Joe's Book Cafe Door 18

Street art from our London trip.

Welcome back to the cafe!

My reading so far.

January, 2018

1. Artemis by Andy Weir
2. Bella Poldark by Winston Graham
3. Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
4. God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
5. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
6. The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie
7. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
8. Bizarre Space A Kid's Guide by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton
9. Lessons on Expulsion by Erika L. Sanchez
10. Binti The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor
11. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
12. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
13. Warcross by Marie Lu
14. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
15. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

February 2018

16. The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
17. Neogenesis by Sharon Lee
18. The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri
19. Girl in a Plain Brown Wrapper by John D. MacDonald
20. A Tan and Sandy Silence by John D. MacDonald
21. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
22. Shock by Shock by Dean Young
23. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
24. Lightning Blade by D.N. Erikson
25. Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami
26. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
27. The Power by Naomi Alderman
28. Light Boxes by Shane Jones

March

29. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley
30. In Pursuit of Memory by Joseph Jebelli
31. A Local Habitationby Seanan McGuire
32. For We Are Many by Dennis Taylor
33. All These Worlds by Dennis Taylor
34. One Goal: A Coach by Amy Bass
35. We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
36. Artificial Night by Seanan Macguire
37. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
38. Where Now New and Selected Poems by Laura Kasischke
39. Wires and Nerve* by Marissa Meyer
40. Wires and Nerve Volume 2* by Marissa Meyer
41. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
42. And the earth did not devour him by Tomas Rivera
43. The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel
44. Camp Austen by Ted Scheinman
45. The Beauty: Poems by Jane Hirschfield
46. Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

April

47. Hellbent by Gregg Horwitz
48. The Disappeared by C.J. Box
49. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
50. The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
51. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser
52. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes
53. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
54. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Espenbeck
55. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
56. The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
57. Sandman Omnibus Vol. 2* by Neil Gaiman
58. Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman
59. Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer
60. Brazen Rebel Ladies* by Penelope Bagieu
61. The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman

May

62. Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith
63. It Happens in the Dark by Carroll O'Connell
64. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
65. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
66. One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
67. Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg
68. One Robe, One Bowl by Ryokan
69. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
70. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
71. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (re-read)
72. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
73. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
74. The Book of Endings by Leslie Harrison
75. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
76. Winter Long by Seanan McGuire
77. Flowers of Vashnoi by Lois McMaster Bujold
78. Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
79. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
80. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

June

81. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
82. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
83. After the Funeral by Agatha Christie (re-read)
84. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
85. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (re-read)
86. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
87. Red Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
88. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (re-read)
89. Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie (re-read)
90. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
91. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
92. What Would Jane Do from Potter Style
93. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
94. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
95. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

July

96. Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire
97. Zen and Gone by Emily France
98. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
99. What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw by Agatha Christie (re-read)
100. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (re-read)
101. Case of the Missing Men* by Kris Bertin
102. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
103. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
104. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
105. Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

August

106. Brown by Kevin Young
107. Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer
108. Selected Poems of Gwendolyn Brooks
109. House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
110. Circe by Madeline Miller
111. 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie
112. The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill
113. Portugal* by Pedrosa
114. Broken Places by Tracy Clark
115. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
116. The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette
117. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
118. The Carrying by Ada Limon
119. Dictionary Stories by Jez Burrows
120. The Overstory by Richard Powers

September

121. Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
122. Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire
123. Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie (re-read)
124. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
125. Death at Sea by Andrea Camilleri
126. Buddha by Deepak Chopra
127. The Delight of Being Ordinary by Roland Merullo
128. Skeleton God by Eliot Pattison
129. Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire
130. Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson
131. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
132. Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
133. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
134. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
135. John Woman by Walter Mosley

October

136. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Entrada
137. Changers: Drew by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper
138. Priest Turned Therapist Treats Fear of God by Tony Hoagland
139. Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor
140. Changers Book Two by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper
141. Changers Book Three by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper
142. Changers Book Four by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper

Illustrated Books 2018

1. Saga Volume 8 by Fiona Staples
2. Black Panther Avengers of the New World by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Black Panther Book Two by Ta-Nehisi Coates
4. Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire
5. Henchgirl by Rita Stradling
6. The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen by Jorge Zentner
7. Death The Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman
8. Going into Town by Roz Chast
9. Black Panther Book Three by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10. Black Panther World of Wakanda by Roxanne Gay
11. After the Rain by Andre Julliard
12. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say
13. Leave it to Chance by James Robinson
14. Thornhill by Pam Smy
15. Lumberjanes Vol. 4 by Noelle Stevenson
16. The Green Hand and Other Stories by Nicole Claveloux
17. Orphan Black Helsinki by Graeme Manson
18. Nemi by Lise Myrhe
19. Jane by Aline McKenna
20. Eye of the World Volume 5 by Robert Jordan
21. Andre the Giant by Box Brown
22. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
23. The Discworld Graphic Novels by Terry Pratchett
24. Starseeds by Charles Glaubitz
25. Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker
26. Josephine The Dazzling Life by Patricia Hruby Powell
27. Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty
28. Paper Girls Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan
29. Serenity No Power in the 'Verse by Chris Roberson
30. Hawkeye Kate Bishop Anchor Points by Kelly Thompson
31. Alpha Abidjan to Paris by Bessora
32. Drawing from Memory by Allen Say
33. Orphan Black Deviations by Heli Kennedy
34. Lazarus X+66 by Greg Rucka
35. How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis
36. Flight Volume 6 edited by Kazu Kabuishi
37. Feathers by Jorge Corona
38. Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joelle Jones
39. Kill or Be Killed by Ed Brubaker
40. Kill or Be Killed Vol. 2 by Ed Brubaker
41. Royal City by Jeff Lemire
42. Runaways Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell
43. Wonder Woman Love and Murder by Jodi Picoult
44. American Gods Volume 1: Shadows by Neil Gaiman
45. Catwoman Final Jeopardy by Will Pfeifer
46. Batgirl Vol. 2: Son of Penguin by Hope Larson
47. Black Panther: Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor
48. Royal City Vol. 2 by Jeff Lemire
49. Orbital Vol. 1 by Sylvain Runberg
50. A History of Violence by John Wagner
51. All Summer Long by Hope Larson
52. Dr. Strange: The Way of the Weirdby Jason Aaron
53. Dr. Strange: The Last Days of Magicby Jason Aaron
54. Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan
55. Orphans Vol. 1 by Roberto Recchioni
56. Ms. Marvel Vol. 9 by G. Willow Wilson
57. Bitch Planet Vol. 2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
58. New Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 6 by Kazuo Koike
59. New Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 1 by Kazuo Koke
60. The Golden Compass Graphic Novel by Philip Pullman
61. Strong Female Protagonist Book Two by Brennan Lee Mulligan
62. Hack/Slash Reanimation by Tim Seeley
63. Monstress Volume 3 by Marjorie Liu

*Also a graphic novel

Rafa at Play

2018 Favorites So Far

Fiction

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer

Circe by Madeline Miller

House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

Poetry

Where Now by Laura Kasischke

Selected Poems of Langston Hughes

Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith

The Carrying by Ada Limon

Priest Turns Therapist by Tony Hoagland

Nonfiction

One Goal: A Coach, A Team by Amy Bass

Prairie Fires by Carolyn Fraser

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

Young Adult

We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Helligman

Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Power by Naomi Alderman

Binti The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Mystery

Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Death at Sea by Andrea Camilleri

Illustrated Books

Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

Sandman Omnibus Volume 2 by Neil Gaiman

Brazen Ladies by Penelope Baglieu

Alpha Abidjan to Paris by Bessora

Royal City by Jeff Lemire

American Gods Volume 1 by Neil Gaiman

Black Panther Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor

A History of Violence by John Wagner

Here's the obituary for my late father Lyndon:



http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?n=lyndon-welch&pid=...

He's missed.

Meetups! (Will add more later)



Lucy (non-LT friend of Claire's), Joe, Debbi, Darryl (kidzdoc), Claire (sakerfalcon), and Paul (Polaris)



Frank (Anita's husband), Ella (EllaTim), Darryl, Debbi, Joe, Anita (FAMeulestee)



Debbi and Darryl wresting for the check at Grand Cafe in Amsterdam Centraal train station

In the beautiful London County courtroom to see Witness for the Prosecution



Debbi and Joe punting (think poling a boat, not American football) in Cambridge

Happy new one, Joe. Gorgeous topper.

>8 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Hope you're having eine schöne woche. (Did I get that right?)



Some day we hope to get to your beautiful city.

>7 jnwelch: Look at you two. Love it.

>9 jnwelch: It's perfect, Joe. Would be very nice to meet you and Debbi in person.

>7 jnwelch: Wow, that courtroom is a lovely setting for that play! And it looks like punting was a lot of fun.

>1 jnwelch: Good toppers. Graffiti is so much better these days. :-)

>3 jnwelch: Rafa's looking good.

Nice travel 'n' meetup photos.

Can't get my mind around how many books you read.

>10 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. We had such a good time!

>11 Ameise1: Oh good, Barbara. Ditto - fingers crossed. :-)

>12 foggidawn: Isn't it, foggi? And the courtroom seats are so comfortable. The punting was a great way to finish off a day of walking around Cambridge on a guided tour (the organization is called London Walks - we've been really happy with them over the years). Lying back and letting someone take us along the River Cam suited us perfectly.

>13 weird_O: I missed yours, Bill - see my response in >24 jnwelch:.

Happy New Thread, Joe. Welcome back! You were missed. I think Rafa deserves the topper spot. Just sayin'! What an adorable photo.

I also love the London photos, many of I have all ready seen on FB. What a wonderful time you guys had.

How was Lethal White? I am not surprised at all, that you have all ready jumped on it.

Happy new thread! Thanks for posting the great photos of your travels.

>15 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Thanks!

Hard to argue about that adorable Rafa. I'm sure more photos of him will mysteriously appear in the cafe.

We joke that every trip across the pond is our best trip ever, but this one was . . . the best ever. :-)

I LOVED Lethal White! I'll try to do a mini-review soon. Cormoran and Robin are so real - at various times Debbi had to hear how worried I was about the two of them. They get themselves into some dangerous spots, those two, and their personal lives are challenging right now, too. I feel like I know them better than some friends of ours - and I love to spend time with them. It's a long book, I guess, but it could have been twice as long as far as I was concerned. I didn't want it to end. I'm so happy for JKR; she gave us all a great gift with Harry Potter, but how thrilling it must be for her to have created this other series that is so riveting.

I read that she has at least 10 (!) more Cormoran and Robins planned, and that's good news for readers.

>16 figsfromthistle: Thanks, figs! I'm sure I'll be posting some more photos from our trip as we go along. We were using Facebook on the trip, and not everyone here is on FB. I also have a bunch that weren't on FB, so that'll be fun to get them up on the cafe walls.

This one may be too bizarre for some folks, but I really liked it on our street art tour. The design really works for me.

Happy new thread Joe, sounds like you had a good last few days in London mate and then a good flight home, it was so nice to meet you and Debbi and next time I will make sure Karen joins the party.

>17 jnwelch: Oh, 10 more? That is good news! About Cormoran and Robin: I'm glad she's away from Matthew, but that's obviously been coming since the beginning. On one hand, I want to root for C&R as a couple, but on the other hand, they currently have such a pleasant, easy friendship that adding romance into the mix seems like it would almost certainly spoil things. I'm wondering if Rowling will introduce another relationship for Robin, to prolong the will-they-or-won't-they? aspect, before resolving the series with the two as a couple. Kind of like giving Ginny a couple boyfriends before the relationship with Harry, since Matthew is the only serious relationship that Robin has ever had. It's given me plenty of muse on, that's for sure!

Happy new thread, Joe! Love the photos of Rafa and from your meetups and trip. Looks like a fun time!

>19 johnsimpson: Thanks, John. We did have a good last few days in London. I couldn't believe finding , on the flight back, that the hole-in-the-wall cafe we had breakfast at on our last day (J & A on Clerkenwell) was described in detail in that newish Anthony Horowitz book The Word is Murder. The flight itself was fine, although we're eagerly awaiting the successful invention of teleportation. We both had such a good time meeting you, buddy; we can't wait to meet Karen.

>20 foggidawn: Isn't that good news, foggi? I couldn't agree more with your spoiler comments regarding Lethal White. You get it right every which way. Good idea that JKR will figure out a way to prolong the will-they-or-won't they. You're right, their friendship is so pleasant and easy that it would almost be a shame to introduce romance - but at the same time, it's hard not to root for their romance as a reader. Like you, it has struck me that Robin has only had the one romance, and with the awful Matthew, at that. As you can tell, like you, I've been musing about it all a lot. I thought Robin's post-trauma panic attacks, and her determination not to let them give Cormoran reason to criticize her work (as understandably misguided as that was) also were really well-handled, as was C telling her about the panic attacks he had after the trauma he experienced. (And making her feel good by telling her she was a great driver, allowing him to overcome them while with her).

>21 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I'm glad you're enjoying all the photos. I'm a bit biased about that Rafa, but he sure makes me smile. It was indeed a fun time. Following up on what Barbara said last thread, home sweet home ain't so bad either.

Happy new thread, Joe!
It was nice to follow you and Debbi on FB with all the pictures, there is some lovely street art at the top. For us the highlight of your trip was our meeting in Amsterdam.
I am a bit jealous, I still can't find a publishing date for the Dutch translation of Cormoran Stike book 4 :'(

>13 weird_O: Oh shoot, I missed you in the new thread hubbub, Bill. (No, not in the new thread hillbill, Bub).

Street art: our young tour guide in London felt that street art really started getting admired and accepted about 10-15 years ago - very recently, in the scheme of things. Banksy, of course, had a lot to do with it. He (the guide) made an interesting distinction between the taggers (who basically, IMO, do idiosyncratic "signatures" to impress each other), and street artists, who are looking to communicate with the public through their art. He sees the former group as insular, and the latter as outer-directed. But, as some street artists start being hired by ad companies and product designers and licensing their designs for commercial sale, many taggers view (some?) street artists as sell-outs.

Rafa's the man, I mean, baby.

Thanks re the photos. Yeah, I've always been a major devourer of books. Our daughter is a bit of a mindboggler herownself when it comes to that. They just taste so good; it's hard to resist. My wife always points out that I even read during TV commercials. Well, of course, right?

>23 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

I'm glad you enjoyed the FB travelogue with all the photos; Debbi just did a terrific job on that, didn't she. We had a neighbor say he was glad we were back, but part of him wanted us to keep going, so he could keep enjoying the FB daily reports. :-)

Meeting you and Frank and Ella in Amsterdam was a big highlight for us, too. (And spending more time with LT Ambassador Darryl). Thanks so much for making the time to get together, and finding that excellent restaurant (what a location!)

P.S. I imagine it may take a while to get Lethal White translated into Dutch; it's a page-turner, but it ain't a shortie. Fingers crossed that some smart translator is able to do it fairly quickly.

Happy new thread, Joe, and what wonderful photos and memories!

Happy new thread Joe, love your toppers, but Rafa is nr1 for me, how well is he doing!

Just finished The Cuckoo's Calling, so I'm glad I've something to look forward to. And that you have the same, with ten more planned!

Happy new thread Joe!

Just caught up with your previous thread and looks like you've been having a great time on your travels.

I'm only a couple of hours into the audio of Lethal White so not clicking on the spoilery stuff. I really need to start a jigsaw puzzle so I can listen other than just in the car.

>24 jnwelch:

Adam Mansbach has some fun and illuminating insights into early African American and Jewish freight train tagging in THE END OF THE JEWS.

I noticed that you enjoyed Convenience Store Woman. I have several Japanese novels on my short (actually quite big) bedside reading stack. I enjoy the Japanese novels for their straightforwardness and sometimes spareness. I also like the fact that they are very well edited. Some might say they are stripped down to the essentials. I like the mysteries. They are odd, but they are good. I liked Devotion of Suspect X and have more of Higashino's mysteries on my bookshelves. I think you are right about having to like that sort of novel, or at least to have some proclivity towards that type of writing to like these novels, but they are so good.

Haven't started Lethal White yet, although it's sitting here looking at me saying "I'm next, I'm next!" Exciting to know Rowling anticipates writing lots more of these.

And >29 m.belljackson: The End of the Jews is also on my tbr piles somewhere....I need to get to that.

MORE RAFA, PLEASE!

Welcome back!!!

>17 jnwelch: So glad you like the 4th one--Cormaran just showed up on my doorstep today!

Happy new thread, Joe! Wonderful photos!

>26 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. It was a wonderful time, and I'm glad you like the photos.

>27 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. Thanks - I'll post another one of sweet Rafa.

It sounds like A Cuckoo's Calling was a good one for you; I'm glad. You have some exciting reading ahead of you! I know, I was so glad to read that JKR plans on many more. These are two of my favorite characters ever.

>28 SuziQoregon: Hiya, Juli! Thanks!

It was a great time. What a dilemma - I love the idea of listening to Lethal White while in the car - those drives are going to seem very short! But I wouldn't be able to wait until my next time in the car. Plus I'm a race-through-the-pages kind of guy.

>29 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I have to admit, I find current tagging boring, and even annoying, when they do it over street art. I know many are attracted by the secretive, risk-taking culture, but the result is . . . boring. I imagine early African-American and Jewish freight train tagging was quite different. Thanks for the tip on The End of the Jews. The author is the Go the F*ck to Sleep guy - the very funny and on-target "kids' book". I saw him in an on-stage interview here, and he's very funny in person, too.

>30 benitastrnad: Well said, Benita. Japanese novels like Convenience Store Woman - straightforward, sometimes spare, stripped down to the essentials. I love that description. Strange Weather in Tokyo and Kawakami's other one fit that, too. The content can be weird as all get out, but it's told in that straightforward, stripped down way. Interesting to think that editing may play a role.

Obviously, Murakami is a different animal, but you've put your finger on what I like in those types of books.

I'll have to take a look at Devotion of Suspect X. I don't really have any Japanese mystery writers I follow.

>31 laytonwoman3rd: I hope you enjoy Lethal White as much as I did, Linda. More Rafa? OK! Here's the latest:

>32 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

I loved the 4th Cormoran. I think you'll have a great time with it. It's one of those where I almost wish I hadn't read it, so I could read it for the first time like you will.

>33 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

Bargain of the Day: Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick is $1.99 on Kindle. Great book, remarkable man.

>31 laytonwoman3rd: >35 jnwelch:

I didn't want The End of the Jews to ever end...
and went yesterday to abe.com to order two of his other books: RAGE and ANGRY WHITE BOY.

They sound a lot different, but hopefully there still will be his subtle and fun-house humor amid the strangeness.

His Go The F*ck to Sleep is still one of the funniest books I've ever read!

Lucky you, Joe, to have seen Adam Mansbach in person - from the photos,
it appears that RAFA will be happy to join all the laughing.

I've not seen tagging over street art here in Madison -
is it a statement against Street Art artists, maybe former taggers, selling out by getting paid?

p.s. I just won a copy of WASHINGTON BLACK on Susan Beecher's online book site.

>39 m.belljackson: That's such a good sign, that you didn't want The End of the Jews to ever end, Marianne. Mansbach is good friends with Kevin Coval, a civic-minded Chicago poet who just won the Studs Terkel award here. As part of a show Kevin curated (and Madame MBH performed a story in), the two of them just sat down on the Victory Garden stage and riffed like the friends they are. It was hilarious.

This is the two of them, although not from that night.



I wondered the same thing about tagging over street art. Is it a commentary about selling out? Is it, yours has been up here long enough and this is a public space? Is it, this is a public wall and fair game? It really bugs me - one of my favorites in London, a wonderful night street scene by a Japanese street artist, was ruined by tagging. Arggh. I imagine taggers could care less about the opinion of an old white guy like me, but I do know one who is also a teaching artist, and I bet he'd agree with me. You can tag and not harm the work of others.

BTW, we asked our guide whether everything we were seeing was legal (it's illegal without permission in Chicago, for ex), and he laughed and said, it's so accepted in London now. (Not a full answer). It's actually become a bit of a tourist draw, and street artists come from all over the globe to do work there.

I believe Ellen loved Washington Black; congrats on winning it. I'll look forward to hearing what you think.

Some of the street art in London was chuckle-worthy. Here's a helpful parking warning (park at your own risk):



And here's a motivating ad billboard:



This shows some of our group at the beginning of the tour, with Debbi in the purple hat on the left, and our guide David from London Walks facing out:

Here are two more that I liked:





This one shows Debbi near what appears to be a turtle with furry jockey:

Happy new thread! Nice street art, as usual. 😀

Happy new thread! Love all the photos

Glad to see you enjoyed Lethal White. I should be starting it tonight once the wee monsters are sleeping.

>36 jnwelch: Love the Rafa photo. This kid is cute!

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Did you ever read The Gods of Gotham? If not, this is a terrific historical mystery trilogy. I finally started the second book and it begins very well.

You know I am reading the Hoagland. No GN, but I am picking up the second volume of Royal City.

>43 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim. Madame MBH and I get such a kick out of good street art. This was a real treat for us.

Hey, isn’t it near time for more news on the solar probe? I need to get over to your thread and catch up. Are you getting more sleep these days?

>44 ChelleBearss:. Thanks, Chelle. Oohhh, starting Lethal White tonight. You may find it’s 3 a.m. before you know it! 😀

>45 msf59:. Sweet Thursday, buddy. That Rafa never fails to make me smile. He’s so happily engaged with life.

I did read The Gods of Gotham, and liked it. I wasn’t as captivated as some LTers, but it was good. I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of the 2d.

I thought the 2d Royal City was really good. I believe the third comes out soon. My current GNs are the second Strong Female Protagonist, with intriguing probing of how superheroes could help by non-heroic community service, and the third volume of Monstress, which just came out. Marjorie Liu is the first Woman to win an Eisner, which she got for the first one. Complex and confident storytelling with beautiful artwork.

Definitely getting more sleep! We have our first Venus flyby coming up next week, then Solar encounter at the end of October.

Hey Joe, love the pictures of your trip, especially the street art. The tagging bugs me too. I've requested John Woman from the library.

Morning, Joe!

I love the street art talk and photos. And that Rafa is such a little beauty! When do you get to see him again?

>47 drneutron: Ha! I can imagine your sleeping has improved, Jim. Venus flyby next week - how cool is that?!

>48 charl08: Hiya, Charlotte. Thanks. I know - the tagging, IMO, is old now and not worth it, and certainly doesn't need to be done over street art. Oh well. I'm glad you'll be digging into John Woman! It's one of his most ambitious, IMO.

>49 scaifea: Morning Amber! Thanks. We get to see that little beauty Rafa at Thanksgiving. I wish it was sooner! Then we see him again at Christmas.

Two photos from our meetup with John Simpson in York at Belle's Bouffe cafe:

>50 jnwelch:

RAFA seems to be trying out Halloween costumes!

>50 jnwelch: >51 jnwelch: Hooray for more Baby Rafa and another glorious Meet up!!

Happy Friday, Joe. Another nice Cubs win. Lets keep 'em coming. I really want to win the division. It will take a lot of pressure off.

I pick up the 2nd volume of Royal City tomorrow. I did not realize there was a 2nd volume of Strong Female Protagonist out. I really liked the first. Let me know if it is worth getting.

I'm a pushover for any detective novel by Walter Mosley, creator of Easy Rawlins, but I also love his range, creativity and bravery in other genres. A couple of my non-mystery favorites are Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, in which former prisoner Socrates Fortlow lives up to his first name with streetwise explorations of philosophy and ethics, and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, in which a used up old man subjected to abuse and exploitation finds a temporary fountain of youth and shows what’s he’s really made of. This new one, John Woman, is one of his most ambitious yet, somehow blending a crime story, an autodidact who can never stop questioning, a cult, and hot sex, with a surprisingly entertaining exploration of history and ideas, and how we wrongly perceive the world around us.

John Woman is a professor at a southwestern college, having reinvented himself from shy Cornelius Jones in Manhattan's East Village, where he ran a film projector at a movie house and took care of his self-taught invalid father. An incident at the movie theater will haunt Woman, and a relationship with a policewoman that led to his new name will have unexpected repercussions. As a professor, he's a gadfly and unpredictable in teaching "deconstructionist history", challenging students to critically reject conventional thinking. He alienates some faculty members while inspiring others, and there's an elite group called the Platinum Path that takes an interest in his potential. The more success he has, the closer dangers and regrets from his past seem to get.

"Most of my fellow faculty members would have you believe that historical analysis must be an objective exercise, something gleaned from old papers, letters and books. They discuss murder, sex and madness without the slightest idea of what state or states of mind are required. They are virgins giving advice about sex; pampered aristocrats striving to understand the starving poor.

If you want to be a historian you have to know what it's like to put as much truth as you can bear out in the light of day. You have to shatter your illusions, be willing to suffer revelation."

John Woman does his best to shatter illusions and inspire revelation, and I enjoyed being with him on his journey.

>52 m.belljackson: Rafa's got a lot going on there, doesn't he, Marianne. Poor little guy started daycare, and of course got sick. He's doing a lot better today.

>53 msf59: Ha! Thanks, Mark. We got to Facetime with the little guy this morning, and it was a treat to meet John in person. Such a nice man.

Go Cubs! We just got back - I'll have to check in. Noon game today.

The second volume of Strong Female Protagonist is proving to be a special one. Son Jesse got both for me because he liked them so much. I'm not quite done but, yes, it is worth getting. It takes the issues in the first one to a new level.

Happy weekend, Joe. I love all your photos and Rafa is a star.
BTW the John Woman touchstones leads to a wrong book.

Happy new thread! Rafa is SO cute!

>56 Ameise1:. Thanks, Barbara. I’m glad you’re loving the photos and little Rafa. I fixed the touchstone for John Woman. I feel like I’ve had to do that a thousand times. For some reason, even with that unusual a title, LT comes up with French Lieutenant’s Woman.

>57 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda! He is cute, isn’t he. That little guy sure makes us smile.

I've been MIA far too long.

Hope I am back for good.

Have a great weekend buddy.

>24 jnwelch: Ha, isn't that what commercial breaks are for - reading or maybe visiting the facilities or checking on how supper is cooking?

Love the pictures of Rafa. The street art is pretty good too.

>59 PaulCranswick: There's Paul! Welcome back, buddy.

Hope you have a good weekend, too.

>60 Familyhistorian: Ha! Couldn't agree more, Meg. We get so darn many TV ads, too. Great opportunity to read. :-)

Thanks re Rafa. Our son and DIL feel like they've won the lottery. He's some kid. I'll probably post some more street art from the trip at some point. We saw so many interesting ones.

We were at quite the swanky 50th birthday party last night for a good friend of ours - the remarkable wife of a man who's been a friend going way back. She came from tough circumstances (as her kids movingly related at the party), and had a blast on her birthday. Here are some pics. We even each got a Walk of Fame star on the floor.



Madame MBH and her security guard



Tracy and family. Those are her 4 kids, believe or not - and she's a grandmother.



Finally!



Tracy's a star

I found a good closeup of Tracy with her cake, and one of Becca with her star

Looks like a great party Joe. You and Debbi looking very smooth there.

Looks like a very entertaining party!! Great pics :)

>64 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! Thanks, Caroline. The theme was Audrey Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffany's, so the men were supposed to wear black with white bow ties and the women black with pearls. Debbi's gloves and pearls were her mother's. I found a pic of Debbi and Becca dancing with our friend Ed, Tracy's husband:



>65 figsfromthistle: Thanks, figs! It was very entertaining - as you can see in one of the photos, they even had a friend interviewing people about Tracy as they came in.

Looks like a wonderful time.

>68 jnwelch:. It was, Judy, thanks. She was so looking forward to it; I’m so glad it turned out well. Her daughter Marcy deserves most of the credit.

Welcome home, Joe and Debi. I don't even know where to start… Mostly, I love the way you keep us informed through your messages and the many pictures of your travels. I especially love the latest Rafa pics, and the 50th birthday party for your friend looks like so much fun. I'm also amazed that you can do so much reading while you two are having fun living your lives. Keep up the good work!

>62 jnwelch: The swanky 50th birthday party looks amazing! Go Tracy! Nice looking lady. And you make a perfect security guard.

Happy Sunday, Joe! I was completely wrapped up with sports today, so very little LT time. Great Bears win! And I am glad the Cubs pulled one off. I just wish they could have won the division straight out, without letting it go to a tie. Completely exasperating.

I did finish The Children's Blizzard, so I will start off October with a fresh print and audio read. Yah!!

Wow that looks like quite the party Joe. And Rafa is such a cutie. I can’t wait to read the latest Cormoran Strike book and I’m glad to hear she’s going to write more. Yay for us.

Hi Joe!

I see that Less is on your list of favorites (so far) for 2018. I bought a copy of it a couple of weeks ago; now I will try to get to it sooner rather than later.

Rafa continues to be pretty darn cute.

>62 jnwelch: Fun party! You and Debbi look terribly charming.

>69 Donna828: Ha! Thanks, Donna. It's fun to share what we're up to with LT pals like you. It's been an unusual year, to say the least. I don't think we'll forget 2018 any time soon.

You might be interested in what I'm reading now, at the rec of Madame MBH: Changers by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper. In the first YA of 4, a "Changer" boy turns into a girl for the first year of high school, with an unpredictable change each year and then a choice at the end of which of the 4 to be for the rest of his/her life. I'm near the end, and enjoying it. I'll be reading the rest.

>70 msf59: Hiya, Mark. That was one amazing party. She did it up proud. Did you meet Ed and Tracy? Maybe not. Some day! Thanks about my being a good security guard. I got so lucky with who I guarded - I'm going to ask her out.

What a sports day! I haven't enjoyed a Bears game that much in a long time. The Cubs did what they needed to, and even the Bulls won their pre-season game, looking pretty good in the process. Like you, I was glued to the sports for most of the day. Such an odd 163d game for the Cubs today - both teams are going forward, so it's who gets first place and who plays who. Re the Cubs - if Kris Bryant hadn't gotten injured, they'd be in first all alone. I'm not even going to mention Darvish and the others.

I've seen people mentioning The Children's Blizzard. I'll have to get over to your thread and find out more. Enjoy your new reads!

As I mentioned to Donna, I'm reading Changers, an unusual YA, and enjoying it.

We go back to the gym today, after a month gallivanting around. Pray for us. :-)

>71 brenzi: It was quite the party, Bonnie, no doubt about it. She'd been looking forward to it for weeks, and reported the next day that it was even more wonderful than she imagined. She's one of the nicest, bravest people we know. Rafa! He's down in Colombia right now with his mom, meeting many new relatives, including his great-grandmother.

You'll love the latest Cormoran and Robin, and you're right, such great news that she plans to do a bunch. She really likes the characters - easy to see why.

>72 EBT1002: Hi Ellen!

We miss you! Please arrange for a conference in Chicago asap, and we'll try to aim your way.

I predict you're going to love Less. Some readers have taken a bit to get oriented at the beginning, but ended up loving it. It originally was an RD recommendation to me; he told me to drop everything else and read it immediately. Good call!

As far as I can tell, Rafa doesn't even practice being cute. He's a natural, that guy.

Ha! I told Debbi you said we looked terribly charming at the party. She loved it. We've gotten a lot of reactions to the gloves and bow tie.

For your viewing pleasure, here's one of Debbi and me a little less dressed-up, in front of the Anne Frank house. What an experience that was.

>46 jnwelch: I ended up starting The Fireman instead, but Lethal White is next!

That party looks like quite the fun time! Love the dress up photos! You both clean up nicely :)

>62 jnwelch: & >75 jnwelch: Nice pictures of you two, Joe!
Last week I saw a picture of Obama signing the guest book in the Anne Frank house.

>75 jnwelch: Love this!

Morning, Joe. Glad you are getting back to the gym. I am sure it will feel good. Go Cubbies! You know, I'll be listening, as I stroll the route.

76 Hi, Chelle. Have fun with The Fireman; Lethal White will wait for you, I'm sure. :-)

The party was a blast. We were honored to be there. I was a bit annoyed to have to dress up (go figure), but Madame MBH liked the look, so that helped. Before that, as you may remember, we were at a black tie wedding. I'm ready for a party where everyone is asked to wear sweats!

>77 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I bask in Debbi's glow. I'd much rather wear what we have on in >75 jnwelch: than >62 jnwelch:, but I guess it's good to get dressed up once in a while.

Obama signing the guest book in the Anne Frank house - that sounds just like him. What I'd give to have him back as President - and Biden as VP.

>78 msf59: Hiya, Mark! Thanks. The gym tweren't easy today, but man it's good for us. We walked all day in London in Amsterdam many times, and we didn't get as tired as this. Woo.

Cubbies = 1-1, thanks to our pal Rizzo. Go Cubbies!

P.S. Darn. Well, they're still in it.

In my role as sherpa in York. A friend thought I look like a bat in this one.

Welcome home Joe, and thank you so much for allowing us to accompany you and Debbi on your trip. I love seeing all the pictures of places and, expecially the LTers that you met up with.

I think you need to adopt the Canadian Thanksgiving so that you can see that adorable grandson of yours sooner. Our Thanksgiving is coming up next weekend! :)

>81 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. It's good to be home, and to get back into our routines. I've got one more meetup photo, with Caroline, that I'm trying to track down. I'm glad you're enjoying the photos.

I like your idea! Sooner would be better for seeing that adorable grandson, so I'll talk with my better half about our becoming Canadian for a weekend. Wait a minute - that darn Rafa will be down in Colombia next weekend. We may need a Plan B.

Anyway, I hope you have a most excellent Thanksgiving!

Like Mark, I enjoy Tony Hoagland's poetry. Here's one of his:

America

By Tony Hoagland

Then one of the students with blue hair and a tongue stud
Says that America is for him a maximum-security prison

Whose walls are made of RadioShacks and Burger Kings, and MTV episodes
Where you can’t tell the show from the commercials,

And as I consider how to express how full of shit I think he is,
He says that even when he’s driving to the mall in his Isuzu

Trooper with a gang of his friends, letting rap music pour over them
Like a boiling Jacuzzi full of ballpeen hammers, even then he feels

Buried alive, captured and suffocated in the folds
Of the thick satin quilt of America

And I wonder if this is a legitimate category of pain,
or whether he is just spin doctoring a better grade,

And then I remember that when I stabbed my father in the dream last night,
It was not blood but money

That gushed out of him, bright green hundred-dollar bills
Spilling from his wounds, and—this is the weird part—,

He gasped “Thank god—those Ben Franklins were
Clogging up my heart—

And so I perish happily,
Freed from that which kept me from my liberty”—

Which was when I knew it was a dream, since my dad
Would never speak in rhymed couplets,

And I look at the student with his acne and cell phone and phony ghetto clothes
And I think, “I am asleep in America too,

And I don’t know how to wake myself either,”
And I remember what Marx said near the end of his life:

“I was listening to the cries of the past,
When I should have been listening to the cries of the future.”

But how could he have imagined 100 channels of 24-hour cable
Or what kind of nightmare it might be

When each day you watch rivers of bright merchandise run past you
And you are floating in your pleasure boat upon this river

Even while others are drowning underneath you
And you see their faces twisting in the surface of the waters

And yet it seems to be your own hand
Which turns the volume higher?

>83 jnwelch: Wow.

>84 ffortsa: Right, Judy? :-)

>79 jnwelch:

Love to have our real President Obama back, but not sure about Joe Biden.

He was one of those highly educated men who only wanted to believe a woman IF other women had been similarly attacked.

President Obama would likely have responded differently,
believing that ONE woman, Anita Hill, testifying, could easily be his wife, mother, or daughter.

The voice of that ONE woman WOULD count.

>86 m.belljackson: Ditto, Marianne - except that, like Obama, I like Biden. He'd sure be an improvement over Pence. Seems funny coming from an old white guy, but I can't wait until we get these old white guys out of leadership, and raciallly and gender diverse leadership in. I just hope they don't destroy our democracy before we make it happen. On every level we need the voices of women to count.

IMO, McConnell and Trump and the others see this as a war, and they're doing all they can to defend, promote, and acquire assets for, conservative white male supremacy. They see the demographics are against them, so they're doing all they can, regardless of any considerations like truth or fairness or decency or the Constitution, to maintain and preserve their power.

>87 jnwelch: power corrupts Joe. It doesn't have to be old white guys. Just look around the world. There's good and bad of every color and gender. power corrupts. IMO we have a problem with the Senate being out of balance with the country. Small states can elect someone who wields influence over the entire country. It happens that these are prime of life as well as old white guys and frequently tho not exclusively southern. As you note they are doing everything they can to preserve their power. They also seem to have the support of an awful lot of women.

>88 RBeffa: Thanks for posting, Ron. You may be right, but to me it looks like an old white guy problem in this country right now. They had to get a special female prosecutor for the "optics" in the Kavanaugh hearing. They're not listening to women, as Marianne points out. I do think your observation that power corrupts regardless is important, although the worst around the world tend to be male, seems to me. Power corrupting has got me more and more favorable toward term limits in this country, in Congress and maybe even on the Supreme Court.

The number of women supporting Trump and alt-rightism or extreme conservatism is baffling to me - Trump wouldn't have won without them.

Grab some breakfast grub

Hi Joe!

Between the hurricane and our Friends of the Library I've been MIA. I'm glad you got to see John and posted photos, always nice to see Rafa and Your Lovely Other, and Lethal White. Just, Lethal White.

Other than that, line in the sand (except for the lovely breakfast above, thank you).

>87 jnwelch: >88 RBeffa: >89 jnwelch:

Definitely Biden better than Pence!

Russ Feingold, who worked with McCain, would still make a totally excellent President.
And, if Tammy Baldwin would finally decide to be a forceful leader, she would also.

The passage of the 19th Amendment unfortunately did not do anything to uplift the "Stand by Your Man" female voters,
nor did it require any challenge to the ignorance stemming from refusal to consider, much less debate, facts.

>91 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

No worries. But I agree. Lethal White. Just, Lethal White. :-)

Enjoy the lovely breakfast. We hadn't had a chance to restock (we have, now), so I had a cheese sandwich for breakfast. This looks much better.

>92 m.belljackson: I know, Marianne, if Mueller successfully nails Trump, I hope he nails Pence, too. Then, however, does it go to Paul Ryan? He's another disaster.

Can't wait to see who turns out to try for the presidency in 2020. I like Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, too.

Yeah, if you steer clear of the truth and the facts, it becomes easier to support Trump and his cohorts. Why people would want to do that is beyond me, but apparently it has big appeal to authoritarians.

I hate to say this Joe because I'd love to see Kamala Harris run (and win) but i don't think she will. I think the Conservatives have a stranglehold on the courts and most of the political offices and therefore, gerrymandering, making it really difficult to get out of this mess. The fact that Trump has supporters at this point after almost two years of devastating policies and rhetoric completely blows my mind. I've voted for Republicans occasionally over the years, back in the days when they were reasonable and not lunatics but those days are gone. I doubt I'll ever vote for a Republican again. Ever. I long for the days when you'd get out of bed in the morning and not wonder what the outrage of the day would be. And that's just it, it's every single day. Remember when we had a president who we didn't have to worry was a total world wide embarrassment? Yeah. Right. Back in 2015.

Mm breakfast. Any time of the day. Decided to save Lethal White until my holiday. At least, that's the theory? You and Karen not making this easy.

>89 jnwelch: The worst around the world without a doubt do tend to be male.

Term limits out here in California have merely led to musical chairs, so they are a mixed blessing. The Supremes however are in need of some sort of limit. 10 years maybe? 7, I don't know. I know RBG is everyone's darling but I think she should have stepped down several years ago to allow Obama to appoint a replacement. Of course we shouldn't be even having a Kavanaugh debacle because the Senate would not allow Obama to appoint a replacement for Scalia.

>94 brenzi: You may be right, Bonnie. A North Carolina district court recently struck down the gerrymandering in that state, so maybe there's hope. There are a lot of liberal judges out there from previous administrations. From ID requirements and restrictions to closing voting places in minority areas, the Repubs are pulling every trick in the book to suppress the vote, that's for sure.

I don't see it as a Conservative stranglehold; I think a lot can change in the midterms if the vote turns out. The biggest problem, IMO, has been Democrats just plain failing to vote. I've never understood it. You've probably seen the visuals - 1/3 of the voting population voting, while 2/3 stands to the side, saying, "My vote doesn't matter."

I long for the days when you'd get out of bed in the morning and not wonder what the outrage of the day would be. And that's just it, it's every single day. Ain't that the truth! What a nightmare this Trump time is. We take 24 hours off from politics every week, Friday night shabbat to Saturday night. It helps.

>95 charl08: Yeah, we love breakfast any time of day, too, Charlotte.

As to the rest, all I can say is: Lethal White. Just, Lethal White. :-)

>96 RBeffa: I doubt we ever get the momentum to impose term limits, Ron, but seeing McConnell and Grassley and Graham makes me long for them. RBG is my darling, too, so I'm hoping she lives forever and stays on the Supreme Court. I guess that doesn't fit the term limit idea, but she's great.

McConnell is proud of blocking Garland (not even a vote!), and has admitted his whole agenda during Obama's tenure was to not cooperate and block anything he could. Is that a patriot putting the country's interest first? I don't think so. He disgusts me even more than Trump, to be honest.

Do Buddhists ever run for office? I'd like to see some Buddhists in there.

The photo saga of our trip continues. Here's one of us with Darryl before seeing Aidan Turner in The Lieutenant of Innishmore:

>83 jnwelch: Thanks for sharing the "America" poem. i like that one too. I love the way Hoagland ends most of his poems, with a beautiful strike or twist. I am really enjoying What Narcissism Means to Me, so I also highly recommend this collection too.

Hi, Joe. A warm summer day today, right? Back to cool temps tomorrow, for my day off. I just snagged the audio of Lethal White. I hope to get to it before the end of the year.

>99 jnwelch: LIKE!!

>100 msf59: I so agree, Mark. I was just thinking, in reading Priest Turned Therapist, that Tony Hoagland is a master at ending poems. I'm glad you like the America one. I actually read What Narcissism Means to Me a fair while ago and recommended it to you! We're getting so freaking confused, I'm not sure which way is up. :-)

Yeah, weird return of summer today. We were out on the porch for a while with a friend, and it got too hot. In October. Jeesh.

As Karen and I were saying, Lethal White. Just, Lethal White. I don't know how you can wait that long.

Funny, I thought you had recommended What Narcissism Means to Me, (this is why I was pumped about his new one) but then must have got mixed up. Regardless, I have discovered a worthy poet. B.A.G.

Morning, Joe!

I'm encouraged by the numbers coming in from the national voter registration day, which are apparently huge. That seems to be to be a good sign and I will stubbornly remain hopeful for this November.

>89 jnwelch: The number of women supporting Trump and alt-rightism or extreme conservatism is baffling to me - Trump wouldn't have won without them.

I continue to hold some hope that white women in this country, taken as a whole, will wake the f*** up from their brainwashed existences and realize that "standing by your man" does not mean supporting misogynistic philanderers and failed rapists who don't give a damn about their reproductive and workplace rights, or view them as intelligent and equal human beings. The overwhelming majority of women of color, as you know, voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, whereas 53% of white women voted for trump, so I'll continue to point the finger at them, although most educated white women voted for her, as did essentially all of my white female physician friends and colleagues, who collectively are just as baffled and frustrated as I am about his continued support amongst the female trump-bots, including my lunch date from yesterday.

For the same matter, I hope that POC will also wake the f*** up and vote these right wing xenophobes out of office!!!

>90 jnwelch: Whoa. What time does the café open?!

>99 jnwelch: My word. Who is that dashing American trio?

>102 msf59: Exactly, Mark. Books Are Great (B.A.G.!)

>103 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Me, too - the national voter registration day numbers are encouraging. I stubbornly remain hopeful for this November, too. If things continue in this nightmare direction, we're going to be asking our Canadian friends for asylum.

>104 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl. I remember how angry you were/are about white women who voted for Trump, and who inexplicably are fine with being treated like lower beings by men. "Female trump-bots" - ha! Good, if scary, phrase. As far as I can tell, they're also baffling to non-trump-bot females, both white and POC. Some female trump-bots may be becoming former, from what I see, but I think we should count on the same percentage supporting conservative Repubs - so we need to outnumber them and the rest everywhere we can.

The cafe is open 24/7, but the proprietor seems to be a lazy good-for-not-much, so you may have to duck into the kitchen and serve yourself.

Ha! I had the same reaction to >99 jnwelch:. They are awfully dashing, aren't they?

I sense from your question that you wouldn't mind another cafe spread. Here's a sweet one:

>104 kidzdoc: Just nodding my head with Darryl up there. Watching clips of the latest outrageous rally rhetoric, I kept wondering who those enthusiastically cheering white women behind trump could be. Was there not an empathetic bone in their bodies? Do they not have daughters, sisters, mothers? Just unfathomable. (Sorry for the rant.)

>106 jnwelch: Agreed, Vivian. Unfathomable. That rally was abhorrent. He's at his worst whenever it's just his supporters, and they eat it up. How is it possible?

I've always been of two minds about term limits for any office except the presidency. On the one hand, I don't want people to get too entrenched in their office's power; on the other hand, what kind of incentive do we provide for corruption if the term limits force someone to have to 'prepare' for retirement after a few terms in Congress? We complain now about the revolving door of lobbying and elected office. I suspect it would be worse with congressional term limits.

I also want people to form strong cooperative bonds and gain experience (not just tenure) in the legislatures. The key, I think, is fair redistricting, which depends on local legislatures more than the courts, and that, in turn, depends on voter turnout.

As for the the Supreme Court, a lifetime appointment was supposed to work like tenure, releasing the Justices from the need for partisan support. We've had 'bad' courts before, when encrusted thinking limited vision. As people live longer, the need to appoint people who are capable of deep thinking and reflection that might lead to a change of heart or mind is essential. But when the country is split along extremes, as it is now, that is unlikely, and we turn to forced cures like term limits, which may cut just the thinkers we need.

On another note, in times of populism, the issues and slogans that get people to the polls may not produce the most balanced results. Think of Huey Long, for instance. Or Andrew Jackson. The latest news on why people make the choices they make is dismal, of course, and the Kavanaugh mess may bring out partisans on both sides for this midterm election.

I, too, am baffled about the number of white women who voted for Trump. Of the women I know who voted for Trump, some of them were quite intelligent, too, so I just don't get it. But I don't know very many women who voted for Trump, being in the Twin Cities where women tend to be liberal.

What also baffles me is the number of women who comment on NPR articles about Kavanaugh in a way that is very unsupportive of the women who have bravely stepped forward to expose him. How can you watch even parts of what happened over the past week and still support Kavanaugh?! I mean, aren't there judges who will overturn Roe vs. Wade who are more emotionally stable, more honest, and less sleazy than Kavanaugh? Why not support one of them if you must? Why stick behind this guy, who has clearly shown himself to be too partisan and unstable for the Supreme Court?

Argh!!!

Ok, that got me all worked up. And it's nothing you haven't heard before. lol. I have nothing new to say on the topic, because the answer (Kavanaugh is unfit) is so blatantly obvious.

So I will stop ranting on your thread. :)

Hi Joe. I think I saw a mention, somewhere above, of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Have you seen the new documentary film on her, called RBG? Really excellent. I highly recommend it. You will come out of the theatre smiling and cheering. At least until reality hits again. But you could do worse, for some quality distraction time. Especially now.

>109 ffortsa:. Thank you for the excellent comments, Judy. Execrable people like McConnell make me long for term limits; bright lights like RBG make me grateful for permanent tenure. It would be awfully hard to change it, and different angles like those you mention make it even less likely.

Someone else mentioned that a big voter turnout could go the other way. I guess all I can say is, based on the demographics and strenuous Republican efforts to restrict voting, I don’t think so.

>110 The_Hibernator:. Hi, Rachel.

It is blatantly obvious that Kavanaugh is unfit for the Supreme Court, and that makes this all the more upsetting, doesn’t it. Even if you set aside his many lies, all his classmates calling him a liar, and the disturbingly credible assault claim of Dr. Ford and similar claims by others, which is a lot to set aside!, Kavanaugh is unqualified both on the basis of lack of impartiality and lack of appropriate judicial temperament. The last is no small matter; not only is it expected for justices in the highest court in the land, but it is required by the Judicial Canon of Ethics.

The Republicans don’t want to offer someone else because the post-November timing might shoot down the next one. (Even though the Dems are unlikely to get a Senate majority by then).

Please rant away! That’s what cafes are for.

>111 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. I know the RBG documentary has gotten stellar reviews from folks like you, and Madame MBH and I plan to see it.

>97 jnwelch:

Hi Joe - For many reasons Buddhists will likely never be elected in the U.S., not killing ANY creature being a major belief.

For the September Gods, Daemons, Etc., Non-fiction Challenge, I read RABBI JESUS and Olcott's THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM and left reviews in 3 parts,
the last two with comparisons of religion and moral philosophy which you might enjoy.

>108 jnwelch:

Since I no longer watch television news, I'm guessing that these are all SOUTHERN women who would vote for John Wilkes Booth.

>115 m.belljackson: Those darn Buddhists, Marianne. What are they thinking, "no killing". Hand me my assault-style weapon, would you?

I got elected to head up our office way back when (after saying I didn't want to do it), and one guy told me he voted for me because I had "no personal agenda." Doesn't that sound good? That's why I'd like to see Buddhists in government. Who knows, maybe the political zeitgeist will change.

I'll have to look at those reviews when time permits. Good for you.

>116 m.belljackson: Maybe so, re the Southern women who would vote for John Wilkes Booth (ha!). Honestly, I can only stand so much looking deeper into these things. The problem with a democracy is you get to see how awful people are, as well as how wonderful, and how meh. We're seeing a lot more of the awful these days, aren't we.

I've been reading Yeats' collected poems, and this old favorite felt really peaceful and refreshing today. So maybe it'll work that way for some cafe folks.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

W. B. Yeats, 1865 - 1939

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

>118 jnwelch:

Also reading W.B. Yeats Collected Poems for this month's Irish Challenge and am nearly halfway through. (taking forever since I'm reading ALL the Appendix and Footnotes)

Innisfree is still my favorite...likely before Ezra Pound's influence.

Yesterday, I enjoyed -

#293 I. Father and Child

She hears me strike the board and say
That she is under ban
Of all good men and women,
Being mentioned with a man
That has the worst of all bad names;
And thereupon replies
That his hair is beautiful
Cold as the March wind his eyes.

!

>119 m.belljackson: Good for you, Marianne. I've read a lot of his, but never all of them before. I'm about a quarter way through - he wrote a lot of poems!

Father and Child - I like it. At some point I'll post one or two of his less famous ones that stood out for me this time. The one that follows is a well-known one, but it always wows me, and makes me think (thank goodness) of my long, happy marriage.

When You Are Old

By William Butler Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. I am having a good day off. I had an enjoyable bird walk this morning. A perfect day for a stroll in the woods and meadows, plus I saw a nice amount of birds. I spent the afternoon, doing a couple of chores and spending some time with the books.

I don't read much old-school poetry, (I just have a hard time connecting) but I like "When You Are Old".

"When You Are Old" is my favorite Yeats.

>121 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark. Ah, I didn't realize you were day-offing. I saw some great photos from your walk over on your thread. It was a nice day for walking - I walked to a faraway cafe (our favorite nearby one closed, darn it). My reading mainly has been Yeats, but I want to get back to the second Changers and the Irish Country Doctor one.

Yeats is one old-school guy who is well worth your reading time. He's got a bunch of amazing ones that I suspect you'd like as much as "When You Are Old".

>122 katiekrug: You can tell I love your favorite Yeats, Katie. I don't think I can identify one favorite from him above all others - I have a bunch. The favorite of one of our nieces is "Adam's Curse" - woo, that one's a sad song, but beautifully written.

>120 jnwelch:

I love the fearless tone of the daughter speaking her wildly unpopular,
and doubtless inscrutable to dear old dad,
honest thoughts of love.

>118 jnwelch: >119 m.belljackson: >120 jnwelch: Thank you both for sharing these

>118 jnwelch: Your mention of Yeats prompts me to point out that the Irish have named a naval vessel after him. Saw it in Galway in July.



Two previously commissioned ships are the L. É. Samuel Beckett and the L.É. James Joyce. Delivery of the L.É. George Bernard Shaw is expected this year. The ship prefix LÉ stands for Long Éireannach, “Irish ship” in the Irish language.

The point is not the ship itself. Rather it is the individuals the Irish have chosen to honor in naming their naval ships.

>124 m.belljackson: Yes, me, too, Marianne. He packs a lot to think about and feel in a few lines. Reputations aren't always accurate, either, and is the father more worried about the appearance or his daughter.

>125 RBeffa: Oh good, Ron. Thanks for letting us know you appreciated them.

>126 weird_O: Yeats, Beckett, Joyce, and Shaw - there's an all-star list for you. the individuals the Irish have chosen to honor in naming their naval ships. I love it. Thanks for letting us know about this, Bill.

On our airbnb porch in Zaandam near Amsterdam

>128 jnwelch: Reminds me of the madras bedspread days of my youth. My wife and I used them for bedspreads, curtains, sofa throws, wall decorations.

>128 jnwelch: Like!

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. Looks like I need to explore Mr. Yeats.

And Sunday's Meet up looks to be shaping up nicely.

>125 RBeffa:

And, thank you, RBeffa, for your wonderful site with the lovely succulent photos and your updates and reviews!

>123 jnwelch:

"Adam's Curse" is back at #83 and shows that I liked the first 13 lines (marked with a swoop)
and wrote "odd" next to them.

(I don't usually write in books, but this one needs a lot of clarification and so is filled with question marks, despite the footnotes.)

I also liked lines 21-27, notably:

"That they would sigh and quote with learned looks
Precedents out of beautiful old books;..."

then added a ? for:

"...and yet we'd grown
As weary-hearted as that hollow moon."

Why "weary-hearted?" What meaning for "hollow?"

Sure wish there was a way to transfer all the Yeats entries onto the Irish Challenge site.

That looked like a fabulous birthday party, Joe. You get to go to the most fun events even if you have to dress up! Love the Yeats poetry especially The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

>129 RBeffa: Ha! There was definitely a throwback feel there, Ron. So beautiful - I think I posted a photo or two. There was a narrow canal where I'm looking in this, and a be-flowered backyard.

>130 msf59: Hey, buddy. Happy Friday.

Yes, explore Mr. Yeats. He's one of the few oldies but goodies I'll push.

Looking forward to Sunday! Becca has friends she's cheering on in the Marathon, but she hopes to join us for lunch.

>131 m.belljackson: :-)

>132 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Well, my take on Adam's Curse: first the poet tries to impress by talking about what hard work it is to make a poem beautiful, and how underappreciated that is, and then the woman he's with (along with her friend) says, women know all about that, that is, it takes a lot of work for a woman to create a look of effortless beauty. Then in the last stanza the poet says love is like that, too, and they all become silent. They're thinking about love, and (IMO), regretfully. It ain't happening here, despite the poet's wishes, and there are regrets in the air; they're "weary-hearted", and the conversation has slipped into quite a downer. "Hollow" has the traditional meaning, IMO, that is, the archetypal moon of love has no substance; it's empty and just a worn-out shell.

Adam's Curse is that, after leaving the gift-filled garden, anything good only comes through hard work, and that hard work may fail - even in love.

How's that?

>133 Familyhistorian: It was a fabulous birthday party, Meg. The birthday girl is still thrilled about it all these days later.

Yes, even though I complain (shocker, I know), getting dressed up was worth it for both the wedding and this party. We had a great time at both.

I'm glad you're enjoying the Yeats poetry. Lake Isle of Innisfree is a special one, isn't it. With all the awfulness we're dealing with in the U.S., it feels restorative to read it.

By the way, news of the day: the Chicago cop who fired 16 (!) shots into and killed a black man walking away was just convicted by a jury here of second degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery (one for each bullet). The shooting was caught on video.

There's no happy part of this story, but we were all worried he'd get off, and the city was braced for major upheaval. Way to go, jury. He'll get six to thirty years behind bars.

Hello Joe. I hope all is well with you. It looks as though you had a wonderful trip. I took a whirlwind European tour as teenager and hope one day to return.

I apologize in advance for any blaze I set with my subsequent comments, but I have always found you to be willing to listen even in the face of profound disagreements on social issues. The Brett Kavanagh hearing has been another in a string of examples of how the country remains divided. I don't altogether disagree with you on his potential impartiality, but wholeheartedly disagree with you on the credibility of Dr. Ford's accusations as they relate to Judge Kavanagh. FBI or no FBI, there is so little to substantiate her claim (re Kavanagh) that to simply agree that he is an attempted rapist simply because she says so is highly irresponsible.

It saddens me that we have to a point in this country where talking has become more important that listening and I will confess that I am a person who needs to listen more. I fall into the partisan trap often, but I am willing to listen. Where my willing to listen stops is when shouting begins. Because if you are shouting or chanting inflammatory rhetoric for its own sake, why would I listen? I'm just flabbergasted to hear rapist and other names thrown about when there is no evidence that it ever happened. If I am one day proven wrong, so be it. But to slander a man and take it to your heart with no evidence is wrong.

I am no novice in how politics work and 'you did it to me so I can do it you' does not make it right. Politics is sadly very dirty business and social and economic agendas are at the heart of it. I pray there is a solution, but the divide seems to widen daily. I appreciate you, Joe, and I hope that those that respond understand that I am not baiting a fight, but stepping out with a difference of opinion.

>138 brodiew2: Brodie, I'll say this as a friend. I do not believe Dr. Ford is lying. She did not just make this up. She has shared this info apparently with others in the past. She passed polygraph tests. There are apparently many people willing to go on record to disclose problems with Kavanaugh's past behavior. That sounds like evidence to me. That said, I pretty much completely agree with you about the seeming madness of chanting and shouting. I find it pretty despicable. I think it is group herd behavior that rather quickly for me loses validity. I also think it comes from a place where people feel powerless and grasp at something, anything, to fight against what they perceive as evil. And I think Mitch McConnell is evil. I know we won't agree on this. Kavanaugh should not have been nominated or rushed through the process with what is known now. He should step down. I won't say more

I would feel better about this if the judge had shown some grace under extreme pressure and had not fulminated about conspiracy theories and the Clintons. His stated bias should have disqualified him.

Great birthday photos. Thanks for sharing them. Happy weekend, Joe.

>138 brodiew2: - I appreciate your candid and honest expression of your personal opinions, Brodie, and I think it takes courage to do so in the face of what you acknowledge to be *going against the current* here. You've expressed them clearly and well. However, I have to agree with Ron in >139 RBeffa:. There seems to be enough *evidence* in the words and experiences of others who have come forward to corroborate Dr. Ford's testimony. If there was any ranting and bias and partisanship, it came from Kavanagh, not Ford. And his op-ed piece seemed a lame *too little, too late* attempt to brush that away as *oops, sorry* for his behaviour. I also agree with >140 NarratorLady: that his inability to show grace and calm under pressure is also pretty clear evidence that he does not have the *Supreme Court* demeanor. And what does Dr. Ford have to gain from putting herself under such pressure and scrutiny? Nothing, as far as I can see, except exposing the truth.

This is precisely why so few women ever come forward with admissions of having been abused. To use your own words, they are not listened to. Nobody wants to listen and nobody wants to hear. It's always the victim's word against the abuser's. I think the Me Too movement has taken a huge step in finally addressing this issue by allowing and providing women a forum and a possibility of being heard and believed. I think that the reason sexual abuse is so prevalent is that single issue: being believed. As long as the abusers can continue to deny and discredit the victims, and convince others (especially others with the power to change the rules) then in fact, nothing changes. And victims will be victimized over and over. And nothing changes.

It begins with dialogue. Women must speak up and speak out. But others must listen and hear. And yes, without the shouting and ranting and rancor. And most of all, the abusers must acknowledge their part and take responsibility for their actions. Sadly, you are very right about what politics is. And what it isn't right now, is an example of the best of human character.

>138 brodiew2: >139 RBeffa: >142 jessibud2:

Dr. Ford? Anita Hill? When will educated humans believe the word of ONE WOMAN?!?

Yes, others have lied and defamed men and their reputations, but they are few and have often been unmasked.

Any group mentality can quickly change to bring out the worst because people may end up following leaders who will try to incite action
because they are actually working for the other side to make people look bad. My high school boyfriend sent me a photograph of himself
as a bearded activist at Mayor Daley's Democratic Convention. Boyfriend was employed by NSA.

Here's Tennyson: "Confused by brainless mobs and lawless powers."

Our democracy needs to turn back the republican lawless powers and trump's brainless mobs, now and on November 6th.

>138 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. I'm going to have to take a pass. We're in our 24 hour politics blackout, Friday night to Saturday night, that I've menitoned before. You probably know what I think by now anyway. Others may want to respond.

>139 RBeffa: Good comments, Ron. As I mentioned, I've got to let it go.

>140 NarratorLady: You can imagine how I feel, Anne.

>141 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Happy weekend to you.

>142 jessibud2: Well said, Shelley.

>143 m.belljackson: Also well said, Marianne.

>144 jnwelch: I’ve begun a month-long politics blackout Joe. For my mental health I’m tuning out until Election Day. Books and all the TV shows everyone tells me I’m missing will be on my menu. I’m exhausted by all this.

>146 NarratorLady: I sure understand that, Anne. Yup. We all need to make sure to maintain our mental health.

Rafa with his great-grandma in Colombia

>148 jnwelch:

Rafa's Great-Grandma looks like she is treasuring forever the moment of this little blessing,
while Rafa may show that "I'm here!!! - Donde esta la FIESTA?!?" vibe...

>36 jnwelch: is that child perfect, or what?!??!

I love all the London photos, a great way for you to relive the trip, and for us to get a sense of how cool it was.

>148 jnwelch: How priceless is that? Looks like Rafa knows an ally when he finds one.

>149 m.belljackson: Ha! I love that "Donde esta la FIESTA", Marianne. We're so pleased he's meeting his great-grandma (bisabuela?) She can't travel to Pittsburgh or Texas, so this was important. He's such a cherub, that little guy.

>150 LovingLit: Isn't he, Megan? Totally unbiased, I am. (Said Yoda).

Thanks re the photos - best trip ever (as we say every time - but it really was). I'm glad they help give a sense of how cool it was.

>151 laytonwoman3rd: They sure look like good buddies already, don't they, Linda? He did a most excellent job of picking his family.

Donuts are ready

>148 jnwelch: Love the Rafa photos with Great-Grandma.

Morning, Joe. Glad we decided to skip the Montrose walk. Cool and damp here. Looking forward to lunch & brews, with you and the gang. Is Debbi making it too?

>155 msf59: Morning, Mark. Ditto re the Rafa photos. I'm going to try to find one of him reading the New Yorker that's a favorite of ours. I probably posted it before, but doing it again won't hurt.

Yeah, it's been very rainy here. We actually had to hole up on the porch of a house for sale on our morning coffee walk.

Great day for pubbing! Debbi is not going to come, unfortunately - she's decided that a day on her own is too tempting. But you'll see her at the house. Becca did go out to cheer on her marathon-running friends, but she should make it. She plans to meet us here. And Keith's on board.

Morning, Joe! I had a good time catching up with you, and I loved all the photos here - thanks so much for sharing.

>155 msf59: Cold and damp? Could you please send me some?

>138 brodiew2: I should give you some kind of response, Brodie, after you were nice enough to post what you know are unpopular views. Honestly, it makes me sad that someone as intelligent as you thinks this way. I'm not going to convince you otherwise - I wish I could.

Yes, there was plenty of evidence supporting Dr. Ford's testimony, and she was very credible. Ron and Shelley, among others, addressed that. If you ever serve on a jury, you'll see how this works. For conservatives to make this "no evidence" claim makes them, in my view, look ridiculous. That's why a substantial majority of the country believes her.

I've been a lawyer for an awful lot of years, and having Kavanaugh appointed to the Supreme Court is a body blow to the profession as well as the public. I think even more is going to come out about him being a predator, and he fully demonstrated his lack of fitness in his belligerent, partisan testimony. That is not judicial temperament, that is not someone who belongs on the highest court in the land. To claim otherwise is just, to me, blind.

History is not going to treat this kindly. One silver lining is Dr. Ford's brave testimony, which got her death threats from lowlifes against her and her family. Her bravery, and the back of the hand she received from Senate leadership, is having a huge impact on women - and men. I hope the dismay and disgust and resolve show up in the upcoming elections.

Brodie, I feel like the country I love is being dragged in the mud. I wish I could convince you and others who don't see it, or won't see it. But it's clear I can't, and that this is one of the prices we pay for democracy. Never has doing better than this seemed more important.

>157 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed catching up. That's one of the nicest things I could hear. You're welcome re the photos - I was technologically challenged while across the pond, so I'm trying to make up for it now. :-)

I actually agree with you on the cold and damp. I like this kind of weather. Mr. Mark and I are going to visit a pub or two today, and the weather is just right for that. I imagine you must be having a steamy time south of us, if you're asking for an import. I'm sending cool, breezy thoughts your way.

Hi Joe and happy Sunday to you!

I've skipped most of the political stuff because we seem to be on the same page and I'm very distraught about it right now.

But you simply must see RBG as soon as possible - it's educational, fun, inspiring, and increases the respect I already had for her a hundred fold.

Lovely photos of your trip, and >154 jnwelch: yay donuts. I'm so glad that I only get the ones here, because they are calorie/fat/sugar free. I'm also grateful that the closest donut shop if upwards of 30 miles away so it's easy to resist the calorie/fat/sugar-laden ones.

Back a few entries - Is there not a decent time and place for shouting and chanting?

"Hey, Hey, LBJ, How many....?" (can't bear to finish it even now, but it DID help to end that war!!!)

or

"U.S. out of Southeast Asia and Free Bobby Seale!"

or

"All that we're saying is Give Peace a Chance..."

I marched in Chicago for all of those, went to sit-ins and be-ins (anyone remember those?),
and more, got teargassed, and was thankful to be spared the Kent State fates.

>160 karenmarie: Hi Karen and Happy Sunday!

Yeah, I know, it helps to politically commiserate, but we also need breaks from it all. I feel almost as bad as I did when Trump was elected - it's just so wrong, and so bad for this country.

We're both on board with seeing RBG. Madame MBH is a big fan, and we even have her action figure.

Thanks re the photos, and yay donuts! You're right, calorie-free here. We've got a Dunkin Donuts and a local bakery within walking distance of her, so resistance isn't futile, but it is harder. I'll stick to the cafe fare.

>161 m.belljackson: Oh, I'm glad you mentioned that, Marianne. I totally agree. As you know, I've been in a number of protests against this administration, and I think they're important in expressing contrary views that aren't being heeded by those in power. I'm sure Brodie's not alone in turning a deaf ear, but part of this is solidarity, too - kindred spirits supporting one another, and encouraging resistance. We're not alone.

Kudos to you - I never have gotten teargassed, and I wouldn't mind missing out on that one. Kent State was so awful; some lessons learned there, seems like. But there are still dangers, and nuts like the one who killed the woman in Charlottesville.

When I saw RBG, there was a life-sized cardboard cut-out of her in the theatre with a hole cut in the face so people could go behind it and take a pic of their heads in that spot. It was hilarious. People were actually lining up to do so!

I am going to see if it's still playing. It feels like a good one to see again. I am not much of a rereader of books, but I have no problems seeing good films more than once! :-)

Surely, Joe, you heard about Banksy's prank at a Sotheby's auction in London. A characteristic painting of a girl holding a balloon was included in the auction and sold for more than $1 million. Moments after the auctioneer hammered the deal done, the painting slid down in its frame and emerged in shredded strips below.



The Times of New York has the story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/arts/design/banksy-artwork-painting.html?acti...

>164 weird_O:. Ha! We were just talking about this, Bill (Mark Freeburg and another pal). Thanks for the link. Banksy continues to be brilliant. What a wonderful prank!

What a fun time Mark and I had with our pal Keith today (Keith took the photo). Good lunch with Miss Becca attending, and then two craft breweries - Maplewood and Begyle. Many books discussed, world problems solved, local sports debated, and silliness shared. Plus lots of dogs in Begyle.

I thought I had spent the last week in a reoccurring dream and was re-hearing the Anita Hill hearings all over again. I thought that what Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra said about “deja vu all over again” was so appropriate. Then I got out of bed this morning and discovered that it wasn’t a bad dream and we have a new Supreme Court Justice. I am disappointed.

Seriously, what struck me when I listened to and watched part of the hearings this last week was the age of that panel of mostly white men. That has to change. The young people I work with have to get out and vote. I think that our legislators are out-of-touch. We have to get younger people out to vote.

I read in my newspaper this morning about the tight race for Senate in Texas. There is a slim possibility that Beto O’Rourke may beat Ted Cruz. There are also several tight races for Representative seats that were formerly Republican, so there is hope that things can change. Look what black women voting for Doug Jones did in Alabama.

On Monday night I watched another great documentary film on PBS. This one was titled “Dark Money” and was about what happened with the very strict 100 year-old campaign finance laws in Montana after the Citizens United decision. I had just read Lasso the Wind by Timothy Egan (this is a book of essays about the American West and is one of Egan’s first books) and one of the essays in that book was about the Montana Copper Kings and the havoc they managed to reek on the states democratic processes back in the 1890’s through the early 19 teens. Has a result the state had the strictest campaign finance laws in the country. That’s changed due to Citizen’s United, but the folks in Montana are fighting back. Even though the state went for Trump it has a Democract governor and senator, so there is hope when the people get involved and fight back.

Hi Joe. Great pics of your lunch date, and also of Rafa, the world traveller. Sweet!

Just wanted to mention here, in case you missed it, that on 60 Minutes tonight, there was a piece with the author John Green. I missed the beginning but although I haven't read his books, I was impressed enough by what I saw that I may seek them out. I remember that Becca was particularly moved by his most recent book, Turtles All the Way Down, and wanted to mention it here. If she missed 60 Minutes, I know she can watch it on the show's website (60Minutes.com I think).

>167 benitastrnad:, >168 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita.

The parallels with Anita Hill are tragic. Poor Dr. Ford. I hope she realizes what a profound effect her bravery has had on so many people. The awfulness in the Senate Repubs is staggering.

Seriously, what struck me when I listened to and watched part of the hearings this last week was the age of that panel of mostly white men. That has to change. The young people I work with have to get out and vote. I think that our legislators are out-of-touch. We have to get younger people out to vote. Couldn't agree more.

I would so love to see Ted Cruz lose - and I like Beto O'Rourke. His head is screwed on right, and he's very articulate. I think Cruz made a mistake in opting to debate him.

I've heard the "Dark Money" documentary is good. There are a lot of Timothy Egan fans in the 75ers. Montana is hard to predict - I do like the governor and senator you mention.

>169 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Good pals and Rafa - it sure helps in hard political times.

We're all big John Green fans here. You're right, Turtles All the Way Down was a special one for Becca, and Madame MBH and I loved it, too. Becca's now working her way through his other books (we've already read them). He's definitely worth your giving a try. Fault in Our Stars is another standout.

I'll let Becca know about the 60 minutes piece.

Hi Joe. Love all the meet-up and trip photos. Can't believe the art shredder!! Wow. Rafa looks like so sweet. And I don't want to talk about the whole Supreme Court debacle.

Great pics of Rafa with his great-grandmother and the one of the two grinning faces in >166 jnwelch:. I hope you had a great weekend, it looks like you did.

Great meetup photos of the two of you. I wondered how Banksy turned the shredder on at the exact moment of the sale ending: were they in the room?

>165 jnwelch: Great meet-up photo.
Wiahing you a good start into the new week.

>170 jnwelch: - Here's the link, Joe: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-fault-in-our-stars-author-john-green-on-reachin...

>158 jnwelch:



Perfectly said. Thanks for that, Joe.

>166 jnwelch: LIKE!

Morning, Joe. I enjoyed our Meet Up, as usual and it was nice having Keith along. He is a good guy. I am enjoying the day off and with this damp weather around, it looks like a big chunk of it, will be spent with the books.

>171 Berly: Hi, Kim!

Isn't that art shredder remarkable? What a prank he pulled. I'm glad you like the meetup and trip photos, and sweet Mr. Rafa.

>172 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Rafa and his great-grandma are sweet together, aren't they. It was a great weekend, topped off by that most excellent meetup. We were at a surprisingly (to me) big Applefest in the city on Saturday, where Becca was in a booth rep'ing her school to parents. Love this time of year.

>171 Berly: Hi, Kim!

Isn't that art shredder remarkable? What a prank he pulled. I'm glad you like the meetup and trip photos, and sweet Mr. Rafa.

>172 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Rafa and his great-grandma are sweet together, aren't they. It was a great weekend, topped off by that most excellent meetup. We were at a surprisingly (to me) big Applefest in the city on Saturday, where Becca was in a booth rep'ing her school to parents. Love this time of year.

>173 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. People believe the shredder was operated by remote, and I imagine it was someone in the room who did it as soon as the $1.4 million bid became final.

>174 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Hope you have a good week, too - with those cool new glasses. :-)

>175 jessibud2: Oh, thanks for posting that link, Shelley. I'll read it, and let Becca and Debbi know about it.

>176 scaifea: Oh, thanks, Amber. I'm glad that made sense. I appreciate your letting me know.

>177 msf59: Ha! Great fun yesterday, my friend. Isn't Keith a good guy?

Sorry it isn't better for birding, but this is a perfect day for spending time with the books. I finished that Changers series, and I hope to spend some more time with Yeats today. We're got the gym and errands, but fingers crossed for later on.

Mark and Joe with Keith yesterday at the Bad Apple. Keith's not an LTer, but he is a reader and a very funny cartoonist.

P.S. Yes, he's toasting with catsup. It's always risky taking him out in public.

Alif the Unseen is $1.99 today on Kindle. Madame MBH, our son and I all liked it a lot.

>180 jnwelch: :-)

Hello Joe. I hope you had a good weekend.

>148 jnwelch: I will echo all the oohs and ahhs for Rafa. He is such a cutie! Getting bigger all the time.

>139 RBeffa: >142 jessibud2: >158 jnwelch: I appreciate the response from Ron, Jessi, and you Joe, as well as anyone I left out. I want to make clear that I am not dismissing what happened to Dr. Ford. I am not even doubting that something happened to happened to her. My frustration comes when she is compelled to testify, with a credible story, but huge holes in the when and where and who was there.

I'm surprised, as I said before, at the willingness of people to call Kavanagh, or anyone accused, a rapist, if they have not been convicted. It is unconscionable in my estimation. It becomes more about beating the other side than about what is true or whose life and reputation are besmirched. Joe, as a lawyer, how is possible to abide? It has become politics as usual. What angers me is that one either side, there are those willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want. How can we allow it? This time it's my guy in the hot seat. Next time, it will be yours. I suspect your outrage will be strong as mine if the same tactics are used.

Edit: You spoke of his belligerence. I guess it all come down to which side you're on. It just makes me sick at heart. If I believe Dr. Ford was attacked, but not by Kavanagh, then I would expect him to vigorously defend himself against the most heinous of accusations. Come on. Wouldn't you expect the same? I don't know.

If I believe he did and everything she said was true then his vigorous defense is lack judicial temperament. I agreed that his comments about the Clintons could have been left at home. they were not necessary. However, that is a small part of his rather large circus.

Joe, what is most important is that we can agree to disagree. I respect you and our fellow Lters. I don't want our literary discourse to be interrupted. There are time, however, like most of us, that I feel I need to speak. I am thankful to be able to talk to you and others.

Have a great day, My Friend.

>166 jnwelch: >182 jnwelch: It is always a pleasure to see picture of you and Mark and friends. On of these days I'll need to get one of myself up here.

>182 jnwelch: Looks like you had fun!

>182 jnwelch: LIKE! There is nothing artificial about those broad grins.

Hi, Joe. having a good book day. Finished French Exit and quickly knocked out Royal City: Volume 2. Obviously a bleak series but well done. I think Vol 3, comes out this month, correct?

I am also picking up The Overstory from the library this week, so I will be getting to it soon.

>185 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. Can't wait to see the growing Rafa at Thanksgiving. He'll be 7 months at that point.

We're not going to agree on much re Kavanaugh, are we. As the Washington Post reported, "More than 2,400 law professors have signed on to a letter saying that Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial restraint at a Senate hearing last week — behavior that would be disqualifying for any court nominee." I think your view is wishful thinking. I've never seen a judicial candidate come close to breaching the code of ethics like that, and we're talking here about the Supreme Court. And you can't dismiss his expressing Democrat and Hillary conspiracy theories; a judge simply cannot show that kind of partiality. After pressure from alumni and current students, he is no longer teaching at Harvard. I doubt we've seen the end of this.

Your hypothesis that it was someone other than Kavanaugh who assaulted Dr. Ford doesn't square with her identifying him to others multiple times long before Kavanaugh was the nominee. And I've got to say, Brodie - if you were sexually assaulted by another man, someone you knew, do you really think you wouldn't remember who did it? Dr. Ford also is a respected professor. She had lots to lose and nothing to gain. Kavanaugh's behavior in his testimony was that of the classic bombastic denier who has been caught. We'd expect an innocent person, especially a judge, to show empathy for the victim, behave with decorum and calmly refute the allegations. We also have Kavanaugh's repeated, proven lying in testimony to the Senate, and his classmates saying he was lying about the extent of his drinking and the meaning of the sexual phrases he used. He had the foundation of an untrustworthy witness, and behaved like an untrustworthy witness.

I think his behavior and his lying still may catch up with him. We'll see. What I and so many others do know is his elevation to the Supreme Court is a stain on that court and on the legal profession, and a terrible disservice to this country.

Anyway, thank you for contributing your thoughts, and agreeing to disagree. I hope you have a great day, too, and getting you to an LT meetup would be terrific.

>186 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. We did! I always enjoy the get-togethers with Mark, and it was a bonus to have Keith along with us.

>187 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Isn't that a great photo of the three amigos?

I'm glad you finished French Exit and the second Royal City. Lemire is a master of the bleak, isn't he. My favorites of his, Essex County, Roughneck, Royal City, and that Secret Path one with Gord Dowdie, all have that element.

I think you're right about the next Royal City coming out soon.

I'm liking the latest Saga GN, and working my way through the Yeats collection. Oh, and I started Transcription by Kate Atkinson. So far, so good.

Yay for The Overstory! I can't wait to hear what you think.

>188 jnwelch: I love your comments here. Well, said...

Hooray for reading Transcription. I did not realize you had a copy. I should have my copy soon too. I forgot to ask you yesterday- Did you pick up the new Murakami? I haven't seen any LT activity on it.

>190 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. What a time we’re living in!

No surprise, I think you’re gonna like Transcription when it comes in. I just got notice from Amazon that the new Murakami is on its way. Can’t wait! That one’s likely to jump the queue.😀

>189 jnwelch: I cannot wait to get to Transcription. In her “By the Book” piece in the NYT last month, Atkinson said she was inspired by Penelope Fitzgerald’s Human Voices, my favorite of Fitzgerald’s work. It’s a fictionalized account of her war years spent working at the BBC; you can feel the menace and practically hear the German planes circling overhead. If Transcription is half as good it will be quite the read.

Hi Joe!

The past few years have been massively busy for me (changed jobs, moved, changed jobs again...back to the old one, etc.) so I've been laying relatively low on LT. At last I've caught up with your thread. I've loved all your toppers, especially the art deco and street art ones. You've had a very busy year, with lots of reading in there somehow too! So sorry to hear about the loss of your father; that must be very difficult. Congrats on being a grandfather! Your grandson is adorable. Comic Con looked like fun; I was at New York Comic Con last week and enjoyed it overall. On the way, I popped into a little coffee shop that reminded me of you -- picture here https://www.librarything.com/pic/6588224 because I still have difficulty somehow with getting those onto LT threads.

Hoping to stay current with your cafe thread going forward -- fingers crossed!

-- JJ

((((Joe)))) So well stated! And a wonderful photo of Rafa with his great grandma.

>189 jnwelch: I don't think Kate Atkinson and I are a good match. I picked up Transcription from the library about a week ago. The opening scene was intriguing but the next chapter bored me to fake tears. I could see this was another jump around in time book as well. I did not get very far into chapter 3 before I set it down. 25 or so pages is probably not a fair judge of a book but it wasn't sparking my interest. I'll be interested in your review when you finish.

ETA: I'm awaiting Murakami's new book also but it is a big one at 700 pages!

I’m having technical difficulties this morning, but I hope to join you all soon.👩🏻‍🔬

>185 brodiew2: Brodie, may I just add my voice to those who disagree with you, but are glad to be able to keep that disagreement civil, and to hear your reasoning. Emotions run so high on so many topics that true discussion is almost impossible, and I often avoid trying when I know I'm among people who don't share my views. That's probably not the way to improve things. I think that if Kavanaugh had conducted himself in a more restrained manner at the hearings, I would have felt a bit less concerned about his presence on the Supreme Court. Not happy, you understand, and certainly not sure he could be impartial and (here's the key word) judicious in all matters, but less anxious. The standard for a Supreme Court Justice is NOT that of an ordinary man. He needed to show he is BETTER than an ordinary man. And he did not do that.

Now, to show how even-handed I can be, let me point out that I think Joe misstated the Harvard situation in >188 jnwelch:, when he said "Harvard withdrew his professorship there." It is my understanding that Kavanaugh himself withdrew from teaching his class this winter (although there was a petition signed by hundreds of alumni asking the Dean to rescind his appointment) and the school then notified students that the course would not be offered in January. The text of the Dean's Oct. 1st e-mail was quoted in various outlets thus: "Today, Judge Kavanaugh indicated that he can no longer commit to teaching his course in January Term 2019, so the course will not be offered.” If there has been anything further in the news about that, I haven't been able to find it.

I should respond to Linda’s, and after this I’ll switch to my iPad to catch up.

>197 laytonwoman3rd:. Many thanks, Linda. I need to be more careful in how I say things like “Harvard withdrew his professorship.”

My understanding from news and university reports is that Harvard Law withdrew it because of protests and objections from alumni (more than 700 signed onto a letter requesting his removal, and many others wrote the dean separately) and from current students.

We were waiting on the law school’s announcement. The email announcement you allude to (that the Huffington Post acquired) was not from the law school. The dean of the law school has now confirmed that Kavanaugh will not be teaching. I don’t know whether more will be said.

I was focusing on being concise, but I should have phrased it differently or I should have explained all that. I’ll be more careful in the future.

P.S. See what you think of the change I made in the original.

>192 NarratorLady:. I’m about halfway through Transcription and liking it, Anne. You may scratch your head a time or two about the naïveté of young Juliet during the war, but I guess it can be chalked up to her age and the time period. I’m hoping to finish it today to make room for the new Murakami.

I’ve not read Penelope Fitzgerald yet, but now I’ve got Human Voices on the radar.

The German planes circling overhead - I don’t know about you, but I think about it every time we visit London. Particularly when we go by a bombed out church near St. Paul’s (and where we stay) that they’ve turned into a garden whose shape echoes the church pews.

>193 sweetiegherkin:. Sweetieg! What a wonderful surprise!

Welcome back! I know, I’ve missed seeing you on LT. That’s a lot of life changes. I’m impressed that you went back through the old threads. I’m glad you loved the toppers. I think of them as art on the cafe walls, and a way to welcome people, so I’m glad they went over well with you.

It has been a busy and unusual year. I’ve been telling Madame MBH that I’ll never forget 2018. I’m an old guy, so bear with me, but the last time I felt this way was in 1968 - 50 (!) years ago when the country was in an uproar and I had no idea where it all would lead.

Thank you re my father. It is difficult, you’re right. I’ve been feeling cut loose in a weird way since he died - unmoored? Not really getting a hold of anything? My mother died eight years ago, so now I’m an orphan like my wife.

Mark was ribbing me on Sunday about not posting my own poetry for a while. It’s hard to marshal my thoughts, but I do have some, so I’ll try to get with it.

I’ll visit the linked little coffee shop photo after posting this; what a compliment that it reminded you of me. I appreciate it.

I’ll look forward to seeing more of you now that life has settled down a bit for you. Sometimes folks just slip away off of LT, and I’m very glad you’re back. You made my day.

P.S. RocknJoe Coffee Bar - ha! I can see why you thought of me!

>194 ronincats:. Thanks, Roni! What difficult times we’re in. Note the adjustment up above in >198 jnwelch: and >188 jnwelch: about Kavanaugh no longer teaching at Harvard.

Isn’t that a sweet photo of Rafa and his bisabuela? It strikes me that he’s one of those kids who doesn’t mind getting passed around. I believe he’s meeting a lot of new (to him) relatives, all of whom of course want to hold him. He and his folks are going to be there another 10 days or so, as our son is using 2 more weeks of his paternity leave.

>195 RBeffa:. Atkinson just may not be for you, Ron. Kudos to you for trying it. I was familiar with the time-jumping approach from Life After Life, and I liked the more straightforward mystery Case Histories, so I had the faith to just go with the story. It is more time-sequential at length as you get further in.

For some reason, length doesn’t bother me with Murakami. He just gets to me, and even 1Q84 could have gone on longer as far as I was concerned. I’m really looking forward to this one - so far, the only slight disappointment I’ve had is that Strange Library one. I guess that’s the right word - I found it disappointingly slight, although some fans love it. Otherwise, I’ve had a great time every time with him.

>202 jnwelch: I'll never claim to be in sync with popular authors. The Juliet character (and others) just had nothing to draw me in past that opening sequence.

I too have no problems with longer length Murakami - I was just meaning that there is a big time commitment coming. I really liked Strange Library but it IS slight.

I should slip in some Rafa love here as well. Those pics are a delight with great grandma.

Here's a difference perspective on Kavanaugh: I worked with him at The White House - in fact, he interviewed me for the last position I held there because he was, essentially, my second-level boss. He was kind and decent and occasionally found my jokes funny.

However, watching his testimony - both before and after Dr. Ford's - and reading his op-ed in The Wall Street Journal and listening to his little speech last night lead me to believe he is little more than a partisan hack, willing to do anything to get on the Supreme Court and that his mere presence there cheapens the institution and, by extension, our government.

Calling the little "look see" the FBI took into Dr. Ford's allegations an investigation is patently absurb. The best thing that could have been done was for a full and real investigation to take place - and I note only one of the two parties was willing for that to happen. Speaks volumes to me...

I've not called Kavanaugh a rapist - which seems to be Brodie's primary issue here - precisely because there has been no investigation and this was not a criminal prosecution. It was a job interview, for a LIFETIME appointment, and the way that Kavanaugh conducted himself during it should have been disqualifying on its face, setting aside everything else (which is not to say it should be set aside).

I'll stop ranting now.

Prime Members in the U.S: Norse Mythology is FREE today! on Kindle. I have no idea why.

Just waving Joe. I'm reading along.

>203 RBeffa:. Thanks re Rafa, Ron. I love those pics with great-grandma. I’m so glad they got to meet.

No worries re popular books. I’ve got the same problem with other popular ones. I just mentioned that I can’t get into Stephen King, which probably makes me the only person on Earth for that, and I don’t like WIlliam Faulkner, which has gotten me twenty lashes here more than once.

>204 katiekrug:. I meant to ask Brodie about that “rapist” comment, Katie. I don’t remember anyone here doing that. I don’t, for the reason you give. I am comfortable calling him a predator, based on the testimony and what I’ve read about him.

How amazing that you knew him and were interviewed by him, and he was your second-level boss!

As I’m sure you’ve seen elsewhere, I understand it’s not uncommon for sexual predators to come off well in other contexts.

I do feel Kavanaugh’s presence on the Court cheapens it, and our government. That’s among the many reasons I feel like our beloved country is being dragged in the mud. And I agree that he should’ve been disqualified by his conduct in the interviewing process.

I also agree that I would’ve loved to have seen a full FBI investigation, and like you, I noticed that, of the two, only Dr. Ford wanted that.

Please continue to rant! We learn a lot from the ranting that goes on here.

>206 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. Should we meet up at The Gate? I wish.:-)

>188 jnwelch: To add my 2 cents as a regular litigator and the son of a judge, the lack of judicial decorum was disqualifying for me. I have seen a number of Facebook posts quoting from the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct 1.2 and I thought it was absolutely on point: "A judge shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety."

When dad went on the bench he quit every civic organization he was involved in except for the bar association groups. Things like the Lions Club International that hold themselves out as non-political service organizations, the church board, etc. all were shut down. It wasn't that those were unimportant to him or even that objectionable but that he wanted to make sure that there was not even the suggestion that he was anything other than impartial in his decision making if a party came before him.

I would challenge anyone to review Kavanaugh's remarks to the Judiciary Committee in that light. If I were to represent a Democratic group ( the party, the DCCC, a Democratic office seeker) before the Supreme Court I do not think that I could tell them that there was any hope of a favorable vote from Kavanaugh based solely on who the client was regardless of the issue being presented. To me, that is serious issue and one that will further erode the moral authority of the Court (and of course moral authority, or the perception of such authority, is the only real power of the Court).

Finally, to the point of innocent until prove guilty - this was not a criminal trial. Under our system we place great value on personal liberty and thus assign a correspondingly high bar for depriving someone of that liberty (i.e. jail). Proven beyond a reasonable doubt is an appropriate standard in light of the deprivation of personal liberty as the stake. When you are talking about appointment to a higher court, beyond a reasonable doubt has no application.

Personally, I would apply a "beyond reproach" standard. If there was anything in the judicial record or in the personal history of the applicant that suggested a moral failing I would not support the candidacy. Why? Because the belief in the judiciary and their fairness is of the utmost importance. Minnesota went to a merit-based selection process quite awhile back. Some of the judges selected have been a bust (they are still human) but by and large it has worked well and placed qualified people on the bench. Certainly I know the political leanings of many of the Minnesota judges and justices but I have never had to tell a client that any of them were not open to a good argument on its merits. At most, I knew that some judges were more likely sells than others. I don't think the same can be said of Kavanaugh.

That is disqualifying in my opinion.

Joe, and Erik. I feel quite humbled by the discussion here, and proud, by the way, to be in such knowledgeable and eloquent company here in the 75ers group. You have both articulated so well, what I think most of us feel in our guts and souls but don't have that experience base to express. Not coming from a law background at all, I have to wonder, how come so many of those who voted for Kavanagh's nomination, don't seem to have the insight and *moral authority* or moral compass, for that matter, to have seen it for what it was? Also, at the risk of sounding as ignorant as I am about all this, I plead not being American for my lack of understanding of the process altogether, but who exactly are those who were voting? Are they other judges? If so, I find it rather appalling that none of them seem to have the understanding of what is expected of a judge of the highest court. If they are politicians, why is that even allowed? Doesn't that automatically make it partisan?

And no disrespect to previous presidents in the past (present company excepted, of course). But why is the president the one making the nomination? This seems, in the current reality, to be a sexual predator endorsing another. trump's speech afterwards (what I could stomach listening to) is almost too outrageous to be believed. The only experience this president seems to have of the law, as far as I can tell, is his experience of being sued a bazillion times. If this was fiction, it would be bad fiction. I'd have ditched the book ages ago.

Maybe I just have this all wrong. Please enlighten me. Curious (and terrified) minds want to know and understand...

>211 jessibud2: The process is governed by Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution which details powers granted to the US President. Among them is the power to nominate various offices like ambassadors and "Judges of the supreme Court" and "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate" appoint them.

Historically this has meant that presidents nominate justices (and cabinet officials, ambassadors and so on) and the Senate reviews them and then votes on them. Thus, for Kavanaugh, the testimony that was being taken was before the Senate Judiciary Committee which then passed the nomination to the full Senate for a vote which is what happened Saturday.

The Senators all vote on the nominee with those serving on the Judiciary Committee first voting on whether to move the nominee to the floor followed by a full vote of the U.S. Senate. While Senators are not necessarily lawyers many of them are.

>210 Oberon: Well said, and I agree, Erik. Your father sounds admirable. That is what we look for in judges.

If I were to represent a Democratic group ( the party, the DCCC, a Democratic office seeker) before the Supreme Court I do not think that I could tell them that there was any hope of a favorable vote from Kavanaugh based solely on who the client was regardless of the issue being presented. Yup. Disqualifying.

Thanks for taking the time to explain that.

>211 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Woo.

If they are politicians, why is that even allowed? Doesn't that automatically make it partisan? Ha! Out of the mouths of Canadians. Yes, they are, and yes, it does. In the past we've banked on that moral compass you talk about, and on the President nominating an acceptable candidate, and the need for the parties to cooperate. There's essentially no moral compass among Republican leadership, the President is aces at nominating and appointing disgusting and disreputable individuals (I'm not even sure how many convictions of people in his administration we're up to now, and there are surely more to come), and the Republicans have a slim majority that they're utilizing , IMO, without conscience. That's why we're all looking to change the balance as much as possible in the November elections.

Maybe someone else can explain the balance of powers idea, with the three branches, legislative, executive and judicial. They're supposed to keep it all in line, but it's not happening right now. But to be honest, we've had nomination process problems in the past - many folks believe the waving of their hands at Dr. Christy Ford's testimony is just a repeat of what happened to Anita Hill when she testified at Justice Clarence Thomas's nomination hearing.

This seems, in the current reality, to be a sexual predator endorsing another. Ha! Oh, Shelley, you are wonderful. That's exactly what this is. That is an example of why so many here feel we are living in a nightmare, and that we have to defend the country we love by voting the bastids out, and resisting wherever we can. This is the scummiest Congressional leadership in my lifetime. They're not putting the country first, as past generations by and large have done (even if we disagree with the viewpoint), and they're trying to benefit the rich every chance they get.

I've said it before, but I personally believe that the white male leadership sees this country's demographics changing in favor of minorities (collectively), and sees this as a war in which white supremacy is endangered. They're doing all they can to preserve and enhance their power, and screwing the poor and middle class to amass assets for the war. They do all they can to keep minorities from voting, and their anti-immigration policy largely stems from their fear of losing white supremacy. Their ancestors basically all were immigrants, but now they want to shut the door, because the demographics are worsening for them.

If this was fiction, it would be bad fiction. I'd have ditched the book ages ago. Oh my goodness, this may be the best post ever. Yes! I wish.

You have it all right. You're enlightening us.

>212 Oberon: Thank you, Erik. Well-explained.

>204 katiekrug: >208 jnwelch: >210 Oberon: I have really appreciate the discussion as well even though I am in the minority. I will admit that my initial post was an indirect response to kidzdoc's post in >104 kidzdoc:. as has been mentioned here more than once, this was not a criminal proceeding. However, there is an overwhelming presumption of guilt laid at Kavanagh's feet. Dr. Ford came forward. She said it. So it must be true or, based solely on the allegation, he should be disqualified. That seems ridiculous.

>210 Oberon: 'Finally, to the point of innocent until prove guilty - this was not a criminal trial. Under our system we place great value on personal liberty and thus assign a correspondingly high bar for depriving someone of that liberty (i.e. jail). Proven beyond a reasonable doubt is an appropriate standard in light of the deprivation of personal liberty as the stake. When you are talking about appointment to a higher court, beyond a reasonable doubt has no application.'

*Apologies for no markups. I never have fully learned them.

I am not a lawyer and do no pretend to fully understand the law completely. However, if guild or innocence has no application, what was this all about? I'm not baiting, but I am getting frustrated by presumption of guilt. It all leads back to partisan political machinations. From the left, he's a predator and, from the right, he was ambushed for the sole purpose of keeping another Trump nominee from the court. This kind of partisan politics also seems to leave Dr. Ford out in the cold.

If I may, again, Brodie. This hearing (and there's part of the problem...calling it such makes it seem like part of a criminal proceeding) was not about guilt or innocence. It was about determining Kavanaugh's suitability for a position on the highest court in the US. I've just taken part in interviewing several candidates for an executive position with our public library. The questions we could and could not ask those people were very carefully laid out for us. We had their credentials in front of us before meeting them, naturally. The interview process was to "get a feel" for each person; in the end, there was nothing about any one of their backgrounds, education or experience that made one rise above the others on that basis. It was all about how well each one impressed those of us on the selection committee---how we felt each person might fit in to the environment we love and are dedicated to preserving, and how well they would work with the exceptional staff we now have. It's a subjective process by nature. So, the long and the short of it is, for me, that Kavanaugh blew his job interview.

The hearing was certainly not intended to provide any sort of compensation to Dr. Ford, either. Even if the FBI had done a full criminal investigation with no limitations, she could not now pursue any charges or civil penalties. Her remedies are lost to time, unfortunately.

>198 jnwelch: Joe, your amendment is a good one, I think. Further clarification: the e-mail I quoted (which I got from the Boston Globe, btw) was addressed to students, so as you say, it was not an official public announcement. I assume one of the students passed it along to the press. I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure whether it was Kavanaugh or Harvard who actually made the decision; they may have given him the opportunity to "fall on his sword" instead of being asked not to return.

>215 brodiew2: The purpose of the Senate process is to further vet the nominee for fitness to be elevated. The question that each Senator had to answer was whether Kavanaugh had the fitness (moral, intellectual, temperamental, etc.) to serve as a justice on the Court. Dr. Ford made, to me, a credible allegation that Kavanaugh had engaged in behavior that demonstrated a failing in this fitness test. Thus, the Senate should, properly, investigate the allegation and determine what weight the allegation should have on Kavanaugh's fitness.

Personally, I am not a fan of the Senate confirmation process and I do not think it served the country well in this circumstance. As Joe noted above and I agree, the present period of hyperpartisanship has served to erode our democratic institutions. To me, this damage is more evident with McConnell's refusal to give Merrick Garland a hearing than it is in Kavanaugh's elevation.

To go back to the question of a presumption of guilt, I recognize that the term is bandied around by non-lawyers all the time. I would ask you to pause a moment and think about it a little more carefully. Paul Manafort was innocent until a jury concluded otherwise. Yet, if you had read the indictment (as I did) and reviewed the level of detail that the government laid out about who paid Manafort, what he was paid for, the number of offshore entities he created to conceal the money and what he claimed on his taxes about the money it was evident that he was guilty as charged - long before a jury reached the same conclusion.

To take the same point out of the political context, every day there is a newspaper article about someone crashing in to someone else and having a blood alcohol limit of several times the legal limit - often with video showing the incident. It is evident from the crash and the extreme level of intoxication that the driver is "guilty." Yet that same person is entitled to stand before a judge and jury and say they are innocent and compel the state to prove that they were the one driving and drinking. In some cases (rare), those people actually are not convicted. Usually this happens for a technical reason relating to the way the evidence is gathered. Thus, someone whom we can see was visibly intoxicated and caused injury or death is found by our system to be "not guilty." This doesn't mean they didn't do it and are not "guilty" in a broader, societal sense.

To go back to Kavanaugh, imagine a video had surfaced from Mark Judge showing the incident as Dr. Ford described it. The world would have no doubt it happened. But Kavanaugh would still not be "guilty" of sexual assault. He would retain the right to claim that it wasn't him, that the video was doctored, and so on and so on. Likely, given the amount of time that has gone by he could not be "guilty" of assault within the legal definition. It would still be disqualifying.

Which brings me back to the point that I tried to articulate above, when Kavanaugh responded to the allegations against him (fair or unfair) in a nakedly partisan way he forever abandoned even a pretense of judicial impartiality. That, and that alone, disqualified him in my opinion. Kavanaugh failed the temperamental component of the test.

I had an interesting conversation with a couple of the students with whom I work. Both of them - young women - said the same thing. Kavanaugh acted like a privileged Frat Boy. He seemed to come across to then to be entitled to behave intolerably. Both of these women said that the way he reacted in his part of the Senate Hearing should have disqualified him. They felt that he blew his interview.

And the both laughed about his blaming the Clinton's for his problems. One of the students said "Where did that come from?"

What was also interesting to me was that this has also caused these students to question the election of The Great Orange Gasbag in a way that I had not seen before. I wonder if this hasn't awakened many women and young women to the fact that our current President has the same view of women as did the man he put on the Supreme Court. There was a new wariness about this kind of conduct that I haven't seen before. In the past the young women with whom I work have just shrugged off, what to me was blatant anti-women rhetoric and actions.

Doug Jones, the Democratic Senator from Alabama, voted against Kavanaugh. The Monday Tuscaloosa News had an editorial in which Jones' conduct during the Hearings and in the voting were noted and he received high marks for his reasoning. Jones is a lawyer with decidedly liberal leanings. He prosecuted the case against the man who bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The editorial said that there is no doubt that Jones will face political repercussions in this Republican State, but that his calling Kavanaugh out for his lack of judicial restraint and judicial predisposition was done in a very lawerly fashion. As a prosecuting attorney Jones has a good idea of how a judge should act and he did not see that in Kavanaugh. There is no doubt in my mind that Jones cemented his support base with his vote. I thought it was astounding that the very conservative Tuscaloosa News congratulated Jones on his reasoned responses to questions about his vote. The editorial author was also happy that Jones did not take 40 minutes to state his case, as did Susan Collins.

#217
I agree with you. The root of this problem is not so much the Kavanaugh nomination or confirmation. It was the partisanship displayed with the Republican refusal to deal with the Merrick Garland nomination. I believe that when Judge Scalia died in February of 2016 - 9 months before the election - the position the Republicans took by refusing to deal with that nomination is what started this current mess. Mitch McConnell has much to answer for, and again - the young women with whom I work took note. The Old Men of the Senate had better watch out. Women are angry. I only hope that women do something constructive with that anger.

>216 laytonwoman3rd: >217 Oberon: I appreciate the both you taking the time to explain the confirmation process in more detail. In the back of my head I knew this, but political histrionics clouded my view. I recognize, now, that guilt or innocence does not bear on the proceedings. I also agree about the hyperpartsanship in Washington eroding the ability of the government to work the way it is supposed to. Sadly, we likely have different ideas about who is doing what and whether it is right or wrong. Thanks again.

>200 jnwelch:

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've still been on LT just not as active. Indeed, I have seen many people drop off of LT over the years, and it can be disappointing to lose touch with a book-ish pal.

Thank you re my father. It is difficult, you’re right. I’ve been feeling cut loose in a weird way since he died - unmoored? Not really getting a hold of anything?

It's a different situation, but I do always say I don't feel like quite the same person since my grandmother died several years back. My sister and I spent a great deal of time with her growing up and we remained close when we grew up. I don't know how else to describe it other than as not quite the same.

P.S. RocknJoe Coffee Bar - ha! I can see why you thought of me!

Yup, seemed as though I might have walked into the real-life version of your cafe! :D

>207 jnwelch:

Stephen King is actually the author of the month over at Monthly Author Reads. Never having been much of a fan of horror, I avoided his books for years but recently got into his works.

Wasn't it true until recently that a simple majority was not sufficient to approve a Supreme Court nominee?

Excellent discussion over here. It is nice to hear civil, intelligent, discourse, (not much of that around these days) and I am learning a lot from my more knowledgeable LT pals.

Glad you are having a good time with, Transcription, Joe. Looking forward to that one.

Kudos to all who contributed to the discussion of the Kavanaugh business. Well done.

Personally I think Kavanaugh was coached by Trump and his aides to put on the exact performance that we all witnessed. He so desperately wanted this appointment he decided he would do just about anything to get it, including throwing caution to the wind and forgetting he needed to show judgmental temperament. For me, that’s what is most qualifying about the whole thing. Dr. Ford was never going to convince the Republicans of anything since they’d already decided. Total sham.

>217 Oberon: - Thank you for this, Erik. Well said.

>222 ffortsa: - It used to require 60 votes to confirm. That threshold was lowered by McConnell and the Republican majority with the Gorsuch nomination. He received 54 votes for confirmation (IIRC).

>222 ffortsa:, >226 katiekrug: At the risk of proving myself pedantic, let me disagree with Katie's last statement. The 60 vote threshold was the number needed to invoke a cloture vote in the Senate thereby cutting off a filibuster. As a practical matter, this meant that you needed at least 60 votes that would agree to cut off debate about a nominee but you could still get fewer than 60 votes to confirm a candidate.

As a practical matter, that never happened but the 60 vote requirement was to cut off a filibuster (via a cloture vote) of a candidate not to actually confirm the candidate.

The end of the requirement of 60 votes, like most of dysfunctional Washington, has blame on both sides. Referred to as the "nuclear option" it was a change in the Senate rules. It was first used by the Democrats to override the filibustering of lower court (district and circuit court) appointments that were made by Obama. McConnell, who prided himself on thwarting Obama at every turn, led the Republican then minority in filibustering an especially high number of Obama's nominees. Per Politifact: prior to Obama taking office there were 68 nominees blocked (required cloture votes) versus 79 from when Obama took office until November 2003. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/apr/09/ben-cardin/did-s...

When the Democrats changed the rule reducing the number needed for a cloture vote from 60 to 51 they did so only for nominations that did not include the Supreme Court. When Republicans regained Senate control they changed the cloture vote rule for Supreme Court justices as well. Thus, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were not subject to the 60 vote cloture requirement necessary to avoid filibusters.

To put all my partisan cards on the table, I believe that Mitch McConnell has done a great deal to personally weaken both American democratic institutions and increase partisanship. I do not know why but I believe that history will judge him harshly for it.

I'm married to a pedant, so it's all good ;-)

Thank you for the better response than I came up with.

Thanks everybody to the insight of US system. As a Swiss all of that is really strange.

Happe Wednesday, Joe.

>215 brodiew2:, >216 laytonwoman3rd:, >217 Oberon:, >218 benitastrnad:, >219 benitastrnad:, >220 brodiew2:
>222 ffortsa:, >223 msf59:, >224 weird_O:, >225 brenzi:, >228 katiekrug:, >229 Ameise1:

Thank you for the excellent discussion, Brodie, Linda, Erik(!), Benita, Judy, Mark, Bill, Bonnie and Katie. I love the 75ers!

So much of this needs nothing from me other than my thanks. So I'll just cherry pick.

>218 benitastrnad: Kavanaugh acted like a privileged Frat Boy. Right on target from those two students, Benita. And like them, I think the cavalier attitude toward sexual assault that our President has and now was shown in this hearing is affecting a whole lot of women, and men. From what I'm seeing, not only are many more women coming forward with their own stories of being sexually assaulted, but many more are now ready to press criminal charges.

On the men's side, (for those who need educating) there seems to be a growing realization that "it didn't do you any harm" (e.g. groping a butt) is wrong, and that it isn't playful fun for the woman who is assaulted.

>219 benitastrnad: I agree with you and Erik and everyone else saying it that McConnell pulling his bad faith stunt with no hearing for a well-qualified candidate, Merrick Garland, was a major blow to our democracy. He is the biggest villain, in my eyes. As Erik explained, his admitted committed obstructionism to anything Obama wanted to get done led to the jettisoning of the 60 vote filibuster option that would likely have sunk this Kavanaugh nomination. (To be more fair, as to the last, Erik pointed out the Democrats were the ones who jettisoned it first (short of the Supreme Court) due to frustration at McConnell leading filibusters against a huge number of Obama nominees to the lower courts).

>221 sweetiegherkin: You're welcome, Sweetieg. Great to have you with us!

Yes, when we lose a family member who's important to us, like your grandmother was for you, it's . . . disorienting, I guess, for a lot of us. As you say, life is not quite the same. For me, it's still hard to take on sustained projects or thinking.

Thanks for letting me know where the RocknJoe coffee shop is located. I would love to walk into a real life Joe's Book Cafe!

Right, our friend Mark is running that American Author Challenge, and I did know it's Stephen King month. Just not for me. :-)

>223 msf59: I'm in the last leg with Transcription, Mark. There's just been a particularly surprising development, so I'm eager to get back to it.

>225 brenzi: You may be right, Bonnie, about Trump coaching Kavanaugh's bombastic, injudicious testimony. I read somewhere that Trump had previously criticized Kavanaugh for being too unemotional in his testimony, so that would fit.

>227 Oberon: To put all my partisan cards on the table, I believe that Mitch McConnell has done a great deal to personally weaken both American democratic institutions and increase partisanship. I do not know why but I believe that history will judge him harshly for it.

Agreed, Erik. As a Buddhist, I have to keep remembering to not hate McConnell. He infuriates me, and I do believe history will judge him harshly for what he's done.

>229 Ameise1: Adding my thanks to yours, Barbara. What a great way to learn more about such important issues.

I'm sure it all seems really strange from a Swiss point of view. When I watch the British system in movies, or read about it, from over here I find that one really strange. The idea in most places is to set up a hopefully fair system that benefits us all collectively. A problem in our country is leadership has been losing sight of the collective good. It doesn't help that our President is a narcissist whose idea of the collective good is, is it good for him or his cronies.

Rafa reading his New Yorker



I think our boy loves his boy

Hi Joe!

Even though I haven't put my two cents in, I've gone back and read/re-read the comments on Kavanaugh and appreciate the input from everybody. He's clearly partisan and temperamentally unsuited to be on the Supreme Court and doesn't deserve the honor and privilege. Contrast him to RBG and one wants to weep.

>235 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

Agreed. Contrast him to RBG and one wants to weep. Oh my, ain't that the truth.

I'm glad the young ones have some Justices they can look up to and respect. Kavanaugh's joining the Court demeans it. I never thought I'd live to say something like that - I may have disagreed with Scalia, for example, but he was someone we could respect.

>213 jnwelch:, >230 jnwelch: - Thank you, Joe and everyone else too. I was a little nervous, posing questions that I worried might make me look too ignorant. But, as a teacher, if I know nothing else, I know that if you don't ask, you won't learn. And I am learning. Not sure I am understanding all of it (it's hard to wrap my head around all this) but you are so right about the 75ers. It's like an online course, for me! :-) Such smart and eloquent teachers here!

>234 jnwelch: - The best!

Wow, I duck out for a couple of days and the threads explode... 😀 I'm always encouraged by the heartfelt desire here to have civil conversation about hard things. Gives me hope for us all.

>232 jnwelch:

Comparisons of Buddha and Jesus, based on reading of THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM and RABBI JESUS,
were just added to my review of Olcott's book.

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you on this fine day.

>234 jnwelch: Rafa is one cool dude.

>237 jessibud2: Great questions, Shelley, and I'm so glad you asked them. I also learned a lot. We're a lucky bunch to have such smart and eloquent teachers helping us understand like this.

I love Rafa in his sunglasses, and our beloved son with his beloved son.

>238 drneutron: The threads exploding is all your fault, Jim. :-)

I'm always encouraged by the heartfelt desire here to have civil conversation about hard things. Gives me hope for us all. Well said. Me, too.

>239 m.belljackson: Thanks for letting me know, Marianne. I got distracted by the recent conversation - which book is Olcott's book again?

>240 brodiew2: Hello Brodie! All is well here on this fine day. We're fans of the Chicago Bulls pro basketball team, and go to see our first preseason game tonight. Hope things are going well on your end.

Ha! Doesn't Rafa look cool in his shades?

Transcription by Kate Atkinson: At the tender age of19, Juliet Armstrong in 1940 joins the world of spies, hired by MI5 to transcribe another spy's meetings with a group of Fascist Londoners who think he's a German agent. What seems somewhat normal and routine at the beginning of the book turns out to be anything but by the end. Juliet is a talented liar, and easily adapts to having multiple identities and living in a world of deception. How she combines this with a naivete (particularly early on) and magnetic innocence is one of the book's attractions. We never doubt her integrity, as she ends up navigating one dangerous situation after another.

There's a good bit of humor in the book. Here are a couple of examples.

"Juliet could only imagine the havoc she would cause if she started brandishing her own gun on Oxford Street. And she couldn’t shoot every drab housewife—she’d be here all day."

"Why was it that the females of the species were always the ones left to tidy up? she wondered. I expect Jesus came out of the tomb, Juliet thought, and said to his mother, 'Can you tidy it up a bit back there?'"

The revelations that come in the last quarter of the book change how we view Juliet and her actions, but fit them. Atkinson is adept at jumbling chronology in her books, and it works well again here. I ended up giving this one 4 and 1/2 stars.

>234 jnwelch: ha, cool photos. You grands must love the way technology keeps you so much more in the growing process of a family chick with instant photo gratification.

Rafa will love that photo with his pa when he gets older, as I love the ones I have with mine.

>244 Caroline_McElwee: You're so right, Caroline. Rafa's mom sends us Rafa photos all the time, and we can Facetime with him (not that he knows exactly what's going on). The wonders of modern technology - they sure make grands like us happy. Debbi has said that Adriana and Jesse are lucky neither set of grandparents lives nearby - we'd be showing up at their door all the time.

I know you're right about Rafa loving the photo with his pa when he gets older. Jesse thinks he won the lottery with Rafa, and we of course agree.

>242 jnwelch:

THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM

>245 jnwelch: The only “problem” with the volume of photos our children send us of our grandchildren is choosing which ones to post. I’ll bet you had to leave out quie a few gems of Rafa before you decided on those. I just put one up on Facebook of our cuties and it took a while to decide!

>246 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I like those comparisons between Buddha and Jesus.

Both had certain sects "enhance" their stories over time, didn't they. I've often wondered whether Jesus, who called himself "The Son of Man", was even more like Buddha than we think. "Here's how you can experience heaven on Earth", that kind of thing.

I'm skeptical about both their versions of the afterlife (karma and rebirth, heaven and hell), but I'm probably just a grinch.

>247 NarratorLady: Ha! You're right, Anne. You're lucky Debbi isn't doing the posting here. You'd have several threads worth of Rafa. I think she's on her 50th or so re-watching of one short video of him eating baby food. She can't get enough of it!

I loved your photo of your cuties on Facebook. Impossible to look at that and not to smile and feel joy, no matter how grumpy we are, right?

P.S. I saw her talk about Human Voices in Transcription's intriguing afterword. No surprise, but she obviously diligently researched the underpinning's of the novel.

>242 jnwelch:

One more on "recent conversation" re: kavanaugh and trump =

(quote is so old that I cannot remember the source)

"What am I doing on a level of reality where this is true?"

Cool Rafa photos.

>234 jnwelch: Love the Rafa photos. And one proud, loving Dad.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. Good review of Transcription. Big Thumb! I am so glad you loved it. Atkinson has been on a killer roll, of late. I hope to start it, in the coming weeks. As soon as I wrap up, Praise Song for the Butterflies, which has been excellent, (keep this one in mind), I will start The Overstory, which I know you warbled about, along with a few other LT pals.

>234 jnwelch: Lovely Rafa pictures, Joe!

>227 Oberon: Thanks for the clarification and added details. I thought it previously required 60 votes for confirmation as well.

>1 jnwelch:

Picture at the top echoes RAGE IS BACK, the graffiti laden book by Adam Mansbach that I just started.
An odd one, but his redeeming wit is checking in.

>5 jnwelch: Joe, What an incredible father!!! How very fortunate you are. I hope his life, love and guidance will steer you through the grief of loss of an excellent person!

All good wishes to you.

Morning, Joe!

I'm staying out of the political discussion here because I, too, have a difficult time staying on the Buddhist path when it comes to some of these yahoos in Washington, and I haven't found my impassioned-yet-equilibriummed-and-loving/kind voice for such things. I get frustrated with myself for not being quite able to separate the opinion from the person; love the thinker, hate the thought isn't coming easy for me and that makes me sad and embarrassed. So it seems better for me to quietly observe these sorts of discussions at the moment while I keep working on that. But I do appreciate the patience and calmness of others here, so much. Thanks for hosting such a great cafe, Joe.

And that Rafa fellow, gosh, what a cutie and he keeps on getting more adorable.

>250 m.belljackson: Right, Marianne? What are we doing in a reality where this is true? :-)

>251 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. He's the best.

>252 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Jesse is one proud, loving dad all right.

Sweet Thursday!

Thanks so much for the thumb. I feel like my reviews are wandering in the wilderness these days, but that ain't all bad. Maybe they'll start looking for interesting birds there.

I'm watching for your comments on Praise Song for Butterflies. The Overstory was awesome.

>253 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>254 RBeffa: I'm with you, Ron. I don't think we can thank Erik enough for all he contributed. Remarkable.

>255 m.belljackson: Intriguing re the Mansbach book Rage is Back, Marianne. Please let me know what you end up thinking of it.

>256 Whisper1: Thanks so much re my father, Linda!

You know, like every child, I had my frustrations with him. But he was an excellent person, and his kindness will always be a strong point for me. He wasn't much for guidance, but he was an incredible example. Thank you for your good wishes!

>257 scaifea: What happened to the morning? Afternoon, Amber!

I know the problem, I know it well. We used to make sure not to think of our kids as a "bad girl" or "bad boy" when they did something wrong. We thought of each as a good girl and good boy who had done something bad.

That's very hard to do with McConnell, Trump and their ilk! They are so deliberately horrible, demonstrating time and again the worst of what humans can be - and adeptly encouraging s many others to be just as horrible as they are. I struggle with it all the time.

Thanks re Rafa. What a ray of sunshine that little guy is!

OK, I'm fine with the conversation continuing here, but the new cafe is open. See you there!