A trivia day

 

Spring is busting out all over

Remember reciting, “April showers bring May flowers”? Thanks to Joanne Guidoccio for these April facts: April is Alcohol Awareness Month, Financial Literacy Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Parkinson’s Awareness Month, National Volunteer Month, and Stress Awareness Month. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Other April observances include National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (April 2), National No Housework Day (April 7), National Hug Your Dog Day (April 10), National Garlic Day (April 19), and International Jazz Day (April 30).

In my household, however, the most important dates are April 22—birthday of Colin David, my oldest child; by coincidence that was also the birthday of my baby sister who died in infancy; April 12, birthday of Colin’s son and my grandson, Kegan David; April 20, birthday of son-in-law Brandon Hudgeons; April 11, birthday of my late mother.

News from the book front: Texas Senator Ted Cruz is not content with ranting about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and books that should be banned—He attacked Judge Jackson over the curriculum at a private school where she serves as a trustee. Cruz waved a children’s picture book, Antiracist Baby, which he offered as an example of the CRT that pervades the school. No one asked Cruz to define CRT—a missed opportunity—but the book immediately leapt to the top of the Amazon bestseller list in its category. I think that’s called karma.

Now Cruz is attacking diaries, journals, and blank books, claiming they should not be sold to minors. Heaven knows what he thinks those CRT teens are going to write. Maybe he has renewed the once common practice of teenage girls keeping private diaries. Keep it up, Ted. You’re great for the book business.

In a development not so great, I read where a venture capital company, Elliott Advisors, is buying up or trying to buy up bookstore chains. Founder Paul Singer says the goal is to “create efficiencies unseen in the book business and engage in a little world domination, which is the most thrilling thing a hedge fund guy can do.” Sort of venture capital doublespeak to me, but the possibilities are both hopeful and frightening. The book trade is the only one I know of where unsold products may be returned to the publisher for credit. A publisher friend of mine was married to a toy manufacturer’s sales rep who ranted, “You can’t return toys if you don’t sell them. Why books?” IF the Elliott people change that, so much to the good for publishers (still my point of view) but devastating for booksellers. It could set the whole system on its ear. And the phrase “world domination” scares me in this current climate of censorship and book banning.

Some nice things happened today: my free-lance editor is dropping clients but said she would keep me because she wants to see what happens to Irene next. And I was asked to be part of a food-writing project from an organization I’m part of—looking forward to that.

On my own I successfully paired my phone with my hearing aids—who knew they came “unpaired”? I no longer will yell “Can you hear me?” at my kids who could hear me only too well, but I couldn’t hear them. And I navigated a change in insurance policies with only a minimum of frustration—after being on indefinite hold and had a futile online chat, I found a phone number where I was connected immediately with a knowledgeable person. Nice when things go right. Now if I can only figure out why I have such profile problems with the three major credit bureaus. Can’t do everything at once!

It's a beautiful night. I’m going to take a glass of wine out to the patio and enjoy the lovely evening.

 

Jordan and her crazy-angle photos
Honest, we weren't tipsy--just the camera

 

 

The goal, as stated by Paul Singer, founder of Elliott Management, is to "leverage the unleverageable, create efficiencies unseen in the book business, and engage in a little world domination, which is about the most thrilling thing a hedge fund guy can do!"

 

Home again!

An exhausted Grace

Home again, after a week. Jordan and I left a trail of sleeping kids and dogs behind us. I waken frequently during the night, and Colin got up with me but last night I was sound asleep—his chance to get a good rest—and everyone else in the household woke up. Some puffy eyes and tired faces over donuts this morning. I’m sure everyone was a bit disgusted that I felt chipper and fine.

Jacob and Sophie in a sleep tangle

in the car

Kegan and Morgan

We left Tomball about 10:15 and by 11:30 were pulling into Gayla’s driveway in College Station. The original plan was for a quick hug, quicker use if the facilities, and back on the road. She greeted us in the driveway with Sir Uno, a 75-lb. Alaskan husky and a really sweet dog—but energetic. Jordan got out of the car and Uno greeted her with friendly paws on her chest. It’s somewhat of a procedure to get me in and out of the car and going through that to be welcomed by an energetic, enthusiastic dog didn’t appeal. I elected to stay in the car for a driveway visit and hug. And of course we visited longer than we intended as one topic led to another. Sophie, meanwhile, was having fits in the back seat—she wanted to get out and play with that dog.

Uno is the second dog I have found for Gayla. Over ten years ago, when she decided she wanted a dog (collie preferred) I told her about one in Fort Worth that needed a home. She asked me to “interview” the dog. I’m a dog lover, as you know, but how do you interview? I took a friend and we muddled through. The dog had been shaved for summer (never do that to the long-haired breeds) but later turned out to be a mahogany tri-color with a magnificent, luxurious coat. Gayla called her Eppy, after her own maiden name of Epperson. Eppy died a few years ago, but by then Gayla had Jake, a mix who looked like he had a lot of collie, even if he didn’t. When he too died, Gayla challenged me to find her another dog. I came up with Uno, who lived only blocks from me. His family had an infant who was just beginning to crawl and wore one of those protective white skull-caps or whatever. Uno growled—I still think the strange creature crawling toward the dog scared him, but the growl got him whisked out of that house. Gayla came to get him and take him home to her acreage. Uno has been living the good life ever since. Now Gayla says Uno desperately needs a pal . . . . I assured her I’ll be on the lookout.

Gayla sent us on our way with a container of delicious, homemade vegetable soup, and we were home by 2:30. Good time, Jordan!

No matter how long or short the trip, I come home to a strong urge to organize. I kept up with email while away (worked at my temporary desk every day), but when I got home I was convinced I needed to dig right into the accumulated mail, and I found some treasures—a newsy letter from an old boss, a certification of insurance from a company I never heard of (is that some new kind of a scan?), and a personal Christmas card from the Ted Cruz family. I know, you think it was a political ploy of some kind. But it opened with, “We are big fans. We love Judy’s Stew.” I showed Jordan the card and asked if she knew who they are. “Do they go to our church?” she asked.

Mr. Cruz thanked me for my continuing support. I deny ever having supported him but he doesn’t look nearly as bad to me now as he did a year ago. And if he has such good taste in blogs . ….

My Tomball coffee cup

Lisa fixed my tea in this each morning

I am plotting revenge

The media is electing our next president

 I saw on Facebook that Bernie Sanders said in a speech that ISIS is a serious threat but it’s not the only problem the U.S. faces and, in effect, it’s getting too much media attention. What’s significant to me is that I saw nothing about that speech on national TV or print media. It seems that the major networks have declined to cover Sanders’ campaign—as my son-in-law asked, isn’t that illegal? Aren’t they required to give equal time? But have you seen Sanders on Meet the Press? Face the Nation? Even the PBS News Hour—I admit I don’t watch that all the time so I may have missed it, but his face, his speeches, and his following have been noticeably absent from the public eye. Even Hillary Clinton is much less in the news lately, though perhaps she’s waiting for Trump and Cruz to deflate each other.

Meanwhile there isn’t a news show that goes by without mention of Donald Trump and his obsession with keeping Muslims out of the country. Trump’s distorted, angry face makes great news; Sanders, not a striking figure, doesn’t. This morning the news is all about Trump cancelling his truce with Ted Cruz. Now that’s an interesting case—my understanding is that the president must have been born on U.S. soil. Look at all the fuss birthers raised, claiming Obama was born in Kenya when, in fact, he was born in Hawaii, then a territory, now a state. Cruz on the other hand, if I have the facts straight, was born in Canada, and though he may claim dual citizenship now, the fact remains that he was not born I this country. Yet the media also considers Cruz good copy—whereas most Republicans and others who know him declare him a conniving sleaze ball. But if he’s Canadian, why are we even worrying about him?

Tom Brokaw is that last journalist I can think of that I counted on for honest, fair coverage of the news, including the political scene. Since them journalism has gone downhill. In featuring Trump and Cruz (who apparently has appallingly inhumane plans for ISIS), the news feeds the fears of some Americans and plays into the hands of ISIS. Did anybody hear President Obama this morning outlining the gains that have been made against ISIS. Does anyone recognize—or see on the news—that most mass shootings in this country have been carried out by mentally ill U.S. citizens who are not Muslim?

Listen to Bernie Sanders, folks. He may not be the next president or even the best candidate, but a whole lot of what he says makes sense—if we can afford to send men and women to war, we can afford to take care of them when they come home; the minimum wage is years outdated and expecting people to buck up and live on that meagre amount is ridiculous. And so on. Or listen to Hillary for the continuing need to work on women’s rights in this country, let alone abroad (yeah, Saudi Arabia for electing women!). On the Republican side, listen to Kasich, who has an unfortunately low profile but a strong background in government and, apparently, a good head on his shoulders (quick! Kick him off the clown car!).

I am seriously concerned that the media-fueled campaigns of Trump and Cruz are leading too many citizens astray. I can’t understand why the comparisons of Trump and Hitler don’t strike terror into every heart. But I read of a teacher who decided to show his class how easy it was for Hitler to brainwash Germans—using similar techniques, he turned the class into a group of followers with a few leaders. And then told them at the end what he’d done. It could happen here.

Remember Nazism, or Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid, or Mussolini or many other examples from history. Watch the news with a large grain of salt and seek out reliable news sources. I wish I knew what to recommend.

Thoughts of a worried Christian

We have to work harder this year to keep Christmas in our hearts and spirits, with all the hate surrounding us, here at home and abroad. I am appalled at news clips and photos of a mob protesting in front of a mosque, a pig’s head thrown at a mosque, a Muslim shopkeeper beaten for his religion.

The love, care and concern being expressed apparently aren’t as good news copy—you don’t see much about the $100,000 raised by American Muslims for the San Bernadino victims and their families. Nor do you see the outreach to the Muslim community by most of the diverse groups that make up America—the Jewish community, Hispanic organizations, and some Christian groups. To our shame, many of those angrily protesting at the mosque probably call themselves Christian.

I have always been frightened by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, but now I am truly terrified—how can so many Americans support Trump’s blatant racism, his echoes of Hitler, Senator Joe McCarthy, and George Wallace. And why does he himself not realize he’s playing into the hands of ISIS, creating the division by which they will conquer? Ted Cruz is not far behind him (except in the polls) with his calls for carpet bombing. Yes, let’s kill thousands more innocent people to wipe out the small number of radicals.

Really, which is more frightening—a radicalized Muslim or a radicalized Christian?

A friend wrote in a post today that he feels that our country is so fraught with tension that it’s about to explode—and he obliquely predicted that explosion would come as civil war. It seems a possibility to me, and I think we cannot set back and let things unfold. We have to be proactive.

Meantime, we wrap gifts (I made good progress today), plan for holiday parties, and go about our lives as if the world was as peaceful as it was during Jimmy Carter’s administration—the only president who has not presided over a war.

I think we have to do more. I read a post with the headline, “What to do if a Muslim moves into your neighborhood.” The advice? Take them food, clothes, personal items, blankets—all the things they will need. Reach out and welcome them into the community. Sure, we all have to be watchful for suspicious behavior and not just from brown-skinned people who dress differently from us but everyone. But if we let suspicion and fear replace love and joy, we have lost the battle. We have to keep Christmas in our hearts.