Day 19 of 366 Crazy introspection

There are times when I wonder how much damage parents inflict on their children. Think about Trump Or DeSantis for a minute, as repulsive as it is. There hasn’t been a day thus far in 2024 when the majority of the media coverage hasn’t focused on Trump and his antics.

They were children once. What kind of childhood did they have that created them to be ruthless and vindictive? Can we really place all the blame on their parents? I’m not sure. But then I wonder what really influenced them to become these flawed creatures.

Look at DeSantis for a moment, was he so badly damaged by reading books that he wants every book he dislikes banned. If you don’t want to read a book, then don’t. Books invite discussions and those discussions help us look at issues that concern us or make us aware of things that we may not have known. Irrational fears if a child reads a book, they’ll become a lesbian or gay or even transgender are ludicrous.

Jane K. Cleland in an article in Writer’s Digest about Thematic Writing that all writing has themes when done well. Her example of an epigraph that made me chuckle was “the Godfather by Mario Puzo where the theme focuses on dueling dichotomies, crime and justice and loyalty and betrayal. The epigraph reads, “Behind every good fortune, there is a crime.” Unfortunately, many of our wealthy personas have taken that to heart.

Could that epigraph also apply to Trump or DeSantis with a slight word change, “Behind every politician lies a criminal.” However, in all fairness that epigraph could apply to any one of our politicians right now in Congress, even our local governments. That thought is repulsive but unfortunately true. It saddens me immensely that our culture is attracted to criminals and their fifteen minutes of fame.

The more repulsive things Trump Or DeSantis say and do the higher the polls rise for the Republican Party. Which is terrifying to me because so much has changed in our country and I’m not convinced it’s for the best. I realize our country needs to make changes that our forefathers couldn’t have possibly anticipated but looking at all the candidates at this time I can’t help but wonder how much this country can endure with any of them at the realm.

I find myself wondering how much crazier things are going to get.

Virgin Air’s Flight VS127 was prevented from taking off on 15 January after a passenger saw that the tops of four fasteners were missing on a panel on one of the wings. It was cancelled in order to allow engineers to carry out an additional inspection of the aircraft. However, a Virgin Air representative said in an interview that ,”Each of the wing panels on an Airbus A330 has 119 fasteners, so the fact that only four were missing did not impact “the structural integrity or load capability of the wing, and the aircraft was safe to operate.” (1)

I don’t know about you, but flying is looking less and less appealing to me. Airlines have been accumulating profits, but I think it’s long overdue since they’ve invested in maintenance.

The death toll from the polar vortex is still rising with today’s number at fifty. Sixty-six million people are affected by winter weather alerts. (2)

Las Vegas doesn’t have snow but it’s going to have different issues. The Super Bowl is here and along with that comes insanity for the residents. (3) It’s already challenging to drive here because there aren’t any bypasses like Philadelphia or Washington DC. so if you’re going to a location on the other side of the strip, you’re stuck in traffic. Most of us haven’t forgotten how difficult it was to get to different locations off the strip when the Formula One race was here. Many businesses were financially impacted from the road closures and disruptions and the Super Bowl is going to repeat a lot of that chaos.

The Financial Economics versus the residential needs on paper look ideal because the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVIII is set to take place in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024. “Held at the state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium, this is an opportunity for the city to showcase its world-class facilities and attractions to a global audience,” says Andrew Gosselin of Money Inc.

Reality check Allegiant Stadium may be state of the art but the seating costs to attend a game or a concert for a local is astronomical. According to TicketIQ, the Raiders have the most expensive tickets of any NFL team for the upcoming season based on the average list price on the secondary market. It’s the third consecutive year this has been the case. Las Vegas has an average price of $1,035 per game. I don’t know about you but a thousand dollars buys a lot of groceries. I told you crazy knows no boundaries.

“As the city prepares to host one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee is working diligently to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Their primary objective is to create a memorable experience for visitors while leveraging the benefits of the massive influx of fans,”. says Gosselin (4)

(1) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12982309/virgin-atlantic-flight-stopped-noticed-missing-bolts-wing.html

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/more-than-50-dead-66-million-under-winter-weather-alerts-as-arctic-cold-blankets-the-nation

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/skies-airport-runways-will-be-packed-for-super-bowl-week-in-las-vegas

(4) https://moneyinc.com/what-is-the-economic-impact-of-the-super-bowl-in-las-vegas/

Day 18 of 366 surrounded by crazy

I have a migraine nerve block appointment which involves a series of injections surrounding my occipital nerve region. ( It’s located on your back left side of your skull just above where your neck connects.) So, I say to the physician’s assistant, can we go a bit lower with the injections because my neck is very inflamed . Her response was the insurance covers specific areas. I look at her and say there’s not anyone in this room but you and I, how would they know your injecting me lower than usual. Her response was she would know. GRRRR!!

So right now, my migraine is numb, but my neck is so knotted and in pain it’s undermining where I did have the injections. It’s frustrating especially when she tells me the earliest, I can have an injection to my neck is a month because of lidocaine toxicity. Doctors monitor the doses closely to prevent brain or heart issues. Which brings me back to migraines. If this toxicity is a problem, why have I had nerve blocks for 13 years monthly without anyone saying they need to be cautious?

And why has there not been other options available offered to me?

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.” —Proverb

Looking at the other craziness of the day, we have more than 100,000,000 people on high alert as Polar Vortex grips the U.S. Since this cold snap begun 43 people have died.

Buffalo looks especially scary to me with the playoff game happening there this weekend. People at the game in Kansas City suffered frost bite from the cold weather. Will Buffalo have better conditions come game time.

A plane from American Airlines slid off the runway upon landing at an airport in New York. The aircraft exited the taxiway while in transit to the terminal due to snowy airfield conditions” and veered into the grass. Those passengers must have freaked out seeing that. I know I did when I was flying on American Airlines coming into Logan Airport back in 2003. We slid off the runway too! I was scared! And then having to depart the plane on the metal stairs and riding the bus back to the terminal. Whenever I fly, I remember that flight. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I look at every airline’s website, check the prices before I look at American Airlines.

Out in my neck of the woods- Snow in the Rocky Mountains this week has brought some hope for another wet winter to feed the Colorado River. When that snow melts it flows down tributaries of the Colorado River, through dams along the way and eventually into Lake Powell. From there, water is released down the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead. We need another record accumulation of snow to overcome the megadrought that began in the year 2000. which reduced the amount of water in the entire Colorado River Basin. The climate experts expect that trend to continue — despite last year’s above-average snowpack. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projections released on Tuesday indicated an expected drop at Lake Mead for the next two years.

Unfortunately, in the Middle East, Pakistan retaliates with strikes inside Iran as tensions spill over. “Iranian state media reported that at least nine people, including three women and four children, were killed in the strikes, while Pakistani officials cited the deaths of “a number of terrorists. The Pakistani attacks, carried out with “drones, rockets, loitering munitions and standoff weapons,” were launched in response to Iranian strikes inside Pakistan on Tuesday that killed two children, according to Pakistani officials.” (1)

Violence between Iran and Pakistan and Israel and the Gaza Strip on the surface seem separate but they both targeted militant groups that primarily pose local challenges. Pakistan has maintained the Tehran has turned a blind eye to militants operating in Iran. Iran accuses Pakistan of seeking Israeli assistance. Thankfully neither country is hostile to each other yet. But if the strikes continue that will change.

Ali Harb and Brian Osgood wrote,” Netanyahu says that Israel must “maintain security control over all territory west of the Jordan River”, despite US talk of “working toward a two-state solution”. (2) Change has to happen before they destroy each other completely.

Today, I finished the F-16 Fighting Falcon. All that’s left is my doctor’s airplane and then the quilting begins. I’m excited it’s gone together so easily. I’m looking forward to giving it to my doctor. 

I’ve made four wall-hangings this past year. (Two Halloween and Two Christmas)

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” —Anonymous

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pakistan-fires-retaliatory-strikes-at-iran-raising-fears-of-new-conflict

(2) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/18/israels-war-on-gaza-live-medicine-arrives-for-captives-palestinians

Day 16 and 17 of 366

2024 thus far has not lacked for craziness. We’ve had three major winter storms that have caused havoc on our lives and in some instances taken lives. We’ve had earthquakes, avalanches, flooding, and tornados just in the month of January. There’s eleven more months ahead of us, I don’t about you but I’m hesitant to look ahead. There’s some peace of mind in not knowing everything. “Being crazy isn’t enough.” ―  Dr. Seuss

Sadly, Iowa caucuses were predictable. I know I shouldn’t put this out in the universe but I’m going to anyway because it’s how I really feel. I want to know where an assassin is when we really need one. The media circus we’re experiencing isn’t to go away until Trump is dead, and clearly all the McDonald’s he consumes isn’t happening fast enough.

Better Homes and Gardens reported “Last year, the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicted that prices would increase over 5.8 percent, In January, at-home food prices were 11.3 percent higher than they were at the same time in 2022.” Just what we all wanted to know that in addition to the high fuel costs our food is going up even more so, In 2024, prices are still set to increase, but thankfully at a slower rate. “The ERS predicts a 2.9 percent increase in food prices overall, and only a 1.9 percent increase for at-home food prices. Food away from home, or food purchased at restaurants or for takeout, are set to increase by 4.3 percent.” (1)

Beef, pork and dairy are a given with the recent drought conditions. Plus, you factor the reduced growth rate, it’s no wonder the prices are higher. Supply and demand 101. We have less livestock to consume so naturally a higher price. Thankfully, egg prices are going down again after all the chickens were destroyed with the bird flu epidemic. Fish and seafood are high but there’s no indication of an increase or a reduction reflected in the numbers. We’re going to have change our food consumption to survive.

I believe more and more families will be reducing the amount and type of food they serve to cover medical and heating expenses for their families. In the old days, a huge dinner meal was served and the left-overs were served as breakfast. There wasn’t cereal, Poptarts, or pastries as we enjoy today. Nor did the majority of people eat lunch back then. They made it work. We may have too!

The West Coast is really wet and it’s going to continue through the weekend. The rain doesn’t look like it’s subsiding. Hopefully, the higher elevations get the snow. Lake Mead needs a lot of snow to recover from its 20-year drought than what we had in the winter of 2023.

And the mid-west is freezing, and electric car owners are discovering batteries don’t like the cold. The batteries take longer to charge, and the driving distance is reduced. Electric car owners don’t have access to charging stations to meet the demand of these kind of conditions. And it looks like Thursday night, more frigid weather and snow is going across the United States.

I wonder sometimes if Mother Nature is tired of our abusing the planet, and this is our payback for not taking climate changes seriously. If you’re not concerned read the information Deep Vakil and Scott Di Savino brought to our attention more reasons to be concerned about this winter season.

“US natural gas demand hits record high amid severe cold snap,” says, Deep Kaushik Vakil and Scott Di Savino. Their article shows what U.S. homes and businesses used Tuesday. It was a record amount of natural gas because the demand for the fuel for heating and power generation soared during rhe Arctic blast. The Artic Blast cut gas output to near a 13-month low by freezing wells.

“U.S. gas demand jumped to a preliminary 167.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) on Tuesday, the financial firm LSEG said. “That would top the previous all-time high of 162.5 bcfd set in December 2022 during Winter Storm Elliott, according to federal energy data from S&P Global Commodities Insights.”

“Meanwhile, U.S. gas output dropped by 17.0 bcfd from Jan. 8-16 to 90.6 bcfd on Tuesday, its lowest since December 2022, according to LSEG, due primarily to freeze-offs, which occur when wells, pipes and other equipment freezes. One billion cubic feet of gas is enough to fuel about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.”

(Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru and Scott Di Savino in New York; Editing by Paul Simao) (2)

Freezing temperatures can do a lot of damage in businesses, and in our homes which will also drive the costs up for the necessary repairs that follow. I know from my own experience what broken water lines can cost and how long we waited until a plumber could come to make the repairs because we weren’t the only household with broken lines.

China has joined US with the odd weather. Evacuation underway for stranded tourists after avalanches trap 1,000 people in China. Rescuers evacuated tourists on Tuesday from a remote skiing area in northwestern China where dozens of avalanches triggered by heavy snow.

My deepest sympathy to the Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic’s family and team. He died at the age of 46 after he fell ill during a meal at the team’s hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. Golden State Warriors are a San Francisco based team.

My deepest sympathy also to the family of Ryan Pemberton. He was a long time crew chief in Nascar. “Ryan Pemberton was instrumental to JR Motorsports’ success during the decade he spent with us,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JRM’s CEO. “He had such a passion for competition and, as a leader, knew how to motivate everyone he worked with. He will always be part of the JRM family. Our hearts go out to his wife Andrea and daughters Payton and Britton during this tremendously difficult time.”

Pemberton was joined by his siblings in motorsports.  Each brother carved careers in Nascar.  His older brother Robin was a veteran Cup Series crew chief who later served as NASCAR Vice President of Competition. Currently, he serves on an INDYCAR appeals board panel whose job is to hear all appeals. Former NASCAR official John Darby also serves as an INDYCAR board member.

Randy Pemberton, who died in 2022 at age 62, was a popular broadcaster as a pit reporter and studio host. the New York native was best known as the voice of Inside Winston Cup Racing on TNN and for his Winston Cup Hotline in the 1990s.

His younger brother Roman Pemberton has worked as a spotter in various NASCAR national circuits but does appear to have gotten into several awkward situations.

I’ve been a Nascar fan for many years, so I’ve seen the Pemberton brothers in action. Ryan will be deeply missed.

The quilt is coming together nicely, I just finished the F-16 Fighting Falcon. It’s an American single-engine supersonic fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the US Airforce. Its design gave it air superiority as a day fighter, and it evolved into a successful all-weather multi-role aircraft. The F 16 is all gray. All that remains to be done is the Doctor’s own plane. Then I can complete the attic window assembly and machine quilt it with small and large stars.

If you’re coming to Las Vegas, giving you a heads up. “Standing or stopping is now banned on pedestrian bridges on the Las Vegas Strip where visitors often pause to take photos amid the glittery casino lights or to watch street performers. Violators of the ordinance that took effect Tuesday could face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.”- L.A. Times (3) I’m not sure what is to be gained here by such restrictive bans. And who is going to monitor the pedestrian bridges, it’s already a nightmare to get law enforcement for a real safety issue.

I’m going to leave you today with this quote by Emilie Autumn

“Some are born mad, some achieve madness, and some have madness thrust upon ’em.”

I’m going for madness thrust upon me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

(1) https://www.bhg.com/more-expensive-less-expensive-groceries-2024

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-natural-gas-demand-hits-record-high-amid-severe-cold-snap

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/think-twice-before-snapping-a-photo-on-a-las-vegas-strip-pedestrian-bridge-or-risk-jail-time

DAY 14 and 15 of 366 and the craziness keeps happening.

Looking at the headlines: Crazy is the new norm. I know without a doubt that no matter what is happening in my life, some one has it worse.

Airlines scrap thousands of flights as wintry weather disrupts travel. More Than 3,700 Flight Delays and Cancellations Monday as Arctic Blast Lingers. Dangerously low temperatures are affecting more of the country than not. This year will definitely be a year people will discuss in the future because of the different storms and the horrendous damage that followed. (1)

I remember the heavy accumulations of the winter of 1977 vividly because I couldn’t see out the first-floor windows of my home in Maine until April. It was like living in a cave. Unfortunately, window casings aren’t designed to be buried in snow, so we had a lot of water damage as the snow melted and froze again. The crazy ice storm the winter of 1998, schools, and businesses were closed for over a week because of the power outages. Our home didn’t have power for 3 weeks. Thankfully, we kept water stocked up in case our water lines froze. They didn’t this time because of the woodstove but water pumps require electricity, and the ice broke a lot of lines. We were more fortunate than some because we emptied our freezer and refrigerator and put everything in the majority of the coolers outside. (We camped a lot over the years, so we had quite a few coolers on hand.) One we kept inside for milk, eggs and butter which we added ice chunks to from outside. We heated our home with wood, so that stove became a cooking area as well as the gas grill in the shed. We melted snow for the toilet. We improvised as much as possible to get by. I’ve never forgotten either of those winters. They were definitely survival testaments.

In Iceland, long-dormant volcano erupts, streets on fire. ”Grindavik is a town of 3,800 people about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. The community was previously evacuated in November following a series of earthquakes that opened large cracks in the earth between the town and Sýlingarfell, a small mountain to the north, ” according to Marco DiMarco a reporter for USA Today. The volcano’s seismic activity has increased sharply over the past day and another eruption has occurred. There were two eruptions in December and once it was safe emergency workers begun creating defensive walls to divert the lava but time ran out before they were completed. I can’t imagine seeing the lava flow knowing there is nothing you can do to prevent it.

Attorney Joe Tacopina withdraws from Trump’s legal team. The motivation behind Tacopina’s departure remains unclear. He confirmed to The Hill he was withdrawing from Trump’s cases but declined further comment. (3) ”A former Brooklyn prosecutor, Tacopina gained a reputation for cultivating high-profile clients long before he added Trump to his list. Over the years, Tacopina has represented celebrities like Michael Jackson, A-Rod, Meek Mill and Don Imus. He is also representing A$AP Rocky as he defends against two criminal assault counts, to which the rapper pleaded not guilty earlier this month.” Do lawyers have consciences? I’m looking at the cases this man has represented and wonder if at the end of the day was the money really worth it to represent these celebrity characters. The craziness of the whole Trump situation unfortunately isn’t a 2024 event, it’s been happening since the 2016 election and the insanity just keeps escalating.

One killed, 17 injured in twin attacks in Israeli city of Raanana. Why? It’s been one of the world’s longest-continuing conflicts. Key areas of the conflict include the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security and water rights, as well as Palestinian freedom of movement and the Palestinian right of return. It’s been over 100 days since Hamas launched an air, sea and land assault. According to The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the territory since it began keeping records in 2005.

Over the past 100 days, Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground assault of Gaza has killed nearly 24,000 – roughly one percent of the besieged strip’s population of 2.3 million. Nearly 2 million displaced, thousands of homes destroyed and — 10,000 of them children.  (23,469 Palestinian and 1,200 Israeli) It’s appalling to me that we’re keeping track of deaths. Why can’t a peaceable agreement be achieved? Why is violence the first approach? (4)

(WASHINGTON) — A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning, when President Biden and his family were at Camp David. There’s been so many fake reports lately, I feel bad for the police, fireman, and first responders. The insanity of 2024 has to end..

My embroidery project is down to the last two sixteen inch squares. I’ve completed two sixteen inch squares with these planes: Kittyhawk, Spirit of St. Louis, Curtis Jenny, Fokker DR-1, P-51 Mustang, B-17, B-29, and the F-14 Tomcat. The square I’m working on presently has the 117-Nighthawk, Bell UH-1, Bell-X1 and the F-16 Falcon. Each of the planes is 7 inches by 7 inches inside the square. The final square only has a 10 inch images of this plane The Sikorsky S-42. I am looking at some other images to add to the final square so I have a balanced presentation. The Nighthawk is the first plane that the military require to be completely black in color. It was also called the Stealth fighter.

Each of the squares will be cut into smaller blocks and then surrounded with borders of navy, gray and black in the attic window design.

I asked my doctor which he prefers surgery or flying. I chuckled because he said both. Surgery pays for his love of flying.

 “Any idiot can get an airplane off the ground, but an aviator earns his keep by bringing it back anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances that man and God can dream up.” Walter Cunningham, 

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/over-11-000-us-flights-were-affected-monday-by-severe-winter-storms

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/really-nothing-else-we-can-do-new-volcano-eruption-in-iceland-sends-lava-flowing-toward-homes

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-lawyer-joe-tacopina-withdraws-from-ex-president-s-cases/

(4) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/one-killed-17-injured-in-twin-attacks-in-israeli-city-of-raanana

(5) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fake-911-report-of-fire-at-the-white-house-triggers-emergency-response

Day 13 Another day, another list of crazy

Oklahoma City had an earthquake Friday night the 4.3-magnitude quake. The Saturday morning earthquake. with a 4.1 magnitude Saturday morning. State seismologist Jake Walter told USA TODAY the area has recorded about 18 earthquakes in a 12-hour span.  Friday night the 4.3-magnitude quake had an epicenter about a mile away from the Saturday morning earthquake.

The Midwest has freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions. Governors from New York to Louisiana have declared it an emergency, with harsh conditions expected in St Louis. Experts with National Weather Service have issued warnings about “life-threatening” cold. temperatures.

Yet, the wildcard game is still happening in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Miami. The dangerously cold’ Chiefs-Dolphins game could be one for the NFL history books. WHY????

Go Miami! Yup, a Dolphin fan since Larry Csonka played. Yup, I’m dating myself here.

Why is the NFL subjecting the players and the diehard fans to such extreme conditions?

Is anyone familiar with the author Octavia Butler and the book Parable of the Sower? I highly recommend reading it. In case, you don’t know Octavia Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction writer and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards.  Her story written in 1993 depicts a future America ravaged by ecological collapse and civil unrest.  Sound familiar, Butler indicated that the issues faced by the characters in “Parable” and by the United States today in 2024 were inevitable. (1) I’ve just finished reading the book, I bought it during Covid when it was on the NYTimes best sellers list, twenty-seven years after it was written but unfortunately my book hoarding got out of hand, and it was shuffled down in my stack to read. After reading the book, and then seeing George Bass’s article in the Washington Post I’m inclined to agree with him. Dystopian fantasies are beginning to look, like everyday life these days.

 Butler saw our tendences of enforcing hierarchy through abuses of power as the root weakness of humanity. If you’re watching the political circus going on around us her words ring true.

Let’s all send positive energy into the universe for these two U.S. Navy SEALs who are missing off the coast of Somalia after having fallen into the water during a nighttime boarding mission on Thursday, according to two U.S. officials. It’s a dangerous hotspot to be missing. I remember when my son served in the Navy, and his ship was in dangerous places how hard it is to simply wait to get an email. My heart goes out to these families. (2)

My Wiccan spirit asks we send positive energy in the universe so that the non-stop violence around the world ends and we remember that we’re all family on this planet called earth before we destroy it. How crazy is that? One family…one planet.

My embroidery project update: I have completed the B-17 and the B-29 today. I’m still in my nightgown and I’ve been vegging in the recliner sewing. I didn’t sleep well last night, though I thought I would after being so emotionally drained. Instead, I watched my cats playing and read about the B17 and the B29. I’ve been learning about each of the planes, what their color schemes were so my creative endeavor is as authentic as I can stitch it for my doctor.

Both of these planes are Boeing aircraft, a generation apart. Both were considered flying fortresses. The B29 was designed to operate faster at higher attitudes with heavier bomb loads. The B-29 was primarily used in the Pacific theater in WWII whereas the B-17 was used primarily in the European theater of WWII. Theater is an interesting word in this commentary, don’t you agree? Why would anyone refer to any area of the war as a theater but that’s the wording used. I looked it up, “In warfare, a theater of theatre is an area in which important military events occur or are in progress. It may include airspace, land space or sea areas.” (3)

It changes the feeling when going to a show for me. Maybe it should have changed Lincoln’s desire that night to attend the theater and history might have had a different outcome for African Americans sooner than it did.

“Ignorance grows. All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.” Octavia Butler

(1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/01/13/octavia-butler-2024-parable-sower/

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/two-navy-seals-are-missing-after-thursday-night-mission-off-coast-of-somalia/ar-AA1mVkZ1

(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_(warfare)#:~:text=In%20warfare%2C%20a%20theater%20or,become%20involved%20in%20war%20operation

Day 12 of 366 crazy feels empty

Today, was Jerry Lopez’s funeral. He was only thirty-nine years old. He was a devoted husband. He was a father of seven children. Jerry and Karen could only have one child, Anthony so they adopted six other children. Children that by no fault of their own needed a home and these two lovely people.

Their lives seemed like it was too good to be true. But unfortunately, that’s not how life goes. Jerry was in the wrong place, and the wrong moment. He was on his way to work when he crossed paths with Justin Davidson and in that moment his life ended. (1) (2)

I wasn’t going to blog today, but I decided I needed this more, and then I realized. I can’t imagine the fear she felt approaching a mass of people at the scene as she looked for her husband. The way her heart raced as she searched thinking her husband was one of the witnesses.

I listened to the Pastors talking about how important it is to forgive, to love everyone and rejoice that Jerry’s in heaven now. But all I could do was stare at them … their lips were moving but the words weren’t making sense. I’m not ready to accept Jerry is in a better place. I see his children without their father. I see his wife without her husband. I see his family without their son, their brother. For what??

I’m not hearing the answers… I’m not feeling the answers…

James 1:19-20 English Standard Version 2016 ”Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” This was Jerry’s motto .. he believed and he lived it. He will never be forgotten..

Then I see the headlines about the buffoon and I’m angry again that someone as worthless, and self-centered is alive. I want to scream! (3) This man who has taken so much won’t be missed like Jerry is. When his obituary is announced, will anyone really cry.

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” ―  Mitch Albom

1) https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/officer-involved-shooting-reported-in-southwest-las-vegas-valley/

(2) https://people.com/dad-of-7-killed-in-las-vegas-carjacking-8420909

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/breaking-trump-ordered-to-pay-the-new-york-times-hundreds-of-thousands-over-frivolous-lawsuit/ar-AA1

Thank you for allowing me to voice my frustration..

Day 11 Crazy, how all the Trump supporters are engaging in violence

Bomb squad called to Trump judge Arthur Engoron’s  house hours before end of the fraud trial. “What has happened here is a fraud on me,” Trump angrily told the judge. “This is a political witch hunt, and that should be set aside. We should receive damages for what we went through.” (1) At this point, it’s unclear when the verdict will be delivered by Engoron. “The former president raged about Engoron’s decision on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, claiming that the “Trump hating judge” was working alongside James to “‘screw me,’ even though I have done nothing wrong.” Kaitlin Lewis posted in Newsweek. “The lawsuit as we know it, was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who claims that Trump inflated his net value to deceive insurers and banks to receive better loan deals. James’ original lawsuit, which was seeking $250 million but has since been bumped up to $370 million in penalties, was already partially agreed to by Engoron, who found that Trump misstated his value on financial documents.” (2) But, I’m sure Engoron is not amused having his home invaded at 5:30 am in Nassau County on Long Island. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first-time unusual occurrences have happened since Trump has been on trial. Engoron’s staff has been subjected vitriolic criticism and bombarded with death threats. This scenario seems to follow Trump and his cronies. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Hopefully, no one will be hurt before the buffoons committing these atrocities are convicted.

Accuweather says Pacific storms are clashing with Arctic air in the Northwest which will bring more snow to the Rockies. We had a dusting in Las Vegas today but not enough to linger. Snow is needed desperately to replenish the Colorado River, but the Colorado’s snowpack could use some help from those storms. Data out today, (January 2, 2024) shows snow totals well below what’s considered normal. (3)

It’s hard to believe five years have passed since Covid became a house-hold word. There have been numerous variants and unfortunately there’s another one JN 1. It’s already accounted for 62 percent of the new reported cases in 2024. The CDC wants us to remember covid activity is high because of the cold temperatures and people are in close contact.

I’m working on the P-51 Mustang still. I didn’t have as much sewing time yesterday. Wednesday afternoons, I have a zoom meeting with the writing group I used to attend in person. Now, we’re scattered and only meet online. I’ve been reading posts from the in-person writing group here in Las Vegas called Sin-City Writers. They meet on Tuesday night and Saturday mornings. Tuesday wouldn’t work because that’s the only night our family can have dinner together with our crazy schedules. Quality time is so important.

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bomb-squad-called-to-trump-judge-s-house-hours-before-end-of-fraud-tria

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-engoron-s-courtroom-joke-turns-heads

(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aThQxreEXs

Day 10 of 366 Craziness and Political Grand storming, so fed up with our government

I’ll begin with the weather for a moment with 49 states with weather alerts for Finn. And now it looks like Gerri will be following suit in areas that haven’t recovered from the predecessor. My question is how many times does history have to repeat itself before we create methods to reduce the flooding and tornado damage. I know many low-income families reside in mobile homes but why aren’t the manufacturers required to make them safer during tornadoes. The construction trade has to change and stop cutting corners to reduce cost. If a tornado came thru Las Vegas, these houses would be destroyed because they are not built with plywood walls, they are stryofoam covered with stucco.

Stucco is a cement-type mixture made of Portland cement, lime, sand and water. It is a thin finish coat that goes on the outermost layer of residential and commercial constructions. Modern stucco has polymers and other agents for increased flexibility that improves its resilience but is it enough to withstand tornado or hurricane force winds. I’m not convinced because I’ve hit the wall on our house by accident trying to hang Christmas lights and it broke into pieces exposing the styrofoam underneath.

Let’s talk about the political grandstanding with the Biden impeachment hearings. The Republicans wanted to cite Hunter Biden for contempt because he declined to do behind closed door interrogations. Apparently, the democratic party wanted to know why the Republicans refused to do it publicly. I want to know also why these discussions have to be behind closed doors. Are the people involved afraid to let their constituents see them in action?

Every one of these congressmen and congresswomen and representatives are public employees but they seem to forget that fact. Why are we paying their salaries to behave like buffoons. Tit for tat? Seriously, they all need reality checks.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to be leading the witch hunt on President Biden.

“Hunter Biden was and is a private citizen. Despite this, Republicans have sought to use him as a surrogate to attack his father,” Lowell said.

Lowell accused Republicans of caring “little about the truth” and trying to “hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions.”

“I am here to testify at a public hearing, today, to answer any of the committees’ legitimate questions,” Hunter Biden said. “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say. What are they afraid of? I am here.” (1)

I’m so over our tax money being wasted for this tit for tat behavior. We unfortunately allowed a reality star idiot to become president and now we’re the reality show to the world. If they have grounds to indite Biden show it now as Jared Moskowitz insisted, they do so. Chairman James Comer said, “We think, we do.” Again, they volleyed back and forth wasting valuable time and resources, that comes out of the American people’s wallet.

Biden may or may not have been involved in his son’s business dealings. Nine other Presidents have also faced misconduct charges and not removed from office. “Republicans say their inquiry is ultimately focused on the president, they have taken particular interest in Hunter Biden and his overseas business dealings, questioning whether the president profited from that work. We didn’t bat an eye about Cheney’s involvement with Haliburton, did we?

Nor do we seem to want to convict the buffoon reality star, who has numerous charges pending but still is actively campaigning for presidency which he has blatantly said, he will be the dictator because the laws and the constitution do not apply to him. Lawyers for Trump made the legal argument Tuesday — in a real courtroom, before actual US judges — that a president could order the military to assassinate his political rival and not be prosecuted for it as long as Congress was cool with it. (2)

If you looked into the Bureau of Prisons, the largest stockholders in the prison system are senators. They make profits on the supplies needed to run the prisons in addition to other secret dealings. I would love to see every single financial dealing as public record before anything goes forward with this finger pointing at Biden. Especially since, it recently became public record how much Trump’s businesses profited from foreign countries while in office.

Let’s get real, we’ve lowered ourselves into being witch hunters.

Remember, “John 8:7-11 King James Version (KJV)So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again, he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.”

Although in our present-day situations, we don’t practice actual stone-throwing in our courts of law, the image still resonates. “Because lobbing anything in judgment of another is happening all the time. It’s a painful visual, even today, to hurl your anger at someone with an object intended to harm. And that object can be insults, lies, accusations, or any number of hard options, “says Lia Martin (3)

Today’s embroidery block for the quilt is the P 51- Mustang. It was among the best and most known Army fighters uses during WWII. The only plane I was familiar with was the Marines Vought F4U that the Flying Tigers used to score aerial victories. There used to be a series, I loved about the Flying Tigers specifically the Black Sheep Squadron led by “Pappy” Gregory Boyington. The show was based on Boyington’s autobiography Baa Baa Black Sheep. That show and his biography spiked my interest in military history which has evolved over time to also include the Civil War and WWI.

Boyington is best known for his exploits in the Vought F4U Corsair. .Boyington died of cancer on January 11th, 1988 at hospice in Fresno, California. He was laid to rest in Arlington with full military honors. (5)

There was a study done to determine which plane was more effective. U.S. Army Force pilots who flew the P51 Mustang said it was the best performing fighter of World War Two. Many might agree. Many, but not all the branches of the military agreed., Navy and Marine Corps aviators who flew the Vought F4U would argue that the Corsair, hands down, holds the title as best fighter of the Second World War.

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hunter-biden-makes-surprise-appearance-at-contempt-of-congress-hearing/ar-AA1mKarV

(2) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-law-professor-grades-the-legal-argument-trump-s-lawyer-just-made-about-presidential-immunity-

(3) https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-jesus-meant-when-he-said-let-he-who-is-without-sin-cast-the-first-stone.html

(4) https://militaryhistorynow.com/2021/10/03/mustang-vs-corsair-inside-the-u-s-navys-1944-match-up-between-the-two-fighters/

(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappy_Boyington#:~:text=Boyington%20is%20best%20known%20for,F4U%20Corsair%20in%20VMF%2D214.

Day 9 of 366 Oh no, not more craziness Mother Nature

My heart goes out for the Japanese families facing yet another earthquake just eight days after the one on New Year’s Day. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has rocked central Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency announced. The earthquake struck off the Sea of Japan coast, rattling the same part of the country where a huge tremor on New Year’s Day and its aftershocks caused widespread destruction. Unfortunately, the death toll for the first earthquake is at 200 and still rising because rescuers are trying to provide sorely needed aid to almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities. Many people are still unaccounted.

More than 1,200 aftershocks have blighted central Japan since the New Year’s Day quake. Thankfully, no tsunami warning has yet been issued. Let’s keep the Japanese people in our prayers.

The weather isn’t playing nice here in the states either. Panama City and Marianne Florida have significant tornado damage. The National Weather Service received 11 tornado reports since Monday night: seven in the Florida Panhandle, two in South Georgia and two in southern Alabama, where one death was confirmed. Heavy snow and blizzard conditions swept across parts of the Plains and the Midwest on Monday into Tuesday morning, closing roads and making travel difficult to impossible.

Yes, it is winter, and storms do happen but not ever have there been weather alerts for hazardous winds, snow, flooding and thunderstorms in effect for 49 of the 50 states, the lone exception being North Dakota. How crazy is that?

Finn is being followed by Gerry, the same track across the United States with snow and rain depending on where you’re located. Yup three storms in a row Ember, Finn and Gerry, the beginning of new this year.

Mt. Hood in Oregon has done the unplausible. The decision was made to shut the mountain down not for lack of snow, but precisely the opposite: because of it. Officials at Mt. Hood decided, with a “ferocious blizzard” forecasted for Oregon today that with great storms come great responsibility. We have made the decision to suspend operations tomorrow, January 9.” (1) The storm prediction is for 20 inches of snow and 50 mph sustained winds. Brrrr… Sounds like a good day to be inside with a cup of cocoa to me.

The Las Vegas area had crazy winds Sunday through this morning when it finally calmed down, but with Gerry on Thursday we will once again have high wind conditions into Friday night. It could be a lot worse; I know. Sadly, though Las Vegas has a high number of homeless people struggling to survive in these miserable conditions Like other major cities in the U.S. there isn’t enough shelters to provide for the homeless. Reality check: we’re a third world country. People exist in horrific conditions in every one of our fifty states. It’s not just the major cities.

If all the crazy weather conditions aren’t enough, a study from PNA Nexus (2) noted on January 2nd that the previous study stating the New York City Metro area is sinking 0.06 inches yearly is inaccurate. The new data says 0.08 inches is now. (3) The coastline is sinking faster than expected. It isn’t just NYC affected, “there are other hotspots from the study include Virginia Beach, where 451,000 people and 177,000 properties are at risk, and Baltimore, Maryland, where 826,000 people and 335,000 properties are at risk.” With the sea level rising 10 to 14 inches in the next three decades along the East Coast, this makes for what seems to be an inescapable situation.

My husband and I both have witnessed in Norfolk, Virginia how many streets are flooded whenever there is a rainstorm. I’m talking about a rainy day not a hurricane there’s simply no place for the water to go but on the streets which causes a lot of road damage because they are already below sea level.

Unfortunately, this study isn’t being taken serious enough, nor have previous studies. How many times have you heard climate change doesn’t exist. Ot climate change is just political grandstanding. The truth is It affects you and I and everyone. It may be gradual, but the impacts are real.

My embroidery project is coming along nicely. Today, I’m sewing the Fokker Dr. 1. Truthfully, I didn’t recognize this plane by its full name. In German, the Dreiddecker Triplane was better known as the Fokker DR. 1. It was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker Flugzeugwerke. Manfred Albrecht Freiherr better known to us as The Red Baron was a fighter pilot for the German Air Force. He is considered the ace of the aces in WWI. He was officially credited 80 combat victories.

As I sewed, I listened to the Story of Snoopy versus the Red Baron song by the Royal Guardsman.

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/oregon-s-mt-hood-meadows-temporarily-suspends-operations

(2) https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-impacts-are-real-new-satellite-images-show-east-coast-sinking-faster-than-we-though

Day 8 of 366 same old crazy and some new crazy, Can’t make this crap up

United says, just loose bolts on Boeing 737 max 9 and are declining to say how many. No surprise there! “The plug, measuring 26-by-46 inches and weighing 63 pounds, was discovered intact Sunday evening in the backyard of a Portland teacher’s home, according to NTSB officials. NTSB investigators recovered the door plug that fell off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 giving them the key piece of evidence that they are examining with a laboratory telescope. The door plug is used by some Max 9 operators, including Alaska and United, in place of an exit door that would be required if the plane were configured with a larger number of seats. The door plug according to a diagram released by the NTSB, is attached to the plane with a series of bolts, cables, hinges and stop pad.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/other/united-finds-loose-bolts-on-its-planes-in-wake-of-alaska-airlines-door-plug-incident/ar-AA1mEFxT Wouldn’t that have been noticeable if daily inspections were done? I would have noticed loose bolts on the frame of my school bus especially after the one incident. It was an eye-opening experience for me and one I’ve never forgotten.

Looking back on it’s funny how the story unfolded but not the potential risk that could’ve happened. We received new school buses the day before school started. I got my keys the morning of the first day. I quickly did my circle check and skipped the middle door because the bus was brand new, so I didn’t anticipate anything unusual. Until later that morning, when I did a fire drill with the elementary kids and reviewed the new exit breakdowns. If there’s a fire, we never depart front door we use the rear door and the side door. Thank goodness, we were in the school yard because when the child opened the side door it fell off the bus. The manufacturer never put the hinge pins in the side door. No one had exited the bus before the child opening the door so there were no injuries involved except for the door with nicked paint. It could’ve been a lot worse. I never trusted the manufacturer again when our buses were replaced. In fact, I looked harder for issues.

However, this isn’t the first time there’s been issues with Boeing aircraft, one would think they would be extra cautious. The repercussions for Boeing’s reputation and share price especially since this isn’t the first incident with the Max-family of jets may improve their maintenance routines. Five years ago, the entire global fleet was grounded following two fatal crashes. No investor likes the stock market triggered.

Alaska Airlines, which operates 65 of the Max 9 jets, said in a statement on its website: “The 737-9 MAX grounding has significantly impacted our operation. We have cancelled 170 Sunday flights and 60 cancellations for Monday, with more expected. Cancellations will continue through the first half of the week.” Whereas United Airlines, which operates 79 of the jets, said it had cancelled 230 flights, and issued a statement: “Following the incident on an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, we have temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection.”

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/boeing-737-max-9-groundings-trigger-stock-turbulence-for-carriers-as-regulators-order-safety-check

Political crazy continues with Trump … “Of course I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity,” Trump said in a post Monday on Truth Social If that’s the case, more people should become politicians before committing a crime so they’re immune from charges. Oh wait, they already do that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

Tanya Chutkan is the federal judge overseeing the federal election interference case brought by Special Council Jack Smith.  against Trump. She appeared to be the victim of “swatting,” which happens when someone makes a false report of a crime in progress to draw police to a certain location. Doesn’t one find the timing conspicuous with all that is going on with the Trump media circus and the different courtroom hearings.

And the weather insanity continues with an arctic blast threatens to bring temperatures of -50 degrees to large swathes of the West and Midwest next week. Meteorologists have said the polar vortex could sweep across the Pacific Northwest and roll into the Central and Midwest over the next five to ten days.

“Winter storm warnings are in place for parts of 14 states as meteorologists predict a “multiple hazard storm” will bring extreme weather to many parts of the U.S., including blizzards, tornadoes and flash flooding in places beginning Monday morning and into Tuesday. Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington were cautioned about difficult travel conditions and whiteout conditions.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/winter-weather-warning-for-14-states-as-hazardous-storm-hits-us/ar-AA1mCIAD?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=

I finished another airplane on my embroidery project. This one is the Spirit of St. Louis which was custom built and flown by non-other than Charles Lindbergh. The Spirit of St. Louis did a non-stop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York to Paris, France. The manufacturer was Ryan Airlines owned at the time by Benjamin Mahoney and was located in San Diego, California and the designer was Donald Hall who worked with Lindbergh to get it as Lindbergh needed to complete the 33-hour flight. After that flight, the Spirit of St. Louis did numerous flights for mail delivery.

The next airplane to be stitched is the Fokker Dr-1 or better known as the Red Baron. The quilt will have twelve different planes total when it is completed including a square with my doctor’s own plane. My doctor is part of an air rescue squad here in Las Vegas which gives him immense pleasure.

And I’ve blogged every day in this new year. Kudos to me!