America, in all its sadness: Teachers forced to grab money for their under-funded schools while the crowd cheers.

Every student in America should go on strike.

I’m trying so hard to ween myself from social media. Mostly from Instagram. I do use Twitter but mostly for news consumption, but I do get enough news from RSS, so I could see Twitter going away before too long.

I once again removed Instagram from visibility in my iPhone. It’s there, but hidden. I have found some solace in hyper-focused Discord rooms (mechanical keyboard stuff) and that feels somewhat better.

Murder as grift, that’s a new one.

Today I built my first mechanical keyboard. In the travails of life, it’s so incredibly minor it hardly qualifies as worth mentioning. But I’m mentioning it because it means something to me.

As I’ve mentioned in the past I’ve had a thing for these old-fashioned keyboards. Well, I guess they’re not really old-fashioned since these are all new and literally didn’t exist even 5 years ago, but the fact I was was able to get one was because of the community surrounding this. Now, I know I’m a pretty privileged white male so there’s just a lot of abuse I’m not faced with or even am aware of because it just doesn’t happen to me I’d the (generally) other white males I know. But the little communities I’ve become a part of have made this whole experience just so much fun.

Almost involved in these communities all are much, much younger than I am and, greedily, I’m stealing their energy, enthusiasm, and sometimes their eccentricities. I’m stealing their silliness too.

I’m not into luxury goods. I don’t need fancy clothes, jewelry, or cars. I’m pretty happy with a movie at home or a library book. But I guess I do like some luxury goods after all. As long as I can assemble them myself.

When all is said and done, it’s America that’s guilty. #shame

Speaking of that opening scene in Wall*E, I watched that new Apple TV+ movie Finch and there were several scenes that reminded me of bits of Wall*E. There was a scene on the elevated highway and a scene about the storm (the first one) where sensors went off, etc. I’m sure there were other scenes, too.

Is 750,000 a lot?

I used to think that opening scene in Wall*E depicting all the junk in space was a bit of an over exaggeration, but between SpaceX’s internet satellites and now Amazon’s planned satellites, I’m thinking it was pretty prescient.

The other day I was going to write about libraries. They are my favorite place in the whole wide world. I think I was going to say something along the lines of not only would the idea of starting libraries today be laughed at if they did not already exist, the very idea libraries don’t ask you buy anything when you are there AND there is a movement to remove fines from libraries just makes them so incredibly special as an institution. That also got me thinking (I’m not sure how) about child labor. I guess I was thinking about ideas that would never pass now and so creating libraries most certainly wouldn’t happen and passing child labor laws now really feel like it wouldn’t happen.

Then I read about Wisconsin and child labor. In 2021. We are not just sliding to the right, we are making big, big leaps.

I try to stay positive, I swear. But reality… Oh, newspapers.

I just celebrated a pretty mundane birthday (not a big one or anything). But my family and friends made it so special (mostly my wife, but everyone went along) that it might be one of the best birthday weekends I’ve ever had. I am so incredibly grateful.

We are brainwashed, part 1

In fact, almost 9 out of 10 respondents surveyed said choosing their work device was of importance to them (87%) and they’d even be willing to sacrifice part of their salary (89%) to be empowered to choose their technology.

We are brainwashed, part 2

Some of the respondents even said they would be willing to take a pay cut of up to 50% to continue working from home. And, 70% of American workers would forfeit benefits to maintain remote working status, most commonly: health insurance, paid time off, retirement accounts, and more.

Or these articles are full of it.

We do love our children so, food edition.

Yes, America loves ALL the children everywhere.

We do love our children so. Part four hundred billion.

With each passing month of the pandemic, Lilley has grown increasingly concerned that COVID-19 is linked to a massive increase in new diagnoses of pediatric diabetes throughout Mississippi.

Whenever I hear something is too hard or “impossible” I remember we, collectively as an American society, had a car on the moon FIFTY YEARS AGO! Yeah, I know, it wasn’t a car with a radio and cup holders (or doors for that matter), but come on. We CAN do great things if we all work together.

I finally read a James Baldwin book: If Beale Street Could Talk. I had heard of James Baldwin much of my adult life but I had never read any of his books. I took a picture of this passage:

People make you pay for the way you look, which is also the way you think you look, and what time writes in a human face is the record of that collision.

I am glad I read this book.

Is 650,000 a lot?

We do love our children so.

The email said that “if an instructor is notified by a student that the student has covid-19, the instructor may not tell the class that someone has tested positive for covid-19.”

We are now entering the lawless phase of American Democracy.

We do love our children so.

Three schools in Vancouver, Washington were put under lockdown on Friday after a group of people protesting COVID mask mandates in schools attempted to come onto one of the campuses in the district.

Forgetting for a moment how fucked up the Texas abortion law is… How does Texas have all this money for bounty hunters? I bet schools, social programs, etc are wondering.

We took a trip to the MOMA today to see two exhibits. One was called Automania and the other was a wonderful collection of drawings by Cezanne. The car exhibit was much smaller than I would have liked, but the Cezanne exhibit was tremendous. In fact, it was overwhelming (but in a good way).

My wife rightfully remarked she was sad to see Manhattan so empty. I hope more folks get their shots and don’t get sick. But, to be honest, I feel almost no sympathy for folks with no excuses to be vaccinated who are in the hospital. Anyway, if you can, go see the Cezanne exhibit. It’s a heck of a showing.

We’re going to just go ahead and send all the kids who aren’t eligible for vaccines back to school, aren’t we? I have to imagine Oct will not look at good as now (and now doesn’t look so good).

It’s amazing Afghanistan is dominating the news while the worst health crisis is still destroying so many lives. It’s also amazing news outlets are not using banner headlines about deranged governors outlawing mandates to protect public health.

US news outlets are sad the war is ending and the GOP is trying to deny science.

Mississippi Quarantines 20,000 With 5,993 Students Positive For COVID; Teen Deaths Rise

No one should be surprised by this… we did nothing after Sandy Hook. Still, it’s upsetting.

The Tomorrow War was terrible. I’m giving everyone in it a pass because there’s a pandemic and everyone’s gotta eat. But mercy did it stink. And there’s talk of a sequel? (Faints in time travel)

We sure do love our children so. I have no idea why I read the news.

America is a cruel, cruel country.

The proposed MCPS policy says families that do not qualify for federal free and reduced-price meal programs but have a lunch debt of more than $35 would get “alternative meals” — usually a sandwich rather than a hot meal — until the debt is paid.

But we do love our children so.

🍔👩🏾‍🦱🖕 USDA announces free lunch for all of next school year (2021-2022). Yay! Wait a minute… We could have done this all along but chose not to? Death cult is gonna death cult. #politics

☠️☠️☠️ I took a three-hour walk today with a friend. I was gone for just three hours. I came home to rest and read the news (which is never, ever restful). I used to say things like “The NRA is a death cult” or “The GOP is a death cult.” But you know what? The more I think about it and realize we aren’t doing anything to really help one another, all I’m now able to see is America is a death cult.

Best pandemic hobby!

I said to my wife tonight, “The only woman I’d leave you for is Jen Psaki.” And she said, “Yeah, that’s fine.” I married, and would leave, the right woman.

👴🗒📰 I watched President Biden’s press conference today and I have never been more embarrassed watching our national press than I was today.

Our national press writes about whatever the GOP wants to make the main issue of the day. What a joke.

Is 550,000 a lot?

Congratulations to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. The best time to have her in this position was a long time ago, but the second best time was now. I’m so glad it happened. #Politics

⌨️⌨️⌨️ New clicky keyboard!

💉👩🏻👍🏻 I got my first vaccination today. It was run so efficiently I was out of there in under 25 min (with the 15 min reaction wait included). Well done folks!

👩🏻‍🦰💪❤️ My word is Jen Psaki awesome. Awesome isn’t even the right word. She’s a true professional and I honestly can’t think of any other press secretary as good as she is. Or one who even comes close. I am most impressed with her ability to not say “You are full of you know what and you know it.”

It was years ago when McCain picked, somehow, Palin to be his running mate I began to hear the phrase “lame stream media.” While Palin (and her ilk) didn’t mean it the same way, our main stream media is lame as hell.

Take The New York Times. They suck. I’ll leave it at that… but boy do they suck.

If I swoon any harder over Jen Psaki I’m gonna pull a muscle. Please keep kicking ass, Jen.

How anyone can see the GOP as anything other than a death cult is beyond me. Hasn’t this guy overseen enough death?

America.

We sure do love our children so. (Narrator: They do not love their children so.)

Is 450,000 a lot?

GOP lawmakers seek to end mask mandate, public health emergency. Looks like there’ll be cheap land in Wisconsin soon.

🇺🇸🏛🤦 Is two a lot?

🇺🇸🏴‍☠️🇺🇸 The start of a civil war doesn’t get a date until history looks back on it. I’m guessing it’ll be around Jan 6, 2021, though.

🖕🖕🖕 No Republican is dumping Trump because they’ve suddenly found a conscience. He’s dead weight, so they’re cutting him loose. They still think like him. He’s lied, they’ve lied.

Is he still, you know, president?

Using the American flag to beat the police who are trying to protect the Capitol building.

❤️📱❤️ I’ve been seeing a bunch of articles lately about how the iPhone 12 mini isn’t selling as well as the other iPhones. Likely that’s true. But everyone I know who owns one loooooooooves it. I don’t think the iPhone 12 mini will go away for a long while.

☠️☠️☠️ The GOP is a death cult.

Is 350,000 a lot?

First day of the new year and I’ve already stayed up too late.