Tom Faranda's Folly

President Biden WSJ column: "My Plan for Fighting Inflation"

Here is a link to the whole thing - I linked through Politico so possibly the link will work even if you are not a Journal subscriber. Below the link is extensive excerpts - I left out the usual patting on back, grandstanding (especially at the beginning of the column) to be expected by any politician and excerpted the meat of his three part plan. If you want the entire column but can't get through the link, email me and I will send the text to you.

"I won’t meddle with the Fed, but I will tackle high prices while guiding the economy’s transition to stable and steady growth."

I ran for president because I was tired of the so-called trickle-down economy. We now have a chance to build on a historic recovery with an economy that works for working families. The most important thing we can do now to transition from rapid recovery to stable, steady growth is to bring inflation down. That is why I have made tackling inflation my top economic priority. My plan has three parts:

First, the Federal Reserve has a primary responsibility to control inflation. My predecessor demeaned the Fed, and past presidents have sought to influence its decisions inappropriately during periods of elevated inflation. I won’t do this. I have appointed highly qualified people from both parties to lead that institution. I agree with their assessment that fighting inflation is our top economic challenge right now.

Second, we need to take every practical step to make things more affordable for families during this moment of economic uncertainty—and to boost the productive capacity of our economy over time. The price at the pump is elevated in large part because Russian oil, gas and refining capacity are off the market. We can’t let up on our global effort to punish Mr. Putin for what he’s done, and we must mitigate these effects for American consumers. That is why I led the largest release from global oil reserves in history. Congress could help right away by passing clean energy tax credits and investments that I have proposed. A dozen CEOs of America’s largest utility companies told me earlier this year that my plan would reduce the average family’s annual utility bills by $500 and accelerate our transition from energy produced by autocrats.

We can also reduce the cost of everyday goods by fixing broken supply chains, improving infrastructure, and cracking down on the exorbitant fees that foreign ocean freight companies charge to move products. My Housing Supply Action Plan will make housing more affordable by building more than a million more units, closing the housing shortfall in the next five years. We can reduce the price of prescription drugs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and capping the cost of insulin. And we can lower the cost of child and elder care to help parents get back to work. I’ve done what I can on my own to help working families during this challenging time—and will keep acting to lower costs where I can—but now Congress needs to act too.

Third, we need to keep reducing the federal deficit, which will help ease price pressures. Last week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that the deficit will fall by $1.7 trillion this year—the largest reduction in history. That will leave the deficit as a share of the economy lower than prepandemic levels and lower than CBO projected for this year before the American Rescue Plan passed. This deficit progress wasn’t preordained. In addition to winding down emergency programs responsibly, about half the reduction is driven by an increase in revenue—as my economic policies powered a rapid recovery.

My plan would reduce the deficit even more by making common-sense reforms to the tax code. The Internal Revenue Service should have the resources to collect taxes that Americans already owe. We should level the international taxation playing field so companies no longer have an incentive to shift jobs and profits overseas. And we should end the outrageous unfairness in the tax code that allows a billionaire to pay lower rates than a teacher or firefighter.

I welcome debate on my plan to tackle inflation and move the economy to stable and steady growth. ...

The economic policy choices we make today will determine whether a sustained recovery that benefits all Americans is possible. I will work with anyone—Democrat, Republican, or independent—willing to have an open and honest discussion that delivers real solutions for the American people.

 

Part 2: Walking the Bear Mountain Bridge and park, trains and boats!

I posted about our Sunday stroll yesterday Farandaville; walking the Bear Mountain Bridge & Brigid makes new friend   so a few  pictures from the bridge as we are heading back to our car.

The hill is Anthony's Nose. Interesting history - the name dates back to at least 1697. We could see about 15 people at the top with the binoculars Brigid brought along, but couldn't get a good picture.

The view south

Suddenly! Excitement! Can you see the train? It has crossed Iona Island and heading north.

The single track line goes up the west side of the Hudson - passes right below West Point. This is an all freight line and we've seen many trains with upwards of 130 cars trundling north or south.

Looking north you can see more of the train through the bars. Huge.

Looking back south - at last the end of the train - with a luxurious looking caboose! Who doesn't love trains?

Then on the other side of the Hudson - Metro-North going south with a dinky seven car train.

Brigid spotted the Three Musketeers heading north on jet skis.

The Queen Bee, strutting her stuff...

All good fun!

 

 

"Toddler Rates Disney World A Close 2nd To Trip Through Car Wash"

Yes I can see that! Trips through the car wash are very cool!

VILLA RICA, GA—On the way home from his family's long-anticipated trip to Disney World, toddler David Hayes informed his father that the Magic Kingdom had come up just short of a trip through the car wash.

"Daddy! No more Disney! I wanna go to the car wash!" said David from the backseat. "Mr. Clean's is sooo fun! It's my favorite!"

After donating plasma and taking out a reverse mortgage to afford the trip to Disney, Mr. Hayes had been optimistic the "Happiest Place On Earth" would top Mr. Clean's. "But David," said Mr. Hayes. "There were fireworks, roller coasters, shows, Stormtroopers, gorillas—and you even got to be in a show! Wasn't that amazing?"

"I guess," said David. "But the car wash has those cool lights that change colors! And I don't have to walk anywhere. It's the best! Can we please go Daddy, please?"

"What—what happened?" Mr. Hayes asked his wife, seated in the passenger seat beside him.

"I think we just wasted eight grand," she responded.

At publishing time the toddler had downgraded Disney to 4th place, behind playing in mud puddles and going fishing with his Dad.

Memorial Day's wordle

Farandaville; walking the Bear Mountain Bridge & Brigid makes new friend

On a sudden whim we decided yesterday to walk across the Bear Mountain Bridge (which is part of the Appalachian Trail) and then a bit into the park, to the bear den. Total round trip distance was 2.68 miles and we took a leisurely hour and fourteen minutes. Here are some pictures, more tomorrow.

We parked about 100 yards north of the bridge on rte. 9D and walked back.

Of course some great views, which are really stunning in the fall.

The hump in the middle below is Popolopen Torne which is a spectacular hike itself. We did that hike (four of us) way back in May 2015 - Popolopen torne hike and I need to do it again.

Sign at the bear den but the bears weren't out.

Here is Brigid's newfound friend - over  four feet long!

Plenty of people watched and waited as he (she) slithered off the path.

Hessian Lake, in Bear Mountain Park.

Heading back we crossed the south side of the bridge -

Goofy...

This is more like it -  and a few more pictures tomorrow - trains, boats, Anthony's Nose!

 

 

 

 

Sunday's wordle

Poll: By 2 to 1, investors think large corporations should avoid taking positions on social and political issues

The poll of over 1,000 investors, conducted last week by Echelon on behalf of The Daily Wire, showed that Americans want companies they invest in to seek profits instead of promoting political agendas outside of companies’ missions. While 29% of respondents agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social means supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”

When asked to discern the motives of companies that take stances on political or social issues, 56% of investors said the firms are merely “trying to appease their critics” and 34% said the firms genuinely “believe it’s the right thing.” When companies do take stances on issues, 36% of investors said the stances are “too liberal,” while 17% said they are “too conservative.”

"DEMS USE SCHOOL SHOOTING TO ATTACK PRO-LIFERS"??

I don't know that it's an attack - who can disagree? From a link from The Loop email (a Catholic group).

DEMS USE SCHOOL SHOOTING TO ATTACK PRO-LIFERS  Democrats in Congress were quick to link the school shooting in Texas to the abortion debate. “There is no such thing as being ‘pro-life’ while supporting laws that let children be shot in their schools, elders in grocery stores, worshippers in their houses of faith, survivors by abusers, or anyone in a crowded place,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, said: “Let's be clear: you are not 'pro-life' if you choose to do *absolutely nothing* to save children from gun violence.”  READ

 

Saturday's wordle

WSJ: WW II dentist who won the Congressional Medal of Honor

From the Journal Friday where I read this story. One Tough Dentist. A story of courage all Americans should know. Unfortunately you may be unable to access the full article- generally you need to be a subscriber. The Medal was awarded in 2002 because of the persistence of a fellow dentist - an alumni of the same dental school - who was researching the dental school's history.   So here is an excerpt from the Journal article and below it is the Medal of Honor commendation. Below the citation is another excerpt from the Journal explaining why it took until 2002 for him to be awarded the Medal of honor.

Twenty years ago this month President George W. Bush walked into the Rose Garden and honored one of America’s greatest military heroes, whose valor had been largely overlooked for nearly six decades. Even today, how many Americans know the story of U.S. Army Capt. Ben Salomon?

Salomon’s exploits remained obscure for generations—even his own family didn’t know the extent of his actions—because of the unique set of circumstances surrounding his heroism. The story came to national attention essentially by accident. At that 2002 ceremony President Bush posthumously awarded Salomon the Medal of Honor and noted:

"For Captain Ben Salomon, no living relatives remain to witness this moment. And even though they never met, Captain Salomon is represented today by a true friend, Dr. Robert West. Welcome, sir.

Five years ago, Dr. West was reading about his fellow alumni of the University of Southern California’s dental school. He came upon the story of Ben Salomon of the class of 1937 . . . "

What a story it is. Before exploring why it took more than half a century for Salomon to be recognized appropriately—and only then because a fellow alum happened to be doing research in preparation for the 100th anniversary of USC’s dental school—let’s examine the actions of Capt. Salomon on a horrific day long ago in the western Pacific. In a history maintained by the U.S. Army medical department, Col. William T. Bowers (ret.) sets the scene:

"In June 1944, newly promoted Captain Salomon went ashore on Saipan with the 105th Infantry Regiment for his first taste of battle. In active combat operations there was little work for the regimental dentist, so Ben immediately volunteered to replace the 2nd Battalion’s surgeon who had been wounded in a mortar attack on 22 June."

Two weeks later, the dentist-turned-surgeon would be saving many lives -

Here is the Medal of Honor citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Captain Ben L. Salomon was serving at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on July 7, 1944, as the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The Regiment's 1st and 2nd Battalions were attacked by an overwhelming force estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon penetrated the Battalions' combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming casualties. In the first minutes of the attack, approximately 30 wounded soldiers walked, crawled, or were carried into Captain Salomon's aid station, and the small tent soon filled with wounded men. As the perimeter began to be overrun, it became increasingly difficult for Captain Salomon to work on the wounded. He then saw a Japanese soldier bayoneting one of the wounded soldiers lying near the tent. Firing from a squatting position, Captain Salomon quickly killed the enemy soldier. Then, as he turned his attention back to the wounded, two more Japanese soldiers appeared in the front entrance of the tent. As these enemy soldiers were killed, four more crawled under the the tent walls. Rushing them, Captain Salomon kicked the knife out of the hand of one, shot another, and bayoneted a third. Captain Salomon butted the fourth enemy soldier in the stomach and a wounded comrade then shot and killed the enemy soldier. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way as best they could back to the regimental aid station, while he attempted to hold off the enemy until they were clear. Captain Salomon then grabbed a rifle from one of the wounded and rushed out of the tent. After four men were killed while manning a machine gun, Captain Salomon took control of it. When his body was later found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Captain Salomon's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself his unit and the United States Army.

More from the Journal:

How was he not honored in the 1940s? Ellen Sorokin wrote in the Washington Times in 2002:

"Soon after the action in Saipan ended, Capt. Salomon’s commander nominated him to receive the medal. However, the paperwork stopped after his division officials strictly interpreted a Geneva Convention rule that prohibited medical personnel from receiving valor awards."

That’s where West, the USC-trained dentist and also a World War II veteran, was able to pick up the trail more than 50 years later. According to Ms. Sorokin:

"During his research, Dr. West found that the posthumous award was denied because of an error, not a technicality. Dr. West had discovered that the commanding general reviewing Capt. Salomon’s recommendation for a medal misunderstood the Geneva Convention rule.

The rule states that medical personnel were prohibited from bearing arms against enemy troops for offensive purposes, but they could bear arms in self-defense or in defense of the wounded or sick. That meant, Dr. West found out, that medical personnel could receive valor awards if those such as Capt. Salomon were defending their patients and aid stations or hospitals.

However, by the time that interpretation came through, the time limit on nominations had passed."

West spent years writing letters to various government officials and finally succeeded in seeing Salomon honored before his own death in 2012. That’s according to a report in the San Diego Union Tribune.

What a story!

Friday's wordle

Never heard the word I used as a guess - tharm - before I got the correct one. I was just randomly guessing the fifth letter at that point.  If you don't know the wordle rules, if you put in five letters that are not a word, the system blinks to say it's not a word, but does not count it against you.

"The Clarity of philosophy"

From my friend Graham -

Thursday's wordle

Farandaville troubles; Spiderman is sick

Oh dear, Spiderman (so named because he used to bounce around his cage) the chinchilla (one of six...!? we have) stopped eating and became very lethargic about two days ago. Went to the vet (an exotic animal vet) yesterday - Thursday - morning and has problems. Possibly cancer or some abdominal issue.  We have to feed him through a syringe and give him an antibiotic the same way, twice a day. Spiderman is seven or eight years old - we've lost track - and has had three lots of children.

He lives with his son Strider.

In these pictures you can see Spiderman is just not himself.

You can see the difference between he and Strider.

Here's Strider close up.

We hope Spiderman pulls out of this; pet chinchillas can live10-20 years.

 

WSJ: "Uvalde Shooter Fired Outside School for 12 Minutes Before Entering"

Incomprehensible.

The gunman behind the mass shooting at an elementary school here lingered outside the building for 12 minutes firing shots before walking into the school and barricading in a classroom where he killed 19 children and two teachers, authorities said in a news conference Thursday laying out a new timeline of events.

Victor Escalon, a regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said he couldn’t say why no one stopped the now deceased gunman, 18 year-old Salvador Ramos, from entering the school during that time Tuesday. Most of the shots Ramos fired came during the first several minutes after he entered the school, Mr. Escalon said.

DPS officials previously said an armed school officer confronted Ramos as he arrived at the school. Mr. Escalon said Thursday that information was incorrect and no one encountered Ramos as he arrived at the school. “There was not an officer readily available and armed,” Mr. Escalon said.

*********************

A Border Patrol tactical team went into the school an hour later, around 12:40, was able to get into the classroom and kill Ramos, Mr. Escalon said.

Thursday’s updates came as Uvalde residents were asking questions and expressing anger over the time it took for law enforcement to end the school shooting. Videos circulated on social media showing parents confronting police outside the building while Ramos was barricaded in the classroom.

“The police were doing nothing,” said Angeli Rose Gomez, who after learning about the shooting drove 40 miles to Robb Elementary School, where her children are in second and third grade. “They were just standing outside the fence. They weren’t going in there or running anywhere.”

WSJ: "Texas Shooter Had No Known Mental-Health Issues or Arrests"

And evidently a security official saw him before he entered the school. Why wasn't he stopped?

State officials on Wednesday said Ramos wasn’t well known to law enforcement before the shooting and had no documented mental health issues and no known arrest record. If Ramos had a juvenile criminal record, it’s possible officials wouldn’t have access to it.

Salvador Ramos, 18, wrote on Facebook Tuesday morning to a teenage girl overseas that “I’m going to shoot my grandma” and then, after doing so, wrote, “I shot my grandma,” according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a law-enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. Less than 15 minutes before arriving at Robb Elementary School, he wrote, “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.”

A spokesman for Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., said on Twitter that the communications were private messages sent to another individual, not public posts.

*******************

Shortly after turning 18 on Monday last week, Salvador Ramos bought two semiautomatic AR-15 rifles and 375 rounds of ammunition at a local sporting-goods shop, said Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. He posted a photo of two AR-15-style rifles to his Instagram account on Friday, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors and tracks radical groups online.

On Tuesday, he shot his 66-year-old grandmother in the face before using her car to drive to attack the school. His grandmother, currently hospitalized in San Antonio, contacted police as Ramos fled, according to Mr. McCraw.

After he got past the school security officer, Ramos barricaded himself in a fourth-grade classroom, where he began shooting students and teachers. He also shot two Uvalde police officers as they tried to gain access to the classroom, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Wednesday's wordle

The Tuesday wordle

Yanks end three game losing streak with unlikely hitting hero.

Catcher Jose Trevino.

Monday's wordle

Archbishop Cordileone explains banning Ms. Pelosi from receiving communion

It's too bad it got to this but better late than never. He gives a good explanation in the video.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone says he struggled with the decision for many years. It did not come lightly, he says he has had conversations with the House Speaker about the importance of human life and why Catholics must do all they can to protect it. Prior to writing the letter, he says he prayed, fasted and even consulted with a range of Church leaders. He says it's important to understand the basic teaching of receiving the Body of Christ. It was a decision he did not want to make. Archbishop Cordileone says, "So many Catholics now don't understand the teaching about the Eucharist, what it is, Who it is and what the proper disposition is to receive it. What it means to receive the most Holy Eucharist. To help them understand the great evil of abortion and what it means to cooperate with evil under different levels. So I wanted to be clear in laying out that teaching."

Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison died on this date, age 73

Here's a bit about him. By today's standards he probably would not be considered a racist (for example he was OK with interracial marriage) - unlike most other abolitionists and Abraham Lincoln who would be.

In 1831, Garrison published the first edition of The Liberator. His words, "I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD," clarified the position of the new Abolitionists. Garrison was not interested in compromise. He founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society the following year. In 1833, he met with delegates from around the nation to form the American Anti-Slavery Society. Garrison saw his cause as worldwide

For the entire generation of people that grew up in the years that led to the Civil War, William Lloyd Garrison was the voice of Abolitionism. Originally a supporter of colonization, Garrison changed his position and became the leader of the emerging anti-slavery movement. His publication, The Liberator, reached thousands of individuals worldwide. His ceaseless, uncompromising position on the moral outrage that was slavery made him loved and hated by many Americans.

Breaking News: Elon Musk makes offer to buy FBI

This tip came from my friend Maryl...

Sunday wordle

CNN, 3 minutes: Satellite views of Ukraine "horrifying"

Horrendous. Mass graves at Mariupol, digging at Chernobyl(!), destruction of agriculture...

 

Here was Saturday's wordle

Quick walk/hike this morning; Brinton Brook Bird Sanctuary

This beautiful little place is less than ten minutes from our house - we did a 2 and a quarter mile walk/hike there this morning. Here's a link to the site and you can print a really good map. NOTE: The paths are fairly wide but in places the tree roots criss-crossing the path are very easy to trip on...

 

Almost right away we came across this guy (girl) - Brigid just missed stepping on him (her). Can you see the frog?

 

Not a great picture below; blends in too much and using the phone camera in telephoto. Really should upgrade my phone...

There are two new walkways; they were not here a five weeks ago when I was last walking. They are so new the lumber still had clean labels.

Our friend Kathy A. would be impressed with these five inch across mushrooms.

This pond is about a half mile in from the parking area.

Here are two not very flattering pictures of Tom and Brigid ... a reminder we are not in our 20's. Or 50's, or ... but they are reality.

Last picture - Brigid has a new fanny pack. Will use it in England and Scotland when she is there in June. Nice sized one and only about $10.

 

 

 

 

Fauci on stopping monkeypox: cover eyes, ears, mouth

In case you don't "get it."

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Monkeypox pandemic has finally breached the shores of the United States, with the CDC confirming a staggering 1 infections so far. In response, America's favorite, most trusted doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, issued a statement recommending people stop the spread of Monkeypox by covering their eyes, ears, and mouth.

Fauci accepted 137 TV interviews and a book deal after issuing the guidelines essentially recommending people look the other way rather than investigate the source of this new outbreak.

"As I, the Science, have always said, lockdowns don't work. What really works is turning a blind eye to where this outbreak nonsense may or may not have leaked from," said Dr. Fauci to a fawning NBC news anchor trying to get his autograph. "And I'd like to add that there is no evidence the Monkeypox outbreak is connected to the NIH-funded Institute of Monkeypox Studies next door to patient zero."

Not all health professionals agree with Dr. Fauci's health order. Dr. Corry Larreia, a world-renowned monkey virologist and respected expert in finding the source of Monkeypox outbreaks, said Dr. Fauci was wrong and the outbreak should be investigated in full.

At publishing time, Dr. Larreia had been disbarred, lost his virology license along with his official stethoscope, was banned from his local book club, snubbed by Apple's Siri, and lost both of his hands in a tragic wood chipper accident.

Congressional gerrymandering battles continue; Court reinstates Florida map splitting up Black district

A lower court had banned the redistricting - Florida judge blocks Gov. DeSantis' redistricting map from taking effect . The congressional district in question is 150 miles long. It's a pretty safe bet that the district was gerrymandered years ago to be a primarily Black congressional seat.

 

Friday wordle

And go here for the results of my first 100 wordle efforts - Thursday result - 100 days of wordle!

"With Formula Shortage More Babies Switching To Whey Protein Powder"

With the expected results - Tim is a whey protein guy ...

As the baby formula crisis continues to grow, more families have opted for an alternative formula source and have started taking whey protein instead. The babies will still get everything they need for healthy development, as well as 50grams of protein per bottle.

"We urge everyone unable to find baby formula right now to switch to whey protein powder. This will provide your child with all the necessary vitamins and nutrients, while also giving them sick gains," said Dr. Hank Bulkems, a professional bodybuilder and baby formula chemist. ...

Many parents have reported that since they've switched to whey powder formula, their children have seen tremendous results. "Just the other day our son was shaking around his rattle, and today he's shaking around my kettlebells!" said local parent Fred Griffin....

Other parents have expressed concerns that their babies are liking the protein powder formula a little too much. They claim that their babies have been cutting off the sleeves of all their jammies and cry nonstop when you take them away from the mirror they were flexing in front of. 

At publishing time, protein formula babies across the country were refusing to watch episodes of Cocomelon in favor of watching hours of YouTube videos about new exercises and proper lift techniques. 

 

"Vangelis, composer of Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner soundtracks, dies aged 79"

Chariots of Fire, one of my all time favorite movies. He won the Academy Award for the music.

Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou in 1943, Vangelis won an Oscar for his 1981 Chariots of Fire soundtrack. Its uplifting piano motif became world-renowned, and reached No 1 in the US charts, as did the accompanying soundtrack album.

Mostly self-taught in music, Vangelis grew up in Athens and formed his first band in 1963, called the Forminx, playing the pop music of the time: uptempo rock’n’roll, sweeping ballads and Beatles cover versions, with Vangelis supplying organ lines.

They split in 1966, and Vangelis became a writer and producer for hire, working for other musicians and contributing scores for Greek films. Two years later, he struck out for Paris to further his career, where he formed the prog rock quartet Aphrodite’s Child with Greek expats including Demis Roussos. Their single Rain and Tears was a hit across Europe, topping the French, Belgian and Italian charts and reaching the UK Top 30.

**********************

Vangelis had continued his film score work throughout the 1970s, but it was in the 1980s that this reached its commercial heights. Chariots of Fire became inextricable from Vangelis’s timeless theme, and the music became synonymous with slow-motion sporting montages. “My music does not try to evoke emotions like joy, love, or pain from the audience. It just goes with the image, because I work in the moment,” he later explained.

******************

Continually celebrated for his evocative Chariots of Fire theme, Vangelis was also commissioned by sporting bodies to soundtrack major events, including the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He also wrote ballet scores and music for stage productions of Medea, The Tempest and other plays.

Thursday result - 100 days of wordle!

First the results for the 100 days - only day I failed was day 70 - the word I missed was FORAY. Kind of funny that I like wordle - I've never been much interested in crosswords or games like scrabble.

And here's yesterday's word

Inflation in Great Britain at 9%

Sounds familiar ... Boris Johnson is in trouble. From the Guardian (UK).

UK inflation soared to 9% in April – its highest level for more than 40 years – as the rising cost of gas and electricity pushed household energy bills to record levels. The escalating cost of food and transport also contributed to the rising cost of living, deepening the crisis affecting millions of low- and middle-income families.

Business groups said all sectors of industry and commerce were suffering from the steep rise in energy and fuel costs, with many facing a similar shock to their finances as seen during the pandemic but without the same level of government support.

The Office for National Statistics said the 54% increase in the energy price cap in April, which took the average annual gas and electricity bill close to £2,000, was the main reason for the jump in the consumer prices index from 7% in March.

Wednesday's Wordle

Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC) explains it's Rupert Murdoch's fault for the gun violence

Some might think that what O'Donnell is saying is a stretch.

 

Ukraine resistance in the steelworks in Mariupol is ended, according to Ukraine government

Well a valiant chapter in this horrible and unjust war has ended. Or so it seems. This from the Guardian (UK) and it's a comprehensive article if you hit the link.

The fate of hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who have ended weeks of resistance at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol remains unclear, after the fighters surrendered and were transferred to Russian-controlled territory.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said they would be swapped in a prisoner exchange, but some Russian officials said on Tuesday they could be tried and even executed. MPs in Russia’s State Duma said they would propose new laws that could derail prisoner exchanges of fighters who Moscow claims are “terrorists”.

Russian investigators have said they plan to interrogate the soldiers and could charge them with “crimes committed by the Ukrainian regime against the civilian population in south-east Ukraine”.

On Tuesday evening, seven buses carrying Ukrainian soldiers left the Azovstal plant in the port city and arrived at a former prison colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka in Donetsk, Reuters reported.

Russia called the Azovstal operation a mass surrender, while the Ukrainian army said the soldiers defending the steel plant had “performed their combat task” and that the main goal was now to save their lives.

“Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive,” said the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a video address.

Tuesday's wordle

Croton Harmon School trustee and budget votes

Go here -

Croton-Harmon District Voters Pick New School Trustees. Here are school budget and board vote results.

 

"Identity Politics"

Agree 1,000%

 

Monday's wordle

Where "anti-racism" can get you to -

Good article - a woman with a mixed race son.

Growing up in the Charlottesville area, Riley said her son never really saw himself as different from the other kids in school. Sure, his skin tone was a little darker — his dad is black and Riley is white and Native American — but Riley never thought it was appropriate to box him in with stifling racial classifications.

“He looks Hawaiian,” she said of her son. “He’s beautiful.”

But she said her son’s views on race and his conception of his own complex identity have been tossed in a blender and mixed up ever since the Albemarle School District adopted an “anti-racism” policy, with an explicit goal of eliminating “all forms of racism” from the local schools.

Riley said that a new anti-racist curriculum launched at Henley Middle School last spring is itself racist, because it indoctrinates students and teachers in a racial essentialist worldview that emphasizes racial conflict and treats students differently based on their skin color.

Yankee craziness; only get two hits, but score five runs and win...

I think it's the NY Yankee's year. This guy "Nasty Nestor" is the real deal - and he's only 27 years old.

 

NY Times: Canceling student debt is a bad idea

Sound thinking from the NYT. It's a fairly long editorial so hit the link for all of it.

The Biden administration should spend its finite resources and political capital on fixing the higher education system to make it more affordable while helping those borrowers in the most distress. There are already ways to do this, although they have not gotten nearly enough attention or resources.

Canceling student debt across the board is not one of them. Trying to fix such a shattered system with the flick of a pen on an executive order could even make it worse. Canceling this debt, even in the limited amounts that the White House is considering, would set a bad precedent and do nothing to change the fact that future students will graduate with yet more debt — along with the blind hope of another, future amnesty. Such a move is legally dubious, economically unsound, politically fraught and educationally problematic.

 

Sunday's wordle - close call!

Whew...

Trump was warned in a dream - has been stockpiling baby formula for seven years.

In case you didn't know - that's The Joseph Effect, a term derived from the Old Testament story about the Pharaoh's dream as recounted by Joseph, which led ancient Egyptians to expect a crop famine lasting seven years to follow seven years of bountiful harvest.

"I have so many silos filled, it's unbelievable," said President Trump as he cracked open a fresh can. "Absolutely the best formula, ready for Sleepy Joe's total disaster of a famine. Plus, the taste is incredible—all the babies are saying they just love it."

Years ago, Trump had awoken disturbed by an unusual dream and reportedly convened his closest advisers to ascertain its meaning.

"This dream, it was so remarkable, I was standing there, on the banks of the Potomac, when out of the river come seven of the fattest babies you have ever seen!" said Mr. Trump. "I mean, whoa! These babies had more chins than Rosie O'Donnell, ok? They were wonderful babies though, really beautiful. But then, these seven scrawny babies also come out of the water, and let me tell you, I had never seen such ugly babies anywhere in the world. And I have seen a lot of ugly babies, believe me!"

Trump's team puzzled for hours over how to interpret the strange dream when at last it dawned on Mr. Trump himself. "It was so easy, really. The fat ones showed how America's babies would be so happy and chubby having me as president but would be hungry and ugly whenever some loser took over after me. So I took it upon myself to save up food because I don't ever want to see a baby that ugly in real life."

“Anyway, I have secured only the best baby formula for American babies for seven years and stored them in these big, beautiful silos—great silos, they really are, and I told them that, really great, American-made silos.”

After hearing that Trump had, yet again, saved America, Joe Biden signed an executive order banning baby formula and silos, then calling Trump “The Super Emperor Of The MAGA Universe.”

Saturday wordle

NYT: "New Biden Administration Rules for Charter Schools Spur Bipartisan Backlash"

Why would the administration hamstring charter schools? Uhhh, Public School teacher's unions? Ya think?

Critics of the proposal say the rules are overly restrictive and would stymie the growth of charter schools, whose 3.6 million students are largely Black and Hispanic.

The most controversial part of the plan would require grant applicants to prove demand and community support for their schools, examine the effect they would have on neighboring district-run schools, and demonstrate that they would not exacerbate segregation.

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Leaders across the charter school community have said the new requirements would quell the growth of such schools, which serve 3.6 million students — 69 percent of them students of color and two-thirds from low-income households — and have waiting lists of millions more.

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The rally came on the heels of several high-profile denouncements of the proposed rules, including opinion pieces by Michael R. Bloomberg, the philanthropist billionaire and former New York mayor, and Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat. In a letter sent last week, Senators Dianne Feinstein of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado joined Republicans in asking the department to revise them.

 

 

 

Pope Francis speaks (again) about the Devil

Yup. Beelzebub.

 

Friday's wordle