhaaa haha. 🦧🦧🐾🐾🐾🐾🐰🐾🐾🐾🐾🐪
"anger, hatred, stereotyping"
Those are the typical features.
I’m back at the lake for a few weeks. My husband will be here one week then a variety of guests the following week. The slider doors, all 6 of them, are being replaced this week so it’ll be a construction zone. It’s chilly here, 50 degrees , and I’m really tiring of the wildfire smoke. Two summers in a row. Get your forests under control Canada!
I read a good study on why the fires are essentially uncontrollable. I forget the reasons. Doesn't matter. They're uncontrollable.
Which sliding doors? What manufacturer? (I'm a window/door freak. They're fascinating hole technology.)
Marvin...https://www.marvin.com/products/doors/sliding/elevate-sliding-patio-door. All my windows at my "down south" house are Marvin windows, we've been super happy with them. You'd probably get a kick out of the "up north" house. I have been trying to figure out it's history by looking at old courthouse records. I think the original part of the house (the middle) was built in 1937. The southern addition, a master bed/bath including a family room basement, was added maybe 30 years ago. The northern addition, a huge living room upstairs and bar room in basement was added about 25 years ago. There are no building permits on file, I am going by mortgage filings. It's not a fancy house by any means but it's quite large. The basement bar room has a urinal, I'm certain it was once used as a man cave. Great lake views and a level frontage which is hard to find.
Those are nice doors. The fiberglass is a big improvement over vinyl cladding.
Wood windows (and doors) are on their last gasp. There just isn't any more quality wood acceptable for making windows. They've stretched the tech of finger jointing and overlays as far as it can be stretched.
I think my windows at home are wood. At least all the interior trim is wood but the exterior is vinyl clad.
Most windows in America are still wood, with an exterior cladding of vinyl, aluminum, and now fiberglass. But, it's going away. Marvin recently refocused window mfg. somewhere up North, moved people that would move to the new manufactory, and closed their other facilities.
The future is aluminum, period. Aluminum with reasonably authentic looking fake wood overlay for the interior is available, because folks want wood grain interior finish.
Chinese are making superb aluminum windows with fake wood interior. Fully robotic factories, superb/excellent quality, about 1/3-1/2 the cost of domestic, and we can't have them.
When we remodeled our then-small 1K sq. ft. house 20 years ago - doubling its size in the process with two additions and enclosing the attached garage - I told my wife as my design progressed that we were going to have a lot of wall space and asked if she wanted to hang pictures or enjoy the 'real thing'? She voted for the 'real thing', as did I, so I ended up forking out $$$ for almost 30 vertical sliders of various sizes from narrow to wide and tall to shallow, two large, fixed picture windows and two 6' sliding patio doors... all Anderson 200 series double-paned vinyl-over-wood, unadorned by any view-obstructing (and dollar munching) grill add-ons. Never regretted the decision or expense, since the windows have given us excellent service and we never tire of the views of our property all around our home.
Interesting note about that window purchase... There was (and still is) a large Anderson store in a town a few miles south of me. I'd picked up a catalog from them when I started drawing up the plans and went there when I had them all finalized and knew exactly what I wanted. I'd made a complete, clear and well-organized list of window sizes, types, catalog numbers and quantities of each.
As was normal, the store was sort of busy but not mobbed, so when it was finally my turn to get some service from one of the half-dozen people working the show room desk and floor, I handed the guy a copy of my list and asked for a quote, noting I'd given him all the catalog info so that all he should have to do is enter the numbers I'd provided in his computer. He looked at the list for a second, said he was too busy to get to it that day (it was before noon) and said he'd have a figure for me the next morning.
So, I stopped by the next *afternoon*, and he still hadn't gotten to it, barely offering an apology and blaming the volume of customers for the delay. A phone call the following morning produced the same result.
I then took my list a few miles farther to a Home Depot store that ordered and sold Anderson windows. I gave the guy at the construction sales desk a copy of the list, he asked me a couple of questions and said he'd call me at home with a price as soon as he could come up with a figure and check the availability of the units I wanted. That was about 10Am. At about 1:30 I got a call with a total price and a delivery date. The price was in line with what I was expecting, and I got a delivery date sooner than I would have thought. So, Home Depot got my order without a second thought as to that Anderson store.
From which, by the way, the guy called three days after that with a quote that was over $2800 higher than what Home Depot was selling me the very same windows for, including delivery. His quote didn't include delivery, which was another couple of hundred bucks.
I told him I was pretty sure his store wouldn't miss that nearly $20K order that had gone to Home Depot, since it was obviously too small-fry of a deal to bother with in a timely manner...
And to go pound sand.
We learned all about this in sustainable forestry class.
Speaking of sustainable....Years ago, out in Hood River, OR, I made the acquaintance of an old hippy who was doing "organic forestry". He had a small patch of land, about an acre, and he was growing lumber organically. The last time I saw him, he was sitting at a farmer's market with 6- 8' 2x4's, each priced at about $30 each. It was so funny, watching him sit there, self satisfied that he was "doing something" with his $30 2x4's.
Then, 35 years later, the TV show "Portlandia". Portlandia is not a stretch.
We visited an oak sawmill, a small family business. One of their things was a barn-sized retail section where they sold cut wood that was extra after packaging their main orders.
The owner's son spoke Mandarin and was a lobbyist for the American Hardwood Association, or something like that.
One more thing we've sold ourselves out to China...American Hardwoods. Chinese furniture mfg's. have been buying up Native America hardwood for decades, and now they own most of the good stuff. The kid was probably doing a lot of business with China.
We can grow more hardwoods!
Start now. It takes a few centuries to get the good stuff.
They wildfires are out of control: they burnt three Waymo in LA over the weekend! 😬
I think that actually qualified as a *controlled* burn.
Fifty degrees implies low humidity: sounds great! Maybe we can suppress the smoke with Trump tariffs or invasion or something.
The humidity is 85% but it's also raining. Poor guys are working on the doors out in the rain. I swear one guy is in his 70s, I felt bad for him carrying that heavy door around the back of the house. It's HARD to find workers up north.
There's a reason God sent Trump. He knows how to solve all problems.
Good morning. 66 and light rain, which will be the case throughout the day. The mothership is covering state state of delivering food aid in Gaza, attempting to bypass Hamas. (I'm trying to figure out why Hamas is still there after a year and a half. Just what has the IDF been doing?)
The FP is covering the LA protests/riots (at times, either word can apply) and headlines “What I saw on an ICE Operation”.
The IDF has been trying to avoid killing presumed-innocent civilians, avoid getting more hostages killed, avoid getting soldiers killed unnecessarily, and trying to do all of this in a global environment where everything Israel does is presumed evil, even by countries that do exactly the same thing or worse to their own citizens/subjects or to their neighbors.
That is correct. But I had the distinct impression that the IDF was going to "clear" Gaza, starting from Gaza City in the north, down to the southern border crossing with Egypt. That seems not to be the case. Or else their sweep was porous.
That was certainly a difficult task under the best of circumstances, and the circumstances was hardly the best. And the "blame Israel first" crowd keeps sticking their noses in. But in place of a sweep, the IDF seems to be doing -- I have no idea what.
IMO the task of finding the remaining hostages shoudl have been subordinated to removing Hamas. I get the hostages were a difficult political problem for the Israeli government. But that, of course, is exactly why Hamas took hostages in the first place.
Bottom line: If the Netanyahu government and the IDF has a plan to get Hamas out and end the war, it's not evident to me what that plan is.
Exactly right.
Treating Hamas as a legitimate and representative government has to be one of the stupidest things the press seems incapable of suppressing…
As when they refer to a Hamas “Health Ministry” as though there some parliamentary body it reports to.
Well, they're lucky in one respect... at least the "Health Ministry" doesn't have to report to RFK Jr.
I hope all the aid Greta bravely brought with her solves the hunger crisis in Gaza!
According to the IDF press release, it barely covered the hunger crisis on board the activists’ yacht!
"I told you to pack a sandwich. Now what are you going to do?"
:-)
I was reading a piece about a study on the very young whose parents/guardians do not limit their screen time, who spend all waking moments on their screens. Essentially, they're zombies. When separated from their screens for even a moment, their brains go haywire.
Dopamine is the Hot Science Chemical these days, seeing a lot of overuse in explanations for everything wrong with us collectively and individually. It’s probably not quite as well understood as the popular reporting makes it sound.
Still, addictive behaviors are about as stubborn as substance additions. One of the worst substance addictions we know of is sugar. It’s about as bad for us as alcohol, and the body processes it in the same way. It isn’t considered a bad substance because it releases dopamine and endorphins without causing alcoholic impairment.
Giving a baby its first bite of something sugary is such a wonderful experience for parents and other family: seeing those eyes light up with pure joy. We’ve all gone through it as infants, too, virtually without exception.
But sugar has the addiction profile of an opioid, while causing similar long-term liver damage. It just *feels* like something so wonderful and without obvious signs of outward impairment—how could it possibly be bad for us?
Like the dopamine hits from electronic gizmos, we struggle to understand the medium- to long-term damage lurking within. If we better understood sugary treats and smartphone interactions as similar to heroin hits, we’d probably do better at least at trying to limit children’s access.
You can have my Trader Joe's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream when you pry it loose from my....wait...I'm not willing to die for it, am I...(?)
Yikes. 😳 My 19 mo granddaughter gets 1/2 hr tv show some days. My 16 mo grandson gets zero. They’re doing better than I did as their mom 30 years ago. Disney movies were played a lot back then.
TV/movies/Disney would not be as good as non-screen activity, but at least there are storylines and/or somewhat longer term mental engagement and associated reasoning/cognitive activity. The current screen thing is 5-10 second videos...repetitive short term attention span destroying non-content engagement.
I'm not saying watching Disney movies is good, but it's hard to call them really bad. There were stories to engage with.
The short term video thing, otoh, is bad. Really bad.
The other thing about a Disney movie (or a David Attenborough documentary) is that, typically, the child often walks away from it (or falls asleep). One of the few good memories from the Covid lockdown is seeing six of my children (including a chronological adult or two) passed out dead-o in the living room with "Blue Planet" on.
Another one is Shannon lying on a sleeping bag next to Thor, who passed the time playing video games in the front room. Sometimes she would get up and pat him on the back to make sure he remembered a cat was there.
True.
Thanks, MG68. I'm grateful for every week that I see Jonathan Haidt's 'The Anxious Generation' still on the various bestsellers lists after 15 months.
The podcast had quite a few tidbits that supported Haidt’s campaign.
It should be required reading.
Good morning. Happy Monday to all! We're all doing the neighbor's pet care again for a few days. The idiot dog and the gray cat were happy to see me this morning.
Good morning. The new grandparents (my wife and I) are helping the new parents. The only really useful thing I can offer is walking the dog. He is accustomed to several miles a day. But we both enjoy it.
The neighbor's dog is elderly and goes a couple hundred yards. This morning he got to bark at another dog, which was fun for him but annoying because I was trying to pick up his plotz as he was trying to rush across the street and let a pit bull kill him.
Sometimes he tries to chase a squirrel or rabbit.
The scene with the neighbor dog reminds me of one of my favorite John Hiatt songs - "Dust Down A Country Road".
The lyrics tell a story of an old dog that "ain't much good for nothing, staring down the road." The dog is himself. He's reflecting that with his wife he had meaning, and with her gone is no better than a sorry old dog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxi30wfiXg4
Depending on how high-strung the dog is, that can be quite the useful thing!
In truth it is! The newborn (Ani) has been very easy, as these things go. She is, after one week, already a decent sleeper, nurses easily and doesn't cry much at all. It's only a minor assist to make meals and do a little laundry, and walk the dog. My worry is such as easy baby means the next one will double up on trouble!
Morning. That’s quite the Welcome Wagon!
If the dog was happy to see you, how much of an idiot could it be?
It needed to pee.
哈哈哈哈
You've been away from here for too long; you're laughing with a Chinese accent.
Btw: thought you’d be interested:
https://news.yale.edu/2025/05/30/yale-study-reveals-mating-tip-bird-species-you-should-be-dancing?utm_source=YaleToday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=YT_Yale%20Today%20Alum%20no%20Parents_6-9-2025
I think I have an article on the sage grouse.
So….not an idiot. I rest my case.