Events

I agree with most of what the British comedian says, except I would say while both the Right and Left have descended into illiberalism, the Left aren't actually shooting anyone:

Just now on Facebook the first 15 things on my feed were: 4 posts from friends; 3 posts from groups I follow; and 8 posts from advertisers and accounts I don't follow. That, my friends, is enshittification. I remember when, not long ago, 8 posts would be from friends for every 2 that weren't. It's beginning to make Facebook unusable for me. Other things on the Internet have also enshittified to near uselessness, as these three stories attest. First, Vandenberg Coalition executive director Carrie...

Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar (R, 1991-1999) has died of pancreatic cancer: Mr. Edgar was a moderate Republican whose ranks have all but disappeared in Illinois politics as the Trump-era MAGA movement took hold in the state. He was pro-choice on abortion and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in her 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump. As the state’s 38th governor, he served two terms from 1991 to 1999. He also served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979...

After waking up, turning on a bunch of lights, and throwing on clothes, I opened my front door and indicated to Cassie that she should go to the little patch of grass just outside and do her morning job. She pranced out the door, stopped, turned around, and walked right back inside. This is why: I'm hoping it subsides enough to take her at least to the street before too long. One forecast thinks it'll end by 10am but the National Weather Service thinks it may just get slightly less stormy by then. I...

In the day since a yet-unknown sniper assassinated far-right activist Charlie Kirk, people across the political spectrum have reacted with anger and horror. Most--at least, from the center-right to the center-left--decried the violence itself, even when they found Kirk's politics reprehensible: Former presidents Biden, Obama, Bush, and Clinton soundly condemned the killing, with Obama posting, "We don't yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable...

Kirk, who founded the far-right youth organization Turning Point USA, has died after being shot on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah: Kirk, 31, emerged as one of the most prominent voices on the right, gaining an audience of millions of listeners between his daily talk show and social media channels. He rose to prominence in conservative circles largely by holding events on college campuses at which he debated liberal students. He developed a close relationship with Trump in recent...

I just got back from a 30-minute walk with Cassie in 22°C early-autumn sun. We suffered. And now I'm back in my home office and she's back on the couch. She will spend the next several hours napping in a cool, breezy spot downstairs, and I will...work. I will also read a bit, which is a skill that I'm glad Cassie does not have after encountering the day's news: It's official! The June jobs report showed a decline in US employment for the first time since December 2020, making President Biden the only...

As I mentioned in previous posts, Cassie got not one but two long walks over the weekend. On Friday we did a 5½ km loop around the neighborhood and wound up at Begyle for one beer (or a handful of liver treats, depending on species). And yesterday we drove out to Morton Arboretum and did a winding 8½ km loop with Cassie's friend Kelsey. Pity about the weather: Today's weather is about the same, but alas Cassie and I have only gotten 45 minutes of walkies so far. Between work and the first chorus...

Almost exactly 3 months ago, I needed to get something out of a storage locker, and reminded myself why I hated getting something out of the storage locker: I found the thing I wanted. And as long as I was there, I said to myself, why not grab a couple of these boxes to see if I need to keep them? And so, from (I think) June 9th until just this past Saturday, I brought home over 60 boxes of stuff going all the way back to [redacted], threw out or shredded about 15 boxes worth, reorganized everything...

A total lunar eclipse has just started and will reach totality at 12:30 Chicago time, which is unfortunately about 10 hours too early for us to enjoy it here. It's a good way to end the first day of meteorological autumn, though, as is the 8 km walk Cassie and I have planned around 2 this afternoon. With a forecast high of 19°C, it should be lovely. In other eclipses this past week: The OAFPOTUS has so badly damaged US foreign policy and our standing in the world that China has eclipsed us as the de...