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Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.
Friday, May 17, 2024
AP: “Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas for the second time this month, killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area.”
Thursday, May 16, 2024
CBS News: “A barge has collided with the Pelican Island Causeway in Galveston, Texas, damaging the bridge, closing the roadway to all vehicular traffic and causing an oil spill. The collision occurred at around 10 a.m. local time. Galveston officials said in a news release that there had been no reported injuries. Video footage obtained by CBS affiliate KHOU appears to show that part of the train trestle that runs along the bridge has collapsed. The ship broke loose from its tow and drifted into the bridge, according to Richard Freed, the vice president of Martin Midstream Partners L.P.'s marine division.”
Public Service Announcement
The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705
Marie: BTW, if you think our government sucks, I invite you to watch the PBS special "The Real story of Mr Bates vs the Post Office," about how the British post office falsely accused hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of subpostmasters of theft and fraud, succeeded in obtaining convictions and jail time, and essentially stole tens of thousands of pounds from some of them. Oh, and lied about it all. A dramatization of the story appeared as a four-part "Masterpiece Theater," which you still may be able to pick it up on your local PBS station. Otherwise, you can catch it here (for now). Just hope this does give our own Postmaster General Extraordinaire Louis DeJoy any ideas.
The Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron. Washington Post: A “group of amateur archaeologists sift[ing] through ... an ancient Roman pit in eastern England [found] ... a Roman dodecahedron, likely to have been placed there 1,700 years earlier.... Each of its pentagon-shaped faces is punctuated by a hole, varying in size, and each of its 20 corners is accented by a semi-spherical knob.” Archaeologists don't know what the Romans used these small dodecahedrons for but the best guess is that they have some religious significance.
"Countless studies have shown that people who spend less time in nature die younger and suffer higher rates of mental and physical ailments." So this Washington Post page allows you to check your own area to see how good your access to nature is.
Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:
If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:
He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”
Medlar & I are so pleased to finally be able to say
-- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie
Thanks to Patrick for reminding us earlier this year of this seasonal classic:
We owe it to the film "Home Alone" (1990) for reviving this version of Irving Berlin's 1940 classic:
In memory of My Damned Cat:
Speaking of animals, Bob Rivers' "Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire" is too offensive to embed here, but it is pretty tasty.
Hellellujah Chorus with lyrics:
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town:
Reader Comments (6)
If any of you, like me, have "world enough and time" on this day of days, you might want to dip into these two pieces on religion, both from the Times: the first one by Peter Wehner, tries to convey how he can possibly believe that faith is better than doubt. It's a thoughtful but failed attempt. Interesting to read some of the comments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/25/opinion/faith-christmas-religion.html?ribbon-ad-idx=2&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article
The other piece follows below.
P.S. thanks to Marie for all the glee!
EGYPT'S WAR ON ATHEISM:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/opinion/mona-eltahawy-egypts-war-on-atheism.html
Can't leave out my fave carol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg7HvF3a_Iw
The treasury secretary received a special Christmas gift.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/12/man-who-left-manure-at-treasury-secretarys-home-calls-it-act-of-political-theater.html
Cheers.
Another Christmas song "All I want for Christmas"
Wishing you all happiness over the Christmas holiday time, and beyond.
Thanks for all the love, grace, warmth and intelligent discourse throughout this rotten year— to you all, and especially to Marie, safari and the others dedicated to keeping us all sane and in the loop. I am proud to feel a part of a community as we simply careen along. My delightful son and his wife gave us the Pete Souza book of Obama photographs and we actually teared up on opening it. Feels like such a loss—