All Purls. No Swine.
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired And gobble up… Continue reading On Men and Women, Both Growing Old
A little poem from my childhood: Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today I wish, I wish he'd go away... When I came home last night at three The man was waiting there for me But when I looked around the hall I couldn't see him… Continue reading “I wish, I wish, he’d go away”: Trump and the escalator wishcasting from the Left
Over the past eight or nine days, I’ve repeatedly heard those on the Right use the phrase, “They just can’t help themselves.” Most often, its use follows the telling of yet another story about those on the Left, those who seem able, with extraordinary precision and clarity, to identify and cull from the sea of… Continue reading Please, Do Help Yourselves!
Jo Rowling weighs in on the subject of free speech and a person's reaction to it. You can find the original here. Many of the comments are enlightening and and many are depressing. Quite are few are both at once. I don't believe there's anyone else on earth, with the singular exception of Donald Trump,… Continue reading Rowling’s Rules of Order
The term "gerrymander," which has come to mean manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts in order to guarantee the supremacy of one political party or another, is named after Elbridge Gerry (pronounced with a "hard G" as in "game" or "gun." Elbridge Gerry was--believe it or not--an American Founding Father, and the fifth Vice-President of… Continue reading Was There a Real Gerry Mander, and if so, Who Was He?
Is it possible to defend Western Civilization without defending, and standing for, Christianity and the West? I happen not to think so. Sadly, some of the more disheveled among my own generation appear to disagree with me. Every time I see some half-wit, lack-wit, want-wit, fuck-wit, or any other sort of missing-wit propounding the notion… Continue reading For the (Remaining) Men of the West
I don't know about you, but I've always thought that, when it comes to opinions and the immensity of options associated with them, "predictability" quickly becomes a buzzkill. That person who can be counted upon to exhibit signs of TDS, and to return the matter under discussion to "Trump," no matter the post, the topic,… Continue reading The Virtues of Unpredictability
Mostly a reposting, from last year. Time marches on, but the message (if you're sane) doesn't change: My maternal Great Granny was a fearsome old bat. She was born in 1869, just four short years after the US Civil War ended and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. She died a few months before Neil Armstrong walked… Continue reading Easter 2025: On Silk Purses, Sow’s Ears, and Horse’s Asses
An oldie-but-goodie from several years ago, inspired by recent family, friend, and social media experiences. "The more things change; the more they stay the same." My considered advice to all those younger than I (I'm 70 at the moment)--after you've had a good look in the mirror and found a way to accept with equanimity… Continue reading Aging Gracefully: The Girl On Your Back
I don't need to get into Matt Gaetz or Pete Hegseth territory here. Let's just takes Trump's nominees for FDA Commissioner, CDC Director, and Surgeon General. Let's start with one article: What to know about Trump's picks for CDC, FDA and surgeon general. It's from NPR. Taxpayer-funded broadcasting. Here's another, what PBS has to say… Continue reading Wilful and Politically-Biased Ignorance: The Mainstream Media’s Reportage on Trump’s Picks