Covid Takes Thanksgiving

 I wish that spending Thanksgiving with me (or any holiday, or weekend, or 5 damn minutes of any day really) mattered MORE than protesting against masks 😷 and other pandemic protocols.

Of course... me, and other disabled people like me, are a big reason for quarintening and such. Because someone like me needs to be protected. 😔 And my life isn't as valuable to people as not having to quarantine. 

100,000 dead

200,000 dead

500,000

1,000,000

The whole population of the United States could die and still not be as valuable as not having to quarantine, wear a mask, or whatever other protocol. 

Love thy neighbor.

Am I not a neighbor? Am I unworthy of love because my lungs aren't as strong as most people's?

Thou shall not kill.

Spreading Covid to me would result in my death. Is preventing that death not enough reason to protest the spread, instead of protesting the protocols? 

I'm just a broken human.

And half the country 🇺🇸 would prefer if I were dead. People like me, if we get Covid, we die. That makes the numbers go up. A rich, avid golfer gets Covid and survives. Proof that people like me are the problem.

Or proof that a caring society would do all it can to protect people, including those who need it most. 

Really, I just wish I were worth quarintening for, to spend a holiday with me safely. I wish I mattered that much. 

Meme from Facebook

Terrorists Plan Terrorism

 Edit of Yahoo News article.

I'm not changing the meaning of any content. I'm just editing. 

[Terrorists] training for violence in case Donald Trump loses election, says report

(Original by:

Graeme Massie

Tue, October 27, 2020, 8:43 PM) 

[Terrorists] are training for violence incase Donald Trump loses the election to Joe Biden.

[Terrorists] are preparing for civil conflict as they believe that the president’s defeat on election day is inevitable, according to the report from BuzzFeed.

[The terrorists were] reportedly created in the aftermath of [an event in America] and now have hundreds of members around the US.

[The terrorists'] preparations were revealed in a cache of hundreds of messages exchanged between [terrorists] in an encrypted messaging app, according to BuzzFeed.

“In logs of the chats, all from this year, around 280 [terrorists] discuss grandiose goals — creating a [minimum population] from the existing United States [population]," wrote Jane Lytvynenko.

"The group wants to expel [Americans], remaking the fabric of America.

“The messages reveal a sophisticated network of [terrorists] who are training for violence.

“[The terrorists], who believe the United States is a nation that belongs only to [some Americans], wear uniforms made up of bomber jackets, face coverings, and beige khakis, mandate weight loss and intense workouts, and regularly practice hand-to-hand combat.

“Some openly call themselves [types of terrorists] and revere [historically significant terrorists].”

The report reveals that the [terrorists] believe that it does not matter who wins the election in one week.

“It does not matter what people personally believe about it,” wrote the [terrorists'] leader Thomas Rousseau.

[Edited to improve accuracy.] 

(Feel free to track down the original. The bottom line is that terrorists are threatening terrorism because they support Trump.)

Opinion From the Weak

 

I love you.

But I disagree with this right down to my very core, to the depths of my soul. (And that's probably why a virus could become political.)

But I see how the idea exists. Survival of the fittest. As long as someone is part of the fittest, sacrificing members of the herd who aren't is acceptable. That is how animals do it, especially when there's a lot of predators and they're just struggling to not go extinct. That's the exact right mentality when the chips are down and there's no other way to keep the species going. Adopting that mentality is a sign of living near an apocalyptic event, being filled with a belief that the species as a whole is on the verge of extinction and needs extreme measures to survive. That's why only the healthier people would be given a chance, along with the hope they'd spawn more of the thinkers and artists later. Every writer who has penned a dystopian novel knows there needs to be fit characters to get to the end. 

😔

But I'm not the fittest.

And I thought we lived in a society well enough off to be able to protect those with weaker bodies. That we didn't need to sacrifice the old or sick. That we weren't in danger of extinction. (Nearly 8 billion people. Not 8👤👤👤👤👤👤👤👤. 8 billion. That's kind of a lot.) 

See, in that kind of scenario, one where the population has advanced enough to not have to sacrifice, one where thinking and art can be just as valued as health and strength, in that scenario it's HOPE, not fear, that gets the whole to act in the interest of mass preservation without sacrificing. Where the smallest numbers are lost because the focus is on keeping the current group alive. (The opposite of cutting the loss of all the weak and hoping enough will remain to regrow numbers later.) In that scenario, the virus is the predator and everyone fights it together. The strong and the weak. And they're GLAD. They like that they have evolved to the point of being able to support each other, to not have to sacrifice. It means longer lives. It means a society. It's what animals don't have. And it is THE mark of being a dominant species. It means you're not prey. Prey leaves the weak. Strong prey can say they're not scared, but they've left a chunk of their own to die, knowing that chunk cannot protect itself, because that's all they can do. That's fear. Bravery is protecting the whole group from the predator, from the virus. It's shielding the weakest members and saying, "it's okay, we won't let it harm you."

That's the society I want to live in. But as it vanished this year, and my health is weak, I will probably die wishing that society existed here. And that's why I disagree. Because the virus is riding on the strong to get to the weak. And the more of the weak it gets, the stronger of a predator it becomes. And eventually it will take down the strong too. And it will win. Because they called "hope" a "fear" and misused it. 

Sorry.

Long Shadow #WEP #WEPFF #essay #prochoice #crime or #PunxsutawneyPhil Pics

WriteEditPublishNow

My birthday is on August 21!

Picture from a birthday party in 2016.

There are two topics for my Long Shadow post. The first involves abortion (trigger warning). The second is just a collection of happy pictures from a place where a shadow matters once a year.

Long Shadow

(564-word essay)

Crime rates rise and fall from many factors, some that take decades to reveal themselves. There are ways to impact the crime rate immediately, such as altering laws, improving crime prevention measures, and giving law enforcement better training and resources. It has been postulated that permitting abortion and expanding birth control have a long-term impact on crime rates.

The reason behind it is that children who are wanted by someone with the means to properly care for them are less likely to fall into a life of crime. (The study may have focused on "blue-collar crimes" instead of "white-collar crimes.") Most notably, the odds of becoming a prostitute, drug dealer, or burglar decrease.

The idea is that someone who is prepared for the responsibility of parenthood is more likely to provide a good education, proper nutrition, a stable home, and the mental and emotional love a child requires. An excellent book to read on this topic is Freakonomics.

Some people are willing to trade a higher rate if it means abortions and birth control are more difficult to access. A fair amount of those people also do not view rape, child molestation, pedophilia, or sexual slavery as crimes. There are even some who wish to make human trafficking legal, particularly in regard to the sale of female children. Rather than as fellow humans, females are often seen as objects to them.

This type of thought may explain why so many "pro-life" protesters in America march outside of free or low-cost obstetrician clinics, intimidating women who are seeking pregnancy care as well as those considering abortions. The same protesters are less likely to stand outside of upper-class locations with obstetrics residency training, which is where the medical procedure is generally learned. Training tends to include the procedure because not all pregnancies are viable, and sometimes can result in the imminent death of both the mother and baby. However, some people strongly believe that life begins when cells can mimic a beat, but a woman of childbearing years should die if her pregnancy goes poorly, even when medicine makes that death avoidable.

Death as a predestined outcome. This means that, perhaps, some unwanted babies need to be born to grow up to become killers, sexual-assaulters, robbers, gang leaders, drug dealers, etc. Perhaps Americans need a certain amount of crime so that there are "bad guys" and thus the possibility of "good guys"?

Legal arguments as to which medical procedures a qualified medical professional should have the option of offering to a patient could be based on how it impacts society as a whole. Do religious morals have the same impact for people who do not believe in them? Should the religions and cultures of others be imposed upon people who do not share them? Where do laws come from, and do any exist for non-religious reasons?

If a law allowing abortion and expanded birth control were firmly in place, no longer teetering on the edge, would it cast a long shadow of reducing crime? If so, is that worth having some people sacrifice their moral or religious beliefs that what someone else does impacts their own afterlife?  If science could remove a fetus in the first trimester and grow it to term, would that be better? Would that help or hurt the hundreds of thousands of children in the US who are waiting to be adopted?

---

You want to talk about a LONG SHADOW?
Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. I was in Punxsutawney a few years ago. (Not on Groundhog day. Sorry.) Here are a few pictures from the town where, for one day a year, a rodent's shadow is newsworthy.

"According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather." ⛄❄

Tourist Phil

Tourist stuff in town.

Me with Liberty Phil

Me with a hand-carved Phil statue

Dentist Phil

USPS and the 2020 Election

$84,150,000 - Over eighty-four million dollars if each registered voter used a stamp in the election.
$1,683,000,000 - Over one and a half billion dollars if each registered voter bought a book of stamps.
$2,721,489,408 - Nearly three billion dollars if every adult in the US bought a book of stamps.
$141,517,449,216 - One hundred forty-one billion dollars if every adult bought 52 books of stamps (1 book a week for a year).
$160,567,875,072 - The one hundred sixty billion debt is solved if every adult in the US bought a book of stamps a week for 59 weeks.

In 2018, there were 153 million people registered to vote in the United States.
247,408,128 adults live in the US (estimation).
$160 billion debt of the USPS.
First-Class Mail Forever® stamps cost $0.55, $11 for a book of 20.

*IMPORTANT NOTE*
The USPS sells a lot more than stamps.
This is the scenario of how the USPS could be saved with ONLY stamp buying by people.
Businesses are not included.
Shipping packages with Amazon is not included.
This is how the American people could save the USPS in 14 months JUST by buying stamps.

100,000 Military members and Veterans work for the USPS
600,000 jobs exist because of the USPS

24,000 veterans are employed by UPS
28,200 veterans and military spouses estimated FedEx
The competition employs a quarter of the number of veterans that the USPS does.

The people of the United States do not HAVE to beg our elected officials to use our tax dollars to save the USPS. We could do it ourselves, if we wanted to, if we sacrificed eleven dollars a week to buy stamps.
(Not that everyone has $11 right now. But the reality is that stamps are not the most profitable product, and businesses like Amazon spend more with the USPS than people do. That isn't the point of the scenario.)
The point is that the American people are being told they are incapable of solving this mess. Get a calculator and check my math. Get a pencil and paper and check my math by hand. Put the numbers in your mind and check my math with your own mental powers. The proof is that American adults could, in fact, save the USPS if they all decided they wanted to do so. This is just one way.

$11/wk * 247,408,128 adults= $2,721,489,408
$2,721,489,408 * 59 weeks= $160,567,875,072
$160 billion debt solved.

Here's the next big issue:

If the USPS is saved, by this or another such plan, then voting by mail is back on the table. If you feel the USPS is safe enough to send government checks, taxes, and pretty much every form they ever created; but not safe enough for voting ballots (except for the ballots cast by elected officials who aren't in their home area on election day and thus do use mail-in ballots, despite being opposed to their existence), okay, double the stamp buying. Two books of stamps a week! Or a book a week for 118 weeks. There, an extra 160 billion dollars to enhance security. That ought to do it. Amazon made $34.6 billion during the pandemic. If they paid 5% tax on that profit, that's 1.73 billion to use to enhance security. There are WAYS it could be done is my point, there are ways to fund it, it's POSSIBLE.

On to the real reason for wanting the USPS to tank, and especially for the 2020 election to not be by mail:

Because it would make it easier for People of Color, Disabled people, Senior Citizens, people with Multiple jobs, and Poor people to vote.

So really, let us start asking the REAL question:

Would you rather-
A) Save six-hundred thousand jobs, one-hundred thousand of which belong to veterans, BUT it means voting will be easier for POC, disabled, elderly, multiple-job holders, and poor people to vote?
~OR~
B) Unemployment goes up by another six-hundred thousand, one-hundred thousand of which are people with a military service record, BUT you get to suppress voting! You'll spend a heck of a lot more to ever send a letter or card again, BUT there will be considerably fewer people able to vote. You have to increase unemployment during a recession and screw over veterans, BUT you can spread HATE and remind certain people that you'd do anything to silence their voice.

That's it. Just toss veterans into the groups of people hated by white terrorist groups (the klan, neo-nazis, skinheads, etc).

Do you LIKE and support vets MORE than you HATE POC and such? You have to stand up for a mail-in election. So sorry!

But if you hate POC and such MORE than you like and support veterans, congratulations, you can be opposed to mail-in ballots and favor increasing unemployment by 600k by ditching the USPS!

If you happen to value Veterans, and People of Color, Disabled people, Senior Citizens, people with Multiple jobs, and Poor people -- then you get to be in favor of a mail-in election and saving the USPS. (And you're probably a Democrat or Independent, and being told by others that you should commit suicide because you're evil. Fun🙄, isn't it? I'm in this group.🥺)

And there you have the real reason for tanking the USPS and for being opposed to a mail-in election.

Weigh your hate and feel free to post on your own wall because I am not in charge of giving a damn about haters. My health won't let me do much more than write long rants here and in the many letters I send to my elected officials. GOOD THING I BOUGHT MORE STAMPS.


** Copied from my Facebook post, just in case that mysteriously disappears.**

Facebook Humor

Some days I am annoyed by Facebook. The algorithm 😤 just drops me out of my comfort zone.  But once in a while it groups things together and cracks me up.  Here's today's:

Opinion

Should we protect statues of people who tried to destroy America? Who betrayed America with the intention of defeating America? If so, should we make more? Should we make statues of the people who made the planes crash on Sept 11? Why not? They wanted to overthrow America too. They felt the same way. Took more than 5 years to defeat them though. But they felt the same way as the Confederates and had many of the exact same goals. Should we name military bases to honor the Japanese kamikaze pilots who gave their lives to bomb Pearl Harbor? Same goal as the Confederates.

Should we force the police to do many different jobs without the equipment or training to do them and then do nothing when they fail? Much better than reallocating funds so they can focus on law enforcement and others qualified for the other jobs could do those. 911 could be improved to assist with that so the police are less overwhelmed, or meh, screw them make them multitask! Why should we give them more training and act like they matter? (Admittedly the word "defund" is misleading. We usually only hear it when talking about schools having to do more with less.)

Is the Bible important enough that people should get the first edition? Because there's a version from about a century ago and it made some SERIOUS changes and people have been basing their beliefs on those changes. But people who study ancient languages keep pointing out that the original versions say the opposite. Guttenberg Bibles still exist and are very different from the ones in print now because of a certain publisher. Is that okay? Do those Words matter?  Should we want those Words to be as intended?

No deal.
The Constitution has the First Amendment specifically to protect the rights to fix and improve the world.

We aren't alone. This is a society.

The world isn't a better place for Everyone yet, but some of us are working on it.

America to Adopt Swedish Education Model

American Schools:
"We can't afford to open safely. There's not enough money for the appropriate precautions."

President:
"Fine! Now you have even less money! I want the taxpayers of that district DEAD! I'm trying to get a war on the poor so they can't vote in November. Gahhh."

'Merica:
"Let the children suffer! Down with children! Stupid dependents."

Smart people:
"Okay. How about more birth control so there aren't as many children? And how about if we let some of the LGBTQ + community who can afford kids adopt some? End child marriage. Tougher on rapists. Child support starts in the womb. More access to abortion clinics. Limits on the cost of giving birth and prenatal care. Free daycare."

'Merica leader:
"WHAT??? NO!!! Crank them out so we can kill them!"

America isn't Germany, Denmark, Norway, or Sweden.

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/funding-education-31_en

In general, education is administered and financed by Germany's 16 federal states, with the national government assuming responsibility for the standardization of requirements for the Abitur, for teacher training, and for vocational education, as well as for financial support of students in higher education.

Equal education. Not better schools based on where students live.

In 2014, Germany's 16 states abolished tuition fees for undergraduate students at all public German universities. This means that currently both domestic and international undergraduates at public universities in Germany can study for free, with just a small fee to cover administration and other costs per semester.

The central government finances the bulk of education in Norway. About 40 percent of compulsory education, 60 percent of upper secondary education, and a full 100 percent of higher education is paid by the central government. Local municipalities cover the remaining expenses.


The Danish school system offers high quality education from the age of 6 to 19. Education is a key priority in Denmark. The Danish public schooling and education system is financed by taxes and therefore free of charge.

Funds are generally provided as part of a block grant. No local or regional authorities are involved in the funding of upper secondary schools and nor is own revenue use for the funding of the schools.
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/early-childhood-and-school-education-funding-22_en




The Swedish Education Act states that all children and young people are to have equal access to education, regardless of gender, where they live or social or economic factors, making it the, ‘education of the future’ for many people across the world.


https://twitter.com/openletterbot/status/1281024927458422784

National Human Resources

There's a problem where people get hired for their gender, race, creed, looks, etc etc etc; and a more qualified candidate does not. There's a problem where wages are based on those same biases.

What if there was a National Human Resources? Employers would no longer be responsible for hiring or wage division.

Company A submits to the NHR what they're looking for in a candidate. Here's the thing, whatever "qualities" they're looking for, someone was already trained to look for those. It's teachable. It's documentable. It can be quantified. Therefore, it can be outsourced to NHR.

Oh, Company A needs someone that can get along with their group? Well that means that the current HR person at Company A knows what it takes to get along. They know the person should enjoy basketball, should be able to discuss nail polish colors, should have a favorite cookie, etc. Anything that isn't prejudice is something that could be covered in a question. See how that works?

(And if you don't like the person that gets hired, you're gonna need to put your finger on why. Gotta make sure it isn't because they aren't <insert prejudice reason here> enough.)

Also, every position at every job will report the current pay. Company A pays X dollars for this job. The qualifications for a pay increase is Y. NHR will review if employees are eligible upon request once per quarter or year, depending on how often Company A gives raises. If no one "at the bottom" is qualifying for raises, that "bonus money" that top tier usually gets is being put into an employee training improvement program. The people at the top aren't doing a good enough job if the people at the bottom aren't rising.

Anyone unemployed will use NHR to get job offers. Matches in their area and matches with better pay in other areas will also be suggested.

Headhunters are all going to have to work with NHR.

Resumes will be complied in the NHR database. People won't make them anymore. Either you're qualified or you aren't. We won't be using names, addresses, phone numbers, or other such information. No, like social security, everyone gets an NHR number. This will help ensure jobs aren't given based on bias information.

You know who really will dislike this? Colleges and Universities. There goes the notion that a degree from a community college holds better job opportunities than one from Big State U.

This is just the base idea. Obviously, there needs to be computer algorithms and figure out how to hire people for NHR and how to get every company in America onboard.

Other jobs, too. Have you been hired to do politics? Your wage will be based on how often you do your job and how many of your constitutes agree you're doing it well. (People will be asked on a quarterly payday, and will not be paid unless they answer. Answering "no opinion" is allowed.)

Staying at home as a parent, house spouse, or caregiver will also now generate a minimum wage income. NHR will not consider parenting as being "out of the workforce," but rather as gaining experience in other areas. NHR is also going to destroy the discrimination against pregnancy. And while we're at it, maternity and paternity leave are going to exist, be for a real length like other industrialized nations, and are no longer going to hold someone back (or give someone else an advantage) in the job market. Babies will get to be as important as jobs! Population generation will get to matter. And those who don't raise a family will get to retire earlier or get equal time off after a certain age or something. Because that choice is also valid, but it won't be a competitive edge in the career world.

Plan to take your business overseas because you can't find workers here? Prove it to the NHR or face hefty fines. Intend to toss out a bunch of people just before they reach retirement or other benefits? Better be ready to justify that to the NHR, who will likely find the money by cutting the pay of the CFO. That's right -- no one gets laid off while top tier people make over six figures. Let me say that again -- NO ONE gets laid off while anyone at the same company makes more than $99,999 a year (including money from stocks and bonds and stuff, because loopholes are getting tied shut). You want to know a big obstacle to the NHR? Rich people who don't want to pay people well.

I've been thinking about this idea for some time because of the wage gap. But what inspired me to write this today was this video:




So that's my idea. Please don't comment with why it won't work. Be useful, comment with how it COULD work, how you'd fix whatever reason it doesn't work.

It's time to start fixing things. Equal pay for equal work. Hiring based on real qualifications. Raises based on effort. Accountability for vastly overpaid top-level people.

Anyway, this is just a blog post. It's just an idea. Unless someone with authority makes it happen, it's little more than fiction. A plot bunny for a better America.

#WEP #WEPFF Urban Nightmare 1000-word Flash Fiction #PUSHunt

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wep-june-challenge-urban-nightmare-sign.html

1000 words on the dot! Full critique accepted.

Sally's Urban Nightmare

The loud crashing sound seemed to shake the apartment. Two more crashes followed a second later, along with crying.

Sally rushed to her daughter’s bedroom. When the door wouldn’t open, she kicked it in. "What was that?"

Rose screamed in agony between sobs.

"Hush. I have to call for help."

This would be it. One too many trips to the doctor. This time with twisted, bloody fingers that were lodged under a door. She pulled the older style phone from her pocket. It took a moment for the screen to light.

"Help’s coming. "

"No, no, no! No more needles!"

Sally huffed as she went to the front door, cracked it open, then returned to Rose.

"What were you thinking? Haven't I told you to be careful?"

Rose clutched her doll in her good hand as her mother moved the fallen fort.

"You climbed up on the dresser to hang the sheet."

Rose whimpered as she rolled to face her injured, trapped hand. "It just fell."

"No. You fell. Because you can't climb. I've told you that. You were supposed to be in here taking a nap." Sally tossed the fallen book stack aside. She grabbed a pair of pants and socks from the dresser.

"You're going to wear pants, socks, and shoes with your nightgown to the hospital. No arguments." Rose wiggled between sobs, dressed just as help arrived.

"She's back here. I can't get her fingers out from under the door."

The paramedics helped Rose as Sally explained to the officer that she'd heard a crash and burst through the door, worried for her daughter. "She was supposed to be napping. I just got her down not five minutes before and taken a moment to use the bathroom."

"How long between the crash and you getting to her this time?"

Sally dug her nails into her hands. No way was she taking the blame for this. "Seconds. I kicked the door in to get to her. That's how her hand got caught."

The officer nodded. Sally excused herself and, Rose's shoes in hand, stormed to the girl's bedroom.

"We have her free." A paramedic said when she got there. Rose was staying still for them. But still clutching her doll.

"You know they don't let you take toys to the hospital." Sally held out her hand.

Rose’s screaming and flailing started again. Sally didn't budge. The officer eventually knelt down and retrieved the doll. He glared at it.

"Jennter," Rose cried as she reached as far as she could, but the paramedics were taking her away.

"She still has this?" The officer shoved the doll at Sally.

"Can we go? I should be with her. Didn't even get her shoes on. But I have them. See? New condition." Sally tossed the doll aside.

"Mmmhmm," the officer motioned for her to lead them out.

Rose returned home three days later. She wobbled to her room as fast as she could. Sally yelled to be careful.

"Jennter? Jennter?" Rose searched under the bed, in the drawers, and in the wash hamper.

"There's a new doll on your bed. Gift from the cop. This one is named Marie. See? All the letters on her box. Unlike the Jennifer doll from that toy drive."

"Where's Jennter?"

Sally picked up the new doll. "Marie. Can you stay still while I use the bathroom? Have you had enough doctors poking you this week to at least not cause another accident?"

Rose took the new doll from the box and asked it to help her find Jennter. Sally walked away. 

She came back to find clothing everywhere and the bed unmade. "I was gone for a blink!"

"I can't find Jennter!"

Sally's face scrunched as if she bit a rotten lemon. "Jennifer is gone. Took off because you couldn't behave. Clean up this mess or Marie will follow."

"No. Jennter wouldn't leave. You sent her away."

"That doll was scrap. You have a new one. Now clean up."

"She wasn't scrap! I'm not scrap. She was healing from her ouchies, like me. Her skin had markings like mine does. Her hair was patchy like mine because some of her brain came out too. And she had arm holes like me. That's why you don't like her. You don't like me! You want Marie as a daughter. Take her!" Rose chucked the doll at her mother.

"Enough. Clean, nap, or play with the doll. But you stay in this room. And no climbing on the furniture or I'll throw it out."

"Like you tossed out Jennter. Like you want to kick me out."

"Stay quiet until dinner." Sally slammed the door. She went to the kitchen and banged a pot onto the stove. Just one day where it isn't so hard, she prayed.

Once the pasta and chicken was on the table, she called Rose, who didn't answer.

"I know you hear me calling," Sally said as she wedged the bedroom door open. Rose wasn't on the bed. Sally dropped to her knees and looked under it, but the girl wasn't there. She checked the dresser and the hamper.

"Rose?"

Sally ran around the apartment, calling her daughter's name, searching every hiding place. Then she felt a cool breeze on her neck.

Rose knew not to go into Sally's room. She knew she wasn't allowed near the bedroom window. She wasn't supposed to climb on the dresser to unlatch it. Or to open it onto the fire escape.

That rusted death trap. The building was nearly condemned over that. The owner had been fined again and again. Yet there it hung, clanging in every storm. Sally ran over and looked out.

Marie sat perched on the rusted fire escape.

Sally dialed her old phone, cursing as it retarded her speed in an emergency. "My daughter is gone!"

The wind whipped through the urban buildings, a new nightmare swirling between the leaves and litter. A cat hissed from the alley far below. Sally looked down and screamed.

---

https://t.co/WsQMpM87ux

PUSH - Prompts Unity Scavenger Hunt #PUSHunt
A game for creative people!
Easy to do. Join us. 🥰

— JamieWriter (@PenMinion) June 17, 2020

Periods

I am not going to attack JK Rowling for her tweet or later responses. But I do wish I understood why she wouldn't want young girls to be allowed to retain the title of girl instead of forcing them to call themselves women, especially in countries that still believe in "old enough to bleed, old enough to breed." There's also a huge trans argument, but plenty of people are covering that topic.

Before I start, here are screenshots:

The article she is referencing:

https://www.devex.com/news/sponsored/opinion-creating-a-more-equal-post-covid-19-world-for-people-who-menstruate-97312

The issue at hand is how difficult it is for some people during this time. Particularly because many poor people lost access to hygiene products. And having others see menstrual blood can cause sexual assaults and forced marriages. (Implied, but not stated directly, in the article.) This is especially dangerous for persons under the age of 18. Persons who might, in certain cases, be better protected by referring to them as GIRLS instead of WOMEN. 

👧👧🏻👧🏼👧🏽👧🏾👧🏿 

Sure, it is sometimes called the journey into womanhood. And sometimes that is the line between girl and woman. But as menstruation is starting at earlier ages, it's becoming more and more important to change that mindset. (Also, it isn't inclusive of gender non-binary persons, the trans community, gender fluid, etc.)

I don't believe that periods make someone an adult. I don't believe that a menarch should automatically end childhood. And I don't believe that those old enough to bleed are actually instantly old enough to breed. Or that anyone should be forced to breed! (Male, female, or other. CONSENT matters. And a shedding uterus shouldn't overrule that.) 

https://twitter.com/PenMinion/status/1271397555155472384

I also don't believe that someone should get to be in the fame spotlight for having abused someone. 

So while I don't understand the language word choice JK took issue with, why she doesn't like the use of girl or gender non-binary persons to describe some people who menstruate, I really don't think that was a reason to track down an abuser and give them a platform.

I can't get all that in a Tweet. Hopefully I'm more clear here.

Nuclear Winter Is Not the Solution to Global Warming

https://twitter.com/openletterbot/status/1270737740062056449

Today I had to actually write my Congress people to ask they not allow our president to fire nuclear weapons at the weather. ⛈🌦🌬🌊☃️

This world is just a little too fictional for me.

---

The conversation I imagine happened:


"What if I press the button?" 🍊🏌️‍♂️

"Sir?" Idiot. "The red button? We all die."

"How do you know? Have we pressed it before?"🍊🏌️‍♂️

"It sets off the nuclear weapons. Global winter."

"WINTER! Well now I bigly gotta press it. Winter will make the demmycrats think I fixed the icecaps they're always whining about. Can't have global warming and winter! Ha."🍊🏌️‍♂️

"Mister President," vomits in mouth a little calling him that, "no. That's really... that's not..."

"I'm gonna press it."🍊🏌️‍♂️

"You need Congress." You need Jesus. And a psychiatrist. And to locked away.

"Damn Congress. They're gonna say no."🍊🏌️‍♂️

One can only hope. "We still have to ask."

PUSH - Prompts Unity Scavenger Hunt #PUSHunt Round 2 #creative #prompt

The first round was on https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/2020/06/push-prompts-unity-scavenger-hunt.html

ROUND TWO:
Your second hint is the animal represented at this link = https://www.pinterest.com/pin/479492691559332113/

Remember, you won't verify that you've used the Scavenger Hunt hint for Round 2 on this post.
That will be on J's blog later.
(Depending on if anyone signs up to play.)

On THIS post, comment if you've done ROUND ONE.

There are two key elements to your comment.

• You mention the hint. This way we know you went to the link and "hunted."
• You state that you did something creative.

For Round One, I created a YouTube video where I used an orange.
How about you?

Two relevant topics and some survey results

I joined a political survey group a few years ago. I don't remember how. They don't pay for my time. It's usually only a dozen questions so I only need a minute to answer them. Anyway, after the survey there's an opportunity to see results of prior questions.

If you ever want to figure out which of these two parties aligns with your morals, there you go. That's a pretty clear chart on if Black Lives Matter to those parties. What's next?

There's a graph of how it's going, considering recent events.

I found this on Facebook. Pretty accurate for someone who wants to ditch the First Amendment and break the law that prevents the use of the military against US CITIZENS. But hey...

Next topic:

Here is another disturbing graph. The amount of concern isn't related to the life/ disability/ death tolls.

So here we can see which party is more worried about the virus that is killing off people. Interestingly, the Republican party has more older members. You'd think that would matter. Apparently not, unless they just don't do polls.

And this last one is my state. As you can see, we're very divided on giving a damn about the virus. Some of us want to live, and value the lives of older Pennsylvanians enough to want them to live too. But some just don't care.

#PUSHunt 🍊 Vegetarian #Recipe and Cooking #Fail

https://youtu.be/CsAKVft3Bls

Part 1 of the cooking is there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBC5HjCJ0G5lvMYStq0KllhO_IOXZ3ur9fcSV80

Part 2 is there, but my Instagram account is private! So here is a copy of the aftermath pictures.

I found the smoothie blender!

Long cuts. How I chop celery.

Forgot to put the tomatoes in the salsa!

Celery, onion, and garlic cooking.

Scooping and cooking.

One flip before they're done.

Clementines! (Not mandarin oranges or tangerines, as named in the video.)

Finished product! 

At least it tasted good.

Drinking #water

This 20oz bottle is what I use. Ignore the label because that's not what's in there. It's filtered tap water. I happen to really like this style of bottle and lid. Would I rather that it had cute kittens or whatever? Sure. But it's clear, so I know how much is in there. It has survived many rounds in my dishwasher. If it falls over, not much spills out. And it's very easy to open and close. Plus, it's easy to grip, which is nice on hot days when my breathing has gotten bad and thus I can't really feel my hands.



Just sharing what I use. I suggest watching the video attached.

Reflection #AtoZchallenge 2020, Alton Brown Love, and a Short Story #FlashFiction LGBTQIA+

• I managed to get all my posts done this year! 
• I also entered WriteClub 2020. 🤞 
• I worked on my writing. 
• I entered a flash fiction contest (tied for second).
• I celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary – we even opened the wine we were saving.
• I fell behind on journaling. 
• I didn't keep up with my commenting. 
• I'm behind on email replies.
• I've had several arguments on Facebook with people who... don't share my belief in the seriousness of the pandemic. 

Our special drink to celebrate our anniversary.

Look what I spotted on an old episode of Desperate Housewives. A to Z Yellow Pages.

Biolidics, a company from Singapore, has a rapid test for the virus! Video: facebook.com/nasdaily



Wear a mask! Support the United States Postal Service! 📬 Follow Alton Brown's Quarantine Quitchen on YouTube because he, his wife, and their two dogs are adorable! 💑🐶🐕


That's the prompt and this is my entry (this was before I saw the show Upload). (Trigger warnings: current pandemic, LGBTQIA+)


Welcome to Third Life _ _ _

Username:
Password:

"You just pick your name and password to get started. Think to type," the sales representative says as she rearranges my bedside table.

"Right. But this isn't a regular website."

"The instructions are all on the screen. At any time, say 'exit' and an option to quit will appear."

"What happens if I quit?"

She gnaws on her lip before answering. "I've never seen that happen. But you are free to leave any time."

"Why did you pause?"

"Because I'm in the world. I had to cancel and close my box after saying the word. Any other questions you have are answered in the program," she says as she leaves.

I probably shouldn't do this. But she looked so real! I could smell her, and it wasn't a cleaning product scent, but perfume. Her skin felt real to my touch. That's what skin still feels like, right? Anyone who comes in here hides behind a biohazard suit, as do I. She didn’t need to.

I click the FAQ.

Do I have to use my real name?

—  No! In Third Life you can be your most true self, whoever you feel that is. Upgrades and changes for your avatar are purchasable. Usernames are permanent but in-game IDs can be altered for a fee.

I type a username and password. I've seen Avatar and the Matrix movies. And I played SecondLife for years. I know this isn't much different. Except those were movies and a game. This is real life.

Real life? I think that ended back in Nineteen or Twenty. Reality tumbled into a portal dimension of country-sized fires, quakes, sickness, and building-sized asteroids.

The screen starts with an avatar that looks like me. Or, at least, the me that was. Back when smiles weren't hidden behind masks. Hair that was cut and styled: what a memory!

This biohazard suit is like my closet. I dared not come out of it before. I've pretended to be Cis to survive. But the avatars that live in the world are without violence. I can be my real self now.

I scroll through base avatars until I find what I want. There. The body that reflects who I feel I look like.

Hours have passed by the time I've perfected making my avatar. I step out into the world for the first time as my true self.

What will happen to my birth body? They say the avatar never dies. But my birth body was about to expire. I survived the first two virus waves, but won't survive cardiomyopathy. If I exit, is that suicide?

When my birth body dies the biohazard suit, my closet, will be discarded. So I'm out. There's no going back. I'm going to have to live as my true self among the remaining thirty-million survivors. Is that a silver lining, or a tinfoil one?



How was your April? I hope you liked my story.