Today I went to the library to hang out while the cleaners were at work. While I was there I remembered the wild weather forecast for the weekend, so I picked a puzzle as weather prep.
The exhibit in the library gallery, very appropriate for lunar new year was
Half oil paintings in Western style, half Chinese brush painting. I liked the brush painting more than the oils, not a fan of oils, and I loved the table with the artist's book and visitor signatures, to which I added mine.
I think I like the concept here better than the execution, but I'm glad she did it. The weird angles are to avoid the reflections.
Then I thought you'd like a surprise. While I was roasting potato dice to go with an egg, upscale Brit egg 'n chips, I did this
Would you look at that? Labeled cannellini beans, and in fact, vye-ola, cannellini beans. Now in containers in the freezer.
Meanwhile there's heartening news on the cute winter boots and sand front. Turns out E***n's Doggy website, flung together, is full of flaws and has been joyfully hacked with rude messages.
They're also finding that the third graders he's brought in can't read the gov website language, the old COBOL. Before their time and they're floundering. Can't find their way around the Treasury site.
Remember Y2K, when gov agencies all set up with COBOL since the ark, frantically recruited retirees to come back and help, same problem?
Here we seem to have user error sand.
Also, federal attorneys in New York Southern District are resigning rather than agree to withdraw charges against the corrupt ny Mayor Eric Adams (no relation!).
Danielle Sassoon, a T***p appointee in his first term, went first, it's always a brave woman, followed by others. Here's a great email from another civic hero
They are certified conservatives, right wingers, who still know business from law and follow the law.
Latest is an attempt to pressure other attorneys to sign. We'll see how that goes.
My own resistance step today, after I had a hilarious run-in with a charter boat company using the new name for that Gulf, which I think I won on points, was to ditch Goo*** as a search engine, and replace it with Duck duck go. No tracking, better information, and a fun option.
Happy day everyone, try to get a bit of fun out of the grimness, you may as well.
I’m shocked.
ReplyDeleteWho would ever expect to find cannellini beans in a can of cannellini beans!?!
What have we come to?
DeleteThere is some resistance, but there is quite an onslaught occurring.
ReplyDeleteThere's a huge resistance which is not being covered by the media. The people judges ordered reinstated have been, the web information judges ordered back up, is back up. The snitch lines are down, the DOGE site is inoperable. Some? I'd say a lot.
DeleteI like the artist's combo ink and watercolour pieces, especially the first one!
ReplyDeleteI agree they're more interesting. Seeing them in person, too, I got the subtleties that don't show in a picture.
DeleteIntegrity thy name is woman!
ReplyDeleteAin't it always a woman first?
DeleteCobol? COBOL? I love Cobol. Learned it in the '80s when storage was at premium, coded all the dates, with no "1980", only "80". Then in late '90s I jumped on the Y2K train. Yeah, love me some Cobol. I now live in my 'forever' home, the "house that Y2K bought". Good time, good times. Suck it DOGE. Thank you for such a fun and enlightening blog, Boud. Take care, Kris in Ohio
ReplyDeleteOoh, a real COBOL person in the house! Yay you, and you're welcome to the blog
DeleteI took COBOL in college on punch cards. We used to draw x's on the side of the stack to help reassemble if one were to drop the cards.
DeleteI'm afraid I'm finding it somewhat difficult to understand the resignations from the standpoint that I would think it would be better to say and fight than resign and walk away. I know I'm in Canada and obviously am not educated in the total issue at stake here and I'm sure there are more than valid reasons for the resignations but it seems to me it's defeating the purpose overall. I am happy to stand corrected however!
ReplyDeleteYay for the surprise of correct beans.
The choice was resign or be fired. Resigning with integrity and dignity intact was the clear choice.
DeleteAh - okay. Thank you for the clarification. I knew there had to be a good reason but couldn't see it.
DeleteI think they should have put pinto beans in those cans- mix it up a little. Life can get dreary and it's nice to have surprises now and then. Perhaps there should be a "Guess The Contents" brand for the really wild among us.
ReplyDeleteThat is such an excellent letter.
Very nice art display.
As long as the surprise is in the same food group. I think I'd be a bit challenged if chickpeas turned out to be sliced peaches!
DeleteThat would be for the truly adventuresome.
DeleteAlly with a face: 2300 people stood for democracy in the little town of Lörrach (Souther Germany). The beige one on the right-hand side just behind the guy in the blue-green jacket is yours truly (picture 24/86 here https://www.badische-zeitung.de/fotos-2300-teilnehmer-bei-kundgebung-demokratie-verteidigen-in-loerrach#34) And managed to vote for the first time in my 62-years long life (Germans residing abroad are usually barred from voting after 25 years of absence). Yay us!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Switzerland
a
Go you, and thank you.
DeleteThe most terrifying news that the firing of everyone in charge of security of our nuclear arsenal. I guess they are now begging them to come back. But it's all relative. If your last chance was a trial with a new cancer drug (cancelled) or a FEMA payment to fix your devasted home or the cut to food stamps so you can't feed your children, or the loss of your job due to tariffs on factory parts - It's all devasting.
ReplyDeleteThe firings have been rescinded. But yes, other tragedies can't be fixed.
DeleteLots of brave people seem to be standing up to T***p and his idiots.
ReplyDeleteYes, despite lack of mainstream coverage, it's happening.
DeleteI have been so happy to hear about any resistance. Many protests in cities all over, too, but the media doesn't seem to cover them much. Most of the media has been taken over, too, of course. Hurray for correct labels! :)
ReplyDeleteMainstream media, msm, is largely owned by a handful of white male oligarchs who pushed T into office. So they're not covering his failures and blunders and defeats. But we who know what's up need to spread the good news.
DeleteOf course my favorite is the horse! I do really like it. So glad cannellini beans ARE cannellini beans.
ReplyDeleteNo surprise on the horse! The beans, maybe.
DeleteRe you comment reply I do wonder whether said oligarchs care about T's blunders but chose this to make money out of the disruption and uncertainty that his administration generates. Someone always profits from the Boss and misery experienced by the honest ordinary mainstream in times of war and civil upheaval.
ReplyDeleteThey're most probably concerned with amassing wealth and power at all costs. There's profit in chaos and misery.
DeletePlease correct my post before posting. I’m pretty sure it said can instead of can’t.
ReplyDeleteThen delete this one lol thanks
Not possible to edit any words but mine, then I went and deleted the wrong comment, arghgh. The gist: nice that the beans said what they meant, too bad people can't do that more.
DeleteMEGA (or MAGA?) cute winter boots
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/20/americans-government-taxes
Food for thought with greetings from Switzerland
a (who is seriousl thinking of paying her taxes in person and in 5 cent pieces)
I remember people during the Vietnam war deliberately keeping their income below the taxable threshold in order to legally evade paying for the war.
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