September 17

 Good morning, everyone. The view outside is the same today as it was yesterday and the forecast is also the same. I will have to water things tomorrow on the patio because we, probably, won't get any significant rain til next Tuesday. Had a quiet morning stitching so far and got a good bit done on the cross-stitch scarf I took over from Mom because she thought the pattern called for smaller stitches than she wanted to work. The iron-on pattern packs I ordered from Amazon came yesterday. They do look interesting but I don't think I will set up a different project for Mom soon. She keeps going back and forth on whether she wants to do anything. I think she is bored. 

Most of the news focused on Trumps unprecedented state visit to the U.K. The British are pulling out all the stops to stroke his ego. I wish there was something we could offer them to keep him. Oh well, it is a nice change of pace to Kash Patel's infantile temper tantrum before Congress. On a sad note Robert Redford has died at age 89. Sad because we won't have any more great films from him; but he did have a long and productive life that gave us some iconic movies.

Rachel Biticofer put this up on THE CYCLE detailing the many ways Trumps tariffs are a con we are paying for. What really burns me up is that we have a legislative branch split between cowards who won't cross Trump, true believers who think the sun rises out of his ass, and some Democrats who talk a good game of opposing the MAGA bully but caves in so they won't be blamed for shutting down the government. I have news for that last group: you are going to be blamed anyway so it's better to do what is right and then be aggressive about telling people who is actually to blame.

The New Dem Dispatch posted this piece on a joint round table hosted by Rep. Janelle Bynum and Rep. Andrea Salinas focused on the needs of rural communities. I have thought for sometimes, and on occasion mentioned, that our Federal government's policies seem designed to bleed rural communities dry. I guess that food appears magically on the supermarket shelves.