polymerpunkah

Every journey starts with a single step. Passing laws to reduce the number of guns in the US would be an effective start, symbolically and practically. But the people, and their politicians, don't care enough about it to make it happen. "Tots and prayers." (Both what politicians say after the latest mass-murderer goes on a rampage, and what you see in US classrooms just before that rampage starts.)

A few days ago I was going to post something along the lines of: "Imagine being so desperate as to volunteer to be Putin's cannon fodder." Looks like some aren't desperate enough. As for Wagner, I wonder how effective they'll be in a fight to the death against trained and motivated soldiers. Murdering defenseless civilians in North Africa seems more their style: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/04/russian-mercenaries-wagner-group-linked-to-civilian-massacres-in-mali

I don't know where to start with that sentence. Sick to my stomach.

"Jokerman"

The bootleg version of "Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts". I've probably posted it before, but what the hell, it's your birthday.

So is there a mens rea element to this offense? Are they trying to claim that the Met didn't fine Johnson because he thought it was a works event? Whereas the person they did fine thought it was a piss-up? Because that's the only way fining one and not the other makes sense. That or corruption, of course.

Here's one of the organizers of Canada's anti-vax trucker convoy expressing his views on the subject: And an article discussing some of their opinions: https://globalnews.ca/news/8543281/covid-trucker-convoy-organizers-hate/

Started planting 30,000 seedlings last week on our woodlot. We did cut down a few thousand mature trees last winter, so swings and roundabouts. But we're at least replacing them, and taking care of them to the point that they're free to grow into mature trees. To that end I'm currently brushing out the competing deciduous trees on ten hectares we planted 15 years ago. Not exactly a garden, but still a similar process of altering the land-scape, writ large.

Ironically enough, Jason Kenney, the leader of our most right-wing province and a former federal Conservative cabinet member--the one who proclaimed the pandemic over in July of 2021, only to implement the same measures the rest of the country had put in place months before, thus unnecessarily killing at least several hundred of his own constituents--has just resigned after narrowly "winning" a referendum on his leadership of the United Conservative Party. This could very well lead to the return to power of the much much further to the left New Democrats in the upcoming election.

I too enjoyed "The Outfit". A nice change to see a half dozen characters and some dialogue tell a story. For some reason it reminded me of "Eastern Promises", which I think I'll watch again.

I posted a mention of "Open Veins of Latin America" over in the book thread, if you're looking for a general history of the subject.

Perhaps there's some method to this madness. Just looking at my (pirated) streaming service, and all of the PotC movies are near the top of the "popular" list. If Johnny's got part of the back end, then he'll be rolling in it.

Graywashed

I always thought a "banana republic" refered to a country that was controlled by a foreign company/country. United Fruit Company in Central America I think were the progenitors. Nothing about race, just corruption.