Monday, August 31, 2020
Up early to read, post on Facebook, work, prep dinner, read more, and catch up on this. So behind, thanks to all the time reading and Facebook is taking up. I can see why people post on Facebook. It's fun and amazing with the world as your audience. Wow!
Talked to Rob Holland for 30 minutes today. What a treat!
We're 64 days until the election. Nervous as hell, but optimistic that the orange beast will go down in flames. Ever the optimist, I'm told.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Went to Home Depot in the morning for potting mix and other supplies. We replanted one of Alice's trees and she spent an hour or so in her garden while I spent the afternoon playing bridge with Kevin. We made steaks for dinner, so good!
Listened to another Peek Prosperity video. These are so good. The markets...hmmm.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
A wonderful lunch in Kenwood with Michael and Alice.
pic
Came home in the afternoon and read, then went on Facebook and posted. I'll be posting a lot between now and the election.
Watched Glenn Kirschner. I watch him regularly now.
Friday, August 21, 2020
An incident at work came about last night when someone mentioned a few non-pc pictues on HB's Facebook page. They were up cartoonish sumo wrestling suits that were part of a fundraiser eight years ago. A few emails were sent among the HB RACE group. I sent one as well:
I have a dozen or so racquetball buddies who I Zoom with every Wednesday morning for an hour as a way of staying connected during Covid. Since George Floyd, our hour together has become a deep, sustained discussion of race, racism, white privilege, white supremacy, chapters of American history we were never taught, and the national reckoning we're currently in the midst of in America.
This past week we talked about a presentation by Jeffery Robinson, ACLU Deputy Legal Director (link below). This magnificent presentation has been with me all week, in particular, the foundations and cornerstones that exist in this country and the Lee Atwater-style coded messaging that has been used to great effect and is still used by political parties, institutions, society, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOPGpE-sXh0
We all have an archive of our past as documented in photo albums, writings, letters, emails, Facebook posts and pics, and we're now called upon to revisit that archive with clearer eyes. It can be a humbling and at times embarrassing exercise, but it is also a necessary, inspiring and good exercise that is simply an extension of the reckoning we're living through.
Like many of you, I find great comfort and solace in work. Staying busy is just a wonderful thing. But I also find great joy and inspiration in connecting with the people I care about, which is perhaps what has made these past five months of sheltering in place so challenging. I wonder if there might be any interest in a weekly one-hour forum or discussion group where those of us who would like to can come together and just talk about and listen to all of this profoundly heavy stuff that is rising to the surface for everyone. I'll help put it together if given the green light.
The Washington Post had a great op ed denouncing Trump. I approve:
A second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery
Thursday, August 20, 2020
What a relief! Biden's acceptance speech was problem free. And inspiring! Nicely done, Joe!
Monday, August 17, 2020
Lots to do these days: (1) training classes I'm helping with, plus (2) classroom volunteer work I'm getting ready for (Google Classroom and
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Not my first choice, but I see a lot of upside to this pick. She's a strong prosecutor who will go to the mat for Biden when calling out Pence, Trump and Trumpism for what it actually is (white supremacy and America at its worst). Obama undoubtedly had a hand in selecting Senator Harris and he can mentor her to perhaps fight harder for the right side of justice and not just the side that has the power. Here's her chance for redemption and her opportunity to show us all that there's more to her than sheer opportunism. We'll see. I know a few of my astute political friends are over the moon with glee at her selection. If every registered Dem votes in November, Trump will lose in a landslide. At the end of the day, Biden's pick helps the cause. Crazy times ahead between now and Nov. 3!
Monday, August 10, 2020
Great ad from the Lincoln Project:
One of the best yet!
Work, a little reading, a little stock market / financial shell game studying. Seriously, the market makes no sense to me. Only a matter of time before the whole thing goes up in smoke. Hopefully after I'm long gone. The US will die a slow death. But it is dying. 
Sunday, August 9, 2020
No jury duty tomorrow after all, which is a relief. I had some time to play bridge with Kevin. We hadn't done that in a while. I wish I were better at this game. My mind is so slow. Picked up Michelle Obama's memoir again. It's very good. I should knock the book out this week. Also reading How to Read a Book, which I go to every now and then. I love these kinds of study guides.
We put a little time in the garden this afternoon, preparing the second garden bed. One more to build and then the four raised beds are done.
We cooked salmon in the air fryer. Very good. Also cooked some leftover pizza. Delicious. New favorite kitchen gadget? I think maybe.
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Dropped the car off at Wheel Works early in the a.m. and afterward we went to Home Depot to pick up more supplies for the back yard. Next week, the shed may be coming. It will be good size and I'll need to construct a foundation before we can assemble it.
Also went to Whole Foods to pick up chicken wings for the air fryer. It's a great machine. We made french fries, wings, cauliflower. All delicious!
Austin and Hannah came over for dinner. We had so much food: pizza, shrimp, wings, cauliflower. All so good. We ate outside with the heating lamp on.
Bad news with the car. It will need $2k in repairs due to faulty gaskets that are difficult to get to. Lots of labor involved. That's unfortunate, but I sort of remember the mechanic mentioning it last year. Oh well. At least I have the cash for it.
More bridge studying.
Friday, August 7, 2020
Picking up where I left off in bridge. Such an amazing and complicated game, but it's good for my brain.
What I did with the TV cabinet yesterday I'm doing to my work station today, organizing all the cords so they don't hit the floor. I went to Ace to buy velcro to tape to the bottom of my desk. Works well.
Work picked up this afternoon. Had a long job from Jonathan, who I hadn't heard from in a while.
Oh wow, found out I have jury duty on Monday. That will be interesting. Apparently, only 40 people total will be there, instead of the usual 200. At least I'll be able to bring my laptop with me.
Hung out with Richard and Lisa for an hour in the evening. Nice!
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Used the roomba to vacuum the living room and collect all the dust, then rewired the equipment on the TV cabinet so that none of the wires hit the floor. Looks a lot better now, but took a few hours to complete.
Reading more short stories these days and of course concerned about the November election. Not that Biden will lose, but that Trump will refuse to accept defeat and do what he can to sow chaos and turmoil into his version of playing the rigged card. Not everyone sees through his projections of himself.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Alice has been fixated on air fryer videos. So we got one. It will arrive on Friday. People seem to love their air fryers.
91 days until election day. Every day Trump continues to make mistakes is a good day for democracy. Given all that has happened, it's stunning he still has 40% support. It should be 4%. I'll never understand it.
